First just to say this is another in my ongoing series of posts where I put things online that I scanned in the SOAS archives. This post is, clearly, about the death of Rev. John May. Of the various people in the annals of the history of the London Missionary Society Central African Mission, the people I have been most intensely interested in are Edward Hore and then the Mays. Hore I am interested in because of his relationship with the SS Good News and his role as an irascible scientific mariner, a series of words that resonates with me. The Mays though are interesting because it is easy to project a lot onto their story.

I first came across the Mays looking into Mama Meli, and this post is really a prelude into hopefully talking about the central mission of looking into the SOAS archives, which was to try to find a trace of Meli there. In Mama Meli’s story, she talks about Mrs. May wanting to see her (Meli) married before departing the Mission following the death of Mr. May. In looking into that I found that the Mays had attended college together, both earning a B.A. before getting married and heading off to the Central African Mission together. She was born Elizabeth R. Burton, and from the archives I learned that her and John were cousins, and that she went by Rose or Rosa (her middle name, though I found it elsewhere as Ross; looking back at my biographies they could use a revamp).

But his post is about John. Based on the lengthy obituaries he received in the Chronicle, he seems to have been immensely popular within the LMS. So many missionaries died in Central Africa, and some only get brief mentions, but following his death on August 21, 1901, John got a two-part series spread over October and November of that year. He had been with the mission four years, having departed England in June 1897. As we saw in previous letters, he served as Secretary of the Tanganyika District Committee, and so was in a leadership role among his fellow missionaries.

The documents I have for you in this post are journal entries leading up to John May’s death, and then the letter from Dr. Sydney Morris back to headquarters about May’s fatal illness. The journal spans July and then August 1901. The very first entry is in John May’s hand, and then Rose takes it over. It seems silly now having read more of their letters, but their handwriting was to me similar looking enough that at first I didn’t notice that the journal was initially written by two different people. Re-reading it, I think that May’s portion of the journal is backdated; she references for example John’s getting up for breakfast for the last time on August 5. If so then this is her looking back at the month over which she lost her husband and she still found space to discuss mundanities. In thinking about these missionaries and their mindset when they went out there I have to remember the Victorians (and all peoples back then) were always so close to death, and try to consider how that shaped the way they approached what they saw as their God-given calling.

1901

July

24 – Wednesday – W.G.R. got off over 80 men to Karonga. Zombe’s uncle or brother, Kitimbiti came in in after with 3 men & 2 boys. Wrote LMS sending school orders, etc. Wrote Purves, Hemans & heard from Hemans, sending Report for 1900! Sent off loads to Abercorn.

25. Thursday. J went to Niamkolo by bicycle. Left about 7:30 a.m. I took writing in Senior School & went into Junior Sch. Before breakfast. Heard of Savage’s illness, so J did not see Marshall. Had pleasant reception at Niamkolo.

26. Friday. J went to “M. Star” store with J.H.E.H in morning. Advised getting in grass for reroofing store -also Church. Saw Irwin in aft re fire. He agreed (a) to ask for compensation from T.C.L. Directors at home or (b) to request donation to L.M.S. or (c) make private compensation. Saw “Cecil Rhodes”. Saw Hart – looking very ill. Language talk with Hemans & revision of Hymn 1.

27^th. Saturday. Bicycled back from Niamkolo – picked up Marshall at Abercorn, who returned to dinner, & cycled back again by moonlight. Very tired but in good spirits.

28th. Sunday. Very tired. Went to early p.m. – did not preach or take Ch. Members’ class. Attack of ague. 104.5°. Went to bed. Better in evening. Fair night.

29^th. Monday. Temp almost normal but kept in bed.

30^th. Tuesday. Slight rise during day – still in bed. Sharp shower in aft.

31^st. Wednesday. Smaller rise than yesterday – keeping quiet. Savage came.

1^st. Aug. Thursday Getting better slowly. W.G.R. took class.

2^nd. Friday. Kyenidi spoke at service. Still keeping indoors & out of way of teachers. Jose came & Leisceira [?]

3^rd. Saturday. Kept in dining-room, seeing to School Registers. Savage & Leisceira [?] left.

4^th. Sunday. Did not go to any services – kept out of sight of teachers. I made arrangements with them. Together we wrote out Registers for Saisi Valley. Mr. Stevens came en route for Abercorn, stayed night. Had English service in dr. room. I conducted & prayed. I read Robertson’s advent Sermon on “I am debtor,” “The Roman” Series I. To bed direct after.

I took my class – spoken on Leza – mulembo ware.

(+ Discussed names of expected little one in bed. “John,” “Mary Bunnell”)

5^th. Monday. Up to breakfast for last time. Had “Kutali lale” at prayers. Went into School at 11:30. I taking writing first half. Not able to do much.

6^th. Tuesday. In bed to breakfast – took 2^nd hour at School, but not Catechism. I took 1^st hour. Felt stronger in aft – gave out some slates for Out-Schools. Showed Sipinda about planting out-trees. Paid one or two teachers. Kazimwanza boys demanded a rise – upset him. Very big bush fire started by caravan. Went out to see it after dinner – w-out over-coat. Did not take Enquirers’ Class. Out again to fires w. overcoat. Got W.G.R. to arrange for sharp look out on fire. Fair night.

W.G.R. trying to raise roof of work-shop.

7^th. Wednesday. Did not go to school: I started Arith when Lsavalos appeared – had lunch with us. J got up about mid-day & went to drawing room – arranging unmounted photos. Saw Isavalos for few minutes – he gave us 2 champagne, 1 brandy, 1 bitters, & donation (£1) to Mission.

J & I went last walk together – w just beyond and hill.

8^th. Thursday. J kept in Drawing room. Complained of chillness, found he had taken anti-pyrin & had pain in right side. Got him to bed in warm room. Wire saying Morris & Nutter leave Karonga 9^th.

I went to school. Arranged rest of photos.

9^th. Friday. In night J. worse – tried hot flannels, rubbing with turp liniment. Called W.m up – arrange to wire for Dr. Chisholm also to hasten Dr. Morris, & to ask for treatment fr Ft. Jameson.

Reynard came about 9:00 a.m. had him in to meals thro’ Wm’s room. Kept house quiet – mustard poultices gave J. relief. Wire from Dr. C in evening saying he was coming soonest possible – cheered J. considerably.

Spoke to Kipapa – J not go to school.

10^th. Saturday. Mustard poultices still – pain very much better. Easier day, but fever persistent.

11^th. Sunday. Fair day – fever still constant, but pain in side gone. Did not take my class. Read parts of Ch. Service to J. & part of Ps. 107 “Exile,” “prisoner,” “sick-man,” “traveler.” “So he bringeth them unto their desired have.” Giving hypnotic every night. Wrote to P’s at J’s request.

12^th. Monday. Fever still – depressed. Dr. Chisholm arrived 5:30 p.m. – consequent excitement. My last night alone with J. Small English mail. Letters from Annie in m. & At Lizzie to him. “Chronicle” & “News fr Afar’ came. My article in latter. Very encouraging para about C.Q. Mission in Chronicle – J. deeply thankful. “Light after darkness.”

13^th. Tuesday. Dr. Chisholm took up constant attendance. Most kind & good. I insisted on taking the nights, I sleeping in dining room & going into J. when wanted. I read “The Eternal Goodness,” & “Our Master” to J. & Dr. C a hymn. Pain in rt side rel’d slightly.

14^th. Wednesday. No better. J. told the Dr. about me – he suggested possibility of Mrs. C. coming here for my confinement. Great comfort to J’s mind. Diving these days constant nervous depression, with occasional brighter intervals when he enjoyed talk with Dr. C & me about our engagement, his parents, the mission work etc.

Mustard poultice again. Pain relieved in side. Only moved him from side of bed to other.

15^th. Thursday. No improvement. Biliousness troubled him – tried champagne – white of egg whipped. Pain in side better. Tried quinine emules. Read J other par in Chronicle abt L.M.S.

16^th. Friday. Biliousness less, but not gone. Trying Emules still. Heard in ev that Dr. Morris would arrive early Sat M. Spoke to Kipapa & Mulala.

17^th. Saturday. Dr. Morris arrived 9:30 a.m. having made very quick journey fr. Karonga. Mr. Nutter at 5:30 p.m., having come from Mambwe in-day!! J. did not see Dr. M. but knew of his & Mr. N’s arrival. Asked me to write out his “Welcome” to give to each on Sy. M. Read that & 2 verses of “Welcome Home” to him & Dr. C in the ev. Less depressed – able to enjoy a little talk. Biliousness almost gone.

Bad turn in aft. Temp re to 105° but lower by ev after cold sponge.

From then did not leave him for more than a moment at a time.

The 4 men had p.m. log

18^th. Sunday. Slightly better – managed soft-boiled egg in m. & even. Biliousness gone. Heard him repeat: – “This is the day the Lord hath made. He calls the house His own; Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad and praise surround the throne.” Saw Dr. M at afternoon tea-time. Considerably excited. Eng service in ev at which Mr. Nutter gave short address.

Eng: mail in.

P.m. as usual in M.

19^th. Monday. J’s 35^th birthday – glad to realize that many would be thinking of & praying for him. Dr. C left at 10:45 a.m. Dr. Morris took on duty & attended him unceasingly to the last. Temp rose to 106° but fell considerably by ev. Dr. M. took nights same as Dr. C. We took turns at meals. Dr. prayed with Jack.

Put Caterham clock on mantlepiece in our bedroom & photos of J’s parents on Tuesday.

J. told Dr. M. of my condition.

20^th. Thursday. Pain in left side with difficulty of breathing; put on bread poultice. Letter from A.D.P. which I read him in aft. In some ways an easier day. Decidedly better night. I did not go into him till morning. Before going to bed Dr. M. told me that J. had pneumonia – he had found no malaria in blood when examined under microscope, but all symptoms – sputum, temperature, difficult breathing – pointed to pneumonia. This had evidently been the disease on right side, no repeated on left side. He considered him seriously ill, but thought the case hopeful – a crisis probably coming on Friday or Saturday. A good night granted me in preparation for the morrow.

21^st. Wednesday. Somewhat easier first thing in morn, but between 11:00 & 12:00 severe rigor had to call in W.m & Nutter; cold sponging reduced temperature from 110° to just over 100°. Moved him to other side of bed, lay for some hours semi-conscious, just knowing me & the Dr. heart failed. Temp rose again – reduce again. Hypodermic injections failed. Between 6:30 & 7:30 p.m. another rigor followed by brief delirium & he sank to rest – at peace with his Savior – his battle fought & won. 8:30. The Dr. & Wm saw to things. I went to dining room & lay on sofa – Nutter prayed with me. Slept there – or dozed with light all night. Greatly helped & strengthened all thro’ day with a power utterly beyond my own.

Rose’s journal continues but that is for another post. In the meantime, below is the letter where Dr. Morris writes back to LMS Foreign Secretary R. Wardlaw Thomson at headquarters about John’s illness. The missionaries had also sent a telegram the Chronicle described as “laconic.”

L.M.S. Kawimbe, B.C.A

August 22-01

Dear Mr. Thomson:

There is yet another name to add to the already long list of lives laid down for Central African Mission.

I regret to have to report the death of the Rev. John May B.A. of his place – who died here on August 21^st of pneumonia following a severe attack of fever.

As Nutter & I were leaving Karonga we received a wire stating that Mr. May was seriously ill & that Dr. Chisholm of Free Church Mission at Mwenzo (few days away) had been summoned. I therefore left Nutter behind with the baggage & set out for Kawimbe by myself.

When I arrived here I found that Mr. May had been ill for nearly 3 weeks & he had been doing some extra hard work, & had overtired himself – but little anxiety was felt at first & his illness was regarded as a touch of fever resulting from extra fatigue.

A few days later serious symptoms set in & Dr. Chisholm was telegraphed for. He arrived on the Monday & when I got here on the following Saturday his report was that Mr. May was seriously ill & that never since his arrival had his temperature been below 102°.

Chisholm left on the Monday & I took up duty. Mr. May was very ill – temperature over 103° – but the great consolation was his splendid pulse & marvelous pluck. He had signs of pneumonia also – especially on the left side.

On Tuesday his heart suddenly weakened but only for a time, & by the evening was strong again & his temperature was lower than ever it had been. He slept splendidly on Tuesday night.

Wed. 21. Early on Wednesday morning his heart suddenly collapsed. He had a severe rigor & his temperature rushed up to 110°. It was reduced nearly 10° however & his heart at once improved.

Wednesday afternoon saw another rise & another reduction of temperature, but his heart failed markedly. The pneumonia on the upside increased rapidly.

He revived remarkably but later in the evening his temperature rose to over 110°, & his heart failed & was imperceptible. So more treatment was out of the question this time.

He became delirious & died about 8:30p.m. the same evening (Wed. 21).

Since he was [?] under my care what surprised me most was his remarkable pluck & his intense love for his work. He was so fearfully depressed at being laid aside for a time from helping, that had a most unfortunately influence on the result of his illness.

His one great subject was ‘more men wanted for work’ – the lack greater [?] depressed him very much indeed.

I shall never forget the earnest way in which he pleaded with me to set before me the motto ‘Unity nor Uniformity’ in my foreign mission work. “Love amongst the brotherhood” seemed him the essential factor in essential factor in successful mission work.

This is my first serious case – & it has ended thus! & Nutters first service in the mission field is the funeral service of one of the staff.

I wish it could be understood at home that if there were more laborers there would be less overwork & fewer deaths amongst the workers.

I praise God that he has sent me to this field & I shall spare no effort in trying to get more men & in praying continually for great reinforcements.

Mrs. May has been splendid. She is a most noble woman & has been a regular wick.

About her returning to England. She has asked me to speak to you about this. She expects to be confined in a little over 2 months – so it is out of the question for her to return now. She will therefore have to remain here until after her confinement & until such a time as will permit the baby’s travelling with safety. It seems to me very essential that she should get away for a time from Kawimbe. The strain of the past few weeks & the memories connected with the place will be too much for her strength.

I consider the best thing for her to do, is to go to Mwenzo for her confinement. Dr. Chisholm is married & there is no white woman here at all, & then when she has sufficiently recovered – to proceed home at the earliest opportunity.

The main thing however, is under the existing circumstances she will not be able to return immediately.

It is terribly sad to have to write such a letter as this for my first one from my station. But we sorrow not as those who have no hope:

If you know any men – filled with the spirit, keen on work & healthy in body & mind – tell them to come out here at once. I little knew how much this land was in need of men until I came here. If God in his goodness allows me to do furlough work, I shall have a great story to tell of lives lived (I am speaking of men into whose labors Nutter & I are entering) by men who have simply worked themselves to ill health & death – because of the tremendous amount of work that is ready to be done & the few men of the men [?] to do it.

Goodbye. I will write again before long.

The almighty has been very good to Nutter & me – not a suggestion of illness all the way; neither of us have had illness at the same time & the certainty of this grandest hand in every detail of our journey. This love is as a sea that hath no shore.

Your sincerely,

Sydney Morris

This is the final post in my little series of posting letters from the SOAS archives that pertain to the London Missionary Society extending their Central African Mission to the Bemba (I have more letters on other topics, don’t worry). The LMS had made some exploratory forays into the area and earlier in 1900 had set up a station staffed by their first convert Mr. Joseph Kalulu, aided by two younger teachers Mr. Kisama and Mr. Kawene. Through 1900, the British administration was preventing the Catholic (and French) White Fathers from moving in and setting up their own mission, but there was only so long they could be kept out. The LMS therefore were in a rush to set up their own European-led mission in the area lest the competing denomination win the souls they were vying after.

The LMS therefore sent Mr. A.D. Purves and his wife to go set up that mission, accompanied by Mr. David Kawandami, another locally trained teacher. The letter below is I think his first letter back to the LMS Foreign Secretary Rev. R. Wardlaw Thompson in London, reporting on how it is all going. Long time readers will remember some of the contents because this letter is quoted from in the May 1901 edition of the Chronicle, and then a longer account of the establishment of the mission is given in the September issue.

Purves though would be dead from malaria within a year of sending this letter. Mrs. Purves, widowed, went home to England. This was not, however, the end of the LMS mission to the Bemba. For that full story though I will point you to the definitive account, Mbeleshi in a History of the London Missionary Society by Rev. Dr. Bwalya S. Chuba.

Mbereze [Mbereshi] River, Lunda

17^th Dec 1900

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Two days after your wire arrived – 22^nd Oct – we left Kawimbe. You would see by my letter of Oct 17^th that we were preparing for this journey before we received your wire. I assure you it was a great relief to me when it came as I felt the responsibility of undertaking this work without the sanction of our Directors. Owing to the cultivating season being near at hand I had some difficulty in getting the numbers of carriers we required, but by leaving some loads to follow us later, and taking my cycle, we managed to leave on the above date. All went well the first day, but the second day we had not gone far until we encountered a rough piece of road & the tubes of my cycle got so completely cut that I had not enough stuff to repair them, so I had to walk the remainder of the way to Niamkolo where we arrived about seven o’clock at night pretty tired. Mr. Hemans & Mr. Mackendrick kindly got me a few carriers for my machila and we were therefore able to go on in comfort. The first day from Niamkolo I came across a group of natives standing over the body of a man belonging to one of the transport companies who had died under his load on Mwenda Hill. He was the fourth who had died in this way within two days.

I won’t take up your valuable time by relating all the little incidents we had during our journey, and will therefore try and make this report as brief as I can.

Owing to rain, sickness, & various other causes our progress was slow & we did not arrive in this district until the 23^rd November. Our journey was through what might be called N.W. Luemba. Luemba seems to me to be divided into what might be called countries, each with a large chief as the ruler of it, all speaking practically the same language with slightly different dialects. We travelled through five of these said countries – Itawa & Kibaba – ruled by Mpolokoso [Mporokoso]; Mwituna – rulled by Mwamba; Mukishinga – ruled by Mashota; and Lunda ruled by Kazembe. These chiefs have a great number of sub-chiefs distributed over their countries in small villages, and they are responsible to the Paramount chief for the good government of the districts allotted to them. In passing through these countries we held services in every village, and in every instance the chief & his people came to them. The reception we received wherever we went was all that could be desired. The chiefs and a few of their men invariably came out to meet us as we neared their villages, and they and their people treated us with great kindness. The whole country seems to me to be open, & ripe for the Gospel, but I fear it will be many years before we can hope to reach all the people owing to their being so much scattered. It seems to me the only way we can reach them is to place a mission station in a central position in each of these said countries, and work the surrounding villages by native teachers, in much the same way as the chief governs his country. At present we ought if possible to establish these stations in the Awemba country, one in Mpolokoso’s country, one in Mashota’s country, & one here.

In no part did I find the country densely population, although in some districts there are a fair population, usually near large rivers. But the moral and physical state of the people more than makes up for lack of numbers and demands our sympathy & help, and surely we cannot refuse the light to those people who have been so long in darkness.

Mpolokoso came to see us several times, he was carried on the shoulders of a man, he was extremely kind to us, and seems to take great interest in our teaching. He is most anxious that we build a mission station in his country, and seemed very disappointed when he heard we were coming to build here. In my report to the T.D.C. [Tanganyika District Committee] I have given various reasons why I think we ought to build in Mpolokoso’s territory, and I expect these will be duly forwarded to you. In many ways it seems to me a more suitable place than Mashota’s country.

Mashota has a large following within small compass, but they are scattered about in small villages – many of them hide in the forest – this is owing to the demands made upon them for labor by the B.S.A. Company. He said he would like us to build in his territory, and that he would help us all he could if we did. He was very kind to us and did all he could to help us. He came to me with a sprained wrist which I was able to cure & he was very grateful. His village is two good days journey from here and a very suitable site could be found on the Luena [?] river. The Catholics who had built a station in this territory two days journey from here have left it, and gone to build in Mashota’s country, that is the principal reason I advocate our building in that country at present. Otherwise I would have said wait a little until the people in that district are settled before you select a site for a mission station, as it is I don’t think it wise to allow them to stay so near us seeing the Administration has reserved that country for our mission.

Before joining on this site we spent two days in Kazembe’s village, and spent several days in looking for the most suitable site in the district, and I think this is it. Kazembe is very friendly and seemed pleased that we had come to teach his people, and he promised to help us all he could. He had already shown his friendship by sending several of his people to help us to build. The site we have chosen is six miles from Kazembe’s town – the largest I have seen in Central Africa – and between us and it there are twelve small villages, the nearest being only three quarters of a mile from here. On the opposite side of the river there is the large village of Mwabamakapa [?] – he has no connection with Kazembe, being a sub-chief of Mwamba. He is most friendly and gave us 90 men to help us with building etc. There are other three small chiefs besides him in this district who are under Mwamba, therefore as regards people this is the best district I have seen in C.A. We are building on high ground about six hundred yards from the Mberezi river, the site has a good freestone bottom & is therefore dry, and we have a fine prospect. The people in this district will not fluctuate like it does in some others, for there is an abundance of good garden ground near at hand, and the rivers abound in splendid fish, it is therefore the kind of place a native likes best. Our being so far from water is the only thing I see against this site, but we could not get one nearer water without being near a marsh. I hope to be able to bring the water nearer by sinking wells or drainage.

During our journey we crossed five large rivers – the Lofu, the Luangwa, the Kalungwize [Kalungwishi], the Luena, and the Mbereze. We had some difficulty in crossing them owing to this being the rainy season, but we had not a single accident and got all the good we brought with us here in safety. There is one large village between the Luangwa & the Kalungwize which is worthy of notice, it is the village of Sunkata – the son of the chief Mwamba – he is a young man, and is very friendly towards our mission. If we decide to build in Mpolokoso’s territory I think a school ought to be built in this village as soon as possible.

I have not yet met Mr. Crawford of the Garanganze mission, but hope to do so soon. We are five days journey from their nearest station and therefore there is little fear of our intruding in their sphere of labor.

We have over two hundred people working for us at present and we have service with them every morning at 6:45 before we commence the day’s work. I am now able to speak a little to them in their own language. I have several boys who speak both this and the Kiemba language and they have been of great service to me. We have translated three hymns into Kiemba and I am busy translating the third chapters of John’s gospel. During my journey in the beginning of this year I compiled a fairly large vocabulary of Kiemba words and they have been a help to me.

The people seem to have great faith in our medicine and some have come a good distance for it. It is difficult to estimate the influence for good the relief given by our medicine & surgery has over the people, one thing is evident however, which is, it strengthens their faith in us. We had one serious accident here lately. Some boys were digging at an ant-hill, suddenly it collapsed and fell on the hand of a little boy crushing it dreadfully. I managed to patch it up by amputating the two middle fingers. The wounds are healing nicely although at first it looked as if I would need to take the whole hand off. I find the little knowledge of medicine & surgery I have acquired when at home on furlough of great service out here, and it has enabled me to give relief to a great number of suffering ones.

We started a school here with the boys who came for work, Mrs. Purves and the native teachers we brought with us helps me in this work. Mrs. Purves made the alphabet by cutting the letters out of old magazines and pasting them to an old tin box.

We are building a good wattle & daub house & I hope to see it finished in a fortnight from now, with the exception of the doors & windows. It is an object lesson to the people in this district, and many come to look at it. It is set on a hill and can be seen for many miles around and I trust many a wanderer will be led back to the fold by the influence that will radiate from it in the years to come. We have a sawpit dug and the sawyers are already at work cutting up planks. We have made a rough carpenter’s bench and the three carpenters who came with me from Kawimbe are busy making door & window frames. It is wonderful what has taken place here during the past three weeks. When we came here we commenced by cutting down the bush & clearing the grass away, and now there are between thirty & forty grass huts, and the frame of a fair-sized house where three weeks ago there was nothing but bush.

We feel that Our Father has been with us in this work, blessing & guiding us, and helping us during our travels. We have had very little sickness, only a little fever & a slight touch of dysentery during our journey. Since settling here we have had no sickness and we like this climate very much.

Mrs. Purves took a few snapshots with her camera during our journey and she has sent a few negatives to a friend in Edinburgh, asking him to forward you copies of them as they may be of interest.

With kind regards, Yours very truly,

A.D. Purves

P.S. I forgot to mention I found the hymns etc. translated into Kiemba by Mr. Robertson of great service during our journey. They help us in the services very much, and I believe them to be very good translations. A.D.P.

P.S.2. Please excuse soiled papers as all my writing paper has got destroyed by water getting into the box amongst my [?]. A.D.P.

Alright people, don’t worry, we’re getting to the end of the list of things I took photos of in the SOAS archives and now want to put online. The letter in the last post was an unofficial letter from District Committee Secretary John May to the London Missionary Society Foreign Secretary R. Wardlaw Thompson. That is followed up below official letter, which I think you can tell because it was typewritten. My scans of both the letter and the follow-on report are at the bottom.

Kawimbe, N.E.R

November 29^th, 1900.

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I am sending you two resolutions which have been agreed to since our Annual Meeting. The wording of the telegram was as follows:-

“Missionary, London.

Awemba Country open to Society till end of December. French Fathers waiting occupy. If we withhold, they enter. Purves ready; has Committee’s confidence. Money available here. Wire instructions; urgent.”

I may add that part of the cost of the telegram has been borne privately.

We were very glad to get your reply on October 19^th.

I send also the D.C.’s Preliminary Report on the Awemba Mission; and regret it is so very incomplete. Still we thought it would be better than nothing in the meantime.

A letter reached us a few days ago from Mr. Purves who was then in Mushota’s Country, within two or three day’s of Kazembe’s Town. He was in good health and spirits, though both Mrs. Purves and he had had dysentery on the journey, and fever as well.

We hope you have had more reassuring news from China recently.

I am, dear Mr. Thompson, Yours respectfully,

John May

Secretary, Tanganyika D.C.

The report he was forwarding is below, with the sketch map mentioned here at the very top of this post:

—Report on Methods for Starting the Awemba Mission.—

The Tanganyika District Committee desire to state to the Directors their views upon the best methods to be adopted in establishing the Awemba Mission – in accordance with the Foreign Secretary’s letter of July 26^th, 1900.

First however they would record their sense of deep gratitude to GOD for having answered the prayers of missionaries past and present, and of those at home who are interested in our Mission, – in opening up the Awemba Country to the preaching of the Gospel, and in calling our Mission to go in and possess the land for CHRIST. From His hand direct have come the means for initiating and establishing the work which we have had in our hearts and on our minds for so long.

Preliminary steps have already been taken.

The first was the opening of an out-station last July by Mr. Robertson, at Mpolokoso’s [Mporokoso’s] large village in the Awemba country, – four days’ journey from Kambole. It is carried on at present by three native teachers, and has been visited by three Missionaries including Mr. Draper, who gave an encouraging account of what he saw.

We felt sure that this step would receive the approval of the Board, seeing that until that time they had been unable to send out missionaries for the Awemba work.

The second step is now being taken with the sanction, by telegram, of the Board.

On October 22^nd, Mr. & Mrs. Purves left Kawimbe for Kazembe’s Town. He intends to build a temporary house at a healthy site near Kazembe’s, and there to begin teaching and evangelistic work as soon as possible. A teacher accompanies him. He hopes to return some time in January to meet his brethren at Devotional Meetings, and to confer with them regarding the new enterprise.

Prompt action was imperative, or our chance of occupying the Ulunda Country, South East of Lake Mweru, would have been lost, and the Roman Catholic Fathers of the Algerian Mission [White Fathers] would have secured that district for their work. (See letter to the Board of October 5^th, 1899.)

With regard to the points on which information is required: –

(1) The accompanying sketch-map shows the tract of country we are occupying. In due time we shall be able to get an official statement from the Administrator in which the boundaries will be clearly defined. The boundaries roughly shown in the map are as stated by the Collector of the Mweru District.

(2) It is clear that one station must be near Kazembe’s Town, on account of the large population; but as the town itself is on the edge of a vast swamp and joining the River Luapula, it would be unwise to think of placing missionaries close to the town. However about seven and a half miles North of Kazembe’s there is fairly healthy and high ground near the River Mbereze [Mbereshi] somewhere in the vicinity of which it is probable a healthy station could be built. Moreover it is likely that Kazembe’s people will be shifted from the marsh to the higher country above mentioned. The French Fathers had prematurely chosen a site for a Mission Station in the region indicated, but were not allowed to build, as the District was to be kept open for our Society until the end of the year (1900).

The position of a second station must be carefully thought over and discussed, before we can express our views definitely. We must report on it later.

At present there seem to be two alternatives at least:-

(a) To build a second station at Mpolokoso’s.

(b) To build a second station in Mushota’s Country – about three day’s journey West of Mpolokoso’s.

In favor of (b), and against (a) is the fact that Mushota’s population is far larger than Mpolokoso’s; also that it would make another link in the chain of Stations from Kawimbe to Kazembe’s.

Early next year we trust Mr. Purves will be in a position to report fully on the country, possibilities, population, etc.; so we must wait until then before discussing the question of the second station.

Whilst sympathizing with the Directors and our brethren in the terrible troubles in China, and the temporary check to the cause of CHRIST’S Kingdom there, we cannot but rejoice that in our Mission – though the smallest in the Society – we see GOD’S hand pointing, and hear His voice saying, “Go forward.”

John May, Secretary, Tanganyika D.C.

Nov 20^th 1900

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

Reading this week:

• Craftland by James Fox

Although the overall framing device for this series of posts (meant mostly to show you things I found in the SOAS archives) is the efforts of the London Missionary Society to extend their Central African Mission into Bemba territory, we continue our detour into the internal tensions and dissensions between the missionaries themselves. The last post was all about people falling apart, but because I am a hopeful kinda guy now here we are pulling them back together.

The first of the two letters in this post is from John May, writing as Secretary of the missionaries’ Tanganyika District Committee to the LMS Foreign Secretary in London, Rev. R. Wardlaw Thompson. In Mr. Purves’ letter to Thompson, dated a month prior to the below one and featured in the last post, Purves was defending himself against accusations, it seems like, of drunkenness. In the below letter, May reports the happy news that Purves has been reconciled with Mr. Johnson. It does not say the nature of their dispute. In the last letter, Purves had noted that Johnson was in a position to defend him against accusations of drunkenness, and presumably did so on the committee, so who knows what the below amended dispute was (scans of this letter and next are at the bottom):

Kawimbe,

May 24^th 1900

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are here with their children, on their way home; they leave probably tomorrow, the 25^th inst.

Mr. Johnson informs me that from the last letter he received from you, he sees his way clear to go home on furlough, in accordance with Resolution c. of the Directors, contained in letter of Dec 9^th 1899.

Yesterday he expressed the wish to meet Mr. Purves and talk matters over with him. I had previously received the enclosed letters from Mr. Purves containing a similar wish to meet Mr. Johnson. So the two gentlemen conferred together in the presence of Mr. Robertson and myself; and after mutual explanations, they were able to come to a good understanding.

Mr. Purves’s letter paved the way for this agreement. I trust the Board will be satisfied with this letter, especially as Mr. Johnson now feels he can work in harmony with Mr. Purves.

We are hoping that soon Dr. Mackay and Mr. Hemans may also be able to come to an understanding with Mr. Purves.

With very kind regards, I am, dear Mr. Thompson, Your respectfully,

John May

Secretary Tanganyika D.C.

It is jumping far ahead in our timeline, but in addition to overcoming whatever the issue was between him and Mr. Johnson, Purves managed to bury the hatchet with Mr. Hemans. Again it is unclear exactly what came between them in the first place (Hemans being the other man named in the exact same sentence as Johnson as someone who could defend Purves against drunkenness charges), but nice they were able to come to terms. So nice how talking to people can help. As for what is going on in the rest of the letter, also very unclear. Some nice words about Rev. George Mackendrick (who would be dead two months after this letter), and then obvious and reasonable offense that his affairs were available for perusal by the other missionaries:

Niamkolo, Tanganyika

Feby. 20, 1901

Dear Mr. Thompson,

I beg to acknowledge your very kind encouraging letter of Sep 15.

To be again reconciled with Mr. Purves has lifted as it were a very great burden off us. After seriously considering the matter, I felt that we should do as the Master would have done if he were here: thus I met Mr. Purves & spoke plainly to him; he then acknowledged his wrongs & apologized for his past action; and our difficulties have been settled most amicably. I am glad to say that we have since been drawn closer than ever to one another & have been laboring shoulder to shoulder.

2. We are highly pleased that Rev. Geo Mackendrick has been sent out & appointed to this station. I felt certain that if he were not here & by God’s goodness, either my wife and I or both of us would have died a few weeks ago. You will be pleased to know that he has been very diligent – striving hard to acquire the native language.

3. I enclose a draft for £100, one hundred pounds, which should have been sent to Rev. Las Watson. [?], but as it is urgent, to save time, I send it to you. Be good enough to see that the amount be forwarded & oblige.

4. While I was lying ill two weeks ago, my accounts came & Mr. Mackendrick informed me that I was congratulated for having paid my debts & having an amount at the Mission House. Nothing of the kind – it appeared thus because my creditors had not sent in this a/c. After the last fire we had, I had to buy things at exorbitant prices out here that are felt greatly. It is simply because I never complained why our difficulties are not known.

I did not agree with the Committee’s proposal that the “carriage allowance be reduced.” The yearly carriage of goods for my wife & me amounts to more than £40. Then, for me to agree to a reduction would be out of the question.

In the days when the Society paid for the carriage of our goods, things were quite different.

My a/c has again come to me from the Local Treasurer. Be good enough to give orders that in future it be put in an envelope & sent to me & the postage to be charged to me. I would prefer that to everyone knowing the details of my private business.

I hope the [?] will arrive safely.

With our united kindest regards, Yours faithfully,

J.H.E. Hemans

I realize it is a bit distasteful to air 125-year-old laundry but these are the human dimensions that shape history, the casual aggressions that indicate how we see each other and how organizations function. I still hold grudges from my Peace Corps days serving in the exact same spots as these guys where I have no recollection what my original complaint was, so I am sympathetic the pressures the conditions put you under. And here, from across the chasm of history is a reminder that the answer is so often to sit down and talk it out. And also to keep your mail private.

Reading this week:

• The Devil That Danced on the Water by Aminatta Forna

Last week we covered a letter from James Hemans to the London Missionary Society Foreign Secretary Rev. R. Wardlaw Thompson urging him to authorize the Central African Mission to open up a new station in the heart of Bemba-land. We immediately part from that journey with a detour.

There was a good amount of drama and tension within the ranks of the LMS’ Central African Mission. I am still picking up on this, because although I spent a whole bunch of time transcribing the Chronicle they spare their readers any of the interpersonal drama and unsavory things that occurred out there. But to quote a paragraph of Robert Rotberg’s Christian Missionaries and the Creation of Northern Rhodesia:

The Missionaries to Northern Rhodesia… were fiercely independent men and they fought bitterly with one another and with their overseas directors, usually to the detriment of their evangelical objectives. In their individual journals and correspondence, expressions of fractiousness, spitefulness, and jealousy compete with one another for space in numerous letters supposedly written more in sorrow than anger.

This will be a long entry but mostly one of other peoples’ texts, so while I am at it I will include another quote from the same chapter above. Hemans was a Black missionary from Jamaica and there was not a little bit of racism among the LMS ranks. This whole Bembaland story could have taken place back in 1894, when the missionaries sent their first expedition to the area. From Christian Missionaries:

Once, when the Bemba paramount chief wanted specifically to ask Hemans about Christianity, the synod forbade him to visit the chief. They thought that a white missionary should be the first to explain the Society’s principles, and to discuss the possible expansion of the London Mission into Bembaland. For the chief, however, only Hemans would do… But the synod was obstinate. It sent a white missionary, who was refused an audience with the chief, and the White Fathers instead occupied most of the Bemba country.

There will be more as this story unfolds, but for now, a letter from Mr. A.D. Purves to the LMS Foreign Secretary, perhaps written more in anger than sorrow:

L.M.S. Kawimbe

19^th April 1900

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Your letter of 6^th Jan to hand yesterday. I need hardly say its contents were a very painful surprise to me. I can well understand how much this painful business has grieved you. With regard to myself it is knocking the heart out of me. I can conscientiously say that since I entered the services of our Society I have striven to do my duty faithfully, and to live as becometh one set apart for the ministry of the Gospel. The only reason I can give for these calumnies is that perhaps – owing to my genial disposition – I have been a little too free and sociable with the Europeans I met in the country during my first term. This is a terrible country for gossip, and I don’t think there is a man who has been any time in the country but has stories circulated about him, which are detrimental to his character. In most instances there is no malice meant by these stories, but the white men in this country have so little to talk about, that when they meet they usually discuss their neighbors, and these stories as they travel from one to another sometimes get magnified to an enormous extent.

I have no recollection of you ever having mentioned the subject of drink to me, either in writing or at the Mission house. With regard to this matter let me say in the first place that I have nothing to confess. There is no man in this country that has seen me the worse of drink. When I entered this country I was a strong teetotaler, and it was only after a great deal of persuasion on the part of my friends, and those who had had experience in this country, that I brought out with me 2 bottles of brandy and 6 bottles of wine. I may also state that my yearly order during my first term in this country was, 2 bottles of brandy, and 12 bottles of wine, and the most of that was consumed by my friends for I have no love for the stuff.

With regard to when I was at Karonga meeting Mrs. Purves, I cannot understand how any one could say I was the worse of drink then. The fact is if I had been ever so anxious to have it, I could not have got it, for there was none in the district at that time. I am sorry to say that Mr. Blair the A.L.C. [African Lakes Corporation] agent and his assistant are both dead, otherwise they could have verified my statement. There were no other Europeans within four miles of Karonga at that time and therefore there are no other witnesses I could refer to.

Your letter has brought to my recollection a little incident which happened after Mrs. Purves and the Rev. D. Picton Jones arrived, from which some story may have arisen. There was a barrel of Vino Tinto – a light Portuguese Claret – arrived at Karonga for one of the Moravian missionaries, it was too heavy to be removed by native porters. The head of the Mission refused to pay the carriage of it, and therefore it was thrown on the hands of the A.L. Corp’s agent. One evening when the two engineers of the steamer were ashore to dinner, the agent drew off about two quarts of this wine, and put it on the table at dinner, and we all had a little of it. I remember there was some laughing and joking after, about drinking the missionary’s wine. But the Rev. D. Picton Jones was in the company, and he will tell you all about it, if that is the incident you refer to. I am unaware of any other incident from which the story you have heard can have arisen.

I am in a position to state, that when the other charges were brought against me by certain members of this mission, that of drinking was also brought forward, but the evidence was of such a flimsy and untrustworthy nature, that the committee at once refused it. Now it is a significant fact that the Rev. H. Johnson and Mr. Hemans were on that committee. The former was eight months my colleague here, and the latter was over two years beside me at Niamkolo, and neither of these gentlemen could say that they had seen me the worse of drink, or that I was in the habit of taking it. I feel convinced from their present attitude that they would have given evidence against me regarding this matter, if they could have done so.

Let me say in conclusion that on returning to England in 1897 I signed the pledge for the sake of a friend, whom I was anxious should become teetotal. I think it wise always to have it by me in case it be needed, for sometimes out here it is invaluable as a medicine.

With regard to the other charges I have already written you. But it may interest you to know that Pondela – the head man at Niamkolo – who was Mr. Hemans’ principle witness against me, and also against the boy who was punished for setting the store on fire at Niamkolo, was found guilty of false witness in another case and was fine £4 for that offence. He is at present in chains at Abercorn for having stolen cloth from the Societies store during the fire. It was proved that he stole the cloth, but they were not able to prove that he set the store on fire, although the natives maintain it was Pondela or some of his friends who did it, and not the boy who was punished for it.

With kind regards, Yours very truly,

A.D. Purves

Reading this week:

• Tribal Cohesion in a Money Economy by William Watson
• Ancient Light by Dr. Melanie King

Our series on “things I found in the SOAS archives” continues. These will be some rather lengthy letters and reports, so I will split it up into a few posts. This series of letters (almost) all have to do with the missionaries “opening up” Bemba country, or as they called it Awemba country. Driven by missionary zeal, they of course wanted to get as many converts as possible, and maybe more importantly prevent other denominations from getting converts.

When the London Missionary Society had first arrived on the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika and worked among the Lungu and Mambwe people, the Bemba were considered warlike and unapproachable. The Bemba had apparently softened a bit over the years, I think not least in the face of encroaching British colonial expansion (I wrote that sentence, and then read Tribal Cohesion in a Money Economy which tells me “in 1898 the British pacified the Bemba” so there you go). The LMS in turn had attempted to make approaches into Bemba territory, and in 1894 Reverend William Thomas and Alexander Carson went on an expedition down to Bemba country alongside Kalulu and Pondella, the headman of I think Niamkolo village. That trip is reported on in the January 1895 edition of the Chronicle. They were able to see Chief Ponde, though the messages coming from the Chitimukulu (they spell it Kitimkuru) were not welcoming.

Flash forward a bit to 1900 and the picture had changed. It now seemed possible to go and settle and set up missions in Bemba country, and various missionary societies were banging on the door to be let in. Long time readers will recall that I visited Chilubula Mission near Kasama, founded in 1899 by the White Fathers. This is in Bemba territory. The British colonial authorities, I gather, were much more sympathetic to the LMS because we can’t forget that the White Fathers were not only papists, but also French (I want to be clear I have no horse in this race but I am trying to convey what I think were the attitudes of the local authorities). So around this time they were preventing the White Fathers from extending their mission much farther into Bemba territory in order to allow British protestant missionaries to get a foothold first. But there would be only so long they could hold the White Fathers back.

Hence, this letter from James Hemans to the LMS Foreign Secretary Rev. R. Wardlaw Thompson:

Niamkolo

Jan 6 1900

Dear Mr. Thompson,

After a conversation with the Resident Magistrate, a day or two ago, I am constrained, so take on myself, to write to you without delay, re Kazembe’s village – the one to which the late A. Carson went in 1894 in view of opening up work there. The whole country is now opened; Kazembe’s village alone has a population of 7,000; & there are other smaller villages near.

It is felt that should a station be not opened there at once, the Society will be losing an opportunity never to be regained.

If I were to wait to bring the matter before the Committee, it would take some time before anything would be decided; & the opportunity may then be lost when you hear of it; thus I write. There is no other village in Central Africa with even half that population. When the late Mr. Carson went to see Kazembe, he was greatly adversed to missionaries or any white man coming to his place, but he is now changed – he is submissive to law & authority. It is, from all accounts, a very populous country, & is expected to be the country of the future.

It is believed that should the coming dry season be passed over, the opportunity will be lost.

With united kindest regards, Believe me, Yours faithfully,

J.H.E. Hemans