British Guiana by D. C. Babcock

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 15, 1902

British Guiana

By D. C. Babcock

GEORGETOWN.—There is much sickness in this place; I have not seen fever more severe since I came to Guiana. The heat is intense, and as I go along the streets, sometimes it seems as if I should faint beneath it; but the Lord has wonderfully preserved my health, and I feel stronger than at any previous time since coming to British Guiana.

We are having excellent meetings in Georgetown. I hope to visit Dutch Guiana as soon as the yellow fever quarantine is lifted, and arrange for building a chapel at Newtown, Nickerie. We think the heavy winds will be allayed in a short time, so that we can go up the coast with our steamer, and visit the company at Canje Creek, and then go from there to Nickerie. There are more than twelve thousand wild negroes in that colony, isolated from the civilized portion, who carry on their forms of worship as they did in Africa. One of our brethren has visited them, and reports that they seem willing to hear the third angel’s message. They speak their original tongue, and this brother to whom I refer has been some time with them, and is able to converse with them. They have a king and government of their own. Dutch Guiana has nothing whatever to do with them, as they have been found to be uncontrollable when efforts have been made to bring them into subjection to the government.

In visiting these negroes, we can travel up the Nickerie River with our own steamer, right into the midst of their settlement. From there we pass into a lake, and thence into another river that leads us down to Paramaribo, the capital of Dutch Guiana, saving us a long coast line route, and giving us an opportunity

to visit all the settlements along each of these rivers. There are a few Sabbath keepers at Paramaribo, whom I desire to visit.

Fair success has attended the efforts of our brethren at Danielstown and Queenstown. We hope to close up the work in these places soon, and to go farther into the interior, laboring for those who are in darkness.

D. C. BABCOCK.