Deliverance in the Tiger Jungle
By W. A. S.
WHEN the monsoon rains have raised the rivers of India over banks, travel along the low country is even now attended with difficulty. Forty years ago there were still less facilities in the way of roads and river boats. About that time, Dr. Jacob Chamberlain was pioneering the Godavery district, of west central India. He had made a long journey into the interior, where foot of missionary had never before passed, and was returning with his party of coolies and guides and several native preachers. At a point where they expected to find a government steamer, they learned that the boat had broken down in battling against the fierce current. Their only course was to make a seventy-five mile journey through the jungle. The coolie carriers deserted, followed by the armed guard, rather than attempt the journey through the deadly jungle, with rivers in flood. Other carriers were secured and the missionary pressed on through the uninhabited country. Just before reaching the fords of a stream across which was higher ground on which they could camp for the night, they met two hunters who told them that the fords were impassable, and that there were no boats or material for rafts in all the region. Night was coming on, and the tigers had begun to roar about them. The guides and the party felt the situation hopeless. Then Dr. Chamberlain went aside and sought God for direction. He pleaded with the Lord that the journey was for his sake; that he had promised, “I will be with thee.” “Now we need thee,” he cried. “We are in blackest danger for this night. Only thou canst save us from this jungle, these tigers, this flood. O Master, Master, show me what to do.” “Turn to the left, to the Godavery, and you will find rescue,” came the reply, not audible to the ear, but as clear and distinct as though spoken aloud. Guides insisted that to go to the left meant certain increase of the danger. The river was overflowed, and there was no high ground. The missionary again went aside and pleaded with God. “Turn to the left, to the Godavery, and you will find rescue,” came the reply again. But the guides, who knew the country, were only more determined that to go to the left would defeat their plan of making a high bluff, six hours’ journey beyond them. It would surely mean all night in the swampy jungle, with tigers all about. For the third time the missionary rode apart to send up the petition that heaven would not allow him to follow any false impression of his own mind. Again there came the same distinct command, “Turn to the left.” “It is God’s answer to my prayer,” he said. “I can not doubt it. I must act immediately.” By exercise of arbitrary authority he led the party to the left into the low land along the river. To all who inquired or remonstrated, he could only cry out, “There is rescue at the river.” Approaching the river, the missionary pressed on ahead, looking expectantly for the sign of the promised rescue. As he came out of the jungle upon the river bank, there at his feet he found a large river barge, tied to a tree. Two men were in it, who explained that in spite of their efforts, the boat had broken from its moorings away up the river. It had, they said, acted like one possessed, and they had been unable to stop it till they reached the point where the missionary came to the river. The promised rescue was assured, for the missionary had full authority from the government to take possession of the barge for his journey down the stream. Dr. Chamberlain says: “Who had ordered that tidal wave in the morning of that day, that had torn that boat from its moorings, and driven it so many miles down the river (and across from the north to the south bank), and that had thwarted every endeavor of the frightened boatmen to force it back to the north shore, and had brought it to the little cove-like recess, just at that point where we would strike the river? Who, but he on whose orders we had come,—he who had said, “I will be with you,”—he who knew beforehand the dire straits in which we would be in that very place, on that very day, that very hour,—he who had thrice told me distinctly, “Turn to the left, to the Godavery, and you will find rescue?” I bowed my head, and in amazed reverence thanked my God for this signal answer to my pleading prayer.
W. A. S.”