The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-24
METHODIST MISSIONS IN AFRICA.
Return of Bishop Taylor, After -Four Years
Work In the Dark Continent

Return of Bishop Taylor, Altar Four Years
Work in the Dark Continent.
New York special
When the steamship Umbria. OF the Cunard
line, reached her pier this afternoon hundreds
Of men, women and children were there waiting
for their friends on board. There were . num-
Der Of titled passengers in the cabin. but none
with title TO SO broad a. domain the tall,
plainly dressed. quiet-looking man whose face
was almost concealed by gray beard that
nearly reached his waist. His domain covers a
proportion OF the earth a. great as Queen Vic
toria's. Tt includes n continent. He is known
in the Methodist Episcopal Church the Rev.
DR.. William Taylor, Bishop OF Africa Four
years ago, when he left this country, he said to
those who doubted his return alive: II shall see
You all if you live till return
Bishop Taylor left the coast OF Africa on
March II. after four years spent in the Dark
Continent, establishing sef-supportipg missions
He has now returned 20 attend the General Con-
ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
which begins in New York next week, and to
make his report his work in Africa. TIE
character of this work has been severely criti-
cized by many in the church, and the Bishops
own standing, as bishop of q continents, in
which there no Methodist Churches, has
81 think that can show pretty well.'s be OBJ
served with a quiet smile, when asked what he
thought of the criticism OF his work, THAT my
time has been well employed during four years.
We have been doing hard work in Africa these
there which now begins to show for
itself. Our plan is, youa knew. to
tablish mission stations which do not
depend on outside aid but which will support
themselves. Our stations are established st
intervals of q hundred miles or SO. There are
five in GarSola, seven on the Congo. three in
Vassa, all penetrating the interior from the
coast. and one is about twelve hundred miles
IN the interior In all we now have thirty-six
mission stations, among thirty-hve diferent
tribes. Thirty-one of stations manned,
and five waiting for more missionaries to
arrive"
''Are you making many converts among the
nativesp
"UndoubtsdIy we are doing so. We have
school houses in many Of these stations and our
sehoolnousss are our churches. Our property
exceeds 500 600 in land and buildings. Our
schools are not simply to educate in reading and
writing but they are industrial schools which
teach the natives the simpler industrial arts of
civilization; some of missionaries plow in
Il the morning and teach in the afternoon"
HAS the country proved fatal TO many OF
Your missionariasP
.s.sYou can judge from these facts. There have
bsen I'D missionaries sent by US to Africa, a.
these have been Gated in different stations by
me. We have now .forty-eight men, twenty
eight women and fifteen children; the children
are all in their teens, all are now doing well;
six men, six women and three children have
died; the remainder. thirsy-four. large num-
Der of these children have been sent home"
rHave you seen the statements of Mr.. Waller
and wife, who have returnedW
81 have heard of them. Mr.. Waller never
went far into the country and he consequently
knows little of the real work. Mr. Waller Is
what may be termed an English Yankee hotel
ESeper He went out as cook for our steamer
Ee found no hotels in Africa, so far as he went,
aud no guests who were likely to stay at hotels.
He was not favorably impressed with mission
work in Africa Our steamboat, which he says
will never be used. is all right. It cannot be
transported in day month. but we expect
before many months N ore to have it navigating
the waters of the Congo. and there are 5000
miles of navigabIe waters of that river"
Stanley in the course of bis march through
the continent, passed, last fall, through some of
Bishop Taylor's mission stations. The Bishops
family is living In California. He will remain
in the city during the session of the General
Conference and then visit his home. He re-
turns to Africa in December.