In the Savannah river.--Landed.--A prayer meeting
on the top of a hill.--German Christians.--The
Indians.--Tomo Chachi and his squaw.--Their
welcome to Mr. Wesley.--A jar of milk and a jar of
honey.
AT last storms and dangers were over, and the good ship "Simmonds"
floated safely in the smooth waters of the Savannah river. You can find
this on your map. They cast anchor near a little island called Tybee
Island, where beautiful pine trees grew all along the shore.
The first thing they did on landing was to go to the top of a hill,
kneel down together, and thank God for bringing them safely across the
ocean. You remember Noah's first act after leaving the ship that God put
him into when the world was drowned, was to offer a sacrifice of
thankfulness for God's care over him. And when Abraham got safely into
the strange land to which God sent him, the first thing he did was to
offer sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. In the same way the little
missionary band from England showed their reverence and gratitude to the
God who rules earth, sky, and sea.
When they got to the town of Savannah they found it a very small place.
There were only about forty houses, besides a church, a prison built of
logs of wood, and a mill where everybody took their corn to be ground.
I told you, if you remember, that besides the poor English exiles there
were a number of German Christians. These were called Moravians, and
they were so glad to have a minister that they came to meet Mr. Wesley,
and told him how pleased they were to see him. Mr. Wesley and one of his
friends lived with them in Savannah for a long time, and they soon found
what earnest real Christians they were, true followers of the Lord
Jesus. You know it is the people you live with that know you the best,
and this is what Mr. Wesley wrote about these Moravians. "We were in the
same room with them from morning till night, except when we went out for
a walk. They were never idle, were always happy, and always kind to one
another. They were true copies in all things of their Saviour Jesus
Christ." Was not that a splendid character to have, and would it not be
nice if those whom we live with could say the same of us?
There was something near Savannah that you would have liked to see,
especially the boys, and that was an Indian town. If there was one
thing more than another that drew Mr. Wesley to Georgia it was the
Indians. I expect, like you, he had loved to read and hear about them;
now he had a chance to see them. But what he longed for most of all was
to tell them about Jesus, and to get them to become Christians. The
Indians lived in tents or tepees as they are called, and a number of
these tepees all put up close together was called a town; one of these
towns was only about twenty minutes' walk from Savannah.
After Mr. Wesley had been a week or two in America, who should come to
see him but the Indian chief. Think how excited Mr. Wesley would be! The
chief's name was Tomo Chachi, and he came looking so grand in all his
war paint, with his great feather head-dress, and moccasins made of
buffalo skin, ornamented with pretty coloured beads, just as you have
seen them in pictures.
Mr. Wesley thought he must dress up too, to receive his distinguished
visitor, so he put on his gown and cassock, and down he went to see Tomo
Chachi. Of course Mr. Wesley did not understand the Indian language, but
there was a woman who did, and she acted as interpreter. "I am glad you
are come," said Tomo Chachi. "I will go up and speak to the wise men of
our nation, and I hope they will come and hear you preach."
Then Tomo Chachi's wife, or squaw as she is called, who had come with
her husband, presented the missionaries with a jar of milk. She meant by
this that she wanted them to make the story of Jesus Christ very plain
and simple so that they could understand it, for she said "we are only
like children." Then she gave them a jar of honey, and by this she meant
that she hoped the missionaries would be very sweet and nice to them.
Then Tomo Chachi and his squaw went back to their tepee.
A few months after, Mr. Wesley had a long talk with another tribe of
Indians, a very wicked tribe called the Chicasaws; but they would not
allow him to preach to them. They said: "We don't want to be Christians,
and we won't hear about Christ." So Mr. Wesley had to leave them and go
back disappointed to Savannah.
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