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BV 3300 .M86 1839

Munson, Samuel, 1804-1834
Memoirs of the Rev. Samuel
Munson, and the Rev. Henry

MEMOIRS

REV. MESSRS.

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

MEMOIRS
OF THE

REV. SAMUEL MUNSON,

AND

REV.

THF.

HENRY LYMAN,

LATE MISSIONARIES
TO THE

INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO,
WITH THE JOURNAL OF THEIR EXPLORING TOUR.

BY REV. WM. THOMPSON.

"

Wi

are more than conquerors."

NEW- YORK:
D.

APPLETON &

CO., 200,

MDCCC

XXXJX.

BROADWAY.

H. LTTDWIG, PRINTERJ
72,'Vesey-st., N. Y.

PREFACE

The

eyes of Christian nations are

turned with keen interest towards Southeastern Asia.

estabUshed

Having-

mission

in

Siam, the A. B. C. F. M. directed their

attention

Reports

from

warrant an

neighbouring

the

to

that

effort

quarter

to

islands.

appeared to

ascertain

whether

PREFACE.

VI

the Gospel might not be speedily preach-

ed throughout the Indian Archipelago.

With
and

Messrs.

design

this

Lyman were

sent

Munson

on a tour

forth

of observation and inquiry.

Some
it

time after their tragical death

was concluded by

telligent

and

judicious

which

cause in

they

number

of

friends
fell,

of in-

that

the

a me-

morial of the deceased ought to be pre-

pared for the public.

In

and

accordance

wishes,

the

\^ith

their

present

judgment

volume

been drawn

up.

auspicious

would have appeared

much

the

times

been
at

earlier period.

Up
tion

it

Had

has

to

the time

at Boston,

the

of

their

embarka-

memoirs of Messrs.

PREFACE.
Munson and Lyman

are

VU
kept

distinct.

After that time they are blended, except

that

extracts

initials

are

M. and L.

distinguished

by

the

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
Early

life

of Samuel

Munson

I.

His conversion His charac13

acter in college

CHAPTER
His professional

studies at

11.

Attendance on Medical
Brunswick Connection with

Andover

Lectures in Boston and

the Missionary Society of Barnstable

CHAPTER
Early Life of Henry
College

Lyman His

CHAPTER
Lectures

in

at

Boston and

in

34

IV.

Attendance on Medical
Bi-unswick Marriage ReBoard

CHAPTER

V.

Residence

in

of the Brethren

ments

Improvement

Andover

ceives the Instructions of the

Voyage

III.

in

His professional studies

57

Batavia

Obtain leave of the Government

Exploring Tour

23

Character on entering

Conversion Consequent
Interest Missions

Scholarship

CountyMarriage

to

Employ-

pursue their
64

CONTENTS.

VI

CHAPTER
Journitl of Messrs.

VI.

Munson and Lyman on

Observation and Inquiry

among

their

Tour

of

the Islands lying west

of Sumatra

87

CHAPTER
The

violent

VII.

Death of Messrs. Munsou and Lyman,

tempting to explore the Batta Country

in at-

179

MEMOIRS.

MEMOIR
CHAPTER
Early

of Samuel

life

Munson

His

r.

conversion

His

character

in college.

Samuel, son
son, was

1804.

bom

of
in

Near that

of grace,
struction

Samuel and Elizabeth Mun-

New

Sharon, Maine, March 23,

time, his parents

subjects

During childhood,

of their household.

young Samuel was,

several

distressing apprehensions

conscience,
tender,

became

and attended faithfully to the religious in-

was

times, the subject of

on account of

which appears

to

sin.

His

have been habitually

often quickened, at that period, by divine

truth.

At ten years of age he was

epidemic which proved fatal
friend of his father

now

to

left

an orphan, by an

both his parents.

received

him

to his

house,

which, from that time, he considered his home.

His

fidelity

him

to

each

and sweetness of temper soon endeared

member

was uniformly
2

of the domestic

treated as

a son and

circle,

brother.

and he

MEMOIROF

14

His boyhood was distinguished by the frank ac-

knowledgment of

his faults, kindness of disposition,

a winning deportment, and that meek decision which

was a leading

His

characteristic of his riper years.

teachers esteemed

him

and

tion to his task,

for his integrity

and

applica-

mates always welcomed

his

him as a favourite companion on the play-ground.

So strongly was young Munson attached to his
studies, that

he frequently

of relaxation

at school,

retired,

during the hours

gratify in solitude his

to

strong thirst for knowledge.

At nineteen years of

moir hopefully experienced " the

eration

no

me-

age, the subject of this

and the renewing

of the

washing of regen-

As

Holy Ghost."

particular account of his rehgious exercises at

that period has been preserved, the following narrative of the

Rev.

Josiah Peet, of Norridgewock,

drawn from personal knowledge and

recollection,

will be gratifying to the pious reader.

"Labouring occasionally
istry in

New

in the

work

of the min-

Sharon, I became acquainted with

Samuel Munson, some time

in the year

IS 18, he

being at that time about 15 years of age.

garded him with

interest,

orphan.

As

ceived he

was an unusually

ing, sensible youth.

re-

both from his personal ap-

pearance, and also from the fact that he

my

acquaintance increased,
sedate, modest,

Were he

to

thought, he would be a suitable

become

was an
I

per-

rejflect-

pious, I

young man

to

SAMUEL
study

15

His religious impressions

the ministry.

for

commenced

in the early part of the year 1823.

convictions were deep

self to

M IT N

and

be a depraved, guilty, and

His

He saw him-

scriptural.

lost

that nothing short of renewing grace,

sinner

and an

and

inter-

an Almighty Saviour, could save

est in the merits of

him from impending,

merited

destruction.

At

length he was enabled, as he hoped, to cast himself

upon the arms

of the

was a trembling

he was slow

and experienced

the hope he cherished

one, he gave satisfactory evidence

of a change of heart.
likeness to God,

Saviour,

Though

peace in believing.

and

so

He saw in himself such unmuch that was wrong, that

any thing

to believe there could be

truly good.

"In the course of the summer,

tained hope at the

same time with

others,

who

ob-

himself, offered

themselves to the church, but he kept back, feehng

himself to be too unworthy and unfit

important

step.

At a subsequent

found that he had concluded

own

Christ

before

men.

it

to

visit,

to

take this

however, I

be his duty to

Accordingly he offered

himself for examination, and on the 28th of September, 1823,

was admitted

to the

church in

full

communion."
Soon

after his

admission to the church his mind

was much occupied with

ought not
ministry.

to

At

the question, whether he

seek a preparation

for

work of the

length, after repeated interviews with

MEMOIROF

16

Mr. Peet, he resolved

to enter

upon a course of

pre-

paratory studies, and during several of the follow-

ing months he received gratuitous instruction from

He

his clerical friend.

Academy

then joined the

at

Farmington, where he pursued his studies through

summer and

the

The

fall.

town

school in his native

next winter he taught

and though

his pupils

formerly his school-fellows, they readily yield-

were

ed the respect due

superior attainments

his

to

That

Christian decision.

season, for the

first

and

time,

prayer was offered in the school morning and even-

At the

ing.

till

the

fall

engagement

close of his

ron he returned

1825,

of

at

New Sha-

FarmingtDn, where he remained

to

when he

Bowdoin

entered

College.

The

following account, which he drew

the close of

endeavours

first

" In

the

life,

1824

shows what
to prepare

was

Maine Branch

of the

a precious revival

Though
prayer to

me

good

himself for the ministry.

American Education So-

in

for

many
way.

in the riglit

but

the

indulged a hope in

town of

New

was then labouring on a farm,

God

how

up near

opposed his

received under the patronage of

About a year previous

ciety.

rect

difficulties

Sharon.

it

was

my

months, that he would

I

was

di-

desirous of doing

could accomplish the most good

did not then appear.

" I wanted, but I dared not

intimate friends,

wanted

mention
to

it

to

my

most

prepare myself

to.

preach

the

r E L

31

gospel

had

During

me.

we met he

culties

I told

a beloved friend

me what

He

my

toiling with

and

httle assistance as possible.

to

urge

my

diffi-

The

next

Latin Grammar.

patronage.

The

funds of

resolved to do with as

My

them, were always underrated.

wants of others

next

and was examined by the

who admitted me to their

But new perplexities beset me.

the society were low

my

all

long deliberate.

Directors,

wish

The

then mentioned the Educa-

studied a few weeks,

"

course I in-

not answer.

suggested a preparation for the

I did not

week found me
I

of pro-

able to assist

him, without reserve,

and wants.

tion Society.

my

But

destitute

this state of suspense,

I could

17

who were

I friends

tended to take.

ministry.

was

in the ministry inquired of

time

heathens.

the

to

parents were both dead

perty, nor

U X

wants, as stated to

Indeed

claims upon them,

I did not

while the

better deserving their patronage,

The

might be greater than mine.

consequence

was, that, during

my

preparation for college, I re-

them

less

than

ceived from
"

But

books.
dent.

my

fifty dollars.

studies could not be prosecuted without

To run in debt for them would be impruTo borrow them was impossible. After every

effort to

procure

them had

failed,

sat

the apprehension that this might be

thrown

in

my way

by Providence,

progress towards the ministiy.

2*

down with
an

obstacle

to prevent

I felt perplexed

my
and

18

My

distressed.

To abandon

offered to lend

feelings often

me

Though

all

dissipated
to

distant friend

my

This

distressing

the time that could be spared from

was employed

When my

ly finished, I

in teaching school, yet pe-

my

studies at the

was compelled

constant compan-

academy were near-

to leave

my

class,

remuneration which

to college,

received for a few weeks' la-

me to defray

and meet

and

The

return once more to the pursuits of the farm.

bour enabled

up

go forward.

cuniary embarrassment was

ion.

tears.

the books I wanted.

me

and enabled

my studies

found vent in

At length a

all

mercy

dispensation of

"

O F

the enterprise seemed like giving

the hope of existence.

doubts,

the expenses of a journey

incipient expenses there.

make a
and milk. The

I did

not complain, though compelled to

thanks-

giving dinner on bread

object I

had

in

view made

me

willing to submit to

any

measure of privation which would ensure ultimate

success."

What
brought

object
to view.

is

here meant has been

" Secret

and

already

inviolable springs"

early set his heart towards missionary labour.

This

purpose, sacredly cherished in the deep places of his

soul,

continued steadfast through his academic and

professional studies, constantly animating

ing his intellectual pursuits.

ing unavoidable expenses, during his

college, occasioned so

much

and guid-

The difficulty of meetfirst

year in

anxiety, that he often

SAMUEL
found

it

M U N

impossible to apply his

19

mind

to

study as he

wished.
"

What

adds

to

my

perplexity." he remarks, "

that one of

my

stances, has

sunk under

is,

intimate friends, in similar circum-

frequently associated

We

his increasing burden.

and took sweet counsel together.

We frequently encouraged

each other, and mingled

our prayers and tears before the throne of grace.

Nothing now

lies

before

me

but a dreary, dubious

Were it not that I am persuaded the hand

God has brought me thus far, and still points

struggle.

of

onward,

I should seek

friends.

a refuge in the bosom of

When I look forward

I see

nothing in

world but one continued scene of labour and

When will

this distressing anxiety, this

and these dreary

calmness, purity,

upper world

While

prospects be

and never-ending

sin,

the

of the

united

a uni-

!"

in

college Mr.

Munson

with the prayerful cultivation of

His Christian graces,

we have

his

study

spiritual religion.

reason to believe,

escaped that sad eclipse which so

many

pious stu-

The

on entering our public institutions.

following sketch of his intellectual

character,

for

felicities

form diligence in the several branches of

dents suffer

trial.

body of

exchanged

my
this

w4iile

and rehgious

a resident at Brunswick,

is

fur-

nished chiefly by a gentleman conriected with Bovv-

who was more intimately acquainted

Mr. Munson than any other member of the

doin College,

with

faculty.

MEMOIBOF

20
''His

intellectual

character

exhibit a decided superiority.

marked accuracy
for this trait

some

than

of judgmeiit,

did not

college

in

He was

a person of

more distinguished

To

for originality or imagination.

extent, there

was a want of quick discernment

But although

and comprehensive views of subjects.

not rapid hi the acquisition of knowledge, he com-

pensated for this by his great perseverance, and a

of

judicious application
patient student,
ject

his powers.

and was unwilling

it.

insight into the proprieties of time

which rendered

a sub-

He might be distinquality, common sense,

without understanding

guished by that invaluable

and

He was a

to leave

his efforts available

and

place,

more than they

would otherwise have been.

"

There was much of

and that

decision

Not that he was

On

decision in his

character,

which was ever ready

for action.

rash, or headstrong, or adventure-

the contrary, he

was a

cautious

man,

not hasty in forming his determinations, but

when

some.

he saw the

way

forward, he

was ready

"He was
to

in

which duty
to

him
obey the summons.
called

to

go

of a contemplative cast of mind, prone

think long and intensely on the wretchedness of

his fellow

of pity

men, and highly susceptible of emotions

and compassion.

When

he looked on the

degradation and wretchedness of those

in lands of darkness
his heait,

and

who

cruelty, his eye

dwell

affected

and there arose within him strong

desires

SAMUEL MUNSON.
and

resolute purposes to

have

perhaps,

go

for usefulness,

at once the language,

Here

'

" His religious character

am

was

I,

the influence of the Gospel.

serious, his feelings

which adopt

send me.'

living

His deportment was

prayerful with a

obligation to his

There was not one of

who, in looking back on college

acknowledge, that

if

life,

any one

son was that individual.

apparent,

attention to

God

his associates

must not be

of their

ber had the traits of the devoted missionary,

was very

under

kind and equable, his discharge

a deep and abiding sense of

and Saviour.

when

well developed

of duty conscientious, his spirit

to

that faith in

Every one saw in him one

in college.

Few,

to their relief.

in stronger exercise,

God, and those desires

ready

21

numMun-

His conscientiousness

and was evinced by

his close

all the studies of the college

course,

because they were required, when, had he followed

own

his

his pious

on the

inclination

subject, as did

associates at that time,

some of

he would have

attended more fully to some to the neglect of others.

He

always appeared

to

me

one making the best use of

ing

to

the utmost, his

and improv-

time and opportunities to

acquire useful knowledge.

unassuming

as a fine specimen of
his powers,

He was

modest and

in his manners, with a slight tinge of

melancholy in

his appearance,

which was perhaps

constitutional."

To

do good and

to

communicate was Mr. Mun-

"

MEMOIROF

22

and

son's practice

on the

Without infringing

pleasure.

he gathered a Sab-

stated duties of college,

bath School two and a half miles distant.

growing prosperity evinced

The

skill.

sick

his

Its

and

faithfulness

and wretched were not unfre-

quently cheered by his

visits.

After listening to a missionary sermon, preached

by Rev. Mr. Stewart, of the Sand-

to the students

wich Island mission, he longed " to

fly

as a herald

But

of the Cross, to those benighted ones."

lecting his situation,

Lord

and pray

for the past,

inquire,

'

While

he says, " While

Lord what

for future success,

wait thou

have

me

recol-

thank the

to

do

may I
?'

his associates could not fail to observe his

growing excellence as a scholar and a Christian, the

consciousness of painful deficiencies in both respects,

induced him to " fear that his future usefulness

would be very
still

limited."

disordered

withered

The

and

"

sick.

Lord, revive

My soul," he says, " is

My spiritual joys are
thy work in my heart !"

train of college studies,

had gained

solid

the year 1829.

from w^hich Mr. M.

and extensive

benefit,

closed

in

SAMUEL

M UN

CHAPTER
His

professional studies at

Andover

O N

23

11.

Attendance on

Medical

Connection with
Missionary Society of Barnstable County Marriage.
Lectures

On

in

and Brunswick

?)03lon

entering the

the

Seminary at Andover, hundreds

have experienced a sacred and unutterable pleasure,

springing partly from

and

spirits,

intercourse with

partly from such

congenial

engagements as

pro-

mote a thorough knowledge of divine truth and the

growth of

An
ment

spiritual religion.

additional source of happiness

is

opened before one

who

He enters the rooms

tion of a Christian missionary.

where

Mills

and Hall, with

their associates,

He reads the

prayed together.

and improve-

aspires to the func-

wept and

weighty and solemn

arguments by which those servants of God enforced

the claims of the heathen.
witnesses, that those sons of

in the

first

He

is

assured by

many

Andover who embarked

missions from America, aim to be "

exam-

ples in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in

faith,

in purity."

He

also holds daily interviews

with those few, who, like himself, intend

Christ' in

edness.

some

Thus

distant field of pollution

the

fire

to

'

preach

and wretch-

which was perhaps almost

MEMOIROF

24

quenched in
whole

and

character displays, in

decisive

No

fanned

college, is

and the

to a flame,

a short time, a happy

improvement.

part of the prescribed course of studies,

no opportunities for making useful

acquisitions

Few

neglected by the subject of this sketch.

knew

class-mates

he explored the

at the time, with

what

of his

diligence

knowledge, and pre-

field of biblical

Sev-

served in writing the results of his inquiries.

eral small

and
were

volumes of MSS. written at

this period,

evince that he purposed to be " a scribe, well instruc-

kingdom

ted into the

The

of heaven."

following

remarks of one in all respects well qualified to judge,

will doubtless

be pronounced

strictly just

by those

who knew Mr. Munson at Andover.

Of our lamented brother I entertained a
high opinion from the time of our
ance

and the more intimate

the higher this opinion rose.

first

very

acquaint-

became with him

Though

possessed of

very strong feelings, his natual temperament was

He had

a sound

sliare of prudence,

a good

phlegmatic, rather than sanguine.

judgment, an unusual

knowledge of human nature, and a well disciphned

and an uncommonly well balanced mind.

student he

was dihgent and thorough.

were highly respectable,

"

The

many.
erting

solid rather

As a

His talents

than showy.

moral excellencies of brother Munson were

His piety was ardent and deep toned, ex-

upon

his

whole character a controlling

influ-

He had

ence.

well tempered

sum up
was

J.I

MUN

U E L

directed

25

and

it

was

by knowledge.

To

a good degree of

and well

zeal,

in a single expression, his character

all,

beautifully symmetrical.*'

The

and systematic,

habit of being punctual

which he

carefully maintained, enabled

him

to cul-

branches of study which, by not a

tivate several

few, are entirely dropped on leaving college.

whatever quarter

his researches

commanding motive was

possible usefulness as

the
"

sacred

The

firm

the same,

or the

text,

field

love of Christ constrained him."

should be the last

forts to

invigorate

men

to

his practice to the close of

conviction

hopes

one

was

life

in stated ef-

minds.

their

That

coincided with this

indi-

should devote himself to the foreign

for several

whom

subject of his prayers

years called for a

The
of
to

and

new and solemn

those

trains

" without restraint,''

of

thought which

final determination.

" I find in myself a mixture of feelings

ser-

following extracts from a letter

he could address

present one

brought him

his

Lord of the harvest designed Mr.

At Andover the

consideration.
to

It

have already noticed some of the early

Munson

of

certain.

is

cations that the

vice.

difficulties

and the missionary

grow remiss

and enrich

highest

of Christ to

of physical science,

beUef, that the minister

We

the

an ambassador

Whether exploring the

the heathen.

In

were directed, the

which

it

MEMOIROF

26
is difficult to

There

analyze.

ed with the missionary

ocean,

Hfe,

tour perhaps

is

a novelty connect-

a voyage

among

the

theatre of our Saviour's mission

or

city over

in

the

Pacific,

re-

where

her charms to give elegance

all

and enchantment

and the

the

vi^as

perhaps an abode in some

mote yet beautiful island

nature has lent

the

an-

which

cient Greece, or a visit to the land

which he wept,

across

ruins of

to her luxuries

such prospects

connected with the success that has attended the

missionary
bourers,

effort,

have

ings, that I

and the urgent

true missionary

would wither

for

wrought upon

at times so

have thought

Yet such a

longer.

call

before

and

toils

ardour of youth, instead of the

is

sufferings,

spirit

a creature of self^ instead of that

"

It is

Such

feelings

has a willingness or desire

it

is

no

It

hke the
It is

the

of Christ.

It

which seeketh

then must be banished.

sometimes supposed, that

missionary work,

feel-

as light from darkness.

spirit,

la-

as different from the

blighted blossom in the noon-day sun.

not her own.

my

stay here

I could

spirit is

more

if

to devote

an individual
himself to the

of course his duty.

If

he

could be satisfied that the desire originated from the

special Providence of
it.

If

itself,

an

to

become a missionary

of

sufficient

is,

evidence of duty, then the want of

such an inclination
one.

God, he might safely yield

inclination to

will,

with equal certainty, excuse

SAMUEL MUNSON.
" But

it is

27

often said to theological students,

dare not examine the subject,

convinced that

it is

your duty

There can be no doubt

New England

to

go

'

You

you should be

lest

to the heathen.'

there are ministers settled in

who, had they impartially examined

now have been in heathen lands.

among the heathen had they
done ihe same, would now have been in New England.
Not that a warm attachment to missions is
the subject, would

And

perhaps others

to be disregarded

but

it is

not of

itself

satisfacto-

ry evidence of duty.
" I

have been

to find

any

fully convinced of late, that in order

truth,

we must

that leads directly to

it,

get into the path

first

and then

divest ourselves

of those partialities and prejudices which would di-

This

vert us from that path.

nary magnitude

but

it

is

a task of no

must be done.

The

point that presents itself for our consideration,

comparative claims of our

heathen.
1,80 ),000.

The
In

population

own
of

ordifirst

is

the

country and the

New England

is

this population there are, of all de-

nominations, about 18'J0 ministers

thousand inhabitants.

or

one

to

every

In the United States there

are perhaps four millions, out of the twelve millions, destitute of

the

means

of grace.

But among

those four millions are employed about four hundred

missionaries, or one missionary to every ten

sand

souls.

thou-

But the whole number of missionaries

sent from this country to the five hundred millions

MEMOIROF

28

of perishing heathen does not exceed seventy

number

the

of missionaries from

now employed among

hundred,

five

souls.

and

Christendom

the heathen does not exceed

one missionary

or,

The

all

to

a million of

most destitute parts of the United

compared with the heathen have, at

States,

moment, a supply of ten

to one.

From

this

hun-

four

dred and twenty-two students that graduated from

seminary previous

this

to

the year 1827, thirty-

become foreign missionaries

three have

than one twelfth of the whole number

been

eleven have

own
And yet

to

e.

i.

or,

less

while

supply the waste

country, one has been sent to the

places in our

heathen

retained

this institution,

by

way

of emi-

nence, has been called the Foreign Mission Semi-

nary

any

because

it

has sent out more missionaries than

other institution in the land.

These facts show

that theological students, in general, have not imitated the

'to

missionary

first

to the Gentiles,

who

strove

preach the Gospel where Christ had not been

named,

lest

he should build upon another man's

foundation.'

"It
to
to

is

often said that our

own

country ought

first

be cultivated, and then there will be time enough

send missionaries abroad.

have

carefully considered.

When

Such

has the church ever done so

the gospel at

home, as

of Foreign Missions?

objections

Facts contradict them.

since

much

to

spread

the establishment

A common

enquiry, to be

SAMUEL MUNSON.
be

cannot be

one that

sure, but

29
often

too

re-

peated."

Having

his

ir.ade

among

election

the various

spheres of Christian benevolence, before

is

and the judge of

the witness

Munson was

The

question

Him who
Mr.

things,

all

not to be diverted from his course.

was

was a

suspected that he

From

settled.

no one

that time

victim of the wretchedness

"a

double-

very imperfect journal which Mr.

Munson

and imbecihty that always

cleave to

minded man."

The

kept at this period, supplies a few notices in respect

which, in the judgment

to his religious experience,

of most persons,
''

God

it

were wrong

Jan. 16, 1831.

to-day by

ill

to

Detained

health

omit in

this sketch.

from the house of

my

had

customary sea-

sons of special prayer for the promotion of Christ's

kingdom among the heathen

Chinese mission

special interest the

to

remembered with

pray with unusual earnestness

ren labouring there

empire,

my

soul

while

went out

unfaiUng promises

for

for

was enabled

our dear breth-

looked over the dark

after

God,

'-esting

on

his

the salvation of those bewil-

dered millions.
" 30th.
lifeless

Have spent the day far from God cold,

one favourable symptom

does begin to mourn.

with the bread of

<'

March

1st.

think

my

soul

my soul

life.

Spent the day

3*

Blessed Saviour, feed

in secret fasting

and

;;

MEMOIROF

30

prayer; read with deep interest the 11th of Mat-

thew.

"March

2d.

Fell

into a foolish dispute respecting

the propriety of excluding a

who would

my

man

from the church

not abstain from ardent

point, but suffered

spirits

gained

an abatement of good

feeling

have enjoyed some comfortable views of Christ as

a Saviour,

which

for

owe him

everlasting grati-

tude.

"March
morning

Had a

3d.

sweet season of prayer this

could scarcely utter

any language but

that of praise.
" April

my

1st.

Have been trying

easily besetting sins

'

cally

wrong

;'

cannot be without a cause.

fault against

with that

some of

be- radi-

surely this stupidity, this utter indif-

which so often takes possession of

ference,

which

to

" Dec. 7th, 1831.

interest

it

my

Excessive levity

need particularly

am resolved

Lord help a worm

solemn

to recollect

something must

to

is

one

guard

to proclaim hostihties

gain

heart,

the

thee victory.

To me

has been

this

has been a day of

by

set apart

mates as a day of fasting and prayer

my

it is

class-

the day

appointed by the faculty to give us license to preach

a season most
past

ances

fit

to

my thoughts back on the

my trials and deUvermingle it with my praises.

throw

I will tell the story of

to Jesus,

" It

is

and

almost nine years since I indulged a hope in

and more than eight since I quit the farm,

bade adieu to my friends, and commenced a course
Christ,

SAMUEL MUNSON.

The record of my
God are too

of preparation for the ministry.

kept above, but the mercies of

life is

my memory

deeply graven on

along has he sustained me.

tory studies

ing

31

through

in

All

my prepara-

in

college

and

in temptation

be forgotten.

to

Through
toil

in trial

suffer-

has he been a pre-

sent helper.
"

me so near the attain-

At length he has brought

ment

my

of

object

Praise the Lord,

be his holy name.

blessed

O my

soul,

and

all

that

within

is

me, praise the Lord.

"

Without

solicitude for the future,

myself, blessed Saviour,

my
'

future

Lo,

life

upon thy

may I not claim

am with

you always V

Mr. Munson's

first

it is

The

believed,

protection^

I cast

and in

that precious promise

"

sermon in the chapel of the

viii
34, produced an impresuncommonly deep and salutary.

seminary, from John

sion,

again

Society of Inquiry, and the CoramiUee on

Foreign Missions in particular, always found him at

his

post, an associate on whose sound judgment

and abiding zeal

it

was

safe to rely.

His remarks

and addresses, especially on taking leave of the

society, as their president,

were characterized by a

power and unction which bespoke the

the fervent love of a true missionary.
public

exercises,

lofty

aim and

Both in

his

and in those solemn interviews

which were designed

ticular persons to the

to

call the attention of par-

wants of the heathen,

it

was

MEMOIROF

82

"out of the abundance of

evident that he spake

the heart."

The
ver,

greater part of the year after he left

Mr.

Munson

in Boston and Brunswick

tee of the

Ando-

devoted to the study of medicine

;

the prudential commit-

Board deeming some knowledge of the

healing art highly important to a missionary in the

East.

At Brunswick, those who had known him

while a

member

of college, noticed the striking pro-

gress, intellectual

and

spiritual,

which he had made

at Andover.

Congregations in the

among which he

vicinity,

spent his Sabbaths, will not soon forget his persuasive appeals in behalf of the heathen.

courses on this subject

sion of

shown

commenced with

some evangelical

His

which was then

doctrine,

and imperatively demand,

to authorize

tematic, unremitted efforts for the salvation of

As

his

own

dis-

the discus-

experience had taught

sys-

men.

him the depen-

dence of a ruined sinner on the sovereign mercy of

God, he strove

to cherish in the

minds of

Christians,

the belief that without "the spirit that quickeneth,"

the wisest plans and the most abundant labours must

utterly fail to bring

a single pagan

to the

knowledge

of the truth.

Just before his embarkation, Mr.

a sermon from Acts

the

viii

Board as one of

This eloquent

4,

Munson

preached

which was published by

their "

tribute to the

Missionary Papers."
"spirit

of primitive

SAMUEL MUNSON.
shows that

Christianity,"

its

33

author dehghted to

commune with primitive saints, of whom it has been

said, " To suffer and to love was their taste."
Like them he expected soon
trials,

that

and

to

encounter sharp

stand in need of the same strength

was made

The

to

perfect in their weekness.

friends of

Mass., where Mr.

in the service of

missions in Barnstable County,

Munson had

spent several weeks

the Board, and where he

ordained, proposed to

become

was

responsible for his sup-

while engaged in missionary labours.

An

purpose was accordingly

made

with the parent society by the auxihary of

that

port

arrangement

This proof of Christian confidence produ-

county.
ced a

for this

happy

effect

on Mr. Munson's mind, and the

correspondence which he maintained with that

ety,

to

soci-

confirmed their interest in him, and the cause

which they were pledged.

Abby JohnMunson was sum-

Shortly after his marriage w^ith Miss

son, of Brunswick, Maine, Mr.

moned

to Boston, to be in readiness for his

barkation.

em-


AIEMOIROF

34

CHAPTER
Early

life

of Flenry

Conversion

Lyman

IIL

His character on entering col'cge

scholarship Interimprovement

Consequent

in

est in Missions.

Henry Lyman
Massachusetts,
oldest son,

Susan

and the

W. Lyman,

they resided

till

Northampton,

at

third child, of

He was

the

Theodore and

both natives of that town, where

1827,

a few miles

herst,

was born

November 23dj 1809.

when

distant.

they removed to

Shortly after his

Ambirth,

Henry was taken so ill that his life was almost desof.
While in that dangerous condition, as
he was lying in his cradle, his father, in an act of

paired

solemn devotion, dedicated him

solved, if

he should be spared,

The

Holy Ministry.

to the

Lord, and re-

to educate

infant's

life,

him

for

the

which hung

in

doubt a short season, was mercifully preserved, and

the tender

vows of

remembrance.
their

of

first

were kept in faithful

Lyman deemed

it

care to impress divine truth on the niinds

all their

strict

his parent

Mr. and Mrs.

children at a very early stage,

regularity maintained

domestic rehgion.

and with

the several branches of

HENRY LYMAN.

35

The subject of this sketch, when a child, was disamong his brothers by a prompt and

tinguished

and a

cheerful obedience to his parents,

disposition

to anticipate their wants.

He

an early

also displayed, at

able love of neatness

and

order.

period,

a remark-

Having completed

the Elementary studies, customarily taught in the

common

schools of

New-England, he commenced

preparation for college, purely in compliance with

the wishes of his father

His

to his taste.

lively

for the

plan was not at

all

and enterprising spirit would

have been well pleased with the pursuits of commerce or agriculture

almost any thing, indeed,

rather than the grievous drudging

to

his hopes
tion,

which he fancied

of a scholar.

Till

and aims received a new and nobler

direc-

be inseparable from the

he marvelled

life

at his father's choice,

only a reluctant and

and gave

moderate attention

to

his

books.

Reviewing

his early

life,

Mr.

was a great source of trouble

Not unfrequently," he remarks,

that he
''

Lyman

under the

rod, and, except in

One

servedly.

confessed,

to his teachers.

" did

smart

one case, always de-

teacher remarked before the school,

that he hoped he should not be obliged, in future, to

punish any boys so

"

much

as he

had me.

My first oath is written on my memory as with a

pen of

iron.

are before

The time,

my mind

as

the place, the circumstances,

if it

were yesterday.

When

MEMOIROP

86

age of ten or twelve,

at the

school with two or three of

my

was standing near

had returned from

my

out the oath, for I feared to speak

would your

father say

my companion
father say

'

It

was

!'

was

the response of

had taken a great

stride in

truly a fearful step.

I felt

Every

moral nature tremble under the shock.

thing around, as

What

exclaimed

that!'

Henry Lyman, what would your

'

I felt as if I

conscience,

muttered

boldly.

it

he heard

he heard that

if

the broad road.

my

if

companions, and

father's house, I

if

taking cognizance of the fact

bear testimony at the judgment day, impressed

my

on

to

itself

mind, and at this day, though twelve years

have passed,

appearance of the buildings,

I see the

my comringing in my

the earth, the sky, and the countenances of

panions.
ears,

hear even

and the

that oath

Another gross sin was the violation of the eighth

''

commandment.
tresspasses

was

upon

detected

rod.

For

by

this I

This never extended further than

father's

my

Detecting

smart.

me

view between

my

much for me.

hell!

months

kept

my

and punished with the

I felt the

me aside and
me to an half hour's inter-

again, he took

left

conscience and God.

The

eye of

God

shrunk back and resolved

I

Once

change drawer.

father

had no care only while

prayed with me, and

too

now

voice that uttered the reproof.

to

This was

The

pains of

reform.

For

promise."

This temporary reformation was followed by ad-

HENRY LYMAN.
and open

dilional offences,

several particulars,

Lyman,
horror

37

violations of duty, in

became

so frequent,

at a subsequent period, looked

Mr.

that

back with

upon the destructive course which he then

pursued.

Having- completed

preparatory

his

studies

at

Northampton and Hadley, he joined the fi^shmen

Amherst

class, in

College, at the

commencement

of

1826.

A
fied

youth, on entering college, even

by

he

if

is

and a wholesome

religious principle

forti-

disci-

pUne, comes within the sphere of moral dangers

To

proverbially great.

as

and

scholar,

|i

acquit himself with credit

maintain stated communion

to

with God as a Christian, the pious student needs a

large

''supply of the

"give thanks
of the snares

to

God

spirit

He

of Christ."

will

always," upon the recollection

which he was enabled

to

shun during

that critical period.

But when these dangers surround the young

scholar
front

who

"

makes a mock

at sin,"

rank among those who "set

against the heavens,"

it

is

well

and seeks a
their
"

nigh

mouth
hoping

against hope" to expect that he will not sink in the

depths of wicked ness

With no
confession,

better prospects, according to his

and the testimony of

young Lyman went

"

My

to

Amherst

recollections of

his

in the

own

associates,

fall

of 1826.

him," says a class-mate,

MEMOIEOF

88

"from the time

His

distinct.

most necessarily
liarly

of his entering college, are quite

traits

ardent,

were such as

of character

He was

to attract attention.

and gay.

active,

During the

al-

pecufirst

year and a half he was the acknowledged leader

of the

wild part" of his class,

'

ploit could be

frank,

performed without his

From my

first

Sociable,

favourite

com-

acquaintance with him I

a deep interest in his welfare, and earnestly de-

felt

should be consecrated
"It

was

to the service of

apparent,"' observes

Amherst

College, "that

tlie

good or

for

active mind,

God."

revered President

he had within him/he

elements of energy and enterprise

was

and

that his prominent talents,

sired

At

aid.

and good-natured, he was a

panion.

of

and no great ex-

but whether for

was exceedingly problematical, as he

ill,

at that time far from being religiously inclined.

times,

we

a good deal of uneasiness about

felt

him, as there were some perilous influences around

him

in college,

and as he seemed

to yield liimself to their

too

much

inclined

sway."

The " bad eminence" to which he speedily rose

may be inferred from the following passage in the
"Corner Stone," by Rev. Jacob Abbot, at that time
a member of the faculty. The leader referred to

was Lyman.
"

The

officers

were much encouraged,

(in

view

of favourable religious appearances) but our hopes

were

all

dispelled

by the success of a manoeuvre

HENRY LYMAN.
which

ners, fhat I will describe

The

it.

the enemies of religion was, to

awakening

The

down.

it

and man-

so characteristic of college Ufe

is

face the

39

come up

and, as

boldly,

had been

this.

one Saturday evening in a

which
by the

invited

the students, to address

serious portion of

and

were, brave

it

indication of this design

first

was

I perceived

interest,

plan adopted by

them

The

room.

recitation

door opened, and in walked, one after another, six

or eight of the

mies of

They walked
before me,
their

and

most

relisrion

in,

bold,

and looked

your religion

:'

peculiar address with

can execute

me

any

in the face,

distinctly,

and

yet

'

it

which a wild

any

saying

by

we defy you
was with that

Sir,

college

his plans, so that there

shghtest breach of
or

contained.

institution

took their seats in a row, directly

countenances most

all

hardened, notorious ene-

which the

student

was not the

rule of external propriety,

tangible evidence of intentional disrespect.

distinctl}^ as if he was
manly countenance, and

can see the leader now, as

me:

before

his tall form,

energetic look.

my

Of
in

the

its

among

revivals

College, that of

his

ground as the ene-

a year

after this time."

which have occurred

1827 was distinguished

power and the genuineness of

Those who
at that

maintained

religion, for

numerous

Amherst

for

He

God and

of

its

fruits.

witnessed the wonderful works of

memorable season, do not

hesitate to

God

mention

the most striking cases of sudden, radical

MEMOIROF

40

name

change, the

own

which

should forget

was

led

by the

the

should forget also

digged,'

But

perusal.

and thus be made

to

in

here record

it

lest

whence

the hole of the pit

'

way

particular

Spirit, I will

the sake of a frequent

was

ac-

here given in his

is

language.

''Lest

for

Some

Henry Lyman.

of

count of this transformation

think lightly of

the grace that saved me, I will briefly notice

my

previous character.
"

The

was a
believe
I

was

next spring after I entered college, there

awakening among

partial

And

quite anxious.

culing

'

ihe pious.'

most among

my

in

one of the

first

mock

prayer meetings, I

of

my

call

on God

time, too, a

this

native place.

subjects of the

eight miles distant, I

many

as

fore-

at the card table, in

About

my

was

companions

would, as soon as by myself,

menced

ridi-

known

be

to

While, therefore,

profane carousals, and

soul.

and

At times

again quite loud in

was unwilhng

seeking the Lord.

my

Christians,

one or two hopeful conversions.

was

beloved

redeem

com-

sister

was

Being but

work.

often at

and those

friends,

to

revival

home.

saw

quite inlimate,

coming out and acknowledging themselves on the

Lord's

side.

The

thought of being

the world

made me

garded

warnings and

all

particularly earnest

at times

and

unhappy

entreaties.

alone in

left
;

still I

My

disre-

sister

persevering, but I

was

met her

HENRY LYMAN.
with

and

scoffs

Some

ridicule.

cious in their conversation

dle.

One

That

and

talked for half

was

if 1

He might

He

wind.

an hour

as

seem

did not

other used underhanded

well have
to care for

means

went
It

could go,

should be

talked to the

my

to get

An-

soul.

me

means

to his

keep

to

while he was holding a lecture, the substance

which was,

of

injudi-

in this strain

moment

house, and then resorted to unfair

me

were

made a han-

going to hell straight as

'

did not repent at that

damned,'

friends

of this I

41

'

should have to fight

to hell I

was

might as well repent,

if

for me.'

He

letter

concerns.

me

many

prayers as were offered

judged so

also

he talked with

at

my

illy

as to

tell

request,

sister's

as possible I

left this

and

into a

my

soul's

pity-

thousand

to

pieces,

and

scattered the fragment?

In the

fall

was convinced

heart did not feel

and

As

it.

understanding

At the

threatenings, a

close of the vaca-

more hardened than

would not hearken

4*

My

of the necessity of regeneration, but

tion I returned to college

"

vacation I deter-

be out of the infected atmosphere, and ab-

sented myself on a journey.

my

arti-

his cold impertinence, that I tore the letter

to the four winds.

mined

that

and gave

man,

from her on the subject of

As soon

me

ing him for his weakness, and so vexed at his

fice,

there.

utterly impossible to get there without great

exertions, through so

me

for

my way

ever.

to entreaties, promises,

merciful

God

sent his judg-

MEMOIKOF

42
meiit.

was brought by a

fever to the borders of

the grave, and for more than a

and physicians thought the

week

my

friends

Con-

contest doubtful.

trary to their expectations, however. I recovered.

my

"Before

health

was

fully established I re-

turned to college, and put off the great concern

from time

extreme

me

to

time

till

This

the winter vacation.

was a continual round

vacation

of wickedness in the

and how a righteous God could bear with

So great

and wonder.

so long, excites gratitude

my dissipation that, through fear

my constitution, I determined at

had been

of under-

mining

the com-

mencement

now

lived

to the

of the spring term, 1827, to reform.

a very

different

though

life,

still

opposed

laws of God,

"After the revival began, I frequently endea-

voured

to

draw

my

religious class-mates into

dis-

pute upon the doctrines of the Bible, for the sake

of

wounding

On

the

and

their feelings,

how hardened and wicked

posing the work of God
morning of

that

to

keep company with

gage in

"This
ing,

my

I rose

with such

had no longer a

17.
feel-

desire

old associates, or to en-

seriousness increased

when, walking out

how

I continued op-

Tuesday, April

till

day

them know

frivolous conversation.

more than ever

but

was.

ings as I never had before.

to let

sensible of

to obtain

it

till

before

knew

my
not.

Wednesday mornbreakfast,

was

need of religion
I

made a solemn

HENR^T LYMAN.

would neither

in the presence of God, that I

VOW

eat nor sleep

till

had obtained

much; more,

very

how

to

knew

mates, I called on the President and told

my

state of

He

formed.

feelings,

advised

and what

me

read the

to

had

fifteenth, six-

of St.

eighth, ninth and tenth chapters of Romans;

and the

fifty-fourth

fifty-third,

and

Isaiah.

After praying with me, I

retired to

a grove, where

o'clock,

my

came

to the conclusion

appetite,

get rehgion.

it

My

in prayer

and as

nearly 12

till

it

sin.

was

impossible to

me

conscience reproved

by saying,

to with-

had made the vow,

that

such a conclusion, but

unpardonable

of

him, and

left

and not being able any longer

stand

ing to

fifty-fifth

I read the chapters pointed

and spent the time

quiet

him the

resolution I

and nineteenth chapters

teenth, eighteenth

out,

not

my sins.
my class-

obtain rehgion, than on account of

After meeting, by the advice of one of

Luke

o'clock

and wept

class

because

believe,

At 8

it.

my

attended a prayer meeting of

43

for

com-

endeavoured

to

had probably committed the

The

reason

why

said

this

was because I had slighted so many warnings, and

such means as I had always enjoyed.
"After this I felt quite calm, and after eating
dinner, returned to college,

my

old companions.

and began

one so much in any year of

in

to

laugh with

never served the wicked

my

hfe before, as I did

the following twenty-four hours.

Scoffing at

MEMOIROF

44

name

the Bible, profaning the

of God, laughing,

ridiculing the prayers of his people, to such lengths

made

as

Well do

others tremble.

countenance of one of

my

He

in the hall that afternoon.

at

me

remember the

we met

classmates as

stopped and looked

with a countenance expressive of astonish-

ment and

pity

that

look

my

pierced

soul.

It

made an impression which time can never eflface.

It made me tremble; and the only way in which
I

could find

relief,

was by launching

revival

and every thing of a

was

reproving loudly and calling upon

me

The

in

for

me to

his study,

very affectionately, telling

had broken

was

but

the time

all

to turn.

After the afternoon service,

in college.

our president sent

me

next day (Friday) was a day of fasting

and prayer
with

in the

serious nature

conscience, that faithful iTionitor,

"

forth

and opposing the

greatest extremes of wickedness,

my vow

there

still

making, not breaking

it.

and conversed

me that although

was hope
I left

the determination to begin again, and not

the sin

him with
make any

more vows.

"An

alarm

time increased
that time I

for

myself began again, and from

till

the next

was reading

religious books, attending

meetings, or in prayer almost continually.

nesday morning one of

his room, that I

this

Wednesday, and during

my

Wed-

class-mates offered

might be alone.

There

me

spent the

time in meditation and prayer till about three o'clock,

HENRY LYMAN,
when a

P. M.,

45

came and informed me

class-mate

that

my

rooin-mate expressed a hope of pardoned

sins,

and

that he feared I should be

away
degree

hardly

me,

left

direct

him,

knew what

prayed

me

for

saw myself

and entirely unable

not
bell

how
rang

distress,

and lead me by

my

be in the

wrong way,

myself aright:

to

and yet

knew

minutes before the

was

in very great

My

mind seemed

to

Maker, but

found no

Some-

relief.

tell.

though

as

under conviction,
degree, for I

the

a!l

time

to derive aid

than Christ, and trying

and be saved any way

eousness of Christ.

to

to

least.

to the highest

my

prayers,

had not

and

from Christians rather

climb up some other way,

rather than by the

just

began

right-

to perceive I

not been acting from the heart, I had not been "

and

It

had been

had been sinning

had been trusting

endeavouring

It

be sin to pray, and sin lo withhold prayer,

could not assist myself in the

appeared

ving,"

be

thought I had submitted myself

thing was wrong, but what I could not

seemed

Holy

Lord that he would hear

and have mercy upon me.

I

his

might submit myself

fifteen

cried unto the

torn in pieces.
entirely to

evening prayers,

for

and

to

to direct

About

to seek.

such a

to

As soon as he
some time that God would

in the right path,

for I

grieve

left to

me

to do.

such a manner that

Spirit, in

to

This alarmed

the Holy Spirit.

my mouth had given

before perceived that

the
it

lie to

was

my

this

had
stri-

heart.

wicked

MEMOIROP

46

thing which stood in the way, that this was yet in

open rebelUon against so much nnercy.

" What to do in this
knew what was requred

and thought

yet

my

heart told

my

had done

me

more was wanting.

had

In

all

not,

might

find

that

O,

how

aimed a dagger

have

stirred

up

walked the room,

life,

in distress.

thought

smib

tell

When

me what

if

he had

he would not so

much

I burst into tears,

for the first

was hke

would

should do.

I loathed that

It

and that something

out what he had done,

what

at my heart,
my feelings.

was required

asked, he smiled, and said he could not

to do.

not.

had been

what Imust

friends

distress, I

my room-mate and find

to

in hopes

knew

in thi Bible.

and over again by

told over

do,

go

situation I

and only time

in

and

my

tearing in sunder soul

and body."
Without giving the narrative
period,

it

may

suffice to state,

short time before these painful

and

conviction,

in the

Mr.

to

it

from

this

was only a

exercises of

alarm

an unutterable

delight

Christ.

Lyman was

change

Holy

gave place

Lord Jesus

entire

that

thoroughly persuaded that

this

resulted from the special influence of the

Spirit.

Before

it

took place,

it

appears from

the foregoing account, that he resorted, in vain, to

the very expedients which are prescribed as
ble

by the advocates of regeneration by

infalli-

self-love.

His meditations, his solemn vows, his earnest endea-

HENRY
voursj

as

is

tion,

what was

LiTM AN.

47

Precisely the

their effect?

same

experienced in every case of genuine convic-

a deep sense of

helplessness, joined with the

behef that salvation depends on the sovereign mercy

These

of Go:l.

characteristics,

belonged, in a high

David Brainard

nor

it

well known,

is

degree, to the experience

is

of

how the
which represents men
easy

it

reverse agrees with scripture,

to see

as "dead in trespasses and sins."

" I recollect," writes a pious

class-mate, " a short

Lyman about fifteen minutes

relief.
The day had been a

interview I had with

before he obtained
fine

one

season

for the

seemed hushed

of the year

An

in silence.

all

nature

almost perfect

still-

ness reigned throughout the college hall, interrupted

only by the voice of agonizing prayer or grateful

praise.

The Holy Ghost came down that day

unwonted power.

Before

behind the western

hills,

the

sun

seven of

my

with

disappeared
beloved

fel-

low students had been brought out of the bondage

of sin and Satan into the glorious liberty of the
children of God.
I repaired to L.'s

It

was

late in the afternoon that

room for the purpose of conversing

with him and his room-mate, upon the great subject

which then absorbed

all

in a neighbouring grove

our minds.

most of the day alone with

anguish of
the bell

spirit.

L. was absent

where he had been spending

his

Maker

After a few minutes,

was ringing

for prayers,

in deep

and just as

L. entered with a

48

BiEMOlROP

Bible in his hand,

and with a countenance the very

image of

No

despair.

sooner was the door closed,

than he exclaimed with the deepest emotion,

do7 what shall 1 do

ther B. lohat shall 1

same time bursting

little

When

child.

and yield

into tears,

urged

to give

his heart to the Saviour,

he had been trying

to

do

all

Hohat shall I

trusting to his
tians, 1

own

doV

efforts

'

Bro-

at the

and crying hke a

up the controversy,
he

replied, that this

day but without avail

and again he sobbed and groaned

ing,

?'

aloud,

still

exclaim-

Fearing that he was

and the prayers of Chris-

remarked that he might well despair of any-

thing he could do, (short of coming to Christ,) or

that his Christian friends could do for

same time assuring him

fulness in the

hngness

to

that there

Redeemer, and that

save every

him

to

returning

at the

was an

infinite

doubt his wil-

prodigal,

was

exceedingly ungrateful and wicked, inasmuch as he

had declared that he would in no wise cast out any

I had time to make only two
that come to him.
or three other suggestions of this kind before the
tolling bell

evening
altered

"

hastened us into the chapel.

saw

again,

During that

and he seemed

truly

an

and happy man.

The change was very marked and striking.

his ardour

and energy were devoted

of Christ.

ing

hiiri

All

to the service

His piety was almost uniformly glow-

Frequently, in time of religious declension, he

would come

to

my room, and after uniting in prayer,

"

H
Would

N R Y

fi

dowQ and

sit

L Y

MAN

49

propose measures for promoting

the spiritual interests of college.

^'

No

my

person of

a deeper

acquaintance ever manifested

At such

interest in social prayer meetings.

times he would pour forth the desires of his heart

No

with great fervency.

pray

some

After stating
conversion, Dr.
his

He

man

not a

adds

his

Lyman's

From

"

and

that time

consistent.

He

go by the halves in any thing.

to

Every body saw the great

turned right about.

change in

heard him

manner."

particulars of Mr.

Humphrey

course w^as very decided

was

who ever

one

will forget his peculiarly earnest

whole deportment; and no one,

beheve, doubted his sincerity in the profession which

he made at the close of the year.

Thenceforward he

applied himself diligently to his studies,

a respectable standing in
After that I

ated.

evident

to

me

was growing

his friends

had he

'

and

fulfil

life

he

should be

highest expectations

the

had indulged while he was a memhe would have done

we know not but certainly, take him

he w^as a young man of great promise in
;

sacramental host of God's

Soon

But it was

to time, that

w^ould, if

How much

lived,

all in all,

the

saw him but seldom.

in grace,

ber of college.

and beheld

when he gradu-

met him from time

more than

spared,

which

as I

his class

after the

elect.'

happy change described above, a

vacation occurred in college, duiing which Mr. Ly-

man

suffered

much on

account of his " confused

MEMOIROF

$9

notions of religious duty,"

those practices to

This

ed.

source of

last

and the remembrance of

which he had formerly been addicttrial

during the remainder of his

often supplied him,

with motives to

life,

watchfulness and self-mortification.

The solemn
he made about

dedication of himself to God,

this time, appears to

mental of much

spiritual benefit

which

have been instru-

during his connex-

ion with college, for he conscientiously recurred to

at particular seasons,

and found

it

it

the occasion of

deep searchings of heart, and of sweet meditations

on the Redeemer's

faithfulness

and

few extracts from the journal

love.

which he kf pt

during his junior year, will best show the variations

and general progress of

" Dec. 12th.

his religious experience.

This evening

I think I feel, in

my entire dependence on
my affections towards God.

unusual degree,
Spirit to

draw

" Feb. 7.

the

an

Holy

In prayer with m}^ room-mate|this even-

ing; caught myself several times attending to the form

of the words

more than the spirit

are offered with a view to

fear all

my prayers

make myself happy and

acceptable in the eyes of God, instead of being offered

in Jesus'
" 8.

my
my

name, and that he might be

Awoke

heart
heart

" 14.

more

this

this

evening

corruption

feel

constrained to search

and wickedness

The past has been a

like devoting

glorified.

morning with the love of God in

still

short week

myself and

all I

have

abound.

have

felt

to Christ

HENRYLYMAN.
more

indifferent to the opinions of

more

willing to do the

some time

my

past

whole

the world,

" 27.

Read

my

was changed
thought

heart

am

some time

I not deceiving

myself

he supposed his heart

after

There have been seasons when

enjoyed God's presence

selfish,

noon the account of President

this

Edwards' conversion
as he was for

for

sad reflections at

misimprovement of time, and the proud,

envious affections of

and

God than

will of

how many

yet

51

but " Satan

transforms himself into an angel of light."

"28.

Give

breathe;
if so,

"

is it

way

possible that 1

the patience

March

1.

Retired

Lord

all

can ever gain heaven?

much

the

Though

the day.

I neglect to

trials

shall I complain

my

feeling this

hearts, all

begin the day with

David had

in his

own

^Be of good courage and he

Aug.

same

watch and pray

because I have

"

infinite.

night rejoicing in

last

O, that I might walk in the fear of the

God, yet

than I

easier

and mercy of God are

God, and awoke with

morning

temptation

to

trials,

complain
too,

and

lie

says,

shall strengthen

your

pious strain

ye that hope in the Lord.'

9.

This evening

a brother came before

the church with a written confession of aggravated

departures from the path of duty

like to

felt

that I should

join him in making acknowledgments and

in requesting the prayers of the church."

Near the beginning of his

senior year,

Mr.

Lyman

"

MEMOIROF

52

seems

to

have

ing in his

reflected

own

much on the
At that

heart.

clanger of trust-

period he

made

the

humiliating discovery that in his rehgious engage-

ments he had not heen

free

church

from

" a desire to

and

become

often lament-

renowned

in the

ed

the prevalence of " selfish thoughts."

bitterly

"

Nov. 23.

O, that

through the year

not

fulfil

'

for piety,"

might remember

Walk

in the spirit,

this text

and ye

shall

the lusts of the flesh.'"

In the midst of painful

with bosom-sins,

conflicts

he was sometimes cheered with such meditations as

the following
"

Had

peculiar joy in contemplating the condi-

him who overcomes, who hath washed his

robes and made them w^iite in the blood of the
Lamb. He joins the thousands of thousands'
tion of

'

around the throne, saying,

Thou

'

art worthy,

Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power

vation to our

God which sitteth upon

;'

'

the throne

Sal-

and

unto the Lamb.'

desire to

make

Christ

known

to the

appears to have sprung up in Mr.

almost as soon as his religious

formed an important element

rience at college

is

life

heathen

Lyman's

began.

heart,

That

it

in his Christian expe-

beyond doubt.

In his stated sea-

sons of devotion, he poured out his heart in strong

cries

and

tears for the

pagan world.

After reading the last chapter of

Matthew one

evening, he found his " heart enlarged in prayer for

Why

the heathen.

sure in praying for

so

much

is

M A

L Y

H E NR r
it

that

N.

God

53

me

gives

plea-

Why these desires? Why

upon them ? Why are all my

them?

meditation

thoughts and feehngs inclined that

way

the Lord

if

of the harvest does not intend that I shall go

preach

and

to the nations ?"

Under another date he speaks

of " hearing a dis-

course from Mr. Dvvight, appointed on a mission to

Greece, which led

might thoroughly

deemed an

him

to

seek Divine

aid, that

practice that self-denial

he

which he

essential qualification in a missionary to

the heathen."

Subsequently,

when on

his

way

to church,

mind

evangelization of the world burst upon his

all its

beauty and greatness.

fold portion of the Spirit

soul

and

longed

longed

to

in

a ten-

for

have

" the

my body,

prepared for arduous labours in the

spirit,

vineyard."

Writing

know

relative in Montreal,

what

not yet in

labour.

My

Spirit.

The

with

to

prayer

My

power.

heart

my

tored savages
feelings, if

is

My

the heathen.

pend upon

God

designed

should

come

God

How can the heathen hear

Who will preach ? Who will

drawn out
duty,

laying

the guidance of the Holy

claims of six hundred millions

irresistible

without a preacher ?

go ?

field

is for

he says, "

my

in love to the souls of

happiness,

down my

mean with my

life

my

among

all

de-

untu-

present views

does not close the door which

and

now

MEMOIKOF

54

seems

me

Yet the

to stand open.

One

tremble.

false step

responsibility

makes

my

useful-

may

destroy

ness forever."
It

was not

he made known

dies that

how

near the close of his collegiate stu-

till

his soul

matter was

panted

first

The

confided to that sister whose tender

and prayers were

solicitude

to his nearest relatives

work of missions.

for the

closely linked with his

She was then on a

spiritual renovation.

Canada, and had written

to

visit to

her brother an affecting

account of the moral desolation which exists in that

Lyman

Mr.

region.

" But, dear sister,

is

replied

there

Canada ?

destitute but

It

no portion of the world

makes

my

soul bleed to

hear the Macedonian cry from Europe, Asia, and

Millions

Africa.

hammet,
sun,

bow

to

Juggernaut, millions to Mo-

millions to the Pope,

moon and

hundred millions sink

Every day

millions to the

thirty years

to perdition

some

carries

and

Every

stars.

from

Now what

there.

seven

this earth.

shall

be done ?
"

By

divine leave

and

assistance I will go.

The

pleasure of leading poor heathens to Jesus shall not

be sacrificed

That

for

home, country,

or friends."

true benevolence urged the subject of this

memorial

to

seek

the salvation of the

heathen,

appears in part from the great and uniform concern

which he showed
tent relatives

and

for

the salvation of his impeni-

fellow-students.

While

at

Am-

HENRY LYMAN.

55

herst he often wrote to the former in a strain of ten-

der

and earnest expostulation, beseeching them

and

forsake their sins,

whom

lence of that Saviour in

Of

four brothers

to

striving to portray the excel-

who were

his soul delighted.

then " without

God and

without hope in the world," three have since professed their faith in Christ.

His endeavours

to

reclaim the irreligious

of college, were abundant,

members

and were accompanied

by such evident seriousness and good- will as

The

secure attention from the most thoughtless.

appearance of unusual solemnity in

slightest

lege

he was accustomed

gratitude,

and made

it

to

welcome with

to

col-

heartfelt

the occasion of solemn fast-

ing and prayer.

Indeed, he uniformly abounded

in these spiritual

employments, and dealt severely

with himself whenever they

failed

deepen his

to

abhorrence of sin and his love to Christ.

To

the several branches of study prescribed in

college.

Mr.

Lyman

applied himself with zeal

success ever after he

the

new

Till then he

religion supplies.

a stranger

felt

to those

and

motives which

seems

to

have been

mental exercises and habits which

The

are indispensable to thorough scholarship.

injury resulting from remissness in the early part

of his course,

it

was not the province even

cere piety to repair.

"

When

he came

of sin-

to himself,"

he found with deep regret that he had scarcely begun

to establish those intellectual habits

which are

pre-

MEMOIROF

56

supposed in the more severe studies that occupy the

latter half of the college course.

"To every

thing there

is

a season, and a time to

every purpose under the heavens."

Like thousands of other

found

it

scholars,

Mr.

Lyman

so respecting the particular under considera-

In the midst of engagements demanding the

tion.

steady application of a well-trained mind, he confessed

Still

it

necessary for him to begin at the beginning.

he struggled against these disadvantages with

encouraging success, and, as Dr.

Humphrey has

remarked, "he held a respectable standing in his

class

when

it

graduated," in 1829.

commencement was

"

His theme at

The moral courage

Knox," upon which he dwelt with a

spirit

of

John

and

force

which showed the workings of a soul congenial with

that of the intrepid reformer.

HENRY LYMAN.

CHAPTER
His, Professional Studies at

With a
holiness,

tlie

keen

Mr.

Attendance on Medical
Marriage Receives the

Board.

thirst for useful

knowledge and

Lyman commenced

ology at Andover in the

tant turn in

IV.

Andover

Lectures in Boston and Brunswick

Instructions of

57

fall

the study of the-

This impor-

of 1829.

was accompanied with

life

sons of protracted meditation and prayer.

nal

is

true

several sea-

His jour-

replete with evidence that he " sorrowed after

a godly

sort," in

view of his intellectual and

ual defects.

The

in reliance

on divine

deliberate purposes,
aid,

the auspicious change

some

noticed in

When

now

spirit-

formed,

were highly conducive

which

his associates

to

soon

striking points of his character.

reminded of some

failing,

as occasional

levity, he thankfully received the admonition,

and

Though
who had known him

forthwith endeavoured to correct the fault.

his profiting appeared to all

himself he seemed habitually

in college,

yet

to

inconsistent

and

vile.

Scarcely a day passed with-

out his recording some expression of self-abhorrence.

The

smallest portions of hfe were statedly brought

MEMOIR

58

OF

under review, always furnishing fresh motives

humility,

and often yielding

the Holy Spirit did leave

in-dwelling sin.

Lyman could

Paul in

say, "

ments of saied

his

abundant labours,
I

He could

do."

an hour," the enchant-

or of sccial intercourse, to
religion.

hours were so precious as those allotted to

In

prayer.

this duty,

Lyman

it

abounded.

may be truly said, that

The fervour, variety and

which appeared

in his public devotional

his brethren, with

good reason, ascribed

earnestness,
exercises,
to the

contend alone with

with the claims of personal

interfere

Mr.

to

One thing

" no, not for

not permit,

No

him

In the midst of engrossing pro-

fessional studies, like

Mr.

to

delightful evidence that

frequency of his interviews with "

seeth in secret."

instance

was

To

sure to

Him

that

neglect the closet in a single

wound

his spirit.

train of

uneasy emotions quickly followed, admonishing him

of the wants of his spiritual hfe.

Those

desires for

the

salvation of

men, which

characterized the subject of this memorial while in

college,

gained additional strength during his con-

nexion with the seminary.

This

is

evident from

the touching appeals found in his correspondence

with impenitent friends, the assiduity of his labours

and prayers

in behalf of the

he was a teacher, and

Sabbath school in which

his ardent intercession for

the heathen.

At an early stage

in his theological course,

Mr


HENRY LYMAN.
Lyman

announced

spend his

to

59

to his parents, his

determination

in missionary service.

life

tences only will here be quoted from his

'Tlieol.

"

Dear Parents,

Seminary, Andover, Feb.

have employed

few sen-

letter.
10, 1830.

my

leisure

time, the past week, in considering the great ques-

which

tion to
cations.

have alluded in former communi-

have considered,

mother more than me,

or

he that taketh not up

me,

is

call

He

that loveth father

'

and

He

it

unto

and how

life

his life in this

'How

shall

they have not believed?

shall they believe in

have not heard

'and

;'

follow eth after

life eternal.'

whom

on him in

me

that loveth his

and he that hateth

world shall keep

and how

'

not worthy of

his cross

not worthy of me.'

shall lose it;

they

is

him

of

whom

they

shall they hear without

a preacher'/'

"I have
of

my own

also

pects of the heathen.

and, 4,
I

My own

1, The moral condition

The condition and prosThe success of missions

examined,

country.

2,
3,

character, talents,

and

feelings

and

my going to the
my days in building

can find nothing in the way of

heathen, and there spending

up

Christ's kingdom.******

"If ever

have had any pleasure in contem-

plating the future, or enlargement in prayer,

been concerning the heathen.*****

ture happiness

is

Indee

dependent upon going

with the news of salvation.******

it

has

rny fu-

to

them

MEMOIROF

60

"Perhaps

what

if I

may

should

meet an

and

grave;

early

sooner be free from sin,

I shall

and serve God without weariness and without end.

my

hope

it

parents will not only be willing, but re-

me

have

joice to

for I

go, if Providence

but ready, to go,

should so order

m ide

have not only now

inyseH willing,

the Lord should call me.

if

These

are the feelings of your affectionate son,

"Henry Lyman."

A
had

large shar^ of

and reading

his meditations

special reference to the character

and wants of

imevangelized nations.

Respecting the " Condition

and character of females

in

pagan and Mohamme-

much

research, he prepared a

dan

countries," after

dissertation,

the

which

substance of

has

through several editions in the form of a

is

a heart-rending statement of

by numerous witnesses
and

ters

of

It

facts corroborated

of entirely opposite charac-

Long may

professions.

gone

tract.

it

plead the cause

the female sex, dishonoured

and middcn^d as

and

nameless wrongs,

they

are,

by

oppression

wherever the gospel

It is

is

not enjoyed

not claimed for Mr.

Lyman,

that he distin-

guished himself by theological attainments at Andover, nor that

he applied himself with uncommon

diligence to the appropriate occupations of the Se-

minary.
larities

The unhappy

influences of early irregu-

disqualified him, iu

a measure,

for patient

HENRY LYMAN.
and

investigation

rigid analysis.

61

Whatever

came

before lum, his mental operations

getic

and rapid

subject

were ener^

had they been imder the

control

of a purer taste and a sounder judgment, their

sults

would have been

and

selves,

more

far

more valuable
arranged.

properly

re-

in themIt

is

not

known, however, that he neglected any branch of

the prescribed course, while to some subjects of an
exegetical and doctrinal nature, he devoted an unusual amount of labour.

Expecting that the employment which he had

chosen would require him

a good

"endure hardness as

to

soldier of Jesus Christ,"

Mr.

Lyman

accus-

fatigue.

As a

pedestrian he was probably without an equal

among

tomed himself

to

abstinence and

the sons of Andover.

Endowed with almost Her-

culean strength, and dauntless courage, united with

glowing benevolence, he longed

to enter the region

of toil, of danger, and wretchedness.

Having been accepted by the A. B. C. F. M.,
Messrs.
pointed

such as

Lyman,

Munson and Lyman,

to

their

field

own

in

due time, were ap-

of missionary service, precisely

choice would have selected.

Mr.

in particular, often expressed a desire to

go where no missionary had been sent.

Having received ordination at Northampton, Oct.
15th, he pursued the study of medicine at Boston

and Brunswick, with

mean

time,

his

accustomed ardour.

by conversation,
6

letters

In the

and preaching,

MEMOIROP

63

he constantly endeavoured

and gain

of missions,

to

animate the friends

additional patrons

to

the

cause.

On the

16th of May, he was married

Pond, of Boston, and

after

a short

to

Miss Eliza

among

visit

his

friends, returned to receive the Instructions of the

Board, and set his face towards the Islands of the

East.

Lyman

Mr. Munson and Mr.

were charged, by

the Prudential Committee, to spend a short time

in Batavia, thence to proceed,
tion

and

inquiry, to

They were

Sumatra.
the

northern

part

on a tour of observa-

Pulo Nias, an island west of

of

next,

if possible, to

Battas, a populous nation, so far

made known

the civilized world, by the narrative of Sir

Raffles, as to claim special attention

philanthropy.

then

to

explore

Sumatra, occupied by the

to

Thomas

from Christian

Amboyna, Timor and Borneo, were

be investigated by the missionaries, for the

purpose of ascertaining whether the

for Christian teachers,

way was open

and where would be the most

eligible locations.

Near the

close of their Instructions, the

Commit-

tee say:

"You
climes,

'go bound in the

and

and opposed

spirit'

to

uncongenial

distant nations but partially civilized,

to the religion of Christ;

ing the things that shall

in different forms,

it

is

befall'

most

you.

likely,

'Not know'

Afflictions,'

'abide you.'

H E NRY

Your

may

labours

L Y

MAN

be soon terminated by death.

But you have given yourselves

without reserve,

63

for

Jesus

Christ

the work of missions

among

to

That work, you know,

the perishing heathen.

he regards with peculiar favour

like his ov/n

and that of

has pledged

to you,

for

none

everywhere, and in

stances, his special presence, assistance

'

Lo, I

am

with you always.'

cient for thee.'

be.'

'

When

will be

'

fire,

'

As thy days

My

circum-

all

and

grace

He

comfort.
is

suffi-

so shall thy strength

thou passest through the waters, I

with thee

and through the

shall not overflow thee

the

so near

is

his beloved apostles.

when

rivers

they

thou walkest throusfh

thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the

flame kindle upon thee

and the Holy One of

for

I,

not mine anointed, and do

Jehovah,

am

thy Saviour.'

Israel

my

thy God,
'

Touch

prophets no harm.'

'For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with

peace:
before

into singing,

shall clap their hands.'

and

I will give

you

fear in such

such promises.
love to

him and

and
'

hills shall

break forth

the trees of the field

all

Be ye

faithful

you a crown of

life.'

unto death,

What

need

a work, with such a Saviour, and

May

you have hearts

his cause,

tinually, his presence

and

and

the mountains

you

to trust the

and

filled

with

faith to realize con-

and preciousness and power,

wisdom and plenitude and un-

changeableness of his love."

MEMOIRSOF

64

CHAPTER
Voyage

V.

Residence in Batavia Employments Obtain leave of

Government

On the

to

pursue their exploring

Munson and

10th of June, 1833, Messrs.

Lyman, with

embarked

their wives,

board the Duncan,

for

tour.

at Boston,

Tiiey were ac-

Batavia.

companied by two other missionaries, destined

labour

among

with the Christian friends

attended them to the ship, they cahnly bade

adieu,

to

After uniting in a de-

the Siamese.

votional exercise

on

who
them

and quickly found themselves moving out of

the harbour.

At the trying
ticipated

juncture,

which had long been an-

with dread, they experienced such divine

support that peace and joy prevailed in the parting

embrace with
their

With many

their dearest friends.

near relatives they confidently expected

where sorrow and separation

In a

shall be

letter to his parents, after

ness of his mind, Mr.

Lyman

several causes of regret that

ther, the obligations

"

we were

my

under which

meet

no more.

noticing the calm-

says

edly called to embark, especially as T

vented from expressing to you,

to

of

There were

so unexpect-

was thus

father

I feel

pre-

and mo-

myself laid

MUNSON'AND LYMAN.
your ten thousand kindnesses in

for

Under God

life.

character,

my

owe

you

to

salvation.

to

my

past

to

trials I

ask you

to

my

ask your

have wil-

me

help

for his unbounded grace towards me.

God

praise

wished

and

all

education,

wished also

forgiveness for all the trouble

fully cost you.

my

65

You are not aware how

been, in carousing

great a sinner your son has

and

profanity,

and

but

I will

not enter into particulars.

^'

During the whole of

my

wanderings in

forbid-

den paths, the voice of parental caution and parenI often comtal prayers was not entirely lost.
plained, in early

cation

now

can make,

is

life,

of your strictness in

thank you

to

pray

you a thousand

for

for

it.

you.

my

edu-

All the return I

The Lord reward

fold."

The Duncan was

a new,

fast-sailing ship,

with

ample accommodations, and an obliging captain.

The passengers, and all concerned, had occasion to
rejoice that

she was

fitted

out

on the

principle of en-

tire abstinence from intoxicating liquors.

By

the

aid of this regulation, another, forbidding the use

of profane language,

was

easily enforced, to

the

great gratification of the missionaries.

In twenty-three days they reached the 10th degree of north latitude at that point exchanging
;

favourable w^inds and fine weather for a dead calm

and a scorching

heat.

"

The

burning rays of a

tropical sun," says Mr. Munson, "the glossy surface

MEMOIKSOF

66

and the

of the ocean, smooth as polished marble,

long,

heavy swells that follow each other in slow

and melancholy

procession, are

which

stretches

entirely over the Atlantic.

Along

striking characteristics of this region,

a broad

like

l^elt,

of the most

some

ill-fated

region, the 'lucre-bitten

slaver'

pirate prowl

with more than savage

ferocity.

this

and

small vessel of peculiar construction, lined with

arms and ammunition, manacles and instruments of

torture

thirty or forty monsters of all colours, lan-

guages and nations, as though such a mass of pollution could not be gathered

these

constitute

pirate.'

At one time we supposed our-

one kingdom
a

'

slaver,' or

'

selves in great

was

as a slaver.

They

tow^ards us.

To

called,

our

w^ere charged.

what seamen

danger of an attack.

discovered ahead,

were

from the sweepings of

small

call

sail

which was soon recognized

appeared to be making directly

flee w^as impossible.

carronades, nmskets

After

we saw them
away, as we supposed,
pense,

an

pistols

half-hour's anxious sus-

cross
to the

our bows and bear

West Indies. I shall

never forget the appearance of their

hull,

black spars, and black masts

their

moral character."

Under date of July

All hands

and

12th, Mr.

vessel,

fit

black

emblem

Munson

of

describes

himself as greatly reduced by sickness, and meditating,

try

with unutterable delight, " on that better coun-

where the homeless

exile

is

received into his

M UN

it

my

trials

on earth are soon

consohng

is

07

"I have not much expectation

Father's house."
that

AND LYMAN.

terminate

to

through the mercy of God,

yet

I shall sing the praise

M,

of redeeming love."

From

when

forward to the time

to look

conversation with the Captain, Mr.

Lyman

understood that no obstacles would be thrown in

the

way

of

any

make

disposed to

which the brethren might be

efforts

the spiritual good of the sai-

for

Stated religious services were accordingly held

lors.

during the voyage, and the crow were often urged

individually,

to

When

above."

that are in

it,"

set

their

error of his

July 17th, Mr.

Lord

willing,

may

my

dear

sister,

was buried beneath the mists

I shall see

it

off.

it

me

not
all

should

so.

To

tell

were

country and

sometimes almost wish

you the

those cheerful

feel

So one thing

my

of

of

state

which such events are calculated

it is

to-night, but it*

that encircled the ho-

have that pensive, melancholy

with

"The

to his sister;

no more.

after another that reminds

friends, drops

one "sinner

we shall cross the

The north star has

I looked for

already disappeared.

and

be found to have
least

ways."

Munson wrote

Equator to-morrow morning.

rizon,

things

the "sea shall give up the dead

these labours

been instrumental of saving at

from the

on

"affections

truth,

to

produce

my

could

feeling,
;

but

heart beats

and warm emotions which

returning

home

after

a long ab-

MEMOIRSOF

68

Home

sence.

am

going

home

to the

has most ardently desired to see

for

Could the statesman say, 'Where

there

my

is

field of

my home

uesfulness

I desire

heart
years.

liberty dwells,

With equal ardour can

country?'

where the

say,

country,

my

many

no

is,

there

my

is

M.

other."

Mr. Munson's journal contains a striking notice

of a brilliant exhibition in the torrid zone, originating from myriads of small animals.

"

Two

or three things

a good display of

their

night must be dark

to

seem

there

be prerequisite to

to

remarkable

The

qualities.

must be wind enough

blow the surface of the ocean into a foam, and

The

ap-

pearances that sometimes present themselves, I

am

other circumstances not well understood.

utterly unable to describe.

seems

to

be a w^ave of

Every wave that breaks

fire;

and the

light

vivid as to enable one to read a printed book.

course of the fish that

many fathoms,
traced

amused by
In

in

succession,

their

The most
kind,

we were

greatly

the porpoises that played around our

rapid evolutions, each one

which

nothing but an immense

this

and perhaps

beneath the surface, can be distinctly

serpentine trail of light,

"

feet,

The

by the luminous wake they leave behind.

Several nights,

ship.

move many

so

is

curious

I could

left

compare

a
to

fiery serpent.

and splendid illumination of

which we witnessed, was reserved

near the close of the voyage.

At

till

four o'clock in

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

the morning the

officer

on watch observed that the

water assumed a milky appearance.

we were
was

passing over a coral

called,

and the

lead

reef.

covered with ice and

He supposed
The Captain

was thrown, but we found

Any one who

no soundings.

69

has seen a pond

snow has had an exact

repre-

sentation of the appearance of the ocean, as far as

On

the eye could reach.

found

it

to

be

full

minute as not
the light

to

examining the water,

of illuminated hnes or strings, so

be distinguished

when brought

to

but by the help of the microscope, in the

dark, each line

was found

to consist of illuminated
jelly.

more

thorough examination showed that each

line

was a

by a transparent

'points^ united

When

chain consisting of animals linked together.

a very large one

was minutely

continued to pulsate

till life

divided, each division

was

M.
Duncan passed

extinct."

After leaving the torrid zone, the

rapidly round the Cape, to the 40th degree of south

latitude,

thence directing her course towards the In-

dian Ocean.

With

the exception of Mr.

and Mr. Robinson, the passengers

Lyman

suffered severely

from sea-sickness, so that Mr. Munson found himself disqualified,

during almost the entire voyage,

those intellectual efforts which he designed to

for

make

on the passage.
Addressing his
latitude,

position,

sister,

from the 17th degree of south

Munson says " You will see by our

that we are near our destined port. I need
Mr.

MEMOIRSOF

70
not

tell

you that expectation

two days more we hope

wide awake.

is

In

Under the

to see land."

next date, they were so near land that they could

The

first

palm

the

distinctly see

trees that lined the shore.

group of heathens that came in

sight,

touched their hearts, and gave fresh energy to those

pious affections

which

them

at first led

to seek the

missionary service.
" It

was

the answer of

ten years," says Mr.

number have already

M.

my

prayers for the last

"I trust some of our

lifted their

Uarly pleasant to remember

God

hearts to

the salvation of these poor Islanders.

It

them

in

for

was pecuour social

M.

prayers."

After being one hundred days at sea, they were

brought within sight of " Java Head

;"

and three

or

four days from that time, landed at Batavia.

On the

arrival of the missionaries,

hurst, of the
to

them a

London Missionary

table.

welcome, accompanied with an

cordial

invitation to take

Rev. Mr. Med-

Society, extended

rooms

in his house,

and

sit

at his

Until a house could be procured, they availed

themselves of this kindness, and subsequently experienced repeated proofs of the sincerity with
it

was

offered.

The

hired house, into

which

which they

soon removed, was about four miles from the

on the corner of the

half a mile square.

bouses in Ratavia,

city,

" King's Plain," a beautiful level,

is

" Ours,

with nearly

of one story.

It

all

the

stands on the

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

with bamboo, cotton,

Street that encircles the plain,

cocoa-nut and cinnamon trees growing around

coffee,

Some

it.

71

beautiful coffee plants are just under our

We cannot do

window.

as we would in our native

work must be done by servants. Eu-

All our

land.

ropeans cannot endure labour in this climate.

we

If

go a mile in the middle of the day we must

wish

to

ride,

and indeed

to travel

a few miles on

foot at

any

time would probably bring on a fever that might

prove

work

fatal.

We

as requires

can

and

sit

no physical

We

quite healthy in the city.

tented in our w^ork.

may be spared to
"

As

yet

festival in

are

A few

among the

heathen.

The image was

before

it

were burning

Fifteen or twenty

candles.

individuals were on their knees,

and a

I laboured, while a

priest

member

must

form any idea of

say, idolatry is idolatry,

it,

we must

see

its rites

was

of the

seminary, to form a just idea of pagan worship

after all, I

we

days since the Chinese had

placed on an elevated table

reading prayers.

it is

happy and con-

seen but few exhibitions of

honor of some Saint.

some very large red

and do such

At present

our daily prayer that

labour long

we have

pagan worship.
a

It is

study,

effort.

but

and

and

to

cere-

monies, the exceeding stupidity and degradation of

the

human

of glory.
tians, in

mind, and the insult offered to the

I do not

wonder that the

God

primitive Chris-

the heat of their zeal, pulled

down heathen

MEMOlRSOF

T2
temples,

and demolished

the expense of their

"

door of usefulness for us

wider and wider.

and

their idols,

that, too, at

lives.

every day opening

is

few years since a Chinese or

a Malay, would not receive a

tract,

now

eagerly stretch out their hands for them.

they

have

been out with Mr. Medhurst several mornings

converse and distribute

We

tracts.

to

have uniformly

met with good treatment, and not unfrequently have

returned without a single tract
*'

Our

left.

opportunities for doing good are very greatj

no want of encouragement

and

there

We

hardly find time to think of home.

is

friends in N. S. that I tenderly love

be very miserable

to be

but

with them and

labour.

to

have

should

know

that

these poor creatures were perishing without the least

ray of divine
called

is

jected to

light.

The

labour to which

hard, the weather

is

hot,

and

we

a thousand inconveniences; yet we are

M.

happy."

Not long

after their arrival

entertained that Mrs.

under an
"

The
too

serious

Lyman would

fears

were

speedily sink

affection of the lungs.

hurried journey, the voyage, the sea-sick-

ness which lasted, more or

were

are

w^e are sub-

much

for her.

less,

the whole

At present she

spits

way,

more

or less blood from her lungs, and' I should not be

surpiised

The

if

she were not

will of the

to

continue

Lord be done

!"

many months.
L.

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

The

73

alarmiag symptoms, however, by the divine

blessing, yielded to medical skill,

to " rejoice

and mourning was

But Mr. L. was soon taught

tm*ned into gladness.

Almost the

with trembling."

first let-

from America informed him of the death of his

ters

father.

It

had not entered

his heart that

on com-

mencing his labours among the heathen, he w^ould be

admonished by such an

and

diligent

finish

affecting providence to be

the work given him

ed with sorrow, and trembling

to do.

under

Pierc-

the divine

frown, he was constrained to " pray without ceas-

Prayer had yielded the richest happiness he

ing."

had known when

now

free

in time of need

it

from outward

him

led

to

affliction,

and

a " refuge and

strength, a very present help."

In the

was
all

first letter

first

of

reminded her of " the grace of our Lord Jesus

Christ,

and the love of God," he

sible that I

less 7
it is

addressed to his mother after he

apprised of the desolating blow, having

must now pray

There

even

it is

says,

for the

on paper

so.

Is

it

pos-

widow and father-

cannot be mistaken

But, beloved mother,

home

one of our family has gone

"

weep not that

to rest.

If

it

were

God has ordained,

with him, we so much

not wicked to wish otherwise than

I should

wish we were

all

loved uniting in that unending anthem.

however, and weep

are

left

behind.

bitterly, as I

For once

I wished myself at

I felt distressed that I could

weep,

think of those

who

home.

not have been there at

MEMOIRSOF

74
the time.

thea found

how good was

and

I knelt at the throne of grace,

you

to the care of

Him who

widow's God and the

all

In his

last

and commended

has promised

be the

to

We

father of the fatherless.

remembered the promises

"

E.

prayer.

they were sweet.

moments, how did father look upon

had made

the self-denials he

to prepare

me

for

the work upon which the Lord has permitted me

They were many and great. I bless
to enter?

God, yea, I would magnify

ever, that I

name

his

have been permitted

to

forever

pray

a time that he might be prepared

for so

for his

and
long
final

L.

change."

Agreeably

to their instructions, the missionaries

began immediately

to acquire the

After a short time Mr.

Malay language.

Munson commenced

the study

of Chinese.
" Besides the study of the languages,

with the help of Mr. Medhurst,

in town, to

which

vices gratis,

come and

this three times

all

who

set

a week.

dropsy, &c.

ulcers,
;

cines for the

we

many

body and

of

visit

set of

mortals

them Mr. Medliurst and

could.

them

We gave them

medi-

also medicines for the soul.

We always go with tracts and

which

We

went down on Saturday

some with asthma, others with

to all of

attended as well as

have,

choose to accept our ser-

receive medicines.

morning and found a most wretched

some with

we

up a dispensary

portions of scripture,

receive with gratitude.

Be-

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

sides

we have

these,

almost every
plexity

patients
It

clay.

come

75
house

to our

however, a great per-

is,

keeps us ahuost constantly consulting

it

M.

medical books."

Nov. 28.

^'

Last week

I visited

We took each a bundle

twenty miles from Batavia,

of books, Chinese

The

^'

a native market,

and Maly, and went into the crowd.

native markets are composed of rows of

small shops, with only a foot-path between them.

The

crowd, the heat, and the odour are very annoy-

Mr. Medhurst preached, or rather talked

ing.

the

way

would
books

as

we went

collect,

to

hundred

and while he talked

We

such as could read.

and

tracts,

all

whenever he stopped a crowd

them, I gave

to

carried

up two

two hours every leaf was

in

gone.
" In the course of our

The

largest

nese burying-ground.
idols,

and a

It

is

immense

The

burying-

a great curiosity.

Just in

the great

temple.

it

is

graves occupy scarcely less than a quarter of

acre.

feet high,
rica*

in

contains three

host of smaller ones.

ground of the Chinese

an

a Chi-

connected with the Chi-

is

the passage that leads to

Some

at

These are exceedingly common

nese temple.
Batavia.

walk we halted

They

are

immense mounds,

forty or fifty

appearing Hke large family tombs in

It is

not the

ties

these expensive burials

The tomb

Ame-

of relationship that prompt

;

but the hope of gain

of a deceased relative

is

the

"

hong

MEMOIRSOF

76

chung" of the survivor

and water,"

i.

his

e. literally, it is

or in plain English,

the tomb

M.

of his father, he expects to acquire wealth."

Their communications
this country,

no time

committed

to their

work

The

to their hands.

from a

letter to

" It

a blessed

to

it

me,

my

and

following extract

itself

prayer

the whole horizon of

and

I shall see

thing

else.

ticulars,

feel,

Time

around a

I look at the great

appears greater and more

it

that

is

it

may

increasing in magnitude and splendour,

fill

my

moral vision

and be warmed and

will not permit

but be assured I never

me

felt

go on

till it

which the church

will

preaching the gospel here are

that oppose are

have

by no-

to state par-

more confident

to

The

many

encounter in
t,he

enemies

numerous and formidable

yet in

the

name

of the Lord

we

shall

so that

fired

of the final and speedy success of the gospel.

obstacles

trust

M. S. of Barnstable county
work, and I wish to bind myself

Every day that

enterprise before
glorious,

Lyman

the A.

by every cord that can entwine

moral being.

in

in Batavia,

and sacred

forgetful of the great

is

is

and patrons

show that Messrs. Munson and

gave themselves wholly

at

to friends

In

his luck.

it is

money on

proportion as the son expends

"wind

shall conquer.

'

They

more than they that be against

But, dear brethren, what we do let us do

that are for us are

us.'

quickly.

'

'

Behold

come

quickly,' says the

Lord

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

of the harvest,

'

and

my reward

is

77

with me.'

come. Lord Jesus, come quickly."

so,

Even
M.

Addressing Rev. Mr. Stearns, of Bedford, Mass.,

Mr. Munson says:

am

"I

aware that much has been written

specting this
tirely

island

enough,

community

would seem, en-

it

exhaust the subject.

to

Yet the Christian

are quite as ignorant of the moral con-

dition of these Islanders, as they

The

ago.

reason of this

is

have not

have written
towards

were a century

Those who

obvious.

directed

inquiries

their

of all others, the most important point.

this,

Some have been

intent

Such

on gain.

only into the resources of the island.

have burned with the

and

re-

oppression.

inquire

Others,

still,

desire of conquest, of rule

Such number the

population, in-

quire into the strength and resources of the native

and

Princes,

means
tion.

cast

around

to carry their

the

anxious look

for

unholy schemes into execu-

For two hundred years the natives have

discriminately been

ambition;

the

made

objects

the sport of avarice

of oppression,

struments of gain to foreign

querors

conquerors.

who have denominated

too,

and the

in-

and
in-

Con-

themselves

Christians
"

But who among the long catalogue of Chris-

tians,

who have

has cared

wept in

for

successively visited these islands,

the souls of the natives

secret over their miseries,

7*

and

Who
cast

has

around


MEMOIRSOF

78

him

and sympathizing

the anxious

philanthropist

Christian

inquiries of the

has spread out

wants before the Christian world, and im-

their

help in delivering from their degradation,

plored
their

Who

moral bondage, and in elevating them

God?

exalted privileges of the sons of

almost answer
"It

one ostensible object of these

conquerors has been, to propagate the

Christian
gospel.

might

not one.

true, that

is

to the

But

let

us see their zeal

for the

Lord

let

the result of their labours bear witness.

"

the

The moral
means

we might

expect.

is

The

far

more favourable than

Malays,

who embraced

religion of the false prophet earlier

people this side of Bengal,

Mohammedanism

this quarter, are neither so bigoted,

remain are

fast

Even

would

seen a Malay refuse a

it

tract,

have never

even though he

to contain the outlines of Christianity.

assisted

in the distribution of

among them:
gratitude,

knew

have

hundreds of books

many were received

and

may

the prejudices that

dwindhng away.

in

nor so preju-

diced against Christianity as most accounts

lead us to expect.

the

than any other

and who have ever been

the bulwark of

considered

have

aspect of this island, so far as I

of judging,

with apparent

doubt not were perused with be-

coming seriousness and

attention.

Indeed,

Mr.

Medhurst assures me, that he has known them

spend the whole night with their

priests

in

the

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

79

discussion of questions originating from the reading

This

of Christian books.

is

furtherance of the gospel.

that were
pillars

of

consistencies

men

about

The

am

greatly to the

fully convinced,

to

the

far to dissipate the spell

be made.
is,

main

of the

spirit

of

appalling deformities and in-

its

that

down

it

now

that

Such an experiment

in iron bondage.

Our prayer
in pulhng

such a work, with the blessing of

God, would go

is

interesting trait in

some Samson to lay hold

Mohammedanism, and in

the gospel, uncover

holds

an

and may yet turn out

their character,

The tract is now in press.

may be mighty through God,
Satan."

this strong-hold of

communication

following, from a

to

John

Tappan, Esq., Boston, shows that the mortality

among Europeans

in the

be altogether ascribed
"

My heart

is

East Indies, should not

to the climate

and

sick with seeing the glass filled

emptied before breakfast, with breakfast, at eleven

o'clock, before dinner,

after

till

wine

is

the

with dinner, and continually

Wherever

bed-time.

have been in India,

morning

placed on the table in the

table

is

strong drink

cleared away, the

makes

w4ne and beer are

its

appearance

like water, in

quantity consumed

at

Formerly

Padang, that

it

it

is

diminishing,

was

with dinner,

abundance, and

after dinner the strong drink again.

terrible.

I believe

but

so pernicious in

obtained the

when

decanter-stand of

still

the

it

is

its effects,

Malay name

of Pa-

MEMOIRSOF

80

koe, (nail,) because, the people said,

more

them
or,

'

nail into a

man's

Bring

me

'

the white

since, the

twenty years

It

;'

Mr. Vangrale, of

nail.'

when he came to India,

young men, when warm

with wine, would go out, fasten weights

and the

of the table

canal

then

"The

sit

in the

day-light, drinking.

till

American Temperance

influence of the

here.

felt

to the legs

and sink them

chairs,

in the water

Society has been

drove one

You might hear

Bring me the red nail

coffin.'

call to their servants,

Beucooleu, told me, that

'

spark has been kin-

dled that ought to be fanned into a flame.

dined

and spent some time with the Governor General,

(Bonde,) and almost

my

all

making

inquiries concerning the

ments in the United

I

the time I could spare from

Missionary business, was employed by him in

States.

have not introduced the

Our temperance

ships,

temperance move-

In every place where

subject, the people have.

and temperance

supercargoes, have done wonders."

when

Besides preaching,

on board the ships

and

opportunities occurred,

in the roads, the brethren occa-

sionally relieved Mr.

of his chapel.

captains,

L.

Medhurst in the

Conformably

to

stated services

their instructions,

they devoted themselves chiefly to those languages

in

which

God

it

was

their hearts' desire

and prayer

to

that they might proclaim the gospel to millions

among whom

Christ

these pursuits, from

had not been named.

which few

In

striking incidents

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

81

could be expected to arise, they spent the

and

fall

winter.

On

the twenty-seventh of February, Mr.

son found himself,

for the first time, exercised

with

In a

parental affection, by the birth of a son.

ter to the parents of

Munlet-

Mrs. M., after informing them,

in a tender strain, of the joyful event, he proceeds:

"

We

hope and pray that the

Spirit of

God

will

We

prepare his heart for the work of a missionary.

him no more honourable employment,

nor any greater emolument than will accrue to him

desire for

from labouring

faithfully for the salvation of the

He

adds; "Our employments are the

heathen."

same

as

when we

We are

last wrote.

daily trying-

to acquire a knowledge of these strange tongues.

Our

progress

is

slow, but

we

hope, ere long, to be

able to say something to the heathen in their

own

language, about Jesus Christ and the great salvation.

"

Our sphere
any

enlarged to

tended too

of action as physicians,

I feel

far.

Indeed

extent.

my

is

might be

already ex-

time seriously encroached

But what can we do?

upon.

it

They come

loaded with disease, or perhaps they

come

to

us

to inter-

cede with us in behalf of their sick and dying

friends

Lord
to

is

and we cannot
in this

way enabhng

them by our

words.

close our ears.

us

actions, before

to

hope the

speak effectually

we can

do

it

by our

MEMOIRSOF

82

"We

The Lord

Such

willing,

we

shall

embark

M.

in about one week."

ment

Neas and

are preparing for our departure to

Sumatra.

are the regulations of the

Dutch Govern-

in the Netherlands, in regard to India, that the

missionaries could not prosecute their undertaking

without permission from the Governor and Council.

In a

joint

communication

Rev. R. Anderson,

to

Secretary of the A. B. C. F. M., they describe the

measures taken

"

Dear

Sir,

nothing

ted

to effect this object.

"Batavia, April 5th, 1834.

have as yet communica-

******"VVe

in

respect

to

our intercourse with

Government, that we might give the whole at

one time.
"

About the middle of December, Mr. Munson's

health being such that a

little

cessary, the opportunity

was improved

recreation

seemed neto

make a

journey to Buitenzorg, the Governor's residence,

about

forty

miles

interior.

His Excellency the

Commissary General, Van der Bosch, and

cellency the Governor General,

both

expressed

themselves

his Exad interim^ Bonde,

favourably

disposed

towards the establishment of a mission in Puloe,

Nias,

and

in the

same breath advised

to the estab-

lishment of a mission in the Batta country of Sumatra.

As. however,

we

could not be permitted to

reside in Batavia, or travel in other islands without

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

83

granted by the Governor General in council

liberty,

and

assembled, the following petition was prepared

forwarded to his Excellency, near the close of De-

cember

last."

The

petition, after exhibiting the object

and

lead-

ing operations of the A. B. C. F. M., proceeds

The smiles of Providence upon their exertions in

other parts of the world, and the command of our
Saviour, Go ye into all the world and preach my
gospel to every creature,' make them desirous of
"

'

benefitting their degraded fellow-men

islands,

as well as

countries.

the

among

these

neighbouring continental

glance at their history, [referring to

the Board of Missions,] will

show

that as they have

hitherto not interfered with politics or the operations

of other benevolent societies

they wish

to proceed.

still

upon

principle

this

They have

accordingly

sent your petitioners hither for the purpose of exploring those places not pre-occupied by other bene-

volent societies.

Their instructions

are,

that

we

Nias, then to the Battas of Sumatra,

proceed

first to

then

the interior of Borneo, to fix upon the most

to

eligible locations for other missionaries,

whom

they

intend immediately to send hither to occupy those

fields
''

of labour.

The

importance of rescuing the souls of these

heathen from the consequences of idolatry and

vice, to

their

which they are

hands

addicted,

and putting

the word of God, which

points

into

out

MEMOIRSOF

84
the

way

commend

of salvation, will of course

our

Excellency in

object to the favourable regard of his

council assembled."
" Tlie long delay of

an answer

many an

caused us," say they, "

and many an earnest

to this petition

anxious thought,

prayer, although

we

could

conceive of no possible motive that could influence

In an

his Excellency to negative the request.

weeks
,

he informed

since,

received immediate

handed over
fairs,

On

in-

Governor General, about four

terview with the

and was forthwith

Committee on

to the

the petition

that

us

attention,

Ecclesiastical Af-

which Rev. Mr. Lenting was President.

of

inquiry, Mr.

Lenting regretted that

it

was

so,

but he had unfortunately mislaid the petition, and

begged

for

As soon

another copy.

as

more stamped

paper could be procured, and a person to translate

the petition, a duplicate

was placed

The

in his hands.

Three weeks more

passed.

parture drew near.

Another journey

was deemed

time of our deto

Buitenzorg

necessary. Although, on our arrival, the

petition

was found

was not

regretted,

to

be at Batavia, yet the journey

inasmuch as

it

afforded

an oppor-

tunity for a free, social interview with his Excellency."

After stating several particulars

in

which the

Governor expressed himself kindly, in regard

work

of missions, they

"From

this

it

to the

add

must be apparent, that the present

Mr
governor,

SON AND LYMAN.

ad interim^

benevolence

is

favourable to the cause of

and while he

85

in office the opportu-

is

nity ought to be secured of sending out

men and

laying a broad foundation for further operations.

"In

short, the smiles of

operations thus

the

for

praise,

far,

Almighty God on our

and the encouraging

prospects

demand our thanksgiving and

future,

and renewed

diligence

on our

part, to

im-

prove the talent and discharge the responsibilities

committed

While we

to us.

mind the

call to

pro-

be,'

we

would not forget the diligence in business and

fer-

mise, 'As thy days so shall thy strength

vency of

spirit

that

have them in a
that

you

grace.

become us

still

greater

will

remember

Your

missionaries,

and that we

degree,

us

at

we

the

may

request

throne of

"Henry Lyman,
"Samuel Munson."
Having

at length secured the requisite papers

from government, the brethren soon completed their

preparations for leaving Batavia.

During

their residence in that city, they enjoyed

the invaluable counsels and aid of Rev. Mr.

hurst;

and

besides the study of

MedMalay and Chi-

nese, they accustomed themselves, as

to

we have

a variety of labours, specially suitable

who would

On

"

Endure hardness as good

for

seen,

those

soldiers."

the Sabbath previous to their taking leave of

MEMOIRSOF

86
their families,

strength,

and

they were permitted to renew their

an unction from the Holy

" receive

One," at the table of

their Lord.

The whole number

affecting occasion,

was

the two missionaries,

of

communicants on that
Mr. Medhurst and

fifteen.

who were

" ready to depart

on

the morrow," united in conducting the solemnity.

To

Mr. and Mrs. Munson the day was rendered

memorable by the baptism of

their infant

son, the

only American child ever born on the island of

Java.

As they

son signified

retired

to his

from the chapel, Mr.

Mun-

wife that he had but a faint ex-

pectation of meeting her again at the table of Christ.

It

was

strongly impressed on his

few hours he should bid

final adieu.

him.

field

of

that in
little

one a

But "none of these things moved"

steadfastly set his face to

new toil and danger,

duty summoned him away.

the
of

"He

mind

her and the

go" towards

because the voice

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

CHAPTER

VI.

Journal of Messrs. Munson and Lyman, on

vation and inquiry

From

among

of obser-

such portions have been

for the present chapter as

narrative of observations

and

select-

comprise a continuous
with the leading

facts,

suggestions to vi^hich they gave

It is

their tour

the islands lying west of Sumatra.

the separate journals of the missionaries

after leaving Batavia,

ed

87

rise.

the design of the present chapter to furnish,

by means

of extracts from their journal, a continu-

ous narrative of the missionaries' travels and observations,

from the time of

their arrival at

their leaving

Batavia

till

Tappanooly, on the Island of Su-

matra.

"April

7.

Embarked

onboard the Diedericka,

Capt. Townsend, for Padang.

to this time, I

have had

but the Lord happily brought

acquiescence in his
all

my

heart, if I

the grave,

'

will.

me

ferocity of

for so

to

it

a full and entire

thought I could say with

thy will be done

more unyielding
Father,

anxious forebodings

must return and

sacrificed to the passions of

fio,

In looking forward

many

'

find

or,

if

my
I

untamed men,

untamed

wife in

must be

beasts,

or the
^

Even

seemeth good in thy sight/

MEMOIRS OF
shall be

me.
I

my

language.

began

to

more and

say to myself,

hope again

To separate

"

Still

heathen country, and

the

'

ship, before

Well, only six months

to see those I love.'

from one's family in the midst of a

to

depths of heathenism,
leaving

hope has not deserted

had not rode a mile towards the

plunge

is

still

further into the

quite another thing from

home to enter upon a foreign mission.

great God can and will protect.

Still

same

"

Our

barque, which carries only 250 tons, though

having much deck room, presents quite a Babelic

There are American, Indian, and Dutch

scene.

passengers, besides soldiers, European, native, Bengalees

"

and Malays.

The languages spoken by these

twelve in

number

viz

ninety souls, are

English, French, Dutch,

Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Bengalee, Moor, Javanese,

Malay, Chinese, and Nyas

while there

is

an individual on board who does not understand more or less of Malay."

L.

scaicely

" April 8.

To-day we have been

though

gently,

rapidly pursuing our passage through the straits of

Sunda.
land,

ago.
it

Recognized

many

islands

which we saw when passing the

The

coast of

Java

is

now

" April 9.
coast of

it is

months

four

then

months'

clothed in the richest verdure.

This morning the

Java were

points of

straits

much changed

was parched and burned by a

drought

and

last vestiges of

fast disappearing.

On

our

the
left

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

was

the immeasurable expanse, and on our right

With

the coast of Sumatra.

few

89

the coast seemed low

hills,

inhabited by the
fession

the

exception of a

and marshy.

It is

Lampongs, Mohammedans by

pro-

but miserable disciples of the false prophet.

" About noon

we had the

rare satisfaction of wit-

nessing the original of one of Stewart's most beautitiful pictures

phin

is

gaudy

His natural colour

ocean.

The dol-

mean a 'dying dolphin/

surely the most

but to describe all the

is

fish that inhabits

the

exquisitely beautiful

and shades he puts on

tints

in

the agonies of death, would exhaust the resources of

the most scientific and accomplished painter.

mode

of taking

body

is

them

made

of

is

wax

The

very curious and simple.

to

this

wings made of

feathers are attached, so as exactly to resemble the

This

flying fish.

into the water,

is

when

fastened to a hook
it is

dolphin as his favorite morsel.

By

that he

is

"April 11.

But, alas, the hook

M.

deceived and taken."

To-day and yesterday have been read-

ing Lander's Expedition to Africa.

reflect if these

for

and thrown

immediately seized by the

but

men were willing to undergo so much

the sake of benefiting science

their wages, shall I shrink

to benefit the soul for

Blessed be God,

and obtaining

back when

my object is

time and eternity

No, no.

may be counted worthy

If I am never permitted to

if I

fer for his

name.

and reap

the reward of

8*

I could not

my

labours here,

to suf-

return

by seeing

MEMOIRSOF

90
the

kingdom

pie to

know

God

of

whom 1 am sent, while

in whom I have trusted,

made right.
Our passengers

among

established

these pea-

in this world, yet I

and

eternity all

in

will be
"

Dutch

a lieutenant in the

consist of

a French Catholic

service,

young man in the employment

*'

We

had

evening quite an interesting

this

The

cussion.

lieutenant

had

times, but not once the Bible

allowed to by the
lie,'

'

very

on the same

much

priests.

level

Yoltaire ten

read

With him

it

with the Koran,'

was

'

all

He is

&:c.

of a gentleman, and stated his objections

I

endeavoured

answer them at some length, although

ted that

dis-

because he was not

with a great deal of apparent honesty.

to

and a

infidel,

of government.

my

knowledge of Malay,

limited

language only

we can

I regret-

in

converse, prevented

which

my

pre-

senting the arguments as clearly as 1 could wish.

"

But the most convincing argument

the Holy Scriptures, being

and those which

with sceptics in
ble excellence of

dency

who

to

make

what they

in favour of

profess to be,

have often found most successful

New
its

England, was the incompara-

doctrines

and

precepts

society better; the

adhere most closely to

lives

its

of those

precepts, particularly

its

as manifested in their benevolence."

'-

April 13.

Last night the

and gave us a

fair

L.

clouds cleared

view of the Sumatran

This morning the mountains,

ten-

trees,

and

fields

away
coast.

are all

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

Last night the captain

in sight.

row escape from

many

The

murdered by

their
liter-

officers are

The

are Europeans, but the sailors, which are

three times as

numerous

as thos3 cf

are gathered from every nation

East.

Singapore

not a matter of

from the four winds of heaven.

ally collected
officers

(See
It is

crews of these country ships are

surprise that so

men.

a nar-

told us of

assassination.

Chronicle, for January, 1831.)

91

A crew of

men

thirty

American

and

ships,

tribe in

the

usually speak not less

than a dozen languages.

"They

No

are indolent in the extreme.

dence can be placed on them

most needed.

The

when

consequence

them without mercy, and some

is,

depen-

their help is

the officers beat

of them, especially

Many

the Manilla men, take revenge by murder.

times in a year this mournful tragedy

in one or
"

more of the country

Not a day

which

as passed since our embarkation, in

One morning

the boatswain, whose station

quent

is

retired abaft out of his reach.

this,

him

stepped

then kicked him

him again

down from

several times
flat

heard

always in the

chastising a Bengalee sailor.

observing
struck

acted over

have not witnessed repeated instances of

these unmerciful peltings.

castle,

is

ships.

fore-

The delinThe captain,

the poop,

and

on the head and back,

upon the deck.

This brought

within the jurisdiction of the boatswain,

who gave him

warm

reception with the butt

end

MEMOIRSOF

92

He

of a bamboo.

drove the poor wretch forward, and

concluded by giving liim the rope's end

assured by a fellow-passenger,

who is

ed with the treatment which these

Yet

was

well acquaintsailors receive,

that the crew of this ship are comparatively treated

with great humanity and forbearance

not but ask,

humanity, what

if this is

" April 19.

I shall

two

The

o'clock.

in search of

cruelty ?

my

first intro-

anchored in Pulo

Bay

at

captain resolved to land and go

an Englishman, who resided

The

of the bay.

not soon forget

We

duction to Sumatra.

I could

is

captain, a

Dutch

head

at the

officer,

civil

servant of the company, and myself, formed the

We

party.

came on

to

were three miles from the shore.

blow fresh

after

we started, and

found

it

was

to let the

and land on the

truly formidable.

from the shore.

their

soon

Our only

impossible to advance or return.

alternative

the spray

We

beat over us at every stroke of the oar.

It

boat run before the wind,

lee shore,

where the surf looked

The boat struck some distance

The oar-men leaped out, up to

necks in water, and finally succeeded in draw-

ing us into a small creek, where, after being tho-

roughly wet, I

went

first

mortification, that

"

set

in search of the

my

foot

he had removed

We found a family of

We

on Sumatra.

Englishman, but found

Malays

to

our

Bencoolen.

in his house,

at our solicitation, prepared supper, for

practicable to return to the ship.

to

They

who,

was not

it

served

up

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

currie

and rice for

us; knives, forks,

We

GUt of the question.

and spoons were

were therefore compelled

Malay method

to resort to the

93

of eating, with our

fingers.

"

The

rest of

the

company having been

the country, succeeded well

longer in

but I could not acquire

Fortunately, I had

the necessary sleight of hand.

been amusing myself with conchology, by collecting

a few

shells

on the beach.

So, taking the half a

my supper

bivalve, I finished

without further

diffi-

M.

culty."

"Ill health prevented

my

visiting the shore in

company with Brother Munson, the

captain,

and

others.

"Had

conversation with one of the Portuguese

helmsmen, who

from Goa, and speaks a

is

broken English.

He appeared

When

ened man.

httle

a very wicked, hard-

spoke of the

way of

salvation,

he replied with a contemptuously emphatic, and hard-

troubled in all

God Almighty make man make

him in always
I poor man
I
and
make
dead,
the world,
when
I

go

And he shook

hearted sneer,

torment

to hell

'

put

!'

away, expressing by his

ing,
still

who can
further,

ment

bear

it

seemed

head and turned

his

actions,

When

and endeavored

of God, he turned

an expression
that

it

'

It is

a hard say-

urged the subject

to explain the govern-

and walked away with such

of cold, settled hatred to the gospel^,

like

throwing pearls before swine^

MEMOIRSOF

94
"

Went on

shore to see

if

any missionary labour

could be done.
" April 20.

The

people here,

wheels

solid,

among

Buffalo-carts, in use

are of

a peculiar construction

about three

feet

in

the
the

and

diameter,

the cart raised upon a frame upon the axletree

about twelve inches above the tops of the wheels.

Their tops covered with mats, with a roof

like

house, except that the ridge-pole bends in from the

ends, the front peak being higher by a few inches

There was no other way of

than that behind.

egress

and

ingress than

by a small door in

should judge them to be three

long, designed for

"

one

feet wide,

front.

by

five

buffalo.

have before heard of velvet lawns, and mea-

dows of
day.
height,

velvet softness

The

but never saw one before

was not

grass

far

to-

from three inches in

and without exaggeration, more than twice

as fine, and four times as thick as I ever

saw

most cultivated and richly-dressed door-yard

England.

The

most

elastic

Turkey

walked upon, did not appear more

in

New

carpet I ever

soft

and agreeL.

able."

"April 21.

in the

At

six o'clock landed at a small vil-

At ten

lage of fishermen.

buggy having been

o'clock,

a horse and

sent from Bencoolen,

we

set off

for that place.

"April 22.

Went

small plantation of

this

morning

spices.

The

to

examine a

nut-meg, (hux

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

myristica,) tree very

much

95

resembles the apple

tree,

though the branches are nearly horizontal, and the

top more acuminated.
any thing but flowers

The male

tree

on the female

seldom bears
tree

may

be

seen the blossom, the green and ripe fruit at the

same

The

time.

shape, size,
bursts

fruit is

much hke

and exposes the nut-meg

with the red mace.

the peach in

When ripe

and appearance.

partially covered

The produce

much from two pikuls (266|

" The clove tree (lary ophulus

not

the fruit

of

an acre

lbs.)

per

aromaticus)

of the most elegant productions of nature.

and shape
tree.

it is

much unlike

not

The germ

blossom,
is

it

In size

if

permitted to

clove.'

The flower

of all others the most exquisite in scent.

a perfect combination of

and pleasing

all

that

The

is

It is

spicy, fragrant,

to the senses.

" The produce of the clove

acre.

one

common cherry
is, when gathered

of the blossom

becomes the mother

is

the

and cured, the clove of commerce

'

differs

annum.

clove

about 328

lbs.

per

and nut-meg were introduced

into

is

Bencoolen from the Moluccas in 1798, by

Broff.

Since that period the cultivation has been gradually

extending.
after

The

the plant,

This valuable

natives are

now

and carrying
article of

it

eagerly inquiring
into the interior.

commerce promises

to

be

widely cultivated, even in Sumatra.

" Called

on the

'

assistant resident,'

permission to distribute

a few

tracts

and obtained

among

the

MEMOIRSOF

96
Chinese, of

whom

Went

len.

there were about 500 in Bencoo-

which

with a small supply

out

brought from the ship, and before I had proceeded

half through the village, I

Tried

to

say something

of whom

had not a

tract left.

them about Jesus

to

who

one Chinaman

my

turned to

could speak English.

lodgings and procured for

English Testament,
I

grateful.

promise that he

the

The Lord grant

it every day.
may prove a hght to his feet, to guide him
way of salvation.
" The Malay population of Bencoolen is
would read

There

from 5000.

Went

Europeans.
borough.'
skill

and

It

are,

in

or

Dutch

not far

twenty

it is

at least

the best fort

now

in the East.

many

"Bencoolen holds out

encouragements

were an

labours

among

might

with

be attended

the

happiest

M.

The town

is

built

on a point of land on the

upper side of the outer entrance

though the north part of

bank and

cir-

the Malays and Chinese, his

effects."

"

to

active missionary

occasionally to visit the place for the purpose of

culating books

it

in the

and examined 'Fort Marl-

Perhaps

industry.

effort

fifteen

also,

that

a noble monument of English

is

in possession of the

missionary

I re-

him an

which he seemed very

for

him with

left

Christ,

Met with

they are always ready to hear.

it is

to

Pulo Bay.

Al-

high land, yet a sand

coral reef extends far out

from the shore.

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

Ships of large burden, having cargoes

for

9t
the place,

Pulo Tikoes, (Rat Island,)

generally anchor at

seven miles distant.

"After breakfast,

we

paid

our respects

He

honour the Assistant Resident.

some embarrassment from a want

seemed

laboured under
of a perfect flu-

Nevertheless, he

ency in his English.

polite,

interested in our

his

to

was very

announcement of the

intentions of the Board, in reference to these islands,

and expressed a willingness that we should

We

bute books in this place.

selves

work

to

At

population.

first

at receiving them,

part of the

the people seemed backward

till

met a

entered into conversation,

many

Malay

I taking the

distri-

accordingly set our-

priest

with

whom

and in the presence

gave him a testament and two

tracts,

of

after

reading which, aloud, for a few minutes, he walked

on with them
his

people, I

know

not

till

his

"April

many

soon I was necessitated

lodgings for more, and

the books were

request of

hand, through the Bazaar.

not, but

my

return to

to

in

example exerted an influence on the

Whether

all

was

it

gone, that I refused the

for books.

23. This

morning,

at

o'clock,

we

weighed anchor, and with a pleasant four-knot

L.

breeze, stood off from the coast."

near the

To-day we have been running so

coast of Sumatra, that we can see distinctly

"April 24.

the dense forests

the high mountains

and deep

vales.

MEMOIRSOF

98
"April 26.

This

morning we were

in sight of

the small islands scattered along the coast south of

Padang.

They

habited.

Many

These

are low,

and most of them unin-

cocoa-nut trees line the shores.

islands are beautifully secluded spots.

most envied the

lot

of one sohtary

man

I al-

saw

cours-

ing along the beach.

"As we approached Padang,

mere

covered

to

fohage.

The

their

very

cast

"

summits with the

richest

was more
than any thing I had

pictu-

scenery, altogether,

resque and beautiful

At 6 P. M.

witnessed.

became

the islands

from the water, and

rising abruptly

bluffs,

before

arrived in the Roads,

The

anchorage

and Pulo Pisang

is

between Pulo Pisang bissar

The row

kathil.

town was romantic

the

dang Head

is

bold,

in

the

magazine on the

in from the

from these

to

Pa-

extreme.

rocky promontory, thickly

w^ooded, hiding entirely the river

cept for the

and

M.

anchor under Pulo Pisang."

Ex-

and town.

top of the

Head, and the signal

hill,

staff,

little

together

with a few native houses, a stranger would suppose

himself on an uninhabited part of the coast.
"

On

sents

rounding the Head, the

itself,

beach.

and

On

also

proceeding up a

custom-house, and town

"April 29.

river's

mouth

pre-

a few European houses on the

itself,

little,

open

Spent most of the

the river

craft,

to view.

day in company

with Mr. N. M. Ward, formerly of the

Enghsh

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

He came

Baptist Society.

for

about

five

regulations.
to

years

first

there successfully

having established schools in

and brought them under good

the vicinity,

all

out as a printer;

and laboured

lived at Bencoolen,

99

Soon

after

the place

was made over

the Dutch, he removed to this place, and

originally established here,

la-

Mr. Evans,

who was

and laboured

five years,

boured about two years.

Ward came, on account of

now hving in England. Mr.

kft about the time Mr.

ill

health.

He

is

Burton laboured two years

among

vicinity,

Tappanooly and

in

the Battas.

He

gathered

much

small schools, but did not accomplish

him

health compelled

From

abandon

to

the

two

ere

ill

station.

thence he proceeded to Bengal, where both

he and

his wife died.

manuscript collection of

words which he made in the Batta language, and

some

other manuscripts, are in the college at Se-

rampore; they, or

would

may

copies,

be obtained, and

some use

perhaps be of

to

future

mis-

sionaries.

"

Mr. Ward, in company with Mr. Burton, made

a short incursion into

the interior of the Batta

country, from Tappanooly, but did not reach the

most thickly inhabited

of the great lake
five days,

down,

three,

level plain, covered

the eye could see

part,

which

and

with

is

on the borders

Their journey up was

Tobah.

six there.

rice

It

was a

and houses as

fine

far

perhaps thirty or forty miles.

as
It

MEMOIRS OP

100

Salindong

called

is

tation of the people,

and soon

trade,

who

begged

Mr. B.'s

District.

They went up

compelled their return.

who came

to

after starting-, fell

health

ill

at the invi-

Tappanooly
in

with a

for

chief,

accon.pany them, and at whose

to

house they lived during the six days, making from

Every where the peo-

there, daily, short excursions.

them with

ple received

well

they being the

and entertained them

joy,

first

white

men who had

came

out to see them,

visit-

ed the country.

"The whole

population

and

feel

them, to ascertain whether or not they were flesh

and

blood.

Sometimes they came

to fairly block

the British flag always flying.

renced
nal,

"

not on account of

but thinking

They

its

carried

This the people

sig-

a charm.

it

which the

all

the chiefs

object of the missiona-

was explained, and the ten commandments

read to them.

They

discussion whether or

then entered

moral law.

They

which was

flag,

also

a long

had dances;

one

to

o'clock,

A. M.,

The assembly

to three o'clock,

P. M."

M.

They found many remnants

and

the

hoisted over the house, an-

other to the missionaries themselves.

was held from nine

into

not they should adopt the

English

locks

reve-

being a national

a public meeting of

called

in the vicinity, at
ries

in such crowds as

up the way. The missionaries

skulls

of Hindooism

upon the houses,

dress of the

bul-

wo-

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

men, language,

They

length,

God they used the Hindoo word.)

(for

beheve that

"The

lake of

101

evil spirits reside in the water.

Tobah

is

and has a regular

about thirty miles in

rise

and

fall

of tide; this

the natives attribute to the influence of evil

spirits."

L.
"April 30.

have now been long enough

Padang

to

people.

The town

in

form some estimate of the place and

Padang

ated on the

an inconsiderable

is

river,

place, situ-

a small stream, one hun-

dred yards wide, and extending twenty-five miles

To

into the interior.

is

hedged in by high mountains.

sea-breeze every

day;

The

healthy place.
is

the south and east, the town

is,

river

It

enjoys a fine

on the whole, a very

is

so shallow that there

not more than two fathoms of water at

The

its

mouth.

shipping finds a safe anchorage under Pulo Pi-

The numerous monuments

sang.

scattered here

and there, built over the remains of Europeans,

show that many, from one cause or another, have
fallen.

Exclusive of

of

soldiers,

2000 Europeans and Javanese,

dred

700

free

Europeans, 200

and Malays, on the whole

slaves,

poor

Nyas men

whom

2000

Cling men, 300.

and wretched, but more

native

country.

The

from Pulo Pisang;

They

9*

plain,

hun-

Chinese,

40,000

The Nyas men

civilized

Chinese are

some speak a

are next in rank to

there are

there are six

than in

are

their

many

of

Httle

English.

them

European merchants.

MEMOIRS OF

102

They do
this is

not, as in Batavia, deal in small articles

all

Most of them are

Malays.

to the

left

wholesale merchants, very intelligent, nearly

"

The goldsmiths manifest an

ingenuity, that one

With a

would not expect to find in such society.

handful of

would do

silver

families,

are able to

by

is

shop.

In-

They

are of native manufacture.

gold and silver from

all

which there are here many, almost

They

intuition.

and make ornaments

any European

and chains of gold used by the

distinguish

counterfeits, of

word

wire,

credit to

deed, the clasps

first

rudest construction, they

tools of the

draw gold and

that

all

and apparently men of wealth.

able to read,

are so expert at this, that their

law, even with Europeans.

The Chng men are butlers, washermen, and

They are all Mohammedans.
"The Malays have mosques, and the Chinese
"

petty merchants.

have a temple,

all

of

which are frequented

Europeans have a church, which

They have

"
for

"

want

little

Mr. Evans used

jured

fast

it is

going

but

to decay.

has been so

to officiate,

that

it

much

in-

must be taken

M.

down."

feld

meeting-house, in which the Rev.

by an earthquake,

"April 30.

but the

a regular, organized church

of a minister,

Their

deserted.

is

This

evening visited old Mr. Int-

one of the old Dutch

rable patriarch

with

silver

settlers

a truly vene-

buckles in his shoes, a

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

broad skirted

and

coat, large, portly frame,

hair flowing

silver-grey

upon

103
long,

He

his shoulders.

appeared, indeed, like one of the old school.

half century he has lived in India

pears vigorous and possessed of enlarged

and well informed

in

of

to translate

an evening

views,

modern improvements,

for

Formerly he was ac-

one of so advanced an age.

customed

and yet he ap

sermons into Malay, and read

a congregation, in

in the church, to

that language.
''

May

1.

A rainy morning prevented my going

out to distribute books.

noon went

after

little

through Passar Borong, one and a half miles in

and found but about one

length

read

gave away

in ten that could

Mr.

with old

meeting

forty books, but without

with any incident of importance.

I left fifty

who wished

Intfeld,

more

in

to call

his

Malay acquaintances, and explain the books

them as he gave them away.

to

'

" Captain Boyle was once at Tappanoola,

intelligent chief

holder to a feast

This boy's

came

to invite

him and

when an
the post-

upon a boy seven years of age.

father, thirteen years previous,

the Rajah's brother

murdered

the boy returned to the cam-

pong, and on being questioned as to his parentage,

very innocently acknowledged

was immediately

seized

father, six years before

into the

world.

it

and eaten

whereupon he

for

the sins of his

he had the misfortune

Captain B.

expostulated

to
;

come
'

0/

"

MEMOIRS OF

104
the chief replied,
yourself, but

abide by

tracts

ed

3.

know how bad

as well as

is

it

my country,

and 1 must
L.

Went

among

nearly

it.'

May

"

'

the law of

it is

out this morning to distribute

the Chinese

all

could read

everywhere well
found one old

seemed much pleased with the

idol in the

tracts,

receiv-

man who

but seeing an

room, I took occasion to ask him

worshipped that

for his

fused; but finally said

M.

To-day we

closed the bargain with

den, a Malay, for the use of his boat for

It is of eight tons

by

six

He

is

pay

to

all

May

4.

manned

two months."

L.

a respectable congrega-

to

a school-house, consisting of the

tion in

to

soldiers

and

citizens.

speak the truth once more

gregation.

5.

officers of
It

seemed

to so large

Hearers respectable and attentive

some good was done

May

of the

all risk

with water and fine wood, and be

Preached

government, the

"

two months.

burden, one mast, and

expenses and be at

at our disposal for

good

Rajah Ma-

Malays, besides the Nakho-da, (commander.)

boat, furnish us

"

in the

Formerly

name of

Jesus."

a con-

hope

M.

there were but three sove-'

reignties in this part of the Island, Indrapore,

nangkabow, and Acheen.

exist
tale.

he

he worshipped God through

the idol,"
"

if

God, he seemed alike con-

Me-

The two former scarcely

now, except on paper, and in the legendary

Menangkabow

is

almost entirely extinct as to

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

power, and

105

royal family of Indrapore live only

tlie

on the royalty of

The

their ancestors.

sovereignty

formerly extended along this coast from Ager

down

The sulwhen he

the island, including, of course, Padang.

tan

now

comes

a salute

receives

and

here,

Bangy

Europeans had any knowledge of

as far as

is

of.

nine guns

not amenable to the native courts,

being acknowledged by the Dutch government as

superior to

any native

chiefs of the districts.

he scarcely possesses any authority out of

and

village,

in that, only as a

no pay from

receives

ment but one hundred and

The
and

is

said

he

real authority.

is

man

to

or datoek

per

fifty dollars

have that

It is well,

own

and from govern-

Moco-Moco has

native ruler of
it

head

his people,

Still

his

added

to hfe

to notice

him,

district

however,

annum.

recently died,

as the former power of the family gives great weight

to his character, as the people retain

stitious reverence for those

them
acter.

a kind of super-

who were

but he has in himself worthy

He was two

this place, reads

and

formerly over
traits

of char-

years in Mr. Evans' school at

writes English,

is

interested in the cause of education,

very

much

and the im-

whom he can exert an influ-

provement of those over

ence; delights in intercourse,

and

especially corres-

pondence with Europeans.

"May

6.

Was

goods which

making

busy

we have

this

morning packing up

purchased as presents, and

other arrangements for leaving.

Saw

the

MEMOIRS OF

106
captain of a
is

Dutch

brig just

post-holder at Pulo Batu.

come from Nyas, who

He

says he should not

dare to land at any place on the island except

nong

which

Stolis or Si Toelis,

is

Gu-

Mohammedan

and here we must depend on Mohammedan

village,

which

influence for protection,

is

the false prophet for support while

hke

trusting to

we

invade his

Pulo Batu contains about 5000 inhab4000 Nyas, and 1000 Bugis, Malays, and

dominions.
itants

Met to-day with a Chinaman born at

who speaks English very well, and also
Malay he reads a little, and Chinese not at

Chinese.

Bencoolen,
reads

it.

He seemed

all.

to

understand the

way of

salvation

by Christ as the only way, and the worship of Josh

and wicked.

as foolish
this

At

my

invitation,

evening at the house, where

we endeavour

Christ
tracts,

on

mind the

his

necessity of

English testament, before he leaves

which
by the

to-morrow.

is

spirit

of God,

for

and

"May

so

7.

and become the

spiritual
;

guide

so did

we

would we ever pray.

Employed

ing charts for our tour

Chinaman, alluded

him

Bencoolen,

O, that he might be taught

of thousands of his deluded countrymen

ble.

fur-

making
his friend, prayed with him, gave him some
and promised to obtain for him if possible an

ther to impress

pray,

he called

most of the day in copy;

to yesterday,

Having been unable

the gift of

my

received a note from the

requesting the Bi-

to obtain

mother when

one here,

send

entered college

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

my

guide to Jesus Christ, and subsequent conductor

in the

me

107

way of

Lord send

what

salvation.

with

to part

it

his Spirit,

has been

it

The

was a hard

me, and

to

having parted with

"

It

struggle to

how could I resist ? The

and make the book to him

but

I shall

never regret

it.

Resident has appended

to the resolutions

of Government, in reference to us, a circular to the

Tappanooly, and Pulo

local authorities of Natal,

Batu
to

Nyas
"

also

He

the

letter to

Malay

chiefs,

and another

on Nyas.

chiefs

has also in his report recently

made

to

gov-

ernment on the residency, recommended that missionaries be

sent into the Batta country, also into

He

Borneo.

missionaries

recommend Dutch

does not, however,

if

ground, he says

the American Board occupy the

it is

all

the same.

He recommends

that the missionaries should reside a while at Pa-

dang, Natal, Tappanooly, or Pulo Batu, and

make

occasional visits there while acquiring the language.

"

and

May

9.

pering us,
"

We ar^
morning

in the

we

clear

from the custom house,

at seven o'clock, tlie

As to missionary

life,

it

was

distant.

country, but
reside in

bid

my

pros-

every thing seems to have

been but preparation until now.

but

Lord

hope to be under way.

it

was

I left

in

my

I resolved to go,

house and

father's

company with

my

a city of enlightened. Christian

wife adieu, but

it

was

to sail

wife, to

society.

with pleasant

MEMOIRS

108

OP

remain a few days among

make inquiries and prepare for

society in a fine ship, to

a Christian people,

Now

the work.

end

work of preparation

the

We

completed.

all

a pleasant

in

to

(Captain

among

the

left to

in

civilization,

say,

'

Why

have

was not

New England ?

by some other 1

But no

a leap

perils of ex-

at times almost been

I left over

why

and

'

Town-

just poising for

untamed savages, and the

new country.

an

We stand now

send 's,) and have bid them farewell.

ploring a

at

have spent the evening

circle of friends,

on the verge of

is

a snug parish

Lord send

did not the

the consolations of the

gospel, the strength of the Lord, the fulfilment of

that promise,

'

Lo

dued every other

am

with you alway,' has sub-

In our evening devotions

feeling.

the twenty-seventh psalm

ed
it

to enter into

was read

every word of

was pleasant

it
;

my

prayer

soul seem-

was sweet

thank the Lord that he count-

to

ed us worthy for the work, and

to resign all into his

was

pleasant, too, to re-

hands

for life or

turn thanks for

this time,

and

to

death
all

was

it

his dealings, in bringing us to

pray

his infinite mercy,

for all those friends

he has raised up

sweet, also, in breaking

point of the civihzed world,

whom,

to assist us.

away from

in
It

this last

and plunging for months

into the depths of darkness and moral desolation,

to raise

one more anxious prayer in behalf of Chris-

tendom, that the Church

may

be watered, and her

MUNSON AND LYMAN,

watchmen not

cease to

up

lift

theii-

109

voice while

sinner remains.
"

May 11.

This morning we found ourselves

Not wishing

night.

to sail

on the Sabbath, we took

breakfast at our old home,

Most of our conversation

Captain Townsend's.
evening has been in

this

reference to the temperance cause.

the brandy, gin,

still

having been no wind during the

in the river, there

All over India,

and wine come upon the

table of

every European, as regularly every day as his food,

and no

less regular is his segar

perhaps, to

observed
out

is

A cup

it.

bed

of

&c.,

but

it

will be best,

give a view of a day's living as

of coffee

then

is

the

bathing,

first

dressing,

served

up with

coffee, tea, or

when

exercise,

breakfast, at eight or nine o'clock,

till

wine, or

have

thing

which

all.

At

eleven o'clock comes strong drink, at twelve or one

o'clock luncheon, with

at

which wine

tity,

wine

half-past five, dinner,

drank without reference

to

is

removed the

ladies retire to the

take their coffee or

tea,

quan-

to

accompanied usually with strong beer

the cloth

room

is

after

drawing

and the gentlemen,

furnished with fresh supplies of wine, together with

a stand of brandy,

gin, (fee.

&c.

Every gentleman,

him with a hghted

rope, as if not a breath could be drawn separately
from tobacco smoke. Such is the general character
almost, has a servant following

of the East India Europeans in reference to living,

though there are

10

many

exceptions.

Where

the

110

MEMOIRS

English customs

prevail, the people are

OF

style of living,

as at Padang.

strong drink and segars.

much more

New-England

temperate, and approach nearer the

Still

here are the

Under such circumstances,

with the apparatus before us, the discussion was

highly interesting."
"

12.

boat,

which

Our

L.

We

May

set sail this

morning

carries but eight tons,

our accommodations narrow and

Besides,

it is

an

old boat,

All the crew are

ble.

kind and accommodating

to sail

At four

with them.

the wind headed them, they

than
"

it

small,

is

five.

and

uncomfortable.

and the smell

Malays

at

intolera-

is

thus far they appear

is

trying to patience

o'clock, P. M.,
let

because

down anchor

rather

a sheet.

stir

May

13.

Found ourselves

this

morning abreast

of Priaman, just under Pulo Priaman

dressed,

took breakfast early, and w^ent on shore.

Priaman

Menangkabow people bring down

their coffee.
It is taken from thence to Padang in
small boats.
Had Priaman a good harbor, the
Dutch would make it the capital of the west coast of
is

the port to which

Sumatra.
"

We

diers
is

found a captain and two companies of

engaged in erecting barracks.

The

sol-

Captain

a pleasant man, has been seventeen years in the

country, fourteen of which he spent at Borneo.

"He

gave us

many

specting that island

interesting

says the interior

accounts
is

re-

inhabited

MUNSON AND
by Paris

people,

Dyaks

have

to

who

I.YMAN.

more

are

Ill

than the

civilized

and those who have attempted

country have been driven back, or

forts,

enter their

He says that the Dyaks are a peaceable

and we can travel among them without

murdered.
people,

danger.
''

Priaman,

most of the towns on the west

like

a nook among the mountains.

coast,

is

large

and

beautiful

mountains.
plenty.

wears

It

would point

it

and

principal port

harbour

its

which no labour can remedy."

M.

upon the Toeangkoe,

or

In front of his house, which was not unusu.

Rajah.

and

ally large,

built as

bechaza

or

"He

is

an

inveterate

his nose, &c.,

pong

of

2040

guilders per

but he

it,

from

this, for

month
to

men

bally-

forty feet

opium smoker, as
proofs.

his eyes,

He

is

solitary

this

not,

cam-

income of government

for

make

is

opium.

inquiries about his peo-

could answer no inquiries

asked of the

was the

main body of the house.

persons, the

"I began soon

'

portico to

gave lamentable

however, alone in

2500

(consultation) house,

square, larger than the

ple,

tribes of the interior,

not for the defect of

it

" I called immediatel}^

bally,

and

the aspect of health

out as the central

of Sumatra, were
defect

is

high

ready communication with one of the

Its

most powerful and wealthy

It

by

surrounded

plain,

'

until

he had

w^ho accompanied me, whether I

belonged to government

saw from whence the

MEMOIRS OP

112

and explained

trouble arose,

who and what

fully

was, and showed him Medhurst's school-book, in

which he was
retaining

to

it

He would

"

and was very desirous of

interested,

teach his

be glad

own

children.

have schools

to

established,

and the children taught. There are here but twenty

who can

persons

The

read.

instruct

priests

at

their houses.

"

There are

one

twenty

which a

place, in

priests,

(mosque,) a

Mesjid,

way

dirty,

little

his excellency

upon

priest resides.

"I discoursed awhile with

the

of salvation,

and bade him a Salamat

(good bye,) with apparently

gal,

both

two Hadjies, and

miserable,

much

tin-

good- will on

sides.

"About one
soon

left

o'clock,

Priaman

"May

15.

we weighed

Yesterday

and

anchor,

L.

far astern."

we were

tossing all

day

without wind.
"

Mount

Ophir, one of

beautiful, as well as highest

was

all

day

in sight.

us to anchor

the most regular

and

mountains on Sumatra,

The want

outside, in sight of

which we were next bound.

of

wind compelled

Pulo Panjang,

The

to

boat rolled in-

cessantly.

" After a

deck.

little

The

was calm

air

troubled sleep, I rose

was

cool

and went on

and refreshing

the night

the stillness of death reigned, except the

distant roar of the

waves beating on the

shore.

At

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

such a time

my

thoughts naturally turned towards

and the

the land

friends I

scenes of ray boyhood

spired to place

me

of the objects of

113

had left.

thought of the

which had con-

the causes

my present circumstances

in

my

As

present pursuit.

and

thought

on the nature of the work that had been assigned

me, the extent of the
bour

to

that this

is

to

and the amount of

me

be the theatre of the remainder of

bidding adieu to

my
my

them, Farewell

we

felt it

I felt as if

friends forever; as

if

saying

meet no more in

to

they are past.

many and

roll

Neither shall

known,

till

and return;

on

I see as I

am

know

seen, or

the heavens be no

more

God

before the throne of retribution

^'

and though only

is

the

we

call all

nations

a solemn

have no

M.

to

left,

anchor, and

town on the west

all

at one o'clock, for

distant eight or ten miles.

first

am

voice of the

It w^as

in thought,

Our prahu having come

things being in readiness,

gy

as I

should not be real."

Ayer Bangy,

and

the slum-

till

archangel and the trump of

it

The

but I shall see you no more.

and the

wish that

sweet, but

days, months,

bers of the grave are finished,

parting,

days of

you no more.

I shall return to

seasons will go

The

this w'orld.

our intercourse have been

years will

la-

impressed upon

earthly existence.

shall

field,

be performed, I

Ayer

coast, in the

Bafi-

Batta

country, though no Battas of consequence are found

until a day's journey.

10*

MEMOIRS

114
"

The

OF

Malays, or Malay Battas, usually inhabitthe

ing the coast are not considered within

pre-

cincts of that country.

''We saw to-day the son of the Rajah

Rawd

He had

of the

Rau,

or

long,

bushy mustachios and whiskers, and hand-

country.

some, curly hair, as

as heavy a beard,

seen upon the finest European

is

head.
"

This

is

the Batta district which has been sub-

dued by the Padrees, and the people become mostly

Mohammedans,
"

The Dutch were

trict,

after

recently driven out of the dis-

being shut up in a

reduced almost to starvation

vour their dogs

and

horses.

egress in the night, in silence,

Mandheehng

fort

nine days, and

much so as to deThey made their

so

and escaped

where they have two

district,

to the

forts to

own request, from the

Mohammedans. To the inquiry
would be now safe to travel there ? He

defend that people, at their

incursions of the

whether
replied,

So

<

it

Perfectly, if

all say,

and

so w^e

man

behaves himself well'

have hitherto found

it

treat

the natives well, and they will treat us well.

"May

16.

The wind continuing a-head, we did

not weigh anchor

soon

after,

anchor

day-light this

five or ten miles

ing, near

low,

till

morning

the wind coming a-head again,

in

Pulo Poegago.

and

we

cast

advance of

this

morn-

This island

is

mostly

and covered with cocoa-nut

trees.

Half a dozen

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

families
fowls,

reside

and

He had

and have a few

here,

buffaloes,

Here we found a small prahu

goats.

from Natalj and

115

its

owner

an

quite

intelligent

man.

been twenty days in the Batta country,

(Mandheeling

district.)

Toba

we

declare ourselves

district,

He

advised an entrance at

by way of Tappanooly.

the

Englishmen

Says

if

or Americans, the

Battas, Bugis or Achinese, will receive us at once

us to be Dutch-

If the latter suppose

as friends.

men, nothing would induce them

"Our

conversation,

on

to spare

our

lives.

collecting the islanders,

and some from the main, who had come

here,

or three miles, to obtain cocoa-nuts, turned

two

on

the plan of salvation, which was brought forward

and

discussed, with

lead

them

"

May

no other apparent

to suspect that I

17.

effect

was a Padree."

than to
L.

This morning, while passing a point

of land, had a fine specimen of the animation that

prevails in the solitude of the wilderness.

or four species of

calHng

to

monkeys

set

up

and answering each

their

other,

Three

shrill cry,

with such a

multitude of voices, as to leave the impression that

every tree and shrub might be the habitation of at

least

"

one of these loquacious babblers."

The Sumatran

shore,

Pulo Tamong, where we

wild, mountainous,

Passed

this

M.

from Ayer Baiigy

left it

for

Pulo Pingie,

to
is

and deeply indented with bays.

morning Docsoen Telloe Lalang, which

four or five years since

was destroyed by the Pa-

MEMOIRS

116

At the

drees.

time,

OF

contained two hundred in-

it

habitants.

*'Had a conversation to-day with the Nakkoda

upon some of the Mohammedan

He

embraced by the Malays.

superstitions, as

did not, nor did

any

of the Malays, to his knowledge, abstain from the use

and strong drink because the Koran

of wine
hibited

it,

but because

tended

to

make men

it

was

pro-

of no use, but rather

Nor

worse.

did he abstain

from the use of pork because the Koran prohibited

it,

but because

if

a Malay ate

skin to crack, and his hair

"

The Nyas

it,

it

would cause his

to fall off.

people are said to be treacherous,

and

under pretence of examining a man's fire-arms, use

them against him,

him

to

or

under the pretence of leading

a fine hunt of wild hogs, lead him into an

ambuscade.

This

spirit, if it exists,

duced by the nefarious

trafl[ic

annum

are

now

Dutch government and

which has

More than two hun-

been so long carried on there.

dred per

has been pro-

in slaves,

actually carried off

by the

private individuals, under

the gentle appellation of debtors.

"

The encouragement

of the trade, leads every

village to be continually in

ing village, and every

Even

the child

who

is

man

with his neighbours.

sent to the spring for a httle

way

may never
The Rajahs seize

find his

one another; and

foreigners,

water,

arms with a weigbour-

their subjects

to his
;

home

again.

their subjects seize

Dutch, French, Achi-

MUPfaoN

I.XMAN-

AiTr

nese, Malays, (fcc, seize

117

whoever they can lay

their

hands upon.

May

"

outfit,

in

18.

It

my

before I could bring

the

in

and ammunition

fire-arms

list,

making out our

feelings to put down

was some time,

they ap-

peared so inconsistent with our object.

But Mr.

Ward

while

joined

saying, that

others in

all

would be a temptation of Providence

it

go where

to

wild beasts were so abundant, without arms, they

would be a kind of scarecrow

to all the natives,

much

save us (not by their use, but sight,) from

trouble
safety

that

and

and

all

insult,

and insure

us,

must

confess,

my own life

to

no

him we

trial

be taken, as

for

to

take that of a fellow-

However, God

but he will find a

Lord going up

Oh,

But

scruples.

way

will lead

one

us

In

of escape.

L.

trust."

"May 18. When

ing, in

my

would almost as soon allow

man, though a savage.

into

fact,

and we being on a tour

of investigation, finally overcame

I

on the contrary,

This, together with the

respect.

natives go armed,

and

think of the tribes of the

to worship, I feel

New England

opening

my

Bible, I

forsaken and alone.

Sabbath.

This morn-

known

found that well

passage in which Christ reproves his disciples for

disputing

of

late,

who

often

be the greatest.

shonld

opened

reproved.

Perhaps

cautioning

me

to

it

this

to
is

portion

the voice of

beware,

lest

and

my

spirit

have,
I

felt

Master,
of pride

or

BLJfijaoiKS

118

should influence me, and I begin

who

myself,

Who

say within

most valuable information,

shall collect the

and make out the

to

most accurate observer 7

shall be the

know

feel

that

best report ?

too well

am

in

no danger of being influenced by such motives.

the deceitfulness of the heart, to

know

too well, also, the sad

spirit

has wrought

among

which such a

effects

missionaries, to think

that I can indulge such a disposition without guilt,

and without much injury

My

prayer

is,

that I

may

to

the cause of God.

be delivered from

world

this

but rather for glory and immortality in the

world

God

it.

a name in

forbid that I seek for honour, or

to

come.

am

willing that

my name

should

stand in the lowest place on the catalogue of those

who have devoted their lives to the cause of God,

among the heathen. O, Lord, give me the right spirit.
" Passed this morning a coral bank.
The sight
was novel and

interesting.

Sometimes

the bottom covered with a fleecy cloud

I

imagined

at others,

could discover nothing but white, interspersed

with dark
shrubbery
It

was

rich

"

to

me

and
a

and varied

May

Here were snow

spots.
;

19.

new and

all

died

The

and

vases.

splendid exhibition of the

wind was
stir

after breakfast

away

and

furniture of the deep.

the Malays would not

sail, till

drifts, trees,

there, pillars, globes,

fair all

night

but

the anchor, nor hoist the

Just

when

the

they were ready to go.

wind had

They

are

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

now, nine

M., rowing to get the boat

o'clock, P.

Pulo Batu.

into the harbour of

"May 20. This

morning went on shore and

Learned some miscel-

on the Post-holder.

called

119

laneous facts in reference to the islands and their

inhabitants.

Went to call at
Some of the men met
"

Bawa

a cam pong,
us,

Tobara.

and informed us that ten

individuals were sick with the small-pox,

and that

they were making medicine, and sacrificing

gods

cam pong

their
rites

therefore

before eight o'clock, P.

made

past times.

At

tion.

great ravages

Eight years ago,

and swept

islands

first

off nearly

am

sight I

formed

athletic

than

altogether

saw one

&,c.

M.

These

of

them

He assumed

the

an

it

The

among them

in

spread over these

one half of the popula-

constrained to call

They

fine race of people.

better

to the

could not be permitted to enter

they told us would continue seven days.

disease has

we

are

them

more slender and

Malays.

Exceedingly

interesting race of idolators.

exercise to-day with his shield,

the most horribly savage

atti-

the right ear perforated,

and

tudes I ever saw.

"The men had

many were filled

with

bracelets on the arm."

" It

is

drawers, or a bit

some

had

M.

what perfect salamanders

With nothing on but a pair of
of cloth wound about the loins,

truly astonishing

the natives are.

ornaments

MEMOIKS OF

120

and a handkerchief on the head, they

noon-day

with as

eat,

lander will

much nonchalance

sit

will

and laugh, and

tropical sun,

over the

as a

New-Eng-

would scorch our bodies

utes, but

makes no impression ou them.

"

Everywhere young boys,

nudity,

may

and

have seen young

few weeks

perfect state of
all

infants, apparerttly

old, carried in their

the sun's rays,

naught

day

but a

mothers' arms, or

them from
which from the

shield

to

the reflection of

when my body was

The

a few min-

be seen playing in the sun

on her back, with

ground,

in

in

in

and

in the winter.

fire

sun's rays
it

sit

talk,

shaded, I could scarce-

ly endure.

Off Sumatra's west coast

''

is

a group of islands,

one hundred and twenty-two in number,

a whole, Pulo Batu, (Rock

Island,) from

called, as

a romantic

The largest is called Tanah Massa.

The whole number of people in the group

rock.

"

about 8000, living on nineteen different islands

whom 7357

are Nyas,

are
;

of

850 are Malays, 100 are

Chinese, three are descendants of Dutch,

making

in all 7810.

"

Having spent most

holder, pro. tem.,

lage,
coast.

Bawa
They

intelligent,

we

of the A.

M. with the

visited the nearest

Post-

Nyas

vil-

Tobara, nearly or quite a mile up the

appeared more open-hearted, manly,

independent, and

friendly,

than the

Malays, Javanese, or central Sumatrans.

They

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

seem

much

be

to

interested in our object in visiting

and expressed a willingness

these parts,

then explained

schools.

to

to

have

them how

their

language could be written, and

and they could correspond

his house,

with one

were highly delighted, and

at this they

king could

their

and be understood, without leaving

give his orders,

another

121

could scarcely find words to express themselves.

We left them

much

to the people for

gratified

with our introduction

whom we had

and

so long prayed,

whose salvation has taken such deep hold of our

L.

hearts."

"

May

22.

Last night arrangements were made

to leave in the boat, at half-past five o'clock, for Se-

gata,

an

island about twelve miles distant,

by

far

the most populous of the whole group.

The

'^

ten,

services

is

made when
there

is

which he
"

We

islands

The god

is

for

spirits,

their

and

in the centre of

whom

an epidemic

there are

sacrifice is

in the village.

sickness in a house, the small Satans

are sacrificed to
for

bad

likenesses of

the great Satan, to

there

whom

no compensation

to the people.

the village

When

receive

make

but

them

sell

says one man, of

priests,

on Segata,

and the

priest

receives a rupee

passed

Hyo and

holds a bechara,

or perhaps more.

Bintuang, two beautiful

their shores covered with white sand,

skirted with cocoa-nut trees, with here

11

and

and

there a

MEMOIRS OF

122

solitary banian, giving-

shade and protection to the

boats of a fishing village.

"

At

we

campong

arrived at a

but

the head

dance at the

vil-

lage.

see us

half-past ten

man was attending a

The women came out to

advanced they receded.

rangements

for

After

but as

making some

we pushed on

breakfast,

we
ar-

the

to

next campong.

Our way

''

lay along the beach, and the burning

rays of the sun were beyond endurance.

arrived at

a short distance from the

our interpreter

to

we wished

to

square,

way

by a narrow

gate,

which seemed the only

of access to the village.

At the entrance were

;

many

were building

upon them, and scorching them, as a

apology

for dressing.

up and

put,

of which there were

cooked.

saw a

Immediately

with the

feast.

hundred yards

enclosure, one

about twenty hogs lying dead

fires

sent

speak with him.

soon came out and welcomed us to the

We entered a walled

cut

When
we

inform the datock, head man, of

our arrival, and that

He

village,

after,

intestines, into

thirty

in

Boiled pork, with boiled

sort

boihng pots,

the square,
rice,

of

they were

of

and

which we

great abundance, constituted the feast.

The

pork not used on the occasion was divided by one of

among tlie
who had brought hogs to be

the principal head men,

lagers

different vil-

killed at the

feast.

"

The work

of division

was accomplished with

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

the utmost order and good feeling.

123

Not a murmur-

ing word was heard.

"

At the entrance of the square a blue

flying

and

flag

was

near the centre was a red and yellow one,

before the Penghooloo's (chiefs) house, a white

flag, besides

two

or

three

others.

We

were led

rapidly through the yard to the house of the penghooloo,

and ascended by a

principal hall.

the

flight of steps to

mat was spread

us on the

for

same platform with the master of the feast, and

next to him we took our seats. A crowd followed
us up the steps, and as soon as we had taken our
seats,

they

all

make

with one accord began to

most deafening shout, as a token of joy

At

anival.

and we had
serve the

full

our

at

the beck of the penghooloo this

repeated several times.

the

waS

Directly the crowd retired,

opportunity to look about and ob*

dress

and ceremonies.

On

the

same

platform with ourselves, at our right, were seated

fifteen

or

twenty females in

dresses.

it

an

a beautiful head-dress of gold, with a

bronze plume in
of

dancing

Their hair was neatly put up,

idea of the whole.

and around

their full

description of their dress will give

them had gold

front.

Around

collars of

their

neck

many

pecuhar workmanship.

From

each shoulder projected a piece of carved

wood,

to

fifteen or

each of which, behind, were attached

twenty strings of yellow beads

pendant end, brass

bells

and a small

to the

species

of

MEMOIRS

124

OF

In front the strings passed from one shoulder

shell.

Beneath

to the other.

was a

this

gown,) and about the waist a

some of woollen, and

sarong,

red bajoe, (short

others of

beauti-

silk,

bound round, over which twenty

fully

yellow

scarlet or

or thirty

yards of biass wire chain completed the dress of the

Most of them had jewels

body.

in the ears,

The women

clasps about the waist.

and

of the peng-

hooloo were distinguished by two ivory clasps of not

less

than a pound weight.

was

less

The

dress of the males

gaudy and expensive.

Many,

especially

the head men, were dressed in red or yellow bajoes

(long jackets),

head

fingers

and a

and

anus

right

,-

and

ciii

Each man had

dress than a

" In the square, the

few

his

on one

circle,

side,

to

could be so called,

was

vocal.

if it

The
it

circle

All were

who

One

saw

kept the time

sometimes consisted of a

was constantly varying.

were leaving and others joining

bridegroom were

The

even children are taught

not more than four years of age,

hundred, though

and the

right.

to take the step with perfect regularity.

perfectly well.

many

and moved by a

left

able to join in the dance

but

slow but regular step from

music,

and short

kris

strips of cloth.

women

the other, formed a

on the

iniiuense liug in

few had on long red robes

had no other

men on

turban or cap upon the

profusion of ornaments

the right ear.

cutlass.

sort of

besides a

it.

The

Some

bride

and

not to be distinguished by their dress.

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

They joined

"

in the dance, separated at

tance from each other.

The

by aged matrons, while

little girls

They

rear.

but at length

and
"

was brought

it

warm and

sparingly,

dis-

brought up the

we
and we

in,

of pork, cut

boiled rice, both

We ate

females were led oa

us food, which

offered

It consisted

refuse.

125

up

declined

could not

in square pieces,

cold.

and then asked permission

We

pass through the houses.

to

went from one end

of the village to the other, passing from house to

house through small doors.

I could easily perceive

that though their houses were similar, the skill of

was very

the ladies in putting things in order

dif-

ferent.

"

While some houses were sadly

and confusion,

others

filled

with

filth

might lay some claim

to

neatness.
"

When we

had

distributed w^hat

finished our observations,

few presents

leave, not, however,

till

warlike manoeuvres.
presents, saying,

and

all

'

this

we

brought,

we had witnessed their skill in

and

this I give to you, friend,'

The master

the crowd shouted applause.

From each

made

of gold-

corner of his mouth, horns of

Visited the

ed out
I

for four

opium

shop.

hundred and

asked the Chinaman

11*

it

M.

projected like tusks."

*'

and
took

An old man distributed many

of the feast wore false mustachios

leaf.

we

The

islands are farm-

thirty guilders per

how many

month.

of the

little

MEMOIRS

126

OF

messes he was weighing out would

He

fool ?

with him

answered three

for

making

fellow

his

make a man a

then remonstrated

men

fools at ten

L.

cents each."
"

May 23. Found

one

man who had

formerly-

been connected with the mission school at BencooHe inquired if I knew Mr. Ward, at Padang.
len.
It is gratifying to see

with what pleasure these

were remembered by

all

with

of such

but the

The

efforts.

effects,

who were once

I love to trace the

their schools.

cause,

the blessed

it

is

connected

consequences

true,

has ceased,

be

effects, will

men

felt

through

eternity.

which God

" Mission schools are the engines with

designs to
superstition

break down

and

strongest bulwarks of

the

idolatry.

The

disinterested spirit

manifested by such men, imperceptibly makes an

impression, on the

mind even

which neither time nor

of a heathen youth,

can ever

circumstances

M.

efface."

" Wherever

we have gone among

the Nyas, the

This appears

cry has been for tombak, (tobacco.)

to be the sine qua non with them.

frenzy seems to exist to obtain

worth of

it

will

it.

They

are open

removed from that sneaking,

of

the Malays,

national

few

doit's

purchase what a rupee would not.

" In their colour they are fairer

nese or Malays.

which,

the

than the Java-

and

frank, far

villainous duplicity

more

one becomes

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

move

acquainted with them, the

127

he

is

led

"

May

24.

Set out

We reached
man

reef, so

for

Bono.

shallow, that at low water a

can pass from Bono

Sebranun, distant four

to

There are on Bono one hundred and twenty

miles.
souls

morning early

this

the south-east side after rowing several

miles over a coral

to

L.

abhor."

one campong, and a few scattered houses.

We

entered the campong, and inquired for the house of the

penghooloo.

We found his excellency seated on a pilWe entered into conversation

low making baskets.

and made many

inquiries respecting the laws

customs of the Nyas people.

dom

answered

was no

there

all

priest

and

He

our inquiries.

on Bono

and

He conversed with free-

was necessary

stated that

when
make

but

the people

were

sick,

priest

came from Speaker, a neighbouring island and

it

The

killed the hog.

hung beneath

are

to

little

stand on which the

The

killing of

not resorted to unless the priest's

scriptions, (for they are

murder and

lie

he

sum

is

fined

to the

done.

penghooloo

There are two

receives

this,

lit

tie or

wife,

If a

is

seldom

and the

the less powerful,

no worship; though he

sidered as a good being.

man

he pays a

however,

is

is

Adul-

fail.

gods, one above

Tlie one above

other below.

and

he divorces his

hogs

or doctor's pre-

both the same,)

theft are capital crimes.

if

crania of the swine thus killed

the

groups of gods are placed.

tery,

sacrifice,

The god below

is

is

con-

the most

MEMOIRS OF

128
powerful of

upon a

He

all

He

of men.

beings

he presides over the

affairs

commissions diseases, and they seize

on a whole campong.

solitary individual, or

rebukes them, and they are stayed.

family or village

make

supplication,

To him the

when visited by

the desolating angel.

"
is

The God

below,

whose name is Ladoe Radano,

looked upon as an evil

original of all the evils

spirit,

and the

which men

father or

The

suffer.

God above is a good being, and to him

when released from the body.

the soul re-

turns
"

May

25.

This morning a man

us that the penghooloo of

called to

inform

Bambavo Jenoovoo

or

campong we had visited in his abwas now at home, and would be happy to

Segata, whose
sence,

This

see us.

gence, and

in

man

is

two

interviews w^hich

certainly one of

much intelliwe have had

with him, has expressed himself in the most frank

and open manner respecting the

objects of our mis-

men might come and

sion.

He

reside

among the Nyas people, and

Hjs name is Ahovavooloo.

dren.

wishes that white

compels us

to

decline

instruct the chil-

Iregetthat time

the invitation

to visit his

village.

"
to
all

May

26.

pay our

This morning

respects to

the Batu islands.

Simoe

is

off in the rain

man

of

His ancestors formerly seized

on Pulo Simoe, and held

reignty.

we set

Bajah Boekit, the head

it

now under

as a sort

of sove-

his jurisdiction.

His

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

residence

is

on the north

Nyas

true

style

The

five feet high.

hewn

is

His village

on a

built

access to

We

stone steps.

Pulo Massa, the

side of

Batu group.

largest of the

129

by a

it is

is

in the

about seventy-

hill

un-

flight of

soon found the house of

We

and entered without ceremony.

his excellency,

took our seat in the place of honour

menced our conversation without

about thirty

floor.

We com-

delay,

and went

attendants seated themselves on the

through the whole range of questions usually proHis excellency,

posed.

man,

loquacious,

who

and rather

is'^a

sharp-sighted old

conceited,

answered

our inquiries without hesitation, and with

much

M.

apparent frankness."

Hb

"

appeared

would be

all

ap-

quite, interested

rejoiced himself,

in

oiir

plans

and thought the people

generally, to receive missionaries,

and endeavour

to

avail themselves of their instructions.

"

We saw here the first Nyas blacksmith's shop that

we have

The

seen.

forge consisted of a few small

stones laid around in a small circle on the ground.

The

bellows were two perpendicular

ders,

with a cotton stuffed swab in each, which a

boy,

standing on an elevation equal to the top,

worked
of

an

alternately

air

pump

up and down, on the

or syringe,

through a small bamboo

which

directed

the coals."

wooden

and thus
at the

cylin-

principle

forced the air

bottom of each,

from both a continual stream upon

L.

MEMOIKS

130

May 27.

'

spread our

sails for

away from
regret

Nyas.

weighed anchor, and

I confess,

when

this interesting field, I felt

turning

a degree of

ripe for the harvest.

physical character of these islands

marked

strongly

is

my observations

far as

too

The

be passed unnoticed.

to

whole Batu group, as

ed, rest

o'clock

seems already

it

The

"

At four

OP

extend-

In some places

on a bed of hme-stone.

it

forms the basis of the shore, against which the sea

The

beats with inconceivable violence.

continual

dashing of the waves has cut out numerous irregular

channels
;

yet the incorporation of recent shells

and fragments of vegetable

rock,

is

matter, with the solid

certain proof that the

tions are

making

immoveable foundaupon the domin-

rapid conquests

ions of the deep.

"

From

the deep basins

beds are rising;

among

the islands, coral

and every year narrowing the

bounds of navigation, by forming new

islands, or uniting those before separated.

form,

is

this

work, that at low water, a

now walk from

The

soil is

uni-

man

can

Sebranun,

Some islands
now united and

form one.

miles.

formerly distinct, are

and

So

to

the west side of

a distance of four

Bono

reefs

that were

a light sand, intermixed wdth a black

mould, evidently originating from the decomposition of vegetable matter.

it

might soon be made

to

Und6r proper
produce

all

cultivation,

the necessaries

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

and

luxuries of a tropical

rose-apple, the lime,

are as cheap

and sago are

and orange,

and abundant as

Malays.

The

of Nyas.

Hogs and fowls

rice

used

is

among

the

and

and

Potatoes
the latter

Nyas and

the

brought from the island

num-

are found in great

Wild hogs are

in all the inhabited islands.

abundant
rally

flourish well,

in Java.

also extensively cultivated

the principal article of food

bers,

Among

climate.

the plantain, the pine-apple, the shadock, the

fruits,

is

131

in the large islands

monkeys

lite-

swarm.

"The

shores of this island, most exposed to the

incessant beating

of the

heavy waves

rolling in

from the Indian Ocean, are Uned with cocoa-nut

trees,

with a few sohtary banians.

The latter mark

the place of the village, as they afford

shelter to their boats

smaller

nut

trees

islands

are covered

and shrubbery

excellent

of the

with cocoa-

entirely

while the

an

Some

and sampans.

hills

and

vales

of the larger are loaded with dense forests of timber

trees,

adapted to

all

purposes of building and navi-

gation.
"

On

the shores of the islands, which are pro-

tected from the violence of the waves, the

mangrove

takes the place of the palm, the sandy beach disappears,

and those hardy sons of the vegetable king-

dom, by thrusting

their

innumerable

deep sand, seem to echo

sentiment of inspiration;

to the

roots into the

mighty waters, the

'Thus

far

shalt

thou

MEMOIRS

132

come and no

farther,

and here

OF
shall thy proud

waves

be stayed.'
"

The

Nyas

principal

is

sago and

marshy

The

oil.

an

immense numbers

shores, besides

reefs of lime-

plant large groves of the sago on

parts of the island,

which form a shade

The

so perfect as to be actually dark at noon.

issuing from these groves resembles

damp and

from a

is

food of the

the latter they take

which abound on the

They

stone.

Of

fish.

abundance on the
of shell-fish,

the

employment of the inhabitants

and making cocoa-nut

fishing

air

coming

that

llie sago, min-

confined cellar,

gled with cocoa>nut milk, and cooked, constitutes

the principal food of the Malays and

Large numbers of the

sea-slug, so

by the Chinese, are taken on the

an

Nyas men.

much admired

coast,

and

sold at

exorbitant price.
"

The manufacture of cocoa-nut oil may

be called

Twelve

or four-

the business of the inhabitants.

teen good cocoa-nuts will
sells to

make a

quart of

oil,

which

the Chinese at the rate of twenty cents per

gallon.

Even

at this

the materials, that

a competence, but

"The
truth of

climate
this

a moment

price, so

may
is

said to be

will not

is

unhealthy.

be questioned

and swampy

which

abundant are

be esteemed wealthy.

at the condition of the

islands are low

vegetation,

low

some of the Nyas have not only

the

soil.

soil

if

we

The
look

Most of the
covered with

constantly springing up

and

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

With

decaying.

an

The

wilderness.

and there

the exception of here

by a Nyas

acre occupied

133

whole

village, the

effluvia arising

is

from such a mass

of decaying matter, especially from the plantations

must contaminate the atmosphere, and

of sago,

load

it

However,

with pestilence.

am

fully per-

suaded, that were some elevated position chosen,

(and nothing
session,)

necessary but to go and take pos-

is

and the

forest cleared

away,

found as healthy as any station in a

The most

mate.

village

suitable place

sea-shore.

is

An

tropical

is

is

the small pox.

a short distance from the

oblong square, (perhaps one hun-

dred yards by seventy-five,)

is

enclosed by a sub-

stantial stone wall, seven or eight feet high,

many

altogether sui generis.

selected at

cli-

that has

destructive pestilence,

ever visited these islands,

"A Nyas

would be

it

in thickness.

Next

to the shore is

The two

gate-way, strongly defended.

and as

a narrow

and

ends,

the back side of the square, are occupied by houses.

On

the right or

well, fifty or

near the gate-way,

is

sixty feet in circumference,

a large

and ten

Every one who draws water, descends

deep.
it

left,

by a

flight of steps

fills

cends by the same means.

his

bamboo, and

Near the well

into

re-asis

an

enclosure, designed as a bathing-house for females.

The

well, &,c., are the property of the village.

The

head-man's house usually occupies the middle of the

row

of houses that front the gate.

12

The

houses are

MEMOIRS

134

and connected with each other by small

all united,

They

doors.

are raised on posts, eight or ten feet

They

from the ground.

the females, there

On

is

are all of one story.

back room, which

sides the

This

OF

a large

the front

but one room

is

to

an

this is

the house,

whole

is

tionate,

side.

elevation extending across

and above that another, which answers

Near

by

each house.

with the entrant at one

hall,

is

Be-

occupied mostly

is

for

it,

seat.

sort of lattice-work across the front of

which answers

The

a window.

for

surmounted by a roof altogether dispropor-

being as high as

Near the house

two or three

of the

feet,

the rest of the building.

head-man

is

as a stand, before

meetings are held.

The

a stone, elevated

which the

village

In the centre of the yard

a

village god, placed in

attap roof.

all

little

is

the

enclosure, beneath

an

remainder of the enclosure

common, kept very neat and

free

is

from rubbish,

for

purposes of walking and athletic exercise.

"

On

the whole, for neatness of design, for skill

in workmanship,

surpasses

and

cleanliness,

any thing

a Nyas village far

have ever seen among the

Malays, or had ever expected from a people

still

"

who

are

no

less

ranked among barbarians.

The

customs of the Nyas

men

are

diverse from those of all other nations, than their

habitations.

them

is

Every extraordinary event

attended by a

ther there are

feast.

among

Indeed, I doubt whe-

any occurrences among them

that are

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

135

considered proper occasions of mourning.

A birth,

or death

a marriage, or the visitation of a

lence, are all attended

by

Scenes of

feasting.

festi'

accompanied with music and dancing.

are

vity

pesti-

Each village owns a number of hogs in common

and when a great feast is made, several villages
;

unite

each furnishing several hogs.

After

enough

are killed for the occasion, each village receives of

the remainder according to the
division

is

number

always made without

The

sent.

dissatisfaction or

disturbance.

" Their
is

mode

of burying

is

kept two days after death,

a neat
ner,

coffin,

and

made much

after the

islands, the

where there

is

is

the body

European man-

a high
village

can be

back
surf,

is

where no boats can

near

in

a word, where

undisturbed by the voice of

is

carried

was

hassee,

stroUing one

called, are

side of the island,

and

laid

man

on an elevated

form amidst the thickest shades of the

I

deposited in

lonely, unfrequented spot.

In the Batu

where no

so they

if

always selected in some

solitude

it is

carried to the place of deposit.

" Their grave-yards,

land,

The body

peculiar.

when

day on the back

forest.

there
plat-

As

side of Seboo-

where nothing was heard but the dashing

of the waves, and the singing of birds, beneath the

shade of a large

tree, I

was

startled to see

eight coffins arranged in regular order.

seven or

gazed a

moment and hurried by, but had proceeded only a

MEMOIRS

136

few

saw

steps before I

farther

was a

man

place one
coffin

still

OF

many

as

more, and a

At the

number.

larger

had recently been

little

latter

His

deposited.

was decorated with two small strips of red

form of flags^ waving over it. Indeed

cloth in the
for

some

land

is

back of

distance, along the

a Golgotha.

literally

this island, the

sepulchre with

and bones mingled with bones

shattered coffins,

in

horrid fraternity.

The Nyas have a

"

bad practice of cutting

front teeth level with the

notion that

it

off the

gums, under a mistaken

adds to their beauty.

The

more

fashion reigns here, as well as in

god of

civilized

society.

"
It

This

is

done at twelve or

several days'
voices

The

illness.

and the male

ten,

is

of age.

followed
injures

practice

by

their

much.

They marry young

"

fifteen years

a very painful operation, and

is

the female sometimes at

This

at fifteen.

is

done by ask-

ing the consent of the parents, sometimes of the

head man.
are

A feast, and

husband and

"

The

priests are

ploymentj as
of the evil

priests,

spirits,

their

work

numerous
seems

finished.

is

to

They

their principal

be to

make

For

income from

this

em-

likenesses

and hold becharas with the

in cases of sickness.

Yet

the

wife.

devil,

they are well paid.

this source

by no means

MUN

AND

They

meets their wants.

L X U A N

137

labour daily, as other

citizens.

"Their language

peculiar

is

themselves.

to

Their words are uttered with great

rapidity,

and

they are really the most noisy people I have ever

seen.

No man

"

without a wooden shield, four or

is

five feet in length,

and

fifteen inches in the middle,

but tapering to a point at each end.

they have the spear,

of a

Nyas man

kris,

and

in

man. Their war

a dexterous

when

it is

dropped, and the sword

The

the whole.

body be-

then a plunge or two with the

and brandished twice

up

are nearly a

like exercise consists

leap, so as to conceal the

hind the shield

spear

The arms

they seldom appear abroad

without at least the kris and sword

load for one

Besides this

and sword.

or three times,

horrid aspect

tenance assumes during

is

No

altogether

M.

person can marry more than one wife at a

Upon

time.

marry again

When

closes

which the coun-

this exercise is

indescribable."
"

drawn,

which

the decease of a man's wife he can

if

he chooses, in two or three days.

a woman's husband dies she must wait as

many months

before she again marries.

can put away

his wife

No man

as long as she retains

he must apply

to

good character.
" In case he

the Ametjoer,

12*

designs to do

whose

decision

it,

is

final.

If

he ob-

MEMOIRS

138
jects,

OF

they cannot be divorced.

man

consent, the

If

must pay the

he gives his

woman

twenty

dollars.

"

When

a young person

is

he receives a chastising.

his parents,

rived at years of discretion he

Ametjoer, and

if

he

When

one

is

is

lie

When

is

by
ar-

brought before the

and

will not confess his fault,

exhibit penitence, he
"

detected in a

fined twenty dollars.

detected in theft,

if

he

will not

confess to the Ametjoer his fault, ask pardon of the

one he has offended, and

hands and

feet are

bound

restore the property, his

together,

and he

cast

is

into the sea.

"Adultery and murder are punished with

by

stant death

so infrequently that

almost

the run

lost

oldest inhabitants, in

some

of the Ametjoers

of the laws.

some

in-

These crimes occur

decapitation.

villages,

Some
cannot

have

of the
recollect

when either of the above crimes has occurred.

" One Ametjoer, of Oro Hili, informed me that a
Nyas man's becoming a Mohammedan, would
expulsion from the Bunwa (village.)
how they would regard a man's
throwing away his idols and becoming a Christian,
subject

him

When

asked

he

replied,

knew

not

customs.

to

no such case had yet occurred, and he

how
It

far

it

would

would be time

had become a

Christian.

interfere

with their

to decide

when one

Others,

however,

in-

formed us that there was no notice whatever taken

M U N

AND LYMAN.

of a man's becoming a

He would

Mohammedan.
own part

be obliged, however, on his

careful not to

many
'

become

139

be very

to

where there were so

defiled

swine.

Rajah Bockit

the

ways

his

Bunwa.

says, that but one has turned to

of the false prophet,

and he

resides

still

in

Others say there are twenty in Pulo

Batu.
"

We

have witnessed nothinsr amonsr them that

They have

forbids the introduction of the gospel.

great dread

and reverence

their children

taught

white men, and great

to

rejoice to

read and write,

among them would

if it

Nyas language.

possible to write the

sufficiently far

for

They would

love for the English.

missionary

They

be well received.

are

removed from the eye of the Dutch

no trouble from them, while

to receive

have

can be

sufficiently

He

near to receive aid in times of trouble.

must,

however, be careful that he always pursues such a

course as to

convince the people that he has no

connection whatever with government, while at the

same

time, according to gospel principles,

render tribute to
to

whom

whom

tribute

is

due,

he must

and custom

custom, and be cautious that he

never

does or says aught that will prejudice the minds

of the people against the government.
'

There

is

no question but now

look after these 8000 souls.

presents

itself for

Every

present labour.

is

the time to

facility possible

The

situation

UEMOIRS OF

140

of the people in a village for church and school

unparalleled in the history of missions.

is

as

It is

easy calling them together, and the people would

have no further

England

and

to

Then

elevation of character

from vice

respect for foreigners

their present

It is like

exemption

their love for the

everything seems to say the

white for the harvest.

a portico

to

mind

their superiority of

the looseness of their heathenism

New

go than the students of a

College.

field

Then

is

their

English

white, already

Nyas.

relation to

its

a house.

If

man

does not

him

find labour sufficient, one day's sail will carry

200,000 speaking

to

possessing the
this

same language, and

the

same customs. Or

dang, where are one thousand

and

in connection with

might be established a school or two

free,

at

and two

Pa-

thous-

slave Nyas."

L.

May 28. Though I am now on my way to

my feelings have not yet left the Batu
group.
I am still in thought reviewing the field I
"

Nyas,

have so

hastily surveyed.

forests, its scattered

villages,

can

still

But

hasshined

some means

that race of people

my

its

dense

and hear the mighty

waves dashing against the shores of

islands.

see

on

its

hundred

whom no

light

heart feels for them. I would devise

for their relief

and

salvation.

It

can-

not be denied that they are superstitious, and in

many
less

respects degraded, yet they are not in a hope-

state.

All their sacrifices are to propitiate the

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

evil spirit,
to inflict.

and

is

ten-fold

To

population.

se-

the beginning and end of their

The awe

superior power

god are

likenesses of this

more numerous than even the

cure his favour
religion.

he has power

to avert the calamities

Rude

141

usually

and

felt

at the idea of a

the high and holy

especially

sentiments of love and gratitude towards an

all-

wise and benevolent Father, which the Bible

re-

veals, not

only do not

exist,

But with

probably without a name.

their

all

many redeeming

perfections they possess

They

but as yet they are

im-

qualities.

are not so low in the scale of morals as most

heathen who have lived without the

restraints of the

gospel.

"

This morning we found ourselves

the long-desired Nyas.

of

and prayed over

it,

I
it,

have read of
but

now

in sight of
it,

I see

thought

it.

The

coast rises in gentle elevations, covered with grass

and low shrubbery.

Surely

this

beautiful

spot

could not have been designed for the residence of a

being so degraded as
this

desecration

is

man

in his fallen state, but

permitted

And

for

day

come.

Along these shores the

mercy

shall

come.

shall be told,

and

a while,

till

a brighter day shall

brighter

story of

believed.

redeeming

Here immortal

hopes shall spring up, and ripen.

"The

sound of the 'church-going

echo along these valleys, and

roll

bell'

over these

shall
hills,

MEMOIRS OF

142

thousands of hearts with gladness and joy

filling

unutterable.

" I love to dwell

on heathen

home

at

feel

makes me

It

my

in

Though Satan
is

on such thoughts when treading

shores.

has usurped

for

it

shortly to be driven out of

feel strong.

own

Master's

little

enclosure.

season,

he

with shame and

it

everlasting disgrace.

"

At night anchored

at

Simambawa.

Found an

Arab

slaver and a Company's gun-boat in the roads.

Heard rumours of a meditated attack of the Achi-

Gunong

nese on

May

"

29.

M.

Holis."

Spent

part of the

He

versation with the Arab.

morning

in con-

says around this bay

are five thousand people, but under different chiefs.

The

villages are

almost entirely

He

is

tian
*'

to

upon the summits of the

concealed by

the

heavy

commissioned here by government

government

for the

The Dutch

gravely talk of debtors.

Nyas

right

for

debtors.

names.

It

is

seUing

down
is

Of sending

slaves.

their

They

are

beach corded, and while the

going on, are bound

the bargain

foliage.

a Chris-

But here things go by

trade

is

and

purchase of slaves.

brought

to the

hills,

to

post.

And when
dumb

concluded, handed over Hke

beasts to the purchaser,

and naked, except a

bit

of

bark about the loins, led by the cords to the boat,

and on board are

land.

'

And why

fettered,

and

do you

fetter

carried to a foreign

them V

I asked the

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

Arab,

'

143

Because they would throw themselves over-

some

board, or in

and perhaps they

way

other

do

will

destroy themselves;

now, as

it

many

do, before

they arrive, or as soon as they arrive and are freed.

I never fetter those

men on

who go

wiUingly.'

board were fettered.

All

saw on

the

the guard

boat that accompanied him, a very interesting boy

and

and

of about four

girl,

Their father and mother having

uncle,

by having the temptation

had
for

a number of years

they are

free.

month

per

others.

mean

with any one

my

yet, in all

which

make coolies

time they

their clothes, food,

or they sell their

have never

him,

purchased them

at the expiration of

and give them

of them,
cents

In the

died, their

laid before

The government

sold them.

years of

five or six

age.

$1.20

services

inquiries,

to

met

who has seen these people return to

has known them to be liberated.

their native land, or

It

may

Nyas.
to

be said the slaves are better off than in

But who created them

be responsible

for

And who is
hand of every man

free ?

turning the

against his neighbour,

and

filling

a nation of two

hundred thousand of most interesting

the worst

human

of crimes,

flesh,

and

to

and

stealing

obtain

it,

people, with

trafficking in

wading through

their neighbour's blood?

"

of

May

29.

armed

The

chiefs

came down with a

vassals, bringing

one

slave.

train

saw the

poor wretch dragged about with a cord passed over

MEMOIRS OF

144

He

his arms.

looked up with a melancholy smile

upon the monsters who were seUing and buying

marched away

him. and then

to

the

floating

M.

prison."
"

About eleven

three hundred,

the

to

over

two hundred and

other over

came down

people,

fifty

two Rajahs, one

o'clock

audience-house.

the

The greatest Rajah was quite an intelligent man,

a man of apparently great decision and firmness
of purpose, but a notorious beggar.

When

"

him some
carried

long

go

he said

He would

it.

we would

give

us,

Next,

society.

him some

give

always

we bewe might

We

tobacco, &c., &.c.

we

however, that

other village with safety.

the

we would

Americans

scarcely believe that

temperance

informed

Americans, he

to his village, if

grog, as

to the

if

He

we were

he learned

would take us up

could go to no

declined his offer on

same grounds."

L.

May 31. To-day we have accomplished httle.

The other vessels have been taking in wood and
"

water

we have done

came up

last

has been very

seems

Have

to

"

much

exaggerated.

resolved to go on.

it

We

By a

boat

that

The

quarrel

be between the Achinese and Malays.

land of which
leave

nothing.

night learned that the report of war

After getting so near the

we have thought so much, we cannot

without good reason.

trust the

Lord has some work

for

us to do

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

145

which we cannot turn away from without

in Nyasj

M.

incurring guilt."
''

June

3.

This

morning we anchored

Before us was the breaking

Mene.

surf,

before

the white

beach, an interval of a quarter of a mile, checked

with patches of

and

scattered

hills of

underwood, cultivated

trees,

fields,

backed by a long range of

huts,

an undulating

surface, divided

between the

wildness of nature and the improvements of the

husbandman, with

and

groves,

a beauty

their tops covered

villages of the

to the

rate climate of

unknown

scene

New

England,

with cocoa-nut

But what gives

Nyas.

in the
is

the

more tempetall,

graceful-

ly-waving palm."
" June 4.

L.

In the evening had a long conversation

with Mr. Messam, respecting the Nyas, their customs, &c.

He

stated

specting the island

"

He

which

island,

Nako

says there
is

many

and

miscellaneous facts re-

people.

only one good harbour about the

is

at the north end, (the

Mame.)

At

ships can anchor with tolerable safety under

the lee of the island.

Except that

place, there is

no

other on the west side of the island.

"At

Gelludallan, on the south coast, there are

roads, as also

Simambawa, Mana, Gunong,

Stolis,

&c.
"

He

all of

states that the rice raised

the

Ladang

or

is

upland kind.

cleared of the shrubbery

and

grass,

nearly or quite

The

land

is

and then the

MEMOIRS OP

146

sharp stick

thrust into the ground,

is

a hole.

to six corns in

the

rice is

Large

planted ten or twelve inches asunder.

rice is

and from four

If the low land

is

planted

transplanted from the upland to the low.

quantities of

it

Padang market, and

are sold every year for the

especially for the northern parts

of Sumatra.
"

The

Achinese consume great quantities of the

The

Nyas rice.

seed time

May

is

best

ground

poorest

is

is

one hundred and

perhaps

fifty fold,

time and harvest of

tively

dren

seems

field

of the year

is

The seed
when the
compara-

Men, women, and

idleness.

go into the

sort of kris

only time

rice is the

The rest

hard.

a season of

all

and the

acre of land, well

(about one ton) or three hundred bamboos.

Nyas labour

and the

produce about one half loyang,

will

cultivated,

One

forty.

or June,

The produce of the

harvest in four or five months.

and labour

chil-

together.

be their principal implement of

to

husbandry.

"The

molasses, but

potatoes are raised plentifully.

in hills seven or eight feet apart;

as they

The Nyas

sugar-cane flourishes well.

make abundance of

may want

Sweet

no sugar.

They

plant

them

and gather the crop

them, a few hushels at a time.

"Sufficient coffee grows for the consumption of

the island.

Though it

does

Padang

it

perfect

equal

manner

in

is

coffee,

which

much

not

used here, nor

probably from the im-

it is

cultivated.

Pulse

is

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

147

raised in sufficient quantities for internal

consump-

tion, besides considerable for exportation.

The

"

cotton tree, (gossypium,)

parts of the island

cloth

is

manufactured

for

found

is

and on the south

in all

coast a coarse

the native use.

the small shrub of Java, but a most beautiful

with

distinct

sets of branches,

not

It is

tree,

wearing an aspect

altogether unique in the forest.

"

They

receive in

exchange

for their rice,

<fec.,

tobacco, cloths of various descriptions, brass wire,

(very large,)

make

they

and

iron, steel, arrack,

(fee.

into rings for the arms,

steel are

made

logy for a hatchet.

The

wire

and of the

iron

swords, krises and a sort of apo-

Their armlets of shell are from

the shell Ihama, obtained at Tappanooly.

Their

ornaments of gold are from Padang.

"

Of

fruit

they have the cocoa-nut, which flour-

Palm wine

ishes in all parts of the island.

uncommon,

yet intemperance

The betle palm

is

common.

tain, the pine apple, the

is

not

not a frequent vice.

The durian,

the plan-

shaddock, &c., are plenti-

Oranges are not found.

ful.

is

I had, however, the

pleasure to leave seeds, which, with proper cultivation, will

"

The

spread over the whole island.

animals of the island are few.

are not unfrequent

Deer of several kinds inhabit the

jungles.
lays,

forests,

Buffaloes have been introduced

but are not at

Snakes

monkeys and wild hogs abound.

all

or rather

by the Ma-

valued by the Nyas,

Indeed

MEMOIRS OF

148

they would not permit a

pong,

who would keep a

domestic fowls
singing birds
seen.

out

the parrot

Hogs seem

marry the

They

With-

Nyas.
the

important

could, without them,

living, heal the sick, or give burial

and

cannot be made without hogs.

The

climate

is

The

peculiar.

but as soon as the sun

fall,

and Java sparrow are here

to be the life of the

All these occasions require a feast,

to the dead.

feast

cam-

Goats abound

buffalo.

them they could not carry on

neither

"

reside in their

and the groves are well stocked with

operations of society.

man to

and the thermometer sinks

degrees, while during the

residence

among

the

day

hills,

days are warm,

a heavy dew^ begins

sets,

to

it is

to

seventy-seven

above ninety.

where one would enjoy

both the land and the sea breeze, might not only be
comfortable and delightful to the European, but also

The

very healthy.

face of the country

rising into abrupt hills

indeed, the whole island seems to be

series of hills,

varying in height from

five

language of Nyas

though there are

six dialects,

hundred

pronounced.

amount

is

to

and
of a

order,

one thou-

feet.

radically the same,

which are distinguished

softer

altered or contracted.
fact,

made up

manner in which the word

In some instances the words are

by the harder and

is

broken

thrown together without much

sand, or perhaps fifteen hundred

"The

is

from the sea shore;

Though

to nothing, yet

these dialects, in

they enable the Nyas

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

to distinguish the inhabitants

from
'

their

The

149

of a different district

own.
are divided into several

islands

which are governed by

districts,

Under these

distinct rajahs.

who preside over the affairs of

The rank of these head men and
according to the number of men they are

rajahs are head men.

a single
rajahs

village.

is

War

able to bring into the field in time of war.

always indicated by a

One kind

'

certain

sound of the gong.

'

of beat denotes marriage, another burial,

and another war,

When

(fee.

the rajah dies his

eldest son succeeds to his place.

assemble
is

a great

carried about

feast

is

the

made, and the new rajah

The

his subjects,

order of succession

same among the head men.

that they receive

ces,

All the villages

on the shoulders of

standing on a platform.
is

any compensation

cannot learn

for their servi-

except free-will offerings and bribes.

Yet they

are usually the wealthiest of the population.

important questions the rajah and head

When

times continued several days.

thoroughly discussed in a
all

full

taken, (and there

agreement,) the decision

is final.

are decided in this manner.

In

men

all

are

These are some-

assembled and hold consultation.

opinions

is

the subject

is

assembly, and the

is

generally a full
All cases of law

Their laws

are,

with

shght variations, the same throughout the island.

"

For theft they have various punishments, accord-

ing to the nature of the crime.

13*

Stealing plantains

MEMOIRS

150

goats something

fined fifty dollars

is

rice

and

fornication

the latter cases,

death.

it is

doubled again

dollars in three years

becomes eight hundoubled.

is

After three years, the creditor pays a small

the rajah, as a bribe, and asks

They

are sold

their property

tions share

first

amount

sum

to

to deliver that

slave-dealer that

and the debt

This

it.

him

This granted, he gives up

family into his hands.

the family to the

unable

and the

a debt of one

e.

i.

he pays a part the remainder

or if

is

doubled,

is

fate.

are put to

neighbour, and

one year the debt

second year,

hundred

both

and

Murder,

meet with the same

man and woman

man owes his

If

to pay, in

dred

more

and gold are punished with death.

adultery,

In

OF

to

is

comes along.
If they

and

any thing more, the

rela-

is

paid.

one of the

fruitful sources

of slavery.
" Bribery

is

very prevalent.

ters poison to another,

all his

it

If

man

adminis-

can be proved, he and

family are sold into salvery.

" Priests are

which they
at

and

Pulo Batu.

man who

numerous, though the compensation

is the same as
made by the people. The

receive for their services

Priests are

wishes to be one puts on the aspect of

phrenzy.
He performs some surprising feat, by
winch the people suppose that he has intercourse
with the bad

spirit,

and immediately pronounce him

a priest.
" June

5.

Having made previous

arrangement,

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

151

we set out at an early hour, to visit some of the Nyas

rajahs.
The Malay rajah, rajah Messam, and
three or four servants composed our company.
" In the

and one

Erenoqeah

thousand men.
the

district there

The
The head rajah

We

shore.

are six head

population

chief rajah.

is

men

about two

hves a mile from

ascended the side of the steep

acclivity

by a winding, narrow

mud and

long grass, which every where abounds.

We crossed several rivulets of

ing from the
the

tall

rajah

is

grass toward the shore.

to the chief

excellency

expecting

house of the

which

it

is

surrounded.

to

We

in.

We

It is

making

entered by a ladder

apartment, and took our

was not

is

seats.

His

waited some time,

see something extra,

and was not a

when a small, inferior, half naked

approached us, who was announced as the

disappointed

native
rajah.

He

shook hands, and then took his seat on

the floor before us.

Cocoa-nuts were brought, with

which we quenched our

"

way through

The

habitation for a rajah, though he

preparations for a better.

little

their

almost concealed behind the thick foliage

of fruit trees, with

mean

through

clear, cool water, issu-

and winding

hills,

foot-path,

The Datoek

M.

thirst."

having received his instructions,

intimated that he had affairs of a public nature to

communicate.
thers,

The

rajah called one of his bro-

and they placed themselves exactly

of the Datoek, a few feet distant on the

in front

floor,

and

MEMOIRS OP

152

signified that they

ed our
rica to

them,

were ready

made a long

toek then

object, the

he' explain-

wishes of the good people of

men to reside among

The rajah expressed

(fee.

of pleasure at the proposal,

was very

The Da-

which

Ame-

them, and instruct

send
(fee,

to hear.

speech, in

desirous such

a great deal

and furthermore

men

said

doubt they would be joyfully received by

all

the peo-

with

I could not but notice the eloquence

ple.

which the speeches on both

but particularly

sides,

by the rajah, were dehvered."

" In the principal
his weapons,

L.

room were

his gods, his

and indeed, nearly

his office.

little

bell

he

should come, and no

all

charms,

the apparatus of

suspended over our heads,

answered the same purpose as such an

article

among

Europeans.
"

The

cooking-stove, as in all the houses in this

part of the island,

hall.

Of

article in

was

back

at the

course, there being

the room

was

as black as years of

We made

could

make

cloth,

but he did not appear to

a return.
it

it.

Said

if

he

side of the great

no chimney, every

killed

him a small

smoke

present of

know how to make

hogs and made a feast,

could not be done that day

and as

for rice,

it

was

we had been accustomed to. He

seemed to be quite relieved, when we told him we
did not wish for any return.
The house in which
he Uves has been standing for a long time. It now
not such food as

contains

fifty souls.

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

"

As we descended by the ladder

saw

human

at the door a

153

we

to the yard,

skull suspended in a

little

wicker basket made for the purpose. On inquiry

we found it to be the skull of the rajah of Genoho,
who had been his enemy. The Nyas rajahs are
very fond of obtaining skulls, especially of Malays,

The

Chinese, and Europeans.

of power

when

we

habitation of royalty,

another
less in

"
for

chief,

bones are ensigns

From

suspended at the door.

our course

directed

who, though

name,

inferior in

is

to

not

power.

We

descended the

hill,

a long walk up another,

and prepared ourselves

far

more

steep

entered

and

diffi-

an hour, we

After a winding course of half

cult.

this

which was under preparations

field

paddy, and to our surprise

we

for

found the great chief

and his wives busily engaged in preparing the ground

He was very much confused and knew
for seed.

To relieve him a little, we

not what to say.

him
for

that

we were

now we

tions

could see

we would

meet us at
task,

gives

ascend the

his house.

hill,

We

field,

on the opera-

carried

He showed

in the

us his utensils
soil.

Said

he should be happy

to

commenced the arduous

and winding our

across his field

a gentle ascent, through the long grass, that

life

greatest

him

ground and preparing the

by passing

way up

how he

husbandry.

of

for clearing the

if

pleased to meet

assured

and beauty

enemy

to the hills,

of the farmer.

but which

We

passed

is

the

many

MEMOIRS

154

some covered with

cultivated spots,

and

potatoes

and others with paddy and sugar-cane.

plantains,

Our path was a deep

had

OF

one generation

gully, as if

trod in the foot-steps of another for a long suc-

M.

cession of ages."

"Our

with

bechara,

was attended

this chief,

He

with the same formahties as the other.

not

only expressed the same opinion as the other Rajah,

but said he would send

amounting

dren,
"

He

said, also, that there

his colleague

and commenced our

" In
is

much

parental

makes

all quiet,

dren,

and

this

children

man's wife

dies,

affairs.

took our leave

filial

districts,

affection

scarcely

a slave.

to the rajah,

Sometimes, in

or

and

districts

for sale as

complains
tor

we

any

If the

a few

all.

and

of-

unhappy man

dollars

from his cap-

and he can obtain no

way, parents
their

own

sell their

parents.

he makes nothing of

two she has borne him,

to

but in

at

there seizes his neighbour, binds him,

him

fers

because

descent.

Erenoqeah and Gunong Si Toolis

the south-eastern

man

district,

were at the head of

After leaving a similar present,

there

chil-

would be no necessity

of seeing the other five chiefs of this

he and

own

to school all his

six or seven.

to

redress.

own

chil-

When a

selling

a child

purchase a second

this

Messam himself once bought a child sold in

way. As to the number of slaves annually car-

ried

from here, there are conflicting opinions.

wife.

One,

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

who

many

has

years been engaged in the

says,

two hundred from the whole

who

has resided here

engaged in

it,

fifteen years,

traffic,

Another,

island.

and was formerly

says one thousand from

Perhaps they will average

alone.

155

Simambawa
five

hundred

annum.

per

"The Dutch Government

on

prahu

the

have now a large

engaged

coast,

to

They

hundred in six months.

wish

likewise

They

one hundred more, in the same time.

for

two

obtain

allow about twenty dollars per head, and four dollars

"

more as a premium.

The

Achinese also purchase them, and occathe

sionally

French.

About two years

since,

French ship took four hundred as a cargo, and

landed them on the
"

no

When

a rajah

Isle of

France.

dies, his

eldest son, or if

he has

man

son, his nearest relation, if he has none, the

who

most money,

will give the people the

rajah.

power.
office,

Women are never

When a man is

is

made

allowed to assume this

to

the people assemble and

be introduced into

make a

great feast,

dance, carry upon their shoulders a platform upon

which the new rajah

"

The

exhibits himself in a dance.

Nyas' have no temples,

strictly called, public

priests.

or,

what may be

They have no

holi-

They believe in two gods. Love Langi, the

benevolent God above, and the least powerful, and
Battoe Bedani, Satan, who has power over all men

days.

MEMOIRS

156

and

To

evils in this world.

OF

the latter they

as being the most powerful,

all sacrifices,

tervention, however, of the

images

make

by the

in-

in their houses.

Besides these representations of Satan, they have in

images of

their houses
died,

their

all

and when they make a

tion to these

believing that

who have

family

feast,

they give a por-

when

they cease pay-

They

ing their respects, evil will befall them.

have, also, attached to the handle of their krises, a

charm,

to

or three

when

prevent a blow upon the hand, and two

little

it is

images, which are able to give rain

needed, and direct

them

in the right road

at night.

"

They bury

dead in the northern

their

districts,

generally beneath the ground, and in the southern,

above,

generally near the house, under a small

shed, with a roof built

minating in

some

up

to

a high peak, and

"If a missionary would wish

island,

he would do

him

bring with
for building,

&c.,
life,

(fcc,

and

stores,
for

such as sugar,

particularly.

When

immediately

steel,,

coffee, tea,

Goods should

and coarse

arrived here,

state distinctly that

He

presents.

and

his respects
;

the

purchasing the necessaries of

and making some few

an American.

in

before, to

household furniture, iron work

his

and goods

to reside

have said

well, as I

consist of tobacco, iron

trict

ter-

sort of device.

cloths

he should pay

to all the chiefs in the dis-

he

is

Dutchman, but
them for a piece of

not a

should ask

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

land, or, rather, select a piece

wishes

upon

build

to

Labourers he

make

after

house

his

have patience

show

all

When

parts.

he

is

who

will obtain,

a fashion,

he can

if

them an exact

to give

them he

tell

His timber he will

it.

purchase cheap.
will

and

157

and

plan,

ready

raise

to

it,

he must purchase a few hogs, and get ready a few

cloths,

and

They

invite all the chiefs of the district.

will come, bringing

take of his

feast,

some

of their followers,

receive

his

presents,

par-

raise

his

house, confer upon

him a Nyas name, and he

will

ever be considered

an

any where
mitted to

Becharas of the

in the

sit

go

initiated citizen, able to

and be ad-

in the district, unattended,

ground he can fence

in, too,

and

chiefs.

cultivate,

This

and

it

will ever after be considered his property.

"

He would

fruits, fowls,

saddle

and

do well

to raise his

hogs, sheep

first

vegetabks,

horse, with

Rice and potatoes he could

bridle.

ways purchase cheap, with

course,

own

and keep a

He

goods.

"June 7. Early
to the

Malay

chiefs.
;

our

We

at

letters of introduction

passed up the river a

landed over the side of the prahu,

and made our way

to the

At the passage which

stationed a large

14

L.

morning we landed

this

Stolis, to deliver

short distance

"

must, of

obtain leave of the Resident at Padang,

before he establishes himself permanently."

Gunong

al-

cannon

house of Malim Kaga.

leads to the village,

and near

it

was

an immense

MEMOIRS

158
cauldron,

full

of boiling

ly to the rajah's house,

We

rice.

went immediate-

which stands

man, who was introduced as the

name

is

Malim Kaga.

His age

a large

at the corner of
scarlet

troduction.

He was

to another.

It

beneath a canopy of

to

We

took

supply

half the

which were much

We proceeded

little

We

They

had medicines

This

situated

trees.

and Hadji Palembang, son-in-law of

Malay

one of the panghooloos,

here, speaks

and English

or

members

Said he had no children, but

establish

a school, he would give a building

see that the

Malay

if

of

we would

council.

and

and

mile,
is

people seemed interested in our exposition

Arabic, Portuguese, Chinese,

is

had not

from the banks, amidst a grove

the datoek, the most intelHgent

and

We

for.

up one-third, or half a

httle distance

of our object,

it

was

in request.

of cocoa-nut and durian

The

all

applicants.

landed at the Malay campong.

"

of in-

though they knew

that the books told of Jesus.

some

letter

a few Malay books,

greedily sought after them, as

"

our

unable to read, but handed

which were most eagerly sought

enough

so than

seated in state,

was read and understood

(good).

baiks,'

hall,

We produced

and yellow.

has an

more

He was

ordinarily possess.

His

rajah.

fifty

is

open, frank, expressive countenance

Malays

in the midst

Entered by a ladder, and found an

of the village.
old

OF

for

it,

children were gathered in

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

also, that

we might

159

obtain a suitable teacher here

about three dollars per month, payable in goods.

for

About

a few

to

as for books

We

mand.
the time

came in, and

we administered

people

fifty

bechara

it

was

was with

had application upon application

we

remained,

till,

making

after

we became

could read.

think

seemed as

It

if

all

at least
tired.

the greatest difficulty that I brought

Medhurst's school-book.

free,

But

impossible to supply their de-

promises to bring more,

fifty

Hstened to the
medicines.

It

away

every one

never before met with more

frank, open-hearted, intelligent Malays.

" June 8.
village with

After
my

of the

New

Testament.

dew;

and

was

The

who could

Malay

and a volume

fifty tracts,

books went like the

obliged not

only to use sharp

away by

language, but to pull them

those

the

breakfast visited

medicine,

force

not read, or but little, and

from

who had

taken them from the bundle before

was aware.

In point of intelligence and vivacity

have never

seen any Malays like them

from house

to house, I

was

children were as fair as

age, and, as bright
so

much

and

and

to-day, as I

went

surprised to find that the

Nyas

children of the

intelligent

same

they approach

nearer than the Malays of Java, to Euro-

pean, that I could

hardly persuade

myself that

they were pure Malay, but the inhabitants assured

me
"

L.

that they were."

On

our return

we

visited

a Malay school of

MEMOIRS

160

thirty fine looking boys,

had disposed of

all

schools

This accounts

of Malays that can

demand
prahu, I saw a
great

large

number

of

to assist

number

return to

At
;

but,

I sup-

first

on inquiry,

the Malays in the

There

against the Achinese.

fort

the

Nyas men walking

village.

posed some bechara was to be held

found they had come

appeared

consequently the

On my

for books.

all

the large

for

and,

read,

up the beach towards the

erection of

We

taught by an Arab.

our books, but promised more.

There are here two other

flourishing.

OF

appears to be a most perfect understanding between

the Malays and

The

Nyas men.

former are con-

sidered, in all deliberations for public good, as en-

titled to

and as having a

seat,

The Malay and Nyas

opinion.

council together,

right to give

rajahs always

and are on an

are sworn enemies in

jealous of each

politics.

They

an
in

The

equality.

Malays and Achinese, though brethren in

sit

religion,

are especially

The

others power in Nyas.

Achi-

nese have considerable settlements on the north end

of the island.

"June

9.

Having made

to visit the rajah of

breakfast,

Gunong

and went on shore

interpreter.

Our road

previous arrangements
Stolis,

we

took an early

to procure

a guide and

lay along the sea-beach, for

eight or nine miles, in a south-east direction.

land, for
plain.

one fourth of a mile from the

It

then abruptly

sea,

rises into hills,

is

The
a level

so steep as

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

scarcely to admit of cultivation.

distance our path

half the

river.

Malay

At

was

little

161

more than

village stood near

Thither

it.

We

directed our course to obtain a skiff.

the stream and proceeded on our journey.

our progress

ly,

which seemed

land,

waves of the
without

so steep

arrested

wound

our

Direct-

the very

way up

side

its

but the descent, on the other

and rugged, that

myself down, from rock

to let

we

crossed

by a high ridge of

to thrust itself into

We

sea.

difficulty

was

side,

was

by a

intercepted

was compelled

to rock,

we found

till

ourselves upon the beach, on the other side of the

mountain.
river,

About a mile further we found another

and near the

campong.

sea-shore,

on

its

Here our course was

left,

a Malay
inland.

directly

Having procured another guide, set off with haste,

to reach, if possible, the rajah's, in season to return

Here we

that night.

first

learned that

been deceived as to the distance

for

it

we had

was

said to

Gunong Stolis, and it was

one o'clock, and we had travelled not

be but three hours from

now
less

"

half-past

than nine miles.

Our way now became arduous and

yond any thing

we

had before attempted.

passed through a large paddy

were

many

difficult,

field,

in

At

be-

first

which

wretched houses, and where children

are stationed to frighten the birds.

"
It

Passing

had

this field

recently rained

14*

we began
;

and the

to

ascend the

hills.

httle foot-path, just

MEMOIRS OF

162

wide enough

was

jungle,

for

man

one

as slippery as

through the thick

to pass
It

ice.

was not length

of

but strength of muscle, now, that could help a

legs,

man

forward.

wood,

we

Meeting two Nyas

men, cutting

took them in our train, and pushed on.

The guide, who had but one eye, took the lead.
The Nyas men and Malay brought up the rear.
For fear we should be separated too far, the men
called to each other from the front and rear, keeping
up a merry echo along the dense forest. I felt
amused at our little guide trotting through the mud,

half naked, fanning himself with a dry

and

leaf,

expressing in his countenance the utmost anxiety

for

He

the gentlemen behind.

be able

hills,

so steep

should not

we were compelled to

hold of the bushes, and draw ourselves up

we plunged

again

then

shaded with

trees

and

in sight of a village,
told,

was the

made
self

our

to

among

little,

and

At length we came

vines.

on a high

hill,

where,

know

not

we were
how we

Lyman threw himdead.

When I had

Brother

it.

upon a mat as

breathed a

lay

deep vales, thickly

into

rajah's house.

way

we

Sometimes

the rajah's.

to arrive at

climbed up

we

said

if

half

observing a

number

of sick people,

who had collected to look at us,

I called them to me one by one, and gave them a
little medicine.
Some had ulcers one man rethe crowd

duced
a

to

the veriest skeleton with the asthma

httle child

which had

fallen

down and

and

injured the

U N

AND LYMAN.

O N

chest considerably.

was

It

163

pleasant to administer to

the temporal wants of these poor yet friendly people.

''-

The

rajah

man

is

of forty-five, sedate

dignified in his appearance

common

most
'

white

of

scurf,' or

yet he suffers from the

among

diseases

all

and

the Nyas, the

He
much

perhaps a species of leprosy.

received us with kindness

but seemed not

disposed to converse on the subject of our mission.

He

evidently wished

much

articles,

them

He seemed

and

offered us

capon in return, which we were compelled

We

told

Nyas

him we wished

and,

if

make

he would come

we would make him

to our interpreter, as

to

he afterwards

Having looked about

At

superstitious as

most of

to refuse.

Gunong

Stolis,

He

hinted

told us, that

his house,

first

his

and

rested our-

we

prepared to

supposed him not so

countrymen

not seeing

gods in the hall; but on looking around,

twenty -eight images

deers'

his

horns,

in

and charms innumerable.

in a

back room.

a huge stone image,

found

one row, besides hogs^ jaws,

paraphernalia were four or

unmounted,

he

slave!

selves thoroughly for the long walk,

take our leave.

very

a fine

friends with the

another present.

would bring us down a

"

to

meet

We gave him a

as a present.

pleased with

before

therefore promised to

Gunong Stolis.

us the next day at

few small

more information

for

He

giving an opinion.

fiv^e

In going

at the door.

Among

small swivels,

It

out,

we saw

was intended

MEMOIRS OF

164

a man, rudely sculptured from a block

to represent

From

of limestone.

might be intended

its

The

of the village.

attitude I should suppose

to represent the

place

it

guardian divinity

was not

large, yet the

houses, most of them, were larger and better built

than
"

is

common

This rajah

in this part of the island.

influence of the

chiefs

now

could not

reckoned on in establishing a mission in

because of the Malay chiefs
in council,

sit

The

the prince of ten villages.

is

and

who

be

safely

this district,

are permitted to

and give an opinion

deliberate,

in all public matters.

"

We

way

with

We

stopped at the

village next to the rajah's,

and took cocoa-

returned by a shorter

we went

fatigue than

Malay

up.

nut water, and gave medicines

people,

who

as almost to

flocked into the

make

it

to

much

a number of sick

headman's house

A woman

a hospital.

house was nearly consumed with the leprosy.

after

rain.

leaving this village,

It

we were

When

terpreter forded

it,

sampan.
the village

was

present to the

so

Soon

to

drench

arrived at the river our in-

and went

When we

in his

overtaken with

wet the bushes in our path so as

us completely.

less

to

returned

the village for the

we

sent

by him, as

distant from the .sea shore, a small

head-man

for

his trouble.

He

re-

turned bringing two large cocoa-nuts, which were

very refreshing.

We

reached the boat at seven,

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

and hungry, having eaten nothing

tired

hours, and having

"

Gunong S tolls

165

for thirteen

travelled twenty-five miles.

stands on a small

of

river,

which

there are several on the east coast of Nyas, two or

three hours' sail in length.

judging from

place,

It is

a lone and unhealthy

At any

location.

its

rate, if its

marshes were as extensive as those of Batavia,

would be altogether
"

The Malay

viting of

more

any

intelligent

village

is

the most filthy and unin-

Arabs abound

read.

Consequently the religion of the

here.

Here are high

flourishes.

people are

have generally found Malays

Most of them can

elsewhere.

The

have ever seen.

than

all

priests,

one

efforts

thousand,

The Malay
Mohammedans

to convert the

the touchstone of
will eat

it,

it.

'

Yet
"

was

not been attended

pork,)

the

It is their

religion.

festival

is

Nyas
most

without

have seen the poor creatures look upon us

to refrain

from

when

its

use

told

is

11.

hoisted,

About four
and we

that

we

eat pork.

the most distinguishing

the character of these

June

coast.

no

yet their

Babe,' (eat

they cannot have a

with secret delight,

trait in

Nyas have

Makan

Mohammedanism, and

religion, or

delicious fare

population

with any success.

pray-

the paraphernalia

of that accursed imposture.

is

prophet

false

and

priests,

ing chapels, and mosques, and

all

it

European.

intolerable to the

Mohammedans." M.

o'clock, P. M., the

sailed at

anchor

a rapid rate down the

Our helmsman wishing

to

go south before

MEMOIRS

166

he

OF

Tappanooly, rather than

crosses over to

directly

across,

on account of breakers occasioned by Drake's

Reef.

In the interior, and especially on the southern

coast,

it is

was an

did not feel that there

magnitude
twenty
feel

We

unsafe travelling without a guard.

to

men

object of sufficient

be gained, to hire a guard of fifteen or

Nor

to pass across the island.

authorized to expose our

advice of those

we

lives,

We

believed were our friends.

we

travelled as far as

we

did

contrary to the

could with safety,

made

all

the inquiries which our circumstances would admit,

we can gather,
Pulo Nyas is not in a

and, from
that

all

convinced

are fully

suitable state for the

On

establishment of a Christian mission, just now.

the other hand, Pulo Batu holds out every possible

encouragement we could
lation

not large

is

they retain

but, as

True, the popu-

desire.

all

the cus-

toms and feelings of the inhabitants of Nyas,

large

enough

to

make a

fair

it is

experiment upon.

If

the experiment should prove successful, the Board

will feel
it

amply rewarded

will reduce the

for their labour.

language

to writing,

Besides,

and open a

ready communication with the main island.

If,

on

the other hand, the experiment should be unsuccessful

or if

among a

it

must

fail

altogether,

it

may

as well

population of five thousand, as

hundred thousand.

We

say

hesitation, that the

Nyas

demand immediate

attention.

therefore,

fail

of two

without

are a race of idolaters that

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

we have been

" So far as

able to discover, they

which mission-

possess few of those prejudices with

among other nations have

many respects their character

liad to contend.

aries

In

Sandwich

the
ed,

it is

our opinion that Batu

present.

The

and a

station

is

establish-

the best place at

is

may be acquired

language

may

resembles that of

If a mission

Islanders.

167

Padang,

in

And, as

be found in Batu.

may

soon as circumstances will admit, operations

The Dutch

be commenced on the main island.

may

station soldiers

peace

among

Or God

on Nyas.

Then

there will be

the villages, and, consequently, safety.

will otherwise

open the

door, before the

language can be acquired, and books

We say
lost in

prepared.

then, without hesitation, no time should be

sending forth the labourers.

place to acquire the language,

stepping-stone by

which

to

Padang

and Batu

is

is

the

the

ascend and take the

citadel.

"

The

physical character of the island

sembles Batu.

It is

much re-

a bed of calcareous tufa, thrown

up from the bed of the ocean by some tremendous

It is rather hilly and mounconvulsion of nature.
Steep and high

tainous.

the sea-shore,

mountains.
but dense
"

The

abruptly from

some of which may be denominated

Palms and shrubbery are abundant

forests are

island

containing a

hills rise

is

M.

unknown."

divided into several small

number

of villages.

districts,

Over each

vil-

MEMOIRS

168
lage

is

chief, or

chief,

and over

two head

OF

whole

tlie

a head

district is

The head

chiefs in colleague.

no unUm-

chiefs of the districts, however, exercise

ited pov/er, but act as moderators of their councils,

And

<fec.

in

some

of the southern districts,

almost entirely each village

dle

and northern

all justice

dialect,

The

which

causes are decided, and

council of all the chiefs

which they use the

quite

is

different

court, or

high

from the vulgar.

mass of the population

great

is

In the mid-

for itself*

districts all

consummated by a

in the district in

it

reside in the

southern part of the island, in walled villages, while

that of the middle

and though

and northern

is

more

scattered

on the summits of the

residing

hills,

yet not generally in compact bodies, or in rows of

connected houses.

The south is more given

and circular.
the north.

It is principally in slaves

they exchange

The

for tobacco, iron,

known by

the

steel,

which

and

cloths.

of the Chinese higher than the Malays,

men higher than

''

to

be

man

great heads he possess-

Foreign heads stand in high estimation.

es.

ships.

man's hand

and the greatness of a

number of

than

rice,

and he with the boats and

slave trade causes every

against his neighbour,

is

to trade

and

trade with the rajah

people in the interior

nearest the coast,

The

Their dwellings are detached

Those

and white

either.

Their offensive armour

is

a spear and two

knives, or krises, one perhaps eighteen inches, the

MUTfSON AND LYMAN.

The

Other two feet ia length.

own manufacture

The handle

outer edge.

is

spears are of their

of steel, sometimes

with an inverted prong, sharp on

straight, at others

wood

the head

is

ed rattan, lead,

steel, or brass,

sometimes inlaid with a

or three-fourths of

its

of a dark-coloured, hard

sometimes ornamented with

169

plaits of braid-

two inches asunder

spiral plait of brass one-half

an inch

in width

and sometimes

ornamented just below the head with a

tuft of hair,

according to the fancy of the owner.

The

knives

wooden sheaths ornamented

are also native, with

like the spear handle, or plain, according to fancy.

The

complicated

for

common

the purposes for

abroad.
use.

the

sir.aller is

for all

tools,

is

larger

is

purposes of war.

which they use

never laid aside at

generally plain

It is

The

and

knife,

which we use a multitude of

and made

or

hard

for

weapon, and used

full dress

home

large

ball

is

formed by

binding some light substance on the outside just

below the

hilt,

as a guard for the

side of this are

coloured cloths,
it

is

to

little

give rain,

(fcc, besides

hand

bound by narrow

on the

out-

strips of different

wooden images, whose province

direct the

way

in

the night,

various other ornaments, according to

the taste or wealth of the owner.

" Their defensive

armour

consists of

light, ob-

long wooden shield, and in some cases, a wooden

breast-plate,

and a jacket reaching

to the hips,

made

of the bark of trees, or cotton of native manufac-

15

MEMOIRS OF

170
ture,

woven without seam,

nearly as

much

they wear four,

thick

resistance as

five, or six

offering

or

jackets of different kinds

same purpose.

of cloth for the

and hard,

a coat of mail

The

native jacket

they value at about eight cents of a Spanish

dollar,

payable in goods, the shield at the same, and the

spear and knives according to quality, varying from

eighty cents to four dollars each.

" In the use of their

and

for

weapons they are very expert,

tobacco

little

any one of them

through with their evolutions.

They

will

go

consist

in

dexterously throwing the body from side to side, into

and again squatting, constantly defending

it

with the shield, and brandishing the spear until

it

the

air,

leaves the hand,

tremendous onset

when the knife is drawn and a

Their aim is
is made with that.

taken just over the upper

Not only would

to their

it

be

movements,

left

corner of the shield.

difficult for

to hit

one unaccustomed

them with a

spear, but

they will allow a person to throw stones at them as

fest as

"

One

they can throw, one at a time.

The

southern portions are the most populous.

Baba Baba's town,

village there,

thousand men, the same as the whole

noqeah

or Larago,

one thousand

five

(Gunong

Stolis,)

contains two

district of

Ere-

and another of

hundred men, Paleta's town.

Nyas reckon more women than men, and from

The
all

we

have seen and heard, should say the smallest calculation for children

would be equal

to both,

and

should

MUNSOTf AND LYMAN.

think

it

men
we

might be even double the number of

and women.

make

171

Taking, however, the

equality,

eight thousand people in one village,

and

six

thousand in another.

They do

"

not lose sight of education or religion

but like most other Malays, they have only the form

even of

Mohammedan

godhness.

They have one

miserably poor mosque and two praying places only.

Their

priests are eight,

and Hadjies

some half-dDzen or more copies

ent houses

the

first

saw

have ever seen among the Ma-

Some few Arabs

lays.

three.

of the koran in differ-

reside here,

who

are rigid followers of the false prophet

can never influence the Malays where

of course

but they

their

own

in-

terest is concerned.

The population we had no means

"

ing

yet I should suppose

it

would be

of ascertain-

safe to put

it

at

two hundred thousand.

"

The

missionaries on

from government,

Nyas

(fcc, will

will find that letters

not procure for them so

much respect and attention as their American name,

The
their own character, and their own purses.
Dutch name is everywhere feared by the Malays.
By no people, perhaps, is it more hated, than by the
Achinese

whereas they hail as a

Englishman,

or

American.

government must be obtained

&c.,

is

concerned.

affords protection to

Still,

friend,

every

the favour of

so far as residence,

And nominally, government

all who have leave of residence,

MEMOIRS OF

172

by application

to the nearest civil officer

but

it is

such a heavy machine, and moves so slowly through

and

different grades of officers,

its

among whom

tions of the people

under-officers,

would always be the

that the best protection

affec-

the missionary

resides.

"We observed among

them no

We saw no instruments

taste.

Xure, exc^t, perhaps,

signs of a musical

of native manufac-

one or two rude drfims, which

must have been patterned

after the Malays'.

song, which accompanies the dance,

is

Their

a rude kind

of bawling.
*'

All the attempts of a missionary nature that

have been made among

French
tained

Papists, about

Nyas

convert.

two years

They

One

since.

of the servants

arrived at

They

and learned a

servants at Pinang,

of the language.

were by two

this people,

Padang

ob-

little

became a

spent a short

time in visiting the military post on Sumatra; and

were well received by the

soldiers.

They

w^ere,

clownish enthusiasts.

hundred Spanish
Were miserably

old clothes

One

of

but one

all

per

annum, and

they

They, however, refused

themselves, but -willingly received

officers, to

them embarked

scarcely contained

and

Their pay was

dollars,

from the

boat, which, after

we

monkish,

fitted out.

all assistance for

Catholic officers
learn,

from

at

Padang, in a

he had put in

room

give to the Nyas.

his

for himself.

httle

open

own baggage,

He

arrived at

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

173

Gunong Stolis, and was kindly received by Messara,

who offered him his own house. But he chose
rather to erect a httle miserable open shed, on the

near the house of a petty

hill,

among

the people,

chief as his pupil

and

visited

child of that

but in a short time took a fever,

His servant,

died.

He

chief.

and obtained a

also,

had the same

fever,

but returned soon after to Padang, and resided a

while with Mr. Embrycht.

dead,

and

This

man was

hardly

his goods sealed up, ere the other

came,

having embarked at Natal, where he had been

to

But the
stations of the Dutch.
was already upon him, and he only landed at
Gunong Stohs, to hnger out eight or ten days, and
the upper

visit

fever

go

to his final account.

"

The

Papists do not yet despair.

They have

held correspondence with Mr. Embrycht, on the

subject of sending out other

determination of so doing.

matter

and

idols, for

would be a very easy

the

for these followers of

their pictures

men, and expressed a

It

Pope

to substitute

the idols of the

Nyas

and engraft their mummeries, and impose their

They
dazzling, pompous ceremonies upon them.
would not, like the Mohammedans, meet an insuperable obstacle at the threshold
able attachment to pork.

hand

may

of the

Lord

an unconquer-

But who does not

in all this ?

How

be preserved in a waiting posture, for

15*

see the

long the people

American

MEMOIRS OF

174

Christians to lead

can

them

to the fountain of

life,

who

tell ?

"In

summer of the present year, six French

priests came to Batavia, three of whom

the

Catholic

and Siam, and

proceeded towards Cochin China

The

Padang.

three to

latter,

on arriving

at their

Nyas language,
among the Catholic

destination, proceeded to study the

and

officiate,

soldiers

in the

found there.

their salary,

mean
One

time,

of them, however, finding

one hundred dollars per annum, too

small, returned to Batavia in the

them from thence,

took

but, after

vessel that

remonstrate with their

on the necessity of increasing

superiors

ances

to

same

their allow-

a short conference wnth his friends

here, proceeded immediately to

fectus Apostolicus Scholten,

The

Macao.

who

Proe-

presides over all

the Catholics in Netherlands India, proceeded, this

fall,

in person, to

Padang

doubtless with a view of

arranging and consolidating their missions in Su-

matra

from thence he goes

to

has obtained leave of absence,

this

all

we may

Rome,

for

two

for

which he

years.

doing great things in that quarter."

"
It is

June

12.

From

premise that the Catholics intend

Still in

L.

the neighbourhood of Nyas.

with feelings of deep

interest' that I

look forward

to the result of these hasty efforts to explore

Nyas.

In imagination I can leap over the few intervening

years of darkness that remain,
brighter

morning.

and dwelJ on a

can already see

men

filled

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

175

with the apostoHc spirit, travelling along these shores,

and climbing over these

can see the solemn assembly

fied.

hills, telling to

the truth preached in

its

and praying, and angels

"

We

find, to

it

God

Stohs,

saints singing

is

work

yet to

idolators.

in his

our extreme mortification, that our

men, instead of taking us the most

Gunong

hear

sinners

These are but

now benighted
own time.

the hearts of these

hasten

rejoicing.

the conquests that the Spirit of

The Lord

called, to

and power

purity

hstening and turning to the Lord

in

one and an-

they go, the story of Jesus, and him cruci-

other, as

way from

direct

have brought us almost

to Natal,

three times as far as to have taken the direct course.

The

consequence will be that, instead of two days'

we

passage,

shall

nearly a week.

be

We

can

ascribe this to nothing but a fear of the Achinese.

"

June

16.

Landed

at

Pulo Ely

wood

to procure

These Malays never lay

and water.

in

more than

The

three or four days' store of either, at a time.

wind was
would

go.

fair,
'

but in spite of

How

can we

their significant negative.

them

off.

On

landing,

of posts ranged along

all

went on shore

was

plainest

By

buildings,

the shore.

manner, that

&c.,

to

hurry

surprised to find rows

were fragments of household

of several

V was

without them

sail

remonstrance, they

all

civilized

Further back

furniture, the

frames

indicating, in

man had

the

been there.

inquiring I learned that a Mr. Horn, an

Eng-

MEMOIRS OF,

176

lishman, formerly lived

years since, he

Malay, and
It

was a

there

but, about

three

was treacherously murdered by a

all his

goods plundered, and carried

beautifully-retired spot

a narrow

cluded between the beach and a perpendicular

at least

two hundred

covered with lofty

high.

feet

Its

off.

flat incliff,

summit was

whose branches seemed

trees,

to

hold intercourse with the clouds.

"

The

and the

bustle of business

once cheered this secluded spot but

;

The whole

of death reigns.
It is

one of nature's

fortifications,

is

the silence

a high

bluff.

which she threw

barrier against the sea.

up as a
"

island

voice of mirth

now

June

17.

Pang-chun

To-day,

island.

at three o'clock,

It is

landed on

a small island three miles

from the head of Tappanooly bay, on which the

and government establishment

fort

Called on

stand.

Mr. Bonnet, the Post-holder, who, though a Catholic

in sentiment, received

a room
"

in his house,

us very cordially.

and a

At evening went up

Gave us

seat at his table.

to look into the fort.

It

main entrance
commanding and

stands on a high rock, fronting the

into the bay.

beautiful.

pose the
live

situation

garrison.

on the

"June

Its

Dutch

officer

is

and

fifty soldiers

island.

18.

Have

done

little

to-day but get our

goods on shore, and commenced packing

journey.

com-

About three hundred Malays

Our

friend Bonnet,

who has

for

our

travelled in

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

the country, seemed disposed to give us

He

ry information.
lies,

To-day

we

commandant, and the

officers

accompanied

us.

We

the village.

The

rajah

quite a

suming

The

began

Resident, the

came out
is

meet

to

to prepossess

After reaching his house

make some

He had

inquiries respecting Mr.

we

Bur-

seen him, but his father was rajah

We

at the time of Mr. Burton's residence.

where

He

us.

so modest and unas-

in his behaviour, as at once

to

war

of the vessel of

landed a short distance from

young man, and

one in his favour.

spot

necessa-

visited the rajah of Se-

boga, at the head of the bay.

ton.

all

has promised to procure coo

&c.

"June 21.

is

177

his

house stood which

down and removed.

It

was

is

saw the

now taken

just out of the village,

near the sea-shore, beneath the shade of some beautiful

palm

and three
it is

now

When

trees.

He

children.

residing here he

hved here seven years, and

seven years since he removed

We could find

no

son of any native

had a wife

to

Bengal.

traces of his labours, in the per;

though

it

seems he had a small

school in v/hich the scholars learned English.

"

June 22.

We have resolved

country at Tappanooly,

i.

e.

to enter the

Batta

the head of the bay,

about three miles from here.

"

To-morrow afternoon we

engaged our
"

interpreter,

The head man

an

We

set out.

opas,

and

of a Batta village

have

eight coolies.
is

to

be our

MEMOIRS OP

178
interpreter.

We shall go well provided and guarded

at every point.
faith in

God

Our

will not

greatest danger

is,

be strong enough.

that our
"

Except

the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that

build

it,"

M,

MUNSON AND

LYMA.N.

CHAPTER
The

violent death of Messrs.

179

VII.

Mnnaon and Lyman,

in attempt-

ing to explore the Batta Country.

From

private letters written during the tour de-

scribed above,

it

Lyman

endured

journal.

The

passed before

appears that Mr.

Munson and Mr.

many sufferings not

noticed in their

severe discipHne through

which they

reaching

resulted

Tappanooly,

great spiritual consolation, courageous hope,

in

and firm

At this period, more perfectly

than ever before they " walked with God," through
confidence in God.

'

supply of the

and want

spirit

of Christ

;"

danger, fatigue,

ministered to their religious affections a

high degree of purity and strength.

While investigating the condition of degraded

savages, " led captive by Satan at his pleasure," they

longed

to close their

preliminary labours, and go

about teaching the people publicly, and from house

to house.

They

harvest."

But agreeably

found the

field

" white already to

to their

directed their course towards other

lous nations, to learn whether

commission, they

and more popu-

among them

also

Christian teachers might not be introduced, with the

prospect of success.

MEMOIRS

180

With
June

this

OF

design they arrived at Tappanooly,

17, 1834.

and the Board,

Here they wrote

briefly

mercies of the tour thus

to their friends

noticing the dangers

and

far,

committing their future "

ful strain,

These letters were their last.

Lord."

and

in a calm, cheer-

way unto the

The journey

which they now undertook conducted them through

many

hardships and perils to a violent death, and

trust also to " eternal

The

we

life."

subjoined statements furnish

the infor-

all

mation that has been received respecting the sudden

The

removal of these lamented servants of God.

first is

from the post-holder, a Dutch

officer,

at

Tap-

panooly, dated 2d July, 1834

"

To my

communicating

cessity of

myself under the ne-

bitter grief, I find

to

you the following mel-

ancholy account
"

On the

the proro

'

17th of June there arrived here, on board

Tanjah,' under the

Soctan, from

Padang and Nyas,

Lyman and Munson,

was

their intention to

my

Malim

the Rev. Messrs.

who

informed

me

that

undertake a journey into the

Batta country, to Tobah, &c.,

requested

of

both American Missionaries

of the reformed persuasion,

it

command

for

which end they

assistance in the providing the neces-

sary guides, interpreters,

and

coolies for their

bag-

gage, which were accordingly provided by me, consisting of fourteen persons, viz

coeta, the

head of Kalangan

Datoe Radjae Man-

district,

together with

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

181

a police runner, named Si Rakim, and ten

to

which we added

their

own two

servants

coolies,

but not

before I myself, together with the second lieutenant,

Schack, military commandant here, and Mr. Sick-

man, commander of His Netherlands Majesty's

schooner Argo, had most strongly dissuaded them
from

their purpose,

On

but in vain.

the

23d

June, they went from the island on which the

was

built,

by way of Tappanooly

to

of

fort

Tobah, and on

the 30th there appeared before

me

Datoe Radjah Mankoeta, the

police runner, all the

named

the above

and one of the servants of the above named

coolies,

gentlemen, called Si Jan, returning out of the Batta

country, who, both severally
to

me

and

collectively, related

the following tale

"That

after their departure

they passed the

first

from Tappanooly,

night in the village of Si Bo-

enga-Boenga, at the house of radjah Si Boendae

the second night in the village of Rappet, at the

dwelUng of radjah Swasa

Sambong,
gan

the third at

and from thence they went

house of radjah

which

Amani

chiefs they

respect,

them

at the place of radjah

Pageran

Gooroo Si Nonto Goeting, to the

Bussir, (iron father,)

were received with

by

hospitality

all

and

who, notwithstanding, most strongly advised

not to prosecute their journey

towards Tobah, saying that at

disturbances

that at that

Tobah

farther

there existed

moment, the journey was

not to be undertaken without danger,

16

any

and

that they

MEMOIRS OF

182

and would

could not,

not,

be responsible

To which

gave answer

to these radjas, that since

Messrs.

as enemies but as friends to

tbe con-

for

Lyman and Munson

sequences.

visit

they

came not

the Batta country,

they had therefore no reason to fear the least danger,

and thus they would prosecute

In

bah.
28th,

this resolution

when they again

their

journey to To-

they remained firm,

till

the

prosecuted their journey from

Goeting towards the village Sukka, at Sehndong,

with the intention of spending the night with the

While they were

radja Berampak, at that place.

upon the march, about half way there, just

at noon,

they were met by five armed Batta people,

who

treated

them

return,

to

journey any farther

if

and not

en-

to prosecute their

they would avoid exposing

their lives to danger.

"

ing

That the above named gentlemen, notwithstandall these warnings, and the urgent request of

their

own

followers, to return,

tion to all this

and the

would pay no atten-

five Battas, after

being

provided with a httle tobacco, were sent back, with

orders to

tell

their

Radjah, that they saw no danger

in prosecuting their journey to

came

to visit

them

as friends

Tobah,

and not

Whereupon they proceeded upon

about 4 P. M.,

when suddenly

since they

as

their

enemies.

march,

till

they saw themselves

surrounded, in a wood, by a band of about 200 armed

Battas,

who made them

lay

down

their arms,

then inhumanly murdered both Messrs.

and

Lyman and

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

Munson, and one of
time, the rest

were enabled,

the baggage, to
to

their servants.

jump

183

In the mean-

having forsaken

after

into the thicket, and,

by flight,

save themselves.
"

That

they,

heard, that Mr.

on

their

retreat

Lyman and

hitherwards, had

his servant, the

same

evening on which they were murdered, and Mr.

Munson the following morning, had been made

away with by their murderers.
" You will thus,

by

this declaration,

be pleased

to

observe, that however great this misfortune has

been, the gentlemen themselves have been

much

to

blame, because neither here nor in the Batta country,

would they give ear

to

any

one's

warning or

good counsel.
"

The

property of the deceased,

was found
at

here, shall be sent

Padang, according

went from hence

The

by

sis

me

much
to

of

it

as

Mr. Boyle,

to their request before

they

into the Batta country."

following

is

the substance of the account

who accompanied
He is
Messrs. Munson and Lyman from Batavia.
described as an honest, simple-hearted man, who

given by Si Jan, the servant

had been long employed about the mission

and appears

to

family,

have been seriously impressed by

the truth of the Christian religion.

He

states that, after leaving

found the road exceedingly

hills

Tappanooly, " they

difficult,

and ravines covered with thick

consisting of
forests

so

MEMOIRS

184
Steep in

many

places, that

cend by means of rattans,

and

to

OP

they were obliged

tied

The

descend on their haunches.

were compelled

to as-

from the tops of rocks,

coolies

burthens on their backs,

to tie their

being unable to carry them on their shoulders or

heads.

The

master

these

brethren, however, were enabled

difficulties.

dense, that they were not

to

The thicket was so

much troubled with the

the heat of the sun, and the road so solitary, that

they seldom met above four or

five

the course of a day's march.

No

each day's journey did they come

village.

on

foot,

The

and yet they managed

village,

vil-

end of

any thing

like

to

advance about

When

they arrived

they were immediatly surrounded by

multitudes of natives, men,

who showed no

women and

sort of timidity at the

Europeans, but came boldly up

examined

to

at the

journey was, of course, performed

ten or twelve miles per day.

at

houses or

and only

lages were seen on the road,

individuals in

their persons

and

children,

presence of

to the travellers,

dresses with

ea-

On

the

gerness, asking importunately for tobacco.

second night after their departure, they

fell

a Radjah Swasa, who

it

told

them

that

and

much

in with

would be

better not to attempt to enter the Batta country at

first,

but stay at Panchan until he should have

time to go into the interior and

make

when he would send them a

from Tobah,

letter

inquiries,
to

inform them whether or not they would be well re-


MUNSON AND LYMAN.
The

ceived.

brethren replied, that they

185

came with

peaceable intentions, and that there was no necessity

On

such a measure.

for

being

questioned

whether he had joined in persuading the brethren

not to proceed. Si Jan replied that he had not

but

while staying at Panchan, and hearing such fearful

Malays residing

accounts from the

there,

of the

murderous practices and cannabalic habits of the

Battas, he

had requested Mr.

Lyman

to

be allowed

remain behind, with the Chinese teacher, but

to

that Mr.

Lyman

replied,

he must

He

could not do without him.

The

cordingly.

came

to,

go,

and

that they

therefore went, ac-

following villages

which they

with the names of their Radjah's, Si Jan

does not recollect; he only remembers crossing a

very rapid
across

on

river,

which they

rattan, tied

The day on which

effected

from one

the brethren

by swinging

side to the other.

fell,

be Saturday, because he heard Mr.

he thinks must

Lyman

propose

stopping a day at the next stage for the Sabbath.

He

has no recollection of the

day of

their

return, nor

five

Battas met on the

murder, w^ho cautioned the brethren

any

other

to

warning but that given by

the Radjah Swasa."

The
"About

last

onset Si

Jan

describes as follows

four o'clock in the aft^srnoon of that day,

they came suddenly upon a log fort, which was occupied by a number of men, armed with muskets,
spears, &/C. To this fort they had approached within
16*

MEMOIRS OF

186

a hundred yards without being aware of

spying the
to

go

interpreter offered

and parley with them.

followed the

two

When

him

After

with the baggage, and the

coolies

brethren, their

behind.

and the men, the

fort

first

On

it.

and the

servants,

police

runner

the interpreter arrived at the

fort.

Si Jan heard a disturbance, and on looking round,

men close upon

The coolies, upon

found a band of about 200 armed

them, from the side and the
seeing the troop,
their

and hearing the

burthen and

interpreter also

rear.

fled,

noise,

threw down

escaping on the other side

became

the

Immediately the

invisible.

crowd of Battas came upon them, hallooing and

brandishing their weapons, threatening to despatch

They came

the travellers at once.

their pointed spears

was enabled

to

push by

explanation, taking off at the

hats and throwing

which they had.

Mr.

Lyman

them

to

pistols,

received

for the

should be

left

but Mr.

Lyman

rabble,

as did also Mr.

and handed

to the

Lyman

Mr.

musket' which he carried,

defenceless.

the musket for his

to

time, their

This not pacifying the

but Si Jan refused lo deliver

fire,

same

but the disturbance continued.

then asked Si Jan

his

and come

them, with some tobacco

deUvered up his

Munson, which were

rest,

little,

with

Lyman

weapons with

their

hands, entreating them to wait a

an

so near

and muskets, that Mr.

up, saying he then

it

Si Jan even offered to

withheld him, and asked for

own

use.

Si

Jan gave

it

to

him


MUNSON AND LYMAN.
accordingly,

and Mr. L. immediately handed

Mr. L. then

to the Battas.

preter

Si Jan ran a

187

little

way

to call

when

over

him, but not

Lyman,

perceiving him, turned round to go to Mr.

Mr.

it

said, call the the inter-

he heard the report of a musket, and saw

Lyman

fall,

Jan

calling out

Jan

shout

then rose from the Battas, which was answered by

those from the

Another shout

who had on

then

he attempted

On

Si

to escape,

and

cook,

and

fall,

but was pursued, and by

their cleavers,

Jan and the

their lives,

The

seeing the brethren

had

his

while the cleaver went through the

side.

the body,

followed.

a jacket given him by Mr. Munson,

the next victim.

one blow of

made on

rush was then

who was run through

Mr. Munson,
fell.

was

fort.

police

runner

arm
arm

now

cut

off,

into

his

ran

for

got into a thicket at a short distance

here they secreted themselves under the bushes, and

remained
ready

was

Si Jan

and

all night, (the

set in,) until

in the thicket, he heard

rejoicing

fired

off

evening shades having

5 o'clock next morning.

all

and about seven

their

muskets,

much

al-

While
shouting

o'clock the Battas

and then remained

quiet."

In a

letter to

the Barnstable County

Missionary Society, which had engaged

Auxihary
to

support

Mr. Munson, Rev. Mr. Medhurst, of Batavia, thus

writes

"By

the report of the Post-holder, he appears to

MEMOIRS

188

have

freely

brethren his advice, and

the

offered

strongly to have persuaded

ney,

yea he

many

so

OF

them against the

repeats this so often,

and urges

mainly anxious

is

it

by

excite the

considerations, as strongly to

suspicion that he

jour-

exonerate

to

himself from blame, in allowing them to proceed

on such a dangerous
on

my mind

dissuasives
trary,

free

is,

The

expedition.

impression

that he did not use those strong

which he gives

out,

and that on the con-

he represented the journey as comparatively

from danger, though the travelling would be

exceedingly
written

This appears from a

difficult.

by Mr. Munson, the day previous

parture from Tappanooly,

who

Chinese teacher,

on the subject than

in the report.

and by the

speaks
I

report of the

much more

have even ventured

have been a

letter

to his de-

strongly
to insert

myself on

traveller

exploring tours, something similar to those under-

taken by our beloved brethren, and

is

exceedingly

to act

difficult for travellers

on the advice given them.

vourable,

when

it

know how

Sometimes

have had an undertaking represented

tain destruction,

know^ that

to

to

me

as cer-

the result has turned out fa-

and on the other hand, have not received

a single warning
awaited me.

when

dangers thick and

many

If the brethren must, therefore, per-

form the duties required of them,

on them frequently

to act

on

it

their

was incumbent

own judgment,

independent of the advice given them, or

to

com-


MUNSON AND LYMAN.

189

pare different accounts together, and decide accord-

own

ing to their

and

impressions.

hesitating line of conduct,

common

affairs of

ing tour.

is

bad pohcy

much more

life,

pusillanimous

so

in the

on an explor-

Something must be ventured

and we

have instances enough on

record of the success at-

tending such expeditions,

to

vere,

encourage us

though now and then a melancholy

to perse-

fact of

contrary nature, to teach us not to presume.

who

one of those

am

do not regard missionaries as un-

der peculiar protection as to temporals

bear their share of the

they must

of humanity, as well as

ills

This, however,

the rest of mankind.

man is

is

certain

work is done. Their

warfare was accomplished, the crown of glory was
awaiting them, and the Lord saw fit thus early to

a good

call

them up

was sudden
Christ,

immortal

to

wear

glory

till

which was

To

it.

they

his

them, sudden death

and were with

departed,

The manner of their

human feehngs, dreadful,

far better.

death was violent, and to

but of Stephen, who died a more

an

inspired

Thus

assures us that he

of our brethren

Jesus,'

gion,

penman

&c.

may

it

With regard

and the

be said,

to

'

fell

asleep.

they sleep in

the interests of

reli-

salvation of the Battas, the prospects

indeed appear gloomy, and Zion

cause her sons are fallen
ests

dreadful death,

of the Christian

gloomy than when the

but

may mourn

when

be-

did the inter-

Church ever appear more

disconsolate fellow-travellers

MEMOIRS OF

190

'We

exclaimed,

hoped that

should have redeemed

to-day
done,'

the third day

is

and

when

yet,

it

had been he who

and

Israel,

besides all this,

were

since these things

did

an event ever take place

so favourable to the interests of true rehgion,

when were

and

poor heart-broken saints so near the pe-

riod of their comfort ?"

Rev. Mr. Ennis,

who

has recently travelled in

Batta country, was informed at

the

known

in

what

character the brethren came, they

would not have been murdered;

gaged

and

Tappanody

had the people who committed the deed

that, "

in disturbances with

agitated with

but, being- en-

a neighbouring

anger and

fear,

strangers of unusual appearance approach

blind,

in the

tumultuous passions of war, they acted with-

out knowing what they did."

therefore, as

which

village,

and seeing two

is

It

must be regarded,

and not as an occurrence

be expected in traveUing in the Batta

to

country.

accidental,

In 1824, Messrs.

Ward and

Burton pass-

ed through the same route, without seeing any

danger.
"

When

coast,

it

became known from natives on the

and from others on the

road, that the brethren

were good men, and had come

nation good,
for

all

to

do the Batta

the villages around leagued together

vengeance against the village where the outrage

was

perpetrated,

The unhappy

and

village

to require

blood

for

was named Sacca.

blood.

In an

MTJNSON AND LYMAN.

191

unsuspected hour the surrounding population came

upon

it

set

the houses on

fire,

killed as

many

of

the inhabitants as they could, and destroyed their

gardens and

some

persed,

so that their
fields,

Those who escaped were

fields.

in

one

direction,

community was

and the place where

thick jungle or

swamp

name

is

No

of Sacca

Lyman

this

and Christian

missionaries.

their village

When

murdered

widowed mother of Mr.

received the tidings of his death, she retears

" I

sorry that T parted with

Henry

the heathen, that I never

felt

same

and the

was meditated by the

friends of the

the

marked, with flowing

some of

stood,

up,

no more heard."

such retahation as

relatives

In their

dissolved.

now growing

is

dis-

and some in another

my

cause.

am

so far

from

as a missionary to

so strong a desire that

other children should engage in the

O,

how much do

who murdered my

son,

those poor creatures

need the gospel."

So

also

judged the churches and the Missionary Board

for,

without delay, others were sent forth to preach

the gospel to the islands of the East, "

at " the
It

aries

beginning

Batta country.

has been frequently asserted that the mission-

were imprudent in attempting

region where they

fell.

The

to enter the

remarks of Mr. Mod-

hurst given above, go far towards setting the alle-

gation aside.

It

should also be considered that, a

short time before their death, they visited the island

MEMOIRS OF

192
of Neas,

and state expressly that they

" did not pene-

it is

unsafe travel-

ing into the interior of that island."

Would they

trate far into the interior,

same

not, for the

because

have refrained from the

reason,

fatal expedition to the Battas, if

sufficient evidence that

hazard of life

at the

There

is

others at

no

they had possessed

could be attempted only

it

certain proof that the Post-holder or

Tappanooly attempted

to

dissuade

them

from undertaking the journey, on the ground that

they would be liable to be cut off by the hands of

men.

and

Their warnings had respect

to other

dangers

difficulties.

Some one

at

Tappanooly having reported that

the Battas would

among them,

should go

formed of

murder any white

man who

the Post-holder, being in-

by Mr. Munson, announced that he

it

would severely punish any person who

spread such a report.

what

credit

heard

was due

it

no one should

rumours which they

on the journey.

themselves to

best to proceed.
affirm,

should

impossible to determine

the

to

after setting forth

with the bretliren

judged

It is

It rested

decide.

That they judged

They
rashly

without a more particular ac-

quaintance with the circumstances of the case than

it is

possible at present to obtain.

To some

it

has appeared unaccountable, not

say censurable, that the

missionaries

to

furnished

themselves with fire-arms before commencing their

"

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

Upon

tour.

this point

was with extreme

it

must

193

suffice to say, that

clude these articles in their

outfitj

and did so only

upon the urgent advice of persons accustomed

travel

in

it

reluctance they consented to in-

Sumatra,

who

assured them

to

the

that

country abounds with beasts of prey, which infest

the

districts

between the

villages.

from these animals, and

selves

the forests, were the chief reason

with muskets.

It is certain

tention of using

them

protect

why they

that they

them-

travelled

had no

in-

to the injury of their fellow

"When threatened with

men.

To

to procure food in

"resisting evil," they at

once

violence, instead of

surrendered their

arms.

But

their

work was

endowments, nor

finished.

Neither their rare

their benevolent designs, nor the

hopes and prayers of the church, could turn aside

the

appointed

Christ
lives

and

blow.

For the love they bore

their fellow-men,

''

to

they jeoparded their

unto the death in the high places of the

field."

In their poor triumph over these devoted men,

little

thought the miserable Battas what

love,

and

what comprehensive plans of benevolence were

treasured up in those hearts which they pierced.
Nor did these Cannibals once dream that in the ago" Father
nies of a cruel death, their victims prayed,

forgive
It

them

was

often

remarked by persons well acquaint-

ed with each of the brethren, that their respective

17

MEMOIRS OF

194

characteristics happily fitted

Munson was

ciates.

them

to labour as asso-

and

placid, deliberate,

firm.

Lyman was ardent, fearless and active Munson sur;

veyed an enterprise more in relation

ties

and dangers

Lyman

and kindled

success,

achieved
to

to its

in view of the

neither was

pertinacious

was

good

to

be

both dehghted

In their views of

ask counsel of the Lord.

Christian doctrine, there

difficul-

looked at the means of

entire

agreement

both

adopting the system taught by Edwards, Bellamy,

and Dwight.

They

stood aloof from those recent

theological speculations

Evarts, Cornelius,

in

New

England, w^hich

and Porter viewed with

grief

and

to labour

among

the heathen, such teachers as embrace the

dogmas

Against commissioning

alarm.

referred

to,

not a few of the early-tried and liberal

friends of missions most solemnly protest.

they

know

Should

of such persons being appointed to prose-

cute the enterprize

their associates,

far greater evil

commenced by

they w^ould regard

Mills, Hall,
it

and

as ominous of

than an exhausted treasury at home,

or the severest embarrassments abroad.

Beheving,

as do thousands of Zion's best friends, that these

boasted improvements in theology have greatly impaired

the prosperity

of

spiritual

leligion in the

churches planted and watered by the Puritans, they

can not but deprecate

tlie

same

influence

where the

truth has just taken root.

In the higher stages of

their education,

when their

MUNSON AND LYMAN.

195

characters underwent an important change, Messrs.

Munson and Lyman daily met for fraternal interand common suppUcation.
Like tlie two

course

duintilhan brothers, " they never admitted the idea

Their studies and

of a separate interest."

their oc-

cupations, their pursuits

and their pleasures, were still

They were

" lovely and'pleasant in their

the same."

and

lives,

The

in their death they were undivided."

friends

erected,

of missions in Northampton have

near the tomb of David Brainard, a neat

cenotaph

to the

inscription, "

words of

memory

of Mr.

We are more than conquerors."

day on which he

fell

an agreement between him and

no reason

to

And he

me

bulation,

These

and according

to

has

his wife, she

doubt that he read them at that time.

said unto

me

overcometh shall inherit

unto

the

scripture in the " daily food" are allotted

to the very

"

Lyman, with

all

it

is

done."

things."

"

" He

that

And he

said

these are they which came not of great

and have washed

their robes

Lamb."

them white in the blood of

the

they which follow the

Lamb

tri-

and made
"

These are

whithersoever he

goeth."

Of

all

who have gone from this country to preach

among the heathen, Munson and Lyman

the gospel

only have been removed by violence.

At the time

of this appalling occurrence, candidates for mission-

ary service, the patrons of the cause and those

managed its concerns were

who

confessedly in great dan_

MEMOIRS

196

ger of yielding to
that confidence

who

human

which

" worketh all in

crowned our

is

all."

OF

instruments a portion of

due exclusively

to

Him

Cheering success has

evangelize the nations, and

efforts to

multitudes supposed that the work would go smooth-

on

ly

if

and the

a given amount of money could be

requisite

number of men

raised,

Know-

sent forth.

ing that mild expedients would not suffice to check

a growing self-complacency among

jealous

God sent this sharp rebuke

of their entire dependence on

from man."

The race

"

battle to the strong."

"

is

to

his

people,

admonish them

Him.

"Cease ye

not to the swift, nor the

The Lord

alone shall be

exalted in that day."

Such events
fill

as that

the heart of

any

now under

review, need not

believer with anxious forebo-

dings.

The

Jesus.

" Glorious things are spoken of Zion.

God

He

that

is

promises are yea and amen, in Christ

in the midst of her.

will help her

and

right early."

If far greater sacrifices

the church,

still let

her

and disappointments await

show

that she " abates not a

jot of heart or hope, but presses right

footsteps of her gracious

onward "

in the

and immutable Saviour.

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