The Indianapolis journal., 1885-10-08
THE PAULINE BISHOP In AFRICA.
Successful Progress of the Great Methodist
Missionary Enterprise.

Boston Special to Springfield Republican.
There has just been received in New York and
been forwarded to this city letter from Bishop
William Taylor, of the African mission of the
Methodist Church. tbs gratifying news which
he writes in direct contradiction to some dis
couraging newspaper statements which have OBJ
tanned currency. His letter is dated st Dondo,
July 18, and is addressed to Richard Grant, of
New York, the treasurer of his transit fund >
He writes that he is suffering from delay of
transportation owing to lack of water in the
Coanzo river, but otherwise everything is
progressing favorably. Bishop Taylor was
elected bishop for Africa at the General Confer
ence year ago last May, and started last Janu-
ary for his field of work. His base of operations
is in Loanda. on the western coast of Africa,
under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese govern
ment, and he is assured Of government protec-
ton in his intercourse with the native Africans,
il it should become necessary He has with him
company of some forty missionaries and their
children, including the Withey family of five.
from Lynn; Charles W. Gordon, of Lynn; two
Mead families from UnderhiI VT, of four and
others from different Western States, includ
ing California. His field of work
tends some 300 miles inland from Loanda.
Henry nj. Stanley offered to- take him up the
Congo but he declined the offer. Statements
have been published that some five or six of his
missionaries had died. and that the enterprise
would probably prove a failure. But he has lost
only one by death-Charles L. Miller, of Balti-
more-and there is every reason to suppose that
the enterprise will go on successfully Bishop
Taylor's idea is that the stations will be self
supporting by the people, without drawing any
thing from the treasury of the home church,
and he writes in his Dondo letter: mo
difficulty at all about the immediate
Of yho
Service to the people One can work
anywhere in the vast uncultivated regions of
this country under the native pre-emption law,
vesting title in settlement and possession, but as
the Governor-general offered to give us land. we
have staked out our tract to receive as govern
ment grant about 1900 acres-every acre avail
able for such variety of fruits, vegetables and
grains as can't be produced III the United States.
We employ native laborers TO help US open up
what we need at present We pay each man
three cents per day for rations, and one yard per
man for cloth for wages, which Brothers Flint
and Anthony at Fall river gave US.
We have seed in great variety
terminating, and have set out an orchard of
banana trees. six feet high many of them also,
over 400 pineapple plants, large enough for
fruit bearing in six months" Bishop Taylor ex
poets to establish station al Malange School
work has been begun at Nhangepepe and at
Pungo Adongo thirtysix miles farther in. He
says to Mr. Grant in regard to future enter
prises: 'Look up for good men and women,
in reserve for call, when we get these settled,
for South Central Africa"
The receipt Of this letter is good news to the
people who are interested in this enterprise, and
the Bishops vigor. energy and good judgment
are likely to have materia! effect in the educa-
ton of the natives and in opening the
country for trade to the civilized
world. This is the largest missionary enterprise
that has ever been undertaken. This company
of pioneers numbers more than any one COM
pany that has ever engaged in a similar under
taking, the mission is established on the princi-
pie that it should be self-supporting The only
funds that Bishop Taylor requests means
for paying the expenses of getting the company
on the ground. He expects to establish schools,
both for the education of the savages, and for
the children in the party. Thus far he has re-
ceived only kind treatment from the natives,
and they are already beginning to contribute to
the support of the missionaries and teachers.