OBITUARY.
Prof. Wm. L. Gordon died August 28th at the residence of his father-in-law, Rev. W. I. Hunt, of Columbus, Mich., at the age of thirty-four years. Mr. Gordon became connected with the A. M. A., as Principal of the Avery Institute at Charleston, S. C., in 1880, which position he held until 1882, when he was transferred to Tillotson Institute, Austin, Texas, to become its Principal and Treasurer, where he remained until the time of his death. He became a Christian in his boyhood, although he did not connect himself with any church until he arrived at manhood. Rev. J. H. Parr, who was associated with Prof. Gordon during the past year at Tillotson, sends us the following estimate of Mr. Gordon's character: "To know him was to love him. No sounder advice than his was ever offered to young Christians. No one ever felt a deeper solicitude in behalf of the wayward and thoughtless. We cannot adequately speak of the loss which the bereaved wife and children sustain. We only venture to say that the school to which Mr. Gordon gave the last and best years of his life has lost its wisest counselor and truest friend. The American Missionary Association has lost a most faithful worker, and those whoknew him well have lost the visible presence of one they loved, but they cherish a memory which shall be fragrant and inspiring forever." His Christian faith never wavered in all his sufferings. Only a few minutes before he died, he said: "Bless the Lord, O my soul, for all His kindness and goodness to me."
Another Missionary steamer has been set afloat. The London Missionary Society, after anxious and weary waiting, announces that its iron steamer the Good News has been successfully launched on Lake Tanganyika, in Central Africa. To make an iron steamer in England, transport it in pieces across the ocean, have it carried, piece by piece, on men's shoulders, through jungle and forest, into the very heart of the Dark Continent, have it set up and launched upon the great lake whose waters and shores and inhabitants the story of Stanley and Livingstone has made of such thrilling interest to the Christian world, is surely an achievement that challenges our admiration. An Herculean task! But it has been done. In the name of Christ and in the interest of His kingdom, it has been done!
The natives were greatly puzzled to know how the steamer was ever to be gotten into the water, or how, if in the water, she could ever float.
Mr. Roxbury, the Society's engineer, who had the matter in charge, thus describes their perplexity:
"As we came near to a finish with the hull of the boat, and began to prepare for launching, this seemed a greater wonder to the natives than the boat itself. They were all along very doubtful whether the boat would float or not, when they had seen us day after day putting on so many plates of iron, but these wonders seemed to disappear when the question of how were we to get her put into the water arose. This they seemed to think would be impossible; for, as they said, all the men in the villages around here could not carry her to the water. I tried to explain to them that we should be able to put her into the water with a few men, as the boat would go in herself on the wood, or ways, we were then very busy laying down. My saying this only increased their amazement, and they laughed at me, and went away discussing the subject among themselves in their own way. However, these doubts are now all cleared up, and I do not think words could properly describe the excitement there was for a time among them as they stood and saw the Good News glide beautifully down the ways 145 feet without a single hitch, then run out into the river about 100 feet, when Mr. Swann, who was on board standing by the anchor, let it drop, and this brought her to a stand. For some time after this the noise of the excited natives shouting and dancing, and the firing of guns, would baffle description, and during the whole day they kept up singing and going through their war-dances."