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MASTER-BUILDER
)N THE CONGO

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.ANDREW R HENSET

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Presented to the

LIBRARY of the

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

MICHAH RYNOR

MR. AND MRS. ELDRED, WITH BABY MPELA AND SOME
OF THE ORPHANS. (BOLENGE,

A MASTER BUILDER ON
THE CONGO

A Memorial

to the
Service and Devotion

of
ROBERT RAY ELDRED

and
LILLIAN BYERS ELDRED

ANDREW F. HENSEY

Author of "Opals from Africa"
ILLUSTRATED

With an Introduction by
ARCHIBALD McLEAN

NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO

Fleming H. Revell Company

LONDON AND EDINBURGH

New York: 158 Fifth Avenue
Chicago: 17 N. Wabash Ave.
Toronto: 25 Richmond St., W.
London : 21 Paternoster Square
Edinburgh: 100 Princes Street

INTRODUCTION

ROBERT RAY and Edith Byers Eldred, the
hero and heroine of this book, gave their lives
for the redemption of Africa as truly as did
Melville B. Cox or Alexander Mackay. They lived
sacrificial lives and rejoiced that to them was this
grace given, that they should preach among primitive
and pagan people the unsearchable riches of Christ.
Like Livingstone, they were ready for any move
ment, provided it was a forward movement. Like
Paul, they made it their aim so to preach the gospel,
not where Christ was already named, that they might
not build upon another man's foundation. Like the
Moravians, their desire was to give to the Lamb
that was slain the reward of His sufferings.

Both laid down their lives in Africa and for
Africa. Mrs. Eldred died on the Bussira with no
other white woman near to wipe the death-damp
from her brow or to speak words of comfort and
hope in her last moments. Mr. Eldred died while
pioneering in a part of the field far beyond where
any other missionary had ever been.

It was because of the heroism and unselfish de
votion and nobleness of their lives and the fruitful-
ness of their services that this book was written.
The writer is a graduate of the same school as Mr.
Eldred— The College of The Bible, of Transylvania
University, and was associated with him and his
wife in their work as missionaries. Mr. Hensey has
written with the fullest knowledge of the facts re-

4 INTRODUCTION

lating to the character and ministry of Mr. and Mrs.
Eldred, and, because he has, his book will be read
with profound interest and with genuine admiration
for the hero and heroine.

ARCHIBALD MCLEAN.
Cincinnati, Ohio.

FOREWORD

"TTJ AY ELDRED drowned. Reinforcements im-

m\^ perative."

When the above message was flashed under
the seas and across the lands in September of 1913
it brought to the Disciples of Christ a sorrow that
was almost pain. There were few churches among
that people in which the name of Robert Ray Eldred
was not known and his devotion appreciated. Many,
as they read the startling news, remembered having
heard him plead with passionate enthusiasm for
Congo's evangelization. As they recalled his massive
frame and evident strength, it seemed difficult to
believe that the sad news was really true.

Two months had to ensue before the details of
his passing could come by mail. When these arrived
and were read in the papers, the story of his tragic
death and forest burial passed into the household
life of the Disciples and his lonely grave on the
banks of the Lokolo is coming to be counted among
their choice heritages.

But the friends of Ray Eldred feel that the life
and labours of this man of God ought to be as well
known as the story of his heroic death. His com
rades in the African field would have the churches
know some of the things which made this leader so
large a part of the life of the Congo Mission that,
when he had fallen, it seemed imperative that rein
forcements should be sent at once to take his place.

Can a real man's place be filled ? Aye, the workers
fall, and God fills up the ranks, for His work must
go on till the last man hear the Good Tidings of the
Son of God. And His work on the Congo goes on,
mayhap with more of impetus and surely in deeper

6 FOREWORD

spiritual currents. For the spirit of sacrifice and
of apostolic evangelism has been written large in
the history of the Congo Mission. Yet sometimes in
the councils of the missionaries, when simple faith
and wise decision are needed; ofttimes, when one
sits beneath roof-trees made sacred by the labour of
those hands now still in death, and hears appeals
from distant villages for the Gospel he loved so well
to preach; each time,

" Whenever the weak and weary are ridden down by the

strong,

Whenever the right pleads clearly while the lords of life
are dumb,"

all those who knew the spirit of Ray Eldred feel a
pang of loneliness and of longing, and realize that
such a man's place is never entirely filled.

Therefore, for all he was and is, these pages are
written, as a loving memorial to the devotion of
Ray Eldred, missionary, pioneer, and friend. As
the modest work of Mrs. Eldred has been less known
than that of her husband, many friends of the Congo
work will be glad to learn more of this gifted woman,
and of her service.

Yet not alone as a memorial is this life story told.
He who builded in such heroic fashion would care
little to be remembered unless his faith and deeds
should appeal to the latent heroism of the Church.
So we may well believe that this Master Builder of
the Congo would like to have his life sound out
some such challenge as is breathed in the poet's
prayer :

" Loud rings on sea and land today
The challenge of a work to do
As in the furnace of time
God moulds this worn-out world anew.
Oh, strip us of our love of ease,
Send full on us Thy challenge clear,
And let us catch the far-off glow
Of Thy great walls — then let us go
And build their splendour here ! "

CONTENTS

Book I

FOREWORD 5

I PREPARATION DAYS 9

II THE OPENING UP OF AFRICA ... 19

III ARRIVAL AT BOLENGE .... 27

IV THE GREAT AWAKENING ... 31
V EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR . . 37

VI TOILS AND SUCCESSES .... 49

VII THE FIRST FURLOUGH .... 57

VIII IN HARNESS AGAIN 62

IX " IN JOURNEYINGS OFT " 7O

X CONGO FOODS 78

XI A TYPICAL CONGO JOURNEY ... 83

XII ANOTHER BOUNTIFUL YEAR ... 89

XIII A STIRRING VISIT TO LOTUMBE . . 92

Book II

INTRODUCTORY 99

I HEWING A STATION FROM THE JUNGLE 101

II " ANXIETY FOR ALL THE CHURCHES " . 105

III ONCE MORE IN THE HOMELAND . . in

IV BUSY DAYS AT LONGA . . . .117
V A MANY-SIDED SERVICE . . . .130

VI BY CANOE TO THE BOLINGO . . . 136

VII THE MEN HE TRAINED .... 142

VIII ALONE WITH His DEAD .... 146

IX THAT LONELY YEAR . . . .160

X THE LAST JOURNEY 173

AFTERGLOW 180

ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

Mr. and Mrs. Eldred, with Baby Mpela and

Some of the Orphans. (Bolenge, 1904). Title

Carpenters at Bolenge 58

Mr. and Mrs. Eldred and Their Three Sons.

(South Bend, 1910) . . . .114

Is'ekae and Family. He Was Mr. Eldred's

Most Outstanding Convert . . .142

Map of the Field Occupied by the Foreign
Christian Missionary Society in Congo
Beige . .... 175

A Recent Picture of the Eldred Boys . . 184

BOOK I

PREPARATION DAYS

ROBERT RAY ELDRED, was born September
twenty-fourth, 1872, on a farm north of
Quincy, Michigan. He was the second son
of Joseph and Thirza Eldred. Leroy M. Eldred,
Mrs. Frank McGee, both older than the subject
of this sketch, and W. G. Eldred, minister of the
Christian Church at Eminence, Kentucky, and Mrs.
Laura Eldred Dobson, both younger than Robert
Ray, complete the family of five children, who grew
to maturity in that farmhouse three miles from
Quincy. The death of Robert Ray caused the first
break in the family circle, followed by the home-
going of the mother in the Spring of 1915.

A single glance at the massive frame of the father,
rugged in his strength even at the age of seventy-five,
indicates that the splendid physique and fine constitu
tion of Ray Eldred were paternal gifts. The vigor
ous open-air life of the farm cherished and developed
these choice heritages.

The varied life of that farm — fruit growing, stock
raising, and general agriculture — also helped in the
training of young Ray. In addition to being a good
farmer, the father was an excellent carpenter and
built his own dwelling. The little shop where he did
cabinet work in the winter time had a strong fascina
tion for the three boys, and as they grew up they
came to use tools as readily as did their father. It

10 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

is interesting to note in this connection that Ray
was left-handed, just as was his father, and learned
to handle tools with either hand with almost equal
ease and skill. The years were to show how won
derfully valuable this kind of training would prove,
when the young toiler should become a Master
Builder in a far-away land.

Neither in the family circle nor among the play
mates of his boyhood do they tell tales of precocity
shown by young Eldred. His sister, Mrs. Dobson,
to whom the writer is indebted for all his informa
tion regarding those early days, says, " His was a
normal, hearty childhood. Ray was perhaps rather
more quiet than the average boy, yet with his brothers
and the neighbourhood lads he entered into all the
sports of boyhood."

A little low country schoolhouse furnished the
chance for early education. The record of his school
days is not one of brilliancy, but rather of careful
plodding. He did not learn quite so easily as some
of his companions, but that which he did learn was
mastered and rarely forgotten. This part of his
education only took him as far as what is commonly
called the " eighth grade."

The Eldred home was deeply influenced by re
ligious principles. The father and mother were
Christians before the children came into the home
and no day was busy enough for the family altar
to be neglected. Then there was a little Christian
Church in Quincy, in which Joseph Eldred was the
leading spirit. And in the Eldred home the invari
able custom was for all to go to church every Lord's
Day. Thus into their growing minds was instilled
the conviction that the interests of the Kingdom
come first. Every fall a protracted meeting: was

PREPARATION DAYS 11

held, in which the preaching was done by some able
exponent of the Word of God. These yearly meet
ings were always a season of especial happiness to
the father, for he was a studious as well as a devout
Christian and could, on occasion, preach very ac
ceptably. They were even more so when, one after
another, all the children were enrolled as followers
of Jesus Christ. The baptism of Robert Ray
occurred on November eighth, 1885, soon after his
thirteenth birthday.

The little church of the Disciples at Quincy was
never strong and had a struggling existence, but
Joseph Eldred was a man of deep convictions in his
religious life. He wished his children to hear the
Gospel in its primitive simplicity and appeal and to
study the Bible without the prejudices of creeds. So
at great personal sacrifice he kept up this church
through the years.

At about the age of nineteen young Eldred went
away from home to work. One may judge how
deeply his religious training had affected his life by
the testimony of his friends that he had never
smoked, tasted intoxicants, nor uttered an oath.
After some months at other places he went to work on
a farm fifteen miles northwest of Danville, Illinois.

While working there in the summer of 1893, S. H.
Creighton and W. C. Swartz held a meeting for the
Christian Church at Charity, near which was this
farm. Mr. Swartz became very much interested in the
young farmhand, who was so devoted to the Church
and who had so keen a desire for knowledge. Being a
student at Eureka College, and only doing evan
gelistic work during vacations, he talked much of his
College to young Eldred. The latter became so much
interested in the thought of getting an education

12 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

that, before the meeting closed, he decided to go to
Eureka College with Mr. Swartz and study for the
ministry.

Mr. (now Dr.) Swartz had been watching the
young man and had seen his real character. A baby
had died in the neighbourhood and while Ray was
working sixteen hours a day on the farm he sat
up all night with the body and the next day acted as
undertaker. Dr. Swartz says of him, " With all his
massive frame and large hands, I noticed then that
he had a tender heart, which, in my acquaintance
since, he has always shown."

Others did not agree with Dr. Swartz in his esti
mate of young Eldred. Many said to him, " If you
can make a preacher out of him you can out of
anything, for he will never make a preacher." Never
theless, the eyes of Dr. Swartz seemed able to see
into the future. Writing now of his influence in
persuading this young man to become a preacher
of Christ, he says, " I am glad that the little I had
to do with R. Ray Eldred was done, because, had I
not done that, many who love the Christ in Africa
and many in America who mourn the loss of a great
man, would not have known him. Their lives would
not have been touched and brightened by his splendid
life."

It was in September, 1893, that Ray Eldred
entered Eureka College, being nearly twenty-one
years old. He spent two years under such teachers
as President Johann and Professors Radford,
Hieronymus, and Deweese. Those who knew him
in his first weeks in school remember him as some
what shy and retiring, but his frankness, honesty,
and great heart made him many friends among the
student body. He took an active part in athletics,

PREPARATION DAYS 13

becoming centre on the football eleven. As he had
had only a common school education he found that he
had a long task before him, especially as he was
obliged to work his way. But he went at his educa
tion earnestly and Professor Radford writes of him,
" Ray Eldred was in all ways an admirable young
man. I never knew a more manly, unselfish, con
scientious student/'

After two years it became necessary to stay out
of school for a time to earn enough to complete his
education, so he went to South Bend, Indiana, where
two years were spent. Throwing himself heart and
soul into the work of the First Christian Church of
that city, he became acquainted, in Bible School and
Christian Endeavour activities, with a lady destined
to play a large part in his future, Miss Edith Byers.

On a farm near Medaryville, Indiana, Edith
Lillian Byers was born October fifth, 1871. After
completing her common school education she went
to St. Joseph, Michigan, to make her own way in
life. Later she went to South Bend, in her own
state. Aspiring to something higher than mere
manual labour, she worked and studied very dili
gently, though she was only thirteen years of age
when she left home. She attended the South Bend
Commercial College at night, and completed the
courses in Stenography, Banking, and Expert Ac
counting. Success came to her in this field, and
before long she came to be expert accountant for
one of the largest mercantile firms in the city.

Miss Byers became a Christian at the age of
twenty, being baptized by Robert Sellers, now at
Ellwood, Indiana. At once she became active in
the First Christian Church of South Bend, and was
for several years Secretary and Treasurer of the

14 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Bible School. She was an attractive, cultured young
lady, and Ray Eldred found her to be " the one
woman/'

The acquaintance of Ray Eldred and Miss Byers
ripened into love, and when he left, in the Fall of
1897, for the completion of his college course, it
was understood that in due time he should return to
claim his bride.

This time he went to the College of the Bible of
Kentucky University, now Transylvania College, at
Lexington, Kentucky. There he spent five years
and was centre for several years on one of the best
football teams that historic school has ever had,
and came to be. much beloved by his schoolfellows.
But' this young athlete was a real student also, and
during those Lexington years he drank deeply of
the ripe scholarship of President J. W. McGarvey
and Professors Loos, Grubbs, Jefferson, and his
Eureka friend, Professor Deweese. He loved and
honoured all his teachers, but the friendship between
him and Prof. B. C. Deweese came to be very inti
mate and continued as long as Mr. Eldred lived.
Therefore that which Professor Deweese writes of
his pupil and friend is well worth recording here :

" I first met R. Ray Eldred at Eureka College. As
a student there he was always diligent, never failing
to appear thoroughly prepared for his class work.
His professors would all agree that fidelity and
earnestness and something above average ability,
with singleness of aim, were his chief characteristics
as a student. His work was evenly done. He did
not have the marks of a genius, but his professors
and fellow students soon learned that he could be
counted on for successful work in every task he
undertook.

PREPARATION DAYS 15

" In athletics, even, this was fully illustrated. He
never scrapped, but when his time came for his
place in team work he never failed to make good.
If a difficulty arose he stood quietly by until it was
settled and then played the game with all his might
in a manly way. What has now been said justified
expectations that when wise counsel, infinite patience,
untiring zeal, and fidelity to spiritual interests were
essential he would never fail to do the things which
were of most value to the welfare of the work."

Ray Eldred's years at the College of the Bible
were especially delightful, because his younger
brother, W. G., was there with him. They had been
especially close in boyhood and " Ray " and " Gay "
were generally together in any pranks in those days.
Now their fellowship in the study for the ministry
was almost perfect and grew richer with passing
years.

When four years had passed he returned to South
Bend and was married to Miss Byers August fourth,
1901, in the First Christian Church. There had
been no announcement of the wedding, but at the
close of the sermon the minister, Mr. Perry J. Rice,
now of El Paso, Texas, asked the people to be
seated. Then Mr. Eldred and Miss Byers walked
quietly down to the front and were married by Mr.
Rice.

The latter writes of his impressions of them at
that time :

" I am very glad indeed to tell you what I know of
Mr. and Mrs. Eldred, as they were our very dear
friends. Mr. Eldred worked for some time in the
Studebaker factory and Mrs. Eldred was a stenog
rapher, holding various positions. Both of them
were faithful and loyal members of the church, work-

16 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

ing in the Sunday School and in the Christian En
deavour Society. Mrs. Eldred was a member of the
church when I became its pastor, but Mr. Eldred
had left for college. My first acquaintance with him
was when he returned at vacation time for a brief
visit with his friends. Mrs. Eldred was not strong
physically and spent some time after I became
acquainted with her in the Southwest for the benefit
of her health. She was always quiet and retiring,
but was known as a worker to whom any duty that
might be assigned would be faithfully and efficiently
done. Mr. Eldred was regarded as a man of pro
nounced convictions and earnest purpose. He was
strong in body and willing to use his strength to
the utmost of his ability. They were both very highly
regarded by the people of the church, but I think
Mrs. Eldred had an exceptionally fast hold upon the
affections of the people."

That Fall found them both at Kentucky Univer
sity, he completing his ministerial course and Mrs.
Eldred studying music. She had always been fond
of all kinds of fancy sewing, embroidery, and such
things, and in the midst of the busy school life found
time to increase her skill in those accomplishments,
which were destined to be of much help in her life
work.

Mr. Eldred had preached his first sermon in
January of 1896, and during those college days he
preached on Sundays, thus preparing himself in a
very practical way for his future work. Many of
the outlines of those early sermons have been pre
served and give evidence of his thoroughness.

No one seems to know just when or where Ray
Eldred decided to become a missionary. His sister,
Mrs. Dobson, writes, " It was in these college days

PREPARATION DAYS 17

that he faced the problem of the needs on the
frontier of the Kingdom. The spirit of the Puritan
ancestors and the trend of all his training were in
accord on questions of duty. To see a need, to be
able to meet that need, meant to go straight ahead
in its accomplishment. To him opportunity was the
call of God, and the man whom He prepared simply
and naturally for His work answered the call, since
he was ' man and master of his fate.' "

It is certain that he was a very active member of
the College Y.M.C.A., both at Eureka and at
Lexington, and that he was deeply interested in a
Mission Study class taught by Mrs. A. R. Bourne,
then Dean of Women at Kentucky University, and
now holding the same position at Bethany College.

His younger brother, W. G. Eldred, writes : " As
to the mission field — the Student Volunteer Move
ment, of which he was a member, gave his ambitions
definite direction. I heard him say once, in reply
to a question as to how he came to be a missionary,
that he had always wanted to be a missionary since
he was a boy. I think the seed thought was planted
in the home life. It was nurtured and developed
by the church and college."

It may be that this item, which appeared in the
Missionary Intelligencer for May, 1902, had some
thing to do with his decision to go to Africa at
once:

" The Society has been searching for a single man
to go to Africa, to teach the boys trades and to
prepare them in other ways for their life work.
Thus far a suitable man has not volunteered."

At any rate it came to pass that in May of that
year Mr. and Mrs. Eldred were appointed as mis
sionaries of the Foreign Christian Missionary Society

18 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

to Bolenge, Congo Free State, and this item ap
peared in The Intelligencer for July of that year:

" R. R. Eldred and wife, of Lexington, Kentucky,
have been appointed to go to Africa to assist in the
work. Mr. Eldred will have charge of the mechani
cal department. He will teach the boys trades. At
the same time he will preach the Gospel and assist
the work in every way in his power."

As the time drew near for him to graduate in the
class of 1902 Mr. Eldred was ordained to the minis
try by his beloved teacher, President McGarvey.
Then, when Commencement Day was past, a farewell
meeting was held at the South Side (now Maxwell
Street) Christian Church, where they were members.
It was a beautiful Lord's Day in June, and parting
messages were delivered by President McGarvey,
Professor Loos, and the minister of the church, J.
B. Hunley, who was a college friend. Mr. and Mrs.
Eldred sang together the stirring missionary song,
" Speed away/' and the venerable president of the
College lifted up a prayer of consecration. All
present were deeply moved and Mr. Hunley wrote
of these newly chosen missionaries, " They were glad
in the Lord that day and went forth to their work
with a song in their hearts."

Mr. Eldred at this time had the figure of the
typical athlete, standing a trifle over six feet high and
weighing about one hundred and seventy pounds.
His complexion was rather fair, his eyes blue, and
his hair of the colour commonly called sandy.

After parting visits to friends and loved ones,
they sailed from New York August second, 1902.
Besides their household goods, some carpenter tools
and a blacksmithing outfit were included in their
baggage.

THE OPENING UP OF AFRICA

NO picture of Ray Eldred's career in that land
of his choice will be either vivid or complete
without the background of at least a rough
sketch of its opening to civilization and the Gospel.
Up to the year 1870 Africa had attracted little
attention, and the possessions there of European
countries were neither extensive nor apparently
valuable. Despite the attention paid to David Living
stone's travels, which began in 1851, and to those of
other explorers of many nationalities, who had really
added much to the knowledge of the Dark Continent,
the world as a whole had not yet taken Africa
seriously into its field of interest. Later it was to
give tardy honour to the valiant pioneer work of
Livingstone, who from 1851 to 1873 had been break
ing the way through its trackless plains and forests.
For he traced the course of the Zambesi River, ex
plored the regions about Lakes Nyasa and Tan
ganyika, crossed the continent from Zambesi to the
Portuguese settlements south of the Congo, and even
discovered the headwaters of the Congo, though he
died in the belief that he had found the head stream
of the Nile. Clapperton, Denham, and the Lander
brothers in their explorations of the Central Soudan
and the Niger River awakened some interest. Dr.
Earth, because of his scientific studies of the Lake
Chad district, du Chaillu in his marvellous travels

20 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

over the Gaboon River region,, and Burton, Speke,
Grant, and Baker, who traced the Nile River from
its mouth to its source in Lake Albert Nyanza, and
discovered Lake Victoria Nyanza, all helped in call
ing attention to Africa. And to them must be added
many others whose exploits African history has not
forgotten.

But it remained for Cameron, who explored the
region between the Zanzibar coast on the East and
the Portuguese settlements near Benguella on the
West Coast ; for du Brazza, who explored the whole
area between the Gaboon River and the Congo
during the years from 1874 to 1884 ; for Stanley, who
found Livingstone in 1873, and for Livingstone's
lonely death that year, to attract the attention, not
only of Governments, but of the general public, to
this then unknown land. By the time Stanley re
turned from his second voyage in 1877, with the
news of the discovery of the Congo and its mighty
tributaries, the whole world was decidedly interested
in Africa.

As if in response to a trumpet call, books were
written, great meetings were held, scientific societies
were formed, governmental expeditions were sent
out, until the next decade saw not only the larger
part of the Continent explored in a general way, but
by treaty, purchase, conquest, protectorate, " sphere
of influence," intervention, colonization, or other
method, the whole of its vast areas had been parti
tioned among European Governments. And today
the only portion of Africa ruled by the coloured race
is the tiny Republic of Liberia, and even it is not
ruled by natives, but by descendants of negroes who
emigrated from the United States.

The limits of this book confine our attention to the

THE OPENING UP OF AFRICA 21

opening up of that part of Africa to which Mr.
Eldred had been appointed as a missionary.

In 1876, King Leopold II of Belgium presided
over a conference at Brussels of some forty scientists,
diplomats, and publicists from all the leading
countries of Europe, called together to discuss the
question of founding a society for the exploration
of Central Africa, and the suppression of the slave
trade. So enthusiastically did this conference enter
into the question that out of its deliberations there
came into being the " International African Associa
tion," with headquarters at Brussels. On his return
from the discovery of the Congo River, Stanley at
tached himself to this association, especially to that
department of its activities known as the " Com
mittee for the Study and Investigation of the Upper
Congo."

Under the direction of this Committee Sir H. M.
Stanley went to the Congo region, and in the years be
tween 1879 and 1884 explored the Congo River, estab
lished stations along its banks, struck hard blows at
the slave trade, and mapped out for his Association a
huge area of some 900,000 square miles. In 1882,
this association was changed into a corporation, called
the " International Association of the Congo," with
King Leopold as its president, and an energetic at
tempt was made to develop the trade of the Congo
basin. But by this time a number of international
complications had arisen, touching much of Western
Africa, so a " West African Conference " was con
vened in Berlin, holding its first session on Novem
ber fifteenth, 1884. As a result of this Conference
the " Etat Independant du Congo," better known
as the " Congo Free State," was proclaimed as a new
member of the family of the nations, at Banana, at

22 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

the mouth of the Congo River, July nineteenth, 1885,
with King Leopold as its sovereign.

During these stirring years the missionary cause
had not been neglected. Modern Protestant Mis
sions began their work in Africa in 1732, and when
the great awakening of interest in Africa came to the
world, it came also to the Church, especially in Eng
land and Scotland. Missionary Societies came into
being with marvellous rapidity at this call of Africa's
needy children, and there was a real outburst of
missionary zeal for the evangelization of that conti
nent. And that zeal was nowhere more marked
than in the sending of the Gospel to the Congo basin.
The year 1877 witnessed the decision of the Baptist
Missionary Society of Great Britain to enter that
field, and the organization of the Livingstone Inland
Mission, an interdenominational society, likewise of
Great Britain. Before Stanley had reached Eng
land on his return from his discovery of the courses
of the Congo River, missionaries from both these
Societies were on the way, reaching the Lower River
in 1878.

These pioneers suffered almost incredible priva
tions, and their ranks were soon thinned by death.
For, in addition to the tropical climate and the preva
lence of the dreaded African fever, they found that
the Congo has so many cataracts between Matadi and
Stanley Pool that it is not navigable for that section.
This made it necessary that the trip of two hundred
and twenty miles be made on foot around the
cataracts to Stanley Pool, where open navigation
begins. From there on the river is known as the
Upper Congo. This overland trip, made largely over
burning plains, hills, and rocks, occupied at least
two weeks, and to those who were unused to such a

THE OPENING UP OF AFRICA 23

climate, and who had little knowledge as to how to
prevent fever, and very meagre supplies and equip
ment, it was a perilous journey. But they struggled
on, the choice youth of England and Scotland and
Ireland filled up the gaps in the ranks, and soon mis
sion stations began to dot not only the Lower but the
Upper River, and several mission steamers, trans
ported in sections on the heads of native carriers,
began to ply the upper reaches of the river and its
tributaries. In those days of stress and strain and
death the names of Bentley, Craven, Grenfell, Sims,
Comber, Billington, Banks, Peterson, McKittrick,
Hartland, Richards, and a host of others, were
written high on the missionary honour roll.

Some of these were explorers as well, especially
George Grenfell, who was to the Congo country what
Livingstone was to Zambesia and Nyasaland. Be
tween the years 1878 and 1906 he discovered the
Ubangi tributary and explored many of the other
tributaries — the Kasai, Lomami, Lefini, Mongala,
Ruki or Bussira, Lulanga, Aruimi, and Kwango
rivers. His death likewise was similar to that of
Livingstone, for he was taken sick at the lonely
station of Yalemba, far up the Congo, and during
most of his illness was attended only by his two
faithful native servants.

In 1884 the Livingstone Inland Mission turned its
stations and steamers over to the American Baptists,
but re-entered the field again in 1888 under the name
of the Congo Balolo Mission. The next decade saw
the stations of the English and American Baptists
stretched along the main Congo from its mouth to
Stanley Falls; the Swedish Missionary Society, with
a number of stations in the territory drained by the
Lower Congo ; an important Mission of the Southern

24 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Presbyterians (U.S.A.) established by Lapsley on
the higher waters of the Kasai River; the Congo
Balolo Mission occupying the Lulanga-Maringa River
system ; Arnot's Garenganze Mission of the Plymouth
Brethren pluckily striving to evangelize the great
Katanga country; and the Christian and Missionary
Alliance founding their stations at and out from
Boma, the capital of the Congo Free State.

During the years just preceding 1897 tne attention
of the Disciples was directed to the Congo, and in
February of that year their Foreign Christian Mis
sionary Society sent out two splendid young men,
Mr. E. E. Faris and Dr. H. N. Biddle. They were
to look over the situation, and, if thought advisable,
to locate a station. These missionaries found, on
their arrival at Matadi, the chief port of the Free
State, that part of the discomfort and danger of
travel around the cataracts had been eliminated by
the completion of the Congo Railway from Matadi
to Tumba. As this was about half the distance to
Stanley Pool, Messrs. Faris and Biddle had only
half the former caravan journey to make on foot.
The railway was soon after this extended to Stanley
Pool, so no other of the missionaries of the
F.C.M.S. have found it necessary to undergo the
ordeal of the overland journey. The building of this
railway, though at the cost of many lives, has been
a potent factor in the missionary as well as com
mercial development of the Congo country, and re
mains as a monument to the foresight and energy
of the late Colonel Thys.

The story of the search of these two young men
for a strategic location would make a book by itself,
but the limits of space forbid even a sketch here.
After more than a year of journeying, enduring

tTHE OPENING UP OF AFRICA 25

many hardships, Dr. Biddle became seriously ill and
started home, hoping that the sea air would revive his
failing strength. But the hope was in vain, so when
the steamer reached Las Palmas in the Canary
Islands he was taken on shore, where he died October
eighth, 1898. It was never his privilege to do the
work he had hoped to do, but the influence of this
brave kindly physician inspired all who came after
him.

About this time the American Baptists, for various
reasons, found it necessary to give up their station
at Bolenge, on the Upper Congo, near the mouth of
the Bussira (Ruki) River. This station had been
founded four miles farther up river, at Wangata, in
1884, by the Livingstone Inland Mission, and known
by them as " Equator Station," because between
there and Bolenge the Congo crosses the Equator.
The station was transferred to Bolenge in 1889 by
the American Baptists. Mr. Paris, having visited the
station and looked over its field in the Bussira region,
recommended to his Society that Bolenge be ob
tained. The Disciples took over the station from the
Baptists early in 1899, an<^ m April Dr. and Mrs.
Royal J. Dye joined Mr. Paris at Bolenge.

These three workers began the work in an energetic
way. First of all the language had to be learned, but
that difficulty did not deter them. Their first efforts
at preaching were feeble ones, but they struggled
on, soon gaining a good working knowledge of the
language.

Dr. Dye began his medical work, which filled a
dire need, not alone because of the disease and
sufferings of the natives, but because the witch
doctor dominated the whole life of the people.
Deceit and charms made up the larger part of his

26 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

treatment. After a time, by means of the medical
work, the influence of the most powerful witch-doctor
was broken, and his personal sympathy won.

The day school was given much attention, and
from among those who learned to read in those
early days have come some of the leading preachers
of these later days.

Mrs. Dye gathered the women together, and taught
them, not only of Jesus and His salvation, but of the
things which go to make up woman's place in the
world's life.

In October, 1900, Mr. Paris left on furlough, and
Dr. and Mrs. Dye, with their little daughter Polly,
were alone on the station until the coming of Mr. and
Mrs. F. T. Lea, in May 1901, followed by Dr. and
Mrs. E. A. Layton, in August. As Mr. and Mrs.
Lea had been four years in Angola, their health
compelled them to leave in September. Then Dr.
and Mrs. Dye started for America in February, 1902.

This brings us to the time of our story.

Ill

ARRIVAL AT BOLENGE

MR. AND MRS. ELDRED made the journey
to the Congo in company with Mr. and Mrs.
E. E. Paris. As already noted, Mr. Paris
was one of the two pioneer missionaries of the
Foreign Christian Missionary Society, and was now
returning from his furlough, taking with him his
young bride. After buying their supplies in England,
the party of four took passage on a Belgian steamer.
A journey of three weeks down the West African
Coast, and one hundred and twenty-five miles up the
Congo River, brought them to Matadi, already noted
as the chief port of the Congo Free State. Leaving
the ocean steamer, they took, at Matadi, a train for
Leopoldville, on Stanley Pool. This is the narrow
gauge railway mentioned in the previous chapter. It
is a triumph in engineering, but it is far from a suc
cess in comfort, though there has been much im
provement since those days. But missionaries expect
some discomforts, so the two days on this dusty, hot,
jolting train, were cheerfully endured.

When they reached Leopoldville, they found a
Government steamer just ready to start up river, so
embarked at once, leaving nearly all their baggage
behind. This was rather inconvenient for the ladies,
but they managed somehow. Then the table was not
quite as neat or the fare as palatable as that to which
they were accustomed, but they managed that also.
Yet they were more than glad when the eight days'

28 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

journey was over, and on October second, just two
months to a day from the time they left New York,
they reached Bolenge. It is needless to say that
they were heartily welcomed by Dr. and Mrs. Layton
and their little daughter Lita, for they had been alone
on the station for eight months.

They found that Bolenge was a really beautiful
mission station. Laid out on a level space at the
top of a high bank overlooking the river, planted
with fruit and shade trees, ornamented with flowers
and foliage plants and divided into plots, velvety
with green grass, by palm and acacia lined paths, it
stood out in marked contrast to the monotony of the
Congo forest.

They found two dwelling houses, a frame church
building, serving also as a schoolhouse, and a gal
vanized iron store building, as well as some tem
porary structures for various purposes. The station
and its buildings were largely the result of the labours
of Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Banks, first of the Livingstone
Inland Mission, and later of the American Baptists.
Mr. Banks had been located at Wangata and at
Bolenge from 1887 to 1899, where his labours had
been unbounded, and no description of Bolenge could
be complete without paying tribute to him. He fell
asleep in Jesus in 1900, but his toils and prayers and
preaching were soon to see their fruition.

Mr. and Mrs. Eldred found themselves in the midst
of a people calling themselves the Bankundo. At
Bolenge, contact with white people had wrought
some changes in even the most uncivilized. But the
first villages away from the river were little touched
by such influence, and these new missionaries soon
began to see the problems by which they were con
fronted, and which they were to help solve.

ARRIVAL AT BOLENGE 29

The Bankundo people are one of the almost
numberless tribes which go to make up the Bantu
race, which inhabits nearly all of Central Africa,
south of the Soudan.

To understand the problems of their evangeliza
tion, it must be remembered first of all that most
of the Congo Free State is contained in a low basin,
which has been thought by scientists like Grenfell,
to have been, in prehistoric times, an inland sea.
Today it is covered by one huge, dense forest, with
a denser jungle of undergrowth, a large portion of
this forest growing in marshy ground. In the high
water season, all these marshy parts become swamps,
while many of them are swamps during the entire
year. The villages are just the high, dry places
which have been cleared in that forest, and one must
always keep in mind that they are not cities, but
tiny hamlets, whose inhabitants number ordinarily
from two hundred to a thousand people. Imagine,
then, this kind of village scattered everywhere
through that sort of a forest, tied together by narrow
footpaths, that twist and wind through swamp and
jungle, and you have the physical problem. So
isolated are the villagers who dwell in these forest
hamlets that most of them have never seen the hori
zon. All they know is that God's blue sky comes
down and meets the tops of the trees, and beyond
that their vision has never gone. Well may they be
called the "Children of the Forest."

The houses of these villages are built of poles and
bamboo, thatched with plaited palm leaves. Usually
there are no windows and only a low door, about
three feet high, with old Mother Earth for a floor.
In such dwellings all housekeeping is naturally primi
tive.

30 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

And the people themselves — the following pages
tell much of them. Suffice at the beginning to say
that they were half-naked savages, among whom
polygamy and slavery were universal, their minds
fettered by superstition and its ensuing fear. Among
them war was the normal state of affairs, and canni
balism not uncommon. The spiritual problem was
very obvious.

They had no written language when the mission
aries first came among them, but, as indicated in the
previous chapter, by the time Mr. and Mrs. Eldred
arrived, a good deal had been done toward reducing
the language to writing, collecting a vocabulary, and
compiling a Grammar. Dr. and Mrs. Dye and Mr.
Paris had gone at this with enthusiasm from the
first, and their good example was followed by Dr.
and Mrs. Lay ton.

As one would expect, the first work of these new
missionaries was to learn that language, which the
people called " Lonkundo." So, as soon as they
were settled they gave much time to language study,
under the direction of Mr. Faris and Dr. Layton.

THE GREAT AWAKENING

MR. AND MRS. ELDRED reached Bolenge
at a fortunate time, for they arrived in the
midst of a spiritual awakening. This had
come to pass in quite an unusual way.

To the years of patient seed-sowing by the
American Baptists had been added the earnest
preaching of Mr. Paris and Dr. Dye, and the win
some ministry of Mrs. Dye among the women. And
while, at the time the station was taken over, there
was no native church, three at least of those won by
Mr. Banks had kept their faith strong and clear.
These three Christians were a source of help and
encouragement in the dark days of the beginning,
and especially during the time that Dr. and Mrs.
Layton were alone.

Two of these were Ikoko and his wife, Bokama.
Ikoko had been trained as a carpenter, but was also
an excellent preacher. Unfortunately by this time
he had contracted the " Sleeping Sickness/' but in
spite of the ravages of that disease, he wrought
much for the furtherance of the Gospel. Bokama
was the first woman in Bolenge to clothe herself
decently. Ikoko and his wife built the first house
in the village with walls high enough for a doorway
through which one might enter while standing erect.
The dutiful husband of one wife and she a virtuous
woman, Ikoko's spirit-filled life made a deep impres
sion on Bolenge and the district round about. So

32 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

eloquent did he become in his latter days that in
after years the Christians were wont to compare
him with Apollos. His fearless death and Bokama's
self-control in the time of sorrow told on the multi
tudes who remembered how wicked Ikoko once had
been, with a violent temper, and a user of vile lan
guage ; and of how by the power of this Jesus teach
ing he had become gentle and good.

After Ikoko's death Dr. and Mrs. Lay ton felt that
they were indeed alone, but they taught lovingly the
Good News in the clinic, in the school, and in all
their busy life. To this day the people of Bolenge
remember gratefully the loving deeds of this con
secrated couple.

But light was dawning from afar even in that
dark land. And the human instrument of that
dawning was a cripple named Josefa. His life story
is brief and full of dark days. He was born of the
Lokele tribe, far up the River, near to Stanley Falls,
and while yet a boy was sold as a slave to the distant
Bankundo. There he was seen by Mr. Banks, who
redeemed him from slavery, and told him the story
of the Redeemer who sets all free. The missionary
thought the young man's experiences were not unlike
those of Joseph, so gave him that name, changed
slightly to fit the Lonkundo tongue.

Shortly after his conversion Josefa was terribly
afflicted. In an article contributed to the Missionary
Review of the World, in 1905, from which most of
this information is taken, Dr. Layton describes his
condition : " A terrible disease (not described in the
books) attacked flesh and bone. Violently con
tracting muscles broke the diseased bones and the
body was covered with boils and ulcers. He suffered
excruciating pain. Bent and broken, his body is

THE GREAT AWAKENING 33

beyond repair, and he remains as uncomely as a
leper." But affliction only seemed to make his faith
in Jesus brighter and stronger, and despite his dis
ability he learned to read and write from the school
boys with whom he lived. Not only that, but he
supported himself, often holding his tools between
his toes.

The first mention of Josefa appears to have been
in a letter written by Dr. Layton under date of April
twentieth, 1902. Some months before writing that
letter he had discovered that every night a wonderful
prayer-meeting was being held in front of Josefa's
house. Each night a camp-fire would be built and
one by one the people would gather about it. At
first only a few boys would come, but gradually men
and women, old and young, came to attend, until
usually about seventy or eighty would be present.
These meetings were very informal. One would tell
what the missionary had said on Sunday; another
would quote a passage of Scripture; still another
would start a song, in which all joined heartily;
prayers were crude, but many and earnest; then at
the close of the meeting would come the climax —
Josefa's teaching. He was far from eloquent, for
he had never really learned the Lonkundo language,
and his affliction had affected his tongue, so that he
spoke any language only in mumblings. But the
people had learned to understand him, and the spirit
of his life spoke louder than his poor words. The
meeting grew in power and in numbers until it be
came necessary to transfer it to the church, which
was packed every night for months. Soon, other
villages felt the influence of the Spirit of God and
sent delegations to Bolenge, one of them consisting
of over a hundred people.

34 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Among those who became deeply interested in the
Gospel about this time was a young man named Iso.
He had attended the school conducted by Mr. Paris
and Dr. and Mrs. Dye, and really knew quite a good
deal of the teachings of Christ. He had, at this time,
but one wife, named Bolumbu. But he was of the
family of the chiefs and thought he would have to
have a number of wives. So one morning he told
Bolumbu that he was going that day to arrange for
the purchase of several other wives. To his surprise
she commenced to remonstrate, for she, too, had
been listening to the Gospel. The young man was
so enraged that a woman should talk thus to her
husband that he beat Bolumbu brutally with a hippo-
hide whip. Mrs. Layton saw the woman's condition,
as she passed their house, and commenced to cry.
Calling Bolumbu in, Mrs. Layton bathed the bruised
and bleeding back and poured into her soul the balm
of womanly consolation. Iso was struck by the
tears and sympathy of Mrs. Layton and, after a des
perate struggle, came late that very night to ask the
way of salvation. He was literally " won by love."

The meetings in the church increased almost daily
in interest. Each morning Dr. Layton spoke to them
and each night the prayer meeting was held, at
which Josefa and the missionary both usually taught
the crowds which gathered.

One day in his message Dr. Layton spoke of the
obligation of letting others know of the Good News.
To his surprise he found that a group of interested
ones, led by Iso, disappeared that afternoon and
were gone for several days preaching in distant vil
lages! At first he wondered what kind of a Gospel
they had preached, but learned later that he had no
need for anxiety.

THE GREAT AWAKENING 35

Soon quite a few of those attending the meetings
began to ask, " What shall we do to be saved ? " Dr.
Layton gave the Scriptural answer, and it was not
long before they began to see " fruits meet for re
pentance." In July Josefa sent him a list of twenty
people who wished to be baptized. As Messrs. Paris
and Eldred were expected soon, Dr. Layton thought
best to await their arrival.

So it came about that Mr. and Mrs. Eldred were
present when the first converts were baptized in
November and December of 1902, and when the
Church of Christ at Bolenge was organized, March
fifth of the following year, with twenty-four native
members.

Mr. Paris and Dr. Layton were splendid preachers
in the Lonkundo language, and, while Mr. Eldred
was only commencing the study of the language, all
three of them met often for counsel in those early
days of the Bolenge church. They rightly felt that
they were " master builders " — the Greek word
means literally " architects " — and they desired above
all else to be wise in laying foundations. They real
ized that mistakes made in those beginning days
might mar the life and ideals of the church through
long years to come. And those who have followed
them in the work have reason to be grateful to those
three men for the hours which they spent in prayer
ful council and the ideals which they held up before
the infant church. As some of the native Christians
had started to preach before they were baptized, it
was not difficult to show them the New Testament
ideal of every Christian being able to tell the Good
News. Nor was giving difficult to teach them, for
in their zeal they just wanted to give. So tithing
was taught as an excellent way of giving, not only

36 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

of material things, but of evangelists to take the
Gospel to those who have never heard. The church
responded willingly to these teachings, and the
Christians not only shared their joy with friends and
neighbours, but decided to support a tenth of their
number as evangelists. So three of those first
twenty-four were sent out as the first evangelists.
The missionaries had been studying the question
of polygamy, but the Christians settled it quietly
themselves. They saw that its spirit was opposed to
Christianity.

Later Mr. and Mrs. Paris retired from the work
and Dr. and Mrs. Layton were transferred to China.
But whenever the church at home remembers the
victory at Bolenge, it should not fail to give grateful
appreciation to these wise " architects " of those
early days. Nor will any adequate history of that
awakening ever be complete without a large place for
Josefa. He went home to Glory, February eighth,
1907, but his labours abide.

The return of Dr. and Mrs. Dye the next year from
their furlough gave a great impetus to the spiritual
forces awakened in this real revival.

M
EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR

WHILE these stirring events had been going
on, Mr. Eldred had been busy in other ways.
Much time was spent in the study of the
language, but his energies were largely devoted to
the Industrial work. His first letters deal largely
with that feature.

Soon after his arrival he wrote home:

" My first work was to build a fence around the
garden, which contains about two acres. The next
was to build a temporary hospital forty-five feet by
twenty. This is now nearly done. It is built much
like the native houses. I have a sheep house, thirty
by eighteen feet, well under way. The frame is up
and the roof partly on. Doubtless both will be
finished before this letter reaches you. In odd mo
ments I made a wheelbarrow for the mission."

He writes also of taking every precaution against
fever and of spending a large part of each day in the
study of the language, under the guidance of Mr.
Faris and Dr. Layton.

In December of 1902, Mr. Eldred made his first
canoe voyage, a combination of evangelistic journey
and hunting trip. This voyage was made in com
pany with Dr. Layton and it extended down the
Congo to the mouth of the Ubangi, its northern
tributary, and a short distance up that river to a
little village called Mpoka.

38 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

On this trip the young missionary experienced
many of the features of Congo travel which were to
bulk so large in his life in future days — equatorial
storms, mosquitoes, tsetse flies, rough beds, swamps,
and dangerous wild beasts. Once a herd of buffalo
charged the hunters, who only escaped by climbing
a huge ant hill.

Needless to say the Gospel was preached earnestly
to the scanty population of that region.

The first annual report of Mr. and Mrs. Eldred,
written in June, 1903, gives a glimpse into the many
busy details of their life :

" It is not yet nine months since we came to Congo.
Though for nearly four months Mrs. Eldred was
frequently down with light fevers, her health has
much improved, she having no fevers at all of late.
My health has been exceptionally good. I have
had but one light fever. Much time has been spent
in the language, with the result that I now have
a fair working knowledge of it.

" Having the building department for my special
work it has been necessary for me to make several
trips with the men into the forest jungles, and they
were jungles of the first class. Often it is necessary
for the men to actually cut a way through the densest
kind of thicket before they can reach a desired point,
or tree. This is not the exception, but the general
rule. I have given attention to the different kinds
of wood obtainable, and those suitable for building
purposes in this land of white ants, borers, and other
insects. In this matter of suitability I have judged
not only from the effect of these insects upon different
kinds of wood used here formerly, but have sought
and received considerable information from mission
aries of other societies, both up and down the river.

EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR 39

When we came here last October we found many
buildings badly in need of repair. During this time
a fence was built around the yard in front of Mr.
Faris' house and around the two-acre garden; the
new sheep house was completed; the sleepers and
roofing material brought and part of the work done
on the little house in which Mrs. Eldred and I are
living. On February twenty-fourth I took full
charge of the workmen. Since then our little house
(which is to be our cook house and storeroom when
our house is built) has been completed; Dr. Lay-
ton's house thoroughly repaired and a large work
men's house almost completed. Besides, we are now
getting material for the new Cotner University Hos
pital. Dr. Layton's house was not a small job. The
entire roof, a good bit of flooring, many of the sills
and forty-eight of the fifty-six pillars under the
house, had to be replaced by new. The pillars, to be
proof against the white ants, have to be of a certain
kind of wood; it is very hard, being about two
specific gravity. These pillars are five feet long and
about fifteen inches in diameter and were cut two
and a half miles from here, being carried fully a half
mile to the river, ten men to one pillar, and brought
here in a canoe two at a time. Before they could be
carried to the river a road had to be cut through the
jungle the entire half mile. Owing to the difficulty
of getting lumber made here, we have decided to
build the hospital of brick. At the State Posts all
the buildings are of brick, and on many of the mission
stations brick is taking the place of boards.

" I have at present seventeen men and sixteen boys.
Of the above mentioned workmen, four can now use
a saw, plane, and other tools quite a little. I feel that
there is a great work to be done in teaching the

40 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

native to use his own hands to better his own condi
tion.

" Besides my work here on the station, which oc
cupies all of my time during the week, I have gone
with Dr. Lay ton on Sundays to visit several of the
native towns. Though Dr. Layton did the preach
ing it offered me an excellent opportunity to study
both the language and the people."

Because there were only two dwellings on the
station at that time, it had been necessary for Mr. and
Mrs. Eldred to live with one of the other families,
so it was quite a satisfaction when a part of their
own home was completed, and they moved into it
in July of 1903. The next year another room was
added to it.

A letter written in January of 1904, after Dr.
Layton had gone home, tells how he usually spent
a day at Bolenge :

" I am up and dressed at five A.M., at which time
I blow the horn (a native horn made from an ele
phant's tusk) for work. All the men and boys come
to the store and tool house, where we begin the day
with devotions. Then they are given their tasks.
After this I go to the house, have the medicines
brought out (those which Dr. Layton gave me to
use) and hold the daily clinic. Occasionally natives
are given medicine at other times in the day, but it
is not the rule. After this we have our breakfast,
usually about eight o'clock. After breakfast I work
until noon at some physical labour, or training those
in the Industrial department. At noon the horn is
blown again and if there is any work completed it
is brought up and I receive it. The noon time is
from twelve to two o'clock. At two o'clock work is
resumed and sometimes I work all afternoon, but not

EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR 41

every day. I could not stand it all the time. Mrs.
Eldred and I have our season of private worship
just after dinner, after which we rest until two
o'clock. Afternoons, when I am not at physical
labour, I am busy on the language, reading, writing
letters, or something of the kind. The call to quit
work is at five-thirty P.M. The evenings here are
very short, or, I should say, the twilight is short.
Frequently we have songs in the evenings, and go to
bed early, as is necessary for health in Congo."

In March of that year Mr. Eldred wrote of spend
ing much of the time for some weeks in the forest
with his men, getting out lumber. This was done
with a pit-saw, as there are no saw-mills in that re
mote part of Africa. It is quite a simple process,
though much skill is required to produce good
boards. The proper kind and size of tree having been
chosen, it is cut down, a pit about six feet deep is
dug, and a section of the trunk is laid across this pit.
A saw about six feet long, with handles at each end,
furnishes the cutting power, while the motive power
is furnished by two strong men, one above on the log,
the other in the pit below, alternately pushing and
pulling on the saw. This is a crude method, but
fairly good lumber can be produced by skilful
sawyers in this " human saw-mill." Sometimes,
instead of digging a pit, the log is raised by means
of a block and tackle, and held up above the ground
by a sort of platform. But the sawing is done in
just the same manner. This latter method came to
be the favourite one of Mr. Eldred. While only two
men could work a saw at one time, such labour is so
tiring that four men are necessary to a saw crew.
Mr. Eldred had to take raw savages from their forest
villages and teach them this kind of skilled work.

42 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Yet he tells us that in a year one such crew got out
twenty-three hundred feet of lumber.

His resourcefulness was often put to the test.
Once he needed a rake and the nearest store was
seven hundred miles away, with quite a probability
that such a thing would not be in stock. So he took
an old hoe, broken beyond repair, with some odd
pieces of steel, and at the forge and anvil made
them into a creditable rake. A cant-hook was badly
needed for turning logs, so that had also to be made.
Whenever tools were broken he repaired them.

Another thing already mentioned in his letters,
which Mr. Eldred felt very necessary to do and to
teach the natives, was the making of brick. So he
writes of building a shed large enough to dry three
thousand bricks at a time. Then a large number of
wooden moulds were made by the men and boys to
whom he was teaching carpentry, for all the bricks
would have to be moulded by hand. At first the boys
under his supervision mixed the clay with hands and
feet, but he was not satisfied with the results. So
he made a sort of pug-mill in which to grind the clay
and mix it with water. This mill was a decided
success; four boys could run it and do more and
better work than twice as many boys could without
it. This work was done by the schoolboys, who
besides the time spent in studying were able to turn
out about two thousand bricks per week.

The medical work also, as has been indicated, had
fallen to his lot, for after the departure of Dr. Lay-
ton they were for four months without a medical
missionary. This was quite a different sort of work
from the others, for which his mechanical instinct
and training had prepared him. But we have here
an illustration of his many-sidedness, though his

EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR 43

own account of his medical work was a very modest
one:

" Since Dr. Layton went home I have been doing
the medical work. I have an average of about fifteen
patients a day. Of course, I do not pretend, even
to the natives, that I am doing what a doctor could
do, yet I have cured many ulcers and sores, stopped
several cases of dysentery, relieved quite a number
of cases of pleurisy, pneumonia, and sore eyes."

In February of 1904 Dr. and Mrs. Dye returned
from their furlough and the two families were to
gether until the end of Mr. and Mrs. Eldred's first
term of service.

Dr. Dye resumed his medical work energetically.
Part of his furlough had been spent in special study
at the London School of Tropical Medicine, and now
much of his attention was given to combating the
dreaded " Sleeping Sickness," the scourge of Central
Africa. He and Mr. Eldred directed the evangelis
tic work, and gave much time to the oversight of the
growing native church.

Mrs. Dye took charge of the day school and the
work among the women, and soon a fine interest was
manifested in both these departments.

The two families wrought in efficient enthusiasm,
and the work went forward by leaps and bounds.

Two events occurred in the summer of 1904 which
brought joy to the hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Eldred.
The first was the birth, on June twenty-second, of
a baby boy, who was given his father's name, Robert
Ray, but to whom the natives gave the name of
" Mpela." This afforded an illustration of a curious
native custom. Soon after their arrival the natives
had given to Mr. Eldred, on account of his prodigious
strength, the name of " Lokofe," and to Mrs. Eldred

44 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

that of " Bolingo," but now they were no more to be
called by those names, but by names of honour, on
account of their son. Henceforth he was to be known
as "Is'a Mpela" (Father of Mpela), and she
"Myang'a Mpela" (Mother of Mpela).

The other event was the decision in July of the
Christian churches in St. Joseph County, Indiana, to
support Mr. Eldred as their Living Link. This was
especially gratifying, as the leading church in that
county was the First Church in South Bend, where
they had both spent so many happy years of service,
and within whose walls they had been wedded. Also
it was a joy, because the leader in this movement
was Mr. P. J. Rice, who had united them in mar
riage. Mr. Rice writes, " It was easy to make Mr.
Eldred our Living Link for the churches of St.
Joseph County, though the sum required was more
than three times as much as the combined offerings
of these churches, and it was easy, moreover, to
continue raising this amount, for the people knew
and loved our Living Link missionaries."

By this time Mr. Eldred was getting a good grasp
of the language and preaching regularly. He did all
the preaching and took charge of all the station work
for a month while the others were absent.

Then in May of 1904 he wrote a description of his
first real evangelistic trip, for it was in many ways
his first taste of a service to which so much of the
later years were to be devoted. He had made one
trip something like it, but at that time he did not
know the language. So this letter is very significant :

" I must tell you of a journey we made through
the back country. Not having been off the station
since October, 1902, we thought it good for Mrs.
Eldred to have a little rest and change. So, on April

EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR 45

fifth, we started for the American Baptist Station at
Ikoko, on Lake Mantumba. We went by the steamer
of another mission. After staying for ten days I
left Ikoko and came back to Bolenge overland. The
first day was spent in going up a creek which empties
into Lake Mantumba. It was through a region where
the people do not speak our language. That night
my men and I reached our own people. I preached
to a good crowd. The next morning, after sending
the canoe back to Ikoko, I spoke in two parts of the
town. Before leaving the chief begged me to come
and live with him and his people and teach them the
words of God. He offered to build me a good house
and furnish me with food if I would only stay. I
was three days more in reaching Bolenge. Ten hours
of the time were spent in wading swamps where the
water is from a few inches to four feet deep. On
this journey I passed through fifteen towns in which
our language is spoken. One of the men who went
with me is an evangelist. He and I spoke two or
three times in each place. In another town the chief
begged me to come and live with him and his people,
that we might teach them the ' words of God/ In
still another town, after I had preached a good while
and had eaten supper, a crowd of boys came to me
and asked me to tell them more about the teachings
of Jesus. About this time there was a native dance
started up not a hundred feet away and some one
called the boys to come and join the sport. A few
of them went, but there were eighteen who would
not go ; they stayed and heard me. I talked to them
a long time. When the noise of the dance got too
loud they sat closer together and nearer to me. They
asked me questions and begged me to come and teach
them more. Brethren of the home land, could you

46 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

but see the need of these people, could you but hear
their cry for that which you have within your power
to give, could you but know the transformation the
Gospel has wrought, is working, and will work in
the hearts and lives of these people, I am sure the
treasury of the Lord would not lack."

Among his other interests Mr. Eldred took charge
of a group of orphan boys. These friendless little
fellows made a strong appeal to his big heart, and
he spent much time with them. Two of them, Bom-
pimbo and Baleno, were under his care for a number
of years, and Bompimbo became quite an efficient
evangelist.

From the first Mrs. Eldred helped in the school
and in the work among the women, and gathered
about her a group of orphan girls. These she not
only cared for, but taught them sewing, fancy needle
work, and housekeeping, as well as personal clean
liness, modesty, the care of children, and all the other
graces and virtues of womanliness, striving through
all her teaching to lead them to the Saviour. All this
she did in addition to her own household duties,
which are many in such a land, and which she wisely
felt should come first.

It has come to be an axiom among Congo
missionaries that one of the best ways to make the
Gospel real to a primitive people is to build up a
Christian home in their midst. The dwelling and
every object in it are full of lessons, and the family
and its ways of life are even more so, especially if
there be a baby, like little Mpela in the Eldred home.
Mrs. Eldred was obliged almost daily to take down
her hair to show to an admiring group how it nearly
reached the floor. And the baby — the people came
from distant villages to see him.

EARLY YEARS ON THE EQUATOR 47

In more ways than one dreams at first, the home
comes to be a source of comfort and help to the
missionary. Under Mrs. Eldred's magic touch their
dwelling at Bolenge, simple though it was, came to
be just as if a little bit of clean, wholesome United
States had been lifted out of its place and put there
in the midst of the filth and wretchedness of heathen
ism. Even when they lived in the tiny house men
tioned by Mr. Eldred in his early letters, its two
rooms were kept bright and cheerful, and when the
departure of Mr. and Mrs. Paris gave them a bunga
low which was large and fine for Congo, she had a
better chance for making a real home. Few more
delightful missionary dwellings were to be found
on the Congo than theirs. Feeling as she did about
the importance of this part of her missionary career
it is not strange that in later years, when asked to
describe her own work, she wrote simply, " My work
has been the keeping of my home to be an example
to the people who know not the meaning of the word
* Home/ and the care and training of orphan girls/'
One of those girls was in after years matron of the
Girls' School.

During these busy days both Mr. and Mrs. Eldred
were in quite good health though Mrs. Eldred had
several fevers and he one or two.

In one of his letters written during this period, Mr.
Eldred speaks of superintending the re-roofing of
several of the Mission buildings with " ndele." This
is a sort of thatch made in the form of plaited mats
from the leaves of the palm called in Lonkundo,
" ndele." Speaking of this, he writes :

" This would not have been so difficult a piece of
work if we could have ordered the material delivered
to us ready for use, but instead my men had to go

48 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

seven miles to a swamp across the river, where it
grows, and wade about in the swamp waist deep in
water while gathering material, coming back at night
of the second day. The material thus gathered has
to be made into mats. These mats are tied on the
roof with ties made from rattan gathered from the
jungle. A man can gather and make an average
of ten mats a day. The above-mentioned work re
quired about two thousand mats."

These " ndele " mats are tied on like huge shingles
and such a roof, well put on, will last from three to
five years.

In his annual report written in June, 1904, Mr.
Eldred mentions a man who had been under his
tutelage during the year. This man, Is'ekae, knew
nothing whatever of tools when he came, but at
the end of his first year in the carpentry department,
was able even to mark out work, and make simple
furniture with some degree of accuracy. The men
tion of Is'ekae in this report should be noted, not
only because his progress is a good example of what
a native of that region may become under efficient
instruction, but because Is'ekae was to have an out
standing part in the future of the Congo Mission.
Some brief sketch of that part will be found later
in this work. Suffice here to say that Mr. Eldred not
only taught him carpentry, but won him for the
carpenter's Son.

TOILS AND SUCCESSES

AN English Missionary, Mr. Kendred Smith,
visited Bolenge in 1905 and wrote his im
pressions to the Foreign Society. So many
references does he make to the subject of our sketch
that some portions of his letter are here given :

" Two months ago I arrived in England from the
Congo, after a term of service at the Baptist Mis
sionary Society Station at Popoto, on the Upper
River, and spent a day at your mission station at
Bolenge on my way home. It has occurred to me
that you might welcome an account of my impres
sions of the Sunday spent with your missionaries on
the equator.

" Bolenge Station, built on a good high bank, looks
very picturesque as one stands on the deck of the
Mission steamer, the ' Goodwill.' The grassy
lawns, the beds of flowers, the houses and other
station buildings peeping out amongst the palms and
other indigenous trees, not only make an attractive
picture, but also show that this is one of those too
rare spots in Congoland where God's servants are
trying to help the degraded natives and lead them
sympathetically to God.

" To the right of the steamer beach huge boulders
of conglomerate rock strew the strand, but happily
there is a sufficient clear space for the steamer to
anchor between these masses of rocks. A spring,
welling up out of the beach and covered with a

50 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

brick well house with a palm-thatched roof (built by
Mr. Eldred), supplies the station with an abundant
supply of pure and clear water, so different to the
wide coffee-coloured stream flowing constantly by and
known to the world at large as the Congo River.

" At the top of the bank the ground is level and
here one finds a well laid out station. A palm avenue
skirts the Mission grounds, making a beautiful and
pleasant walk, more especially as the stems of nearly
all the palms make a perfect fernery of green.

" The school chapel, recently log-rolled by Mr.
Eldred from its former site, now occupies a central
position and can be easily approached from all sides.
The orphans' house is being erected by Mr. Eldred
toward the east of the station at a little distance
from Dr. Dye's house, while the sheepfold and the
carpenter's shop are found in convenient positions,
the former toward the east and the latter toward the
west of the station.

" A grove of sweet orange trees adds a fresh beauty
to a fine station, while a well cultivated vegetable
garden supplies the missionaries with the green food
so conductive to health on the Congo.

" Mr. R. Ray Eldred is a man with a big heart, over
flowing with sympathy, who, amongst his manifold
building operations and general work, finds time to
share in the spiritual work of the station and share
in it with all the force of his tender and compas
sionate nature.

" The ringing of the station bell on Sunday morn
ing told me that the day's duties had commenced.
The people gathered, women to the left, men to the
right of the speaker, while some married couples
occupied the benches in front of the platform. What
a congregation ! Men and women from the village

TOILS AND SUCCESSES 51

in native costume, with hair braided and dressed in
the peculiar fashion of the African natives, others
dressed neatly and decently in garments made under
the supervision of the lady missionaries, but all
alike, seemingly anxious to worship quietly and
reverently the God they had learned to honour,
from the teaching of your missionaries. The Dox-
ology was sung (of course in their own language)
all standing. Prayer followed, these erstwhile
savages closing their eyes and bowing their heads
reverently before the All-Father. A portion of
Luke's Gospel was read by Mr. Eldred and then
followed a discourse punctuated by murmurs of
assent by the whole congregation, who seemed intel
ligently to follow the address.

" Mr. Eldred had prepared a design on the black
board to illustrate some of the points in the teaching,
thus endeavouring to reach his audience by two
avenues, the eye and the ear. After a hymn and
prayer the general congregation was dismissed and
the Communion Service held. The church numbers
nearly a hundred members. On the Sunday I was
present twenty-three were absent, some evangelizing
in the interior, some absent through sickness or
domestic reasons. The evangelists are sent out in
pairs to the different posts and are entirely supported
by the contributions of the native church. Collec
tions are taken after each communion service and
from three hundred to one thousand brass rods
(the native currency) are collected each Lord's
Day."

It is interesting to note that even in his college
preaching Mr. Eldred had found drawings useful
in bringing home the truth, and some of these were
found among his sermon outlines of those days.

52 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Chemical illustrations of his sermons are remem
bered in hundreds of African villages, and not only
taught truth in vivid fashion, but helped a great
deal in breaking the power of superstition and of
the witch doctor.

As indicated in Mr. Smith's graphic picture, Mr.
Eldred was now giving more and more of his time
to distinctively religious work, and this also is
brought out in the introduction to his third annual
report, written in July, 1905 :

" ' Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,
saith Jehovah of hosts/ Surely it has not been
any superior knowledge or skill on our part, but
only the Spirit of the Father above which has been
working in and above all, that has enabled us to see
such rich fruitage of the Gospel here in Bolenge
during the last year. And we greatly rejoice that
we have been counted worthy to partake in this most
glorious of all work.

" Since the middle of July last I have had four of
the church services each alternate week with Dr.
Dye and find in this as in other forms of mission
work great joy in being able to show the love of
Christ to those among whom we live."

Yet this tireless man of industry had found time
to accomplish much in the industrial part of the
work. Several mission buildings were repaired; his
own dwelling partly rebuilt and painted on the
inside ; a small native house erected in the woods, to
serve as an isolation hospital for victims of the
Sleeping Sickness; a fence built around the station
garden and another around the entire station; the
sawyers under his charge got out eighty-five hundred
feet of lumber; a carpenter shop, twenty-eight by
forty-two feet, was also built. It is not surprising

TOILS AND SUCCESSES 53

that he says, " The work in this department is more
promising than at any time since I have known it."

But perhaps the most notable achievements of that
year were the moving of two buildings. One of these
was the small dwelling, which had been their tem
porary home. This was moved from the back to the
front of the station, and placed solidly on brick pil
lars, high enough from the ground to be cool and
free from pests. Then a veranda was built about
it, shelves put up, and it was transformed into the
" Cotner Memorial Dispensary." (It is small and
insufficient, but to this day it is the only attempt at a
medical building at Bolenge.)

The moving and fitting up of the new dispensary
gave Dr. Dye better opportunities for his medical
ministry, which was rapidly enlarging. Many came
to be treated, and remained to listen to the teachings
of Jesus.

The other building was the church, which was
moved from the front of the station back nearer to
the native village. This was a larger structure and
required more skill in transportation. This moving
of buildings, for which he had to make rope and
capstan, occasioned many expressions of wonder on
the part of the natives and was a surprise to many
white people as well.

A letter written about this time to his Living-Link
churches closed in this fashion :

" During the past year forty-one have been added
to the church, and the present native membership
is eighty-eight. The number of those who attend
the meetings held for inquirers is large and they seem
to be seeking the teachings of the Master in earnest.
There are many questions that we have to deal with
here that are unknown there and we are constantly

54. A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

seeking wisdom from on High. You must pray that
we may be guided in all the decisions of these things
unto the glory of the Saviour who died to save these
people. There is a vast difference between the life
of the native Christians and those who care not for
the teachings we bring. The Christian who formerly
gave way to all of the heathen passions now not only
refuses to do these things, but gives of his scanty
supply to feed the poor, the sick, and to care for the
dying. For example, the native church here is now
caring for a boy who has no home and is sick with
the fatal Sleeping Sickness. On the other hand, this
came to our notice not long since. Some men in one
of the near native towns were having a dance to
which the women were forbidden, and wrhile the
dance was going on a poor sick woman, who knew
not of the dance, came along the path, thus coming
upon the men. Thereupon she was set upon by the
men and very cruelly beaten ; after which she was
sent by her husband to a town some twenty miles
inland to collect a debt. Not daring to refuse she
went as best she could to the place, collected the debt,
but was too sick to get away again. Now it is a
custom among the natives that if a slave or other
person belonging to another dies in your house you
will have to pay for that slave or person. Thus to
avoid having to pay for this poor slave wife, the
one to whom she had been sent cruelly drove the sick
woman out of her house and out of the town. Thus
with no place to sleep except in the jungle and with
no protection from the wild animals she tried to go
home. Being, however, too weak to do so, she crawled
as far as Bolenge and here some of our Christian
women saw her and brought her to the station, but
it was too late. She died in about a half hour. We

TOILS AND SUCCESSES 55

sent word to her owner and also to the one who had
driven her out to die to come and bury her, but no
one came as no one cared for a poor dead slave wife,
so she was buried by our station boys. This is an
example of the charity of the heathen and their love
for their slaves. Often a sick person among the
heathen is left to die of starvation because no one
will take him food, drink, or fire.

" O, Brethren, could you but see the eager faces
that we see as we unfold to them the message of
love, could you but witness with your own eyes the
transformed lives of those here who have chosen
' that better part/ I am sure you would be stirred
deeply and would resolve to let no opportunity pass
whereby you may help them in their great need. And
in helping them you are yourselves built up and
strengthened in every good word and work."

Soon after this Mr. and Mrs. Eldred heard of the
writer's appointment as one of their colleagues and
wrote him a delightful letter of welcome, under date
of August fifteenth, 1905. This letter closed with the
following words :

" It is a pleasure to know that you are from old
Kentucky University, also to know that the mis
sionary spirit is in the air there far more than when
I was there.

" We are sure you will find the work here pleasant,
once you get into it, and the language a growing de
light, as your time lengthens in the Congo.

'' The joy of telling those who have never heard
before of the love of God and Christ, except as they
have heard it from the native teachers, is very great.
This you will see as we now daily see. Hungry,
thirsty, weak, and ignorant souls come to you and
your fellow workers for teaching and guidance ; this

56 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

you will enjoy. It will help you to face the few
privations here. And again we most heartily wel
come you to this field of God's ripe harvest/'

The fellowship thus begun, before Ray Eldred and
the writer had even looked into one another's faces,
continued unbroken to the end.

On August twenty-second the second Eldred son
was born, to whom was given the name of Philip
Ward.

Three weeks later, as the first term of three years
was now completed and they were worn out from
the effects of the climate, Mr. and Mrs. Eldred left
on furlough.

VII
THE FIRST FURLOUGH

REALIZING that to go directly to the home
land would mean that they would land in
bitter cold weather, and feeling the need of a
knowledge of the French language, to make more
pleasant the relations of the missionaries with the
Belgian Colonial officials, Mr. and Mrs. Eldred
decided to spend the winter in the south of France.
Some pleasant months were spent in Marseilles.
Strength was renewed and a substantial basis laid
for speaking and writing French.

While there he wrote the following review of the
Bolenge work:

" In this we shall attempt to view the field of
labour to see where advances have been made, also
where the weak points are, that they may be
strengthened, if possible. Now at the close, better
than at any time during our three years in Bolenge,
Africa, we are able to see the changes that have
taken place. Also, we would add that due credit
must be given to the years of patient seed sowing,
prior to the period of which we write.

" The medical work has increased, not only in the
number of patients and the greater demands upon
Dr. Dye, but also, and what is better, in the confi
dence which the natives generally have in the value
of the medical missionary and his medicines.

" There has also been considerable material im
provement on the station from time to time, such as

58 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

new buildings and the repairing old ones. Where
formerly the native worked for us simply for the
pay he would get, now he is eager to learn how to
work and often wants to be paid not in money, but
in tools, such as saws, axes, hammers, planes, and
chisels. One factor of missions here in Africa must
ever be the industrial work.

" The church is in a most healthy condition. Where
formerly there was no native church, now there is
a most active, wide-awake, missionary church of
over a hundred members. The hideous, and often
indecent dance, where all attended, and in which all
joined freely, has given place, in many cases, to quiet
family firesides, from which rise daily songs of
praise. Where formerly the way was blocked by that
most formidable of all obstacles, native indifference,
now the doors are wide open, and, not only so, but
heart-rending appeals, which should not go unheeded,
come to us from every side : ' White man, you are
giving this good news to others, why will you not go
with us to our village and teach us also? Why can
you not send us teachers? Why do you leave us
to die? Cifobwa! Cifobwa! We shall surely die.
We shall surely die ! ' is still ringing in my ears.

" The weak point in the work on the Congo is in
the fact that there are not enough workers to do the
work. In this time when men desire to see the fruit
of their labours and rich returns on capital invested,
why not invest in stock on which the Lord has
placed His highest approval? In this time when much
is being attempted preparatory to the Centennial
Convention in 1909, why should we not attempt
greater things and carry the Gospel far beyond
Bolenge, as preparatory to the great Judgment Day
of the Eternal God? Every day of delay will be an

THE FIRST FURLOUGH 59

opportunity lost. While you in the homeland are
enjoying the blessings of Christianity, thousands will
die without a knowledge of the Love of God. Will
you be one to go ? Will you help to send others ? "

In a message to his Living-Link churches, written
also from France, he has this to say of the en
thusiasm of the converts:

" This church, most of the members of which are
poor, is ten times a Living-Link church. They keep
ten of their own number in the mission field ; some
of them go a distance of seventy-five miles into the
interior where the glad tidings have never been told.
They are usually sent out for a period of ten weeks,
then they come home to give their reports to the
church, to take a short rest, and, also, to receive
further instruction from the missionaries. Often
when these evangelists come home some of the
natives from the towns where they have been teach
ing come with them ; some come to see if it is really
true that people are giving up their old ways of
living for the new way that is taught by the white
man, while others come for further instruction, and
many of them do not go home until they know just
what the teaching is and have been buried with their
Lord in baptism. Then how glad they are to return
to their own towns to teach their friends and to tell
the good news ! From many of the interior towns
they are calling for teachers. This is true not only
in our region, but throughout all the Congo State
where there are any missionaries to give out the
Light many are giving up the old native life, with
all its degradation, for that of the Christian. It is
a great joy to us to be permitted to have a share in
the work in such a needy part of the Master's vine
yard."

60 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

The furlough was largely spent in journeys among
the churches, showing with picture and story the vic
tory of the Gospel among the Forest Children. In
October of 1906 Mr. Eldred spoke at the National
Convention of the Disciples at Buffalo, being heartily
applauded when he set the goal before the Congo
church of having a thousand members by the Cen
tennial Convention in 1909, and stirring all hearts
when he told them that when God called him home
he would rather be buried beneath the palms of
Africa than anywhere else. How little it was
realized then that these word's were almost a
prophecy !

His report for that year covered but three months,
and closed with these words :

" The last week at Bolenge was largely occupied
in preparations for the home journey, during which
time £uch expressions as these were constantly in
our ears : ' White man, do not forget us ; ' ' Will you
really come back ? ' ' Do not stay too long.' ' Tell
those Christians in your country that we need more
of God's teachers.' ' Be sure to bring other teachers
with you when you come back to us.'

" It was with heavy hearts that we left Dr. and
Mrs. Dye alone on the station and started for the
homeland. Our prayer was then for more workers
and the God of all, in whom we trust, and to whom
we made this request, has answered our prayers even
more fully than we thought. We are very happy to
welcome the new workers to Bolenge and to a life
of service spiced with trials and privations, yet
seasoned with an abundant supply of happiness and
joy that others do not and cannot know.

:* The outlook for the future is most promising
and we eagerly await the time for our return to

THE FIRST FURLOUGH 61

our chosen work and to those we have come to
love."

They bought during furlough a little home in South
Bend, moving there that fall. It was necessary to
mortgage the property, yet they felt that in some
sense it was a haven of refuge. In their struggle
to buy a home out of their savings they did not
forget the work to which their hearts were bound,
but gave one hundred and fifty dollars on the Annuity
Plan to help the work on the Congo.

Meantime dark days had come upon the Congo
Mission. Three months after Dr. and Mrs. Dye
were left alone at Bolenge, Mrs. Dye became seri
ously ill, and for months her life was despaired of.
In that time of sorrow the native church showed its
loyalty in no uncertain way, and grew in numbers
and spiritual power.

While confined to her room Mrs. Dye had an un
usual opportunity for language study, and, while
helping some of the new workers in their study, made
many grammar notes. Later, while she was on
furlough, these formed the basis for a Grammar of
the Lonkundo Language.

Mrs. Dye's illness brought about a crisis in the
Mission, so Mr. Eldred volunteered to return before
the end of his furlough. Therefore, on December
eighteenth, the day after the birth of their third
son, Joseph Paul, in the South Bend home, the hus
band and father left his dear ones and started on his
second journey to the Congo.

VIII
IN HARNESS AGAIN

ON this journey Mr. Eldred was accompanied
by two new workers, Misses Ella Campbell
Ewing and Alice Josephine Ferrin, and as
Dr. W. Charles Widdowson and the writer had
joined the Mission in his absence, his heart was
cheered, despite sorrowing longings for wife and
babies, with the hope for larger and better days at
Bolenge. The party arrived at Bolenge February 9,
1907, making the trip in the shortest time known up
to that time — fifty-seven and a half days from New
York. The writer met Mr. Eldred that day and
was glad to know him face to face. As Miss Ferrin
became Mrs. Hensey on May fifteenth, it may be
imagined that he was likewise glad to welcome the
other members of the party!

What a welcome the native Christians gave Mr.
Eldred ! The beach was packed with singing, shout
ing, happy people, glad to welcome back their teacher
to their hearts and his work.

He was soon in the harness again, preaching in
the church and the surrounding villages, going to
the forest with his workmen, building, teaching, ever
busy and cheerful. His knowledge of French helped
to make even more pleasant the relations of the mis
sionaries with the Belgian officials. His first letter
home shows some of his tireless activity :

" In the seventeen months that I have been absent
the membership has grown from one hundred to two

IN HARNESS AGAIN 63

hundred and twenty. There seems to be an awaken
ing to the teachings of the Gospel at all the outposts
where we have evangelists. Many are interested
enough to come to Bolenge, several days' journey, to
hear more of the new teaching. I have now a class
of seventy, who come to me daily for instruction in
the Gospel. We are hoping that many of them may
become Christians soon.

" A few days after my arrival I started on an
evangelistic trip across and down the. Congo to the
two out-stations we have in that section. I was
gone a week; three days were spent in travelling.
We arrived at Mpombo on Thursday afternoon. We
held services twice that day and the next morning.
There are several Christians and some inquirers at
that place. The evangelist, Bojilinganda, teaches
school in addition to his work as a preacher. His
wife works among the women. Before leaving we
invited all the Christians to come down to Bonkombo,
where we were to spend Sunday. Bomkombo is the
oldest of the two out-stations in this section and much
larger than Mpombo. There are twelve Christians
at this point besides the evangelist and his wife
and the school teacher. Nearly all the Christians at
Mpombo came down and we had a communion serv
ice with twenty-five Christians present. The little
church was full all the time and some could not
get in. The church building and the home of the
teacher were erected by the people with the aid of
the evangelist On Tuesday morning we started for
Bolenge, stopping for a service at Mpombo on the
way. I preached to audiences of from one to five
hundred people all the way, but I think that among
the best meetings I ever held was the one we had
that night at Mpombo out of doors in the bright

64 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

moonlight. We met out of doors because there was
no building in the village large enough to hold the
people who came."

But sorrow broke in upon the happy circle and,
after a short illness, Miss Ewing fell asleep in Jesus
May seventeenth, leaving the service she had loved
so well.

Her death was a deep sorrow to all the Bolenge
staff, for this sweet young girl had made herself
very much beloved during the few weeks given to
her to serve there. Her death caused much grief,
also, among the native Christians, for she had al
ready won the hearts of the women and girls, among
whom especially she was to labour.

Miss Ewing was born in Jacksonville, Illinois,
February thirteenth, 1883, and was brought up in a
real Christian home, where the Word of God was
studied and missionary periodicals read. She taught
when quite a young girl in a coloured industrial
school in her home city, and became interested in
Africa. She was educated at Eureka College, where
Mr. Eldred had begun his education, graduating in the
class of 1905. When the opportunity came for her
to go to the Congo she was radiantly glad. Of a
happy disposition, very practical in her training, and
enthusiastic in her hopes and plans, her loss was
a serious one.

Yet shall one think that her coming was in vain?
Was her life

"Like the snow falling into the river,
A moment white, then melts forever ? "

No! A thousand times No! Those few weeks of
life with her heart white-hot with love will count
through all eternity!

IN HARNESS AGAIN 65

Mr. Eldred had from the first the Bussira River
system upon his heart and in 1903, when he was left
for the first time in charge of the church, en
couraged them to send evangelists to that district.
In an early letter he writes of this field :

" The activity of the church in the way of mis
sions is very encouraging. It should put to shame
many of the churches at home. Our field is very
great. The native evangelists, ten in number, are
working nobly, but if we do not soon have others
here to share in the directing of the work we cannot
hope for the increase to the church that we otherwise
should have.

" However hard these native evangelists work and
however loyal and true they are, they are not with
out their trials and temptations. For example, the
last time they went out six of them went up the
Bussira River. Two were left about fifty miles
from here to visit the places where the evangelists
had been before, while four went on up the river to
carry the Gospel to those who had not yet heard
it. These four stopped about forty miles up the
river. They had not been there long before they had
nearly all their things stolen. These consisted of
trade goods and salt, with which we had provided
them, and with which they were to buy their food
during the time of their stay. Instead of getting
mad and getting themselves into disgrace, they be
haved themselves in such a way that part of the
stolen goods were returned to them. Another thing
worthy of mention is that when the two who were
left alone down the river heard of the misfortune of
the others, they immediately started and travel
ling night and day went up the river to divide
their substance with those who had suffered loss.

66 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

This is a thing that no heathen native would have
done.

" This Bussira River is not the only opening we
have for the Gospel, but it is the largest field. I
heard the Commissaire of the District say that he
had been up this river system for ninety hours on a
steamer, and on all the river and its branches, some
of which are navigable, there is not a single Protes
tant mission station. Also, word comes to us con
tinually to the effect that the people do not want the
teaching of the Catholics. They ask us to send
them teachers. Is it true that no one can be found
willing to go for the Gospel's sake where the base
and shameless agents of greed have long committed
their godless deeds? This cannot be, and we are
daily praying that such persons may be found."

The Gospel was planted in the Bussira districts
by the evangelists sent up there by Mr. Eldred in
1903, who found many receptive villages on the
banks of the Ruki and Momboyo Rivers. In June
of 1906, while Mr. Eldred was on furlough, Mr.
Creighton and the writer made a canoe trip in that
region, going as far as Mbala, on the Momboyo. In
April of 1907, soon after Mr. Eldred's return, a
site was chosen at Longa, just below the junction of
the Great Bussira and Momboyo Rivers. Some
young men from Longa were baptized at Bolenge in
February, 1906, and the first converts were baptized
at Longa in April, 1907.

In June of that year Mr. Eldred made his first
trip up the Bussira as far as Longa, describing his
journey in a short letter to The Congo Christian:

" On receiving word at Bolenge that the white
Catholic priest was on the ground frightening the
Christians, and especially the chief and leaders of

IN HARNESS AGAIN 67

the village of Longa, eighty miles up the Bussira
River, because they had openly asked us to locate
there and also because they of their own free will
had come to Coquilhatville, the capital of the district
of the Equator and publicly stated to the Com-
missaire their desire to have us locate there, it was
decided that a visit be made to Longa and if neces
sary take the matter to the State authorities.

" Early Monday morning the few good-byes were
said, for there are but few of us, and the writer
started up the river, arriving at Longa at noon
Wednesday. All of the Christians were very glad to
see us and especially the evangelist, Iso Timothee.
We found that the priest had been there some time
and had threatened the chief and others with chains
and imprisonment by the State if they allowed the
Protestants to locate there. However, the night be
fore we arrived he heard we were coming and sud
denly took his departure. This was very significant to
the people and the non-Christians accused him of
running away from the English white man. He re
plied not, but went. We held services that evening
and the next morning, both services being attended by
large and attentive crowds. Thursday forenoon we
started inland and visited six villages, returning late
Friday afternoon. That evening we held a good
service and followed this with a communion service
with the twenty-eight Christians at Longa. At mid
night we started for Bolenge, where we arrived about
five Saturday afternoon.

" Aside from the preaching done, this trip did
much to quiet the unrest of the people and to
strengthen the Christians. Our opportunities in
this field are limited only by our faith and the effort
we exert to overcome opposition."

68 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

While in the Bussira he made up his mind that
his life should be given to that field. So, while he
stayed at Bolenge more than a year longer, his heart
was ever at Longa. His workmen were chosen and
trained with a view to the opening of that new
station.

In July Mrs. Dye's health made it necessary for
Dr. and Mrs. Dye to leave on furlough. While at
home they told far and wide the story of the victory
the Lord had wrought at Bolenge, and of the needs
of the field. From Coast to Coast the churches
were stirred to larger support, and brighter days
dawned for the African Mission.

Mr. Eldred brought back with him a printing
press, of which the writer took charge. As there
was no building suitable for a printing house, it was
set up in one room of Mr. Eldred's house. In July
and August the first Lonkundo Hymn Book was
compiled and printed, Mr. Eldred taking a large
part and deep interest in the work. He translated
several hymns for this book, which became very
popular in the church. One of these was a transla
tion of the beautiful song, " Summer Land," and
is given here that the reader may see a sample of the
Lonkundo language, in which Ray Eldred preached
for so many years :

I. O ndekana es'ene ya nkafwana 1'ibwa

Ko ndekan'ibomi el'iso nk'ae,
Ko ndekana la nkange ko la mpisaji
El'es'em'oloci na!

Chorus

Ese emo'ea'tuka na,
Ese emo nk'o9o nye,
Ese em'ea fole fole,
O ese em'oloci na !

IN HARNESS AGAIN 69

2. O ndekana es'ene e'olemo njonona,

Ko ndekan'atute tofene nye,
Ko a tosija tuku tuku mamuka,
El'es'em'oloci na!

3. O ndekana es'ene y'obe nsasoka

Ko ndekan'ekoji endik'eum,
Ko ndekana bielo biotokwela,
El'es'em'oloci na!

4. O ndekana es'ene ya njasi njajila,

Ko ndekan'enyoko bia Satana ;
Ko atosija 1'eefe la nkange O 1'ibwa,
El'es'enk'oloci na!

How he loved to lead the great congregations in
singing the hymns that showed that into their hearts
had come the joy of the redeemed !

How he loved to preach the Gospel in that rhythmic,
limpid, Lonkundo tongue ! How his face would shine
and his voice vibrate with passion as he spoke to the
newly won Christians of their obligations to those
who had never heard of Jesus ! This was a theme
on which he spoke often and always with power.
No wonder then that he had a large part in bringing
to pass the passionate fervour with which the Congo
Christians are carrying the Gospel to all the dark
places of their own land.

" IN JOURNEYINGS OFT "

AS there were three men on the station in 1907
and 1908 — Dr. Widdowson and the writer,
besides Mr. Eldred, it was possible to do more
itinerating than had been possible before. It was
becoming increasingly necessary, in order that the
Gospel should be taken to the interior villages, and
those up the river, for confirming the faith of the
scattered disciples, and the oversight of the native
evangelists. All three of the missionaries had a
part in this work, but it appealed especially to Mr.
Eldred's pioneer spirit, and he had longed to have
the opportunity for such service. So it is not sur
prising that many of his letters describe such itinera
tions.

One of his longest journeys is described by him
in the following pages :

" I have just returned from an evangelistic journey
through the country lying south and east of Bolenge
and back from the river.

" My caravan consisted of twelve men and large
boys and. one of our leading evangelists, Lonkoko.
Seven of the twelve carriers were Christians. Each
had, besides his very few personal effects, a portion
of my necessary outfit; one, my folding camp bed,
another my blankets and clothing, one boy the cook
ing utensils, others, salt to buy food for myself and
men; others, food supplies, trade goods, and such
necessary equipment.

"IN JOURNEYINGS OFT" 71

" We left Bolenge in good spirits on the morning
of March twenty-first and were gone just thirty
days. I noted the directions and also estimated the
distances of the villages from each other in order
to verify and correct our map of this inland country.
We travelled, as nearly as I could estimate, three
hundred and sixty-five miles; eighty miles of this
distance was swamp. The Congo government having
ordered the native villages to work the paths through
some of these " swamps " made one-half or more
of this eighty miles a trifle more passable, though
the native method of working these swamps is to
fell trees as nearly in a line as possible and then to
piece out the spaces with poles. These tree and
pole roads vary from big trees to poles the size of
one's wrist, and from six feet above to a foot under
water. In fact some of the poles are floating on the
water. Except for my boyhood's adventurous spirit
and the skill then attained in walking the top of a
crooked rail fence, I should have fared worse than I
did. However, between the villages farther back there
were very few of these improved highways, so the
rest of the eighty miles we had to pass by wading
in water and mud from ankle to more than waist
deep. I estimated the widest single swamp we
crossed to be two and one half, or three miles wide.

" Now, I fancy some one is ready to ask what good
can come from all this discomfort and fatigue. To
all who object I have no word of reply. I only hear
the sweet yet commanding voice of the Redeemer
saying, ' Go ye into all the world and preach the
Gospel to every creature/

" I visited eighty-one villages, fifteen of which
had never seen a missionary before. I held one
hundred and twenty- four preaching services, besides

72 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

many smaller services held by different ones of my
Christian men, nights, mornings, and whenever they
found an opportunity to tell the good news to a few
people. Hundreds were given medicine for various
diseases and wounds and ulcers were treated, while
many were turned away because we had neither the
medicine nor the ability to relieve them.

" The need of these people for the Gospel is great
indeed — greater than I can tell you. Their sin and
vice are beyond your comprehension. Women,
children and the aged, when sick, suffer unspeak
able, unwriteable things because of ignorance, super
stition, cruelty, and neglect. The delicate plants of
love and altruism are scarcely visible in the dense
jungle of selfishness, lust, and retaliation. In Efosolo,
one of the Injolo villages, I found a woman pinned
to a log. The log was as big as a man's head and
ten feet long. The top end was the natural fork of
the tree. The branches of this fork were cut long
enough so as to go on each side of the neck and
allow a heavy pin to be driven through these and yet
pass behind the neck. The pin was driven so close
to the neck as to allow very little movement of the
head. This huge instrument of punishment was put
on the woman, she being compelled to remain in a
sitting posture all the time. It was so heavy that
she could not possibly get up nor down. How long
she had been in this place I do not know; of the
uncleanliness of the place I cannot speak. The man
gave as the reason for putting this yoke on his
wife that she did not want to live with him and that
if he took it off she would flee to the forest ; that he
had bought her and wanted to get something in
return for his money. The woman would have
died there if left to his cruelty and neglect, so, al-

« IN JOURNEYINGS OFT ' 73

though I had no authority as a State officer, I
ordered him to take the tree from her neck. At first
he refused, but when I threatened to send a letter
to the State Post regarding the way he had done,
he began to remove the yoke. He began by getting
a great club and trying to drive out the pin that
passed back of the neck, striking terrific blows, no
thought being given to whether it hurt the woman
or not. Being unable to drive the pin out, so securely
had he driven it in, I ordered him to cut it out.
This he did not want to do, as it would render the
yoke useless after I had gone. This was just what
I wanted and it was finally done.

" In these back villages one thing that drew our
attention was the great number of children up to
six or seven years old who had as yet no addition to
nature's wardrobe. Another thing was the extremely
early motherhood. In one place, for example, a
girl of fourteen or fifteen was the mother of a child
a year old. One of the Injolo villages got into a
quarrel about a woman with one of the Bempaka
villages. The point at stake was very small indeed,
but the quarrel became so great that the Bempaka
villagers seized the woman and took her to a swamp
on their way home, and there killed her and left
the body in the water. I heard of the matter. In
fact, the other side came to me for redress and I
sent them to the State. I had heard of so many
things that I gave the matter little serious thought
till I was going through this swamp a few days later
and was horrified at the stench caused by this poor
victim's body.

" Two weeks later and some seventy-five miles
from this place, I heard of a man being killed and
eaten by the people of another town. On investiga-

74* A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

tion I was satisfied that it was all too true. In
fact, when I visited this village I stopped to rest in
one of the houses where several men were sitting. I
spoke of the matter and although they all professed
no knowledge of it, their actions belied their words ;
so I finally accused them of having done it or having
personal knowledge of it and of having eaten some
of the man's body, and asked them to show me the
place where they committed the crime. At this those
I accused fled to the jungle and I found from others
that I had accused the very men who did the killing.

" In addition to the vice and barbarism of these
people, the progress of the Gospel is rendered still
more difficult by the Catholics who add their charms
to those already used by the natives. In one village
we were unable to hold a service on account of a
wine-drinking going on all the time we were there.
The women of the village had nearly all gone to their
gardens or elsewhere for the time, so as to escape
the curses and abuses of the men. I noticed several
of the Catholics drinking along with the rest and
asked them about it, and they frankly said they were
not forbidden to drink and do several other things
that we could not tolerate. Wherever the Catholics
were, there we saw the dress of Mary. This is a
piece of very coarse cloth about one and one-half
inches wide and two inches long with a cross worked
on it with common thread. This is sold to the
natives, who buy it as a piece cut from the real dress
of Mary and therefore of great spiritual value. It
is worn about the neck the same as they wear their
beads.

" One must not dismiss this subject without look
ing at the bright side of it, for in spite of all the op
position of the Catholics and all the degradation of

" IN JOURNEYINGS OFT " 75

the people themselves, there is hope for the work in
this back region."

He then writes at length of the fidelity of the con
verts, of the churches they were building, and of the
progress toward civilization. Continuing, he says:

" The nearest village that I counted in the eighty-
one that I visited is three hours' walk from here, and
I estimate that the farthest one is not less than one
hundred and twenty-five miles distant. In the most
distant set of villages which I visited (the Ilanga
villages) there is an excellent opportunity for an
out-station, where a strong native evangelist will be
placed and a school opened. There are fifty villages
that could be evangelized from this as a basis. By
going from this point three days' journey one comes
to the Momboyo River, which is the southern branch
of the Bussira River system, which empties into the
Congo just a few miles above Bolenge. Thus by
going up the Bussira to Longa, where we hope to
get land from the State for a station, and working
up the Momboyo from there, all of the country in
this direction can be reached in a systematic way
with the Gospel. This will take time and strength
and men will be needed from home to help do it,
but these should not be lacking. This is not a
paradise nor is it the most deadly climate on earth.
I went three hundred and sixty-five miles without
a day's sickness, and I know not the good that
was done. The seed was sown as far as possible,
the native Christians of this back country were
strengthened and the outlook for the future is very
bright. Brethren, we must be up and doing while
we have the ears and good will of these people, while
in part of the villages their minds have not been
poisoned by the nefarious teaching of the Catholics.

76 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

God is opening doors of opportunity to us now that
may be closed to us later if we neglect them now.
It is ours to march in sunrise and rain, ours to sleep
in most uninviting places, ours to preach to crowds
the very stench of whose filthy bodies is repulsive,
ours to do our utmost in relieving their sicknesses,
ours to sow with a most liberal hand the seed of the
simply story of Christ and His love for us. We
can leave the results with Him who sleepeth not
night nor day, assured that His word will not return
to Him without having accomplished at least some
good."

Mr. Eldred felt that the best way to enlist interest
in the evangelization of Congoland was to let people
see vividly the difficulties in the way of that ac
complishment. He once wrote, "If you could but
know the many, many difficulties that it is neces
sary — not expedient merely — but absolutely neces
sary to overcome, in order to plant the good seed
of the Kingdom in this Upper Congo region, you
might be more interested."

His annual report for that year noted that in the
four months since his return to the field he had spent
some seven weeks in itineration. Over seven hun
dred miles had been travelled, three hundred of them
in canoe, while ninety-four villages had been visited.

Ray Eldred had always found keen pleasure in
hunting and, in the summer of 1907, being on an
evangelistic trip at Bonkombo, across the river from
Bolenge, he decided to have a buffalo hunt and
obtained some meat for the paddlers. Taking his
rifle he stalked a herd of wild buffalo and shot and
wounded a young bull. The animal tried to find out
from whence the hurt had come, but did not see Mr.
Eldred, as he had used smokeless powder and was

« IN JOURNEYINGS OFT " 77

hidden. So the buffalo dashed away into the forest,
with Mr. Eldred in close pursuit, tracking the
wounded animal by the blood. As the chase went on
in the jungle the infuriated animal turned suddenly
on his pursuer, and, charging from behind the roots
of a fallen tree, came upon him so suddenly that
there was no time to shoot, so he leaped aside. But
his feet became entangled in the thick underbrush
and he fell, his rifle beneath him, and could not get
up before the buffalo, having rushed past him, re
turned to charge. So the best he could do was to try
to aim his gun out from beneath him and quickly pull
the trigger, only to find he had forgotten to throw
off the safety catch. He was lying on his back in
the brush with his feet toward the animal and in such
a position that he seemed unable to get his rifle ready
to shoot. But he had taken off his shoes and was
walking in his stocking feet to avoid noise in stalk
ing, so, as the buffalo rushed at him with lowered
head, he just put his feet over its eyes, when it
stopped. This was possible because the buffalo's
horns turn back and it is next to impossible for him
to gore one lying on the ground. Several times the
maddened animal returned to the charge, once suc
ceeding in tearing the toe of Mr. Eldred's stocking
with his horn, but was stopped each time by the feet
over the eyes. Mystified by this, the buffalo wheeled
and rushed away into the forest, where he was found
dead some days later.

In November of 1907 Mr. Eldred made his first
trip up the Momboyo River. He only got as far
as the Belgian post at Mbala, but the village of
Lotumbe, about twelve miles above, was chosen as a
strategic centre, and the splendid evangelist
Is'olumbu located there.

CONGO FOODS

SOME time during this term the following article
on the subject at the head of this chapter was
written :

" The food of the people on the Upper Congo
differs so radically from that generally used in the
temperate climates that it will be necessary to de
scribe some used in this tropical clime. Beginning
with breadstuffs, they have no wheat nor oats and,
in fact, do not know these cereals. Rice is grown
in the region of the far Upper Congo, but it is not
cultivated nearer than about five hundred miles from
here. We sometimes get small quantities of this
rice for ourselves and for use in the hospitals, but
the natives do not have it. They have an inferior
grade of Indian corn and in going on a journey
through the country one may see small patches of it
growing at almost any time of the year, though this
is by no means their staff of life. A food much more
grown and used is the plantain. This is a large
plant very closely resembling the banana, though
larger and taller, and differs from the banana in
that the fruit is not good when eaten raw. The
green fruit is boiled and then pounded, but if the
ripe fruit is desired it is simply roasted. Ripe plan
tains fried make an excellent dish and are much used
by the white people in this way. The chief article,
however, of their starchy foods, is the root of the
manioc or cassava plant. Contrary to what one

CONGO FOODS 79

would suppose, the natives do not prefer the sweet
manioc, but rather the bitter or poisonous species
of the plant, the roots of which if eaten raw or if
taken from the ground and cooked without first
having been soaked in water would poison the eater.
This poisonous element is removed from the roots
by soaking in water not less than four days, after
which it is perfectly harmless and makes the chief
item of their diet, being made into a sort of sour
dough bread. It is a West Indian plant and is sup
posed to have been introduced into Africa by
Portuguese or other early traders. Our tapioca is
made from this root.

" Vegetables. — As to vegetables they have nothing
in addition to the cassava plant mentioned above, ex
cept such as would come under the head of greens.
For these they use the leaves of the cassava plant
while they are yet small and tender, and they make a
very good dish indeed. There are several other plants,
mostly wild, the leaves of which are used by the
natives for greens. These are made more palatable,
according to the native idea, by being seasoned with
large quantities of red and green peppers. These
hot peppers grow both wild and under cultivation
and are used in large quantities by the natives in
many of their foods.

"Fruits. — The natives originally had no cultivated
fruits, though there are a few wild fruits to be found
in the forests here and there. Under this head,
however, would be classed the palm nut. The
cassava plant, the palm nut and the oil obtained
therefrom make up the larger part of their diet.
Other foods are cooked in the juice or oil of the
palm nut. These nuts are also eaten roasted and
boiled, or, sometimes, in cases of great hunger when

80 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

fire is not obtainable, eaten raw. The oil is gotten
from the palm nut in different ways according to
the custom of the locality. Usually, the nuts are
boiled for a time, then the oil is pressed out by
squeezing in the hands, though sometimes a very
rude sort of press is used. Again, after boiling,
the nuts are placed on a steep incline and a fire built
underneath to keep the materials hot, so the oil will
run into a trough at the bottom and thence into a
dish of some kind. I have also seen this method
used : The nuts, after being boiled, are put into a
small canoe, or, if no canoe small enough is to be
had, a trough made for that purpose; then this
canoe or trough is filled about two-thirds full of
water, after which the women makers of oil (the
men never make palm oil) get into the trough and
tramp the nuts over and over again with their feet,
till the oil floats to the top, after which they care
fully wipe off all the oil that may adhere to their
feet and legs and put it in with the rest ! Then they
skim off this oil, boil and strain it, and put it aside
in pots to settle and cool.

" Meats. — To some people the part that meat con
tributes to the diet of the native of Central Africa
is surprising, because of the sources from which this
article is obtained, while to others it is strange be
cause of the limited amount of it. But let me make
the statement in the beginning that with the raw
native of the Upper Congo nothing in the line of
flesh or that bearing any likeness to it is allowed
to escape the palate of the hungry possessors thereof.
All the wild meats of the tropics are devoid of fat,
with few exceptions. Chief among these excep
tions is the hippopotamus and some kinds of mon
keys. As stated above the natives eat everything

CONGO FOODS 81

that has a resemblance to meat. It is seldom, how
ever, that they kill the larger game, such as the
hippopotamus, the elephant, or the buffalo. And
the white man who shoots these larger animals for
his native workmen is considered to have very good
qualifications. There are several kinds of antelope,
and perhaps this animal is killed in larger numbers
than any other. The method of hunting the antelope
is as follows : Whenever a certain village goes on
this hunt, first the field is chosen and then every
family of the village desiring to share in the results
of the hunt produces a net. This net is much like
the gill net. It is about six feet high and varies in
length from fifty feet to two hundred feet. The
mesh of these nets is usually about three inches.
These nets are joined end to end and stretched
through the forest along an almost invisible path;
visible only by a twig or vine being cut here and
there to allow the net to be stretched. This long
net is sometimes extended for three-fourths of a
mile. Then after the nets have been stretched, with
a native in ambush for every section, the villagers
surround a large section of the country and drive the
game, if there chance to be any, toward the nets.
This driving is carried on much the same as it is
done on fox hunts in Illinois. As the line of drivers
closes in the men stationed behind the nets are alert,
especially if the game has been sighted, ready to
spear the animal that may become entangled in the
net. In case the pursued animal is a wild boar or a
leopard it usually breaks the net and gets away, but
the antelope, except the very largest kinds, are thus
caught, sometimes alive, and then comes the seem
ingly endless palaver of dividing the meat amongst
the villagers. Different ones receive more or less

82 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

according to their standing in the village, or according
to the number of nets or men the family had in the
chase. Besides the antelope the natives sometimes
get a species of hyena, or a water antelope; or a
wild boar may be obtained by digging a pit which
is covered over skilfully and into which the animal
falls. Monkeys are a choice dish with them. Fish
are abundant in the rivers, but are not caught in
alarming numbers, because of the crude methods
used by the people. The python also is caught,
sometimes, and is considered choice meat. The
dish, however, that might be liable to test the appe
tites of my readers consists of roasted caterpillars.
There are several kinds of these worms eaten by the
natives and by them are thought to be a choice
dish — I have always taken their word for it.

"If any of my readers are troubled with appetites
hard to please I think we could obtain a variety large
enough on the Congo to satisfy even the most
fastidious ! "

A TYPICAL CONGO JOURNEY

IN April of 1908, Dr. and Mrs. L. F. Jaggard,
who had been chosen to be Mr. Eldred's col
leagues in the opening of the new station at
Longa, reached Bolenge. A week after their arrival,
Mr. Eldred and Dr. Jaggard started on a journey
into the interior. It was very necessary that the
Bolenge outposts be visited, and a visit to Longa
seemed imperative, so they planned to go overland to
Longa, visiting the out-stations on the way.

Each day services were held in several of the
smaller villages, and each night they slept in one
of the larger villages, holding great night services.
These night services were especially interesting and
instructive, for the missionaries took with them a
stereopticon lantern given to the Mission by Miss
Ella Ewing. It was not much of a stereopticon
compared with the magnificent electric ones so com
mon in America, for its illuminant was only common
kerosene, and it threw quite ordinary pictures, but
the reader may readily understand that those primi
tive folk had never seen anything like it before, only
a few even of the evangelists having ever seen any
stereopticon pictures. And the coloured slides of the
Life of Christ were really excellent, so the Chris
tians had the Gospel story made plainer to them than
ever before. As for the savages, their wonder at
the pictures was unmeasured. Some of the old men
told the evangelist located in their village that the

84 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

day after they saw the " Yesu " (Jesus) pictures
their strength went from their bodies ! And in many
of those interior villages that first sight of those
stereopticon pictures remains the one marvellous
thing in their experience.

In an article describing this trip, Mr. Eldred tells
of their impressions of African Catholicism :

" In this back country, following our evangelists
— seldom do they go to a village first — come the
teachers of Romanism. Everywhere the servants of
the priests go they scatter small brass medals. These
medals are given to the people and they are taught
that these trinkets sprang from the head of Jesus
when He was buried. Also, in other parts, we found
they had been taught that these medals were thrown
to earth by Mary after her resurrection, and that
afterwards Mary visited Rome and commanded that
these medals should be sent into all the world ! The
resurrection of Christ and His consequent mediator-
ship seem not to be taught. After one has been a
wearer of the medal well enough and long enough,
he is permitted to buy a crucifix and a string of
beads. One instance was brought to our notice
where a man thought he had worn his small medal
about long enough and wanted to be promoted a
step higher, so he could wear a cross and beads.
Accordingly, he went to the father (priest) and made
his request, only to be told that he was not yet good
enough to be allowed a cross and beads. Undaunted
by this reply, he told the priest that he would not
wait longer and that if they would not give him his
cross and beads he would go to the Engelisi (Prot
estants) at Bolenge, whereupon he received his cross
and beads forthwith. One of the chief native Catho
lic teachers made use of a small sun-glass to light his

A TYPICAL CONGO JOURNEY 85

pipe of tobacco and taught these superstitious people
in many parts that the fire came from heaven and was
God's sanction on his teaching, and was also God's
disapproval of our message ! Consequently, I, having
heard of this teaching, took my large sun-glass with
us. We built fires with it many times and explained
to the natives that it was simply a glass that the
white men knew how to make so as to gather the
sun's rays to a point in order to make heat, which
when brought in contact with fuel, caused the fire
which they saw. And again the people said, ' An
other of the lies of the Catholics is found out.'

" Part of the way on this journey we had the
company of from one to five of Catholic catechists,
who sought to do us and the cause of Christ all the
harm possible. We were cursed by them with as
many and as vile curses as they could command, and
for telling the people that the small brass medals
were nothing but brass and were forged by the white
men of Europe, our services were interrupted and
broken up by those of the ' baser sort,' led on by the
head Catholic teacher. Our lives were threatened,
but we did not run, but did our best to scatter some
seeds of the Kingdom, for we knew that the light
of God's Word is the great need of all these
people."

Mr. Eldred wrote in vivid fashion of the things,
which came within their notice on this typical jour
ney, but an incident occurred which he did not
mention in his letters. This was the rescue from
slavery of a man named Bafutaminge. He was of
the Ngombe tribe and with two others of his village
had been drafted to serve the Government as a
soldier. Not caring for this sort of service they
deserted and ran away into the forest, where his

86 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

two companions were killed and eaten by the savage
people, and Bafutaminge taken as a slave and
treated with much cruelty. When Mr. Eldred
preached in the town where he was held as slave,
while Bafutaminge could understand very little of
the Lonkundo tongue, the kind face of the mis
sionary spoke hope to his heart and that night he
came stealthily to the house in which Mr. Eldred
was sleeping and begged the teacher of Jesus to take
him with him and to save him from his horrible
slavery. No one who ever knew Ray Eldred would
doubt his response to such an appeal, so next morn
ing, after a wrangle with his master, the missionary
took Bafutaminge away with him. But the master
had a relative who was a Catholic catechist and
hurried ahead to tell him. This false teacher hated
the teacher of truth and was glad to take up his
relative's cause. Gathering together a band of his
followers he tried to prevent Bafutaminge from
going away to freedom. This aroused the ire of Mr.
Eldred's porters, many of whom were not Christians
and knew nothing of non-resistance. The Romish
teacher, taking advantage of Mr. Eldred's trying to
hold in check his own men and prevent bloodshed,
struck Mr. Eldred a number of brutal blows on
the head and shoulders with a huge club, trying
especially to crush the white man's sun helmet, so
that he would be injured by the sun's rays. But
courage and patience and resourcefulness brought
all safely through, though the hardest thing to do
was to prevent Bafutaminge from returning to kill
the teacher who had dared to strike his deliverer.

It is interesting to note that Bafutaminge not only
became devotedly attached to Mr. Eldred, but that
Mr. Eldred led him to Christ. Also in later years

A TYPICAL CONGO JOURNEY 87

Bafutaminge helped to protect two white men of the
Mission who were in serious danger.

Dr. Jaggard of course did not know the language
at all, but he had with him a medicine case and a
few instruments, and a clinic was held in each
village. Hundreds came to be relieved, though the
young physician felt that little could really be done
for them, so brief were the stops. This trip was a
rigorous introduction to Congo missionary life, for
it required twenty-five days and the overland part
of the journey was estimated to be two hundred and
sixty miles, much of which was through swamps.
However, it was not exactly the Doctor's " baptism
of fire," as the following incident shows :

In going overland from Bolenge to Longa it is
necessary to cross the Boloko River. As that river
is a tiny one, not averaging much over a hundred
feet in width, crossing it would be a small matter,
if it did not have a swamp about a mile wide on
either side. The people of the Isaka villages, who
live on the Bolenge side of this swampy river, have
a monopoly of the ferry business, for they own the
only canoes suitable for the crossing.

Messrs. Eldred and Jaggard, after paying the
amount demanded for the hire of a few small canoes,
had to wade a mile in the swamp until the river was
reached, for the Isaka people keep their canoes
hidden by sinking them in the swamp near the river.
Then the party had to embark in the canoes, go up
stream about three miles and land on the other
side. So small were the canoes that four trips had to
be made, and four times one of them tipped over,
blankets, camp-beds, clothing, stereopticon, and the
doctor's medicine case getting wet, and a bushel of
salt, worth in that interior about twelve dollars,

88 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

melted in its turbid waters. At last all the natives
had crossed, so the two missionaries embarked in the
largest of the canoes, about the size of a watering
trough. Many trees had fallen into the channel, so
first they would go over one tree and then under
the next, and after that the canoe would go under a
log while the missionaries climbed over. Vines over
head and the swift current made navigation far
from easy, but all went well, until they were near to
the landing place, when Mr. Eldred became en
tangled in a vine. Trying to extricate himself he
rocked the canoe too much and they found them
selves in the river! Fortunately both could swim,
and it happened that at that place the water was not
over their heads. It took the whole day for the
crossing, and it rained from morning till night.

After a hot supper and some medicine as a pre
ventive, they crawled into their beds, having to sleep
in wet clothing under wet blankets, a dangerous
thing to do. Nevertheless, after the experiences of
the day, they were " thankful that we had the
blankets to roll up in, and above all for the Father's
protection which had been over us and our carriers
during the day."

XII

ANOTHER BOUNTIFUL YEAR

IN July of 1908 Mr. Eldred made a digest of the
annual report for that year to be published
in the Congo Christian, under the above caption :

" In submitting the report of the church at
Bolenge for this year we wish to give all the praise
to Him by whose power and abundant blessings we
have been able to labour with Him in accomplishing
so much here.

" The work throughout has been prospered more
than during any previous year. The farther solidify
ing and systematizing of the work spread over a
territory fifty miles long and one hundred miles
wide; the extending of the borders of this territory
to one hundred and fifty miles long; the increased
number of evangelists out all during the year; the
heroic self-possession and courage of some of these ;
the continued high standard of giving of the church ;
the number of baptisms, a far greater percentage
of these distant from Bolenge as compared with
former years ; the unprecedented itineration by your
missionaries; the increase in the school; the large
woman's work; the extensive medical work; besides
the necessary repairing and some building; these
have characterized this year's progress.

" During the year twelve itinerating journeys have
been made, no one of which has been under eighty
miles in length. Two of them were three hundred
and fifty miles long and three others were over two
hundred and fifty miles in length. In all, one

90 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

hundred and ninety- three days were devoted to
itinerating and eighty-seven villages were visited.
More than half of these were visited three times,
and many five and six times during the year.

" At the last outgoing of the evangelists the church
was able to furnish forty-eight evangelists, and four
weeks later four special ones were sent to a field
two hundred and fifty miles up the Bussira River,
making in all fifty-two sent out from Bolenge. Of
these, friends at home support six, and the native
church forty-six. The giving of this church is a
credit to itself and casts shame on many of the far
better favoured ones of the homeland. Last fiscal
year it was estimated that the native church gave
fifty thousand brass rods. This year, by accurate
count, the church has given * sixty thousand nine
hundred and fifty-five brass rods to spread the ' Good
Tidings,' that their fellows may also be redeemed.

" Bojilanganda is one of the examples of the
redeeming power of the Gospel. Some nine months
ago it became evident that he had the symptoms of
the fatal ' Sleeping Sickness.' He came to us about it
and we told him the plain truth. Undaunted by this
he returned to his outpost for two terms of service,
and gave up only when we refused to let him go
again. The last stages of his case were rapid and he
soon fell asleep to waken on the Resurrection morn,
but before he died he willed his all to the church.
His wife sold his few possessions and placed the
proceeds on the altar of their God.

" This year the sowing of the Gospel seed has been
abundantly blessed. There have been two hundred
and twelve baptisms and there is now a live mem
bership of four hundred and fifty-one. The number
* This is about $609.55.

ANOTHER BOUNTIFUL YEAR 91

of baptisms does not mean so much, perhaps, as to
know that these represented fifty-four villages scat
tered far and wide.

" A crying need here at present and one that is
destined to become more so every year is a school
for evangelists. We now have over fifty evangelists,
every one of whom should have the advantages that
such a school would afford. Do not think that we
have not taught them or that they are ignorant of
the Gospel or its fundamental truths. On the con
trary they have done exceedingly well considering
the time that it has been possible to devote to them.
Yet the cold fact remains that this part of Bolenge's
usefulness will never be what it should be until this
department of the work is developed. But to do
this we must have a man set apart for that work.
We can teach in the shade of the palms. We are
doing so every day and shall continue to do so
until such time as adequate buildings can be erected,
but we cannot teach without teachers, we cannot
preach without preachers!

" For myself, besides dividing the church services,
the shepherding of the church, and the teaching of
the evangelists equally with Mr. Hensey, I have been
able to go on six itinerating journeys. These occu
pied forty-seven days and covered over twelve hun
dred miles. Also I built one three-room and one
ten-room house for workmen, two large temporary
sheds for the making and drying of brick ; a perma
nent brick kiln; made forty thousand brick; re
placed the old wooden pillars under our house with
new brick ones; got out about twenty-five thousand
feet of lumber ; and built the new brick station
We have been blessed with good health, and the
outlook for the coming year is very encouraging."

XIII
A STIRRING VISIT TO LOTUMBE

IN August of 1907 Mr. Eldred had a very severe
fever, and, as he had been having a good many,
the two physicians decided that he ought to go
away for a rest. He had made up his mind to go
down river on one of the Mission steamers for a
month's change when circumstances changed his
plans.

Is'olumbu, the faithful evangelist who had been in
charge of the work at Lotumbe, came home unex
pectedly, about the first of September, to report
serious trouble there. He brought also a letter
from the Congo State official at Mbala.

The work in the Lotumbe district had been really
begun when Is'ekae, won and trained by Mr. Eldred
in his first term of service, had returned to his
home in June of 1906. Then Is'olumbu, as already
noted in these pages, was placed there in 1907. After
being there a few months Is'olumbu returned to
Bolenge for the Christmas reunion, taking with him
two chiefs of the Lotumbe district. These two were
so impressed that they asked for a white man to
come and dwell among them. This was impossible
at that time, but five other native teachers were sent
with Is'olumbu. But when they reached Lotumbe
again, they found, as often it has occurred, that a
Roman catechist had arrived in their absence.
This false teacher had not only sowed tares amid

A STIRRING VISIT TO LOTUMBE 93

the wheat, but had striven to steal away the people's
hearts by giving out bright medals and presents.
And of course he had not failed to try to poison their
minds against the Bolenge teachers. All this spelled
trouble, and trouble there was.

The Catholic teacher had his followers build a
small house for a church, as the people of Lotumbe
had already done for Is'olumbu. The contest was
one of words for some six months and they were
warm words, you may believe. During this time
the people of Lotumbe and vicinity had been weigh
ing the rival teaching in their minds, judging each
by its fruits. It seemed that some time before Efoloko
came home Elongembalaka, the paramount chief of
the district, had called the chiefs of Lotumbe and
neighbouring villages to a secret council. At this
the relative merits of the two teachings were dis
cussed. Is'olumbu's quiet, modest behaviour was put
over against the smoking, drinking, arrogant ways of
the Catholic catechist, and the chiefs decided unani
mously in favour of the Protestant teaching.

Then the chiefs, led by Elongembalaka, came and
told Is'olumbu and his Catholic rival their decision
and asked the latter to go away. All of which meant
more trouble. Then the chiefs told the Catholic man
that if he did not go away they would tear down his
church and throw it into the river. He persisted in
staying, so they started to carry out their threat.
Is'olumbu told them that was not the right thing to
do and did his best to restrain them, but in vain.
The house was torn down. Naturally that spelled
more trouble. The Catholic crowd went to another
village, obtained help, and tore down Is'olumbu's
church. As Is'olumbu had sincerely tried to prevent
the destruction of their building, he naturally felt

94 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

indignant, and went to Mbala to complain to the
State officer there, only to find that he had already
been accused of having instigated the chiefs to tear
down the Catholic house!

The official at Mbala did not feel like deciding such
a case, so wrote letters to Mr. Eldred and the
Catholic priest.

As soon as this word came it was evident that
Mr. Eldred would have to give up his rest and go
to Lotumbe, as at that time he was the only one
of the missionaries who spoke French. Accordingly
he and Dr. Widdowson left for there on September
eighth. Three days' paddling brought them to Longa,
and three more to Lotumbe, for Lotumbe is about
one hundred and fifty miles from Bolenge. They
found that the Catholic priest had gone up by State
steamer and reached Mbala first. Passing this place
by moonlight and having to keep close to the bank
on account of the swift current, they were assailed
by a volley of stones thrown by native Catholics
in ambush. One of the missiles was aimed directly
for Mr. Eldred's head, and it was only the swinging
into range of one of the paddlers that saved the
white man from being hit in the face. The native
paddler received an ugly bruise on the neck.

They arrived at Lotumbe Sunday morning, and
their welcome was an ovation. After preaching to
the Lotumbe people, they walked to the first interior
village, about half a mile away. Before their com
ing, Is'olumbu had told the people that when his
white men came they would go about unarmed,
instead of being defended by soldiers, or heavy rifles,
as were the State officers and the priests. Mr.
Eldred writes of that first little visit back from
Lotumbe :

A STIRRING VISIT TO LOTUMBE 95

" Everywhere throngs of people came out to see
us, and many times that day we heard the cries of
runners who went ahead of us spreading the news
of our coming, and we could not help but think of
those wonderful days of the First Century, for the
cries were, * Come and see the gods who have come
to visit us.' ' The gods of Efoloko have come.' In
vain did we try to stop these cries."

The people had not believed Is'olumbu when he
told them his white men would go about without
soldiers or guns for protection. Now when they
saw it was true, that fact also added to their wonder
and their awe of the white teachers.

Several meetings were held that afternoon and
camp was reached again just at sunset. The mis
sionaries were tired and hungry, but the people
crowded around eager to learn more of the " Baoi ba
Nzakomba," the " Words of God." So the paddlers
stretched the sheet between two trees and the first
stereopticon picture was thrown upon it. A great
shout of astonishment went up from the crowd, while
many of the more timid fled to their houses. But
when they realized that the pictures were of the
Jesus of whom Is'olumbu had taught them, they all
crouched in the dim moonlight and listened atten
tively, charmed by His beauty in picture and in
life.

On Monday all the chiefs of the district went with
Mr. Eldred to Mbala, and told the State officer that
they wished only the Protestant teacher and teach
ing in their villages. The officer told them that they
could have the kind they preferred. But on their
way to Mbala they had passed the priest on his way
to Lotumbe, so it was clear that the matter was not
yet settled.

96 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Again the Gospel was preached that night, and
more pictures shown. As the people were reluctant
to go to their homes, two of the evangelists spoke.
Then Dr. Widdowson and Mr. Eldred preached,
paying especial attention to the false claims of
Romanism. They learned after the meeting finally
closed that the priest was in hiding near by, listen
ing to the sermons. Mr. Eldred remarks in one of
his letters : " We hope it did him good."

The white officer from Mbala came the next day
at the request of the priest. The latter insisted that
since he had a few people in Lotumbe he ought to
have a teacher there to care for them. His whole
argument was for religious freedom ! Mr. Eldred
assented to the priest's plea, for religious liberty
was almost a passion with him. But when the State
officer put this view of the case before the native
chiefs and elders, they were wild with anger. The
officer threatened them with arrest and the chain-
gang, but they would not listen. Old Elongembalaka
told both officer and priest that if the Catholics ever
attempted to build another house there they would
throw it in the river. And when the officers went
back to Mbala, it required all Mr. Eldred's influence
to prevent the people from using the priest roughly.
The latter seemed to think discretion the better
policy, and went also to Mbala. The rest of the
account is given in Mr. Eldred's own words:

" We stayed some days longer and made a journey
into the country back from the river and found that
in all of the villages we visited our evangelists have
been doing faithful work and that the field is very
promising for an early harvest.

" On Thursday of that week we accepted the in
vitation of the State officer at Mbala to take dinner

A STIRRING VISIT TO LOTUMBE 97

with him, so gathering many of the people that fore
noon we held a last service with them and with
many urgent requests to come back soon we started
down river. At the State Post we found that our
enemy, the priest, was trying to outwit us, for we
found that he, knowing that this was the time for
all of our evangelists to gather at Bolenge for con
ference and teaching, had planned to destroy all our
work during the absence of the evangelists. We
found that he had left a catechist at Mbala, who was
to go to Lotumbe as soon as we left there, while
he himself had gone across country on a four days'
journey overland, to come out at Lokumo and
Monieka, on the Great Bussira, where we have a
fast growing and very encouraging work. In this,
however, he was doomed to disappointment. For
when we sent a large canoe up to Lokumo to get
the evangelists there, we also sent three teachers
who were to hold the fort there until the regular
evangelists came back. Also, Luka, one of the evan
gelists, refused to come home because there was no
one to look after God's work during his absence.
In addition, when we came away from Lotumbe
we left two good strong Christians to stay there
until the regular evangelists should return. Leaving
the State Post Thursday afternoon we dropped down
river some twenty or twenty-five miles and the next
day reached Longa, where we saw the Christians
again. Leaving Longa Friday evening by paddling
all night we were able to reach Bolenge for Sunday.
" Now, Brethren of the Homeland, this letter may
seem long and perhaps uninteresting to some, but if
uninteresting it is because you have failed to see
the vision which is no longer a vision to us here,
but the most vivid, living reality, that of many, many

98 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

thousands waiting for the Light of Life, which can
come to them only by giving them God's life-giving
Word. You have not heard, oh, so many times,
their earnest pleadings that you come back soon,
that you come often, that you come and live with
them, that you send them teachers.

11 The country in the interior to the back of
Bolenge, with its many villages, where already we
have passed the five hundred and fifty mark in souls
won for Christ, is but a handful, compared with the
whole of the Bankundo country. We have carried
the Gospel up the Great Bussira for two hundred
and fifty miles, and up the Momboyo for fully one
hundred and eighty miles. Beyond these points we
cannot go at present, for lack of workers, but still
the field is there. The Lonkundo language is spoken
up the Momboyo River fully two hundred miles
beyond where we have been able to go, and in all this
territory there is not a single Protestant missionary,
nor so much as a native teacher. Shall we leave all
these, for whom Christ died, to perish without know
ing of His love for them? May Jehovah speed the
day when the knowledge of Him shall have reached
to its uttermost parts and skirted the borders thereof
of the great Lonkundo-speaking country."

It is significant that the Catholics never again built
in Lotumbe.

BOOK II

INTRODUCTORY

WE come now to the second stage in the politi
cal history of the Congo basin, and at the
same time to the second phase of Mr.
Eldred's work on the Congo.

In the earlier pages of this memorial, some brief
mention was made of the founding of the Congo
Free State. Great hopes had been held as to the
philanthropic nature of this project, and it had been
hoped that a great Negro State might be founded in
the basin of the Congo, under the benevolent
sovereignty of Leopold II, which would afford pro
tection to the weak and do away with the slave-
trade, cannibalism, and kindred evils.

It would be of no profit now to stir up old bitter
nesses. It is sufficient to state that the Govern
ment of the Congo Free State did not altogether
meet these expectations. So the missionaries were
more than glad when on October eighteenth, 1908,
the Congo Free State became a colony of Belgium,
to be known henceforth as Congo Beige — Belgian
Congo.

However much the friends of Africa were disap
pointed in King Leopold's regime in the Congo
Free State, they have been made to rejoice in these
days in the new regime of King Albert, a nephew of
King Leopold II. Many reforms have been granted
and the Colonial Government seems now to be seek-

100 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

ing the welfare of the natives, as well as sane com
mercial development.

These pages are being written in the shadow of
the World War. Honest men will differ widely on
the issues involved in that conflict, but it is certain
that from its storm clouds no more kingly figure has
emerged than Albert of Belgium. Right royally has
he won the ancient motto, " Sans peur et sans re-
proche."

In September of that same year the Congo Govern
ment granted the Mission permission to open a sta
tion at Longa. This time then marks the end of
Mr. Eldred's" service at Bolenge, and the commence
ment of that even larger service he was to render in
the Bussira region.

On the financial side, the planting of the new
station was made possible by the generosity of Mr.
and Mrs. Lyndon F. Lascell, of Springfield,
Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Eldred had been often in
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Lascell and it was largely
on account of their affectionate admiration for Mr.
and Mrs. Eldred that they made their large gifts.

HEWING A STATION FROM THE JUNGLE

THIS forward step, of opening a station at
Longa, had been looked forward to for some
time. When the time came for it to be
realized, all the missionaries rejoiced in the enthusi
astic spirit shown by the Bolenge church. They
knew that the opening of the new station meant the
giving of about seventy members and several out-
stations and three missionaries, among them the one
who had been with them since the organization of
the church, nevertheless the whole feeling was of
joy. All through the years Mr. Eldred had been
teaching them that growing comes through giving,
and they were sure that the opening of Longa Station
meant larger things for Jesus Christ.

On October nineteenth, 1908, after welcoming a
new colleague, Chas. P. Hedges, who arrived that
month, and after a delightful conference with all
the evangelists and a large number of the non
resident Christians, during which there were fifty
baptisms, Mr. Eldred and Dr. Jaggard left for Longa.
They made the journey in a small steel boat and
were accompanied by a flotilla of six canoes, contain
ing provisions, supplies, tools, and some building
material. It was the high-water season, so at night
the paddlers slept in trees, or on rude platforms
under the trees, while the missionaries slept on the
damp bottom of their boat. For four long, hot, tire-
101

102 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

some days they toiled up the Ruki (Bussira) River.
How they must have longed for a steamer!

On the Lord's Day, October twenty-fifth, the
Church of Christ at Longa was organized with sixty-
nine members, and a wonderfully sweet communion
service was held out under the trees. The Gospel
was preached far and near, and soon the influence
of the little band commenced to grow. From the
physical side the work of the missionaries was the
converting of seventeen acres of almost impene
trable African jungle into a habitable dwelling place.
So the workmen taken from Bolenge and others
hired at Longa were armed with axes and machetes
and clearing was commenced. However, they did
not attempt to clear the whole station, but as soon
as a little space was cleared, a temporary building
was erected to serve as carpenter shop and store
room, in which also the missionaries lived. Native
houses were built for the workmen, a stable for the
sheep and goats put up, and a three-room mud-walled
house erected for the missionaries.

The greatest difficulty was the procuring of suffi
cient " ndele," the palm-leaf roofing described in an
early chapter. This grows in swamps, and the
swamp from which they had to get their " ndele "
was distant and very difficult of entrance by canoe,
and high-water floods compelled them to go to a
still more distant one. But into the gathering of
roofing the missionaries threw their own strength, as
well as enthusiasm, as they had into all the difficult
tasks of the new station, and at the end of six weeks
the above-mentioned buildings were roofed, though
their own house had neither doors nor windows.

They then returned to Bolenge for the annual
Christmas Reunion of the church. Mr. Eldred was

HEWING A STATION 103

never again located at Bolenge, but he often visited
there, never failing to preach in the church.

As fevers and labours and journeys had com
menced to tell on even his prodigious strength, Mr.
Eldred went for a three weeks' rest on the steamer
" Livingstone " of the Congo Balolo Mission, accom
panying the writer and wife, who were leaving on
furlough, as far as Stanley Pool. There he wel
comed to the work Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Moon and
they had a pleasant voyage up river together. On
reaching Bolenge, the " Livingstone " took on board
supplies, building material, household goods, with
trees and shrubs for transplanting, and started for
Longa on January twenty-ninth, 1909, landing the
missionaries there the same day in comfort.

Mrs. Jaggard accompanied her husband on this
second trip and the three workers had a happy, if
strenuous time together. Neither the station nor
the house was very inviting, but windows and doors
were hung, cupboards made, a small kitchen built,
with a room for orphan girls, and they settled down
to make the best of the circumstances.

The first Lord's Day there were three baptisms,
the first since the station had been occupied. A
tabernacle was erected, large enough to seat three
hundred people. During the next few months, about
twenty more were baptized, evangelists were sent
out into the interior and up the Momboyo River, out-
stations were opened, and the spiritual work of the
station began in earnest.

From the first, sawyers had been sent into the
forest with pit-saws, for the cutting of lumber. A
large number of men were kept busy clearing the
station. Brick were made and burned, for one im
portant part of Longa's equipment was a machine for

104 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

pressing brick by lever power. A garden spot was
chosen, a fence built around it, and seeds planted.

Mrs. Jaggard took in some orphan girls and com
menced to train them. She also began to teach the
women. A school was started, in which reading and
writing were the chief branches taught. Before long
some of the workmen were able to read.

Dr. Jaggard's medical work proved to be a real
entering wedge for the Gospel. Not only were the
sick healed, but several major operations were per
formed under circumstances which would have
daunted the soul of many surgeons accustomed to
modern hospital conditions. But those operations
were successful and caused many to be interested in
the Truth. As Dr. Jaggard expressed it, " In each
operative case ' the knife has literally cut a way '
for the Gospel."

"ANXIETY FOR ALL THE CHURCHES"

THE progress recorded in the previous chapter
did not go on in the smooth and uninter
rupted fashion that narrative might seem to
indicate. For with this new period in his career,
Mr. Eldred found that, in addition to the manifold
toils and cares of Longa station and church, there
was laid upon him the apostolic " anxiety for all the
churches," especially for the infant ones at Lotumbe
and Monieka.

Hardly had the three missionaries settled down
to work at Longa when word came that at Monieka,
where the work had been opened in January of 1908
by Dr. Widdowson and the writer, the Catholics were
trying to drive the Bolenge teachers out by force.
This made it necessary for Mr. Eldred to leave for
there on February sixth. He found the situation
at Monieka very difficult, and a Government officer,
who had been sent to survey the ground asked for
by the Mission for a station, seemed to think it his
duty to make matters more difficult, and had struck
the evangelist, Iso Timothee, without any provoca
tion. Under such circumstances it was a trip filled
with many vexations for Mr. Eldred. So it is not
surprising to those who know the effect of vexation
and trouble on the physical man in such a climate
that he came down with a bad fever. This one was
of a more severe type, called " Blackwater Fever "
(Haemoglobinuric Fever). His native helpers fol-
105

106 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

lowed his directions and did all they could for him,
while the Monieka Christians manned a large canoe
and paddled the one hundred and twenty miles to
Longa in one day. Dr. and Mrs. Jaggard were
fortunate enough to catch a passing steamer of the
S. A.- B. Trading Company, whose directors and
agents have through the years been very friendly to
the Mission. Thus they were able to hurry to
Monieka. On their arrival they found that the
critical point of the fever had passed and after a
few days Mr. Eldred was able to return to Longa.
On this trip six people were baptized, the first to be
baptized at that place, though quite a number of
Monieka people had been baptized at Bolenge.

After a short rest at Longa, a visit to Lotumbe
seemed imperative. So the station was left in charge
of native helpers, and all three missionaries went to
the Lotumbe district. On the Lord's Day, April
eleventh, two people were baptized by Mr. Eldred, at
Lotumbe, the first baptisms in the Momboyo River.
The interesting thing about these two people, one of
whom was a woman, was that they were of the de
spised Bacwa tribe. The Bacwa are supposed to be
remnants of the original inhabitants of this part of
Africa, and are typical Negritos. Bankundo men
have some dealings with Bacwa men, even if they
despise them, but it is taboo for a man of the
Bankundo to have any association with a woman of
the Bacwa. So much is this true that if a Bacwa
woman is about to meet an Nkundo man in the path,
she will turn aside until he is past. So it was a
wonderful thing to the assembled crowd when the
White Man took this despised Bacwa woman by the
hand, led her down into the water and baptized her
into the name of the Son of God. The Bankundo

" ANXIETY FOR THE CHURCHES " 107

chiefs and elders put their hands over their mouths
in their expressive gesture of wonderment, and said,
" Is this Jesus message for the Bacwa, also? "

It had been hoped that some itinerating might be
done in that locality, and with that in view the mis
sionaries had gone up river beyond Lotumbe as far
as Ifulu, when messages from Bolenge made it neces
sary that the trip be cut short.

From Ifulu Mr. Eldred went by canoe to Coquil-
hatville to interview the Commissaire of the District
regarding many problems, especially those at
Monieka.

Then he and Dr. Widdowson went by Trading
steamer to Monieka to confirm the Christians and
settle some difficulties. Nearly four weeks were
spent in this journey, and much was accomplished.
Seventeen were baptized, two native churches
erected, and the veteran evangelist Ekakula ordained
as an elder in the Bolenge church. Every Lord's
Day after this the Lord's Table was spread at
Monieka.

Early in June Is'olumbu, the evangelist who had
started the work at Lotumbe, was ordained at
Longa as an elder in that church and its evangelist
in charge at Lotumbe, to have the same position
there as had been given Ekakula at Monieka.

Mr. Eldred accompanied Is'olumbu and his as
sociates, Itoko and Bontole, on their return to
Lotumbe. On arrival he found that the baptism of
the two Bacwas on the previous trip had had a very
decided effect. For every person of that tribe in
their part of Lotumbe had been enrolled as a seeker
after the "Words of God." Also, many of the
Bankundo people were seeking the same good words.

On this visit a little group of Christians were

108 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

gathered together and placed under Is'olumbu's over
sight. Among them were Is'ekae and his wife, who
had been baptized at Bolenge in February, 1906.
They were natives of a town near Lotumbe and
moved to the latter place so as to have spiritual
fellowship. Another of this group was a young man
named Bokambanza, the first fruits of Is'olumbu's
work, who had been baptized at Bolenge in January
of 1909. Altogether this little nucleus of a church
numbered eleven members and Mr. Eldred felt quite
encouraged as to its future.

It is worthy of note just here, that while in a very
large sense Mr. Eldred was always interested in all
the stations, and never forgot Bolenge, his first
love, in later years his heart's best affection was
given to the work at Longa and Lotumbe.

One other incident of his second term of service
deserves to be recorded. An evangelist from Bolenge
was located at the town of Nkombo, about halfway
between Bolenge and Longa, on the river bank.
Some people of the town, pretending to have some
claim on her, seized the wife of this evangelist and
carried her away to the part of the town farthest
from the river. The evangelist appealed to Mr.
Eldred to help his wife to liberty. As there was no
Government officer near, the missionary, his heart
ever attuned to womanhood's cry of distress, em
barked in a canoe and went to Nkombo, arriving late
that afternoon. The people at first denied any
knowledge of the young Christian woman, but Mr.
Eldred soon found her in a filthy hut, in cruel stocks,
where she had been for days. The influence of the
white man secured her release from this prison, but
none would agree to her going back to her husband.
It was now growing dark, but this man of God, who

"ANXIETY FOR THE CHURCH! 109

never knew fear, placed himself between the woman
and her persecutors and told her to run for the
canoe at the beach. And then there ensued a wild
time. The missionary wisely felt it no time to
indulge in theories of non-resistance, though he held
very decided views in' that line, but picked up a
convenient stick. They were^a hundred to one, but
no one who ever felt the muscles of Ray Eldred's
left arm would think that even such odds were too
great. These natives are used to striking only with a
downward motion of a club, but he used his in the
opposite way, swinging it almost in a circle. The
darkness made it difficult for him to find the path,
but it also made them afraid to shoot arrows, so he
was able to fight backwards until the battle took
them where the path forked, making two roads to
the beach. His enemies divided, one party choosing
the path he did not, to surround him and seize the
woman. But as soon as his quick ears heard the
sound of their running feet going " kilidi-kilidi "
down the path, he told the woman to run faster for
the canoe, then threw valour to the winds, and ran
also, beating both parties to the beach. On arrival
there he could find neither woman nor canoe and had
another struggle with his pursuers. After a few
minutes he found that his men had taken the woman
into the canoe and paddled a little way upstream,
and soon all embarked safely for Longa.

As one reads of these journeys far and wide, and
realizes that in the five months after coming to
Longa, Mr. Eldred had travelled fourteen hundred
miles, and more than a thousand of them in open
canoe, he is not surprised that even his mighty
strength began to fail. Add to the multitude of his
toils his anxiety for loved ones at home, his solicitude

110 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

for all the churches whose problems lay so heavily
upon his heart, and the effects of his sickness at
Monieka, in addition to many other fevers, and one
sees that the time had come for a rest. This was the
verdict of the physicians, and on July fourth, 1909,
Mr. Eldred left on his second furlough.

His second term of service was only two years and
a half in length, yet it stands out as one of the most
remarkable periods in the history of the Foreign
Christian Missionary Society in the Congo.

Dr. Dye returned to the work at just about the
same time, their steamers passing in midocean. Mrs.
Dye's health never permitted her to return. Dr.
Dye was accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert
Smith.

Ill

ONCE MORE IN THE HOMELAND

MRS. ELDRED, in the meantime, had not been
well, and in addition to the care of three
husky boys and the anxiety for her husband,
had spent five months at the Battle Creek Sanitarium,
where she had to undergo a very severe operation.
Mr. Eldred's encounter with the buffalo had been
a severe shock to her and he practically gave up
hunting after this, so that she might not have that
kind of anxiety for him.

Mr. Eldred's second furlough was spent like the
other, in enlisting friends for the work and in im
pressing upon the churches everywhere their obliga
tion to the unsaved millions amid Congo's forests.
Mr. and Mrs. Eldred were present and spoke at the
Centennial Convention of the Disciples of Christ,
held at Pittsburgh, in October, 1909. During this
gathering occurred an event which brought great
joy to the heart of Mr. Eldred. Dr. Dye, Mr. Eldred,
and the other missionaries had been pleading and
praying for a steamer for the Congo work, and now
their prayers were answered. Thanks to the heroic
generosity of the churches of Oregon, helped by
some others in other States, a fine little steamer had
been built in Pittsburgh. It was called the
" Oregon " and on Wednesday afternoon, October
thirteenth, was dedicated to the winning of Congo-
land. A great host of Convention pilgrims were
present on this unique occasion, and Mr. Eldred was
111

A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

one of those who made short addresses. Few others
in that host rejoiced as he did and few others had
the same reason, for he knew what it meant to travel
hundreds of miles in open canoes.

Among the many places visited, he spoke in Mis
sionary Rallies at Baltimore, Washington, Wheeling,
Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, New York, Phila
delphia, Syracuse, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland,
Akron, Columbus, Canton, Toledo, South Bend,
Grand Rapids, and Detroit.

In the summer of 1910 he was one of the speakers
at the Convention of the World's Sunday School
Association, at Washington, D. C.

On his way home from that Convention Mr.
Eldred stopped off at Charleroi, Pennsylvania, to
visit his former colleague, Dr. Widdowson. Speak
ing in the church there, Mr. Eldred touched on the
work of Roman Catholic Missions in the Congo, and
denounced their methods in scathing terms. He also
related some of his own experiences with them.

After the meeting a gentleman came up and spoke
to him, saying that he was a Roman Catholic. It
soon transpired that he had been deeply hurt by
Mr. Eldred's message. As a result of the conversa
tion this gentleman gave Mr. Eldred a very good
organ for the Longa church.

While on furlough Mr. and Mrs. Eldred's hearts
were made glad by the news that Lotumbe had been
chosen as a station in October, 1909, and that appli
cation for a grant of land from the Belgian Colonial
Government had been made. Then they were made
gladder by the news of the opening of Lotumbe
Station on May twenty-fourth, 1910, by Mr. and
Mrs. Herbert Smith, who had joined the Mission
in August, 1909, and had been for a time with Dr.

ONCE MORE IN THE HOMELAND 113

and Mrs. Jaggard at Longa. A large portion of the
members of the new church at Lotumbe had been
members at Longa and Bolenge — especially at
Longa. Despite this, the Annual Report showed
a membership of ninety-three at Longa.

The National Convention of the Disciples of
Christ for 1910 was held at Topeka, Kansas. Mr.
and Mrs. Eldred spoke on that occasion, also. A
few extracts from his address are here given :

" After thirty years of Roman Catholic dominion
in the Congo, there is yet to be established the first
real public school."

" The only hope for Congo's millions is through
the medium of the Protestant Christian Church."

"And what of the cost? Business enterprises are
counted successful, not according to the cost in dol
lars, or even in life, but according to the returns on
that which is invested. The Congo Railway cost
its millions and a human life for every tie used in
its construction, and yet men call it successful. But
when your own work in that land, covering a period
of eleven years, and which can already show a fruit
age of over a thousand souls redeemed, costs the lives
of two workers and the health of a few others, some
there are who are even now crying out, ' Does it
pay?'3

Soon after this Mr. and Mrs. Eldred heard the
good news that the steamer " Oregon/' which had
been shipped to the Congo in sections, had been suc
cessfully reconstructed by E. R. Moon and R. S.
Wilson. The latter with Mrs. Wilson and Miss Edna
V. Eck (now Mrs. W. H. Edwards) had sailed
just after the Centennial Convention.

The question of their children had arisen in their
minds long before this and had been settled. Soon

114 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

after the birth of the first child, Mr. Eldred wrote to
the churches who had chosen him as their mission
ary:

" There is one subject on which I wish to write
you, lest there be a misunderstanding between us.
You will have received our card announcing the
birth of our little boy. Of course we love our little
one and would not shrink from the responsibility
which otherwise would be ours, of caring for and
training his young life. Yet the cold fact remains
that when we return to this, the Congo land, one
of the most benighted and therefore the most needy
fields of the Earth, we will be obliged to leave our
dear one at home.

' This is not a new plan of our own. We knew it
before we came to the Congo. It is true of all the
Congo missionaries who have been blessed with chil
dren, in our own and other societies. Do not think,
dear Brethren, that we look upon this matter lightly,
for upon us will come the greatest test ; yet we trust
we shall be prepared for it when it comes. No doubt
there will be some to criticize us as there have been
those to criticize others who have had to meet this
problem ; of these I would say that perhaps they have
not yet been made to realize fully the meaning of the
Savior's words in the tenth chapter of Mark, twenty-
ninth and thirtieth verses, when He said, ' There is
no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or
mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake
and for the Gospel's sake, but shall receive a hun
dred-fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and
sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with
persecutions ; and in the world to come, eternal life.'
May it please the Lord to count us worthy to bear
this and all other trials we may meet, that we, sup-

ONCE MORE IN THE HOMELAND 115

ported by Him, may not cease to proclaim His love to
these people who are dying in darkness and sin.
There have been cases where a church has refused to
support a missionary because it was necessary for
that missionary to leave his children at home. I
write you that you may know the case and act accord
ingly. But we sincerely trust that you may see the
matter in the same light that we do. We feel confi
dent that at the proper time He who guided His
people of old will not fail us, and that kind and
loving hands, though they be those of another, will
care for our child."

The boys were left in the Wharton Memorial
Home at Hiram, Ohio, under the kindly care of
Mrs. M. D. Adams, who had herself been a mis
sionary many years in India, and who fulfilled the
trust expressed in that early letter. Parting with
the children was a severe trial for Mrs. Eldred,
though she had known for years that it must come.
She was first of all a Mother, and among the many
beautiful poems found among her papers, this one
was marked especially:

" God thought to give the sweetest thing
In His Almighty power
To earth. So deeply pondering what
It should be, one hour
In love of life and joy of heart
Surpassing every other
He moved the gates of Heaven apart
And gave to earth a Mother."

As the day drew near for the parting, she often said,
" Oh, how can I leave my babies ? " But she was
given strength for even this test of faith, and, realiz
ing that it was not a time to show their feelings, they
separated from their children with brave hearts,

116 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

never again to see them here among the children of
men.

In order that their health might be fully restored,
it was the plan of Mr. and Mrs. Eldred to spend the
entire winter in France, taking additional work in
French. They left South Bend November seven
teenth, 1910, and some restful weeks were spent in
Marseilles, but imperative need on the field caused
the time to be cut short, and after a stay of about
a month they sailed from La Pallice late in January,
1911.

IV
BUSY DAYS AT LONGA

THE following letter, written by the mission
aries on the field at the time when it was
known that Mr, and Mrs. Eldred were re
turning to the work, expresses better the esteem
in which they were held than any epitaphs possibly
could.

" At a meeting of the field committee of the Congo
Mission of the Foreign Christian Missionary Society,
held at Bolenge, November seventh to ninth, it was
voted unanimously that we send an autograph letter
to you, welcoming both of you back to your work
here.

" We want to do this because of your splendid
record in the past. Two stations have felt the im
press of Mr. Eldred's personality, backed up by
Mrs. Eldred's prayers, while she could not be with
him and with us the second term. At both of these
stations the way you have proclaimed the Gospel
has been the preaching of a living Christ, who saves
and can save. The changes in the lives of these
whom you have taught speak with more eloquence
of this than anything we can write.

" In kindly, gracious courtesy you have ever
striven to honour your fellow missionaries, and we
remember with pleasure the happy days we have
worked together. We all admired the splendid
spirit with which you gave up an old, well-equipped
station and went with enthusiasm to the task of
117

118 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

building where no man had even as yet laid a founda
tion. Some of us have realized since then what this
really meant, in rigorous toil and unpleasant priva
tions, and for that we honour you. And the building
up of Longa Station during the short time your
health permitted you to stay there, your long and
dangerous journeys in carrying the Gospel to the
most remote parts of our field, your incessant press
ing home of the good news to every hearer in the
darkness — all these have increased the high regard
in which we have held you.

" Many of those you taught in hand and spirit
and brain are now our efficient helpers; those you
won out of heathenism are carrying the Gospel you
gave them to their brethren who sit in darkness and
in the shadow of death; the buildings you have
erected are being used each day for the furtherance
of the cause you love so well. You have not laboured
in vain. Those whom you guided along the narrow
path which leadeth unto righteousness are in their
lives speaking gratitude to you ; and many who have
passed along into the path which groweth brighter
and brighter unto the perfect day have found the
rest and the reward you so often have promised
them.

" We need hardly say that you are needed. The
demand is even greater than we have ever known.
The granting of a third station; the hope of still
another ; and the opening of new fields ; these have
made your coming at this time almost imperative.
The Holy Spirit calls you to new victories ; we await
with joy your fellowship with us in the Lord and in
His service.

" May you come with spiritual help for each one
of us, and with a large supply of spiritual resources

BUSY DAYS AT LONGA 119

for the native churches. May our Heavenly Father
grant to both of you health of body and every en
joyment you crave as you journey to us. We wel
come you; the native churches at Bolenge, Longa,
Lotumbe, and Monieka welcome you; the heathen
who know and esteem you welcome you. Blessed is
he who cometh in the name of the Lord."

(Signed)

Herbert Smith E. R. Moon

Mrs. Herbert Smith Mrs. E. R. Moon

Charles P. Hedges Louis F. Jaggard, M.D.

Royal J. Dye, M.D. Annella Jaggard

R. S. Wilson Edna V. Eck

Mrs. R. S. Wilson A. F. Hensey

Mrs. A. F. Hensey

On their arrival at Leopoldville, Mr. and Mrs.
Eldred were accorded passage on the English Baptist
steamer, " Endeavour." The first days of the
journey were very pleasantly spent, for there were
a number of missionaries on board, and there is no
finer fellowship than that among the Heralds of the
Cross. But late in the afternoon of the third day
the steamer struck a hidden reef of rocks, which tore
several holes in the steel hull. Had it not been that
the reef was broad and flat, the steamer would have
been lost. As it was, it slowly settled upon the rocks
and rested there.

Mr. Eldred helped the ladies to a lifeboat, and
to the shore, after which, with his usual abandon,
he threw himself into the task of lightening the
steamer of thirty tons of cargo. Meanwhile the
passengers had been camping in the rain under a
tent-fly on a muddy beach. The British Consul,

120 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Mr. Campbell, who was also on board, went over
land fifteen miles to the American Baptist Mission
at Tchumberi, and help came from there. After
three days' work with the steamer it was floated and
the steamer " Livingstone " also came to help. The
accident happened on Wednesday and on the next
Monday they were able to proceed on their journey.

The rest of the journey was made on the " Living
stone," which arrived at Bolenge February twenty-
fifth, and Mr. and Mrs. Eldred received a doubly
hearty welcome from the missionaries and natives,
on account of their deliverance from such a danger.
They found that all the missionaries from all the
stations had come down to Bolenge for a conference,
so several days were spent in discussing the problems
of the work, and in laying plans for the future.

Embarking on the " Oregon " they reached Longa
March the second. And such a welcome as they had !
Great crowds lined the beach to shake the hand of
Mr. Eldred and to meet Mrs. Eldred, whom most
of them had never seen up to this time.

Then they went on up the Momboyo to Lotumbe
and saw the progress of the new station ; came back
again to Longa; then went up the Great Bussira to
Monieka. There Mr. Eldred and Mr. Moon bap
tized nineteen people and had a three days' itinera
tion in some of the nearer villages.

Mr. and Mrs. Eldred settled down to work at
Longa on March seventeenth. But Dr. and Mrs.
Jaggard were now due to leave on furlough and
had not been very well. Therefore, they left for
home on April twenty- fourth. Mr. and Mrs. Eldred
were alone at Longa for eighteen months.

Dr. Royal J. Dye came home at the same time as
Dr. and Mrs. Jaggard. His departure meant much

BUSY DAYS AT LONGA

extra responsibility for Mr. Eldred. While it has
not been possible for Dr. and Mrs. Dye to return
to the field, they have helped to keep up interest in
the Congo work among the churches in the United
States. At present Dr. Dye is one of those leading
in the Men and Millions Movement, which means
so much for the world's evangelization.

In July, 1911, Mrs. Eldred wrote home of the
successes and difficulties of the work. In her former
terms she had written very seldom, but as one fol
lows her vivid pen, he can but wish she had written
more:

"On the morning of June i6th, 1911, the fifteen
evangelists came in from the back country where
they had been preaching and teaching. Forty-six
people came with them, some to ask for baptism and
some to see for themselves, for the first time, the
White Man and some of the ways of civilization.
The people are slow to believe what the evangelists
tell of the ' Good Story ' and want to hear it from
the lips of the White Man himself.

" Mr. Eldred already had a good force of men and
boys and the following Monday the list was in
creased to ninety-seven, so you see he had his hands
full. Those who come in want to work while here
in order to buy food. There were two special evan
gelistic meetings daily, besides the school, in which
several new classes were formed.

" Not many of the back country people wear
clothes, but have the tribal marks cut on the face
and body, besides many deeply embossed fanciful
ones for beauty's sake.

" Each evangelist had an interesting story to tell
of his experiences. Some reported much opposition
from the Catholics, but usually their meetings were

A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

well attended. One, Nsomi, told of the arguments
he had had with some Catholic teachers.

" There were continual disputes between our
evangelists and the Catholic teachers. Finally, the
chiefs of Bongale, a village of some 3,000 people,
arranged for a large public meeting at which each
side was to be given a full public hearing. One
Catholic teacher in his speech said Christ went into
the water ankle deep and John the Baptist dipped
up some water and poured it on his head. Later
on another said Christ went into the water knee deep
and still another contended that the water was waist
deep. Then Nsomi opened his book and read to
them the account of Christ's baptism in the River
Jordan, with an explanation of the same.

" This evangelist, Nsomi, is a veritable pearl re
deemed from the depths of sin, and, since his bap
tism nearly four years ago, has been almost con
stantly engaged as an evangelist of the church. He
has learned to read well and is no mean contestant
for the faith that is in Christ. On this occasion
he was shrewd enough not to try to convince his
opponents, but to gain not only the ears but also
the good will of his large audience. This he did, not
only by reading from the Scriptures themselves, a
thing which the Catholics could not do, but also
showing the many discrepancies in their teaching.

" After three weeks' teaching and preparation, on
Sunday, July ninth, twenty men and boys and seven
women confessed their Saviour and were buried with
Him in baptism."

As Longa was a new station, and so many of the
people in the regions around about had never heard
the Gospel, itineration seemed to be the great ^need,
so Mr. Eldred spent many weeks in journeys, on foot

BUSY DAYS AT LONGA

and in canoe, to the Momboyo and Bolingo Rivers,
and in all directions in the interior, leaving Mrs.
Eldred alone at Longa.

In June of 1911 Mrs. Eldred was attacked by
Blackwater fever. There was no doctor at all in the
Mission at the time, and the " Oregon " was away
down river, but Miss Eck and Mrs. Hensey hurried
up there by Trading steamer, and the Belgian
doctor at Coquilhatville sent medicine and directions.
After her recovery from this attack Mrs. Eldred
seemed to gain for a time, but this sickness really
marked the " beginning of sorrows " in the Mission.

Some time after this she wrote of the need of
doctors for the Congo :

" In America, where there are so many doctors
that it is often a struggle for them to have practice
enough to enable them to make a living, people can
not understand what it would mean to need medical
aid and not be able to get it. Here the situation
is very much different, for not only do we need
medical aid for ourselves, but there are millions of
natives in this country who might be healed of many
and varied ailments.

" Let me tell you something of our situation : Longa
is seventy-five miles from the State Post of Coquil
hatville, on the Ruki River, where but few steamers
pass and white visitors are seldom seen. Should one
member of the Mission get sick the other must render
what aid he can and watch alone, not knowing which
way the turn will be. Should the sickness be a
severe attack of malarial fever the crisis is over
in a few hours, but should the illness be an attack of
haematuric fever it is several days before the danger
is past. Some may say, ' Why don't they call the
doctor ? ' There are no railroads in this part of the

A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

country, so all travel must be by river or a narrow
footpath through the jungle. It is one day's travel
down to Coquilhatville and three days' back by canoe,
so you see the patient would either be dead or well
before help could arrive. Lotumbe is seventy-five
miles further up on the Momboyo River, so you see
they are one hundred and fifty miles from a doctor.

" Why are there no doctors ready and anxious to
come where the need is so great?

" The missionary, though he be not a medical
man, must of necessity do much medical work and
surgical work; treat fevers and other diseases, pull
teeth, lance abscesses, remove filaria of elephantia
sis from the eyeballs of the natives, attend con
finement cases, as well as many other things. Not
long ago Mr. Eldred had to chloroform a native in
order to remove the filaria of elephantiasis from his
eye, and another day sew up a cut about three inches
long in a man's arm. Sometimes he will pull teeth
for white people and care for traders who are
sick and have no knowledge of medicine.

" Perhaps you would like to know about the supply
of surgical instruments in the dispensary: There
are three or four old rusty toothed forceps to pull
teeth for white people and natives; one hemostat
or artery forceps, one old pair of rusty tweezers,
two pairs of scissors, one needle forceps, a few
needles, and one hypodermic outfit. Some may ask
why we are without a good supply of necessary in
struments. The Society would be very glad indeed
to send us a good supply of instruments if some
one would only furnish the money with which to buy
them. Surgical instruments are very expensive and
there are so many calls for money."

For some years all the missionaries of the various

BUSY DAYS AT LONGA 125

Mission Boards working in Belgian Congo have been
wont to meet together in conference every two years.
In September of 1911 that Conference was held at
Bolenge and forty-six missionaries of the various
Societies attended this gathering and Mr. Eldred
read a thoughtful paper, as well as taking part in the
many helpful discussions. He was also chosen a
member of the Continuation Committee of this
Conference.

Writing to Mrs. S. B. Dobyns at Bethany, West
Virginia, an account of this conference, Mrs. Eldred
closed as follows:

" We held a conference of our own workers after
wards, so we did not leave Bolenge until the follow
ing Monday, the twenty-third. We arrived at Longa
the next day, after an absence of more than two
weeks, glad indeed to be at home and at work again.
The next few days were busy ones, as we were get
ting the forty-three evangelists ready to go out to
the needy fields to be gone until Christmas time.
The ' Oregon ' came back from Lotumbe on Friday
and the following morning they left for Monieka, Mr.
Eldred going with them four hours steaming up
to the mouth of the Bolingo River, then from there
he went by steel boat to some villages where he left
four evangelists. This is a new field where there
are countless numbers of people who had never yet
heard of God and His Son, Jesus. Mr. Eldred did
not return until the following Wednesday, so you
see I was all alone from early Saturday morning
until Wednesday evening after dark. You can
imagine that I was rather lonely, no other white
people for many miles in any direction. At night
when all was still and I the only one in the house I
wished very much that more workers might come

126 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

to help garner the sheaves, so that one white person
need not be left alone for days at a time. The natives
ask us often why people do not come out here to
teach them, for they say that there is too much work
for the few who are here.

" The ' Oregon ' returned from Monieka last Wed
nesday and reported twenty-five baptisms there the
Sunday previous ; this makes a total of two hundred
and thirty-six in the Mission for October and
November."

In April of 1911 Mrs. Eldred was chosen as the
Living-Link missionary of the church at Cameron,
West Virginia. When she was notified of this rela
tionship, she wrote them an interesting picture of the
work and of their life in a letter dated June eighth,
some extracts from which follow:

" I was very agreeably surprised to receive your
good messages of cheer by last mail. As our mail
comes but once every three weeks we always look
anxiously for the steamer. Bolenge is situated but
1 seven miles from the State Post of Coquilhatville,
while Longa is seventy-five miles, and our newest
station, Lotumbe, is seventy-five miles beyond us.
Lotumbe sends a canoe down with their mail, so
we send their mail with ours on the S. A. B.
Trading steamer, which passes here every three
weeks on Thursday, returning a few days later with
our letters from the homeland. We then send the
Lotumbe canoe back up with their share of the
mail. So you see we do not get mail very often and
if we only get a few letters we think we are for
gotten !

" I wish I could describe our field out here so you
could understand our situation. The station here is
but a little clearing in the forest jungle, though our

BUSY DAYS AT LONGA 127

grounds, seventeen and a half acres, are not all
cleared yet; some of it is dense jungle; the river
front is all cleared. Longa is situated on a high bluff
overlooking the River Ruki ; about fifteen miles south
of the Equator. A number of tropical fruit trees
have been set out and gardens made. At first the
only residence was one with mud walls and a mud
floor, but last year Dr. Jaggard built a brick house.
It is far from being finished, though it has been
occupied for about a year. It takes a long time to
build a house here, for the necessary lumber has to
be sawed in the forest with pit saws and carried in
on men's shoulders ; clay for making brick has to be
found and the bricks made and burned; then the
white man has to be his own architect and builder,
and all particular work has to be done with his own
hands, as no trained help is to be had here. Mr.
Eldred has at present more than sixty workmen and
boys on the payroll and it takes some time to look
after them. The station has to be kept up and the
grass cut often, for you know we are here almost
on the Equator, in what is known as the daily
thunderstorm belt, and verdure is always green and
abundant the year round.

" Perhaps something about our daily life here
would interest you. Owing to the heat we wear
white or light wash clothes all the time. We can
raise green vegetables, such as beans, lettuce, toma
toes, etc. (but no Irish potatoes). Our staple
groceries such as butter, sugar and flour, we have
to order from England. They come sealed in air
tight tin cans, because of the long ocean voyage and
the climate here. We can expect an order of goods
in from six to nine months after the order has been
sent to our agent in England, so you see we have to

128 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

keep a good stock of provisions on hand all the time.
We cannot send an order in the morning and expect
the goods for dinner that day ! We have a flock of
chickens and can buy small native chickens and
eggs from the natives. We also have a flock of
sheep and goats, thus having a little fresh milk to
use, and occasionally an animal to kill for fresh
meat. Our sheep here have hair on their bodies like
a horse, instead of wool.

" There are no horses or cows or beasts of burden
in this country. All loads are carried on the women's
backs. There are no roads and the only means of
travel save by water is by narrow footpaths through
the jungle, through swamps and streams. These
people are not civilized, save the few who are con
nected with our stations. The people live in small
houses of bamboo and thatch, and their only article
of clothing is a small loin cloth. They rub their
bodies with a mixture of palm oil and red powder
made from the camwood ; they also fill their hair
with this paste after braiding it. They dress their
hair about every three months, so you can imagine
its filthy condition. Domestic slavery is the curse of
the country and all women are sold as wives whether
they are slaves or free women. They have no form
of marriage; when a man wants a wife he simply
goes and buys one and takes her to his place of
abode. There is no word for virtue or purity in
their language, so you may know they are a very
immoral people.

" Yesterday we had the pleasure of baptizing
twenty-seven people here at Longa. The evangelists
go out into the interior towns for two months at a
time, then when they return there are a number who
come for baptism.

BUSY DAYS AT LONGA 129

" When I tell you I have not seen a white woman
and but two or three white men since May fourth,
you may understand something about the isolation.
At Lotumbe they are still more isolated than we are
here. Since March sixth Mrs. Smith has not seen a
white woman and but few white men. Now that we
have the steamer ' Oregon ' we will have visitors
more often, for it will make at least two trips a year
to bring supplies.

" You must not get discouraged and think I do not
intend to write. Just remember that it usually takes
two months for a letter to reach us, sometimes
longer, so by the time an answer returns five or six
months have passed. I shall try to tell you about
the progress of the work here from time to time."

A MANY-SIDED SERVICE

IN the meantime the work at the station was not
altogether neglected. Mrs. Eldred was conduct
ing meetings for the women, having much of the
direction of the church during Mr. Eldred's frequent
absences, looking after the Orphanage, teaching the
girls housekeeping, sewing, modesty, cleanliness, and
the Christ life, and also finding time for numberless
deeds of mercy among the unfortunates of Longa,
as well as being devoted to her household duties.
How spick and span she kept their Congo home!
The plain board floor in their dining room was as
clean as the table, and the kitchen utensils shone
like mirrors.

She was trying also to do some special training
of the wives of the evangelists. Her hope was that
each one of these wives would not only hold special
services for the women, but carry into the heathen
villages something of the spirit of Christian home
life.

Lumber cutting, brick making, preaching, teach
ing, healing — all these and more kept Mr. Eldred
busy from morning to night. From the time Mr.
Eldred brought his bride to Congoland, he had al
ways planned to build her a home which should be
just to her liking. Now it seemed necessary to
build another dwelling at Longa, as they were living
in the one erected by Dr. Jaggard and they hoped
that a few months more would see the Dr. and Mrs.

130

A MANY-SIDED SERVICE 131

Jaggard back on the field. So bricks were made,
lumber piled up to season, and hardware ordered
from England. After some months the foundations
were laid and the walls commenced to rise, eagerly
watched by Mrs. Eldred.

Mr. Eldred was very chivalrous in his thought
of women. No matter how busy or tired he was,
he never liked to appear in the presence of any of the
Mission ladies unless he was neatly dressed. Nor
was he ever too much occupied to leave his work
to render any of the ladies a service. The wrongs
of native women caused his soul to rise up in indig
nant protest, and he was a very knight in righting
those when it was possible.

And this chivalry found a tender expression in this
home he was building for Mrs. Eldred. Every fea
ture of it was designed for her comfort and pleasure.
It was built low, so that she might have but few steps
to climb; it had a fireplace, because in her frailty
she felt the dampness; the kitchen was built very
near, to save her walking far. In a very real sense
its building was a labour of love.

One who has never seen Ray Eldred at work can
hardly appreciate the tremendous energy and in
dustry of this " White Man of Work." The natives
never tired of watching and wondering. Being left-
handed, he could use almost any tool with either
hand, and when high up on a building they would
see him carelessly toss the hammer from one hand
to another and drive nails with either, it was amus
ing to watch them as they put the hand over the
mouth with long drawn out " Oh's ! " of wonder
and admiration.

Did he lack a rake? he made one. Or a canthook?
His ingenuity did not fail. Did he lack tin shears

132 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

to cut the sheets of galvanized iron for the roof?
Away to the forge, and once again the natives stand
around and watch him as the rtewly made tool snips
its way through the hard sheets.

The many-sidedness of his work and the versatility
of his talents always characterized his missionary
service. This was noticed especially by Professor
Deweese, who wrote once of Mr. Eldred :

" His versatility will be clearly illustrated when
you read that Mr. Eldred went out as a Mechanical
Missionary — to have charge of building operations,
the development of the domestic life, the sanitary
conditions of the station. The remark was made
then that within two years the efficiency of Mr.
Eldred as a Missionary Evangelist would manifest
itself in striking ways. The expectations of his col
lege years were more than verified in his entire
career on the field. It is particularly worthy of note,
and to this fact his colleagues bear witness, that the
great missionary activity which characterizes our
African missionary work is chiefly due to the con
stant emphasis laid upon this duty in his teaching."

He was as versatile in his nature. On matters of
principle he held very strong convictions and could
on occasion be so stern and inflexible that one was
forcibly reminded of the Puritan strain in his an
cestry. In such times the words of the poet fitted
him well:

" Conscious of strength, he loved to stand alone,
Steadfast and cool amid the storm and stress,
. . . . a piece of Plymouth Rock."

And in this quality lay much of his force of
character and fitness for leadership.
On the other hand, positive as he was, few men

A MANY-SIDED SERVICE 133

could yield more gracefully than Mr. Eldred. If
he were convinced that he had taken the wrong side
of a question, then he came over to the other side
with the same enthusiasm. In matters of Mission
policy he had his own ideas -and advocated them
vigorously, but when he found that the majority of
his brethren felt differently, he gave up, and bowed to
the general will. All his younger brethren remem
ber an instance of this at the last Annual Convention
of the Mission he attended, just a few weeks before
his death. Finding himself standing alone on a ques
tion regarding which he had for years held very
strong opinions, he sacrificed his cherished ideas to
preserve harmony.

And how tender he could be! No sorrowing or
needy one ever came to him in vain, if he was able
to help, and no penitent soul went away from him
without having seen through him the compassionate
Christ. At one of the busiest periods of his work
he spent an hour a day preaching to a deaf and dumb
man through an interpreter. How happy he was
when this man was baptized in October of 1911 !

This was seen also in their home life. Mr. and
Mrs. Eldred were of heroic mould and their lives
were busy and troubles came, but they found time
to be joyous and to be glad. After the first term Mrs.
Eldred seldom felt well, but on the days when she was
better, few entered more heartily than she into the
play time. Mr. Eldred usually had an appetite com
mensurate with his huge frame, and she never tired of
bantering him about it, and his ringing laugh, as she
told some joke on him, how it made problems and
perplexities vanish ! During her stay at Battle Creek
she had imbibed some of the food reform ideas of
the Sanitarium, but these never appealed to Mr.

134 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Eldred, who under ordinary circumstances could
digest anything. Many of the missionaries will re
call one time when Mr. Eldred was not very well
and Mrs. Eldred told him he had eaten something
not good for him, with what a gleam of fun in his
eyes he retorted, " I never did have any indigestion
until you quit giving me pie ! "

In May of 1912 Dr. and Mrs. Jaggard returned
from their furlough, but the Government had just
granted permission for a station at Monieka, so
instead of being with Mr. and Mrs. Eldred at Longa,
it was necessary for them to go and open the station
at Monieka.

In June Mr. Eldred had quite a serious accident.
While opening a bale of cloth a small piece of rivet
flew into his right eye, cutting the eyeball badly.
Fortunately, Dr. Jaggard happened to be at Longa
at the time and treated the injured eye. After a
couple of weeks he seemed to have recovered, but
never afterward could he see quite so well with that
eye. This was very unfortunate, as for many years
his left eye had been the weaker of the two and now
was left in its weakness the better of the two.

Mr. Stephen J. Corey, Secretary of the Foreign
Christian Missionary Society, made a visit to the
Congo in the summer of 1912. He wrote an in
tensely interesting account of his trip and of the
work in a book entitled, " Among Central African
Tribes." In that account he devotes a number of
pages to Mr. and Mrs. Eldred and the work at
Longa. These few selections are taken from that
work:

" Longa is wonderfully beautiful for a new station.
. . . Two fine brick houses are nearly complete, and
I saw the first chimney since coming to Congo. . . .

A MANY-SIDED SERVICE 135

Eldred is quite an industrial missionary and has a
fine workshop with hand-power saw, forge, and other
apparatus. . . . One of the sweetest and most
spiritual experiences of my life was here this morn
ing at 8 130, when Mr. Eldred and I baptized sixteen
converts in the Bussira. . . . The service was most
reverent and the singing excellent. Mr. Eldred
seems to be doing a very steady and substantial
work. . . . The school teaches reading, writing,
and a little arithmetic. From four to five each day
French is taught. . . . Eldred is of the pioneer
instinct and likes exploration and the danger of
opening new districts. He has had some very thrill
ing experiences in this connection. He has endured
much hardship and danger in this frontier work."

As one looks back over those busy years at Longa,
with only one man for so many duties, he cannot
wonder at the prayer of one of the Christian boys.
At a meeting conducted by the natives themselves,
this lad prayed something like this :

" O God, have you no more white teachers left
in America? We need a teacher with need itself.
We have only one white man for all the work, and
we do not hear of any other coming. If there are
some there still, let Thy Holy Spirit seek out a
teacher for us, and let him come soon. And give him
much fluency of speech, that he may quickly teach
us Thy Gospel."

VI
BY CANOE TO THE BOLINGO

ON account of her health, Mrs. Eldred had very
few opportunities to go on journeys with her
husband, but in April, 1912, she made a trip
to the Bolingo, or Lokweji River, with him. So in
teresting was her account of this trip that, although
it covered six closely typed pages, it was published
in full in the Missionary Intelligencer. The limits
of this work permit only abstracts:

" Mr. Eldred made a trip to the Bolingo River
last October and placed teachers there for the first
time. When the evangelists returned from there this
last March they reported some people ready for
baptism, but they were afraid to come down to the
' Big River ' ! ' For,' they said, ' it is death, death
itself ' ; so we decided to go up there for a few days."
" We reached the mouth of the Bolingo River at
noon and stopped at a fishing camp to cook dinner.
All afternoon we went on and on, occasionally stop
ping to cut a tree or an obstructing limb out of the
way. We reached another fishing camp just before
dark, so decided to spend the night there. I wish I
could describe these camps to you so you could
realize what they look like. In low water people go
from the towns and build temporary shelters to live
in while fishing ; in high water these places are under
water. This camp had just one shed about thirty
feet long; the roof was made of thatch and sloped
only one way, the direction in which the rains came.

136

BY CANOE TO THE BOLINGO 137

The sides were open, it was only a roof to keep the
rain off. There were five beds built about fifteen
inches above the ground, of poles as large as my
wrist and each bed was ten or twelve poles wide."

" There are many fallen trees and snags in the
river obstructing the way, so we spent about four
hours of the next forenoon cutting trees and limbs.
At one place Mr. Eldred and his men were in the
water waist deep for over two hours cutting trees,
some of them under water, to make a passage for our
boat. While we were waiting my cook and another
boy spied a very poisonous snake high up on the
limb of a tree, so they cut a stick for a bow and
getting some string and an arrow from Mr. Eldred
they shot the snake. When it fell to the ground they
quickly despatched it with a knife."

" After we had gone a short distance some people
from a fishing camp heard us and when they learned
that it was Is'ea Mpela (Mr. Eldred) and his wife,
they came running to see us. Two of these men
insisted on carrying me for some distance, and, as
no white woman had ever been in that part of the
country before, I was a great curiosity. The path
was so bad that the hammock was continually catch
ing on trees and limbs and once my dress got caught
and badly torn ; once while crossing a swamp which
took an hour, one man slipped and dropped the
hammock; this caused me to sit down in six inches
of water."

" It was about eight o'clock when we came into the
village of Bangala and our men called out to the
people that the White Man and his wife were com
ing, so men came running to carry my hammock.
By the time we reached the Chief's house a great
crowd was around us, for such a visit is very un-

138 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

usual, as a White Man is seldom seen in that part
of the country and never before a White Woman.
We were given a small house to sleep in ; it was just
a thatched roof with very low eaves and open ends
and sides. We were dripping wet and very cold,
but there was no place where we could go to change
our clothes, so after eating a cold supper, we talked
awhile to the people. The house was packed and
people were standing around wherever they could
get a little space. Finally, we told the people that
they must go, for we were very tired and wanted to
go to bed. We spread our blankets on the native
bamboo bed and tied our mosquito net up, but even
then we just had to drive the people away. After
putting out the light (burning gum copal) we got
under the net and undressed, thankful to be under
a roof once more."

" Some of the women asked me why I did not
tattoo my face and body and rub with ' ngola ' (red
paste) as they did, instead of washing with soap
and water. This gave me an opportunity to ask
why they were not satisfied with the way God made
their bodies and why they destroyed them the way
they do."

" Here the path is cleared for about ten feet
wide, so we did not have the difficulties to encounter
that we had the day before. We had to cross one
swamp on poles and fallen trees, some places high
above the ground, and I almost held my breath for
fear one of the men would make a misstep and I
would get a bad fall. I breathed easier when at last
we were on solid ground again."

" As no white woman and but few white men had
ever been seen here, you can imagine that people
gathered to see us and to discuss our ways of dress

BY CANOE TO THE BOLINGO 139

and everything we did. One of our men said to a
native of the village, ' Haven't you anything to do
but stand and look at the White Man ? ' He replied,
' The White Man does not come to see us very often
and I am going to look at him all I want to ! '

" Sunday morning our hearts were made glad
when seven confessed Christ and were buried with
Him in baptism, the first fruits of the work in the
Bolingo towns. The Catholics here, as they do
everywhere, frighten the people by telling them that
when the Engelesa (Protestants) baptize people
they put them in the water under a canoe and leave
them there for two days, but they added another lie
this time and said that their necks would first be
cut with a knife. So you see it took some courage
for the first ones to step out and be baptized, not
knowing just what it might mean. The mother of
one of the boys did not go down to the river to
witness the baptisms (in the Bolingo River, about
half an hour's walk away) but stayed in Bolingo
w'angele (West Bolingo) and wailed and cursed,
thinking that her boy was being murdered, but when
he returned alive and well, she was very happy."

" Once while stopping to pull the canoe over a
log, we heard the roar of a waterfall and some dis
tance down found that the natives had built a very
strong fence across the river and lined it on the
up-river side with watting and leaves, making a real
dam with but a small opening for canoes to pass
through. The openings in these fences are left for
two reasons ; one is that canoes may pass through
and the other is that they may catch fish in their
traps. Here the men were afraid to go through in
the canoe, as there was a good bit of a fall and
danger of the canoe being overturned, so they looked

140 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

to Mr. Eldred with the question, ' What shall we
do ? ' There was no other way, we had to go
through. Mr. Eldred cut the opening in the dam
some larger, then as the native steersman was afraid
to make the shoot, Mr. Eldred landed those of our
crew who were afraid and taking the long steering
paddle himself, he brought the canoe into the current,
now somewhat increased because of the enlarged
opening in the dam. It was a moment of tension,
one mis-stroke of his paddle meant a capsized canoe,
loss of goods, and perhaps some of us drowned, but
his aim was straight and sure, for the nose of the
canoe truck the centre of the four-foot opening and
we shot through into the swirling, roaring waters
below. We then picked up the men who had landed
above the dam and started on down river. About a
fourth of a mile below this, the river, which at
this point was deep and but about sixty feet wide,
made a sharp turn. The current was strong, and
there was a snag in the way. Mr. Eldred, who was
still steering, sent the canoe around the snag and we
were about to feel easy again when bump ! the back
part of the canoe struck heavily against a hidden
snag; the canoe dipped several inches of water but
fortunately righted itself again. I was soaked, but
like the others, grabbed one of our cooking pots and
began bailing water. I was sitting well forward in
the canoe. Mr. Eldred and two of the men were
thrown into the river, which was some ten or twelve
feet deep. Rising to the surface, he looked for me
and seeing me still sitting safe in the canoe, he
swam after his helmet and taking it in his teeth soon
reached the canoe."

" After six months' work and two visits of the
White Man, seven baptisms may seem to be a small

BY CANOE TO THE BOLINGO 141

harvest, but there are many others thinking seriously
of leaving off the old life with its vices and sins,
and they told us that when we came again there
would be many people ready for baptism. There are
many children and young people there who may be
come followers of the Christ, but for many, many
of them the Gospel has come too late. As we looked
into their hopeless faces we thought that Christ had
died for them, too, but no one has ever told them
before and now it is too late. These people are just
a few of Africa's millions who are waiting for the
' good news.' "

" One of the questions we are asked by the natives
is this : ' How long had the Good News been known
in your country ? ' and when we tell them how many
hundreds of years, they ask, ' Why then did your
fathers let our fathers die?' We cannot be held
responsible for their not having received the Gospel
centuries ago; we are responsible for the spreading
of the Gospel in our generation. You at home are
just as responsible as are we who are on the field,
and your part is as important as ours.

* Tell it again, tell it again,
Earth's glad story repeat o'er and o'er,
Till no one can say of the children of men,
Nobody ever had told me before.' "

VII
THE MEN HE TRAINED

ONE needs only to read the annual reports of
Mr. Eldred to realize how successful he was.
Even in that year when he had been away
from the station so much, when the industrial side
of the work required so much attention, and when
there were but the two of them for all the duties,
his report made in July, 1912, showed that there had
been seventy-one baptisms during the year, and that
the membership of the Longa church had increased
to one hundred and ninety.

He had, however, been having an even more sig
nificant kind of success, the kind he mentions in this
sentence from that report : " One special feature of
the church services has been the preaching by native
teachers in the presence of the missionaries, thereby
developing the hope of the church — a native
ministry."

Few of the missionaries felt as deeply as did he
the need for rightly trained native preachers and
teachers, to be the leaders of the church. Quietly
and modestly he had been training them, and about
this time in his career, some of those who had been
with him began to show the fruits of their training.

First and foremost of these was Is'ekae. As al
ready noted, he was one of the first men Mr. Eldred
trained as a carpenter in his early years at Bolenge,
and whom he won also to Christ. Is'ekae's baptism

142

IS EKAE AND FAMILY. HE WAS MR. ELDRED S MOST
OUTSTANDING CONVERT

THE MEN HE TRAINED 143

occurred in February, 1906, and soon after that he
returned to his own town, near Lotumbe. His return
there was the occasion for the first visit of the mis
sionaries to that district, for he had been so faith
ful a workman and Christian that they felt they
ought to see that he reached his town safely. He
had suffered from heart trouble for a number of
years.

Arriving at Mbala and proceeding to his town
Is'ekae suffered much from persecution and loneli
ness until the evangelist Is'olumbu was located at
Lotumbe in November of 1907. Is'ekae helped
Is'olumbu in every way possible in starting the work
and in June, 1909, he moved to Lotumbe, that he
and his family might have spiritual fellowship and
that he might aid Is'olumbu in building up ths
church. The date of his moving to Lotumbe marked
the beginning of a new epoch in the life of th*
Lotumbe church. From that time on its growth was
rapid, and when Mr. and Mrs. Smith went to open
the station in 1910, they had no wiser counsellor or
truer friend than Is'ekae.

When it came time to choose the first officers in
the church, Is'ekae was made an elder, and he
honoured that office as long as he lived. Then when
Mr. and Mrs. Smith went home on furlough and the
large work of the station fell upon the shoulders of
Messrs. Hobgood and Holder, who had only ar
rived a few months before, Is'ekae was as father and
friend to the young men, and a tower of strength
to the church.

With perhaps the single exception of Iso Timothee
at Bolenge, Is'ekae came into more real appreciation
of the white man's teaching and manner of life than
any other of those thus far won. And in spiritual

144 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

perception, prayer life, and the Christian graces, he
stood second to none.

Therefore, his death in August, 1915, was mourned
by all at every station. Of him one may truly say,
" He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit
and of faith."

On his return to Bolenge after his first furlough,
Mr. Eldred had taken on a number of young men
who wished to learn to be carpenters and sawyers.
When he went to Longa they went with him. Many
of them learned to read and write after becoming
Christians, and became acceptable preachers. But
most of them were originally from the High Mom-
boyo, and when Lotumbe became a station, they went
there, that they might be nearer their home villages.

Of that group three men deserve special mention.
After staying for a time at Lotumbe each of them
decided to return to his own village.

Bonkonya went to lyete, one hundred and sixty
miles up the Momboyo beyond Lotumbe, and com
menced to preach in his own and the neighbouring
villages. Before long converts came to Lotumbe
for baptism, and many have been won for Christ in
the lyete district.

Itoko went on one hundred miles farther up river
to Bongale, near the Belgian post of Monkoto.
There his preaching wrought such regeneration that
the Government officer urged him to come and locate
nearer the post. This he did later.

Ndemboji's town was up the Lokolo River, at
Mbangilombe. In point of numbers won and far-
reaching results his work seems to be the largest
of the three.

How Mr. Eldred's heart must have glowed with
satisfaction when the news of Itoko's work came

THE MEN HE TRAINED 145

down to him; when he baptized some of Bonkonya's
converts at lyete in July of 1912; and when in
August, 1913, he saw the hundreds won by Ndem-
boji !

But these are only a few out of many. Space fails
when one would add to this honour roll. One can
only mention such men as Basele, whom he left so
often in charge at Longa when he had to leave the
station; Longomo, an elder at Lotumbe and a
preacher of power; Ngoe, who has been such a
help in the school at Longa; and Yoka, Lokoso,
Nsomi, Njale, and Bosao, leaders in the Longa
church, as well as Nkamonya, Bolingo, and Njoji in
the Lotumbe church, or of the many others who had
their training under Ray Eldred.

The service of the average Congo missionary is
very, very short, and Mr. Eldred's was shorter than
that of many. But his work goes on into uncounted
years in the lives of those whom he stamped with the
" likeness of the King."

"The world goes on and happiest is he
Who in such wise views immortality
That, should he sleep forever in the grave,
His work goes on and helps the world to save."

VIII
ALONE WITH HIS ' DEAD

SORROW soon came to Longa. When the new
house, which Mr. Eldred was building for her,
lacked only a few weeks of being sufficiently
completed so that they might move into it, Mrs.
Eldred was taken seriously ill. The writer, who
was that year acting as temporary captain of the
S. S. " Oregon," stopped at Longa, November first,
1912, with supplies for the station, and found both
Mr. and Mrs. Eldred ill. It was evident that he had
only a mild attack of fever, for he was up again the
following morning. But Mrs. Eldred's illness
seemed more serious, and so the captain offered to
stay with them until she should be better. But
neither of them seemed to think her sickness serious,
and insisted that the steamer go on to Lotumbe and
Monieka. What a difference it might have made had
the danger been apprehended ! The " Oregon "
could have gone at once to Monieka and Dr. Jaggard
could have been at Longa by the fourth. Two
weeks later, about four P.M. of the fourteenth, a
canoe was met as the steamer was coming down
river and was within five hours of Longa, and hastily
scrawled notes to Dr. Jaggard and the Captain were
handed on board by the worn-out paddlers. Both
urged all possible speed, and ended, " I'll do my
best, but it is haematuria." As Mrs. Eldred had
been near to death the year before with this fever,
all were very anxious. The Captain turned the

146

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD 147

steamer up-stream immediately and ran into a storm
until eight-thirty that night. It was dangerous, for
they were running at full speed in the darkness, only
lighted by the flashes of lightning, the " Oregon "
having no searchlight. The next day the steamer crew
did its best, working like demons to get the doctor
to their " Mama." Unfortunately, a cargo of more
than thirty tons was on board and wood was hard
to find in high water time, so it was difficult to make
speed against the swift current. At five P.M. the
steamer reached Monieka and in fifteen minutes Dr.
and Mrs. Jaggard were on board, and once more the
" Oregon " was speeding down river. Storms again
hindered, one so severe that the steamer was nearly
capsized, and it was four P.M. of the sixteenth be
fore Longa was reached, and too late. In fact, Mrs.
Eldred was dead and buried before the canoe with
the letters met the steamer. It was too late, but it
is a satisfaction to know that all in human power was
done to get the doctor to Mrs. Eldred.

In a letter written to Mrs. A. R. Bourne, Dean of
Women in Bethany College, in whose Mission Study
Class in Kentucky University his missionary ambi
tions were crystallized into decision, and who, with
her mother, Mrs. Dobyns, had been very close to
both Mr. and Mrs. Eldred during all the years, Mr.
Eldred gives some details of this Gethsemane of his
life:

" Longa, November 13, 1912.
" I'll write you now as I sit by Mrs. Eldred's bed
side, so you will know how we do here at Longa,
though I have no encouraging news to write. I
myself have been well and am so at present. How
ever, Mrs. Eldred has been and still is very ill. Since

148 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

nearly four weeks ago she has been in bed most of
the time. She was up a little after the first week in
bed, then got a little worse and has been in bed
since. We were getting on as well as we could by
ourselves, and with Mrs. Eldred some little better,
till this morning at nine, when she had a congestive
chill. Her heart was so weak I could scarcely find
any pulse beats. Her hands and feet were unusually
cold and her hands, feet, and lips were blue with
blood that did not circulate. These were also numb
and her tongue was so numb she could hardly speak
to me. I worked over her for fully an hour and
finally succeeded, with Heaven's blessing, in bringing
her out of the chill. Then shortly after her symptoms
showed that it was haematuria pure and simple. I
have already sent a swift canoe with seven of my
best men to Monieka with orders not to rest day
nor night till they get my letter to Mr. Hensey and
Dr. Jaggard asking them to come with all speed.
Mr. Hensey is at Monieka with the S. S. ' Oregon.'
It will take my men three and a half days, the very
best they can do, as Monieka is one hundred and
twenty-five miles up river. As I have had much
experience with sickness out here and with Mrs.
Eldred resting much better now at noon, we have a
good bit of hope for her."

" November I5th.

" It is with a heavy heart that I sit down to finish
this letter to you, for yesterday at about one P.M.
I buried my own dear wife and companion. I had
written the first part of this letter with pen, but
have copied it here as it leads up to what follows.
Mrs. Eldred rested very easily till some time after
noon when she became delirious at times and by

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD

six P.M. was so most of the time. By half past
ten she no longer knew me. From then on I felt
sure that she would soon leave me and at eleven
fifteen she passed quietly out to be with her Master.
Some fifteen minutes before she died she seemed to
recognize some unseen presence and for nearly ten
minutes was continually reaching out her hands as
if to welcome and lay hold of it.

" It was indeed an hour for trial for me, alone
with my dear dead. To be sure there were a few of
the native Christians whom I allowed to be present.
I say allowed, for if I had not forbidden it there
would have been a mob of curious ones jammed
into the room. Even the strongest of the Christians
present gave way more or less, when the end came,
to their old custom of weeping. I had not only to
control myself but also these children of our Master.
Then the body had to be prepared for burial before
it should get cold and stiff. This I had to do myself,
with the aid of two of the native Christian women.
Then, leaving some of the Christians to remain near
the body, I went to seek a bit of needed rest and
sleep. At daylight I sent a note to the white traders
at Longa announcing the time of the funeral services,
and also to the State Post ten miles away to our
friends, the Government officer and his wife. And
by chance one of the trading steamers had come
along and stopped at Longa late the night before and
the Captain, who is friendly to us, on hearing of Mrs.
Eldred's death, came and offered to help me by mak
ing the coffin. For this, his kindness, I was and am
very thankful. I had all I could do besides. The
native Christians kindly dug the grave with a little
direction from me. There were six white people
present at the funeral besides myself, and as but two

150 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

of these could understand English, while all knew
French, it was necessary for me to hold part of the
service in French, while the rest was in the native
tongue. One of the evangelists gave a short sermon
in Lonkundo and others offered prayers. The rest
of the service I had to take myself. The State
officer and his wife were very kind to me and among
other things the officer brought a guard of soldiers to
march as a guard of honour for the coffin from the
house to the church and later to the grave; then
at the grave they gave the military salute. Also, the
officer and his wife stayed awhile after the others
had gone, which was good of them, especially as they
were Catholics, for I was so lonely. I forgot to
say that the last thing Mrs. Eldred said that I could
make out was about the children. Dear friends, it
is needless to say that I am broken-hearted and
lonely, but blame me not for wreeping, for I have
three little motherless boys ten thousand miles away.
However, the Lord has stood by me thus far and
He will not fail me now in this my hour of trial and
need. Mrs. Eldred was not afraid to die and said
while sick that if it were not for the boys she would
gladly die and be at rest. For her the last few
years were full of sicknesses and much pain, but now
she is free from all these and is at rest in the Presence
of her Master. She was an excellent wife, a very
loving mother and a true companion. She dearly
loved the Master's work and proved it by giving her
life that others might be redeemed."

A postscript added to the letter gives another
glimpse :

" I wish you could have seen the beautiful flowers
I had for Mrs. Eldred's burial. I put some oleander
blossoms in her hair, a beautiful bouquet in her hand

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD 151

and strewed the coffin along both sides of her body
with flowers, and placed a large bouquet at her feet."

The boys had been the last conscious thought
of their dying mother and to them he wrote of her
death in tender sentences :

" Longa, November 23, 1912.
" Auntie Adams will read to you all the letters
Papa has written about the way your own dear
Mother was so sick and then went to be with God
and Jesus up in Heaven. Mamma was sick for about
a week, then she was a little better and we were so
glad, for we wanted her to get strong and well again,
but after a day or so Mamma was not so strong and
well and had to go to bed again. Then she was sick
in bed for nearly three weeks. The last week she
was so very sick part of the time. And just to think
that the doctor was ever so far away, a good deal
farther than Cleveland, and there are no hacks
going and no trains for one to come on and no
telephone so Papa could send word. Papa gave
Mamma medicine, but she was too sick, so the medi
cine could not make her well. Then she got so sick
that she could hardly talk to Papa. Then I think she
wanted to tell Papa something about you boys, but
was so sick she could not do it very well. Then at
last I think she must have seen Jesus or the angels
coming for her, as she kept looking and looking and
held out her hands to welcome them and tried to
talk, but could not, for she was very sick and weak.
Then Mamma lay very still and quiet. Just as quiet
as if she was asleep. Papa was right there all of
the time watching her, then after awhile Mamma
looked around a little and Papa thought she tried to

152 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

say something. Then she just went quietly to sleep
and did not waken any more. Papa felt so badly
that he had to cry then and he has cried a good
many times since.

" While Mamma was so sick there were some of
the Christian natives there and they brought Papa
everything that he wanted so he did not have to
leave her at all. Then after she was dead, two of the
native women of the church helped Papa and we
got Mamma's very pretty white dress with small
blue dots in it and we put this on her, so she could
be buried in a pretty dress. Papa put on her pretty
red slippers that she liked so well. And Papa
combed her pretty long hair and braided it up nicely.
Papa cut off a nice lock of Mamma's hair so that all
three of you boys can have a good lock of your
mother's hair when Papa comes home.

" We have no neighbours close by as you have
there. There are two men who live as far away or
farther than clear across all of Hiram. Papa sent
word to them that Mamma was dead and also to a
man and his wife a long ways off — more than twice
as far as Garrettsville. Then a steamer came along
and stopped. The Captain is a good man and he
made the coffin to help Papa. There were six white
people at the funeral besides Papa. None of these
people was a minister or anything of the kind, so
Papa had to hold Mamma's funeral himself. It
made me feel so bad. Then Papa could not hold the
funeral service in English, for some of those there
could not understand it, so Papa had to speak in
their language so they could understand. We had
lots of pretty flowers on Mamma's coffin and put
some pretty blossoms in her hair and a pretty bouquet
in her hand. Don't you all think that was nice?

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD 153

Papa took two pictures of Mamma and if they are
good some day you each will have one to keep. We
buried your Mother out by the church here and when
the ground gets settled Papa will build a nice brick
fence around the grave.

" So now, my dear boys, we will not see Mamma
again here in this world, but when we get to Heaven
we will see her and will find that she is so happy,
for now she can be with Jesus. You all must try
to be good boys so Jesus will come for us some day."

As soon as the news reached the headquarters of
the Society at Cincinnati, they cabled back con
dolences, assured him of reinforcements, and urged
him to go to Bolenge for a rest and change until
other workers could come to Longa. It was thought
that the loneliness of the distant station, under such
circumstances, would be too much for him. His
answer was characteristic : " How can I leave my
people? I am their teacher and they need me. I
will stay at Longa until the workers come. As I
toil for those whom I love, God will lift the burden
of loneliness from my heart."

This heroic decision made a deep impression upon
the Executive Committee of the Foreign Society and
President McLean was requested to write him a
letter of appreciation of his desire to remain at
Longa until the arrival of other missionaries.

The words of his friend, J. B. Hunley, seem very
appropriate here:

" Again we see them at Longa. It is the midnight
hour. The strong man is bowed low by the side of
her whose life is fast going. No physician to stanch
the ebbing tide of life; no nurse with ready appli-

154 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

ances and tender hands to give assistance ; no friends
to comfort the husband's aching heart. He faces
the crisis alone. He drinks the bitter cup. It must
have been the unseen Messenger who came to waft
the spirit of the dying woman home, administered, as
once in Gethsemane, strength to this lonely, suffering
man. Aye, God Himself was there and gave the gar
land for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the gar
ment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. For
when, with his own hands, he had prepared the body
for burial and said the last sad words over that
solitary grave, he turned, like John G. Paton and
David Livingstone, to face the task alone without
wavering. In the thought of such a scene we cry
out our unworthiness before God and pray that this
heroic example may stir us to more sacrificial
service."

When the news of the heroic struggle of the men
in the canoe to reach Monieka or meet the steamer
was published, Miss Adelaide Gail Frost, of India,
wrote the following poem:

"FLOW ON, O CONGO.

Flow on, O Congo, to the sea,

You bore her hence from waters strange to your far

land,
You bore her from her western home, her children

dear,

You left her by your tropic strand,
Row, ebon hands upon the oar,
Row, 'gainst the river current's mighty way,
Though muscles strain and drops stand on your brow,
You cannot bear her help today!

Flow on, O mighty river, flow,

As centuries you between your peopled banks have
flowed,

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD 155

Where you alone have heard the cries that no man
recked,

Where no man thought upon your dusky ranks be
stowed,

Row, men of Longa, row,

Row for the foreign doctor o'er dividing space,

Ah, though you row as no man rowed before,

You cannot reach her place !

Flow on, O river, she heeds not

As when her quivering heart knew that a tide of woe

Surged 'round her, knew and in her gentle womanhood

Dared still to deeply know,

Row, men of stalwart frame,

Bend to your task so speed you may as ne'er you sped

before —

She came to help you o'er great oceans wide and deep.
She needed help, but needs no more.

Flow on, great Congo, flow,

Your crowding people will wait long for accents mild

In tongues they understand, to pass her lips

And hush their ravings wild,

Row as of old, dark men,

Slow, if you please, with lagging dip of oar,

It matters not to her — too late you come —

She moans not as before.

Sound voice of wind and wave,

And let your sobs on Christian shores not cease,

Sound out abroad and call to those unheeding there,

In bright free lands of peace.

Sound with a strong, deep cry,

Call skill of hand and mind and rich, brave souls

That never more shall need in vain our own who toil

Where the wide Congo rolls.

Boom on our shores, O ocean waves,

Hush not the cry of Afric's need,

Till never more our few shall toil and die alone —

Oh, moan and cry until we heed!

Leap up, O waters, leap,

And voice the sob of Afric's own who mourn aloud,

Who weep to see their Teacher bracing still to bear,

And still beneath its load low bowed.

156 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Hush not, O voices, never cease,

Until help speeds that never, never it shall be

That one must stand alone beside his dearest, see her

die,

With no physician at his door.
Beat on, O ocean waves, beat on,
Sob if ye will and moan, ye winds, from that far

shore —

We have been very deaf and slow to hear your cry,
And one has need of us no more."

In a letter to Mrs. M. D. Adams, at Hiram College,
in whose care the boys were, Mr. Eldred wrote these
words of unwavering trust:

" I am indeed very heavy-hearted and feel very
keenly for my dear boys, but I know that the good
Lord has reasons for calling my dear companion unto
Himself, and I know He will help us in caring for my
dear boys. I will miss Mrs. Eldred more than I
can tell, yet I shall strive to labour on alone, with His
help, for ' I know in whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have
committed unto Him against that day/ Her body
sleeps out here by the church, but she herself is
clothed with that glorious body and can be in the
presence of the Lord whom she dearly loved, and
I can truly say, ' Thanks be unto God who giveth us
the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord/ "

Mrs. Adams wrote him a letter which was of much
comfort to the sorrowing husband, for it told him
so much of the children. Part of that letter follows :

" Ever since the terrible word reached us I have
been trying to write to you, but each time I attempted
a letter I failed. It seems so heartbreaking that I
wonder what I can say to you, who are braving al-

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD 157

most alone the entire burden of sorrow, so far as
human aid is concerned. The shock was very great
to me, as I had really never felt but that you two
brave-hearted soldiers for Christ would be permitted
to come back together to your beautiful boys. They
had talked of it so often, ' When Papa and Mamma
come home and we go back to South Bend/ Now
they say, ' When Papa comes back — Mamma can't
come, for she is living with God.' Dear Brother,
you must for the sake of these darling boys be brave.
They are just as happy as three little boys can pos
sibly be, and have been ever since you left them two
years ago, but Papa and Mamma are very real factors
in their lives and while they have never grieved a
moment, still, implanted in their little hearts has
been the thought that Papa and Mamma would come
back in four years. I did not try to make them
understand the awful loss they have sustained. I
told them that God had taken Mamma to live with
Him and that it was very sad and lonely for poor
Papa out in Africa without dear Mamma and that
they must not only pray oftener for Papa, but they
must try very hard to be good boys, for this would
help Papa. Dear Brother, I can never tell you what
grand little men these boys are. They are so hand
some, so fine in every way. Ray is growing into a
manly boy. He is tall and slender like you, has
your hand and foot exactly and in every way except
complexion and eyes reminds us of you. Ward is
very beautiful and very intellectual-looking, but so
very full of mischief and the keenest sense of
humour. Joseph is the handsomest of the three,
and not one whit behind the others in any way.
They are all certainly the most lovable children I
ever saw."

158 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

The sad duty fell to the writer on the Lord's Day,
November seventeenth, to conduct the Memorial
Service for Mrs. Eldred. The message was from
the first three verses of the third chapter of I John.
How little any of those present that day dreamed
that in less than a year the same voice would be speak
ing within those same walls in memory of another
who had given all to help pay " The Price of
Africa!"

Many, many friends of the homeland wrote Mr.
Eldred letters of appreciation for Mrs. Eldred and
of comfort for him. All those letters he prized and
they were found later carefully filed away.

Among them was one from their friend for many
years, Charles S. Medbury, of Des Moines. His
letter contained this passage, which sums up in a
beautiful way all that might be said of the sacrifice
of Mrs. Eldred for the land and the people she
loved :

" It seems to me that dear Sister Eldred's going
away will surely influence tremendously the lives of
the native converts. As the graves multiply there,
each a loving and a longing appeal, surely they for
whom these lives are given will be more and more
inclined to believe in Him, the love of whom sends
forth to Africa such spirits as our sacred mission
includes."

Frail health prevented Mrs. Eldred from doing
many things she had hoped to accomplish, and for
which her culture of hand and brain and soul made
her so efficient. She wrought more and better than
she dreamed, but her service was a modest one,
judged by the standards she had set in her own

ALONE WITH HIS DEAD 159

ideals. Yet that service was given in the fullest de
votion, counting no cost too great.

" Is it the work that makes life great and true?

Or the true soul that, working as it can,
Does faithfully the task it has to do,

And keepeth faith alike with God and man ? "

IX
THAT LONELY YEAR

THE next year was a lonely though busy one
for Mr. Eldred. It was also a time of stress
and strain in all the mission. At the time
of Mrs. Eldred's death there were at Bolenge only
three workers, Miss Eck, the writer, and Mrs.
Hensey, for the Station and the steamer ; at Monieka
Dr. and Mrs. Jaggard were alone, while at Lotumbe
there were just two young men, H. C. Hobgood and
W. R. Holder, who had been but five months on
the field, having come out with Mr. Corey. As no
one could be spared to go to Longa, it was proposed
to give up Lotumbe for the year, the two young men
to stay with Mr. Eldred at Longa. But the latter
vetoed this, saying that it would not do to give up
Lotumbe. So he stayed at Longa, making several
journeys^ to Lotumbe to help the young men. The
first of these was made very soon after Mrs. Eldred's
passing, and of it he wrote home:

" ' If Thy presence be not with us, lead us not up
hence/ This was our inward prayer as we left
Longa by steel boat for Lotumbe, seventy-five miles
away, to aid Messrs. Hobgood and Holder with the
work at Lotumbe during the incoming of the native
evangelists this December. We left Longa at three
P.M., on Sunday, December first, and traveled to the
Government Post of Ingende, ten miles up river,
where we stayed the night. We were up and started

160

THAT LONELY YEAR 161

on again by five A.M. Monday morning, travelling
some miles by moonlight. Fortunately, it was not
one of our very hot days. My native Christian pad-
dlers and I had the doubtful pleasure of being caught
in one of Congo's typical tornadoes about nine A.M.
With the river very high, extending far out over its
banks, back into the forest and jungle, there was
no place for a possible landing. We must stay in
our small boat. The wind and raki beat fiercely, mak
ing it impossible to paddle the boat, so we shoved it
into the edge of the thick brush a few feet, where we
had to sit and let it rain. As there is no covering
on the boat my men had to sit and be drenched with
the torrents of rain. I had a piece of tarred cloth,
none too large, which I held over myself so as to keep
off most of the rain. We had to hang on to the
bushes to keep the boat from being carried away by
the wind and current. This lasted about an hour.
After the storm we pressed on and by sundown
reached the village of Bosa, far over half way to
Lotumbe. It was a record day's paddling. My men
were very tired, but I told them it might be possible
to reach Lotumbe the next day. We were started the
next morning again by five A.M., and although the
men were lame from the day before they bent to
their paddles nobly and to my joy they put the nose
of the boat against the Lotumbe beach at i :3O that
day, Tuesday, thus making the journey in two days.
" At Lotumbe we found the brethren well and
busy. Part of the evangelists were already in from
their posts and the others came later. Such meet
ings ! I knew well of the size of the Lotumbe work,
but it was inspiring to see and to help with it. Many,
many Christians came into Lotumbe with "the evan
gelists, as well as about a hundred and forty in-

162 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

quirers seeking further teaching and baptism. Sun
day, the eighth, the church was more than rilled and
many were seated on boards and poles thrown in the
aisles. This congested condition made us think again
of their need of a larger church, so it wras agreed to
use the large number of boys at Lotumbe and the
visitors to enlarge the church. We did not make
the record of a church in a day, as is done at home,
but we did build the church enough larger to seat
two hundred additional people, in a week. At home
the builders who put up a church in a day have the
material on the ground before that day. Here the
idea was conceived at the morning service on Sunday
and all material gathered from the forest and swamp
and the house built and seats all in by Saturday. And
it was well that we did, for Sunday the fifteenth was
a great day. The Sunday School was the largest yet
known at Lotumbe, there being four hundred and
forty-eight present. The church building, even after
being enlarged, was filled and again some were com
pelled to sit on boards on the ground, at the morning
service. This church building was but part of the
work that week, as I conducted two and three services
each day, besides helping in other ways. Brethren
Holder and Hobgood conducted two different schools
each day and looked after the general mission work.
" On Sunday afternoon the two brethren and my
self, assisted by the two ordained deacons of the
Lotumbe church, had the pleasure of baptizing one
hundred and five people into Christ."

On his return to Longa Mr. Eldred moved his
household goods into the new house. How full of
memories that task must have been ! Each piece of
furniture was placed just where Mrs. Eldred would

THAT LONELY YEAR 163

have wished it to be; the familiar articles of her
household life he arranged just as if she yet dwelt at
Longa ; in the yard he planted the flowers and shrubs
she had loved; he even hung some of her garments
in the wardrobe he had made under her directions.

It was the sad duty of the writer to go through
Mr. Eldred's Mission and private papers, in order
to determine what should be saved, and in the
preparation of this memorial it has been given to
him to read many of his most intimate, personal
letters. Sometimes it has seemed almost as if he
trod on too holy ground, especially when the letters
speak of and to the one whom he had " loved long
since and lost awhile." Seldom indeed have husband
and wife been so welded together in affection as
were these two, and as one reads the letters of that
last year, the conviction deepens that the coming
tragedy was due almost as much to its days of sor
rowing loneliness, as to the cold swift waters of the
Lokolo.

Mr. Eldred was of the Puritan type and had
schooled himself to bear sorrow without murmuring.
And because of that those who knew most intimately
this strong, great-hearted man will never know how
he suffered in those days in which he was alone with
the spirit of his Dear Dead ever about him. One
of the missionaries was visiting him in this period,
and was awakened in the night by an unusual sound.
Listening he heard heart-breaking sobbing — sobbing
such as comes only from the overburdened heart of
a strong man.

But if, as Father Felician is represented as saying
to Evangeline,

" Sorrow and silence are strong, and patient endurance
is godlike,"

164 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

it is not surprising that his colleagues should, in
these times of his bereavement, come to have a deeper
appreciation of Mr. Eldred and to realize, as never
before, in how wonderful a manner tenderness was
linked in him with strength. More than one of them
looks back now with a sense of deep privilege to a
short exploring trip in the Lomela River in January
of 1913. Mr. Eldred, with all the missionaries then
on the field, went on this trip, and somehow one
seemed to sense some sides of his nature which
before jbad been hidden.

Nor is it to be wondered at that in such a time
he should write some letters much to be prized.
Among many such is one which he addressed to
President McLean:

" Longa, February 8, 1913.

" Your good letter of sympathy and comfort has
just reached me and I wish very much to thank you
for your love and prayers in my behalf during the
darkest period my life has yet known. However,
I am happy to be able to say that I was sustained by
the all-wise Father's love and care and was able to
believe, in the darkest moments and deepest grief,
that it was the Father's will and would be for the
best. Of course I am lonely here at Longa, all
alone, and shall continue to pray that soon some
one may be found to come to my aid. Again I wish
to thank you for your interest and prayers. I am
as well as usual, having had no fevers now for some
time.

" The work is moving on in good shape, though I
cannot give the time needed to any one department.
And, also, having to help the young brethren at
Lotumbe, takes time away from Longa. However, I

THAT LONELY YEAR 165

am glad to be able to go to their aid when they need
me. I expect to go to Lotumbe again at this March
incoming of their evangelists, to help with the extra
work at that time. Then I will return to Longa in
time for the incoming of our evangelists. It is too
early to forecast what the results of these ingather
ings will be, but we are looking, working, and pray
ing for many to be added to the Lord at these times.
This will be the last class of baptisms for this year.
The number for the whole mission so far is already
large and this year we will report a larger number
than last. The Lord's work at Longa is growing and
while the price of Congo's redemption is being paid,
this time by my own dear wife laying her life on
the altar of her Master, may the churches at home
not think it too costly, and may others be found who
will help to garner in the sheaves."

Mr. Eldred was many times Secretary, Treasurer,
and Legal Representative of the Congo Mission. As
Secretary for that year he wrote the following intro
duction to the annual report of the mission for
1912-1913, which was not printed until his hand was
still in death. In this the same spirit may be ob
served.

" With prayers for a spirit of humility and with
mingled joy and sadness do the Congo workers sub
mit herewith their report of what the Lord hath
wrought through them the past year. With joy, be
cause in every department the work has made sub
stantial increase over last year, thus making it the
banner year yet known to the Congo Mission. With
joy, because the growth of the churches has been
encouraging and the number of baptisms far beyond

166 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

our faith at the beginning of the year. With joy,
because of the increased recognition at the hands
of the Government, thereby giving us a more equal
ground on which to contest against the arch-enemy,
Romanism. With sadness, because of the loss by
death, on November thirteenth, 1912, of one of our
faithful workers, Mrs. R. Ray Eldred ; yet with joy,
because of the strength and consolation from on high
given him whose special portion it was to drink
deeply and in solitude of the bitter waters of life.

" There have been 1,304 baptized this year, as
against 901 last year and 563 two years ago. The
present membership at all the stations is 3,051. The
work has been richly blessed with fruits for the
Master, despite the still great shortage of workers."

Meanwhile many prayers had been going up for
the Congo Mission, and for Mr. Eldred in his loneli
ness ; and better days began to dawn. Mr. and Mrs.
Moon shortened their furlough and hastened back.
Mr. Hedges, who had married during his furlough,
hurried back at the same time, bringing his bride.
Miss Edith Apperson came with them. The arrival
of these reinforcements in June of that year enabled
Mr. Hobgood to be placed at Longa to help, for a
time, in the work there, while Dr. W. A. Frymire
and Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Johnston were announced
to arrive in September, the two latter to be located
permanently with Mr. Eldred. These workers, new
and old, arrived in Congo just at the time for the
Annual Conference, which was held at Longa. What
a fellowship it was! What clear-sighted plans were
laid ! And how few of them were ever to be carried
out!

THAT LONELY YEAR 167

It would seem that Mr. Eldred would, by this time,
be content to settle down quietly at Longa, but not
so. And the reason is not hard to discover.

A glance back over the years of his service in
Africa makes it plain that the one outstanding ele
ment in his missionary makeup was his passion for
taking the Good News to those who had never heard.
His heart heard only one clear call — the need of
those who know not Jesus Christ. Such a heart is
the very hall-mark of the true missionary, but his
was so sensitive to that call that often the thought
of the millions dying " in darkness and in the shadow
of death " settled down upon him like an oppressive
burden.

One day when Mr. Eldred was itinerating in the
High Momboyo region, going through many villages
where the gospel had never been heard, he and his
carriers came to a fork in the forest path. Their
guide started to take the left-hand path, but Mr.
Eldred asked, "Where does the right-hand path
lead ? " " That leads to nothing but a Bacwa vil
lage," replied the guide, who was an Nkundo. The
antipathy of the Bankundo for the Bacwa has already
been noted in these pages, so the guide and the car
riers tried to persuade the white men not to go to
that village, but the heart of Mr. Eldred yearned for
those despised dwarf people. When the caravan
neared the Bacwa village, nestling in an obscure
part of the forest, its diminutive inhabitants became
frightened and disappeared in the jungle. The whole
caravan commenced to search in the miserable grass
and leaf huts, if perchance a few Bacwa people might
have hidden there, and one of the party, noting some
thing shining in the far corner of one hut, found it
to be the spear of a tiny warrior. He was crouching

168 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

there, evidently determined to sell his life as dearly
as possible. Mr. Eldred came and spoke to the
dwarf, greeting him in the Lonkundo tongue, which
all the Bacwas understand. But no response came
until Mr. Eldred told him that he need not be afraid,
for they had come to tell him of Jesus Christ.
Wonder of wonders, the Saviour's name was as a
magic key ! The little warrior dropped his spear and
crawled out of the hut, when it became apparent
why he had not fled with the other villagers, for he
was a cripple. He proved to be the chief of the
village, and limping out into the open, sounded a
weird, peculiar whistle. That, too, seemed to have
magic in it, for at once there seemed to step from
behind every tree and bush one of the Bacwa vil
lagers. At the word of their chief they seated them
selves in a group around him on the ground, and
Mr. Eldred told them, over and over again, the sweet,
glad story of the love of the Father and the gift of
His Son. How they did listen !

Then it was necessary that the caravan move on,
so they said good-bye to the crippled chief. But
he clung to them, urging the white teachers to stay
in his village and teach them of Jesus, promising to
build them a house. Mr. Eldred told him of the
necessity for their departure, but promised to return
or to send another teacher. Then the little chief's
face became sad, and he said, " No, if you go away,
we'll never have another opportunity for salvation.
No one ever has cared for the Bacwa, and no one
ever will ! "

It was imperative that the journey be continued,
but the words of the chief settled down like a pall of
gloom upon Mr. Eldred's heart, and he was de
pressed in spirit for the rest of the itinerary.

THE LAST JOURNEY 169

When one remembers this zeal and passion of Ray
Eldred for the " regions beyond," it is not surprising
that at this time, in spite of the ravages toil and ex
posure and sorrow had made upon his strength, he
should pay little attention to the entreaties of his col
leagues that he go to the homeland for a rest. At
least one of them wrote to him, proposing that Mr.
Eldred take his furlough earlier than it was due, and
offering to stay over time to make that possible, but to
no avail. Mr. Eldred in reply expressed his grati
tude for the proposal, but insisted on staying until his
furlough was due.

Instead of thinking of going on furlough, hardly
had Mr. Hobgood joined him at Longa, when Mr.
Eldred commenced to plan a longer itineration than
he had ever made. It was to be one of ten weeks, in
the Longa and Lotumbe fields, largely to districts
never before visited by the missionaries — an itinerary
badly needed, to say the least. After some con
sultation, it was arranged that he and Mr. Hobgood
start the last of July.

Among other duties which had to be looked after
before they could start on such a journey was the
sending in to the Society of the Annual Report, the
introduction to which has already been quoted in
this chapter. His report for Longa station is of more
than passing interest, for it proved to be his last one.
His opening sentence was : " Perhaps slowly, yet
surely, the Longa church is advancing to higher
ideals, as is evidenced by the growth of the past
year."

Then he went on to enumerate some of the signs
of progress. One hundred and nine people had been
baptized. The active membership was two hundred
and sixty-eight. The elders and deacons had been

170 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

very faithful. The offerings of the church showed
a marked increase, amounting to $142.15. The
Christian women, after Mrs. Eldred's death, carried
on their own meetings. He mentions also some
special work:

" A feature of the woman's work carried on this
year has been that for refugee women. Since the
change to a Belgian colony, the Colonial officers have
been cautiously working to reduce polygamy among
the non-Christian natives. Any polygamous wife
is free to leave her husband and owner and go to
live wherever she may please with another man,
provided he has no wife; in her own village, re
maining single; or at any mission station she may
choose. In case she remains single, the polygamous
husband receives nothing in return for the price he
paid for her. If she be married to another man, he
must pay an average price to the former husband.
During the past year fifteen wives of polygamous
husbands have sought and found refuge at Longa
mission. These women, mostly young or middle-aged,
work about the station, dressing the paths and work
ing in the cane and banana plantations. They receive
small pay, lest this should become an incentive for
their coming to the station. Nearly all of them be
come Christians. Several of these women have been
married to Christian young men, in each case the
young man paying the average price, which, in this
region, is ten dollars. In no case is one of them
married till after she becomes a Christian."

Mr. Eldred's medical services had been much in
demand during the vear.

" There were 5,670 treatments from the station
dispensary. A number of white traders and Govern
ment officers received medical aid, several of whom

THAT LONELY YEAR 171

were nursed through serious illnesses, including
rigors due to sun-fever, bilious fever, abscess of the
liver, and blood poisoning. The receipts for medical
fees were 479.00 francs, or $95.80."

Mr. Eldred also regards the work of the Day
School as having been especially good during the year.

" Special mention should be made here of Ngoe,
who has had charge of the day school in Lonkundo,
and who, with two other paid teachers, has rendered
valuable service in carrying on the school during Mr.
Eldred's absence. The French school has been car
ried on all the year, excepting when Mr. Eldred was
absent from Longa and for a short period following
Mrs. Eldred's death."

One would not expect much in the Industrial part
of the work, but he notes a number of things which
have been accomplished, and concludes :

" Forty-five thousand brick have been made and
dried, making sixty thousand ready to be burned.
These brick are for the new Longa church, which is
the main feature of Longa's building programme for
the coming year."

Under date of July fifteenth, Mr. Eldred wrote to
Secretary S. J. Corey what seems to have been the
last letter he addressed to the headquarters of the
Society. The closing part of that letter read :

" In about a week Mr. Hobgood and I are to start
our itineration. We are to go from Longa to Lo-
tumbe overland. Then we will start from Lotumbe
to visit the country above there and in the Lokolo
district, coming out on the Momboyo River about
fifty miles above Besao, where you and I were.
After that we are to go on up the Momboyo some
fifty miles further, where we have a very promising
work. Then we are to come down river overland as

172 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

far as Waka, returning finally to Lotumbe and Longa
by canoe. The journey in all will take us over about
seven hundred miles on land, and more than two
hundred by river, and is to occupy some two and a
half months.

" I will try to write you occasionally on the way.
This trip will likely be the longest of its kind ever
made by any of us. You know something of the
roads out here, and we will see even worse ones than
usual on this journey. We are to take the stereopti-
con and some medicines, as we want to do all the
good we can.

" This is not to be a forced march, for we want to
reach the people. Also we want to keep well. Do
not worry about us, for the Father, who has always
been with us, will be with us ALL the way."

THE LAST JOURNEY

THE month of July was devoted largely to
preparations for the coming itinerary. All
being ready, Mr. Eldred and Mr. Hobgood
left Longa on July twenty-eighth.

After Mr. Eldred's passing the officers of the
Longa church told the writer somewhat of that part
ing with the church. During the days in which
preparations were being made for this long journey
on which he laid down his life, it seemed that there
were many vexing things in the native church. These
are to be expected in a membership so recently out
of heathenism, for the problems discussed in such
Epistles as the Corinthian letters are the common
problems of Mission lands, but for some reason
there seemed to be in this Longa church during this
period an unusual amount of stumbling, trouble, and
bitterness. This so saddened the heart of their mis
sionary pastor that on the morning set for departure,
Mr. Eldred seemed " bound in the Spirit." There
fore, he called the church together and admonished
them with many tears, concluding by speaking espe
cially to the deacons:

" I am going away on a ten weeks' journey, and
I am not as strong as I used to be. I do not know
whether or not we will meet again on earth. Take
good care of the Church of Jesus Christ." Then
like Paul, at Miletus, he prayed for them all, and
173

174 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

strode away into the forest, leaving them sorrowing
most of all for his parting words.

The thirteen days' journey overland from Longa to
Lotumbe was made safely, though Mr. Eldred was
far from well, and had to be carried part of the time.

A few days were spent at Lotumbe, resting, for
some slight hemorrhages had weakened Mr. Eldred's
strength. Letters were written to home folks, among
them one by Mr. Eldred to his sons. Mr. Eldred
preached at the Lord's Day services in the Lotumbe
church and many who were present that day re
member his speaking with unusual power and unc
tion. During this brief rest at Lotumbe, the writer
saw his colleague for the last time.

Bright and early on the morning of August fif
teenth, Messrs. Eldred and Hobgood started with
their caravan for the Lokolo district of the Lotumbe
field. This was the longer lap of their itinerary.
Passing through the intervening villages, they reached
the large centre of Mbangilombe, where lived Elaji,
the paramount chief of the district. At this place a
marvellous work of grace was being wrought, and
Elaji, who had formerly opposed the work and torn
down the church building, was an inquirer. He had
put away all but one of his fifty wives and was bap
tized on this trip. Then they went on to Tumba, on
the banks of the Lokolo, where the district evan
gelist, Ndemboji, already mentioned as one of Mr.
Eldred's students, was located. From Tumba as a
centre the missionaries decided to itinerate in many
of the Imoma villages.

In all the villages, and especially at these two
centres, the Gospel was preached and the converts
confirmed in the faith. Mr. Eldred's visit made an
impression upon that district which years will not

THE LAST JOURNEY 175

efface, and strengthened the work both in its appeal
and in its dignity.

At Mbangilombe some natives from the village of
Eyengo heard Mr. Eldred preach and asked him to
come and tell this Good News in their village also,
so he promised to visit them.

Thus it came about that, near noon on September
third, the two missionaries came by a very bad path,
through nearly a mile of black muck and swamp, to
the Lokolo River, intending to cross and preach in
this village of Eyengo. They found that Eyengo was
about a half hour's walk back from the river on the
other side, and no canoes or villages in sight. Re
peated shouts brought no response, so some of the
carriers and servants swam across to look for a canoe.
As the missionaries watched their helpers swimming
across, it came to them that they could do likewise,
and avoid a long wait. Both felt confident that they
could easily swim across, the only question was
whether or not they were too warm from their hard
journey in the heat of the day. But they concluded
that they had cooled off sufficiently while waiting, so
decided to swim across.

Perhaps some will feel that the two missionaries
took too great a risk in attempting to swim across
the Lokolo. But all journeys in such a land involve
danger. As already noted, Mr. Eldred had promised
to preach to the people of Eyengo. He did not know
but that he might have to wait several hours for a
canoe. And it must be remembered that both men
were expert swimmers. If Mr. Eldred had been in
his former health and strength, to swim across such
a river would have been only play for him. On
numerous occasions he had rescued natives from
drowning, and on those occasions it had been neces-

176 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

sary to swim much farther than the distance across
the Lokolo.

The river at that point is something like one hun
dred and twenty-five feet wide and very swift. To
allow for the current they went up stream about the
width of the stream, and then took off some of their
clothing.

So they plunged in. They found the water ex
ceptionally cold and the current much swifter and
stronger than they had thought. The younger man
was the faster swimmer, so was soon some distance
ahead. Swimming rapidly but taking pains not to
over-exert, he was just getting out of the swift cur
rent when he heard Mr. Eldred speak to him in his
usual quiet tone. Looking around to hear what his
comrade had to say, Mr. Hobgood heard Mr. Eldred
repeat, " Hobgood, don't get too far away." There
was no sign of fear in face or voice. The younger
man hurried back to Mr. Eldred, for the latter was
still in the swiftest part of the current. As his
young comrade came back to him, Mr. Eldred said,
still very quietly, " I expect you had better help me
a little." Mr. Hobgood had already caught him
under the armpit with his left hand, though this
lessened his own swimming power. He saw that Mr.
Eldred was still swimming quite strongly, but realized
that it would be impossible for him unaided to get
his comrade out of the river, should the latter's
strength fail. So he called sharply to their native
carriers to hurry in and help. One of them, named
Bosako, grasped the situation and plunged in, but
he had partly dressed after crossing and his clothing
entangled him so that he stopped. Mr. Hobgood
called more sharply and Bosako came on. When
he was still ten feet away, Mr. Hobgood saw Mr.

THE LAST JOURNEY 177

Eldred's mouth go under and that he drew in a little
water. The strength of the younger man was just
about gone, and he realized that the only chance was
to get Mr. Eldred to Bosako in a hurry, so as they
started to sink, he shoved his worn-out comrade
forward as hard as he could, drinking in himself a
great gulp of water as he did so. Bosako reached
Mr. Eldred, but though they were within fifteen feet
of the bank, the water was still deep. As Bosako
pulled him toward the shore, Mr. Eldred, apparently
as his last conscious effort, tried to reach firm foot
ing, but the water was still over his head and he
began to sink. Bosako pushed him forward to one of
the Longa workmen, who was rushing out to their
help, and this man pulled Mr. Eldred to a standing
position in shallow water. Mr. Hobgood hurried out
and they commenced to do everything in their power
to resuscitate Mr. Eldred. As he had never gotten
more than six inches under water there seemed
ground for hope. Mr. Hobgood tried first of all to
force out the water from the lungs, then to start
artificial respiration. He was only able to get out
about a teaspoonful of water, but after half an hour
succeeded in starting artificial respiration. When
they had respiration started Mr. Hobgood thought
they would succeed in restoring his comrade to con
sciousness. With the help of the native workmen
and carriers, artificial respiration was kept up for
two hours, praying all the time for help from on
high. But Mr. Eldred did not regain consciousness
and at the end of two hours they gave up and realized
that their leader had passed away.

No one will ever know the exact cause of Mr.
Eldred's death. Perhaps congestion of the brain,
heart-failure, or simply exhaustion. Only in the

178 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

sense that he was in the water at the time can it
be said that he was drowned. His colleagues knew
how tired and worn he was before he started on his
last trip. Toils and exposure and many fevers had
worn his vitality down to a low ebb. Yet when all
has been said, the death of Mrs. Eldred and that
lonely year at Longa, added to the years during which
he had borne the burden of Africa on his sensitive
heart, probably had more to do with his loss of
strength than any purely physical cause.

Thus ended the earthly career of this one of God's
good men, lacking just three weeks of reaching the
span of forty-one years.

The body was wrapped in blankets and placed on
a native bed in the canoe, and the sorrowful journey
was started down the Lokolo, as it seemed fitting that
the interment take place at Tumba. It was indeed a
sad and difficult time for Mr. Hobgood, who had at
that time been only a little more than a year on the
field, and he was nearly prostrated from the shock
and strain. They slept that night in the woods,
reaching Tumba the next forenoon. Words cannot
describe the grief of the Christians at that place when
they knew that their beloved " Is'a Mpela " was dead.

The burial and the service that afternoon were
alike simple. There were no boards from which a
coffin might be fashioned, but loving hands wove
together a covering of bamboo. Then into the
bosom of the land he had loved and for which he had
died was committed all that was mortal of Robert
Ray Eldred. His young colleague and Ndemboji,
whom he had won and trained, spoke of their loss
and of the promise of resurrection through the Son
of God.

It seemed imperative to Mr. Hobgood, in spite of
his grief, that he stay at Tumba to finish the work

THE LAST JOURNEY 179

begun. For that decision he merits high commenda
tion, and in it he showed how much he had imbibed
of the spirit of the colleague for whom he had so
much affection.

Two chosen messengers carried the news overland
to Lotumbe. Seven days were required for that
journey. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Hedges realized
that which had occurred, a swift canoe was manned
to take the news to Longa and Bolenge. On the
Lord's Day, September fourteenth, just as the
people were coming out of the church at Bolenge
men with paddles and letters in their hands were
seen coming up the path. The leader called, " Is'a
Mpela aobwa nd'ase ! " " Mr. Eldred is drowned ! "
Missionaries and native Christians crowded around,
unable to believe it, but Mr. Hobgood's letter showed
it was all too true.

The next morning early the writer hurried to the
Cable Office at Coquilhatville, sending the news to
Cincinnati. As soon as a steamer could be obtained
he went to Longa, arriving there on September
nineteenth. There he found everything in excellent
condition, despite the eight weeks' absence of the
missionaries. Ray Eldred had the faculjy of bind
ing his workmen to him by strong ties, and they were
very devoted to him. He had left the station in
charge of a young evangelist named Basele, who
proved to be the man for the emergency. As soon as
the news of Mr. Eldred's death came, Basele im
mediately nailed up the windows and doors of the
house and store and posted sentries day and night
about the station, to avoid any attempt to take ad
vantage of the situation. He also sent a letter to
Monieka, which was the first bearer of the sad news
to the missionaries there.

AFTERGLOW

IT was sad that night at Longa on the Bussira.
For I sat within the brick walls builded by Ray
Eldred, and he slept beneath the palms in a lonely
village on the banks of the Lokolo, far, far from
the grave of his beloved wife, and both their graves
so far from where their stalwart boys romped and
played at Hiram.

Few more beautiful homes are there on the Upper
Congo — and none sadder. How they longed and
planned together for that home, which he was to
build for her! Hindered by sickness and itineration
and toils many, nearly ten years passed by before he
could start its building. And then two weeks before
the home was near enough completed that they could
move into it, Mrs. Eldred fell asleep in Jesus.

And so that night, as I sat at his table and saw
all about the familiar objects of their home, and
knew that no more on earth our hands should clasp,
my heart was very, very heavy. But I knew I must
be in some way lifted above this depression, for on
the Lord's Day I must somehow keep back my own
tears while I should speak to the little church at
Longa of all that our leader's life meant to them and
to us.

The elders and deacons of that church came in for
an informal conference, lingering long as they talked
in low tones of the life and passing of their teacher.
They talked much of his energy and strength, of his
skill, of his love for them, and of his passionate desire
to preach to those who had not heard of Jesus, but

180

AFTERGLOW 181

the thing which had seemed to impress all of them
most was his tender heart and forgiving disposition.
They said, " When we forgot, or did wrong, he re
buked us with words which cut our hearts like a
sharp knife, but when we showed that we were really
penitent, he forgave us and forgot all about it."

Sad are the members of the church at Longa that
their beloved teacher is dead ; sad also are they that he
is buried far away from them and the grave of Mrs.
Eldred; sad, O how sad, that their great teacher
had to be buried in bamboo mats — he who of all the
white men of the Mission had been for ten years
the most active and skilful in getting out lumber from
the forest and who had taught so many of them how
to make boards with a pit-saw. In that country only
the great chiefs are buried in wooden coffins, so over
and over again the writer heard them say to one
another, " We know we could not bring him back
again, even if we gave all we have, but if we could
only have had the privilege of making him a coffin ! "

Few men could be so thoughtful and tender as
could Ray Eldred when death came to break the
missionary circle, and most of those who await the
resurrection beneath the cathedral arches of the
palm trees at Bolenge have their sacred ashes con
tained in coffins made by his skilful hands. But
when he fell asleep, out there in the wilderness, there
were neither tools nor boards with which the rudest
kind of coffin could be made.

The grave is unmarked as yet, though tenderly
cared for by the Christians who live at Tumba. It
ought never to come to pass that Ray Eldred's last
resting place should be covered by tropical jungle,
and lost to the memory of man. Over it a shaft
should be erected, not only to mark permanently

182 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

where were laid tenderly away his earthly remains,
but that it may serve to remind the church that it
never retreats from the graves of its martyrs. Such
a mark is all the more imperative, in that the head
quarters for the work in that region have recently
been moved from Tumba to Bianga.

One memorial is already in evidence. Among his
papers was found the incompleted manuscript of a
French-Lonkundo Primer, to be used to teach French
in the schools. This was completed by Mrs. Hensey
and printed at Bolenge, with the title, " Legons
£lementaires Franqais-Lonkundo," and dedicated to
the memory of Mr. and Mrs. Eldred.

The Christian Church at Coldwater, Michigan,
near where Mr. Eldred was born, hopes to build an
"Eldred Memorial Church." When the Quincy
church was sold, a part of the proceeds was given
by his father to the Coldwater Church for that
purpose.

On the Lord's Day, September twenty-first, the
writer spoke to the church at Longa of their pastor
and teacher, from Hebrews 11:4 and Second Corin
thians 4: lo-n. The grief of the Longa Christians
was pathetic. They mourn for him as seldom do
Bankundo people mourn and well they may, for he
was more than a father to them in Christ. Not in a
day, nor yet in years, will the sorrow be entirely
taken from their hearts.

Some day the inner history of the winning of the
Congo will be written — if not here, in the Books
to be opened at the last day — and when that history
shall be read, the earnest simple deeds of Ray Eldred
will be appreciated. Aye, and you need not wait till
then to read of some of them, if you but turn to the
eleventh chapter of Second Corinthians and realize

AFTERGLOW 183

that these words are not figures of speech, but records
of facts as real in his life as they were in Paul's :

" In labours, more abundantly . . . thrice beaten
with rods . . . suffered shipwreck ... in journeys
often, in perils of waters ... in perils of wilderness,
in perils in the sea ... in labour and travail, in
watchings often, in hunger and thirst . . . anxiety
for all the churches."

Yet I wonder if his passing was not just as he
would himself have chosen? To fall far beyond
the loneliest outpost, on his way to villages which
had never heard the Good News, that was just the
way of entering the Glory Land that suited this
hardy soldier of Jesus Christ !

With bared heads, for a leader has fallen, but with
hearts strong in faith, all who knew him will feel as
does his sister, Mrs. Dobson :

" Twice he bade home friends good-bye and went
to the remote regions of Africa and returned to us.
The far away seemed not so far since he had come
and gone again. The third time, he, with the mother
of his boys, bade farewell to parents, sisters, and
brothers, and, hardest of all, to the three small sons,
and went out to the ripened harvest. And they came
not back, nor will they come again. The ten long
months following the passing out ahead of his faith
ful wife, were trying ones to Ray Eldred, as his home
letters showed. The letters from home added to his
sorrow, as they bore the news of the failing health of
his father. In his home letters he said little of this, but
the longing for the dear ones at home grew stronger
as he realized that his own strength was slowly
waning. Two weeks after the sad news of his tragic
death had settled like a great shadow over the home,
letters were received by each of the family at home

184 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

and by the three boys, letters penned by the dear
hand that was now still in death. Each letter con
tained a personal word, like comfort from above. To
the sister who was caring for the father and mother
at home, he wrote, ' I should like to see you all again,
but I cannot come now.' Farther on in the same
letter, speaking of his father's illness, he said, ' I
may not be permitted to see dear father again. Tell
father that I so often think of the many good things
he taught me and am so thankful for it/

" Worn and weary, yet he pushed on to that last
long, hard trip, active until the last. Above the
shock and sorrow comes the thought, This was the
death triumphant. Quietly and calmly he went out
as he had lived. It was as if he had chosen it. He
had chosen it as a man's work, he gave it a manly
service, and in it he met a manly death. To us it
was the victor's death, the quiet going out of one
who had won the victory over fear through the
strength of the conquering Christ."

Among the papers found in Mr. Eldred's portfolio
was a letter to his sons, commenced the morning of
his last day on earth. He had written only a few
lines and then stopped in the middle of a sentence,
interrupted probably by some call of need, hoping to
finish it that night — but that pathetic little letter was
never to be finished.

When the boys at Hiram learned that their father
had gone to be with their mother, the eldest asked,
"Who will take care of us now?" That question
was soon answered.

The news of Ray Eldred's death was announced to
the National Convention of the Disciples at Toronto,
and while it cast a gloom over the entire gather
ing, few other events have stirred our people as did

A RECENT PICTURE OF THE ELDRED BOYS

AFTERGLOW 185

the story of his passing. At the Communion Service
the sum of two thousand dollars was given as the
beginning of a fund to support his sons, as they were
recognized to be wards of the entire brotherhood.

In a prayer meeting in an " upper room " during
the Toronto Convention, Mr. John E. Pounds, minis
ter of the Hiram Church, told of the question of the
eldest Eldred boy as to who should take care of them
now that their father and mother were both gone.
In that prayer meeting was Dr. Hugh T. Morrison,
of Springfield, Illinois. Later Dr. and Mrs. Morrison
asked the privilege of adopting the three children.
So in their beautiful home the sons of Ray and
Lillian Eldred have found a refuge. To their nur
ture and education will be given all that love can
supply. Surely it is not too much to hope that one,
at least, of them will hear the call of the Congo, as
his father and mother heard it so clearly, and will
follow in their footsteps?

It is understood that Vachael Lindsay, on hearing
of the death of Ray Eldred, was moved to write his
unique poem, " The Congo," with its beautiful picture
of the redemption for which Mr. Eldred laboured
and longed.

Then along that river, a thousand miles,

The vine-snared trees fell down in files.

Pioneer angels cleared the way

For a Congo paradise, for babes at play,

For sacred capitals, for temples clean.

Gone were the skull-faced witch-men lean.

There where the wild ghost-gods had wailed

A million boats of the angels sailed

With pars of silver, and prows of blue,

And silken pennants that the sun shone through.

'Twas a land transfigured, 'twas a new creation."

Friends all over the world wrote of their love for
and their obligation to Mr. Eldred. On the Congo

186 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

letters came from every Missionary Society, and even
the Superior of the Catholic Mission wrote express
ing the condolences of their mission in the loss of
Mr. Eldred. Government officials and traders united
in honouring his memory.

Mr. Holder's letter, written when the news of Mr.
Eldred's death reached Monieka, may be taken as a
type of the feelings of his colleagues:

" We are sad indeed because of the loss that is ours.
But we know Brother Eldred died, as he preferred,
busy in his Father's work, and that brings some
comfort to our hearts.

" It is sad to think of those little boys, but joyous
to think of the reunion of those two heroic souls in
the presence of their Lord, unto whom they gave
their all.

" We can gain courage to do our part better from
such a sacrifice as Mr. and Mrs. Eldred made for
the cause of Christ. Let us labour on, keeping the
bright reward in view, though many days of our
labouring may be dark with such shadows as this.
We know our labours in Him are not in vain."

And Ray Eldred's work was not in vain. When
he went to the Congo " darkness covered the land
and gross darkness its peoples." The F6reign
Society had just one station, with property valued
at perhaps five thousand dollars. There was no
native church. He saw the little church at Bolenge
formed and grow strong. He helped to plant the
stations at Longa, Lotumbe, and Monieka, and there
were over a hundred baptisms his last year at Longa.
The latest report shows the membership of these
four Congo churches of Christ to be four thousand

AFTERGLOW 187

six hundred and eighty-three, while^over thirteen
hundred persons were baptized during the year end
ing June first, 1915. During the same period the
offerings of the native Christians amounted to
one thousand two hundred and seventy-three dollars
and sixty-seven cents.

The Gospel has been carried by native evangelists
far up the rivers and into the interior, and one hun
dred and fourteen outstations are maintained by the
four stations. It is estimated that fully twenty-five
thousand people of the jungle villages are hearing the
Gospel.

There are now twenty-one missionaries, and the
Society owns property, including the S. S. " Oregon,"
valued at sixty-three thousand five hundred and
seventy dollars. Three of the missionaries are
physicians, who during the year gave twenty-seven
thousand treatments.

The New Testament is being translated into Lon-
kundo and has been printed up to the end of the book
of the Acts. Some of the Epistles and two books of
the Old Testament stories have been printed also.
A grammar and dictionary of the language have been
compiled, and school books prepared.

At Tumba, where Mr. Eldred is buried, Mr. Hob-
good baptized one hundred and seventy-eight people
a few days after his colleague's death. The next
year, itinerating in the district where this man of
God laid down his life in sacrificial seed-sowing, Mr.
Hobgood baptized over three hundred on the one
journey. With Dr. Frymire he visited this same
section again in June and July of 1915, baptizing a
large number, so that the region through which Mr.
Eldred made his last journey is being won for the
King. A station at Monkoto or Wafanya is a part

188 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

of the plan for further expansion in the High Mom-
boyo.

Figures can tell but a small part of the progress
during Ray Eldred's decade of service. In dozens of
villages of the children of the Forest the Great
Awakening has come, and the transformation begun.
The dark filthy bamboo huts are being replaced by
neat, airy cottages. The hideous custom of cutting
the tribal mark in the flesh and on the faces of little
children, paying no attention to their screams of pain,
is coming to be a thing of the past. Polygamy is
doomed, and the women, whose near-nakedness so
shocked all the finer sensibilities of such souls as
Mrs. Eldred, are beginning to clothe themselves
modestly. The men, whose chief business had been
to fight, and to drag their daughters from their
mothers' arms to sell them as wives, having learned
of Jesus their Saviour, are going to their one-time
enemies to give them the Gospel of love and recon
ciliation. Men, women, and children gather every
Lord's Day about the Table of the Lord to remember
Him ! And it is a far cry from eating human flesh
to partaking of the emblems of the Lord's Supper,
and discerning in them the body and blood of the
Son of God!

The work at Longa is being carried on in energetic
fashion by Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. Hedges and Mr.
and Mrs. E. A. Johnston.

The men whom Mr. Eldred took as raw savages
from the forest villages are evangelists and deacons
and elders in the churches at Longa and Lotumbe,
and as carpenters and masons and tailors and school
teachers, they are helping to solve the industrial as
well as the spiritual problems of the Congo.

When he entered the Golden Portals, surely Ray

AFTERGLOW 189

Eldred bore with him many sheaves garnered from
Congo's ripened harvest field. In the men won and
trained, " he, being dead, yet speaketh." The multi
tudes touched by his life reach ever upward toward
the better way.

" Were a star quenched on high

For ages would its light,
Still traveling downward from the sky,
Shine on our mortal sight.

" So when a good man dies,

For years beyond our ken,
The light he leaves behind him lies
Upon the paths of men."

Words seem inadequate and futile when one tries
to interpret the personality of such a man. To be
rightly appreciated Ray Eldred must have been
known in a very intimate fashion. He was very
reticent about his own spiritual life, and spoke seldom
of the deep things of his own soul. But the years re
vealed to his colleagues the richness of his prayer life,
and the closeness of his communion with his Lord.
His stern moral rectitude, the purity of his personal
life, his unflinching honesty, and his passion for the
souls of men — these were written in his character
as on the pages of an open book.

He was of the rugged pioneer type and in a large
sense belonged to the class of Livingstone and of
Grenfell. Ever before his eyes was the vision of the
" regions beyond/'

Perhaps one may in some small measure sum up
his personal character in bearing witness that under
all circumstances he was a manly, kindly Christian
gentleman, and his work by recalling that he counted
no task too insignificant and no sacrifice too great did
it mean the winning of Africa's forest children.

190 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

True Master Builder was he, not alone of houses
made with hands, but of churches and of souls,
building with careful hands upon the one foundation.
With a faith radiant as the sunrise, his face was set
toward the future, and lightened with the enthralling
vision of a Redeemed Africa.

Ray Eldred stands out as a striking example of
what an average man may become and do, if he
yield his soul entirely to God. Lacking somewhat in
early educational advantages, more than usually
backward and modest, and with no aptitude for public
speaking, his youth gave little promise of future
distinction in the ministry. Had he remained in his
homeland, it is not likely that he would have been
more than an average preacher. But he yielded up
his soul in full surrender to his " heavenly vision,"
and in the doing of the task to which the Master
called him, his soul was overwrought. When he
came home on his first furlough all his friends noted
how he had grown. By the time he came home again,
it was evident to all that he had outgrown himself.
His timidity was gone. The flash of his eye mani
fested that his soul had been set on fire. As he
pleaded for Congo's millions his words glowed with
the eloquence of a prophet. In the magnitude of the
work to which Ray Eldred had been called, the
average man had been transformed into the great
man.

His passing reminds us that the Price of Africa
continues to be paid. On every Mission Station,
and even out in the lonely forests, one beholds palm-
arched abbeys, where rude crosses bear eloquent
testimony that somehow in the programme of God
that land of suffering and sin can only be redeemed
by the giving of life. Not entirely do we understand,

AFTERGLOW 191

but we know that brave hearts such as his are

" . . . . immortal seeds
To one day blossom in men's souls like flame."

Many hearts in many lands will join in the
Requiem voiced in this tribute from Alice Ferrin
Hensey :

" Softly bear him and slow, Bury him here with psalms

Our latest hero-saint, Chanted by Afric's sons;

To his narrow bed and low, Bury him 'neath the palms

While our hearts are sad Where the swift Lokolo

and faint. runs.

Ah, he was one who bore the armour well !
Bearing the Word that fears nor death nor hell
Faced he right on into the battle's heat,
Scorning to name the coward word ' defeat.'

Into the jaws of sin's dark Yet unto him a hundred-
hell, with song fold and more

Marched he, amid the vile Have these been multiplied,
and savage throng, within the door

Lifting the Cross before Of Africa's sad heart, where
their wond'ring sight, he laid down

Pointing the day-star of At last the burden for the
death's age-long night. star-bright crown.

He was not one to reck the The race for the goal ulti-

bitter cost mate is run !

Of winning Christ these The good fight valorous at

tribes, sin-bound and last is won !

* lost, — Almost our eyes can pierce
Father and mother, sons, the far Unknown

and native land And see him, victor-glad,
Left he uncounting, at his close by the Throne."

Lord's command

To us younger men he was as father and friend —
somewhat as Paul was to Timothy and Mark and
Titus. Few men were wiser in counsel, and to his
kindly advice and help we owe more than words can
tell.

192 A MASTER BUILDER ON THE CONGO

Personally, the writer feels a sense of deep loss,
which grows with the years. Sometimes we mis
understood each other and clouds came between, but
his kindly love never faltered and the last year of
our fellowship was the richest of all.

Awaiting the dawning of that day when we shall
know as we are known, it seems fitting that this
Memorial close with these words to our Comrade,
which were found marked in one of his books:

" Until the shadows from this earth are cast,
Until He gathers in His sheaves at last;
Until the twilight gloom be overpast —
* Good-night ! Good-night ! Good-night ! ' n

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