THE WESTERN SOUDAN.

Waikato Independent, Volume XII, Issue 1019, 1 June 1911, Page 5

THE WESTERN SOUDAN.

LECTURE BY REV. J. R. BURGIN. An interesting lecture was delivered by the Rev. J. Burgin in the Alexandra Hall on Tuesday evening. The title of Mr Burgin'a discourse was "Missionary Work in the Soudan," and it was listened to with the utmost attention by a very large audience. The Ven Archdeacon Willis presided The lecturer, who was attired in a nictoresqoe Hausa dress gave a realistic description of the Western Soudan district, and of a visit paid by the .missionary party, of which the speaker was one, to Kano, one of the two large Soudanese cities The population of the Western Soudan, which was bounded by the Sahara desert and the malarial district of Western Africa,- was.estimated at about forty millions, half of whom were riausas. Mr tfurgin gave a graphic portrayal of the journey to Kano and the privations undergone. He described the natives as a fine race physically, who manufactured ail they'required in the shape of. clothing. The embargo which had formerly prevented missionaries from entering the land was now removed by the King df Kano, and it was necessary, if they wished the Christian faith to be embraced bv the people, that the missions should be supported m order to prevent the Mahommedan religions obtaining a hold in the district. The lecturer was heartily applauded at the close of the meeting, and ,n response to an appeal from the chairman a generous response was made towa id s the fu.ids of the mission