Reading this week:

• A Training School for Elephants by Sophy Roberts

I said it before but as you can see from the titles the framing device for this series of posts is the efforts of the London Missionary Society to extend their Central African Mission into Bemba territory. Despite that being the framing device, I am going to wind up doing a very bad job of explaining the whole saga of said extension because there are large bits of it for which I don’t have scans of the letters. Instead, for the definitive story of this expansion I have to point you to the book Mbeleshi in a History of the London Missionary Society by Rev. Dr. Bwalya S. Chuba, available for your perusal at the Library of Congress.

From that book I can tell you in February of 1900 that Mr. and Mrs. Purves took a trip through Bemba country, visiting Chief Mporokoso and Chief Ponde. This was reported briefly in the June 1900 issue of the Chronicle: “Mr. and Mrs. Purves have been away from their station on a tour of inspection to the Bemba country, where it is hoped soon to begin work.” Based on that success of that “tour,” Mr. W. Govan Robertson then set out in July 1900 to open an out-station at Mporokoso. There he built a house and church-cum-school house, all apparently for the whopping sum of £12.5. To staff the school and do the preaching, Robertson installed one Mr. Joseph Kalulu as head teacher, along with assistants Mr. Kisama and Mr. Kawene, two younger teachers. Robertson himself returned up to Kawimbe.

One more detail necessary to explain the letter below is that around the time this was all going on, Mr. Robert “Miser of Headingley” Arthington offered to give the LMS a cool £10,000 to help with establishing a mission to the Bemba. This is double what he offered for them to put the SS Good News on Lake Tanganyika 25 years prior. This was reported in the Chronicle in September 1900.

Anyways that brings us to the below telegram:

I skipped transcribing it because it is explained with the benefit of punctuation in the below letter from John May to the LMS Foreign Secretary R. Wardlaw Thompson. For those who want more transcription action than I am providing here, this is the same letter quoted from in the March 1901 edition of the Chronicle:

Kawimbe

Nov 8^th 1900

My dear Mr. Thompson,

Though this is an unofficial letter, I may as well take the opportunity of acknowledging your letters to the D.C. of July 14^th, 1900, July 26^th, 1900, & telegram which arrived on Oct 19^th, & gave the liveliest satisfaction.

Our telegram sent on Oct 9^th read as follows – “Missionary, London, Awemba Country open to Society till end December. French Fathers waiting occupy; if we withhold, they enter. Purves ready; has Committee’s confidence. Money available here. Wire instructions. Urgent.”

It had to be long, to enable you to understand clearly our position. I am thankful it was not mutilated. A part of the cost has been borne privately. I think only a very small proportion will fall on the Society.

I think my letter to you written about a year ago will explain the first part of the telegram. Minutes & letter sent last September will explain fully the confidence the D.C. have in Mr. Purves. “Money available here,” means that our industrial work has done so well this year, that we should not have to draw on the funds of the Society for the expenses connected with the preliminary steps proposed.

Mr. & Mrs. Purves left here on Monday, October 22^nd, & we have not heard from them since they left Niamkolo. Mrs. Purves could not put her foot to the ground when she left, without great pain; but she bravely would not delay the journey a day. She was better according to latest news. It is wonderful what pluck she has.

We miss our good friends very much; their hearty good-nature & kindness have endeared them to us. Mr. Purves is a hard worker; & thoroughly in earnest, as Dr. Mather used to tell us before we knew him. We have a high opinion of him; & have seen nothing in him of what he was charged with, during the year we have spent with him.

Mr. Purves was to visit our out-station at Mpolokoso’s [Mporokoso’s], & then pass on to Kazembe’s Town – choose a healthy site on high ground about 7½ miles north of it, build a temporary house, settle down & begin school & evangelist work amongst the people; & return to meet his brethren for devotional purposes & consultation, in January. This will ensure occupation of the country from Johnstone Falls – where the Garanganze Mission have a station, right away east to Mambwe, & all the country north to the Congo Free State boundary, & round the Lake shore as far as Kasanga. This gives us a piece of country about as large as England. We trust nothing will happen to prevent our occupation of it. God has opened the way so far, & we are persuaded He will lead us right into possess the land for Him.

The D.C. are engaged in considering a report to send to the Board, as you ask in your last letter. The question of the best position for a second station cannot be considered until Mr. Purves reports to us early next year. One at any rate must be near Kazembe’s.

We were overjoyed & humbly thankful to get the good news of Mr. Arthington’s splendid offer for the Awemba Mission. We see God’s hand very manifestly, & are greatly encouraged in going forward.

We were very glad to have Mr. Draper & Mr. Mackendrick with us; & liked them very much. I think they will prove a tower of strength to the Mission. Soon we hope to hear of further reinforcements – Mr. Stewart Wright, a Doctor, etc. I trust your efforts to obtain a doctor will eventually be successful. Dr. Scott would have been just the man. I wish it might be possible to secure him; as far as our own experiences of him goes he seems almost an ideal medical missionary for Central Africa.

Thinking of how the Livingstonia Mission has run away with medical men you were hoping to get for our Mission – reminds me of the Semi-Jubilee Conference, which was held last month at Livingstonia. We are looking forward to Mr. Robertson’s return, to hear all about it. There were 33 missionaries & wives there & 4 babies!

Our baby grows & flourishes, & is in splendid health; is 8 months old today & has 6 teeth. He does not look like a tropical child, with roses in his cheeks.

Thank you very much for your personal letter to me of June 2^nd, which should have been acknowledged before. I noted carefully what you said about our teacher at Kasanga, & the last time I was there, I found there is no danger of his getting under the influence of the Greek trader there. For one thing, the trader’s goods are so dear, that he prefers getting his cloth etc. at Kawimbe, where he can spend his money to better advantage. But I was very glad of the word of caution you gave me.

Work is going on pretty fairly in the schools in the Saisi Valley, though I cannot get away to visit them till Mr. Robertson returns. One of the 3 centers has been closed for the present, as a few cases of small-pox appeared in 2 of the villages where teaching was carried on. We hope the small-pox will soon disappear, as we do not hear any more of it.

What you said about our industrial work in my letter, Mr. Draper’s instructions, etc., is a complete answer & what I wrote you in June last & gives me great satisfaction. We have heard no complaints of late. My engineering has done better this year & will show pretty good returns I think. Wagon repairing will give the blacksmiths a good deal of work in the future, I think. The best bit of engineering I have had since repairing the “Morning Star” was fitting a new brake on a wagon; & it is working very well.

The number of those who have spoke of their desire to be baptized, here at Kawimbe, is 23 up to the present. At Niamkolo Mr. Mackendrick baptized 4 women in October.

I have both an Enquirer’s & Catechumens’ Class each week. Mrs. May resumed her Women’s Class last Sunday; she had been too unwell to take it for some weeks (after an attack of quinsy). She is very well now, & gets better nights with the baby. Before the Purveses went away, we both had 6 days at a disused school-house, 4 miles from Kawimbe, & were the better for the change. Mrs. Purves took charge of Baby.

We have heard of the fearful heat you had last Summer, & are convinced you would have enjoyed the fresh breeze & bracing air of the Tanganyika Plateau during that sweltering time.

It will be well on in the New Century when you get this letter; & Mrs. May & I are only two of very many who are sending you hearty greetings & all best wishes for the New Year & Century.

That God may richly bless you & your wife is the earnest prayer.

Yours very sincerely, John May