THE NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD

Otago Witness, Issue 2654, 25 January 1905, Page 13

THE NEW ZEALANDER ABROAD

MR A. R. FALCONER'S EXPERIENCES.

Knowing- that Mr A. R. Falconer, whose - name has so long been, closely associated with the work done at the Dunedin Sailors' Best, had returned from a trip to the Old Country, a representative of this paper •waited on Lhn in the hope of gathering '- some interesting details as to Mr Falconer's -visit, and was not disappointed. Mr JJ'al coner's visit was made, h& said, after an absence from the Home Country of over 40 years, and extended to 18 months. TOTTB TO THE HOLY LAND. When in the Old Country Mr Falconer found that the " World's Fourth Sunday School Convention " was to be held at Jerusalem, and .naturally having a desire to visit Palestine, -tmd receiving' "unexpectedly from the secretary of the English Sunday School "Dnion a, most cordial invitation to be one of the party, be gladly availed himeelf of the opportunity of visiting thus not 'only~'the Holy Land, but also the' Land 'of the Pharaohs- and the classic Italy and Greece. A 'party of some 500 leit London, and were to be joined when Jerusalem was reached by "some -800 American friends ; and " the 3300 thus comprised .belonged to many •nationalities, and represented 29 denominations. After £bglowing description . of what "he found a most delightful five days' trip on the Mediterranean, Mr Falconer continued, to give his own words : — From Athens we sailed for Syria, and anchored at „ Here we met a large number of our American pilgrims, besides scores of missionaries from all over Syria and Palestine. Some convention was being held. I was met on the wharf by -Or -Webster and driven to the American College. The college is a wonderful block of buildings, which would do credit to any Home-city. The staff numbers. ss. Of the=e 46 devote all or most of their time to teaching, and the 1000 graduates occupy positions of commanding influence as civil and military physicians, lawyers, judgj. teachers, preachers, editors, authors, and merchants. On my visit 750 students were on the roll, 150 of whom were medical. I heard an address from the aged (82) president, Dr H. S. Bliss. Space, forbids me mentioning all tba good and .grand work in the way of missions I saw at Beyrout. Its extent greatly surprised and. cheered .me. ; Best of all, -the education,^ which .is of the . highest, is thoroughly permeated with the " 'spirit* of Christ; I mean -,in.> this Syrian college. From TJeyrout we" went tcr Haifa ; then on to Jaffa (Joppa),;.w;Bere we trained ~< distance- o£ about 38 miles by rail 'and -54- by road. I stayed one niglit in Joppa, a<t -the Jerusalem Hotel, and " visited the house- of Simon -the tanner ■where ±*«ter "tarried many days," and I wrote some postcards on the housetop where he had his famous vision. Thg placets full of Bible associations. I also attended German and English services here. In the Holy City I spent ±o days, and, in spite of much to sadden, Jerusalem has a charm possessed by* no other city on earth. It being Easter time, the city was astir and inconveniently crowded. Jjlany thousands of Russian pilgrims were there, and thousands from' other nations. I jpaid several visits to Bethany and Bethlehem, stayed a night at Jericho, visited the I>ead Sea and bathed iv Jordan, and went also to Hebron. All -to me was full of deepest interest, so much at every turn reminding one of our Saviour's footsteps. The convention was held in a large marquee, accommodating 2000; it continued - for three days, and generally was crowded. It was a- wonderful gathering. The Archdeacon of . JLohdon gave wbat\ was termed > " the convention sermon." "Many men of mark, of many nations, took part, and now ■and again the meeting was thrown open, and I felt as if the time was wisely filled' vp — there was always a -spirit of quiet devotion. The large was pitched near the Mount of Olives, and when the 2000' sang^ in the quiet evening hour I should think they would be Heard miles away. Space forbids going into details about this unique gathering. On the whole, as the Americans would. say, it was "a big thing," •even the arrangements costing ' some £250,000. It is said that "never before so many Christians had gathered together fvom every part of the world, at Calvary to do •homiage to Him who suffered there." Certainly no other name would have drawn us there. The closing meeting was unique, and many officials of the city and country (non-Christians) came, taking -seats on the platform out of respect to * the Christian visitors. The ancient Mayor of Jerusalem" was there, the Turkish Minister of Education, the Abyssinian general; there were also Greek monks 'and Catholio priests, the High Priest of the Samaritans,' the Armenian Bishop of Constantinople, and representatives 'from Africa, Canada, India, Turkey, Egypt, Bulgaria, Trinidad, Japan, Mexico, China, Persia, Nova Scotia, and other countries. I think I alone was from New Zealand. The Bishop of Jerusalem and the American Consul were on the platform, and though sickness prevented the British Consul from attending he sent a kind letter of sympathy. THEOTTGH AlffißlCA. I enjoyed my trip through America, continued Mr Falconer, having gone Home ,by the San Francisco route. I stayed about a week in the_ cities I passed through, such as San Francisco, Chioago, New York, and Niagara, visiting all sorts of sailors' rests and homes and mission halls and resorts for soldiers., etc. In America they do things -largely and well for the social well-being of the sailor and the soldier, and for many other classes of society; but I always felt *he more decidedly spiritual the work was the greater and better results followed. This also was the testimony borne by hosts ■of devoted workers, both *in America and ia England .and Scotland. At the Presidio of San Francisco, where some 3000 soldiers are quartered, I found a real, good, solid work being carried on by the soldiers themselves, where, in the very centre of the a ?K' the headquarters, a y.M.C.A. is in full swing. I was told by_ the military chaplain that the authorities encourage in every way the T.M.C.A. among the soldiers in all barracks. In America perhaps the Mocdy Bibls. Institute, j now conducted by Dr Torrey, cheered me most, but many others cave m© much ioy. The American Seamen's Friend Society does a. far-reaching and solid work. I could ccc tmt the verg-e -of Christian work in the space of a fe-w days in each city : the truest « often behind the scenes. I should have mentioned that Samoa has its mission work

and workers, and Honolulu its attractive V.M.C.A. and well-conducted Sailors' Rest. THK HOMELAND. In England, said Mr Falconer, my greatest joy in any woik for God came from my -week's visit to Ashley Down Orphan Houses, Bristol, founded by the late saintly George Huller, and now conducted by his son-in-law {Mr James Wright) and Mr G. Fred. Bergin on the same principles of entire trust and faith in God to supply all tho need of 2000 orphans in answer to prayer, and I felt it worth going to the Homeland had I seen nought but Muller's Orphan Houses. In London I stayed some five months, and visited many missions there, seamen's and others, as also in Liverpool and other seaports. Work amongst seauaen is carried on in many English cities on a large scale— in almost every port sailors' rests and homes are found. The same, I fancy, i 3 true of every seaport of any consequence in Britain and America, and also in foreign ports. I spent a considerable time in my native city of Edinburgh. Here I again visited 1 the sights, specially the haunts of my boy- \ hood; also its missions, the most prominent being the Garrubbers Close one. a leading worker in ' it being Mr Muston, formerly of Dunedin. Professor Simpson, of tho university, is ' its president. It has done a noble work for the past 46 years. Some years ago Mr D. L. Moody, of America, raised £10,000 for its objects, so pleased was- he with its faithful work. Edinburgh has two soldiers' homes, and Leith — close by — two resorts for seamen, one of them being a well-appointed sailors' home. In Perth I found a beautiful soldiers' home, called after the late General Wauchope, and where the men of the Black Watch (42nd Highlanders), who are generally stationed when first enlisted in the above city, make their special resort. Glas§ow does much for the comfort and welleing of its seamen; so does Greenock and many other seaports in Scotland." I spent six weeks in the Shetland Isles, and much enjoyed intercourse with its. crofters and fish«rmen. Thousands of the latter go to eea as sailors, and are found in every port and clime. Even this* week I found a number on board a ship at Port Chalmers. They make the best of seamen, and deepsea skippers would fain choose them for a crew. They are a hardy, well-behaved class of men. I stayed a week or two-in Aberdeen, and saws its fishermen and missions. While there T went to Peterhead, Balmoral, and other places of interest. I visited Grantown-on-Spey. Found several New Zealandors there; also went over Castle Grant, the ancient home of the Earls of Seafield. I had read and frequently heard ifc mentioned that coming from New Zealand 1 was a passport to'many a heart andi home. Well, speaking for myself, I found ifc so both in America, Canada, England, Scotland, the Continent, and even in ihe ' feast. .New. Zealand jseenns in favour everywhere. Many at once say, " You have a fine country there," or allude to some_ of our laws, or refer to our action in sending our young men to the front to aid the Motherland, etc. Whatever be the cause, or has led to it, our adopted country appears to stand high in the estimation of multitudes in the old lands. ■ VISIT TO FBAKK BTJZ.tEN'. I fear, ooncluded Mr Falconer, that I have saic}. but little of interest to your readers, but some of them might wish me, in closing, to refer to Frank T. Bullen. Mr Bullen's love for this place— especially Port Chalmers, which he terms "the dearest spot on earth," — and for those who befriended him when at his wits' end, in the days when friends were few. is intense. When I reached London I called at his home in Cambridgeshire, and most welcome he made me. I had taken with me some little mementoes — bookcase, walking-stick, etc., made out of portion of the wreck of two of his old whaling friends, — and these brought up old memories, and were acceptable. Mr Bullen I found busy at work at his writing -table, wifclT coat off and shirt sleeves turned up. He had three new volumes in hand. We had a most pleasant time together, recalling old times and friends. I found his name and works most popular all over Scotland and England. I understand they are equally so in America. Strange that I [ should see quite a row of Frank Bullen's ! works in the only English home I visited at Jerusalem. I did not myself hear Mr Bullen lecture, but I am told his lectures are as popular as his writings. On landing and on leaving he gave me a number of his works. He invited me to snend some weeks at his home, though I failed to do so, but on my departure he met me at the ■ railway station, and with my son (Dr A. R. 1 Falconer) drove us to the Savoy for dinner, and was kindness itself. Some of the old residents of Dunedin may remember Frank Bullen's cousins (F. and G. W-. Bullen), who were in business in the early sixties at the corner of Princes and Rattray streets — the site known at that time as "Bullen's Corner." One of those brothers invited me to his cosy country house at Crewkerne (England), and showed me everj" kindness; the •othea is a resident of Kaikoura, NewZealand. Frank T. Bullen's grandfather's brother was Sir Charles Bullen, G.C.8., who commanded, the Britannia at the battle of Trafalgar, and died Admiral Superintendent of Pembroke Dockyard.