p. 17 | Mission Notes

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Nov 17, 1904

Mission Notes

Some African Christians on one side of the Congo became interested in the heathen on the other side. “We are saved, and they know nothing about Jesus,” they said. “What shall we do?” Soon fifty of them were preaching on the other side of the river to their heathen neighbors.

While the population of the Indian empire is over 294,000,000, less than 3,000,000 are Christians. In an analysis of the population according to “occupation,” nearly 4,000,000 are supported by servants engaged in the administration of the state, 130,000 by sport, 2,250,000 by herdsmen, 2,340,000 by barbers and shampooers, while tailors, milliners, and dressmakers have to find support for over 1,000,000 people. A glance at religions shows that Hindus number over 200,000,000, Mohammedans 61,500,000, and Buddhists less than 10,000,000. The complex work in India is further evidenced by the great number of languages—there being no fewer than forty-two Indian, eleven Asiatic, and nineteen European languages spoken in the empire, besides a greater number of dialects. There are 25,000 lepers, and 150,000 deaf-mutes, while no less than 350,000 never see the light of day. Those who can read Indian languages have 7,081 newspapers to glance at, and 1,312 newspapers are printed in English.—Selected.