Key. J. H, Bernau’s Mission. 
205 
the times for prayers and called the people to »Sunday services, which 
always caused a certain amount of excitement in tne peaceful well- 
regulated Mission and lent it an unusually gay appearance. Already 
by sunrise a number of corials and boats coulu be seen on the Essequibo 
and Mazaruni hurrying to the Mission with clean clothed coloured folk, 
.Negroes, and neighbouring Arawuks, and soon reaching the landing-stage, 
brought the devout worsnippers to church. Subdued and still, the 
attentive congregation, sat and listened in the hall of prayer to the 
simple childlike sermon of their brave shepherd. I shall never forget 
how deeply impressed 1 was with the singing of the Mission community, 
particularly of the boys and girls, which was as soft as it was inspiring 
and spirited. Mr. Bernau took the afternoon service in the Arawak 
language. Sunday being Life’s liower-stage, Saturday already disclosed 
the buds : for in the morning many of the boys, many of the girls, were 
to see their parents, their brothers and sisters, or relatives. Sunrise had 
not yet proclaimed the Sabbath morn before the children, tilled with a 
presentiment of delight at seeing their own people again, searched the 
smooth waters in the direction whence those they longed for had to come, 
and if a corial came into view, their sharp eyes would recognise in the 
remote distance those whom they expected. The Indians have been 
repeatedly reproached for loveless sentiments and want of sympathy 
towards their children : yet the conceited look of the father and inward 
joy of the mother whose gaze complacently rested upon the daintily 
dressed boy or girl expressed the surest signs of paternal pride and purest 
maternal love. The parents never forgot to bring some tit-bit or other 
for their own pets, and the well-tilled basket would be readily opened 
and faithfully shared so as to cheer the sad and depressed looks of the 
poor orphans w ho had no father or mother to care for them. If the 
parents of children staying at the Mission brought a younger brother or 
sister with them, the big black eyes of the naked little savage would 
look covetously upon its brother’s or other pupil’s clean clothes, and 
gaze in wonder upon all the neat dwellings, yet one could plainly read 
in its looks what it felt in its heart : “It’s all very nice here — but it is 
far nicer in our forests : now r and never would T change with you !” I 
managed to watch the young Mission pupils all day long and noted wdth 
what childish pride they showed their little brothers and sisters all the 
sights of the Institution and, leading them into the dormitory and 
schoolroom, tried to give explanations for everything. The coloured 
people and Negroes left the Station directly service was over: many 
of the Indians followed them only next morning. 
062. After Hancock and T had settled down to rest one evening we 
were aroused from sleep by a loud knocking at the door, and there stood 
Mr. Glaseott who we naturally thought was about to announce my 
brother’s arrival — but we w r ere mistaken. After our leaving the latter 
with his division his captain had been suddenly taken seriously ill and 
as the Indians maintained that onwards from Manari w here the overland 
trip w r as to commence, the Expedition would be beset with a number of 
difficulties, it wms decided that Mr. Glaseott, one of the worst w'alkers of 
the party, the sick captain, and the unnecessary chronometers that might 
