Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-01-11
MISSIONARIES NOT WORRIED.
Bishop Engle Writes From the Far
of Transvaal.

VA AAouet o6A'
The following letter has just beef
received by J. H. Engle from hi
J father, Bishop Jesse Engle;
} MAroPpA Mission. BuLAwAYo, S
A., Nov. 2, lS99,-We are somewhat
isolated from the outside world at tn,
present time. Soon after war was
declared the Beers commenced de.
stroying the railroad and telegraph
communications between the Cape
and Rhodesia and we have not had
the English mail since. 1t may come
in week or two. We will likely be
without mail for five and perhaps
more weeks, quite contrast between
this and weekly or two weekly mail.
1t now goes by Salisbury and BRA at
which port it is received and taken BY
way of the Cape, the only way by
which we may expect any mail.
As to the situation in which we are
placed we must say while in some
respects it is not very pleasant we are
at perfect peace. 1t did look for a
short time as if group OF Beers
were on their way to Rhodesia, and
Bulawayo of course. There seems
to be a bitter feeling against Bula-
wayo ever since Jamesons raid to
the Transvaal, but since fighting has
set in at Natal it appears as If the
party has drawn away from the lines;
so that for the present there are no
serious apprehensions on that part.
As we made some reference in former
reports to a native uprising, which
would be more serious than Boer
invasion, you may have some fears
for us on this line, but it seems from
all official reports that the natives
are perfectly quiet. The Matoppas
are the natives where the people look
for an uprising to begin and many
look in this direction for bad reports
from the natives. But when we 90
out to Bulawayo we are like going
away from home and when we return
we think we have seen no place like
our home in the hills. When we tell |
the people in town that we have no
fears Of the natives In the least they |
seeem to draw long breath Of salts
faction.
So far as our supplies are concern
ed we have had no want since here.
We are able by industry to raise
some of the comforts Of life. We cal
our own corn mush and are having
some OF our own potatoes and sweet
potatoes. Tomatoes are coming on
in abundance We have been sue.
,essful in saving few beds over the
winter season and they are now bear
NJ immensely, We eat peas, rad
shes, lettuce, celery, carrots and had
few turnips. Then there are
ome very good native fruits, one is
variety much like the yellow plum
,ut with seed like that OF a date,
mother is wild orange which is not
0 good as some of the other fruits.
n month or six weeks the wild
ananas will commence to ripen.
hey lasted about two months last
ear. We hope to eat few peaches
rom our little trees planted last
pring. We have some eggs but we
ant eat them with much relish it is
DO much like eating silver, it don't
o down right. We sent some to
own for the last few weeks. They ,,
ring from rs cents to $l.l0 per {
oxen. You may think they would :
OF digest very well. Perhaps when
ur 200 young chicks begin to lay
ley will be more digestable.
Today we finished our first field of
'rn planting. We did not have it
definitely but it may be an
ere and a half or an acre and three !
'urtbs. 1t went very nice, as we
ad our third rain yesterday. y
Last week we took our first trip in q
ar new spring wagon. Sisters I
avidson and Hisie and mother and 1
yself with native boy to take care
the donkeys when on grass went
! visit to a mission at Hope Fountain
)out ten miles from Bulawayo. We
tched four donkeys abreast and t,
'ove to Bulawayo. At noon the c
Ext day we started for the mission. ,
he road being rough and easily
st we arrived at the place after u
irk and found friends and a hearty q,
elcome. We found here a progress IL
g school with about SO pupils. X