CAMBRIDGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 149, 7 September 1880, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE.

(From our Own Correspondent.)

Last Thursday evening a missionary meeting was held in the Newlands Primitive Methodist Chapel, Cambridge. The chair was occupied by Mr. • H. Cape-Wil-lianason. Suitable addresses were delivered by the chairman, Messrs. Watkins, Lill, Lloyd, and the Rev. A. J. Smith. A very encouraging report of the last general meeting held in England, was read by the pastor, Mr. Smith, who also gave a short account of the mission - work in the Island of Fernando Po. The reverend gentleman stated that he believed they had been called by the Divine will to this, work. The station had originally been occupied by the Baptists, but they had been driven from the island by the Spanish authorities, and for twelve years the island had been without any spiritual teachers. A short time ago the Primitive Methodists had been asked to send ?mis-, sionaries, which they had done,; and though they had once been driven from the island by the. Spanish Government, • they An appeal, had been made to the British Ambassador, and now they were not likely to be dis-. turbed. In addition to the English missionaries they had several native teachers. Extreme difficulty had at first been met with in interpreting the services,", but at last one native had ; been found who knew a few words of' English, and he was made interpreter. The climate was very much against a pro-;, longed stay of Europeans, two years being the outside limit. Owing to this frequent renewals were necessary. The mission houses were built I,oooft. above the level of the sea, on the side of a mountain, j This was rendered necessary on account of the

■misisma of the flats. The account was delivered in Mr. Smith’s lively way, and was interspersed with anecdotes and funny incidents of native life. At its conclusion he stated that just before leaving England he had met with one of the returned missionaries, who had given him a good deal of information about the mission, and had also given him a copy of a hymn in the native tongue. This Mr. Smith sang, to the amusement and enjoyment of, more especially the younger portion of, the audience, the risible faculties of , the whole number being greatly tickled by Mr. Smith’s request for them to assist in the chorus. Several hymns were sung at intervals'during the service. - ■' A hearty vote-of thanks, proposed by Mr. Smith, seconded by Mr. Margetts, was passed to the; chairman, who replied - in suitable terms. The doxology was then sung and the Benediction; being pronounced, the meeting dispersed. a-