Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-06-18

Att iOA tAO nAhoo htsh NAA' vi
a ship through it. A dozen sep.
arate rolls of surge were between
us and land, and over these we
must be taken. Taking friendly
leave of the Orchis, we stepped
into a Masulah boat and the odd
est thing into which we had yet
got.
The parts Of it were sewed TO-
gether with leather thongs; the
top was bound together by cross
ties; the rude oars were tied to
little posts instead of being set
in locks, and, to keep our feet
and goods above the water that
leaked in, the bottom was filled
with palm leaves and fiber,
branches and sedge. 1t was man.
aged by a dozen of these same,
nearly naked men, and the oars
were dipped to the measure of a
Malabar song. When we reach
ed the surf, the surge lifted up
the craft above those surges
which had wasted in front, and
bore it rapidly to the shore.
There was grating sound as the
boat stuck in the sand and was
showed on by the wave. Follow
ing surges dashed against the
boats side, threatening to upset
US, while we were wondering
whether we must wade through
the water in which the natives
were standing waist deep. The
oarsmen had leaped out and pro
cured a board upon which scarf
was spread, and upon this seat
from the arms of two men, with
clutched hold upon their bare
shoulders, we were passed from
sea to shore.
The queer carts and oxteams,
the paIankins, the ambulance
like cabs for Europeans, the ma
tives with white bundles on their
heads and around their loins, as
in pictures, their palm umbrellas,
the streets and trees and every
shape of thing full new and
strange, filled US with such be-
wilderment and confusion as to
make our walk into the city that
day, a vivid and striking dream.
We were not ourselves, in exper-
fence. Had we been transport.
ed to our homes, suddenly, after
a half hour or an hour, we could
never have testified, ofa certain
ty, that we had been in Madras.
Our beings join close together
in their impressions from the
world without and the world
within! A brother in the Master,
who had expected us, and whom
we had expected, came down the
street under his umbrella and
with a curious handy or vehicle
at his side. As we met him, our
dream spell was partly broken,
and we had a thousand inquiries
concerning friends and news and
surrounding scenes. We drove
into yard all decked with flow
ers and shaded with orange, palm,
fiambeaux and other trees, and
entered the rooms of the Ameri-
can mission house at Royapoo-
ram in Madras. For 81 days we
had not heard a breath of a word
from the homes we had left. and
at once awaiting letters were put
in our hands. A few glances
gave general outline of the
mission house. In the center of
the building was the large sit
ting and dining room. On both
SIDES OF this were the sleeping
rooms, with musquito curtains
over the beds, while in the ex-
treme wings were the India
style bath rooms. Then feelings
came strongly. We had arrived
in the land for which we had
been sailing for months; for
which plans had been made for
years, and in which it was ex-
pected our future would be, our
lives had been periled, but we
were safe after all journeys, in
our hands were welcome words
from dear ones, and all was too
much for control of emotion. As
the most secluded retreat, We
stole into the bath room, and
there my companion and l gave,
in tears and in prayers and thanks
giving, such expression of our
hearts as they only can know
who go on the same or similar
journeys.
Two hundred more miles on a
coast steamer, and sixty miles in
a miniature Pennsylvania 'smov-
ing" wagon, with a cover of
wooden mats instead of muslin,
and drawn by oxen, and we ap-
preached Guntur. 1t was a bright
early morning, and a clump OF
palms was the first sight of our
present home. These trees stand
ing, as many other widely sepa
rated groves, on a broad area of
open country, were welcome in
vitations to stop and tarry for a
time.
And now we had touched four
grand divisions of the earth. A
journey of full twelve thousand
miles had ended. From the land
Of travel by the locomotive, we
had come to the country OF con-
veyance on rude vehicles and on
mems shoulders. From the
heights of Christianity and civil
zation we had traced our way to
he center of heathenism and de-
sradation. We have now been
here eight months, and longer
acquaintance, together with
knowledge of the language, will
De necessary before l can give
7ou a just estimation OF the peo-
,le as they are.