The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1906-01-03
From South Africa.

time l have failed to find the time.
will try to do so now, going back some
in time to begin.
You have all been interested more or
less in the visit of Rev. and Mrs. Sellew
to South Africa, and their visit has been
to us very great pleasure indeed, for We
don't have many such pleasures. They
arrived in May and we were in Natal
then to a preliminary Conference in
which many matters were discussed and
given into the hands of committees to
investigate and report at the Conference
in October. This would be great help
as many things peculiar TO foreign mis-
sionary conference would come up for
decision.
The last day of August Rev. Sellew and
wife came to us at Germiston, remaining
three weeks. How we enjoyed having
them In our home you cannot know until
you have spent nearly four years on
foreign field. They were made a great
blessing to us and to the work we rep
resented,
October 9th we left Germiston for Ma
tai, the "Garden Colony" ofSouth Africa,
to attend the first South Afri san Confer
ence of the Free Methodist church. In
the Transvaal from March until October
or November no rains fall and every
thing is dry and brown, and the dust
storms are often terrible. Starting in the
morning all day we travelled over the
open treeless veldt, which has such a
desolate appearance this time of year,
until night closed upon us shutting out
all views interesting or uninteresting.
You who have Travelled in England know
that each car is divided into compart-
ments, each having two long seats run
ming across the car and facing each other
and serving at night tor beds. 1t is the
same here, so with nightfsll we prepared
our beds and slept as much as we could.
In the morning what different view met
our eyes-hills and mountains, rivers
and trees, and green foliage everywhere.
We were In Natal and the scenery was
simply beautiful all the remaining dis
tance to Durham, which we ed about
one p. m. We did some shopping" and
then spent the night at the mission house
of the South African General Mission.
This missionary body has at its head the
Rev. Andrew Murray. The next morn
ing we started by train down the coast to
Fair View, about sixty miles from Dur
ban. All along the way were beautiful
flowers growing wild, roses, Gala lilies
and various other kinds, while only few
rods from us and in full view we're the
waves break ing on the rocks and sand,
the waves of the Indian Ocean. We
crossed nearly thirty streams flowing
into the ocean and at these places we went
up the river short distance to a narrow
place, where we cross the river and go
back down and skirt the coast, arriving
Saturday noon at Fair View Mission.
On the Sabbath we had the privilege OF
attending the dedication ofa native chapel
about five miles away. 1t was a very
neat brick building with thatch ioof and
was built entirely by the natives. Brick
is cheaper in this country than wood, as
the brick is made here while all lumber
must be imported, as the trees of this
country are not used for making it. At
the service we attended they gave about
twenty-five dollars, a large sum for one
native congregation to give, as their
wages do not even compare with that of
white man.
The conference was new TO the natives
but they were much interested and their
questions and discussions on matters of
vital Importance to them showed they
were thinking and we're mentally capable
of grasping things above that for which
many people give them credit. Some of
the subjects causing most discussion were
libola (polygamy), course of study for
native evangelists, dress, and various
other matters. l might explain that
libola is the paying of cattle for wife.
But it is big enough subject for a sep
arate article, so / will not try to discuss
its various phases in this letter. The
conference was very profitable meeting
and much of Gods presence was felt es-
pecally in the meetings on the Sabbath.
Mr.. A. +. Haley was ordained to deacon's
orders, and j. w. Haley aud Mr.. Smith
were ordained both deacons aud elders.
As the business could not be finished on
Saturday we had another session on
Monday which closed with the reading of
the appointments. The preachers will
not be changed here as at home, every
two or three years, but only when the
work or the health of the missionaries
demands it. At this con ference only
three changes were made, namely: j. w.
Haley and wife from Pondoland to Fair
View; Jules Ryff and wife from Fair
from GermIston to Pondoand. We were
delighted with our change. l remarked
that if the committee had asked me TO
choose my place l would very likely have
chosen the one they gave us. At Ger
miston our work was entirely among the
men and boys who come there TO work in
the mines, kitchens, ETC., while here we
have the men, women and children in
their homes. There is here much more
mission work for woman to do. The
conference over we Immediately returned
to Germiston to pack up and in two weeks
were back at Fair View, a distance of
nearly six hundred miles, where we
would start by OK cart for our new sta
ton about sixty miles away. Much of
our furniture we had sold at quite sac
ritice as freight would cost to Fair View