Chapter 19: In the Most Central City of South America

TOWARDS the end of March, 1902, I left Rio, de Janeiro for a cross-country journey with the Bible to Cuiabá, the most central city of South America, I had for my companion my own brother George and a native worker called Diniz. After over four months’ travel, including a thousand miles on horseback, selling large numbers of Scriptures en route, and meeting with many incidents and adventures by the way, we reached the aforesaid city. After a short delay we started the work as related in the following extracts from my diary:
August 29th. — At last! We commenced our canvass about nine o’clock and worked till dusk, each taking an allotted district or street. We found the people remarkably well disposed; and though our first day’s work was in a poor part of the town, near the river front, our sales were unusually good, Lu, twenty-two Bibles and thirty-nine Testaments. Met with no opposition at all, though a few were suspicious and frightened, so we were encouraged and gladdened.
August 30th. — Continued our work in another extremity of the city, in a poor district. The weather hot and trying with such heavy bags of books, yet without any real difficulty we disposed than four Bibles and forty-three Testaments, besides scattering tracts and Gospels freely and preaching the Gospel in many houses.
August 31st. — Passed a quiet Sunday in our new quarters, but the priests are stirred up like a hornet’s nest, and are very busy trying to undo our work. The bishop has published a special pastoral against us and our books, but nobody seems the worse, though it is bound to raise some little opposition for the next few days.
George and I visited a Swedish Professor of Botany, sent here upon some work of exploration. He seemed a clever fellow, showed us the drawings of several new plants he had discovered, and talked heaps of botany; but when we ventured to speak of salvation immediately his whole demeanor changed, and though our remark was a very quiet and reasonable one he instantly bundled us out of his house without ceremony, slamming the door behind us. Much botany had made him mad, poor man! He thinks more of his little dead microscopic specimens than of the great, living and all-wise Creator Himself.
September 1st. — Today we tackled the center of the city, where the merchants and richer classes live, among whom I found much unbelief, indifference, and Spiritism. But in spite of this and some uncivil treatment on the part of one or two, the book sales were excellent, amounting to eight Bibles and forty-three Testaments. During the day George and Diniz visited the large military hospital and made a free distribution of Gospels among the sick soldiers and sentries.
September 2nd. — Had a very good day’s work in the center of the city, with plenty of opportunities to testify and speak of the Word of God, notwithstanding the efforts of the priests to hinder us. Our sales today were eleven Bibles and forty-five Testaments. That evening we held our first open-air meeting in the city. It was in a little narrow street near the river port, and we had quite a large and attentive meeting, in spite of the heat. No interruption whatever, although there was very plain speaking on our part.
September 3rd. — Good work continues, and street by street, house by house, the city is gradually being canvassed and evangelized at the same time. Some receive us gladly, but generally some tact and persuasion are necessary to gain one’s end.
September 4th. — The sales continue to be up to the average, thank God! We are wonderfully blessed, and are amazed at the remarkable results. Our open-air meeting today was held near the Bishop’s Palace. There were very few people present, but deep interest was betrayed by several. At all the meetings we make free distribution of Gospels and Gospel tracts.
September 5th. — Sales today were twelve Bibles and thirty-two Testaments. In the evening we held a meeting in the Largo da Matriz, an important open square opposite the Cathedral, and some fifty or sixty people gathered around, evidently astonished at so unprecedented a method. Many scoffed, while others were attracted. We were told that after this meeting the priests came out of the Cathedral and sprinkled holy water about the spot, to drive away the “evil and contaminating influence” of our presence!
Today I called on the President of the State and presented him with a Bible on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He received me very courteously and made some inquiries about our journey; indeed, everybody seems astonished at the undertaking.
Afterwards I visited one of the leading representatives of the Catholic priesthood, an old, kindly‑
looking man of eighty-two. After a long talk on different topics, beating round the bush — for he was evidently nervous and suspicious — he showed me his library, which included a translation of Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” Then I offered him a new Testament, and on his hesitating to touch it I went to some trouble to prove that it was the same Testament that the Pope himself used (or should use!), being a translation of the Vulgate. He then said he could not read the Testament after officiating for so many years as a Catholic priest, and he was too old to change his religion. “What would people say,” he asked pathetically, “if I were to do so?” I gave him my testimony, and he listened attentively. Finally he accepted a large-type Testament from me, and on our parting he wished me well and prayed that God would bless our work and prosper us. An extraordinary interview! Poor old man! He is a canon of the Church of Rome, but in a happier condition than the Protestant Swedish professor with his dried leaves, and equally dry heart.
I also visited the barracks today and sold quite a number of books to the soldiers and to some prisoners there.
September 6th. — We practically concluded our canvass today, finishing up a few remaining corners and suburbs; and of all those three great boxes of Scriptures we have only six Bibles, six Testaments and some Gospels left. Diniz visited the State Prison and distributed some Gospels among the convicts. We sold the remainder of our books in Cuxipó, where we found more purchasers than we had books to supply.
And thus in eight days we so aroused the apathetic people of Cuyabá that we sold ninety Bibles, three hundred and fifteen Testaments, and seventy Gospels, besides making a free distribution of a few Testaments and over six hundred Gospels, or about one thousand one hundred copies in all.
Having disposed of my big troop of animals for more than their original cost, within a few days our little party was steaming down the Cuyabá river en route for Buenos Aires about two thousand miles below us.