FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT
OF
THE SANTAL MISSION
OF THE
NORTHERN CHURCHES
(THE INDIAN HOMI'; MISSION TO THE SANTALS)
FOR THE YEAR 1917-1918.
~,
DUMKA:
<;
PUBLISHED BY TJJE SAN~AL MISSION OF. 'l'HE NORTHERN CHURCHJ:1S.
Day Missions Lfbrary
I'
THE
,
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL R.EPORT
OF
THE SANTAL MISSION
OF THE
NORTHERN CHURCHES
(THE INDIAN HOMI~ MISSION TO THE SANTALS)
FOR THE YEAR 1917-1918.
•
DUMKA:
PUBLISHED BY THE SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
1919,
PRINTED AT 'l'HE SANTAL MISS LON PRESS, BENAGARIA.
PRESS PROPRIETOR: THE SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES,
SECRETARY: REV. P. O. BODDING.
THE SANTAL MISSION OF THE
NORTHERN CHURCHES.
~ttrtbl:tJ}
anb cmrea.surtr.
Rev. P. O.
,BODDING.
IJumka, Santal Parganas, Bihar.
9lh.;.sianarie.s.
MISS ESTHRR ANDRESEN ( arrived in India Decemher 191"6), Dumka.
REV. P
O.
BODDING (al;rived in India January 1890), Dnmka.
DR. B. B. BOGa (arrived in India December 1915), Benagaria.
MISS NANCY DIESEN (arrived in India December 1911), onfu1'Z,
REV. J. P. GAUSDAL (arrived in India November 1915), Assam Colony.
MISS ANNA JENSEN (arrived in India March 1908), Maharo.
REV. J. JENSEN (arrived in India December 1916), Koroya.
REV.
&
:J\fRS. M.
J ORNE (an'. in India Dec. 1911), Benagaria.
(arr. in India Nov. 1915 & March 1~18),
Tilabani.
MISS DR. C. LARSEN (arrived in India November 1915), Dl1ll1ka.
MR. & 1\IR8. H. J. ~IUSTO:N (joined the :\{ission Febr. 1878), Dumka.
MRS. L. P. NIELSEN (arr. in India Novr. 1912), Benagaria.
MR. & MRS. J. J. ·OF8TAD (arrived in India 1903 and 1907), Kaerabani.
REY. & MRS. K. OFSTAD (arrived in India ~ovember 1915 & May 1917)
Chondorpura.
REV. & MRS. R. ROSENLUND (arrived imIndia FebI'. 1910), Kaerabani.
REV.
& MRS. H. P. H.
REV.
& MRS. F. W. STEINTHAL (joined th~ Mission 1913), Benagaria.
H. WINDING (arrived in India May 1917), Assam Colony.
REV.
KAMPP
CQtrusttell.
REV.
P. O.
BODDING,
Dnmka.
THE VEN. ARCHDEACON GUSTAV JENSEN, Kristiania,
~EV.
COUNT VIGGO MOLTKE, S<EBORG,
Norway.
per ESROM, Sjrelland,
Denmark.
PROF. J. H. BLEGEN, Angsbnrg Seminary, Minneapolis, Minn., u. S. A
001-
I-
08
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1
2
...
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~
Station leaders &
Elders.
19
26
63
26
Day and evening
School teachers.
14
8
10
7
8
2
21
7
Bengali worker
...
...
1
...
Native Doctor.
.,
...
3
...
...
1
46
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Pastors
~
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~
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~.~.
~
o
..
~.~
~.
JfeUotu-.htbourcc$
SQ
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~
-
..,
Bible women
Compounders.
School Inspector.
Total.
....
...
30. ~cpt.).
I
Nankal' Eastern Middle W est~rn' Assam Dinaj- .
& Sohor. Field. Field.
Field. I Colony . pur & TO'l'AL.
MaIda.
,
.
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2
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11 paid
42 unpaid.
30
217
14
11
64
41 (unpaid)
2
2
..
81
...
...
1
...
...
1
4
2
1
.. .
10
...
...
...
...
...
1
38
99
43
111
45
382
1
HI
THE DANISH BOARD FOR THE' SANTAL MISSION.
MISS ASTRID BLUME.
REV. COUNT V MOLTKE.
REV. P. OLDENBURG, SONDERMARKSVEJ, VALBY, Copenhagen, President.
REV. DEAN
J.
REV. DEAN
K.
Secretar!l:
C. CHRISTENSEN.
REV. CHR. GAD.
HIORTKJh.:R.
REV. H. FO:NNESBECH WULFF •.
AAGE KROHN, ESQ.
CERES VEl
Treasurer:
A.
4, GopenharJen V
WlLHJELM; ESQ.
THE NORWEGIAN BOARD FOR THE SANTAL
MISSION.
Hon01'ary Members : H. HANSEN, ESQ.,
POSTMASTER, HA)IA.R.
THE VEN. ARCHDEACON GL'STAV JENSEN, Kristiania.
JOR. BAKL"GND, Esq. LANGES GATE
S.
6,
KRISTIANU.,
BOWITZ-HALVORSEN, ESQ. Bar-at-law.
MISS
P~TRINE
ESSENDltoP.
MISS KRISTINE MUNCH,
M.
REV.
PROF.
M. D.
HANS HOEG, ESQ.,
KR. REI~, ESQ. Bergen.
A. W AALER,Aasengate
J. H.
20,
Kristiania,
AMERICAN COMMITTEE.
Secretary al,d Treasurer.
BLEGEN,
minary,
REV.
REV.
REV.
REV.
Pt·esident.
Vice-P1'esitlent"
REV. KARL VOLD.
Sccreta?·y.
(Augsburg
Se-
Minneapolis, Minn.)
A. J. HULTENG, P.resident.
E. JAASTAD. Vice President. PROF AXDHEAS HELLAND.
N. G. PETERSON.
REV. O. P. SVINGEN (Honorary member).
J. C. ROSELAKD.
REV. K. C HOLTER.
)
REV. O.
Mr.
T'reasurer.
O.
S.
REV~
MELAND.
l\1R.
1\:[, ANDERSON.
REV. C. J, AABERG.
REV.
L.
HENNINGSEN,
JE~S DIXEN.
MR. OTTO' ROOD.
P. M.
PETERSEN.
Iv
Contributions in the United Kingdom may be sent to
JOHN
C.
DUFFUS, ESQt;
i
ARTHUR WARDEN,
01'
EsQ..,
41.Eastcheap, LOll,don E. C.
3 Hackins Hey,
to the Trea~?t1'er, lJumka, di'J'ect.
Liverpool,.
THE
,
FIFTY-FIRST .ANNUAL REPORT
•
I!'OR
THE
YEAR 1917 -1918.
"What I do thou knowest not now: bllt thou shalt
understand hereafter H , lJohll XIII. 7.)
Often things happen with us which we do not understand the pu.rpose of; we may perhaps even feel tempted
to think that if we had had the ordering of things
we would not have permitted this or that. It is not.
always easy, and the evil one is there to try to make
us rebel.
We have to trust the Lord: He knows, and He is
love.
There are things happening, the cause of which we
may perhaps not be permitted to see here on ea.rth. But,
when the veil is drawn aside and we here in this life
are 'permitted to see, we always find that the wonder...
inl love of God has Leen beneath. All has to give
way to this love.
The longer we live, the more we experience this:
and we learn not to doubt the' d~alings of our Lord
with. USI . but to fear lllistl'ul:)ting Him. Oue day all will
!i;
2
¥
SAN TAL
MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
be revealed: God
to stand ashamed
And who are we
whose only hope
grant we may on that day not have
on account of our lack of trust j n Him.
that we should do such a thing, weis the love of God revealed in Christ P
Last year our annual report, on account of the Mi~
sion Jubilee, grew into an unusual size: this year we
shall not try to do more than to give a short statement of the work done and what has happened with us
during the year now past.
The eyangelistic work has been carried on very much
on the same lines as in previou~ years, and very little
is needed to be said about the way in which this
work is generally done. We have our regular preachers,
stationed at different centres all over our field. These
have as their duty to go round and preach the gospel
in the villages, to look aft~r the Christians within their
sphere, and to help and advise in all matters which are
brought to them. It is astonishing to see how often
even the heathen population want to make use of our
·congregational workers as arbitra,tors_ in their manifold
disputes, a sign that many heathen have got a feeling
that Christians try to do what is right.
If some one is ill in the congl'egation, the preachers
are called upon to visit the afilictea, to look after their
cOII;lfort and their spiritual and bodily welfare.
There is nothing in the life of the Christians where
our congregational workers may not be 'called upon to
participate,. help or guide.
A great deal of the time of our preachers will necessarily be taken up by all kinds of congregational work.
And this is as it should be. 'V e ~hould only wish that
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
our workers were further advanced both in knowledge
and spiritual power than most of them are.
Preaching to the non-Christian population was mentioned ab6ve; perhaps it had better not be called preaching, but talking. It is our experience, that what we
would can preaching, that is to say, the delivery of a
continuous speech, or what it might be called, is of very
little use in the villages.
Christianity is spread not so mnch by "preaching",
as by the simple testimony of those who have become
Christians, and above all by, the life in faith of those
who are Christians.
It is one of the most encouraging sides of Santal
Christian life, that they naturally give testimony to
w hat is in them and what they have gained.
As a typical example of this I may mention an instance which came to my personal knowledge not long
ago. A family was to be baptized here. When I asked
the head of the f~tmily what his motives were for embracing
Christianity, he mentioned one of our present preachers
and said, "I have known this man from my earliest
days. I knew him what tie was as a heathen. I have
watched him after he became a Christian, and it is by
looking at him that I have been convinced".
As has often been told, the spread of Christianity
among the Santals is due more to the simple testimony
at the village people than to anything else.
Further on some details will, as usual, be found regarding the state and progress of the work in our dif.
ferent fields. There is, howevel", one matter which I
want to point out also here: our friends knQ.w, how very
sorr;r we have been £or and how heavily we have felt
4
SANTAL MISSION OF THE
NORTHERN CHURCHES.
the state of matters in the part of our field called Sultanabad. I f~el snre,as a matter of fact I know, that
many of our friends have been constantly praying for
thA people in these parts. It seems, as if these prayers
have commenced to be answered.
It is wonderful, we have during the year under review,
had more converts in Sultanabad than we have had anywhere
else except perhaps in Assam. This ingathering has
been evenly spread all over the field mentioned. It.is
very much to be thankful for, and it is encouraging to
see how constant prayers are answered.
Among onr congregational work special mention has
to be made of what is being done for the rising gene·
ration. We may formerly in some parts of our field ha,ve
been somewhat backward in doing all that could be done
fpr the young. We are endeavouring to face the many
differf'nt problems which confront us. l\fention has in
previous reports been made of the now somewhat altered
attitude of the Santals towards education. Formerly
downright hostility was a common experience, founded
on a complete lack of undeustanding of the need for
and the benefits of education.
Snntal parents ~lad the firm belief tha,t when their
children learnt to do what belongs to a Santal farmer's
life, that was all that was needed. Now they have come
to see that education does not necessarily "spoil" the
Santals; moreover that a Santal, who has acquired some
education, by the help of this may improve his position
"in life. Of course, the old apathy is not entirely
a thing of the past, but a great many Santal parents
~ow want their children educated.
FIFTY-FIRS'!' ANNUAL REPORT.
5
We have besides our two lar~e' boarding schools, a
number of day schools in different 'Congregations. As elsewhere it is also here experienced. that the success of a.
school very much depends on the quality of the teacher. We ,have seen teachers who have a very fair education, gradually Jose nearJy all their pupils, the cause being
}hat the man is not a teacher by nature. On the
other hand we have seen those who have had compara:tively
less ed1l:cation being very successful. With such the
number of pupils has not dwindled away, but has always
been, if anything, increasing. Children have been so
eager to attend that they have daily turned up long
before school hours.
Teachers of the last mentioned class are rare: but most;
of those we have are trying to do faithful work according to their ability. We feel, however, very much the
need of getting a better trained class of teachers for
ou r day schools.
In order to get such we have, during the last year,
started a proper training class in connpction with our
Boys' School at Kaerabani. This training class is to be
conducted on the lines of the Government Normal Schools
for training teachers for Middle Vernacular Schools. The
scholars are to have two years' training; and to be admitted as a scholar, it will be necessary to have passed
the Middle Vernacular final examination with credit. It
is new work, and it may take some time to reach a proper standard, but we hope in this way before very long
to get a supply of teachers better and more efficient than
those we generally have had up to this. We have in
Kaerabani after the comp~etion of our neW large school
house, ample room for a training class of this kind. W 8
I)
SANTAL MISSION OF THE
NORTHERN CHURUHES.
are glad we. have also several young men who, we hope,
will show themselves fit pupils in this class.
In connection with our Girls' school at Maharo, we
have also had a class for traini~g school mistresses, but
~n account of most of the girls in the Middle Vernacular Class having been married, we have not during
the past year had any regular tl'aining-class teaching as
in former years. Several of the girls who have passed
out of the Maharo School, are now in addition to their
ordinary work, engaged as Bible-women or teachers in
small day-schools.
There is one more matter which I should like to draw
attentton to :-Except in the infant classes and in schools
which are kept by the Mission to give the children of
our Christians a few rudiments of education (where Santali is used), all instruction is imparted either in Hindi
or Bengali, both languages foreign to the Santals. This
is a pity in more ways than one. ~l'hose Santals who
wish to get sOllle little education are, compared with
~thers, at a great disadvantage. They have to spend
Dluilch of the time which they ought to have for acquiri~g knowledge, to train themselves to speak and think
in a foreign language, .and are consequently thus much
handicapped in comparison with children whose mothertongue is Hindi or Bengali. This state of matters also
means that a boy or girl who attends school, is so much
drawn .away from their own national ideas. They lose
someth;ing of their original simplicity instead of which
th.ey a~quire something that is not always desirable.
This education in a foreign language also reacts on tHe
ability of the educated ones to .}l.e useful to their OWIl
people.
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
7.
It has, of course, its advantages for a Santal youth
to be obliged to get his training in a language which
has got incomparably more literature ,than they themselves have. If they are to have tl1eir training in a
foreign language, it is a question whether it might not
be preferable to have it in English. Best, of course,
it would be for the people as a whole if Government.
would agree to let all vernacular school-education among
the Santals be imparted in Santali with one or other of
the several Indian Vernaculars taught as a foreign langua.ge. We have practically all books necessary for such
a 'course, and I believe most of the School-Inspectors
of the district are quite qualified to control the school
work in Santali.
The work done at our training schools at Kaerabani
and M.aharo is dealt with below, and shall not be furt.her mentioned here. Except as stated they are concerned
only with primary and middle education. But we have
more educational institutions, as our friends know.
At Benagaria we have in the charge of Mr. Steinthal a
Divinity" School, or as the Santals themselves like to can
it, a Bible- class. This is now out of its first stage. The
first batch of pupils all passed just before Christmas
last year a fairly stiff and extensive final examination,
some of them with rair credit. All of the first batch areno~
out in practical work in connection with our Mission.
In January last Mr. Steinthal started with fresh pupi.ls
whom he has formed into two separate classes. Soine
of the new ones have had very little school-education,
but have proved themselves promising
for evangelistic work. We have wanted
little training. Although to take them
additional wOl'k, Mr. Steinthal has been
young men fit
to give them a
on gives much
glad to re ceive.
8'
S.A.NTAL MISSION OF THE
NORTHERN' CHURCHES.
them. It is really a new departure, so to say a fresh
shoot out off the ground in which the Divinity School
is planted. The pupils of the Divinity class pI'oper have
a better school education and are being gIven a
separate and more advanced training.
Another institution of an educational kind is the. Industrial 8'chool at Benagaria. It is, as our friends kno w,
of recent date, and has during the past year had to
pass th.rough some of the difficulties always incidental to
new wor~.
People of the kind among whom we labour are, within
their limitfftions stubborn sticklel's for facts. If Ol1e attempts to teach them anyth'ing new, it is of very little
use to talk, if one cannot at the same time give ocular
demostl'atioll of what is wanted, aud of the goodness and
sonndness of the new. For these and other reasons we got
to start with not so many pupils as we wanted to have,
and those we got were perhaps not of the kind which
we specially wished to have. This is gradually changing; and we are now getting as many pupils in the
different departments as we can conveniently take in.
We trust that this Industrial School will prove a help
'in advancing the people, specially in bringing it home
to them that there are many things besides agriculture,
by which a. Santal may support himself.
We are deeply indebted to the authorities for the
great liberality shown towards our different educational
institutions. For our Boys' School at Kaerabani, we are
g.etting a monthly grant-in-aid of Rs. IfjO/~ plus Rs. 60/for hostels. For ()ur Girls' School at Maharo we aM
getting Rs. 150/- phIs, Rs~ 40/- for host,els. In all for
FIFTY-FIR~T. ~NNU.AL ,REPORT~.
these two institutions Rs. 400/- per mensem. For. our
village schools we are now receiving a grant'-in aid of Rs.
105/- per quarter, and Gov~rnment gives to our Industrial School at Benagaria at present Rs. 2,800/- per year.
The medical branch OT our Mission work may now
be !mid to be fairly started, so far as this can he
said when we are without hospitals proper. Both Dr.
Bogh at Renagaria end Dr. Miss Larsen in Dnmka have
much more to do than they single handed ought to have~
They have ~ow both passed their last language examination
in Santali j but as a good deal, actually, as will be seen
from ,the statistics, more than half of the pa,tients are Hindus or Mohammedans who speak other languages than 8antali, both of them are endeavouring to pick up Bengali
or Hindi so as to be able. to talk with and speak to
these patients without the need of an interpreter. This,
of course, takes both time and strength. vVhen one has
daily a crowd of patients which, specially on marketdays, may run up to hetween one and' two ·11 undred, ·f}l1d
when, besides the ordinary policlinic work one, has operations of sorts, it is easy to understand that there is not
much time to spare.
Our doctors are both, as touched on s,bove, working
under the great disadvantage of as yet having no proper.
hospital .accommodation. 'Ve have, as our ft-iends know,
funds standing in the banks for building hospitals, hut,
like all. other building operations, the erection of hospitals has also had to be kept in abeyance for the
present. In Benag'aria, however, Dr. Bogh expects to
be able to make use of the old Girls' School's buildings
for a hospital.
'10
BANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN
CaUlleRE8.
The old Girls' School compound has got a nnmber of.extensive buildhigs. As these were not intended for hospital
nse, it will be necessary ·to have considerable alterations:
walls will have to be broken down, doors and windows to
be fitted in, and the floors must be made "pucca" so
as to allow cleaning with othel' material than cow-dung.
Dr. Bogh has his dispensary and policlinic in one corner
of this old compound. As a temporary measure he has
got a verandah divided into rooms and uses these for
in-patients, spacially for cases where the doctor sees that
some smaller" operation can give immediate and needed
help.
We hava in pl'evious reports often mentioned the state
of transition in which the ~iission has been. The alterations
in administration and, above all, the development of the
work have necessitated much new in the way of bnildillgS.
The headquarters have been moved from Benagaria to
Dumka; the training schools for boys and girls have
been taken fro;n Benagaria to Kaerabani and Maharo
respectively. And we have started the altogether new
departlllent of a medical Mission, which alone will require
extensive building operations.
Something has already been inCidentally said on the
subject of buildings. The conditions brought about by
the war have necessitated the partial stoPP! ng of a.ll
operations of this kind.
Weare deeply grateful to our Home friends for their
liberal and appreciating support of our new departures.
But with a.ll this" the conditions of uncertainty we
have experienced with regard to getting money remitted
from thl;} Horne Lands have been constant; and on the
I
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL
REPORT~
11
other hand the prices of building materials ~ave been
pro?ibitive. 9r snch materials have been ullobtaillable
at any price. What we have considered permissible to
do has been, to 8: certain extent to collect matprials which
are to be had locally, such as stone and lime, and also t6
make some bricks. Otherwise very little has been done.
In Kaerabani we have, however, been able to practically
finish the new large school building, an imposing structure.
Formerly the boys had partly to sit outside under trees
during school hours. Now the classes are, I believe,
better housed than in any other San tal school. We ar~
grateful to our Home friends who have enabled us to
finish this., And we hope the boys will show themselves
worthy of receiving such excellent quarters.
Besides the school building we have also got at Kaerabani a building used partly for storing food stuff and
partly for cooking purposes; a couple of masonry wells
have also been sunk. We have now left to build a
second house for the boys to live in; and later on we.
shaillikely need som8 more quarters for teacllers; but under
the present war circunstances, it is useless to think of
anything but the nea.rest future.
In Maharo very little has been done in the way of
building. Improvements have been efiected here and there,
a -couple of small native houses have been built, and some.
of the houses used for the school have been extensively
repaired. We have hopes of soon being able to takein hand the erecting of a school house similar to that
in Kaerabani, and our Home friends have given money
for building new living quarters for the European ladies.
In other parts of our Mission practically nothing ne~
-has been done, for the reaso'ns mentioned. We are fear-
12
SANTAL 'MISSION
OF
THE NORTHERN
~HURCHES.
ing tnat we shall during the comjng year have to face
difficult times in these parts of the country, the crops
having in many places failed. If we can get the funds
necessary, we shall try to give people in n~ed ,work
by letting, them make bricks, gather limestone and so
on, that we 1ater on, when the opportunity conies, may
be able to commence realizing some plans whjch we
have, and which have formerly been mentioned. 'We
think it would be very desirable when we can do so,
to build more substa:p.tial houses at our different stations in
order to avoid the constantly recurring trouble and expense
tiT re'pairing the not ver~ substanti,al structures we have.
The Zemindary property of the Mission has during
the past year continued to give the sarrie troubles as for-·
merly. We. have had to advapce money for our
co-shareholders in order to save the prop<?rty, being sold at p~blic auction, and the,se co-shareholders
do not seem to have grasped as yet ,their own very
precarious position. Apart from a few honourable exceptions they have been making all ki!lds of excuses for
not paying their dues. vVe have how commenced to su~
them, Tor recovery of arrears and outlays in the Oivil
Oourts; but Oivil Oourts are expensive and very, very slow.
There is a possibility t~at we may, in a not distant future,
he able to rea9h an arrangelilent which will save the
Mi~sion from payin'g as hitherto.
Besides the Zemindary, the .principal property of the Mission is our rrea-gn.rden~. As our friends know, a Calcutta
firm, Messrs. Lyall, Marshall & Co. are our Managing
Agents, and thaliks are due to this firm for the able"
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
13
way In which they manage the gardens for us.
The war has caused. many difficulties, and these
abnormal circulllstances, cOllnected with other ~vents,
have rnaq.e last year less successful from a financial
point of view. As a matter of fact we had last season
several thousand rupees less income than expenditure. This
daBS not, however, mean that the gardens pave been a
downright loss. We have had to expend money on
buildiug and also in new plantation. If this had not
been done the balance would lik~ly have been on the
, oth er sid~.
Our friends know from our Missionary magazines of
the very great ~Jss the Mission has had last year in
connection with our Tea- gardens through the decease of
our manager, Mr. Nielsen.
The news or his death on the 9th of J line came as
a great shock to us all. Mr. L. P. Nielsen was born in
Denmark on the 21st October Hs81, and came out to
JaIl) the Mission early 1908. He was by profession
a gardener, and came out expr~ssly to take 'up work in
the Mission's Tea-gardens in Assam. He proceeded there
at once, and except for a few months on another
garden where he went to get some more training
tea-garden work, .and a few months at home, he spent
the whole of his time in Mornai. The first years he
was Assistant 11anager; since 1913 ]Ie has been in charge
of ou'r two small gardens. Mr. Nie1sell's stay on the
garden has been -~o.incidellt with all the work we have
had to bring the garden into proper shape. When the
garden is what it at present is, we owe very much
to the loyal and excellent work of the late Mr. Nie1sen.
It 'is alsb dlie to· him that during the last years we have
in
14
"~J.NTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHRRN CnURCHB8.
got new tea planted out on a large area of formerly un!"'
cultivated parts of the garden.
But Mr. Nielsen was not 'only a tea garden manager. He
was above anything else a missionary for whom his work on
the garden was a, means towards a higher purpose. Our
accounts this year show his spirit. On referring to these
the reader will see that a large sum was last year paid in
by Mr. Nielsen. As manager of the tea~garden he was entitled
to draw a commission and had to receive this money.
As a missionary he did not feel that he could keep
this money for himself; he did not wish to be financially
placed otherwise than tne other missionaries, and so be
paid the money in and felt glad."ge carried -the'bodily
and spiritual welfare of the garden workers on his heart,
and in conjunction with his wife he did very much to
bring Christianity near to the coolies. He lived before
their eyes 8.2 a Christian, and whenever he could he used
his opportunity of giving a .direct testimony for his
Saviour. He kept up schools for the children and held
me,etings for all those who wished to attend, on the
verandah of his own bungalow. We are very glad that
he was permitted to see the first fruits of his missionary
work, inasmuch as some of the coolies were converted
to Chr~8tianity. (Mr. Nielsen was a.n efficient tea garden
mana~er and a good missionary. He was taken off in the
pri me of life before he had passed 37 ye~rs, not by any
fever due to the climate of Assam, which has so often
and rightly been blamed ,for its unhealthiness; but by an
acute disease which is met with just as frequently in
our home lands as here, namely, acute rheumatic fever.
We were very happy having Mr. Nielsen on the garden. In our eyes he was the right man in the right
place; but God's ways are not our wa.y~; we hare no
]5
TIFTY-FIRST AbiNUAL REPORT.
doubt that He took Mr. Nielsen home to Himself at
the right time; but we -are left with the loss and a
very great difficulty of getting' a new man of the !"ame kind
as our late friend. The widow, ¥rs. Nielsen, who
ol'iginally came out to India and joined our Mission as
a trained nurse, has now left Assam, and come down to
the Santal Parganas where she l1as taken up work that
she was trained for, in connection with our medical
work. Mrs. Nielsen has up to the time of writing this
been staying at Dumka, but will later on take up her
abode at Benagaria.
We shall now give a few particulars with reference
to our European staff.
Mr. and
same work
Muston for
sisting me
Mrs. Muston are living in DUll1ka, he in the
as previo.usly. I am much obliged to Mr.
the faithful way in which he ,is always asin my work.
The writer of this has during the whole of last year
been staying at Dumka, except for a month's holiday
and shorter periods of absence in connection with the
work of the Mission.
.
Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Ofstad are in Kaerabani. He is superintending the Boys' School as previously. They have
had the great joy of getting a 9hild during the last yea~,
their first boy.
Mr. and Mrs. Pederson continued in Assam up to the
end of June, when they left for Calcutta, from which
place they started for America in J u1y. We have been
very sorry to have to say good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Pederson,
after their having worked in the Mission for about 13
yc~r8, in Kaerabani, at Bellagaria and at last in Assam.
16
SANTAL MISSION OF ~lIE, NQRTIlERN ,CRV.RCHES.
Their reRROll for leaving India was-lack of health. :Mr.
Pederson ought not to exposb himself to the chance of getting -q.lalarial fever. The acknowledgedly m08t efficient
medicine against this fever is quinine, and Mr. Pederson
cannot stand taking this drug. There is no place in India,
except perhaps the Hill stations, where one is not exposed to malarial infection. So however hard it is felt,
there was rea.lly no choice.
Assam, or that part of Assam, where Mr; Pederson
had his work, has the reputation of being more fev-et"infested than, for instance, what we are in the habit of
calling the 'old' country, tha.t is the Santal Pargallas.
It was therefore offered to Mr. Pederson to comp. down here
and try how he would be able to sttlnd the climate IH>1'e.
He was, howevel', so much pulled down, that he felt
he had to leave for the home lands. Mr. Pederson is
still a man in his best years, and oruinarily he might expect to be able to have many years work before him. We
sincerely .trust that his work will not be lost for the
Mission. ,
Our American Committee, who knew about his state
of health, offered him before he saw that he would have
to leave InCija, to come home and take up work as a
-travelling secretary to the Mission in Ameriaa. Mr.
Pederson is exceptionally fit for doing deputation work.
We shall out here also acutely feel the loss of :Mrs.
Pederson. She has won for herself a great place in the hearts
of the Santals and us all. She was, we are sorry ,to say,
also suffering from attacks of malarial fever at the time
of leaving.
Miss Anna ' Jensen has during the p'ast year been at
her old place at Maharo in charge of our Girls' SchoOl
J
·FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
17
there. The health of M.iss Jensen has during the last
year not been quite up to the mark; having during the
greater part of the year been pratically alone with
the school work,. her strength has been rather taxed. We
are glad to ~ay that at the time of writing this she is
better, and we sincerely hope she will before very long
be in her usual health.
~!r. and Mrs. Rosenlund have continued at Kaerahani.
They had in August the great sorrow to lose their
youngest daughter, but they have had grace to take
this as sent by our Heavenly Father.
It was mentioned in our last annual report that their
furlough was due this year. ThiE? terrible world war
has, however, made travelling both difficult and dangerous
for all, more especially £01' ladies and children; they
therefore decided to wait; and as mat tel'S now seem ta
improve, we hope that they will be able to proceed home
durIng the coming spring.
~lr. and Mrs. Johne are staying at Benagaria in their
old sphere of work. They have also this year, we are
sorry to say, been suffering from fever off and on; still
we think that their health is better now than . it was
some time ago, for which 'we are very thankful.
Miss Nancy' Diesen is at the time of writing this likely
in America on her way to Norway. The strain of work
during Miss Jensen's absence on furlough combined with
all rnci~ental to being in charge of such a large girls'
school as that at Maharo, very likely overtaxed her
strength a little. By Christmas time it· was clear to us
that it was necessary that she should have some rest;
she went and stayed with her friends for some time.
o
18
SANTAL MISSION
OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHEs..
After that the hot season set in, and she went up to
Darjeeling and stayed there until a few days before she left
India for Norway via Ame~'ica, travelling in the same
steamer with Mr. and Mrs. Pederson. We sincerely hope
that a full rest in- the bracing climate of onr home lands
- will set her up again, and make it possible for her to return to her work in India that she very much longs for.>
Mr. and Mrs. Steinthal have continued at 'Benagaria
where he, as previously stated, is in charge of the Divinity School, Mrs. .Steinthal assisting her husband in
looking after and helping the wives of her husband's
pupils.
Dr. Mi'ss Christine Larsen lives at Dllmka. Her time
is more occupied with all kinds o'f medical worK than she
perhaps ought to have.
Mr. Kampp has continued at the same place ~s before. In March his bride Miss Signe Konstantin-Hansen
arrived in Galcutta, where they we~e married in an English
Chapel, since which time they have been living' in Tilabani.
Mr. and Mrs. Kr. Ofstad ha.ve continued at Chondorpnra.
They have both suffered somewhat from fever, but are
othe~wise happy in their work.
Mr. Gausdal stayed at Koroya, having charge of the
work in the surrounding district and also of Majdiha,
up to the end of April, w hen he left for his annual
holidays which he took in Darjeeling. From there he
proceeded to Assam, where he took charge of our
Colony on -Mr. Pederson's leaving. His bl'ide, Miss Ingrid
N es, is at -the time of writing on her way to India. We
hope we shalL--have the pleasure of bidding her welcome
before long.
,,'
F1FT'y-F1RS1' ANNUAL
R~l'ORT.
19
Dr. B. B. Bogh is at Benagaria, having more to do
than any man single-handed ought to have.
Mr. J. Jensen stayed the first months of the year at
Benagaria. When Mr. Gausdal left for Assam, Mr. Jensen
was stationed at Koroya, where he is working in the
same sphere as Mr. Gausdal at the same time continuing
his Santali studies. He passed his first examination
this spring.
Miss Andresen stayed for some months at Dumka,
but when Miss Diesen left, as it is not advisable to
leave a lady alone at a station, she was temporarily
moved to Maharo. She has been assisting Miss Jensen
in some of the work connected with this large institution.
She has also passed he r first language examination.
Mr. Winding stayed the first half of the year at Kaerabani, occupied in learning the language and doing all
he could take upon himself. He has also been a great
boon to most of the missionaries, helping them in looking
after their teeth.
When Mr. Gausdal went to Assam, it was felt very
strongl;r, specially after the ~ death of Mr. Nielsen, that,
it would not be advisable for a single man to live quite
alone so far away from other Europeans. Mr. Windi~
then offered to go up there to assist in the manifold
work inside and specially outside the colony.; and now
he is there. l\l r. Winding has also passed his first language
examination last spri ng.
We haye not during the year under review received
any new missi~naries, but we expect to be able to bid
welcome here ill January Miss Helga Kristiansen, a
Norwegian lady, who is on her way out to take up work
20
*
SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
in the Maharo Girls' school. She left Norway in company
with. the above mentioned Miss Nes on the 29th July;
but the journey- takes a. long time now-a-days.
We had our anuual conference of missionaries in the days
from 13th to the 17th March, both days included. This
time the gathering took place in Benagaria, and all were
very pleased at the way Mrs. J ohne and Mrs. Steinthal
made everything nice and pleasant for us.
We discussed the budget for this year, listened. to
some papers read on matters of interest to us as workers
among the Santals, and generally had some diSCUSSIons III
connection with what 'We had he~rd.
We decided on the placing of missionaries, agreed on
getting the Kaerabani Boys' school transformed from a
Middle Vernacular to a Middle English. one, and also to have
a two yearly class for 'training te~chers, this last item only a
confirmation of what had already been commenced.
We shall now proceed to give some details of the
work under the usual headings. We shall first take the
work at the different stations.
SAPADOHA
l
WitS for the first three months under the charge of And1'eas.
He was, however, about New Year's time relieved of his work
at this station' in order to go to Benagaria to become oDe
-of Mr.Steinthal's pupils in the D~vinity school, and he is
now there. To relieve Andreas, we sent here Dltarma,
who has formerly been one of our preachers and catechists,
arid at that time had just finished a course in the Divinity
school. Dharma is a man of about middle age; not very
brilliant, but a good and f~ith£ul worker. Sapadoha lias
FIFTY-FIRS'!'
A~NtJAL
nEPOR1'.
21
one of our oldest congregations with conditions such as
might be expected under such circumstances. I may mention just one fact, that the Christians of. the Sapadoha
congregation are among the most eager to get their
children educated..
The work of evangelizing the heathen has gone on as
usual, and we are very thankful to be able to tell that a
large number of souls have embraced Christianity during
the past year. The number of baptisrp.s has been 43.
Among these 38 were from the heathen, and 5 children of
Christian parents.
The first half of the year, the station-leader had two
preachers to assist him. Two have been added to the
number, so he has now got 4 assistants, besides one man
who acts as a kind of inspector of our congregational
schools in Sultanabad. The name of this man is Kanltu,
the eldest son 6f the late pastor Suna.
HARIPUR
is like last year und er the charge of Mohon, assisted by
one, lately by two preachers. The work at Haripur has
also during the year under review gone very well' forward,
and altogether 50 souls have been added to the congregation;
4 of them being children of Christian parents and the
rest from among the heathen. All of these, as far
as we have been able to find out, have beeU' seekers 'of
the truth. One trait common to them all is that they
are tired of the old bongas and are seeking what their-souls crave for in Christianity.
We are building a Ohurch-house in Haripur.
CHANDPUR
has during the year under review, continued under the
22
SAN'l'AL lIlISStolS 0]' i'HE
NORTHERN CHURCHES.
charge of Pastor Dlzunlt, assisted by three, lately two preachers, one of the preachers having recently died. Also
here in ·Cha-ndpur the work has expanded very considerably during the past year. Altogether ·48 souls have
been added to the congregation; 41 of these. were from
among the heathen and 7 'Children of Christian parents.
This very consid~rable growt~h, we do not think, is due
to any special excellence of the workers.
It was mentioned in last year's report, that we were
taking up again the place called Si'rarnpur as a working
centre. This has been continued during the past year
and we have now a preacher stationed at ,"this place.
-We had many years ago a small bit or land in this
village, but as the place was discontinued as an outstation, the land was permitted to get out of the hands
of the Mission, which we -are now sorry for. A number
of. the people mentioned as baptized under Chandpur,
really belong to this place. Sirampur is 6 miles distant
from Cha,ndpur and about the same distance from Haripur. The. preacher in charge is under the direct supervision of Dhunu.
KAKJOL
has been under the charge of Rarn'U, assisted by one
and lately t)Vo preachers., Hamu has. only a limited education, but I believe_ he is a faithful worker, and
much vitality is found among the Christians of these
parts .
. They have also this year had to, stand a good deal
from the side or· the heathen pop~lation.They have
had to suffer because they wre Christians, while the
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
23
enemies wOuld very likely have taken another course
with heathen. We-have had last year in this congregation one revolting experience. A young Christian died
and was buried. Some time afterwards the grave was
fou nd opened and the head if the dead man carried off.
The perpetrator of this outrage was a distant relation
~f the dead man.
Among the Santals it is the duty of
the heir to set fire to the funeral pyre. The reason
why the man carned off the head appears to be,
that he wished to perform the heathen cremation c(:'remonies with this essential part of the dead man, and
in this way tq establish his claim to the lands of the
deceased, to which, however, according to Santal law,
he had no right as two sons of the dead man are living.
This case was taken to the courts. The guilty man
was let off with a very ligl1t punishment.
Our brethren in Kakjol have also this year been permitted to see fruits of their worlt, 18 having been
baptized in the course of the year; except one child
of Christian parents all Lhese werd from among the
heathen.
BASETKUNDI
has during the last year remained under the charge of
Pastor' MU8Ui, who has been assisted by three preachers.
It was remarked in our last report that it seemed as if
we had commenced to see the dawn of better times in
these parts after the many years' drought. Although we
have not had so many baptisms in Basetkundi as we
have had in other parts of Sultanabad, the turn of the
tide has been distinctly felt also here during the, past
year. We have haC! 18 baptisms; of these 10 were from
24
SANT4L MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
among the heathen population and 8 children of Christian
parents. The number of children baptized is a good
sign of better times amohg the Christians. Musu! is. a
good man who in the long run will make himself felt.
SIMOtDOHI.
Bmn continued in charge, assisted by two and lately
four pre~chers. The number of baptisms during the
year has been only 6 souls; 4: of which were from among
the heathen. SimoldQhi has got some of our oldest
Christian families, but we are sorry that some of these
have proved themselves unsatisfactory. We have here
in a village one of happily few examples fouJ!d
among the Santals of people who have succumbed to
the opium habit.
Our friends' know that our old station Hatimara, situated
about 5 miles north-east of Simoldohi, for a number
of years has been left without any resident workers,
the only person living on the station being a gardener
who has acted as a kind of caretaker. The reason for
this course was that we bad no converts. Now we a:c,e
glad to say it seems to be altering. We have since
the close of last year had the joy to be able to baptize a couple of persons in Hatimara itself, and we are
going to place on~' of the Simoldohi preachers with an
assistant to take charge of the work which we hope
will develop ~ere.
BAROMASIA
has been in charge of Raska, assisted by one and lately
two preachers. Raska has during the last yea,r been suffering off and on from fever. He is' gettin~ old' ~nd wilJ ..
FIFTY-FmST ANNUA.L REPORT.
25
li'rely soon have to be placed ou the retired list. The
work has not been very effectively done. DuringtI~e
year only one child of Chr~stia:.n parents has been
baptized. We have had no converts from heathenism.
His assistants are not the same now as those who were
at. the beginning of the year, byo having died and been
replaced by others.
To the west of Baromasia we have
RANGA.
The first months of the year Lopsa, was in charge,
assisted by one preacher. .At New Year Ilbpsa went to
Benagaria to become a pupil in the Di.vinity school. In
his place came Hadu who had t)len just finished· a course
in the same school, and he is there now. Hadu has
been in charge of Ranga previously. During the year under
review we have had no baptisms in this hard fi6ld;
but we are glad to be able to tell that after the close
or the year we h3.ve had some baptisms and" have some
p'eople under instruction.
GADiAPANI
has continued under the charge of Bhae'ro, a not very
well educated, but a good and earnest man, assisted by
one preacher. The workers here have during the last
year had the joy to see some people added tq the
congregation. 9 have been baptized; 2 children of
Christian parents and the rest from among the heathen.
Ehaero is a son of the leading' Christian in the often mentioned
village of Chirapathor. When his £a.ther saw that the
work was not progressing' :in~. Gadiapani, he felt this
very hard and commenced to go to Gadiapani to assist
his son in the work, and his assistance is bearing fruit.
:p
26
BANTAL
MISSION OF TIlE NORTHERN CHURCHRS.
TARN!.
The station leader here has for a number of years
been. Bafnath; he has continued ·in charge also during
the, past~;.lear, assisted by four and lately· five preachers.
The wOl'It ':has been progressing also this year and altogether 39 have been baptized. Of these 28 were from among
the heathen and 11 were· children of Christian parents.
We have in Tarni one of our best, congregations, more
specially in the often mentioned village of Chirapathor,
which lies midway between Tarni and Gadial'ani. 'Ve
have here' in this yillage a strong Christian force and
many happy Christians. It is a great pleasure to visit
them.
CHONDORPURA.
Mr. Ofstad writes about the progress of the work
at this station during the last yeal'. It will be seen
from ~ir. Ofstad's report that the former pastoL' of the
Chondol'pura congregation, Sana, has died. This happened at the close of the year, when
Suna "died
from tuberculosis, and a long life in the service of the
Mission came to a close. During the last year or so
the disease prevented him from doing much, specially
put a stop to all itineration. He was of an energetic
nature, and whenever he felt a little release fpom the
disease he tried to do what he could. He was a good
and earnest man and has been employed in the ¥ission
as a Christian worker since the later part of the seventies, when he com~enced as a catechist at Asanbani
under the late Mr. Jensen. In course of his long service
(only interrupted by a few years village life) he has.
from time to time been in charge of several .of oq r
FIFTY-1'IUST AKNtrAL REPORt.
27
stations, and has laid out several of our comp.oullds.
I have known him since my first days in the Mission .
. When I came to Mohulpahari \Iy t~e end of 1890, he
was in charge of the station, and he remained at the place
for a few months, during which time I had ample
opportunity of seeing the man and his work. J ·remember the quality in him which impressed me most, was
the humble spirit in which he carried life's burdens.
He has been the means of gathering III many. We
are sorry for having lost him, but we rejoice that he has
gone to his reward.
Mr. K. Ofstad writes:ffhe work here in the Ch9ndorpura Missiol1 field
has gone steadily. forward during the past year, and
we can say the Lord has blessed it, and we have
experienced that He is faithful, even if we are faithless.
We have not baptized so ma.ny this year as Hl t.he
last .Mission year, but still we have gathered some into the congregation, and we are glad to see that they
are diligent in attendance at church and have entire1y
separated thernselyes from t~e heathen and wish to be
on God's side. But it is not easy for our new friends,
as they meet with much opposition, to stand fast. But
witt the Lord's stl'ength we have every hope that they
win sllcceea. We got a letter from one of our new
Christians who lives at some distance from here which
indicates that Gol -has effdcted something in him.
He
writes: "Dear. Sir, Since I began to belong to Jesus
the whole village has risen up ag'R.inst me and they
try. to worry me in every way, and Satan it! abroad
with nIl his host to get me hack to himself. But I
will belong to Jesus, and He is so Ileal' t() rue and
28
S.A.NTAL M1SSLON OF THE NORTHERN
Ci1tJl~CHES.
calls on me and I will l'emain with Him and be allow·
ed to come to Him when I die." rJ'his is a little
of the letter, but it shows that the Holy Spirit is ~t
work in him. But, friends, let us remember, that the
better ~t~ ",!:ork goes on and the 1110re there are w,ho
wish to' "belong to Jesus, the harder the powers of
darkness are at work, and so it goes also here in
Chondorpura.
We have ba~tized here in the Chondorpura district
17 heathen and·· 2 children of Christian parents. A
fallen family that had been excluded from the Chris~
tian community has come back again. The sewing
school he~e in the compound goes on well and they
are much interested. We have also a girls' school, but
they were let free in the rainy season when they had to
help in their homes.
Here in Chondorpura 7 preachers, 1 village teacher
and 4 Bible women are employed.
In 8aldoha there have been baptized 8 heathen and
2 children of Christians. There are at wor·k here 2
elders, 3 village male teaehers and 1 female one. Five
new communicants have been admitted, and on an average there are 20 participants each time. The mosj of
the Christians here are new, and so are not ripe enough
to receive the communion.
Before closing I must mention that Suna died here
last year. He was the native pastor here. It is a great
biank and a loss to the Mission. I shall not write much
about him, as I hope Mr. Bodding wIll write more fully,
since he kllows muc4 better abou t him than I do, I
will only say that he was a great help to me and he
was the r~.al leader in the congregation after I came
and up to his death. If there was anything [ did not
understand, he helped me, and if there was anything
he thought I did amiss he told me so. 'Vhen I came
here the work was in full swing, and I had only to
enter on what others had done. We thank God for
the work our dear brother now gone home was permitted to accom plish. Now we stand here a flock of
young pl'eachers. May the Lord grant us wisdom and
help us to act aright, so that the work may prosper in Jesus' name!
MAJDIHA
has been jn charge of Ka'l'u, assisted by one or two
preachers. The workers here have been under the direct supervision of the missionary resident at
KOROYA.
Mr. Gausdal was in charge here up to the commencement of 1\Iay, when he went to the hills for his holidays, anq. thereupoh proceeded direct to our Assam
Colony, as told elsewhere. To succeed Mr. Gausdal came
Mr. Jensen who is one of our latest arrivals, and up
to the time of moving here had been living in Bellagal'ia,
learning the language and making himself generally useful.
As he, however, had not been long in Koroya at the close
of the year, he has not given any report.
I hope it
will come next year. The work in Koroya and 1fajdiha
field has been progressing well and quite a number have
been gained for Christianity. Koroya is a pleasant place,
and we trust it will become a centre of Christian work
in the -future. The number of baptisms up to the tmd
30
SA~l'.AL MisSION or THE NORl'HEHN
CHURCHES.
of the year, comprised for Karaya, 1 heathen and 8 children of Christil:l,n parents, and for l\1ajliiha I child of
Christian pare-nts and 28 fl'om among the heathen.
DITMKA and the
near WEST.
1'he work in Dumka fmd the adjoining parts of the
,field has gone very' much on the same lines as in previous years. We have in Dumka itself got a few
more worke~s than we had at the "commencement of
the year when we had three. One of these was transferred, to Koroya, but a.t New Year's time we received
two of tIle young men who had just then passed out of
.Mr~ . Steinthal's Divinity school One of these had ;previously had practically .no experience in congregational
work; the other had been engaged for a 'uumber of
years before entering the school mentioned. As 1\1.r. Kampp
has been clamouring very loudly to get a lllan to be
put in charge
Lotabani, an outstation of rrilabani,
we hav€ been thinking of letting him have one of
these two. We are, however, very luuch in need of
getting an experienced worker here, preferably a man
who might be ordained. IT p to the time of writing this
it has not been possible £01' us to. find a good solution
of the problem mentioned.
We have in Dum ka itself at the time ot ~ritillg
five workers, one of them the son of thp late Pastor
GltLu and Sona, being a kind of overseer more than
anythjng else. One of the preachers is suffering, we
are so'rry' to say, from tuberculosis. He is a good. man;
it is he who was mentioned in a previons part of this
report as the man looking at whose life had been the
cause of bringing some of those baptizeq last year to
of
Christ.
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAIJ REPORT.
31
In connection with the work we have on the west
side of the More river the same prAachers as last year,
five in number. The work has been progressing slowly,
in as mnch as only a few have been gathered in from
among the heathen.
Duping the whole qf last year Sana, the widow of
the late Pastor Gulu, was working here in Dumka as
previously, always occupied with \ some work of love.
The last months she commenced specially to work in the
dispensary and was one on whom one could absolutely
rely. It is very sad to think that she at thA time
of writing IS no longer among 'us, she has gone
home to her rest. She was one of the most developed
and finest Christian characters which I have met among
the Santals.
In DhoJ"mnpuJ" with the outlying c~ntre of Amgachz,
we have had at iirst four and later on five preachers. One of the preachers at Amgachi died some
months ago from the result of an apoplectic stroke.
In his p1ace we have got. a young Illli.n, who is now
on trial as a worker. In Dhorompur we have in addition to the two who were .stationed' there previously, got a man called lJiwno, who for a long stretch
of years W~LS the late 1.11'. Haegert's principal man
at Kaerabani, and continued there also after our
having taken over the place. He belonged originally
to our Mission and has now come back to his own
village. The work has been at a standstill in the place
,just mentioned, the heathen for some reason being very
hard to reach.
A.t Makara and the working centres connected with
Maharo, we have about the same number of preachers
32
SA.NTA.L MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHJ:S.
as last yeal'. There have been a few alterations in the
staff; two having been sent back to their l,.omes, Ol~e
having died, another having been pensioned and one
having temporarily left to enter the Divinity school.
~n the place of these we have got one Jlew worker;
one has returned from France where he went in connection with the Santal Labour Corps, and two have been
transferred hel'e from other places. One of the working
centres formerly under 1\laharo, has been transferred to
Koroya, the village in question lying about half way
between-the two places, just a little closer to Koroya
t4an to .Maharo. W 8 are sorry there have been very
few converts from heathenism III these parts during
the past year.
We have regular church services every Sunday at
at least three places namely, Dumka, Maharo and Dhorompur, and occasional services at many other places.
The Lord's SUpp81' has been administered generally once
mlmthly at 1\!aharo and off and on here in Dnmka.
As our friends know, we have also medical work at this
place. Miss Dr. Larsen writes about that in another
part of the report. Here should only just be mentioned'
that evangelistic work is carried on in connection with
the medical work, but we should like to get statione~
here somebody who would be able to use to the full
the many opportunities offered of telling the. gospel to
those who come for medical treatment.
-
As our· friends also. know., we have a Bengali preacher stationed here in Dumka. Weare sorry that the
work of this man has been without fruit.
In the field here menti<lned, during the_ course· of
Oay Missions Ubral!l
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.,
33
the year, twelve have been baptized from among the heathen
and 26 children of Christian parents.
KAERABANI and the further WEST.
Mr. Rosenlund writes : In the "Further West" we have
baptized 3 heathen and 12 children of Christian parents
during the year from October 1917 to September 1918,
while 18 Christians have died during its course.
As regards the work among the heathen, the year
has brought us a number of so to say typical disappointments, inasmuch as several heathen here and there
had expressed a wish to become Christians, but later got
scruples and' drew back. For example, there was one
young man who wished to be baptized; so 'far as we
could understand he had no side motives of any kind ;
he had become tired of heathenism, his wife's death
had awakened him from the callous state in which the
heathen live so long as nothing untoward occurs.
He felt that heathenism had no help, no comfort, no
hope to give him, and therefore he wished to become a
Christian; he had of course heard the word of, eternal
life. We began to instruct him in the fundamentals of
Christian truth, and he showed himself to be very apt
to learn.
We asked him to go to church on Sunday, but he
could not get time for that. What hindered that man
was, that the wish to become a Christian had not become an irresistible longing; he confessed openly and
honestly to the heathen that he wanted to· become a
Christian, but when he came to see that it would cost,
a trifle inconvenience (he has 3 mileS' to go to church! )
the zeal slackened. He wished to partake in t,h~ security
and peace of the Christian life, butpl'obably imagined
£
34-
SANTAL MISSION- OF THE NORTtlElW CliORCBES.
that those spiritual benefits m.ght quite magically be'
transferred to him through baptism without any_ Elpecial
exertion on his part.
If we had baptized bim, he would undoubtedly have
remained of that kind of Christians who, as Luther
says, "have a contempt for preaching and God's word."
We tried to{) continue the instruction, but he withdrew
month and a
more and more, and after the expiry of
half drew.back altogether. The family's persuasions as
a -matter of cQurse played a certain part, but his own
love of ease was the decisive factor.
Nevertheless we hope, that there- it so much earnestness in him that he will consta ntly ·feel unhappy
in heathenism, and that some day he will begin to seek
with all his soul after that which he needs.
'rhese movements forwards and backwards which such
people go through exercise an influence on more than
themselves; ,the hesitating misgivings infect others w·ho
are at the state of cogitation.
As regards the congregational life in its ordinary
circ~ms~ances and forms, such as participation in divine
service, use of the sacraments, contributions to tIle church
collection ·and to the Dinajpur-Malda Mission, the preparation of the young £(,1' confirmatjOll-there is nothing
new or specially noteworthy to say of all this. We think
we can trace progress notwithstandjng deficiencies and
frailties.
A son'owful, but interesting phE}nomenon should be
mentioned in this connection. In this part of The·West
we have seen a tend~ncy towards the forming of a
Free Church, a kind of "Away from Saheb" movement.
Some worthless Christians who lived in polygamy, spirit
worship, drunkenness and other misery had been excluded
a
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
85
from the community. The heathen here in, The West
will have nothing to do with such people. It ca.n become difficult, may be even impossible, for· these to get
their children married, and they are in an unfortunf;Lte
position in nearly every respect. According to the development of civilization among the Santals and their social customs it is almost a necessity of life for the individual to belong to a society.. The excommunica.ted
are thus forced to hold together and extert themselves to get others to secede to them; and the ~reater
their number the fewe~ become the difficulties of get·ting their children married.
The excommunicated mentioned comprised three families; then they got a fourth family over to their side,
and thereafter held a meeting and constituted themselves as a community with certain rules. Drunkenness
and polygamy should be permitted, bu.t still they wanted
to have a kind of divine service, and with this object they decided to build a church. They wished to
·have their children baptized, and the married state should
be sanctioned by a wedding cermony in "church",
So they were obliged to see about getting a priest.
A very mIserable Christian, who had in his time been
ordained by the late Mr. Haegert, promised to officiate
as priest.
The remarkable thing was this want of theirs to give
their project a kind of religious support. :As a general rule the religious here in India is closely connected
with the social.
~othing, however, came of either the building of a
church or of t~e priest. It was, of course, no good spirit
tha.t had united these poor peo]?Je, therefore their founding
of a free Church w~s ~ fiasco.
36
,
SANTAL MISSION - OF ~HE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
DUM~
_
This is an old station about 6 miles to the east or
Vumka. We have got two preachers stationed here, but
no rruits.
KARIKADOR,
has during the past year heen under the charge of
Bhado, assisted by two preachers, all or -them, we believe,
good men. ,Bhado is, however, suffering rrom con~ump­
tion and will not have bodily strength to continue to
have charge of the station.
No baptisms of converts from the heathen ha\Te been
repol"ted this year; one child of Christian parents has
been baptized. 'Vehave 11lany difficulties in this place,
the result of un,worthy workers and unworthy persons
having been taken In.
TILA.BANI.
Mr. Kampp writes: The past year can best be characterized as belonging to the "days of small things," which
one should not despise, because God's Spirit works
silently. Here also w~ have been permitted to see a
little of this wor~ing notwithstanding our own weak
powers. It has been a disappointment to us to be unable to extend the work beyond the comparativelY'small
portion of th~ district that can be reached from Tila.
bani itself. When last year's report was being written
it was decided that one of the students in the divinity
school should come to Lotabani after passing his examin~­
tion, but thi; has not yet been carried out. A message
came nearly a year ago from a village far away' down
in the south-west portion of the district from an old
man, "Are ~ou never coming to preach in our parts 7"
FIFTY-PIRST ANNUAL REPOR'l'.
37
But it has not been possible for us hitherto to get
down there. Neither have we been able to visit the
south-easterly part of' the field:
. Here in Tilabaoi we had 4 elders. Of them Singrai
has now been pensioned, while we hope that Ratu, will
himself - see that his vocation is not to be an elder.
He has been 'sick during the last months of the year.
Ranzu, is an earnest, good and pions man, but has never
been to school, and his education is .only what he got
as cook to Mr. Skat-Petersen or has himself since picked up.
During the first months of the year he was prevented
for a long time from taking part in the work owing
to sickness in his family. Laclal also was virtually unable to take a share in the work during the fir!;t quarter
of the fiuancial year, aud thereafter he was transferred.
His successor, Alma, came at the end of January after
having completed his ,two years' course in the divinity
school. He is a gifted young man and according to
our circumstances well educated. Only_ he is very young
and has never previously tried to be an elder, so I
could o~en wish to have one or several helpers with
some experience. Meanwhile we have striven to do our
best aJti gather experience conjointly.
There are no great fruits or obvious results to report,
but still we have had the encouragement and joy of
being able to baptize two families from among the heathen,
8 souls in all. Five children of Christians have been
baptized here besides. A- formerly lapsed family has
moved into th~ district and been re-admitted to the
congregation (6 in all). Two young women have likewise
moved in. One has left. One has di~d, namely one of
those who' were mentioned last year as .almost fallen
away. The other family in the same condition has re-
38
SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
turned to the congregation. This man has in his time
been in the school at Benagaria, and is now on trial
as a teacher in Lotabani. The family mentioned in last
report as wishing to be taken back into the congregation,
proved to have only worldly motives and only kept on
for a time. The total number of members of the congregation· should now therefore be 132.
The Sunday services have been attended on the
average by about 40 each time here in Tilabani and on
the average 10 to 15 in Lotabani. At the monthly communion there have been 10 to ] 8 participants.
The school in the comp~:)Und here has not gone on
entirely satisfactorily in all respects. ~he one in HiraPUf, where we have a capable. and conscientious teacher,
has been .better. The one in Lotabani is still at its
commencement and in its infantile complaints. During
th~ hottest time we had a short course here for a 'few
young men to teach them to read, write and sing, in
the hope that they might in time become elders. About
once a. month we hava gathered. young men and boys
from the neare:;t villages on Sun:lay afternoons for a
kind of Y. M. C. A. meetings with singing, games, lectures
or narrations "Bible and Mission-history) with tea. It
has often won a good response. We have also started
a smaH circulating library, but it has only for the present 25 numbers in San tali and Bengali. Otherwise
much has been stranded on the ·constantly reiterated
difficult econo m ic position of the Mission. On this account also we should rejoice that the war will now soon
come to an end. The co-operative bank has worked
satisfactorily; but the comiog year threate~s us with
dear times and many difficult circumstances,
FIFrl'-FIll.ST ANNUAt RE1'0 R'1'.
39
We still sigh in vain for a mighty awakening which
should bring true life and warmth into the baptized.
There are here at present 3 evangelists, one "village
elder" as well as 3 teachers.
~Iy wife has taken charge of the sewing school, and
has besides been able to help many with medicine and
nursing. Otherwise her time has been mostly taken up
with language study.
MOHULPAHARI
continued during the last year under the charge· of
Jasai, who has had six assistant$ besides school teachers.
The work has been making fairly good progress. We
have had several converts from heathenism. We have
besides had a good many enquirers. 31 souls have in
the course of the year been added to the congregation;
23 among these were from the heathen and 8 were
children of Ohristian parents. We might have b~ptized
many more; but we have not been sure of the motives
of some of the enq uirers. At the close of the year they
ha,ve several, families under instruction.
Two of our M.o;hulpahari Christians were parganaits
in the San tal Labour Crops which went to France .
.
Sido Sirdar, who has been such an important member of the congregation at Mohulpahari, was still ~live
at the close of the year. He has since died. A few
particulars of him we hope to be able to give next
year.
EBENEZER
with JITHIA, BELBUNI and SOHOR.
Mr. Johne writes :-- It is not easy to give in a few
lines an impression of 'what occurs in the course of the
40
SAN'l'AL MISS toN Oli' 'I'RE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
year in a large station like Be~agaria, and I shall therefore confine myself to some remarks as to what has
specially occupied us during this year.
As our friends know, the daily work of preaching
round about is done by our so-called elders. -They are
not always so old and experienced, nor have they any
great education; and most of them will probably not be
thought specially pl~omillent measured by a European standard. But there are among them good believing men,
whom it warms one's heart to thiuk of, and who under
,poor and difficult circumstances, often in isolated and exposed situations, do faithful work.
There are several, however, who grow weary or graddually become dull, but they are so poor that they see
no way of giving up .the work which is n~ longer a
heart matter with them.
We made this the subject of a series of
in the elders' meetings, with the result that
them withdrew from the work or were
other spheres of activity. Courses of Bible
were started for the others.
discussions
several 'of
placed in
instruction
First the youngest and together with them some young,:
men from the villages, of whom there was some hope
that they might become suita.ble workers. It was a grea.t .
joy to. see with what eagerness tIley set to work. We
read togethe.r about the prophet Elija.h, the gosp~l of
Mark and the Catechism. These lived for two months
in the station, and their wives had at the same ~ime
some lessons from my wife In both Bible reading and
sewing.
Tbereafter the whole company took part in th~ usual
rainy season course three. times a week: for two' and 8r
JUTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
41
half months. Mr. Steinthal went through ·the prophecies
about the Messiah with them and I the A.cts of the
Apostles.
Finally the out-station leaders were provided with
an extra day a week. They are six in number and can
all read and write well, so it was· easier for them.
We are going through a general view of the books of
the Bible singly as well as a little bit of Church history.
It has been a great encouragement to see how they
thirst to learn more themsel'\f'es and to acquire more from
which to give out. But ·this has of course taken time
from the direct evangelistic work, and consequently the
statistics show a 'lower total this year.
As congregational news it should also be remarked,
that the last of the lapsed villages has so far been
broken that several have come back, and others who
are still ashamed to come forward openly have requested
that elders may be sent to conduct worship in the
village of a Sunday evening. Should we succeed in
breaking f;he opposition of this village, a great stumbling
block to the work will be cleared away. 'rhere are many
indications that something is brewing there. May God
by His Spirit carry it through to their reclamation.
Pastor Kambo was 'unfortunately ill the nrst half of
the year; we missed him much in the work and are glad
to have him back again in some measure ·restored. Moni
Babu .has as always man~ged the Bchoolhere faithfully.
Tl1e women have assempled. steadily as usual, for.
edification and sewing., by my wif.e.
,
The' Industrial schooL has now established itself in
~
\
42
SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
the opinion of the Santals, and this spring three times
as many lads ca.me and begged to he admitted as there
were vacancies. We can now therefore make selections
from among the best youtLs. Several who have gOlle
through ~he Upper Primary school here work now as
weavers.
A new little brick church in the out-station of Matia:juri was consecrated this spring, w~ile 11 heathen were
bapiized on th~ spot at the same tillle.
God be praised for all in onr Lord Jesus' name!
Thanks for intercpssions; do not forget us.
Statistics.
Baptized heathen
35
"
children of Christian par~nts
27
10
Married, couples
Deaths
35
Collpcted for the Dinajpur and Maida Mission Rs. 228-9-3
Church collection
... " 203-6·0
63
Children in Benagaria U. P. school
106
"
"Village schools
169
DINAJPUR and MALDA.
The work at both these places has been developing
on the old lines.
In the Dinajpur field the work has been under the·
charge of Jalpa who is assisted by 17 preachers.
J alpa is an able leader and keeps his flock well together. It is a pleasure to come on a visit to his
place and meet with ~ll those gathered round him, and
to observe how they live their iife as Christians,
FIFTY-FiRST ANNUAL REPORT.
43
During the year past they have baptized 101 souls; of
these 79 were from among the heathen and 22 were
children ..of Christian parents.
The pastor's wife has been working among the women,
but besides her we have had 110 special women workers,
bu t expect to get at least one.
The Christians are eager to let their children learn
something; we have seven schools here, one of these
is an evening school; another is a kind of boarding
school, where the Mission gives the teaching and the
school house etc., but the people themselves give all
other expenses. This latit school takes the pupils up to
the ITpper Primary Standard. They are now anxious to
get it one step higher, to the Middle Vernacular Stan·
dard. In these schools they have had in ail L42 pupils,
among whom 36 were girls, although there is no separate
school for gir Is.
Our brethren over there have during this past year
had some of the same kind of difficulties as those mentioned last year. We do not wish to enter on details
here, but only say, that OlIr impression is, that the
opponents are losing, so far as our Christians are
concerned. In spite of threats or promises of remuneration they have remained true to what they
know they have.
In the MaIda field Pastor SU1"ai has continued in
charge, assisted by J3 preachers and four school-masters.
The Pastor's wife has been working among the women.
The work has not gone forward here as in the other
parts, the causes of this being several. They have had
very much sickness among the worker~, the Pastor him-
44
BANTAL liISSION
OF TIt:1t NOnTHElRN·(JHtrRCHi!S.
self baving been laid up for a couple.of months. They
have here: .also;~had very muoh to contend with fr,om.the
side of the Roman Catholics who try to draw :o11,r people
away over to them.
In the course of the year twenty from among the
heathen and six children of Christian parents, in all 26,
have been added to the congregation.
The schools are fairly well attended.
T~E
ASSAM COLONY.
Mr. Gausdal writes: The month of June was a time of
plain talking to the people here abo1:lt the changeable·
ness of this wor1d. Mr. Nielsen was then called home
to the eternal rest in the midst of his best years,
and Mrs. : Nielsen began to prepare to leave Mornai.
And here in Grabampur the Pedersons were at work
breaking ,up. It must be remarkable and also difficult
for the ~ative congregation aU these changes, and I certainly believe :there were many who felt lonely and forsaken when all the dear ones were away. At all events
lean say that I felt something like that, when, after
having bid farewell to Mrs. Nielsen at the railway
s~tion ,in!' Darjeeling and to. the ... federsons at Golakganj, I made my solitary way home again at the pace
of a bullock cart. It was therefore a great joy ,that
Mir. Winding came up herea:,fe,,' days l~ter.
"'As 'regardif~ the workduTing the past· year, it is
self. nnd~rstood that I can write nothing ,detailed about
it. But I shall give ~ a stai!ement. of the statistics, and
where I feel fairly certain shall a,dd. some remarks.
45
l!':IFTY-l1'IRS'1' AISNtlAL aEPORT.
! At the census taken on the 1st An-gust the· population
of the Colony proved to l1umber 4076 * made up in the
following manner:-
Christians
3,159
189
]31
143
Santals
Mahles
Meches
Others
'l'otal
,
--3,622
~
Heathen
266
3
74111
454
--
Total
3,42'5
192
205
254
4,076
The Santal and Christian cha.racter of the Colony is
distinctly apparent from, these statistics. The births in
the course of the year were 153, and the deaths
96. Of the latter 77 were Christians. The influenza came
here, in July, and from then on the deaths increased.
As regards general material matters the last year was
an indifferent one. The rice harvest was a failure and
the jute was low in price. This settled the people's
fate. Added to this comes the circumstance that many
have saddled themselves with more land than they
can cultivate. Consequently.they are straitened for money.
In the last months (.July to October) we got splenJid
rain, so the seed was got well into the ground, and
therefore we here in the Colony with genuiue Santa!
optimism hope for a good year.
The Christian work has been vigorolls during the
course of the year, and great results have been attained,
We are glad to be able to tell that at the time of going
Press the population of the Colony has increased to
:JI:
to
about 4800.
P .. O. B.
46
SAN1'AL MISSION
OF TliE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
as the fol1owing statistics taken from the baptismal
register will show:Children of
Heathen
Total
Christian parents
207
360
Within the Colony
153
Outside the Colony
o
18
18
bu t near Grahampu~
7
7
14.
In Mornai }
Tea Gardens
12
14
~
" rramai
o
o
In the north-east: BodeaguriO
40
44
Kochugaon 4
T.otal
166
--
284
~
-450-
. I have grouped them thus because Mr. Winding has
taken '~over the spiritual work in the Gardens and the
leadership of tLe work -in the north-east from the Colony,
and the future grouping will therefore be such. In
connection with the work outside the Colony I have
examined the church records here, a!1d it may be of
interest to append the results.
In the annual report for 1887-88 mention is made
of the colonists' own Mission, and a station is named
in Rajadabri, a village south east of the high road and
about half way between Gosaegaon and Kochugaon. It
was Mech work. I only know the result of this first
work by .repute, as the church books here do not go
so far back. It is said to have been a hard field of work,
but Pastor Dabaru was won there.
After 1897 came the perio~ of the Colony's·declension
and one seeks also in vain after progress outside the
Colony. Not until in 1909 did baptisms of people outside take place, and in the following years the' position
stood. thus:
in 1908-09, U souls; 1909-10, 13 souls j
47
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
1910-11, none; 19f1-12, 15 souls; 1912-13, 36 souls;
1913·14, 15 sonls; 1914-15, 29 souls; 1915-16, 15 souls;
1916-17, 5 souls; 1917-18, 44 souls. To these must be
added the many Christians immigrated from this and other
Missions. Their number is large and their Christianity
little; but they have also been as sheep without a shepherd in many instances up there in the jungle, so it
is not well to he severe in one's judg-ment. The progress in the later years stands in connection with the
great influx of Santals. The Lord's work has struck
root among this people, but has still only weak roots
among the Meches.
The working staff in the Colony consists of two pastors
and 5 elders. The Mech congregation feels the loss of
Dabaru, although Do'rkanto works as" an elder. He is
old and does not seem able to get about much. The other
congregations have their people as hefore. Possibly there
is not a full understanding- of the care of a congregation among the workers., But the divine services, Friday
meetings and evening worship have been steadily maintained, 'notwithstanding., that rain and sickness raise obstacles at times. The attenda~ce at the Lord's Supper
since I came has averaged 160 to 180 monthly.
The congregational offerings have been as follows:Grahampur
Rs. 274 11
0
Haraputa
138 13
3
Rantzaupur
96
9
3
Majadabri
35 14
6
Samaguri (Mach congregation)
46
2 4!
Offerings in kind including village
561
3
6
and individual gifts
Total
Rs.
1,153
~
5 lO!
48
SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
The money has been . used fOT the most part for'the
liquidation of the debt on the church here in Grahampur, and there is good hope that it .willbe paid up
in the coming year.
There have been 10 village schools in operation with
nearly 250 pupils on the roll. The attendance is however very variable, and after the holidays in July the
influenza put- obstacles in the way.
The Boarding school here in Grahampur was started
after new year 1918, and the {ledersons did much to
teach-the boys E~glish. After the holidays we have
continued in the same manner, and 1\fr. Winding has
devoted much of his time to the boys.
In conclusion I will commend the work to the intercessions and affectionate remembrance of the friends.
THE TRAINING SCHOOLS.
A. The Boys.
MI'. Ofstad writes :On the first October 1917 we
had 181: pupils enrolled, and on the 3~)th September
1918 there were 190, but the average monthly number
during the whole year has been 207 thus:No
Class Average on roll Average daily attendance
1 Standard 6
17
12
2
5
20
17'
"
13
15
4
3
"
22
25
3
4
"
,20
22
2
5
~
"
"
-7 Infant
89
1
2nd year
1st
"
"
Training
25
35
40
8
207
23
30,
36
7
180
49
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
The examination at the end of the year resulted thus :No
Class
Stood for examination
Passed
'"
1 Standard
6
10
1
2
5
15
15
"
4
3
22
22
"
3
4
21
20
"
Q1
2
5
21
"
6
1
25
23
"
Infant
2nd
year
23
7
20
1st
8
38
32
"
"
9 Training class 1st year
3
2
178
156
And so the school year from 1st October 1917 to
30th Septem her 19] 8 is at an end. I shall not this
year either fill up the annual report with a long account.
Still I wish to mention a few things of great importance
for the school. The first is that the school building is now
finished. We have been occupied with it for four years.
Is it then so extraordinarily large? Not larger than is
needed. But the war came and was felt also in our
otherwise so peaceful Santalistan. 4-11 building materials
obtainable in the country here are just as cheap as before
the war, the cost of labour likewise. But that which rose
to an, incredible height was the price of iron and cement.
It rose to 'three or fonr times the ordinary rates when
we;bought the last, and since the price has risen to
ten times what is used to be. So we began and
stopped, and began again according as the prospects
were. Still, God· be praised, the school ·building is
now completed, and it is in all probability the largest
of such in Santalistan. It is my hope now that this
school may become useful aud a blessing to tlle Santa!
9
50
~
SANTAL MII!lSJON OF THE NORTHERN
CHURCHRS.
people. It is with that ohjPct we ~ave expended money
and labour on it. It has been built in such a way
that it may stand for hundreds of years, if no earthquake or other misfortune befalls it.
As I have been 'so to say quite alone in sUJ>ervising
this building work (Boroda Dotto has gererally helped a,nd
he is a capable and trustworthy man, but he has suffered
so much from illness that he has been absent two or three
months at a time) this has been a loss to the school itself,
which in pla,ce of advancing has rabher retrograded in
the real school work in the last year. Still I do not take
this much to heart; it will soon come all right again.
Especially the outward working conditions will now be
as good as one could wish.
The second matter of great importanc~ i~, that at thelast conference held at Benagaria it. was decided that
OUT school should be converted into a ~1:iddle English one
instead of as we have had it only a Middle Vernacular
one. It was also decided that we should start with
a two years' teachers' school based on the Middle schoo1.
This has been commenced already. Still you will understand
that all these alteratJons occasion some difficulties until
one attains steadiness. However, all the changes that
have taken place have come from the Mi~Bion's side as
a consequence of a greater desire for enlightenment on
the part of the Santals. For it ~s a fact, that wh~18t
some eight or nine years ago one had the grAatest trouble in scraping together pupils to form a school, now
they will sta.nd and beg us to take their children.
This is an extremely joyful ~nd hopeful change, wHich
(for me at all events) gives hope of a bright jutuve for
the Santal$,.
51
I shall not either this year go into details regarding the school work. We have had during the past
year on the average 207 boys, who in the great
majority of cases have conducted themselves in an exemplary manner. Still we have also had sorrows and
disappointments. These things will to be sure always go
hand in hand .. What we have worked hard for
this year also has been to: lead them to the Saviour, so
that they might Lacarne upright Christians, for on this
the sttlvation of the Santal people will of course depend.
A~ regards discipline I have nothing to complain of.
Of the 207 boys who live constantly here there is only
one who has caused me faint-heartedness. But I have
hope for him also, sinc~ he came without anyone's knowing about it of his own accord and confessed everything.
I believe the Holy Spirit is working in him, and in that
case he has the best Teacher of all. Gupinath, so
he is called, is in the teachers' 'class, and he and I
have had many earnest conversations together. Dear frien.ds
of the :Mission, join us in praying for him and for my
little work here, for it concerns dearly bought souls of men.
Last year the following left the school :1. Barsa from Babhondiha. He is assistant teacher here.
2. Kudu Hasdak, is to be a male Burse here.
3. Budhrai has been appointed compounder here.
4. Anta Marma is boarding master under Matu.
5. Haran Hasdak, compounder with Dr. Bogh in Benagaria.
ODe of the teachers, Bahadur Kisku, was obliged to go
home o,ving to consumption. Likewise Matu Soren, one
of our cleverest young mell. Both of these suffer from tuberculosis and will hardly be able to work more. *
'"' Both these young men al'e dead nc'w
P. O. B.
52
SAN TAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN
CHURCHES.
We have had much sickness this year. First
measles, then a bad kind of ear complaint, so that we
had 30 to 40 on the sick list each day, and then one
canperoeiYe that it is difficult to get the school forward.
Only one died. Besides the usual school curriculum we
have this year also/ had gymnastics, handicraft, singing,
gardening and music.
The Lord has helped until now, and it is in hope and
trust in Him that we have begun the new school year.
And now hearty thanks to the friends in the Home lands
who do not grow weary of helping us with work and
prayers. Hearty greetings.
•
B. The Girls.
Miss Jensen writes: Again a year is at an and. It
has been a busy year, a year with many difficulties. But
notwithstanding all we can finish it with thanks to our
Lord and Saviour. He has carried us through all that
'Was heavy'" and taught us still better to cling to Him
In trust and faith.
I mentioned in my last year's report that a commencement had not. yet been made 011 the school house.
This was due of co11,rse to the war, as the materials are
so inordinately expensive and to some extent unprocurable.
It has been hard to have to wait so long, anotller whole
year; but it is unavoidable. It only retards the work to
run round to virtualIy-~ all places .in the compound to
look after the classes and teachers. We have classes
that is to say in six different places. But now I rea11yhope we shall soon be able to start work .
.~ We have besides had much sickness this year.
The
ll'IFT'1-FIRS'!' ANNUAL
REPORT.
53
worst of all was that Miss Diesen was obliged to leave
us in January. May the LOl'd bless her and make her
strong and well again, 80 that she mayagain come out
to the Santals. We all miss her much.
Several of the teachers have also been ill, so that for
several months we were obliged to help ourselves with
half the personnel. In addition various illnesses appeared
among the children. The Lord took two deUtr little girls
home to Himself.
On~ of these, a daughter of Pastor Kambo in Benagaria, had only been a few months in school. She
was not strong: but as she had a longing to come to
the school her father allow(;d her. She was ill only a
couple of days, so that the father did not arrive until
after she was dead. But he was able to see her in her
last dress. It is so hard to give the children back to
the Lord when He wants to take them home. And it is
still worse to comfort the parents when they come. But
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the conqueror of
death, can help in everything. He helped also this time,
and He gave the grieved father grace to talk at the
grave. A.nd he spoke as one who has gained the victory. He spoke with such power that the words took
hold of all hearts; he said he was so glad because Lis
little girl had been in the school and heard so much
about Jesus. He begged all the children so to live that
the could meet Jesus, the Friend of little children, with
JOY·
The other who died was Ballti, of whom I spoke
when 1 was visiting at home. She was confirmed a few
months previously. She was so ·glad because she had
obtained access to the Lord's Holy Supp2r. She had
been for many years in the school and was a charming
54
SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
girl. 1t wa,S she who by mistake once got two sa'ris.
As no one knew of this, she might easily have kept them
if she had not been honest. She came weeping one
day with one of the saris and said, "I got two but
should have had only one. I have not been happy
since. Here it is!" She sprang away so relieved, the
poorer by one sari, but richer in her soul. Before she
died she asked us to sing - her the hymn, "What can
wash away my sins? 9nlythe blood of Jesus." It goes
so quickly out here with both sickness and death. Her
parents also did not come till after she was dead. It
was on Easter eve that she died. Early on Easter
morning she was buried by Mr. Bodding who was holding service in Maharo that day_. Well is it that tne
hope of eternal life s_hines also out here over the graves.
"We shall be more than conquerors through Him that
loved us." Mr. Bodding spoke so warmly on these words.
With sorrow in the heart we could all sing with a
full breast our Easter hymns. l!"'or in spite of all "death
•
is swallowed .up in victory."
We had it many times rather hard in the rainy
season, as the roof of OUI' house leaked. We were obliged to flit from one room to another. At times we
had not more than one rootU together, lVliss Andresen
apd I, for she was in Maharo to help me after Miss
iJiesen had left. Out in the hous-e we call the church
it rained through at times so much that we were obliged to take holidays.
1 myself have also time and again been tired and
dispirited, for which I am as a matter of course deeply ashamed" for a Christian is not permitted to lOBe
courage. Why, it should be reckoned as an honour when
the Lord sends us difficulties. And when we are ashamed
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUM,
REPORT.
55
of ourselves we learn with S()ren Kierkegaard to say,
"God is always right and I am always wl'ong." God be
praised, He is always faithful. If we could only lie still
at His reet, all would be well. With our hands in His
we ought always to be happy, even in tpe heaviest
hours.
In October 1917 we had 147 ehildren in the school.
Now we have 163. About Christmas we had many more.
Two have died as we have heard. A few stayed on at
home after the summer vacation, as there was sickness
in the ramily, and nine have been married.
The behaviou l' of the children has been on the whole
excellent. TWEnty two fine young girls obtained access
to the Lord's Supper at the beginning of the year,
having been confirmed on Sunday th~ 21 st October. Miss
Dies-en and I prepared them, she before I retnl'ned, and
I arter the ho1idays. These hours belong to the festival
moments of ~1 ission work.
In conclusion I would be pel'mitted to give hearty
thanks to all friends in the three Home lands for love
and intercessions. I think I may' dare to say with modesty that "there is a reward for your work." It is
or course the foundation of the future home we seek
to lay in the school. In trust and confidence in our
Lord and Saviour this work well succeed. I believe in
the power of intercessory prayer. Continue in prayer for
'us. May God bless you always 1
T~E
DIVINITY SCHOOL.
Mr. Steinthal writes:- The chief event of the year
was the final examination of the first set of students
in December 1917 j the Secretary of the Mission and
1(r. J Qhne were present and kindly assisted in examining
56
SANTAL MISSION ,OF THE NORTHERN
CAURCHES.
the papers. The result was so far satisfactory as they
all passed; they obtained between 51 and 78 per oent.
of full marks. It 'was well deserved, as on the whole
they had worked· faithfully and diHgently. The real
result of t~ two years' work in spiritual growth and
intellectual maturity is to be proved in their different
spheres of labour, to which they were appointed after
the examination, two of them in oharge of stations,
the others as evan~e1ists.
In the middle of January ] 2 new students we~e admitted; their previous training and development' made it
necessary to divide them in two classes so 3S to adapt
both subject and teaching to thei~ varying capacity and
need. Considerations of time and strength have compelled
us to join the classes in some subjects (The Mosaic dispensation; the liessianic prophecies; the Jewish religion
at the time of Christ), but it has not been quite s~tis­
factory. ~t worked better in dealing with the religion
of the ~antals which they all know.
Wilen it has beell possible to keep both classes regularly occupied throug,h school-hours (3 hours in the morning, 2 in thA afternoon) it is partly due to the good services of my personal helper Ran." Ki.sku, who besides assis.
ting me in my o\vn work has undertaken / the d.ictation
of the not inconsiderable amount of notes, the students
have to take down for lack of text-books, and has
taught the lower· class an hour daily (Bible history, Church
history and repetition of other subjects). Babu Moni Lal
lJa8, who is in charge of the local day school, has kin~ly
given some hours a week teaching Biblical geography
~nd map drawing, also dictation and essay writing to
the lower class. Mr. Johne's singing lessons ana a
course in first aid to the injured by oqr IQedi<;al
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
57
missionary, Dr. Bogh, have been much appreciated l,y the
students.
Opportunity for practical training has been given by
. the daily morning devotion, taken in turn by the students, the Sunday afternoon village meetings for Christians, and once a week. by a preaching tour to heathen
villages. The higher class has homiletic exercises once
a week. A small Sunda,y school kept up by Moni Babu's
assistance
.. ~has about 3"0 children on the roll with an
average attendance or 15-16.
All the students live in the station and are encouraged to do some gardening; it does not, however, go
I beyond
Indian corn and some vegetables. My wife has
gathered the wives three mornings a week for Bible
teaching and sewing; as several could not read or write,
this has also been accomplished by mutual instruction.
At our monthly tea-meetings we have heard about Indian Missions and sometimes about the great war. A
young friend, a :Mohammeaan convert, who paid us
a vi,sit, aroused much interest by telling us about Sadhu
Sunder Singh; he also gave the students some lessons
in how to deal with Moslems. Saturday afternoon we
usually gather for free discussion, or prayer meetings,
or some of the students have told about Christian men
whose biographies they have read.
In the A cI,ass five students were admitted 27-40
years old, all having passed through our boarding school
and been several 'years in practical work as evangelists
or teachers. In ·the B cI-ass seven were admitted, all
below 30, mo~t of them with yery little school training
and very limited experience; some of them had been village teachers, a few among them evangelists. Only one
was under 20, a young Mech from Assam 1 who was
J:!:
58
SANTAL M:TSSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
sent because of the great need of workers among his
people; he is bright and promises very well. One had to
be sent home at the summer vacation for failing
'health; he has sihce died. We have had more illness
tban last year, but :hnve been able to carryon the
work.
It always takes time to break in a uew set of
men and to come into the right p~l'sonal touch with
them; so' far we' have much to thank God for, as
also an those who by theil' love and intercession have
helped to carry the work and t11e workers from day
to da,y. May God add His blessing.
:MEDICAL WORK.
Dr. Bogh writes: I always feel when I have to
write a year's report that it is so difficult to write entirely objectively about the work. Every undertaking
may be regarded from two points of view: one m;lY
fix the eye specially on that which indicates progress
and every success; this leads to joy and thanksgiving;
but one can with just as much right dwell on that
which has been unsuccessful, which was not attained
or which could or should have been done better; this
gives rise to desponding thoughts, to prayer for fQl'giveness
and prayer for more strengtll, more faithfulness and endurance, and most of all for more love, and then the ,discomfitures will not be so many.
\ The work has gone forward both as regards personal
experience, a larger number of patients; better working
conditions etc.-of this I cannot for a moment be in
doubt-thus .Di1uch I feel I am at liberty to say. But, as
saia, on the other side, which implies defective knowledge
of the language, deficient 1Uean~ of working~ insufficient
FIFT'y-lrIRS'l' AN}olUA.L Rl!]POR'1'.
59
experience 111 tropical diseases, and not least the impmcticability of treating so large a number of patients as have
visited us this year in a really satisfactory manner~this
I must also mention, perhaps chiefly to enlist the intercessions of the readers.
From the new year we began using the small provisional hospital; it consists of four rooms which were
arranged by transforming a verandah in a corner of
the old girls' school. Even though with its eartben
floor, San tal beds and eutil'e primitive arrangement it
is very far from meeting the demands of a hospital,
still it has been a great help in the work, and it has
only 'thereby been possible to help a number of patients
who had to be operated 011. I have also thus got a
little foretaste of how much more encouraging the religious work is in a hospital, where one can· learn to know
the patients personally and can be permitted to be a
~essenger of God to them day after day either by a
quiet talk at the bedside uf the sick or by the regular
services. Durillg the last nine months 60 cases were admitted as real patients; but along with them came ubout
12C relations. who were with them to lIurse them, COUlfort them and cook food for tllel1l, ~Iuch can be said
£1'0111 a doctor'::; stl1udpoillt agaiu::;t having all these people Jiving ill the hospital, but looked at from tbe missionary's standpoint I am unly gla,d to have them. I
know that w~ have won lllany friends in this company,
and dare also believe that the word, even if it has
sounded heavy and awkward ill the foreign tongue, wiU
not return void, We have beeu privileged to see m~ny
li~t1e approaches, in a few individua 1 cases even more,
but how it will go when they return home to the old
sAN TAL Ml~SION OF l'HE NOR'1'HllmN .CHURChlilS.
60
heathen surroundings, it is ha!d to thihk of, but God
follows them there also.
Preaching is carried on in Bengali only to the wait·
ing patients, seeing that,' as. the subjoined statistics will
show, the great majority of the patients al'e Bengali
speaking, and as most Santals understand Bengali also.
This 'York of preaching has been carried on by Sirish
Babu, the head of the Press.
As for the l'est, I have the salll.e three smart assistBhuj1t, Ha1'1lla and Nimbai, of whom I will only
repeat that it is a daily pleasure to work along with
them.
I
The Dispensary has been attended by 6,268 patients
with in all 12,454 consultations. On the busiest day we
had 17<.' patients. Of the 277 operations 18 were f(Jr
cataract.
The above mentioned ,6J 268 patients al;e divided in
the followingpercentHge :a~ts,
~1:en
Heathen Sal1tals 14
Women
,9
Total
23
} total San tals 31
OI'I:istian Santals 5
0...,
Hindus
13
:MohamllJedans
.)()
64
3
16
8
36
------
8
48
21
-r~
~
As will be seen the increase consists mostly of Hindus and Mohammedans who come from long distances,
whilst the Santals come mostly frum t'he nearest neighbour.·
hood. As last year about olle tlJil'J are ~omen.
Miss Larsen writes: When I wrote my first report
iny work h~re in Dumka was only about three months
old; now that I have been over a year here I have
FIFTY-FIRSf ANNUAL i{KPOR'l'.
!...
61
got a better impl'ession of the setting of the work. As
will be seen from the under noted statistics, about 61
per cent of last year's patients have been men, notwithstanding their being treated by a woman. One of the
reasons why comparatively so. few women come here is,
I believe, that the women are obliged to wait on the
same verandah as the men. This is .directly oppoSE'd
to the custom of this co·untry. When we come to build
a proper dispensary it will certainly be necessary to provide separate waiting aceommodation for men and women.
As I have written earlier, I use two rooms in the elders'
hou~e resJJectively as dispensary and operation and dressing rooms. But the rooms are very small, and especially
on market days thet'e is a great- lack of space, I am
glad to be able to say that I shall soon now obtain
better working conditions. ,Ve have not yet been able
to start building a hospital and dispensary on account
of the high price of building materials, iron it has heen
well nigh i,mpossi ble to obtain. But on the other hand
a commencement has been made on the erection of a small
house, which we shall use temporarily, quite close to
and opposite the pres.ent dispensary. There will be two
large rooms, so we shall thus get more space, and there
will be· a room which I can use specially fur wornen. The
numl?er of patients during the last year is stated below.
As compounders I have three smart young men, Udai,
Rupai and Upen. Udai has been with me now close on
two years, Rupai for about a year. They both came to
me straight from the plough, or more properly speaking
frolD the schools in Kaerabani and here in Dumka respectively, Upen has worked at the dispensary in Kaerabani £01' about two years. He if; married to N oha, on.Q
of the female teachers in Maharo. They are all . three
62
SANl'AL MISSlON OF 'l'BE NOltTIiEJtli CHU1WHES.
good yo~ng people, willin~ to learn and pleasant to work
with. Among other things they ure all clever in both
Hindi ana Bengali, and that means much when the
majority of the patients speak one of these languages.
Mrs Nielsen came here ill, the middle of September, and
is a good help in the work. There is some talk of her
perhaps removing later to Benagaria, where she and
little Else can get their own horne. It is a great loss
to me also that we 110 longer have Sona amongst us;
it was snch a great sorrow :to be deprived of LeI'. She
died while Mr. Bodding was in Assam, after having
been ill for about ten days. She was ...1L good woman
and it will be . impossible to fill her placA. She had
begun to help in the d~pensary, and took much interest
in the work. I could entrust the administration of anae:ihetics entirely to her and I always felt easy when she
had the narcosis. And in the spiritual part of the work
she was an invaluable help and support. It is a faith~ul handmaiden of the Lord who has been called home.
I have a smart little female helper in Dimbu, who
. helps me specially with the women patients. She was
llurse to Kirsten Ska,t-Petersel~ till she went home.
_ The work of preaching in the dispensary, which has
as ,good as excl~ively lleell obliged to be in Bengali,
has been carl'ied 011 partly by two of the elders who
reside here in the compoulld, and partly Ly Sona and
U dai. \Ve have sold many gospel portions in Hindi
and Bengali and distributed gratis a large num her of tracts.·
Statistics
Consultations
New patients
OpeL'ations
Of these maj or ones
] 1,452
5,:261
212
22
FIFTY-FIRST ANNUAL
REPORT.
63
The patients belonged to different communities oJ'races
in the following proportions;Hindus
61 per cent
Santals
17'5"
"
Mohammedans
9'5 "
"
Christians.
12
"
"
61'5 per cent were men and 38'5 per cent women.
Once a week I have been in 1rIaharo and held consultations for people from the villages. Dhanon Joy, who
is an elder at Maharo, has preached to the patients in
Bengali. In addition I have seen to the school children
in cases of F;ickness. These together with those who live
in the compound make up over 200, and among such
a large flock there is almost constantly some one who
is sick. The school children are not included in the
above mentioned statistics. Miss Andresen has been in
].tlaharo the greater part of the year, and it has been
a great help and assurance to 111(' to know shf> was there
in cases of sickness.
rrhanks for all faithful intercessions and ,all co-opera,·
tion dnring the past year.
.
LITERATUHE.
Very little has been done during the year. An abric1ged edition of . the BillIe Stories, ~pecial1y intended fOl'
catechumens and infant schools, has been prepared and
issued. A fresh edition ~ the 10th) of our Hymn book
has been edited with fifteen new hymns. Other matters
are under preparatjon; Imt lack of time has proved an
insuperable obstacle to literary work.
• THE PRINTING PRESS
has also during the past year been fairly well occupied,
partly with printing forms etc. for public bodies, partly with
printing and binding for the Mission what we have needed.
64
SAN TAL MlgSION· OF THE NORTHERN
CHURCHES.
Among the work done for ourselves may be mentioned
the two books specified undel' Literature, as well as the
Annual Re}3ort, Daily Bible Readings, Oalendars and forms.
iOur printers are some of them getting old.
STATISTICS.
Number of Christians on 30th September 1917
20,281
Baptized from the heathen during the year
709
"
children of Christian parents
333
1,042
Deduct deaths
341
Net increase durin!.! the year
701
Number of Christians on 30th September ]918
20,982
'Ve tel1der grateful thanks to the Government of Bihar
and Orissa for their continued liberal grants-in-aid to our
Training schools and the Hostels connected with them, to
our village schools and Industrial school.
I would also most heartily thank, on behalf of our
whole Mission, all our supporters and friends in India
and the Home lands, in' Engl~nd, Scotland, Denmark,
Norway and Sweden, in, the United States of America,
and in New Zealand, both single individuals and Asso·
ciations, and especially all the Ladies' Associations, for
their faithful love, their prayers and their ,gifts.
I beg to thank those who have given so much time
and labour in connection with the cdilectiori of funds
for special purposes.
Our special tpanks are due to the executors of Sven
Foyn's Fund in )No'rJVay.
We are deeply grateful to all for their unflagging
interest, and it is our constant prayer that *1' Heavenly
Father will continue to bless and reward both now and
hereafter each and everyone who has" done aught.for
J eSllS Christ in connection with the Santal Mission.
P. O. BOpPING.
STATEMENT OF
ACCOUN~
66 SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES.
General Mission Account
.
Dr.
~: I~:
Rs.
RECEIPTS.
To Balance in hand on 30th September 1917 ...
I
I
" Norwegian Board, per J. Baklund, Esq.,
:£ 9,075·15·6 and Kr. 1,362.93
...
" Danish Board, :£ 6,719·16-4 and Kr 3,609·10.
" American Committee, per Prof. J. H. Ble·
... 19,457
gen, 6,500 dolla.rs and Rs 900
" The Da.nisb Church ill America, per Rev.
L. Henningsen, Solvang, Cal. :£ 228·15·0 3,018.
" Mrs. Anderson, Fargo, N. Dakota, 12 dol·
la.rs ...
32
~
" Rev. J N. Christensen, Palmers ton North,
N.,Z. £, 17·10·0
" The Misses Grimond, Blairgowrie, Scot·
...
land £, 4
" Miss Chalmers. Edinburgh,£, 1·1·0
" John Roxburgb, Esq .• per A. Warden, Eaq.,
L~verpool, :£ 1-18·5
,..
...
" Mr. ~ ~. Nielsen, Manager's commission
paldm
.••
•..
'J Last y.ear-'s W.ar Loan advances refunded
., Recruiting for Tea Gardens refurded
" A friend
••.
...
" Interest on War Bonds
,t Prin ting for others
" Books sold
...
" Thatching grass, fruit &C. sold
" Medical fees and medicines sold
...
" Ad vanees repaid ...
...
. ..
" From Inspectress of Schools for quinine for
...
Girls' School...
" Rent of Benagaria Post Office ...
" Govt. Grant-in·aid for Training schools
" Hostels
"" "
"
Village schools
"
"
"
Industrial school
" "
"
" Scholarships
t:
" "
"
6
3
8
10
A.
P.
43,444
12
0
1,24,477
96,056
2
3
9
2
22,508
11
2
328
6
9
6,~78
3
9
3,716
13
9
8,457
0
0
i
12
-- --
~
232
11
7
56
13
8
13
8
25
--- 500
60S
100
111
1,144
315
95
593
Bs.
5
0
6
--
0
6
0
12
1
0
0
0
6
0
6
9
0
0
11
9
5
141
0
100
12
0
0
0
°
--- --- -3,600
0
1,200
0
774
0
2,800 \ 0
83
0
0
°
0
0
0
- - - -- --
l~llollo
Carried forward Rs.
"'"'-
-(
~
lFIFTY.FIRSTAN:N'UAL REPORt'.
from. 1st October 1917 to 30th 8eptembe1' 1918.
EXPENDITURE.
...
By Missionaries
...
...
......
" Ebenezet StlLtion (including charges for
other parts of the field)
...
...
"Na.nkar and Sohor Elders 'and Bible
women
...
...
...
" Congregational and village schools
-
...
.. . ...
6
6
2,361
1,717
0
0
0
0
-- --
..1,392
5
6
9
0
5,285
1
0
6,995
891
317
1,868
1
0
8
0
0
0
0
--- -- --
...
...
,
P.
3,402
2,817
" Middle Field :. Elders and Bible women
in 15 stations
Yearly upkeep, rep~irs &c.
"
"
"
of ditto including 3 European stations, materials for repairs & building, Christma.s expen...
ses &c.
Dumka Bengali work ...
"
"
"
"
Municipa.l taxes ...
"
" Maharo Station
.. ,
"
"
i<.
2,540
8
0
1,341
14
0
1,238
12
0
370
0
0
--- -- --
" Chondol'pura Station: Elders and Bible
...
women
Yearly upkeep and
"
"
repairs
...
--- -- -
" Koroya & Majdih!lo Stations: Elders and
Bible women
Yearly up·
"
"
keep and re"
pairs
...
648
9
~
777
1
9
... - -621- -14 -0
...
" Tilabani Station : Elders
Yearly upkeep and repairs
"
,. Divinity School
...
" Bena.garia. Indnstrial School
" Dinajpur and MaJda Mission
...
...
Carried forward
743
Rs.
0
34:,185
11
P.
...
...
...
3,795
~
3
0
I
i
6 ;1
7,480
6
6
4,209
14
6
15,356
10
6
3,882
6
0
1,608
12
0
1,42,5
1l
0
1,364
14:
0
I
0
--0 ---1,287
0
., .
...
A.
6
--- -- --
"
" Western Field: Elders and Bible women in
Kaerabani and 6 sta...
...
tions
Yearly
upkeep and repairs
I,
"
.. '
of same ...
"
"
;-Bs.
1
" Eastern Field: Elders and Bible women
in 8 (:!tations
Yearly upkeep and repairs
"
"
"
...
of sanle .,.
"
A.
Rs.
-- -- 5,082 3 0
--...... ... ... 6,126 12 3
--5 --0
80,723
...... t ... ... ---
68 SANTAL MISSION OF THE NORTHERN CHURCHES
Dr.
.I"
To
RECEIPT8-eontin1Ua.
RB.
Br«sughu. forward
" IntereSt from Bank on current account
" Zemindary-net rent collected
A.
P.
A.
P.
3,05 J867 10
10
1
4:
0
B
RB.
1,440
2,670
"
.
."
. "".
Carried forward Bs.
----3,09,978 0
1
69
FIFTY·FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
Cr.
EXPENDITURE-continuetl.
Ha.
A.
P.
Brought forwa.rd
o
o
6
6
By Training schools : Teaohers ...
•..
Children's maintenance •••
"
"
"Na.tive doctor, compoun·
ders &c
Quinine for Girls' school
5,205
14,046
756
103
8
o
Bllilding at Kaera.bani ...
"
" Maharo
4,024
2,057
8
1
0
3
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
I,
"
"
"
" Sundry expenses in connection with adminis·
tration and supervision, travel &c.
" Special workers
...
•..
. ..
" Tea meetings at all sta.tions and tea. bought
.. .
for sa.me
" Cutting Tha.tching grass
.. .
" Horse, &a.ddle &c for Dr. Bogh's use
" Printing Press: Establishment
"
"
"
Materials
o
0
0
135
304
625
11
6
O.
1
0
0
1,339
1,832
0
13
0
6
575
693
200
7
2
0
7
0
0
"
"
"
"
Rent of Mission Stations
...
Missionaries' Income Tax
New missionaries setting up household
...
Materials (timber & tools)
"
:,
"
"
"
"
"
Medicines and Chemicals bought
...
Dumka, Maharo and Benagari!). Dispen!aries
...
Legal expenses
Inland Telegra.ms ...
...
Foreign
"
...
'Books, office necessaries and PostaO'e
Conference expenses, in part... 0
4,104
916
670
91
131
601
311
" Passages from and to Europe and America .. .
...
.. .
" Boxes fron. Norway...
" Missionaries'va.cation allowance
5233
213
3,550
12
200
80
299
369
50
23
0
0
8
0
0
43
7
8
99
45
10
6
6
6
...
,,' Auditors' fee for last year
" Bihar and Orissa Missionary Union
...
. ..
" Boad repairs
" Advances
...
...
" Loan to co·operative society at Tilabani
" Church expenses ...
...
" Agriculture
.. .
" Communion wine •.•
" Bank's charges for stamps
Carried forward
Rs.
1 19_ i7l
__
8
2
7
4
4
14
3
0
0
A. P.
80,723
5
0
20,110
14
6
6,081
9
3
1,344
8
6
1,497
1
1
3,171
13
6
1,739
11
6,826
15
8,996
15
o
1,210
0
8
1,31,702 14
2
o
432
6
Rs.
9
7
6
0
0
6
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
°
0
•••
70
SANTALJ;M.ISSION & THE NORTHERN ·OHURCHES.
Rs.
Brought forward
... 3,09,978
Total &s.
... 3,09978
A.
P.
0
1
--'-' -1
'0
BANK
Mercantile Banlc :
Interest to 26 ApriI19H~, 9 months
at 5 -p. c. p.a.
34,636
5 '6
1,298 13 6
Renewed for 9 months at 5 p. c. p. '8..
due 26 Jany 1919 (Pension Fund)...
AmoUnt on current account
. 20,000 0
Interest to 29 Nov 1917
132 10 0
°
Placed on deposit for 9 months at 5
p. c. p. an.
Interest to 29 August 1918
35,935 3 0
20,132 10 0
75415 3
/
Renewed for 1 year at 5 p. c. p. an
(Pension Fund)
Hongkong and Shanghai Bank:
Interest to 11 :ApriI1918, 1 year- at
5 p. c.
20,8879
3
3q,798. 14 6
1,539 15
0
Renewed for 1 year at 5p. c.(Pension Fund)
Placed on deposit for 6 months at 4
-p. c. p.an. 'on 5 Jan. 1918
14,000 0 0
Intei'eatto 5 July 1918
280' 00
32;338 13 6
t\
71
FIFTY-FIRST ANNU.!L ItEFORX.
Cr.
,
Brought for,ward
P.
...
BY Assam Colony, remitted Superintendent &
...
paid locally
, Tea Gardens, recruiting
......
~
&S.
EXPENDITU RE-conaluded.
......
9,624
670
I
6
0
..
4
P.
1,81,702
14
2
10,294
6
0
1,5M
2
3
0
... ...
12
,A.
0
- - - - --
" Zemindary-advanced'to co-shareholders for
.
......
...
...
l'Oad cess
" Lnvested ill War BOll(ls (added to Hospital
794
...
Fund)
...
...
... 1,07,299
" Placed in Banks on Fixed Deposit
&s.
I
3
6
--- - - ----- - 9
2
2,51,625 7
" Balance in hand
011
...
30th September 1918 ...
.......
...
...
......
.. . ...
l'otal &S.
1,08,094
0
58,352
8
-- 3,09,978 0
11
-
1
DEPOSITS.
Renewed for 1 year at 5 p. c.
. ..
Placed on deposit for 9 months at 4!
p, c. p. an. on 5 Jan. 1918
Placed (in deposit for 1 year at 5 p. c.
on 5 Jan. 1918
Floating account Balance on 30.Sept.
•••
. 1917 (Tea Gardens)...
Interest to,30. Nov;. 1917
; Additional cash deposited on 26 June
1918...
...
. ..
On deposit for 1 year at 5 p. c. due
27 June 1919 (Tea Garden fund) ...
Okarter6r/,rBtmk : Oash cil~oBited~ 2.9N0\').
1917 for 1 year at :> p. c.
Last year's deposit
"',
Inte~eBt to 3 March 1918~ 1 year at 5
p. c.
Renewed for 1 year at 5 p. c.
•••
Placed on deposit for 1 year at 5 p. c.
on 8 April 1918
14,280 0
°
13,000 0 0
13,421 0 9
675 0 0
27 0 4
10,000
°
0
10,702
10,000
21,934 8 10
4
°
°°
1,096 11 6
23,031
4 4
6,878
3 9
... MWf"""'4"'(fJ"-fWl
72 SANTAL M1Sh
~ .. '
11111~lllijti~S~~it~ililllllll ~ .'
3 9002 10638 2519
Placed on deposit for 1 year at 5 p. c.
on 27 May 1918 (Buildingb Fund) •••
Do
(Hospital Fund)
.
Interest to 26 July 1918 for 1 year
at 5 p.c ...•
Additional cash on 26 July 1918 ...
Now invested in Indian War Loan
BondR of 1928 at 5t p. c. p. a.
r CHURCHES.
13,528 12 11
40,000 0 0
676 6 10
794 12 3
15,000 0 0
P. O. BODDING.
Secretary and Treasurer.
Certified that we have checked the books of the Santal Mission of the Northern
Churches for the year to the 30th September 1918 as follows :~rhe General Oa.,l" Book has beeu examined with the subsidiary books and vouchers
and found correct. The Bank Pass Book has been checked and agreed as at f
30th September 1918, also the Cash Balance in hand was counted and the Ba.nkl~
Deposit Receipts were examined as on 30th September 1918.
The Toa Oa1'aen Aooount, will be audited and certified separately.
The Ooltmy Oasl" Book has been checked as follows: All remittances from the MissiDn .
h ave been seen to be duly entered, such vonchers as are available have been examined, l
.11 postings of the LOll.n Books have been checked, and the total ba.lance of Lorms and De- \
posits outstanding has been agreed therewith.
I
Zemintla1"!I. We have checked the total Rent Receipts with the Gomasta's detailed
returns, a.nd agreed the receipts shown in the General Cash Book therewith.
(Sd)
LOVE LOOK and LEWES.
Clla'l'terea Ac()oJlntantl.
Calcutta, 15th October i918.
1