Our Mission Boat “Herold” on Victoria Nyanza by B. Ohme

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jul 20, 1911

Our Mission Boat “Herold” on Victoria Nyanza

By B. Ohme

B. OHME

MAJITA and Nyabangi, where we have mission stations on Victoria Nyanza, are business towns, and can be reached only by smaller sailing craft from either Shirati or Muansa. The problem of transportation has been one that has caused our local mission committee to request the European Division of the General Conference to permit us to purchase a small sailboat of our own, that we might not be dependent upon the services of the Indians, in whose hands this local shipping business has heretofore largely centered. While visiting our district with Brother E. C. Enns last January, we had an opportunity to secure such a sailing-vessel as would meet our needs for about five hundred dollars. As this boat had been built only eight months previously, and was made of very hard wood, it ought to do us service for six or seven years, with but few repairs. This craft is ten meters long and three and one-half meters wide. One of the stipulations made at the time of the purchase was that we should have a captain, a pilot, and five sailors,—all black men,—who were thoroughly acquainted with the lake, and would be able safely to navigate the boat. Their combined wage is sixty rupees monthly.

MISSION BOAT "HEROLD," USED AT VICTORIA NYANZA MISSION, EAST AFRICA

This small craft has made us independent of others, so that we can do our own transportation business at any time. We now have three stations, and within a year or so we hope to have seven or eight new stations in this region; so this boat will be of great advantage to us in transporting lime, cement, lumber, sheet-iron roofing, and so on. We expect that during the present year the vessel will pay for itself.

In the district between Majita and Shirati there are six or eight inhabited islands, some of which are quite large, while others are smaller. We plan to reach these by the aid of this boat, and thus we shall be able to occupy this territory with schools. Thus the little boat will become actually what its name indicates,—a herald of the truth and of the gospel of God.

During the first three months of its service, the “Herold” has cleared about seven hundred rupees. We thank God for the financial blessing he has granted this department of our mission work, and we pray that in his providence the “Herold” may become the means of aiding many souls to find an entrance into the harbor of peace.

Post Shirati, German East Africa.