A TRIP TO PALEMBANG, SUMATRA.
By Sophia Blackmore
SOPHIA BLACKMORE, a deaconess of the missionary society of the M. E. Church, writes the following interesting letter, under date of Singapore, September 17, 1894, to the Gospel in All Lands:— "After our Malay quarterly conference was over, its pastor conducted the first love feast that has ever been held in the Malay language. All stayed to it, and men and women spoke freely. One woman told us of how she had to go to Palembang on business. While there she talked to the women of Christ Jesus; they listened eagerly, and asked her to bring Christian books with her next time. Lim Neo afterward told me she had to return to Sumatra, and asked me if I would get books for her to sell there. I asked her if she would take me with her, and she was so pleased because I would go. When it was talked over at our Deaconesses' Home, Miss Ferris found she could go too. "Palembang is only thirty-six hours' voyage from Singapore. We had to go on the deck of a native boat. We did not mind it, for the journey was not long. We took with us one hundred and seventy Scripture portions and about seven hundred books and tracts. We questioned Lim Neo as to where we were to stay during our visit to Palembang; she was rather oracular about it. Soon after our arrival we were introduced to a Chinese gentleman named Lim Chip Hiang, then to his Malay wife. The former had such a kind, benevolent face we felt we could trust him, and he kindly invited us to be his guests. "Palembang is under Dutch rule, so it was one of our first duties to visit the resident, to acquaint him with our plans and to ask his permission to sell our books. This was very readily given. "The town of Palembang is situated on a fine, broad river, fifty miles from the sea. The river forms the principal street of the town. For four miles on either side of it houses extend. These houses are built on strong bamboo rafts and securely fastened to stakes that are driven into the bed of the river. Here is a description of the house in which we were entertained: Immediately from the boat one steps into the receiving room and goes from there into the main room, off which are four tiny sleeping apartments, one of which we occupied. At the rear is the large kitchen, which is detached and rises and falls with the current of the river. A table is in the center, a cooking range at the side, but what amuses us most is the bathing hole. Two or three boards have been removed from the flooring, and there flows the river. A woman goes down to bathe here. Up she comes, gives the fire a poke, or stirs some food that always seems to be simmering. In this same hole clothes are washed, cooking utensils cleansed, etc., etc. Could anything be more convenient, for the river washes all away. "Many boats ply up and down the river. Those for hire are beautifully clean. They are shaped like a fish, and glide swiftly over the water, propelled by one oar, used by a man who sits at the tail-like end. "Other boats contain merchandise. Some have an awning over them, from which hung down tinware, pottery, fruit, or whatever the owner wishes to sell. It is his floating shop, and he comes to whatever door he is called and sells his ware. In other boats whole families live. It is their only home. All seem quite happy in their narrow quarters. "I am glad to write that our kind entertainer was not averse to our gospel. He was most interested in our books, and bought a quantity of them, some of which he gave away. Each night I would talk to the wife. The tokay would come in, stay and listen awhile, or ask to be told over again what I had been talking about. After we had gone to bed, we would hear the wife for hours reading the Bible aloud. "Tokay Chip Hiang's life reminded us of old patriarchal times. He lives in the midst of his children and grandchildren. Besides the river house his family occupies three large houses on the land just behind. An old lady has lately died. She was over ninety years of age, and was a great-great-grandmother to some of the little ones. "One evening Chip Hiang gathered all the children of the household and bade them sit on the floor while I told them a story. I had gained some repute in his eyes for storytelling. How glad I was to tell these children the very first Bible story they had ever listened to. I pray it may not be the last. They listened well. All this time Miss Ferris was entertaining the women. We changed places. She had a merry time with the children, and I sat on the floor, surrounded by a group of women, and told them of the Good Shepherd. "We spent a good part of our days visiting and bookselling. We were received so kindly. Crowds of children would follow us from one house to another. From one house we would be invited elsewhere. Sometimes we had several invitations, and hardly knew where to go first. We would have to walk on banked-up roads, then come to houses connected together by rude plank bridges or logs not always easy to walk on. To dispose of the last of our books we went to the market. Soon all our gospels and larger tracts were939disposed of. Then Miss Ferris went in one direction and I in another with the smaller tracts. 'One writing, one cent,' we said, as we passed the little stall where the women sat. Some bought. Children came round with their one cent asking for 'one writing.' Some of the women bought wholesale. They spent five or six cents in tracts, and retailed them at a small profit. It was not very long before every sheet was finished. The people are so glad to have something to read. Still buyers came up asking for more hikayats (histories), but the stock we had brought with us was exhausted. "We spent eight days in Palembang. We want to go again, and we trust that permanent work will erelong be established among these seventy thousand people who have no one to tell them of the Saviour of the world."