En Route to British Guiana by E. C. WIDGERY

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 16, 1908

En Route to British Guiana

By E. C. WIDGERY

E. C. WIDGERY

On May 21, at noon, two ocean liners moved from their moorings at New York and Brooklyn, and glided slowly out of the harbor, toward Sandy Hook. Here they parted company, the one having on board Elder W. J. Fitzgerald and family for England, and Brother and Sister Carl Hansen for Europe; the other, the steamship “Guiana,” bearing us to the West Indies.

Our voyage was pleasant; and, despite the heavy ground sea, the “Guiana,” being heavily freighted, behaved well, and there was little sickness. We arrived safely at St. Thomas in due time, and went ashore to visit our brethren. Elder H. C. J. Walleker was away at St. Johns, but his wife did her best to entertain us. Here we met Elder J. H. Matthews, who will soon move to St. Croix to spread the third angel’s message there.

It was the time of the jubilee of the Catholic church in St. Thomas, which was celebrated by a parade and other high functions, the people bowing before the bishop. We were pleased to see that the new church building was nearly finished, for which funds are badly needed, as the plan is for a church-school as soon as the building is completed.

We next visited St. Croix, which is a very promising field. It has a population of twenty thousand and, like St. Thomas, is under Danish rule. St. Kitts was our next stop. This is a healthy and prospering island of about nineteen thousand inhabitants. The water-supply is good. Fruits and vegetables are cheap and plentiful. There is a small company here, but they have no worker. There is opportunity for an earnest consecrated man to locate here and give the message.

We next called at Guadeloupe. This is a large group of islands under the French rule. Much sugar is produced here. This is a very needy field. You can but faintly imagine the crying need as you look out on the scene of confusion as the ship drops anchor off this island, and you see the ill-clad crowd of men rush on the ship to discharge the cargo. It is the Sabbath, but all around is Babylon indeed. There is a call for a French-speaking brother here, to give this message to the thirty-two thousand people.

As the Sabbath began to close, we arrived at Dominica, and went ashore to visit Elder Philip Giddings. The company is of good courage, and pressing on. Dominica is the seat of the papacy for this group of islands. Here the bishop and his frocked priests landed, who had been passengers from St. Thomas. Thirty-seven priests are located at this place. You will realize how much our brethren here need an interest in our prayers. Our church building is being reared right under the towering shade of the Catholic cathedral. There are three hundred sixty-five rivers on this island, and it has the most perfect botanical gardens in this zone. But looking out on the scene, noting here and there smoking mountains, indicating the internal condition, we could but think of the day of God’s wrath, and of the multitude held in papal darkness.

At Antigua we went ashore to visit Elder F. G. Lane, but found he had gone to open up the work in Montserrat. The company is of good courage, and working in perfect accord.

Martinique was our next stop. There is no worker here. This priest-ridden island needs a consecrated French-speaking worker. We stood for a while in the cathedral during the celebration of high mass, and watched the continual stream of worshipers come in and bow at the shrines, depositing their coins in each box; and as we stood, we thought of the awful doom awaiting those who worship the beast and his image. As we viewed the devastation caused by the eruption of Mt. Pelee, we wondered why so few heed these calls.

NEW CHURCH BUILDING AND CHURCH-SCHOOL, ST. THOMAS, B. W. I. The new building at the left, with tower, is the addition recently made

At St. Lucia we met Elder W. D. Forde, who is pressing on, despite the fierce opposition from the papal church. At St. Vincent we saw Elder James D. Dasent, who gave us an encouraging report of his work among the thirty-two thousand inhabitants of this island.

Barbados was our last port of call. Here Elder L. E. Wellman was on the lookout for us. We appreciated a hygienic meal at his home at Two Mile Hill. Then we visited Dr. Cave, our acquaintance of past years, in his sanitarium at Hastings, where he is doing a creditable work. Here we learned the sad news of Brother R. L. Price’s death at Trinidad. It came as a great shock to us all; but we go forward in the strength of the Lord.

On June 5 we arrived at our destination, British Guiana, in time to spend an enjoyable Sabbath with our brethren

here. Everything looks very familiar. Sanitary conditions are much improved in Georgetown, and we ask an interest in your prayers that we may be preserved, and be instrumental in spreading this message in this very needy field.

Georgetown.