The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-15
STAUNTON IN AFRICA.
Rev. Mr.. Sheppard, the African Mission
ary, Writes Letters.


The following is an extract from a let
ter to Miss NJ. j. Baldwin, of the Mary
Baldwin Seminary, which has just been
received from w. ii. Sheppard, the col
ored missionary of the Southern Presby.
terrain Church in Africa:
While on a journey in February, among
the Baheti villagers, ] discovered Il lake
lying east and west. 1t is one thousand
miles from the west coast and fifteen
miles southeast of our station american
Presbyterian Congo Mission) The lake,
though not Il large one, is n lovely one;
what it has not in breadth it has in
depth, and should Judge it is one mile
and half long. 1t is made more pictur-
esque by being entirely surrounded by
beautiful palms. The natives do not 20
to it alone, as there is some traditional
fear, but in bodies, when fishing. When
first saw the lake and came upon its
banks, | held n gospel service. with my
caravan, thus dedicating it to the Lord,
and in turn took the honor of naming it
after you, Lake Baldwin. EI pray, that
this, which / have taken the liberty to do,
will meet with your approval.
The News yesterday received map
from Missionary Sheppard, about ID 1-2
by 10 1-2 inches, drawn in black and red
inks, showing the location of the mission
and the surrounding country. 1t is
drawn on "a scale of one mile to the inch
and the statement is made that measure
ments are CHASED on The number of
yards traversed in five minutes ordinary
walk" The map represents territory,
then, of some 240 square miles. Within
this scope of country are four localities
named after Staunton people. They are:
Lake Baldwin, Henkei Point, Gibsons
Valley, Ravine de Caldwell
the foot of tha WAN tho orola
made by the junction of the Lula and
Lulua rivers, is the mission in close
proximity being several African villages.
About four miles further north in n bee
line, on the road to LukeDga's, path
branches off to the northeast. At the
angle thus made is ''Henkel's Point
named after DR.. S. II. Henkel, of Staun-
ton Further on, between the divergence
OF these roads lies a valley, which has
been named "Gibson's Valley" after
Dr. j. St. p. Gibson, of this city. Still
further up the road to Lukenga's, about
twelve miles in II bee line from the mis-
sion, is IA wooded ravine to the left This
has been named "Ravine dc CALDWELL
after c. Russell Caldwell, general mana
ger of the News. Just beyond, on the
same side of the road, is the "Lake Bald
win" described above
The map was addressed Editor Daily
News, Stanton, Va, L. s. ~ - and now
adorns n wall in the News editorial
rooms 1t was mailed at Leopoldville,
June 8, 1896 and has four other post
marks, of which only two are legible,
Lisbon, July %, 1896, and New York,
August 5, 1876" The postage cost one
hundred centimes represented by three
oblong stamps. Two of these were of
orange, the vignette representing the typ
zeal African waterfall, while on each was
inscribed in French "Vingt Cinq (25)
Confines" and "Etat Independent du
Congo" Congo Free State). The third
stamp was green, the vignette represent
ing railroad train rounding a curve be-
side watercourse, and had inscribed on
1T, in French also, "Cinquante .(50) Cen
times" and "Etat Independent du Con
go. ''-Staunton News.