AFRICAN MISSION WORK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3144, 24 July 1917, Page 7

AFRICAN MISSION WORK

LHCTUKE BY MR. BROOME SMITH. Mr. Broome Smith, F.8.G.5., lash evening delivered a lecture in St. Hilda's Schoolroom, Island Bay. Ho took for his subject, his missionary experiences in Africa, mid illustrated his account with some very fine lantern slides. Mr. Smith spent twenty-three years of his life in Africa, doing pioneering and work, ehieily in Ashanti, tlio Congo, Sierra Leone, and Nigeria. During that time ho underwent many vicissitudes, and had several narrow escapes from death. One adventure that lie recounted .last evening he said he was not likely to forgot. Ho Iras tied up by a drunken chief, and for three days awaited sentence of death. His final deliverance was brought about in a rather unexpected fashion. On one occasion, he saved the lives of seven persons at a cannibal feast by performing upon an influential man a difficult and seemingly hopeless operation. Speaking of the achievements of the missionaries in the way of civilising the natives, lie said that the Christian Missions Society had been successful in. imparting to the coloured studdnU a remarkable amount of technical and other knowledge, and had turned out numerous barristers, doctors, civil servants, and bishops. Nearly all the; native clergy had take-n tho if.A. degree. Exhibiting-a map of Africa, the lecturer showed, the vast fields still open to the niksioiinry in that country. Now was the time, ho said, and there- was the opportunity. What were the people going to do with it? B> concluded with an appeal for support for tho missions. Mv. Broomo Smith, intends to return to Africa a fieri ho has visited Queensland. Last evening's lecture was only ono of a series he is (e deliver in this district during the week.