Visiting Out-Stations in the Wilds Beyond the Zambezi
REPORTING a trip among the out-stations in Northwest Rhodesia, Brother E. C. Silsbee writes:
"After dark we were beset with lions that seemed to want an ox for supper. As a rule, they do not attack a team (we had eighteen oxen) when on the move, so we kept going. Sometimes they would be following us, and sometimes they were alongside the wagon out in the bush. It was too dark to shoot at them; and the occasional crackling of bushes near at hand, on one side or the other, made things interesting, and sent the dog fairly into convulsions.
"But the Lord protected us, and after two or three hours of this kind of trekking we arrived safe at the out-school. The next day we were kept busy. From this school we loaded and took five thousand pounds of mealies [corn] across to another school. It was a big load, and we were 'stuck' in the rivers several times. One place was where some time before a lion had chased Pastor Anderson to his wagon and carried off one of his oxen. So we built two fires to keep them away, and carried the mealies up the steep river bank till the oxen could pull the rest. Later we stuck in a sand ridge, where we stopped all night, tiger-cats and hyenas giving us a royal if not a harmonious serenade. And here we broke our water jug and lost our water.
"The next stop for the day was at a salt spring, where we had nothing but warm water from a hot salt spring to drink. But when the sun is hot here one can drink anything that is wet and drinkable. After this for two days we almost famished for water. At one place we were sure we would find water and plenty of it; but after trekking twenty or thirty miles with the joyful anticipation of having a good drink when we came to this well-known watering-place, lo, we found it dry.
"We had twenty miles farther to trek, which also must be done in the middle of the day, before we could get water. Tired, hungry, and thirsty, and our oxen also nearly famished, we started on again. I hurried on ahead of the wagon to the next out-school, to send water and fresh oxen to meet the boys I had as drivers; and I nearly fainted with the heat and a burning fever before I reached the station. Finally I came to a native village, or kraal, near the school, and had a drink. O, it was so good! After seeing that relief was sent from the school to meet the wagon, I lay down to rest."
ELD. ANDERSON'S MISSION SCHOOL
Liwonde a Yao, Rescued from Islam, in Moslem and Native Dress
Native Dress
He came to us for work as overseer in our cotton field. He had been initiated into the Mohammedan faith, and was following it as best he knew. Very shy at first, after a while he was seen on the back seat in our meetings. Later he offered himself for enrolment in the candidates' class. It was my privilege to baptize him with twenty-four others. May he be as good seed to multiply into many from Islam, which counts its millions in Africa.
