Book Description

Title:

Missionary labours in British Guiana, with remarks on the manners, customs, and superstitious rites of the Aborigines

Author:

John Henry Bernau

Publication Year:

1847

Location:

London

Publisher:

John Farquhar Shaw

Pages:

242

Subjects:

Christian Mission, Guyana

Copyright Holder:

Public domain

Contents

• Preface

1. British Guiana—Boundaries, first settlement—Surrender to Great Britain—Productions, Climate
2. Geology—Natural history
3. Probable origin of the Indians—Similarity of customs with those of the islanders in the Pacific—Distinguishing characteristics from other heathen nations—Principal tribes in British Guiana
4. Habits of these tribes—Their ingenuity in preserving game and fish—Their mode of making bread, and preparing their dinner—Structure of huts, and powers of endurance
5. Redeeming qualities in the Indian's character—His is belief in a supreme Being and the immortality of the soul—Law of revenge—Ceremonies at funerals differing—Procedure in finding out a supposed murderer—No religious rites, marrfage—Moral sense deteriorated by custom
6. Missionary labours among the Indians on the rivers Berbice and Corantyn by the Moravians
7. Policy of the British towards the Indians—First commencement of a mission by the Church Missionary Society—Plan pursued by the first missionaries—Promising prospects of the mission—Difficulties and discouragements
8. The writer's labours in Derbice among the emancipated negroes—Difficulties and dangers—Conversations with a Jewish rabbi and an infidel—Relinquishment of the mission
9. Commencement of missionary labours among the Indians—Difficulties, and the method adopted for overcoming them—Marriage introduced—Schools, and the blessing attending them
10. Missionary labours of the Rev. T. Youd, in the interior of British Guiana—Interference of the Brazilians—Relinquishment of Pinara—and Urwa—Forming of a new settlement at Waraputa—Military expedition to Pinara—Death of the Rev. T. Youd—Rev. J. Pollitt—Mr. Edward Christian—Languishing state of that mission
11. Blessing attending Missionary labours at the Grove—Franzen and his children—Method of training and educating the children—Discipline at school and church
12. Training of native teachers—Mode of answering objections relating to the doctrines of the resurrection of the body, and the holy Trinity—Extracts from the writer's journal—Travels in the interior, and dangers attending them—The Indian's ingenuity in catching turtle—Dangers from reptiles—Contributions to the building of the chapel—Difficulty in procuring a livelihood—Purchase of communion plate and bell—Proposed plan of Government to civilise the Indians, and probable results
13. Conversion of a conjurer—Revolting instance of infanticide—Conversion of a chief and his people—The knowledge of medicine and surgery subservient to obtain their confidence—Force of Christian principle illustrated—Interposition of Divine Providence—Failure of the writer's health—Visit to and return from the West India isles—His return to the mission, and disappointment attending it—Mrs. Bernau's death—The writer's return to England
14. Letters from Indian boys during their apprenticeship—Letters from children at school—Combined causes threatening the total extinction of the aboriginal race—Appeal—The Lord's Prayer in the Arrawak language

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