IN MANY LANDS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12586, 17 October 1911, Page 7

IN MANY LANDS.

One can always turn to the annual report of tlfe British and Foreign Bible Society m the sure hope of finding there much that is interesting. This year's report is, if anything, of greater interest than before. The Society distributed nearly 7,000,000 Bibles m 1910-1911, of which over 3,000,000 went to Asia. But it is more m the adventures of the colporteurs, than m figures, that the value of the report os a record of Christian zeal lies. The colporteur is the hero of the Bible Society's work. "One colporteur finds shelter m a camp of- Kir ghiz Tartars," says the report. "Another m South India is mistaken for a wizard, from whose magic words tiie people flee. Another m the Soudan crosses the desert with camels, and when he halts by the wells must keep a lire burning all night to scare off the lions. At a heathen festival m Upper Burma a colporteur was beaten, and his books thrown into the Irrawaddy. In the frozen river at Astrakan a^ colporteur's sleigh broke through the ice ; both his horses were drowned, and he himself narrowly escaped. A missionai'y m the employ of the Society crossed America from Callao to the Atlantic. A Chinese colporteur, who was despoiled of all his baggage by robbers m Manchuria, went cheerfully on his way, making no request for compensation, save for another bag to carry his Bibles m. Acquaint story is told of a Chinese soothsayer, who became a convert to Christianity, and now delights m selling Bibles. When h© addresses a crowd he candidly tells them he had been swindling them m his former profession. "You all know how for a few pence I have opened to you some glorious sight of the future. In those days I was rich at your expense. Now, realising I have cheated you many times m the past years, I desire m some way to atone for mischief done." Another Chinese agent had his stock of Bibles stolen, and received word from the thieves that they had taken the books to find out whether or not they contained the truth. It is pleasant to read that the head of a- shipping office m Brazil, on being asked to buy a Bible, turned to his clerks and said. "You ought to buy this; it is the true thing. This is the religion of the English." The influence of the English, we are told, is very powerful m Brazil, and the highest standard of conduct is expected of them.