LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1899, 6 November 1913, Page 4

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

SOME OriMOUS INFORMATION.

The 118 th. report of the London Missionary Society contains some curious information. Tho missionary at Mborcshi complains of the way in which lions interfere with religious observ* ances. "The lions," ho says, "have repoatcdly wandered about the station, and a month ago they killed both my donkeys on ono visit. These frequent visitations have made our Friday evening service impossible, and we are now arranging for this service to bo held at sunset." , ■ A report from Joynagar, in- India, says:—"As a ralo, tlio thakur bari. is quito eaipty 1 but wlion I paid tho school a visit in Octobcr, it lacing close to tlio great Durga festival, I found a large imago of tliat goddess, with her two' sons, and otheT attendants, in proi cess of manufacture at the- other end of the verandah. Tlio figures wore already complete, and only needed painting and decorating. Sitting opiwsitQ that idol group I hoard tlio Tittle girls repeat the Ten Commandments', while a' small crowd of their parents and relatives stood round anxious to see now they would acquit themselves," Tlio motor omnibus is apparently becoming a factor in evangelisation Work, for, according to a report from ftagcrcoil, "Great- as the increase in students is, it only represents 70 per ccnt. of the applicants. There is a strange touch of modernity in tho aimounccuiont that tlio increase is probably duo to tho introduetioiii of motor omnibuses the main towns of Travancore.' 1 _ Mr. Cousins reports:— 1 hero is no possible 'doubt that tlio women of China will settle tlio religion of China. They are tlio key to tho situation." Mr. Dawson, writing from .Siaochaug, says: "If opium goes a fresh menace has already appeared in tho increased trado in aicoliolic liquors." . Tlio domineering deacon is tlio subicct of a report from Kanyc, Bochuana-la-nd, wlicro tho missionary complains: "The sharpest fight of tho year has been in dealing with two or tlireo deacons, who were not in favour of frco speech aiul independent action among the church members. Leaving out details, I may briefly say that the church for years has been hindered by deacons being elected for life. Two of tltom had allowed themselves to he tho lords or tho church, instead of its servants. Shorthand seems to bo popular m Samoa. Sir. Hawky writes of the school at Leuhwiocga: "The pons asinorum Was an insuperable obstacle to those Samoan lads, but shorthand, so far, appears to be a delight. 1 liavo adapted Pitman's system to tile Samoan language; not au altogether easy task, as it is based upon tho consonants, whereas in Samoan consonants are few and novor doubled and combined; vowels predominate, many words ot several .syllables not liavuig a single • consonant." .