“Gleanings and Glances” (Excerpt); “Letter from an African Chief”

Please turn your mobile device to landscape or widen your browser window for optimal viewing of this archival document.

0001
[     ]

Gleanings and Glances.


In another part of our paper will be found a letter from a Zulu chieftain, Ncwadi Nkosi, paramount chief of the Amangawani tribe. This letter, charming in its originality and the spirit of gratitude and goodwill that it breathes, was sent to Mrs. Field, of I, Cromwell Street, Ipswich, who showed great kindness to the Zulu Christian Choir when they were in England last year, took them to some of the religious societies and sent back 200 penny toys for the school-children of the chief. Mr. Gumede was first cousin to chief Ncwadi, and the latter was very unwilling to allow him to come to England; but when Mr. Gumede returned he was so pleased with the treatment his cousin had received and the little gift of the toys, that he is now quite anxious to visit the country himself and to send his sons to complete their education.


Mrs. Field keeps up a very interesting correspondence with Mr. Gumede, and she sent out a Children's Scripture Union Card to see if any would join in the neighbourhood of Acton Homes, Upper Tugela, where Mr. Gumede lives. As a result, 30 children and one big man joined. Mr. Gumede, up to lately, worked as an evangelist, but being appointed as teacher in some schools built by the chief, he has been obliged to give up this particular work, except on Sundays. Mrs. Field is most anxious to provide a native evangelist in his place, the salary required being £25 per annum. She has already collected £3 towards it. The Religious Tract Society and the Open Air Mission provided several large wall pictures which have proved most valuable in bringing home the truths of Christianity and Scripture to the minds of the people at Acton Homes.


[         ]
0002
[     ]


Letter from an African Chief

Emangwaneni, Bethany,
Acton Homes, near Ladismith,         
June 12th, 1893.    


Dear Mrs. Field,

        I received the letter from Josiah Tshangana Gumede, who is my cousin, and he said they are from you. I was very pleased to receive them, because I did not know, that I can have a friend in England. I return so many thanks for your kindness of presenting us with the toys for the school children, and by all means to develop my school. I am as one in a dream, when I hear the thing I had not expected, because I was still mourning for their being expelled by their masters, and that led them under great trouble, and now I hear glad tidings for them, and that I am valued much by the gentlemen and gentleladies of the highest rank in England, and who desire me welfare and improvement in education, civilization, and ecclesiastical course. Education is the most thing I value under the sun. I also return thanks for those written papers you sent me, whereas I cannot promise you anything at present.

I thank you also for your kindness of treating Josiah so well and comfort during their hard times. May God bless you and have an improvement in your thoughts. May the Almighty be with you, and preserve you, and perhaps by His everlasting mercy may arise me from a sleep and consider what will take place in the future, that is in the world to come, where there will be no parting for evermore.

Give my best love to all your friends in England. May God be with you till we meet.

Believe me,                                                 


Ever most truly yours,                 


Ncwadi Nkosi.     


[         ]

Item Details

Author(s) & contributor(s): Anonymous; Ncwadi

Date(s): 12 June 1893; 1 June 1894

Form & transmission history: Original letter, as edited and published in a British missionary periodical.

Original publication details: The Illustrated Missionary News 28, no. 6 (1 June 1894): 81, 93

Digital edition & date: One More Voice, 2020

Critical editing & encoding: Heather F. Ball, Adrian S. Wisnicki

Cite this digital edition (MLA): Anonymous; Ncwadi. “‘Gleanings and Glances’ (Excerpt); ‘Letter from an African Chief’” (12 June 1893; 1 June 1894). Heather F. Ball, Adrian S. Wisnicki, eds. One More Voice, site launch edition, 2020, https://onemorevoice.org/html/transcriptions/liv_020015_TEI.html.

Rights: Critically-edited text copyright One More Voice. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

Explore complete/original item: Nineteenth Century UK Periodicals, Part II: Empire

Accessibility: One More Voice digital facsimiles approximate the textual, structural, and material features of original documents. However, because such features may reduce accessibility, each facsimile allows users to toggle such features on and off as needed.

Production note: The editors produced this edition through a rigorous process that involved using the following workflow: 1) Convert PDF of original document via OCR to Word; 2) Convert Word to XML; 3) Proofread XML against PDF of original document; and 4) Edit and encode XML using the One More Voice coding guidelines (PDF). However, users are encouraged to consult the original document if possible.