On the 26th of February the new Congregational Church edifice was dedicated, Supt. Roy assisting Pastor Hillson. The house is 24 × 46 feet–is tastefully built. The lot was given by Mr. T. W. Pierce, of Boston, the president of the Galveston & San Antonio Railroad, “The Sun Set Route;” and this association assisted in the building.
Miss M. E. Green, our teacher at Flatonia, thirty miles away, came up with her baby organ to play it and lead the music of the occasion, adding much to the enjoyment of the same. She found here some young men, now in business, whom she had taught as boys elsewhere, and whom she had trained in singing, now to join her in this service.
AFRICA.
REV. MR. LADD AT KHARTOUM.
Khartoum, Jan. 9, 1882.
We are in Khartoum at last, and glad to get here after the long Desert journey and the slow sail from Berber. We arrived on Saturday, the 7th, a little after noon. The American Consul came on board to welcome us. He is said to be the richest man in Khartoum, and we found that he had spared himself no trouble and expense in fitting up rooms for our use while here. We are indeed very comfortably situated.
Our arrival seemed to be a great event in the city, and all the prominent people were anxious to be among the first to welcome us. One party of six gentlemen called. They said they had heard that we had come to found schools and churches, that they were delighted at the idea, and hoped that we would commence at once at Khartoum, as their children were suffering for the want of education, there not being a school of any kind in Khartoum. One of them had formerly given a large tract of land for this purpose, but it had not been used; if we would accept it, it was ours now, and we might build upon it as soon as we pleased. There is a report current, which seems to have some foundation in fact, that there have been serious troubles during the last two or three weeks in the vicinity of Fashoda, near the Sobat.
January 11.–Giegler Pasha has just returned from Fashoda, and this is his statement of the present difficulty in the Soudan: