“South Africa. Graham's Town District”

BIPOC Voices in the Victorian Periodical Press

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South Africa.

Graham's Town District

THE letters from two of our Native Missionaries in Kaffirland will be read with interest. Those from the REV. CHARLES PAMLA were written in English: the one from the REV. BOYCE MAMA was written in Kaffir, and translated into English by James Dwane, a Kaffir in Heald Town.

Extracts from Letters of the Rev. Charles Pamla, to the Rev. Robert Lamplough, Graham's Town, dated May and July, 1872.

I HAVE just settled down in the Tsomo Mission house, under the superintendence of the Rev. E. J. Barrett, at Butterworth. On my journey I called at Kamastone, and preached there one Sunday, morning and afternoon. The power of God came down upon the people: many came forward and got good. You see that I am sent to a very dangerous place, where there is a great battle, and my Superintendent lives many miles away. Please, Sir, to pray for me very much, that God may bless my labour in this place, as He has done in others. There seems to be a good feeling. By the help of God, I hope to see a very good work next Sunday. The work has already commenced. An Englishman was converted last night in my house. He had been seeking the Lord since last Sunday, and last night was soundly converted, and slept in my house. He is going to meet in class now. I have a very good work here. If I had a little time with you, I should be able to preach in English with ease. More than twenty sinners have been saved here at the station alone.


Tsomo, July, 1872.

I AM now waiting for an answer to my last letter to you. I wish to inform you a little about the great work of God in this Circuit. Since I wrote you I have been out working amongst the Heathen in their kraals. I began my work at the chief Dingiswayo's kraal, and preached there daily for a whole fortnight. Two preachers, or evangelists, and a few men, accompanied me. Preached night and day. Many heathen were converted, and the chief too, who is a relation of mine. He came forward one day, along with the rest, as a penitent, and found peace with God. At the same time two of his sons, and his great wife, and one of his councillors, came forward and found peace. After this chief had found peace, he stood up boldly amongst all his people, and said, “I am now a Christian. You must all know this today. My place now is no more a heathen village, but a school place. No more heathen practices, no more red clay. I have given up heathenism, and my people must all come to Jesus, and follow me. Jesus made us, let us serve Him. He is our God. Let us not serve the devil, he is only a prisoner. You need not trouble yourselves in trying to stop me, I have decided to serve God for life.” And then he sat down. I preached to the great congregation, and after the sermon I called for penitents. Nearly all the chief's family came forward, with many of his people. And with these new converts we formed the first Christian church at that place. The chief gave a nice piece of land for a chapel, and land for a teacher's house. We have put a day school there, and have more than twenty pounds towards a chapel at this place.

After this I went to another place, and had twenty-four souls saved. At another place we had forty sinners converted, and so the work continues to spread through the Circuit. Altogether we have got one hundred adults, mostly red heathen, in addition to sixty children. Praise God! Glory to God! The church is very much quickened, and many of those who had been in the habit of drinking beer have now fully given it up. Many, also, who have left our Church in the past wish now to return to us. I am also glad to tell you, that there is a very good work here amongst our Europeans. God has put it into their hearts to desire that I should preach to them in English, and I have tried, and God has been pleased to bless His Word. God has also moved them to ask me to be their Class Leader, and last Sunday I met the first English class at our place. They all express their earnest desire to serve God, and are pleased to meet with me. I have now eight English members.

Letter from Rev. Charles Pamla to Rev. W. B. Boyce, dated Fernley, Tsomo, July 26th, 1872.

IT is scarcely four months since I have been sent to this station, and the Lord has owned my labours here; a hundred and eighty heathens have been converted in my Circuit. More than one hundred is composed of adults, and the rest young people. We have been going from kraal to kraal in gathering these: one native chief and his family has been brought in, and many of his councillors.

I visited about thirty kraals. And we had services morning and evening, and preached, and held prayer-meetings, from hut to hut, and many out-door services. Hundreds of the heathen came to hear us, and after these services in the day-time, we had a great deal of talk about Jesus, telling them how God loved the world, and gave His only Son to save sinners. Many of them broke into tears, and came forward as penitents; and after a long struggling in tears, they at last found their Saviour, and rejoiced with an unspeakable joy. The Europeans are very thinly scattered in this territory, but there are eight added to the Society since my coming here.

I hold a service in English occasionally for the Europeans at their own request. I have formed an English class, which I meet in the Mission house, which is composed of ten members at present. Some of these express their joy now in the Saviour, who have also showed their regret and repentance by coming forward as penitents along with the natives during the service, and were not ashamed to confess Christ before men.

Letter from Rev. Boyce Mama, Etamara, to Rev. W. Impey, Heald Town, June 21st, 1872.

I WANT to let you know about the work of God here at Tamara. Since you sent me here I have never wrote to you about the work.

The word you sent through the Superintendent of the Annshaw Circuit to my Superintendent at Mount Coke about W. Shaw Kama to take Tamara, and for me to take Pewuleni, has reached me. I am sorry, because I have not been here long enough. I should like to have stayed here a little longer. I have been sowing the seed, waiting to see the fruits. I have great hope that the seed which has been sown here shall grow. But still I don't refuse to leave this place, although I should like to stay longer. I am quite willing to go to Peuleni, as I believe that it is the will ofGod. I have promised God that I shall go any where He sends me. I am no more to do what pleases me, but to do God's will.

When I first came here the number of members was less than it is now. There were sixteen members at Tamara, and forty-seven on trial: now there are forty-eight members and forty-seven on trial. At Equgqwala there were ten members, and now there are thirty-six. There were five classes, and now there are thirteen classes. Total, eighty-four members, and good many on trial. There was no school at Tamara, now there is one. There was no school at Equgqwala, and now there is a school. There were no chapels; and even now there are none, only that I am busy preparing to have a nice chapel here at Etamara; poles, wattles, &c., are ready. My intention was, that as soon as I have Tamara chapel, one must be erected at Equgqwala.

Digital Publication Details

Title: “South Africa. Graham's Town District”

Subtitle(s): “Extracts From Letters of the Rev. Charles Pamla, to the Rev. Robert Lamplough, Graham's Town, Dated May and July, 1872” | “Letter From Rev. Charles Pamla to Rev. W. B. Boyce, Dated Fernley, Tsomo, July 26th, 1872”

Creator(s): Anonymous; Charles Pamla; Boyce Mama

Translator(s): James Dwane

Publication date: (1872) 2022

Digital publishers: One More Voice, COVE

Critical encoding: Trevor Bleick, Kenneth C. Crowell, Dino Franco Felluga, Kayla Morgan, Kasey Peters, Adrian S. Wisnicki

One More Voice identifier: liv_025195

Cite (Chicago Author-Date): Anonymous, Charles Pamla, and Boyce Mama. (1872) 2022. “South Africa. Graham's Town District.” Translated by James Dwane. Edited by Trevor Bleick, Kenneth C. Crowell, Kayla Morgan, and Kasey Peters. In “BIPOC Voices,” One More Voice, solidarity edition; Collaborative Organization for Virtual Education (COVE). https://onemorevoice.org/html/bipoc-voices/digital-editions-soas/liv_025195_HTML.html.

Rights: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

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