Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-12-17
A LETTER FROM
EAST AFRICA.
Old Umtali, Rhodesia, E. Africa,
Oct. 81, 1903.

At the opening Of new Conference year,
/ have decided to try and reach all my
friends by sending out circular letter,s for
even with the large correspondence which
have been carrying on for two years,
there have been many Of whom have often
thought but whom l could not reach. /
want to send out these letters at least
twice year.
In this first letter, it win be necessary
for me to go back and cover ground which
is already familiar to some Of you for
others have not heard anything from me
for years.
On April IS, 1908, ! again sailed from
New York in company with Miss johnson,
who is now returning after two years IN
the Umtaii Academy, and the Rev. J. NJ.
Springer, who is Superintendent OF the
Mission at this station. We reached Old
Umtali on June 18th. This town was built
IN '96 and is on the gold belt. Two years
later. when the railroad was projected it
was not thougbt possible to bring it over
nearby range Of mountains, and so the
town itself was moved ten miles away to
what is now Umtali Subsequently, the
British South Africa Company turned the
buildings which were left standing here
and 1900 acres Of land over to Bishop
Hartzell for mission purposes.
Two weeks after our arrival, we were
greatly blessed in having an opportunity to
visit the Dutch settlement which lies about
one hundred miles to the North. The trip
was made in an ox-wagon with Mr.. and
Mrs. De Witt and we visited native kraals
all along the road beginning at the capitol
Of the Manica, Mtasa's. Life on the trek is
not without its enioyments as well as its
discomsorts. And on this one there was SO
much in the shape Of ancient ruins, slave
pits, terraces Notifications and water
courses that we were constantly surprised
and delighted. But more than these, the
most interesting feature was the fact that
between our mission and the Zembesia
fiyer, distance of about $50 miles, there
were to be found no missions. At that
time, there was one native evangelist near
Mtasa's but he went away soon after Still
there is no one among all these thousands
to teach them the way of life. However,
Mr.. Greeley has now been appointed, and
Cd. v. he will go to Mtasa's in about four
months, as soon as the rains are over so
that he can build.
After our return, moved into the house
which Bishop Fl .rtzell had set apart for the
VT M. S. Ii is beautiful little villa
up on the mountain side, choice situation
for a hermitage but a trife lonely for
solitary woman I had rejoiced in the
prospect Of having for company our dear
Miss Mikkleson but God had better plan
for her. The house is quarter Of mile
away from all the other buildings and at
night the hyena often comes around with
his weird, plainsive cry to bis mate. Jack
ais, wild cats, wild dogs, wolves and deer
are plentiful but rarely see any but the
latter. Leopards and lions are in the coun
try but I have never heard them around
my house. That does not say that they
have nj been for tbev have S visited ,be
station ana not lono aoo : leorard vent
into tbe con,no,,nd and carried ofv (. Mo
lions have haen sesn Within mile = his
nlaoe b.t thew ars ant & keen off q tbs
Fast hatween here and Tymtali last year
sonr lions oave Umtal; 4 nroner amount Of
excisemeut They we're first seen op the
main road and then thev visited Umtali
nightly. One man got the alarm and
rushed out into the darkness with his oun
and nearly run into the lion. Another
went off to join searching party one even
ing and while he was gone, a lion came to
his own house and tried to get his donkey.