New Mission Station in German East Africa
By Elder Conrad
ELDER CONRAD writes from our new mission station, German East Africa, April 5:— We reached our new station all hale and sound. We had a good rest here in the mountains, at an altitude of four thousand feet. The station is well chosen—a fine, fruitful little valley. About twenty-five acres of corn has already been grown here by the natives this season. They have gathered their harvest, and moved farther up the hillside, so this land will be ours in the future. We did not get away from Tanga till Friday, April 2, on account of our freight. Sunday at 4 P. M. we started on our worst trip, thirty-five miles through a high plain covered with brier-trees, brush, etc. A good thunder-storm overtook us, and it became very dark; but by 9 P. M. it cleared, and we reached Kihuird at 1 A. M., where the government has another shanty for travelers. Here is the real base of our mission field—eight villages, with about two thousand people. The subchief called on us, and we on him. I had a little present for him, and he gave us a goat. From here we climbed the mountains. A good road-path has been cleared. It takes nearly four hours, and the ascent is seven hundred meters (about 2,275 feet). While the lower mountains are full of stones and briers, those higher are well-watered land. We have a fine creek, near enough so we could water our land. We also have a good irrigating ditch. We bought two small horses for the two women, and I was fortunate enough to secure a good donkey for two dollars, to bring me up. The rest marched. We all praised God when we arrived safely.