Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-08-12
A Letter from Rev. Plumer Smith.

Dear tr1enQs-We salIeQ from Ant
werp April II, on the s. S. "Anvers-
ville.n We called at Plymouth, Eng
land, April 10, for about thirty Eng
lish passengers. 1t was from this
place that the "Mayfower" sailed.
We we're shown the large rock rising
out of the sea from which the
Plymouth rock was named. 1t was
also from this port that Sir Francis
Drake sailed to beat the Spanish
Armada.
Miss Lemaire, an English mission
ary, came on at Plymouth and we
four are the only Protestant mission
aries aboard. There are eight priests
and ten sisters on board.
Two days after leaving Plymouth
we stopped off La Pillice, France,
where we took on several passengers.
But between Plymouth and La Pillice
nearly everyone was seasick. We
joined the procession.
There is much liberty on this boat
women as we'll as men drinking,
smoking, playing cards, etc.
April 26 we reached Teneriffe, one
of the Canary Islands belonging to
Spain. We stopped in the harbor of
Santa Cruz for twelve hours to coal
and also to load on onions for Dakar.
We went ashore and wandere about.
AS they refused Belgian money in
the stores we did not buy much.
Miss Lemaire had some English
money 80 we spent few shillings.
Everywhere we go we find Fords.
We saw three or four at Santa Cruz.
We visited the Cathedral. The guide
kept up strong line of Spanish
flowing all the time. The place is
full of idols.
The first Sunday on. board before
we reached Plymouth we had short
service in our cabin. The other two
Sabbaths, I held service in the
music saloon. The first time about
ten came besides the missionaries
The last time only three. Many
English belong to the "Church'
established which hardly recognizes
any other church but the Roman
Catholic. think though the average
Englishman and American, besides
missionaries, who comes to the Congo
hopes to escape all religion. At
Bona the missionaries hold an Eng
lish service every Sunday, but rarely
does white man come. The Eng
lish subjects, natives of the English
West African colonies, come and keep
up these services with their presence
and contributions. At Kinshssa
where there are about 100 English
men, only three or four attend the
English services. These services are
always conducted by the missionaries.
1t looks bad for the white race that
the black man who comes to Congo
to work as clerk, carpenter, or fore
man should live nearer his God than
those who come to the Congo could
help the missionaries 80 much.
When the boat reached Dakar, my
wife and went ashore and I bought
three suits of clothing-two khaki and
one white, also sun helmet. Before
we reached Dakar nearly everyone
had come out in khaki or white.
We crossed Equator May 3rd, and a
program lasting three days was put
on to celebrate. The ladies crossing
for the first time were sprinkled witt
perfumery but the men were rubbed
with dough and ducked in pool
About the same time we we're cross
ing the equator 1 was sick, perhaps
the jolt, but more likely I go
ptomaine poisoning by eating the
stuff they called ice cream. Miss
Larson was also made sick by a diff
fer6nG lou OF IL.
We have had one death on board-a
native black fireman. One
birth, a little Belgian girl. A girl
who came out on the boat was mar
ried the day we reached Bona
There is rumor that an engagement
has taken place on board.
After spending two days at Bona
we are to reach Matadi today, where
we disembark and go up on thu
Congo r. r. Write me in care of A
P. @. M. Luebo, Congo Beige.
Sincerely yours,
PLUMER SMITH.
Matadi, May IL, 1920.