158 THOMAS J. COMBER. 
the tribute of gratitude and affection paid by redeemed 
Africans. 
‘‘ I am very, very sorry to hear that my dear master 
is dead, and to hear that you did not see him before 
he died. Oh dear ! when I think of him, it make me 
very grieved, how kind he had been to me, kind as a 
father would be to his sons and to everybody. He 
left his beautiful home and all his friends in England, 
and came out to our bad country for our sake, to help 
us to love and serve our Saviour, Jesus. I cannot tell 
you what sorrow I feel when I think I no longer hear 
my dear master’s voice on earth, though I know he 
is gone to Heaven. God want him in Heaven. 
I must close this now. My God will comfort your 
heart.’’ So wrote Mantu, the first Christian convert 
in Congo, to Mr. Percy Comber. 
Since Mr. Comber baptised Mantu, a Christian 
Church has been formed at San Salvador ; Matoko, 
Don Miguel, his earliest friends, are now, with others, 
rejoicing in that Saviour’s love, of which the mission- 
ary was the first to tell them. And from that Church 
is going forth the Light into the surrounding dark- 
ness. ‘‘ We have sat in conference among ourselves,” 
report these native Christians, ‘‘ and we have sent one 
man to go and preach the good news of Jesus Christ 
in the towns that are near us ; from the church he 
goes out, others also go out into the towns on the 
Lord’s day ; we wish all the people in our country to 
know our Saviour, who came to die for us. We have 
a hope that before this year is ended, many people 
will come and join themselves to our Church by the 
help of God. Truly the work here is making 
progress ; there are many things, we drink them in 
sorrow, but we know that God listens to our prayer, 
and is very near to us always, therefore we cannot see 
fear. Now, our brethren, we pray you (the friends to 
whom this communication was sent) to remember us 
in your prayers. We also shall not forget you. If 
here on earth we shall not see one another, there is 
