The American Missionary — Volume 35, No. 8, August, 1881

The American Missionary — Volume 35, No. 8, August, 1881

We publish on the opposite page a map of Africa, upon which is represented, by crosses, the location of the different Protestant mission stations of that continent. The Mendi Mission on the West Coast, and the proposed Arthington Mission in the Nile Basin, are specially indicated by dotted lines. We give, also, elsewhere a cut of the Mission Home at Good Hope Station, Mendi Mission. Much of the mission work in Africa, at least upon the West Coast, has a basis in industrial work of some kind. Many causes have conspired to hinder this branch of civilizing work at the Mendi Mission. Without stopping to specify what these may have been, no one can doubt that the chief reason why the saw-mill at Avery has failed to be a source of income to the Association, is the difficulty of transporting the lumber to market. This mill, with a circular and an upright saw, with a good head of water during the larger part of the year, and with timber near at hand, is the only mill of the kind on the West Coast. There is a good demand for such lumber as the mill can produce, but the chief market is 120 miles distant. No one in Africa, however much he might want lumber, would be guilty of going 120 miles for it, nor even 120 rods, if he could help it. In former times the lumber was taken to the market in a large boat, propelled by oar and sail; but the climate and the worms have claimed that boat as their own. Here is a most potent agency, an attractive centre for goods. The mill might be producing thousands of feet of lumber a day, and yet if there were no way to carry this lumber to the point where it could be sold, its production would only become a burden. What is needed to insure the best success of the mill, and of all the industrial departments connected with it, is an easy and quick means of transportation. This would not only make the mill a really civilizing institution and a paying piece of property, but if a small steamer or tug-boat were thus in use, it would more than pay its own[Pg 226] way in the regular trips it would make, and by the incidental services it could render to other mission stations where similar industrial work is carried on. There are promises enough to insure the successful running of such a steamer. It should be adapted to towing a lumber boat of large capacity to and from Freetown, and should also be adapted to carrying passengers up and down the rivers. It would accomplish more work in a given time than any other project yet proposed on this coast, would dispense with the small army of boatmen and fleet of boats now maintained, and would be the solution of the question in regard to the mill. But why keep up this mill? Why have an industrial department? Simply because the spiritual interests of the mission are involved in it and demand it. There must be a physical basis for any successful work upon the minds and hearts of the people in this part of Africa. This has been demonstrated in other missions than our own. The people need a place to tie to, and something to draw them to that place in order to receive any lasting good. They need to learn habits of industry along with the Gospel. They need to be lifted out of their barbarism by increasing their wants and showing them how to supply them. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 55613
Author: Various
Release Date: Sep 24, 2017
Format: eBook
Language: English