'Niels (also spelled Nils) Otto Tank, known mostly as Otto Tank, was born on March 11, 1800 on his family's country estate of Rod, Halden, Norway. His father, Carsten Tank, was from an influential family and served as Minister of Finance on the governing council of Norway in 1814. Tank was educated in Moravian Church schools in Norway and England and became a member of that church some time between 1825 and 1833.The Moravian Church sent him to head the church-run firm of Spielwerg & Company at the Moravian Church settlement in Christiansfeld, Denmark, from 1834-41.[For a detailed description of Tank's role as a missionary see: Killough, 1996]

Otto Tank married Marianne Dorothea Frueauf in 1838 in Herrnhut, Germany, the headquarters of the Moravian Church. The church elders judged Otto Tank suitable to fill the need for an administrator for church-owned Kersten & Company in Suriname. Tank was ordained deacon in the Moravian Church before leaving for Suriname. The Tanks arrived in Suriname in September 1842. Two years later Marianna Tank died and Otto Tank asked to return to Europe with his daughter Mary. However, shortly before his departure the head of the Moravian Church in Suriname, Wilhelm Treu, died, and Tank was asked to fill his position until May 1847 when additional missionaries arrived. From Suriname, Tank travelled to New York via many other Caribbean islands and reported on the conditions of the black population in comparison to Suriname. 

In August 1849 Tank married Caroline van der Meulen of Amsterdam in Zeist, the Netherlands, and together with Tank's daughter Mary, they moved to Green Bay (then Fort Howard), Wisconsin, U.S.A. There Tank spent the rest of his days until he died in 1864, one year after the emancipation of the slaves in Suriname.[For details of Tank's life in Wisconsin, see Killough 2000.]

Tank's diaries translated here record his experiences while visiting outlying mission posts in Suriname and several islands in the Caribbean. He made these journeys with a great deal of enthusiasm and recorded his experiences in a lively and precise way, although through the prism of an ardent Christian missionary. The lively reports that follow speak for themselves.

Mission News of the Moravian Church [All texts come from Missions-Blatt aus der Bruedergemeine , hereafter MB, 1846-48, Stuttgart, and are translated by Mary Killough]. Suriname 1846 [MB 10(7) 54-56.]

(From the report of Brother [Members of the Moravian Church address each other as Brother and Sister.] Tank, resident in Paramaribo, about a trip to New Bambey  [The Moravian Mission Post, Bambey, or Bamby, sometimes spelled Bambay by Tank,(meaning rest or refreshment in Sranan Tongo), on the upper Suriname River, was established in 1774 on the right bank of the river (Gwafoe Bamby); in 1786 it was moved to the left bank (Wana, or New Bambey) and from 1819-1848 it was again on the right bank at another location farther downstream (Gingee or Gingin- church bell- Bambey). It was actually Gingee Bambey, not New Bambey, which Tank visited in 1845. From correspondence with Dr. Just Wekker, cartographer, July 10, 1989. See also: H. G. Steinberg, Ons Suriname: De zending der  Evangelische Broedergemeente in Nederlandsch Guyana (The Hague: N.V. Algemeene Boekhandel voor inwendige en uitwendige Zending, 1933) Appendix: Map 16.], in May and June 1845) 

The sad news of the demise of Brother Rasmus Schmidt in New Bambey necessitated a visit there, and I was given the task of doing that. The evening of May 17 I began my journey by water, accompanied by several negro brothers and young boys. We progressed very quickly on our trip and already reached the military post at Joden Savanna [Jews Savanna] before the following evening. Bush Negroes are subjected to a thorough inspection at the military post.

Since it was Sunday we kept our little boats as close together as possible in order to be able to conduct devotions. We ended the day at a small timber plantation right above the military post with an hour of songs, then we went to bed in our hammocks. I was deeply moved when my traveling companions, lying in their hammocks, began to sing the songs familiar to them from New Bambey. They continued this with heartfelt devotion for quite some time.

The following morning we gathered under an unusually beautiful tree in whose shade a thousand people could easily have congregated, one which is worshipped as a holy tree by the heathens. There I found the opportunity to have a serious discussion with my companions. This seemed to make quite an impression on them. Then we continued onwards for five and a half hours, holding our morning prayers on the water. As we approached our missionary station at Berg en Dal [Moravian mission on the Suriname River for Bush Negroes, 1841-49.] the church bells provided a friendly greeting for us from the other side of the river, and soon we could hear the harmonious singing of the assembled congregation. They were celebrating the second day of Pentecost. We disembarked among the white-clad negro brothers and sisters there, and I addressed a few words to them after their service ended. 

The following noon we reached Victoria. Brother Raethling had baptized ten persons into the death of Jesus the day before. The friendly director of the plantation, a Jewish man, greatly praised the improvement among his sixty to seventy Negroes which had resulted from their religious instruction. I was hungry and had the chance to try two new meat dishes with the Negroes for the first time. The new food was the result of their hunt the day before. It required a bit of self control for me to try it. One dish was iguana, a large green lizard- very tasty. 

Beyond Victoria the entire valley had been transformed into a mighty river, which flowed onward, forming whirlpools and covering all but a few of the rocks and islands that you could normally see in the dry season. We overnighted at Hamwatra, below the waterfall, where we were joined by our Negro brother, Franz, from the village Tiatja.

On the 21st we reached the place where the waterfalls normally begin. But given the present water level, they were not visible for the most part. We tried to make our way on upwards through a side channel. The ability of the Negroes to work their way up over a waterfall is really fantastic. The complete fearlessness and dexterity with which they expose themselves to the raging river, in an almost playful manner, provides a very intriguing drama. Everything depends on the proper positioning of the body. With unbelievable power and presence of mind the Negro plays in the raging elements like an amphibian and swims in the foaming currents. In this manner they lift and pull the corjals [10. Boats or canoes made of hollowed-out logs; Dutch korjaal.] up the enormous expanse of the river at places where it is not possible to row. Everything depends on placing the boat in the right direction in the river and being able to escape dangerous situations quickly. The two Negroes bringing up the rear saved the heavily loaded corjal, which had been lifted over the rocks, by pulling back on it just as the two people in front had lost their footing in the water and the strength to hold onto it as well. 

That evening we arrived at a deserted working area where there were two houses. The owner of the better of the two had put a pagan symbol in front of the door to indicate that no one should enter that house. The next morning we detoured around the upper waterfall via a side channel, where the boat had to be carried over the rocks with a great deal of effort. We struggled onwards against the raging river, passing the river banks which were thickly carpeted with countless vines hanging from the high crowns of the trees of this tropical forest. Intertwined in these vines were fruits and flowers, and they framed our entire view. 

The banks of the river beyond Sara Creek are flat and covered thickly with a growth of tall trees. On a small island we refreshed ourselves with the fruit of the homolo tree, which bears a small plum the Negroes like very much. Soon after this we reached the pineapple plot. The entire plot, even the rotten tree trunks under the high trees, is covered with pineapple plants, but the fruit only grows to the size of a fist. The plant has long, sharp leaves. This plant, which is worth so much in Europe, grows all over here. 

Further upstream the Negroes showed me the place in the river where our departed Brother Hans Wied had erected a stone. Towards 4 o'clock we passed a large flat rock in the river where our departed Brother Rasmus Schmidt had celebrated Christmas Eve with his companions in 1840. The hut was entirely covered with a mass of vines, and for this reason we looked for another hut further upstream where we could spend the night. (Continuation follows.)

Brother Tank's Journey to New Bambey. (Continuation) [11. MB (10)7: 61-62.]

The decaying, deserted houses are built on lovely white sand, and the entire place is strewn with Obia (idolatrous objects). These are sticks which are fixed in the ground and split at the top. Something is stuck into the slit which is supposed to catch spirits. Spirits are sometimes banished underneath rocks. They are said to grow in planted bananas and to be present in all types of basketry interwoven with certain kinds of wood. In my holy zeal I kicked over one of those rotten branches which was standing in the way. In order to avoid trouble with the inhabitants, I smoothed over this defamation of their gods by giving several small gifts to the people on our return journey.

We had lost the oil for our lamp by accident, so we used resin, which gives a nice flame. We held our devotions every evening using this fuel for illumination. On this evening we could sense a special closeness to Jesus, and we went to sleep very late. Job listened to the explanation of the history of his Old Testament namesake with lively pleasure. In general all the Negroes try to absorb and understand the explanations they hear with lively curiosity. They are especially interested in what they hear about their fellow Negroes in other countries. Their happy mood is most attractive. I really regret that I can understand so little of their conversation with one another. 

On May 23, we attempted to make a detour around the Padra [Probably Pada-sula, according to correspondence with Just Wekker, July 10, 1989.] Waterfall through small channels. In contrast to our otherwise pleasant trip through the dark woods, we were now greeted very aggressively by a swarm of wasps from a tree trunk which lay in our path. We were happy that our battle with them was over quickly. We then saw some glorious white hupru [Hoop oil tree (copaifera guainensis), protected today by the government because of the healing properties of the oil, from correspondence with Just Wekker, December 13, 1989.] trees, which formed beautiful giant bouquets of more than one hundred feet in circumference and which created a lovely contrast to the unending green and blinding bright yellow of the majestic greenheart trees. During the dry season the greenheart trees tower above the forest like blinding torches, since you can see only flowers on this giant tree and not a single leaf. The giant acacia as well, with foot-long pods, graces the forest with its glorious red blossoms.

Soon after we had circumvented a six to seven foot high waterfall  by using a side channel, we got to the famous eighteen-foot high Sissabo Waterfall. It is very steep and, at one spot only, has a flat rock over which the unloaded boots can be carried. This is dangerous because of the slippery water grass which grows on the rocks. Many a boot and its cargo have gone to ruin here. Because of my experience in my Norwegian homeland, I had brought a long rope along, which we attached to the first corjal. It proved to be a great help for pulling the boats up and letting them down. I almost had to force the Negroes to use the rope, as they stuck firmly to their own methods. In one and a half hour's time we managed to climb up above the waterfall, and we continued among lovely groups of islands.

In this region I met a Negro by the name of Jan, who had been baptized as a child and whose family lived in Bambey; he himself is going astray. He helped us get over several waterfalls and then presented us with a fish. My admonitions seemed to make no impression on him.The Negroes can be cunning and mistrustful. One place we stopped, when I was patting a small child, the mother asked me very seriously whether I had come to torment her child. This is the treatment black slaves most often expect from the Whites. This gave me a good opportunity to tell them of the love our Savior for children, and when I demonstrated my love by handing out little gifts to the young people assembled there to listen, the entire little group cheered us joyfully and wished us happiness and blessings. 

We set up our night camp close to the Batra Waterfall, filled with thanks to our dear Lord, who had helped us so well over the most difficult part of our journey. We hung our hammocks under a roof made of pineapple leaves in an area where the rice was being grown. We gratefully dined on a large iguana, which much have weighed ten pounds. Then we held our evening service among the rice stalks as tall as a man.

Journey of Brother Tank to New Bambey (Continuation) [ MB 10(7)76.]

We climbed a hill through the low shrubbery, and there I caught sight of a friendly-looking, if not exactly neatly-organized, little village in front of me. At one end of the village was a nice little church and the mission house, in which I found our, in good health even though sad in spirit. [15. Her husband had died recently.] This little place lies on the ridge of a massive hill; between the rows of houses a broad street leads to the church and to the mission buildings, whose roofs and walls are made of leaves woven in a decorative fashion. Only the church has walls of split ceder. A sturdy fence of split logs encloses the garden of the mission house and an area planted with sugar cane, bananas, coffee trees and other fruit trees. 

The broad paths leading to the brook, from which drinking water is brought, and to the cemetery and other places are covered with neatly-kept gravel. The garden plots for planting rice, corn, and other things which the Negroes have planted for their teachers are located where Old Bambey used to be. The graves of deceased missionaries are marked by two stones. The  many fruit trees that are still standing there are an indication that Europeans have lived here at one time because the Negroes seldom remain long enough in one place to plant very many trees. [Conclusion not available]

Mission News, Tuesday, March 30,1847 [ MB11(7) Suriname Correspond53-55] ence from Brother Otto Tank Paramaribo, November 20, 1846 

Our work is progressing extremely well, by the grace of the Lord, so that there remains little else to do before we will be able to open up the plantations to Christian instruction. This seems to be happening almost automatically. Our concern is to cover this broad  field and take care of our duties properly. The powerful hand of God is visible in the overwhelming rush of Negroes to join the Church. On many plantations hundreds of them are asking to be enrolled in these lessons; on some, all Negroes without exception desire instruction.

It is even a greater miracle when you consider what it costs heathens to give up their idols, to renounce their festivities, and to subject their behavior to church discipline. When you see them do all of that with such great pleasure, and when in several larger, newly-opened places they go to church for the first time, or when only on the basis of what they have heard from other Negroes they proclaim the Lord Jesus as their Lord and God and profess their belief in Him, then you must cry out in astonishment: God has done that! (Psalms 64,10) Those are His ways. Even if many drop away, it is still a great blessing! There are many we cannot always observe, who go about in a fine and orderly manner and remain faithful to their church! 

Our city congregation creates the most problems for us nowadays. Much of the trouble must be ascribed to the unfortunate conditions here and how difficult it is to take care of each individual soul when we are faced with numbers approaching the thousands! The rush to join the church continues; thirty-four new persons were registered last Sunday alone. 

Several weeks ago when a public announcement was made for all baptized children who had not yet made their first communion to come to confirmation instruction, many other children who were baptized in other churches came to register, in addition to hundreds from our church. Children rained down on us just like ripe plums from a tree in autumn. That is the group that has the greatest need, and we accept them all the more willingly. The ten new brothers and sisters who are expected to arrive any day now will find their work cut out for them. 

In the postscript Tank notes: Sister Voigt is still busy with the instruction of the children at Andresa [Moravian mission on a logging estate on the Coppename River, established 1842. Steamships went up the river as far as Andresa to pick up lumber. From correspondence with Just Wekker, July 10, 1989.] Plantation on the Coppename River. Sister Hartmann is doing the same at Plantation Berg en Dal on the upper Suriname River. She made a trip from there to visit the savages at Sara Creek and remained all alone for eight days among them. She reports from there that she feels as much at home among these people as she would with her dear brothers and sisters.

Mission News  Tuesday, June 8, 1847  [ MB 11(12)93-97.] Correspondence of Brother Otto Tank with the Editor [19. Brother Passavant, former missionary to Suriname.]

Paramaribo, February 22, 1847

Dear Brother,

You really took me by surprise in your correspondence of July of last year, which only reached me at the end of December. It will not be easy to take up your invitation to answer you publicly, because my free Norwegian spirit often finds it difficult to move within the constraints of the depressed spirits of a slave population such as we work with and because I fear spoiling our work by expressing ideas prematurely. Furthermore, it would seem a shame to do so at the beginning of our work here, especially when I read what is written about missionary work in our days and I think back on the strength of our brothers who worked here earlier.I turn to this verse for support: Their tone was soft, and yet things were accomplished. [Tank's note says: Brgesgb. 1419,2, possibly referring to the Moravian Hymn Book.] 

How little we read in the Acts of the Apostles about the effects of the missionary work of Philip, Peter or Paul! There is only something by Paul about the reception they got when they returned to Jerusalem or Antioch after their travels. But I admit that our time here is different from the one our predecessors lived through. It is an unusual time, whose beginning you witnessed. Those beginnings are now expanding rapidly. We are now experiencing the harvest from the tears sown here one hundred years ago in the face of ridicule and disdain. To a great extent we have attained our goal of opening the plantations to instruction for the slaves. The opportunity is there for the Negro to hear the word of God. 

If the Spaniards called their occupation by soldiers and missionaries of this large territory of South America between the valleys of the Orinoco and the Amazon Rivers spiritual conquests, then we are even more justified in calling our work the answer to prayer. For many times in the last several years the requests by Negroes have opened up the plantations for us and at several of them, namely at Drie Gebroeders, Vertrouwen, Wayampibo, Zorgvliet, Schoonoord and others, we see a life sprouting forth from God. 

One hundred years ago our brothers called their work among the native Indians [Known as Amer-Indians in the region.] an "early harvest". They went out to see if the seed would ripen. This time it is not the same for our Negroes. It is no longer the time of a first harvest, but barns are being filled; the Word is being spread; the leaven has penetrated the mass; the net that was thrown out is full and must be dawn up on all sides. The angels have been busy with the harvest of fish for a long while, and that took place in silence, so that even if mission reports had been legion, they would still not have been able to report this.

The plantations which have been opened just recently are examples of how the entire population has been prepared by the Lord. The desire for instruction is everywhere, the push to learn to read and write. Even in places that are not yet open to us, the Negroes who can read, who learned it on their own, and who study the Holy Word, travel great distances just to hear something about the Word. Indeed, are these not the proper spiritual conquests and access to Christian instruction by the goodness of the heart of God in answer to the petitions of the Blacks? Who is it who wants to push us out again?

Even among the Bush Negroes, where poor Brother Meissner is almost always sick- in one year there he experienced five serious illnesses and was only able to go on a trip once - even there the work does not go undone, and the angels jubilate in many a dark meadow. Also, among the other tribes of Bush Negroes, among the Aucas at Sara Creek where Sister Hartmann spent eight days, things are progressing. She was as happy among the savages as if she were among the brothers and sisters, even though at the time nobody had even been baptized yet. It was only on December 28 that the first Auca Negress, Affiba, the wife of Franz Bona, who is well known to you, joined the congregation in baptism.

You have heard about the visit of the agent of the English Bible Society, MacMurray.[22. In a footnote quotations from the Bible (Revelations 3,8) and Isaiah (43,13,6) are given. ] I took him along on a trip right away to the free Bush Negroes, and, as he had travelled for eleven years among the Negroes of the English colonies, he was happy to see them here in their original state, just as if they were on the banks of the Niger River in their homeland. His visit to these Bush Negro villages made those people very happy. The greetings that he brought to them from their free black brothers, especially the 'former Maroon Blacks in Jamaica, (who have now set up thriving communities on that island and who have become strong, diligent  field workers) were sent to the far reaches of Bush Negro territory. 

When the Captain of the other tribes on the Marowijne River heard about our visit he even sent his people to receive our message. He secretly wanted to find out about our church and  repeatedly issued an invitation for me to visit. (He is, in his  manner, a man like the landowner Felix, (Acts, 24,25). I would like to take him up on this invitation, God willing.

The high waterfalls of the Marowijne, much higher than the Sissabo on the upper Suriname Rivers (see Number 8 of 1846, Page 62), should not frighten me away. I love the things that I experienced as a youth in Norway. Our local black helper, Thomas Martin, at Plantation Berg en Dal, interpreted MacMurray's visit in an authentically apostolic way. The common bond with the believers on the English islands and their greeting went straight to his heart, so much so that he immediately opened up to the Bible agent. To his great joy, Thomas began to proclaim the word of God in a fiery way to all the Bush Negroes in the villages along Sara Creek and the lower waterfalls of the Suriname River, where few others would have dared to teach - out of fear of the Whites. 

One breathes an air different from that in the lowlands. I, too, would gladly build a hut here.

 It was my intention to show our English friend that the English Bible Society's gift of a new edition of the New Testament, which had just arrived Holland, and his visit to us from Berbice at the same time are not wasted on our slaves. For on almost every plantation we visited on our trip, from Warappa Creek to Bush Negro territory, we found Negroes who could read. At Plantation Berg en Dal tears came to his eyes, because when we arrived there at 9:30 in the evening, we found the church full of people who had been prepared for the occasion by Sister Hartmann. She had divided them into various groups, and only a few children found it too late to remain up. "We have also seen this in Jamaica", he said. "We have experienced the same hunger for instruction there too!" -and tears glistened in the shining eyes of this big, strong man. 

You can see how the Gospel can change a country. In earlier times the white people fled and had to hide behind a military cordon. The first three brothers who came in the last century, Rudolph Stoll, Daehne and Jones, are like drops of water in a bucket holding the masses of savages. Then the war and bloodshed stopped. Even with the small amount of contrition that is found among the masses of Bush Negroes, two helpless widows, Sisters Hartmann and Voigt, can nonetheless keep watch on the Bush Negro and Indian border area now. And everything is sleeping as peacefully as in the bosom of Abraham. 

There is still a portion of the tribe of free Auca Negroes which had settled recently on the upper Commewijne River, which concerns us. We must send one of our brothers, for the Aucas also requested a visit last year when we opened the church on Plantation Wayambo, the farthest plantation on the upper Commewijne River. It was very touching to see the manner in which we were received there. Not one Negro stayed back when we took the names of those desiring Christian instruction. Even a great-grandmother who could not walk anymore called us to her hut and thanked God that she could hear the word of the Savior.

Only one little group among the black people of the colony remains apart. That is the Maroons and runaway Negroes who wander free as birds. They had already escaped from their masters eighty to one hundred years ago, and now their descendants live deep in the jungle. We have no possibility of approaching them because they are subject to the laws of the land, and if they are found they must be delivered up to the government and punished.

Suriname - Letter of Brother Otto Tank in Paramaribo to the Editor (Conclusion) [ MB11(13) 101-104.] 

June 22, 1847 

The visit of the agent of the English Bible Society, MacMurray, which I already described, had another excellent outcome, and that was that we gained access to the largest plantation in the colony, Alkmaar, on the lower Commewijne River. It has a population of almost six hundred Negroes. It belongs to England and is managed by a fellow-countryman of the English agent who lives here and who helped us get permission to conduct lessons there. Soon after, the nearby plantation of Visserszorg with five hundred Negroes followed suit. There is a true desire to hear God's word at these places. 

I immediately visited Alkmaar to set up instruction. It was moving to see how more than five hundred neatly-dressed heathens came to the gatherings and listened with full attention in a manner you would scarcely find in a Christian community. I was not able to write down the names of the great number of them who wanted to register that afternoon. These Negroes have begged for Christian instruction in vain for many years. The children waiting at the door numbered no less than one hundred twenty-six, and the administrators were so moved by this desire of the Negroes that they agreed to let us take care of all of the children.

The more progress we make in this way, the more we can support the youth who have been baptized, and the more Christian the black population will become. To put it in another way, the stronger, more important, and more penetrating our influence becomes, the more we face the difficulties which accompany slavery. We also run into conflicts with the surrounding population, where slaves have to serve at the whim of their owners. These slaves are our charges, and that often puts us into a difficult position. There is no lack of struggle. It confronts us on all sides. Many of the plantations which had been opened up to us for instruction have been closed again, under various pretexts. This only serves to cover up resistance to the Gospel.

For example, one plantation manager feels compelled to tell us that because of last year's famine the plantation suffered so many setbacks that now everyone must work twice as hard and there is no free time for the Negroes to go to instructions. Another says naively that he would have expected a better result from the instructions we give his slaves, just as though we had a steam engine with which to change the people. A third says that his slaves are really evil and are not worthy of any church. And elsewhere even the magicians and fortune tellers maintain that the church alone is responsible for deaths among the masters, for which reason instruction should be halted again. But we will just have to let all sorts of rumors glide over us; we accept them willingly. It would not be good if things were otherwise, and we would (Cor. 6,8). But it is evident that the hand of the Lord lies heavily on this land; this colony lies under a curse, which does not permit it to thrive economically anymore.

Your letter also mentioned the Indians. That reminds me that it has been exactly one hundred years since a great awakening began to take place among these people, namely the Arawak tribe, then in Berbice. Conditions arose that were so unusual that old great-grandmother Hanna had herself transported on a journey of two days in order to hear the words of Brother Graebenstein once again. (Footnote: The first brothers who came at that time and dared to work in the wilderness among the Indians could only travel six or seven days at a time because they had to carry their hammocks, provisions and clothes themselves through the burning heat of the desert.) She never left the brothers again, and even as she died, she gave thanks to the Savior on behalf of the coming generations of her nation. Hundreds gathered around the brothers in those days. That was the time of the "First Fruits" of the Indian mission. The Indians we see here in Paramaribo and those who are addicted to brandy are the worst representatives of their nation. But we do not wish to judge an entire people by these examples. A good number of them avoid white men entirely.

When I visited Pourica Creek  [According to correspondence with Just Wekker, July 10, 1989, Tank must have meant the Perica River, although there is also a Perica Creek in the Cottica region.] with Thomas Martin in August- a creek beyond Plantation L'Esperance, in the great savanna which stretches out beyond Plantation Worsetling Jacobs, - I found handsome, reasonable people even among those who live near the borders of the white man's territory. Like all Indians, they too have travelled and know about more than just their immediate surroundings. Especially the Arawak Indians have many good features. In olden days they moved here from the Amazon River. Today they still move here from the other side of the Orinoco River. However, the Auca and Boni Negroes have blocked their way. 

Near Pourica Creek I met an English Indian from Demerara who could read. He belonged to the English Church - a wonderful person. There were also Indians visiting from all the rivers of the colony of Suriname. Whoever wants to be effective among them must do their work by means of a mobile mission, or better still, several of them.

"Your four boats", you will say, "are just such a mobile mission,  because with them you transverse the entire colony.  Yes, but that is only a tiny part of what could and should be. And why not- here in the land of long, navigable rivers, in South America, a continent which lies open before us? Suriname could be a blessing for the entire eastern slope of the Cordilleras [Complex of mountain ranges from Alaska to Cape Horn.] We only need people who dare to do this! But they have surely already been born (Psalms 87,5,6). 

Note: According to recent reports which arrived after this letter, Brother Tank feels obliged to pay a visit to government authorities in Holland about regulating the difficult conditions of the slaves which hinder the work of the Mission in many ways. He hoped to leave by ship in April, and he can be expected almost any day now.

Suriname - Letter of Brother Otto Tank to the Editor [ MB 11 (13) 113-14.]
(Footnote: The new investigative trip described here which took the letter writer farther than he expected has also delayed his arrival in Europe which had already been announced.)

Paramaribo, April 28, 1847

Dear Brother, 

You must have received my last letter of February 22 by now, and because I was on a trip to the interior for most of the time since then, you will only receive a letter as quickly as the Surinamese bushman can deliver it. I hope you will be satisfied with that. 

My trip led me first to the Marowijne River and after that to the Bush Negro Brothers Job and Johannes Arabi on the upper Suriname River. I was searching for a good place where both the Saramacca and the Auca Negroes would want to gather as a congregation. Had I returned two days earlier, I could have made a quick trip to the Coppename River as well, to the little group with Sister Voigt. During my absence there was a chance to take a ship to that district. This is a rare opportunity. Brothers Raethling and Dobler have been there in the meantime. Things are going very well at our post there at Plantation Andresa. Our members are growing: several Negroes were baptized, and twenty new people registered as catechumens. It was also announced that soon everyone will follow. 

It is almost the same at Plantation Berg en Dal, where I took a trip at Easter time. I baptized fourteen adults and seventeen children there, thirty-one people in one day. It was a joy to be there. But resistance to our work is increasing considerably. Only the Winti priestesses (guardians of their pagan idols), Sybilla and Badina, have not yet joined us. However, the former wants to, and the latter is beginning to be fearful. For several of her followers among the Bush Negroes have not only begun to waver but have laid down their weapons. Instead of being fighters for the devil, they not strive to be lamb-like, which they too feel is much better. 

You have already heard about the trip by corjal to Sara Creek which Sister Hartmann has again made, accompanied by a Negro and another young man. This waterway, which we were still fearful of during your time here and therefore seldom visited, was formerly only accessible at Victoria. It now provides a pleasure trip, yes, really a true pleasure, because the life to which the people there have now been awakened makes one feel nothing but joy. The settlement planned for there will become a garden of God. I invite you to come and visit this region again. I may well be charged with the first task at that spot, namely cutting down the bushes. 

Our Negroes at Bambey are still afraid to so far down the river and want to settle at Gansee, above the waterfall. So two locations will have to be established, above and below the waterfall- which is certainly the will of the Lord, because a goodly number of Auca Negroes have already signed up for the lower location.

These permanent settlements and the cultivation of the land are very necessary things for such people. If the Negroes are left alone in the wilderness, where they only need to plant peanuts and build corjals, then the entire affair will fall apart after the first awakening. For in the forest they can do as they please and still have sufficient food for themselves. Did not many of our old heathen communities, especially among the Indians, fail this way in the past? This fate also threatens others in the distant, infertile north. If the monasteries had not brought farming and  culture to Germany in the Middle Ages, would the successors of the old Germanic nomads, these nations of fishermen and hunters, still pray to God today? At the very least it would be in a different way  from what we now know. Why the many laws for the Land of Canaan in the Word of God? I believe that the external and internal events in a heathen country must always run parallel to each other, because men can never be only purely spiritual. 

My trip to the Auca Bush Negroes on the Cottica River took place right at the beginning of March. Matthew, from Bambey, and the national helper from the seacoast, the Igarra Negro, Lambertus, were my companions. We went via the Cottica River to the Curmotibo and Wana Creeks. I garnered a lot of news from there and I hope many living gifts as well. 

Now, as I recently mentioned, I am planning a trip to the mighty waterfalls of the Marowijne River. The Maroons of that region, where the Aucas are also located, are the main difficulty here. They have numerous villages in the woods where thousands of them live. They are sometimes the fourth generation there and are as free as birds. Like the Boni Negroes, they are subordinate to the clever Aucas and are actually their slaves. I am also looking for a path through the wilderness from Sara Creek to the upper Suriname River, and as an old bear hunter, I will certainly find one, wherever it may be and be it lacking in hints as to its location. Now the Lord Himself is opening many doors everywhere, and we must enter, and enter quickly. Here in Paramaribo our national helpers have to deal with the priestesses of the idols [final page of letter missing].  

September 14, 1847  [ MB 11(19) 154-57 follows. It begins with a letter from Sister Hartmann describing her trip to Sara Creek and funeral customs of the Bush Negroes and is completed by Otto Tank.] There is enthusiastic new life at Sara Creek. Many heathens have given up their names. Shrines for their doll-like idols are being  torn down, and the Lord is active from within their hearts. That is a joy to follow. 

Our Sister Hartmann is again at Plantation Berg en Dal and is doing her job with the help of God's grace. If I can possibly visit Sister Voigt on the Coppename River while the church is being torn down, I will do so. Otherwise I will go to the Para region, where we have actually been able to do our best work, just as it should have been. The Negroes on the timber plantations are much freer than all others. What we have failed to do so far is to set ourselves up there so we can reach the Negroes during their free time. That will certainly be easy to accomplish. 

September 28, 1847 - Suriname [MB 11(20) 161-65] 

Visit of Brother Otto Tank to the Auca Bush Negroes on the upper Cottica and Curmotibo Rivers.

 In Number 114, (Page 114), Brother Tank's fact-finding trip to the Auca Bush Negroes is being considered. What follows is a closer description of the same. 

He reports: In the past we have often been invited by these Negroes to visit them at their work areas on the upper Cottica River. Their actual homeland is on the upper Marowijne River, The group of Negroes called the Boni and the rebels of 1805 live near them in their heavily fortified villages in the mountains. Like the other scattered groups of runaway slaves, they are not yet aware of a peace treaty with the white man. These Negroes are very handsome looking and excel in intellectual gifts. But they also display craftiness of all kinds and hang on to superstitions. Frequent attempts to influence them have failed up to now.

 When their great leader, Beymann, visited Paramaribo in 1844, I got to know him personally, as I did several other of his captains. At that time he promised to come to church and even to send two of his grandchildren to be educated, but nothing has come of this. However, since that time, the related tribe of Aucas at Sara Creek on the upper Suriname River has actually accepted the word of God. After that event invitations to visit became more and more frequent, so I decided to go on a short excursion to their work areas.

I took along two trusted Negro brothers, Mathias and Lambertus, who both showed a great interest in coming with me. On the March 8 I left from Plantation Charlottenburg [29. center for Moravian Church work in the Cottica/Commewijne area, founded 1835] in a little tent boat. I took along two other Negroes to row. The first high water brought us to the last plantation, La Paix [30. northernmost military post on the "Cordon" Path, where the post holder had his residence and provided permits for the Bush Negroes to travel to Paramaribo, from correspondence with Just Wekker, July 10, 1989.] where we waited till 9 o'clock in the evening for the next high tide. We soon reached the last military post. The night was dark and rainy; only towards midnight did the moon illuminate our way somewhat, and we continued our trip until the next ebb forced us to tie up our boat to some reeds on the riverbanks.

At daybreak, when we looked over at the opposite riverbank, fifteen to twenty feet high - the highest in this entire stretch of river - we found that we had reached Cassue, where many Indians had lived in earlier times. Five Indian villages were still in existence ten years ago on these rivers. But since then the Bush Negroes have been coming here more often. These crafty and deceitful people, together with the destructive influence of certain white men, have wiped out the last traces of the original, harmless inhabitants of this region. Our first brothers were present here among the Indians one hundred years ago. In great poverty they journeyed to these Indians; on these trips they had to row and steer the boats themselves. On one such trip Brother George Zeisberger had an accident and drowned. I was on the lookout for the place where our noble Brother Meiser pulled Zeisberger's body out of the river on April 15, 1743. Meiser reports that he sang the Liturgy Of Burial while sitting next to the body, and I felt peace inwardly with the Lamb.

(Footnote: This Meiser was a shoemaker and worked for twenty years as a single brother. Later he married and became a widower. Then for many years he worked among the Indians here and in Berbice as the faithful servant of God for the benefit of the mission. His resting place is on the Hutberg in Herrnhut [Germany], which I have always visited with great reverence. We have harvested the seeds of their tears. Signed - Otto Tank). 

My, how things have changed since then! You find no evidence of human presence any longer in this wilderness; everything disappears quickly and without trace in such a wild, natural setting. I was once here at the former homes of our dear Indians; now they have disappeared. 

In contrast to all this, our ears were greeted by the distant sound of heathen drums coming from the first Auca village, where a  funeral service had been in progress all through the night and right up to the break of day. In earlier days none of our brothers dared to approach a Negro, and now we have thousands of them in our care. Two of them were with me, two who were genuinely pleased to be able to bring the redeeming Gospel of salvation to their heathen brothers in the wilderness. As soon as we saw the sun begin to rise, we were on our way to offer the Lord and His light to one of the last Negro tribes in the West Indies! When will this day of salvation begin for them? "Oh, Lord, you can change everything! (Psalms 77,11) 

With a sigh I entered the first Auca village, Quassi Brokohede. Soon I was warmly greeted by Captain Quassi of Hansilo and Quami of Companilo, whom I already knew well, and their numerous relatives and others, whose faces I recognized, having met them in the city earlier. We conversed a long time - as well as we could with people who had spent the last four days and nights in a row at a burial feast with all its noise and commotion. Of course they could endure this far better than we could. 

About sixteen or twenty men congregated around me. I was given the place of honor, a small footstool, which was covered with cloth and whose legs were only four inches apart. The men were very attentive. Several even asked me to begin school instruction for them right on the spot and said that they would have already begin to believe in Christ long ago if people such as we had instructed them. By the way, such comments should be taken with a grain of salt. These people are far better than Europeans at speaking. An Auca Negro judges the white man by his first impression. The Aucas look for their own advantage and want instant success. They can play the beggar or the king at one and the same moment. 

The Aucas who live here earn a lot of money due to the privileges which the government grants them in an effort to entice them to have closer relations with the colony. But they in turn abuse these privileges in the most shameful way. They harbor runaway Negroes in their midst, who in turn are forced to work for them in the forest like slaves. And the Aucas get a lot of money from the wood they cut. With that they go to the city and buy everything that the plantation Negroes would like to have and then engage in corrupt illegal sales. 

There is no doubt that they often help the plantation Negroes to run away even though this is against the peace treaty. Trade with the Boni and other runaway Negroes, even with the various Indian tribes right on into Brazilian territory, goes through their hands alone. If it were not for the fact that they waste everything they have earned because of their ingrained laziness and debauchery, they could live in the best of conditions. In fact they live in poverty, keeping only a few household items: a nice English shotgun as a show of luxury, a hammock, an axe, a boat, and similar things.Crawling and yet proud, fearful and yet wanton, poor and yet living in the lap of luxury, always looking for profit in a deceitful way - all these traits are very evident in them. 

The women keep mostly in the background whenever the men do business together. I had to seek them out, and they appeared very happy that one of us whom they had heard so much about had come to visit them for a change. Even the children showed no fear. Several came to greet me. 

It seemed strange to me that here again, as during my first visit to the free Negroes at an earlier time, I should arrive just as a burial was in progress. This burial feast with its frightful excesses of drinking and eating, shooting and rollicking, which often goes on for days and weeks at a time, in not exactly the best moment in which to begin to spread the Gospel. The drama that the Negroes put on at their burials, in which they pretend that the body never wants to leave the village willingly,is a way to show those left behind the attachment of the dead for them. This leads to gruesome practices. But the drama has a deeper meaning. They carry the body around to find out who the murderer was. (Note: There is a belief among the heathen that the person has been poisoned. Suspicion, of course, must rest upon someone, and that becomes the continuous source of mistrust, contention and enmity among families.) 

For these people, death is always the work of an evil spirit, which needs some person as its tool. If the supposed murderer is discovered, then that person is unmercifully burned to death in the most frightful manner. This is a living picture of the power of grace, which appears in our days. Many heathens now use the death of a relative an opportunity to throw away their idols and to seek their salvation in Christ. This heavy yoke is taken away and broken by our powerful Redeemer. Thank God we have so many examples like this. It gives us courage to go where people have not yet seen the light, to preach where sin in the most powerful, and to believe where Satan is entrenched in the grimmest manner. I was to get the opportunity to go there soon. 

After we had visited all the houses and spoken with many of the Negroes, telling them about ever-present original sin but also of our Savior, all villagers, young and old, accompanied us to the boat. Several men even jumped into the water and swam alongside the boat. 

I had scarcely had time to reflect on all that had happened, when thirteen strong, wild-looking Negroes, bodies smeared with white clay in a disgusting manner (Note: This is supposed to frighten away death.), some of them drunk, came after us in a large corjal and grabbed our boat with a great deal of force. One was screaming louder than the next. They wanted brandy, presents, and the like, and demanded to know what the white man wanted there. It seemed that Satan wanted to show his strength using all his powerful troops. These people were the coffin bearers returning from the burial. I was finally able to calm them, and we were able to depart from each other peacefully. 

Then we continued our trip on the river, which winds around with many twists and turns, but essentially goes in one direction. It is often fifty feet deep, but never under twenty-six feet. You cannot imagine a more beautiful river, since the spring tide rises from two and a half to three and a half feet. When we reach Cassipura, or Baku Creek, coming in from the west, we entered it for a bit but then turned around, not realizing that Captain Quabinda of Pedelo had his village here. Like other Aucas he also works in the woods with runaway Negroes who live in the swamps. (Conclusion follows.)

Conclusion [MB 11(20) 173-76.]

Late in the afternoon we passed the second village, Tamarinda-ondro, but did not go onto land. Instead we were able to safely reach the place where the government representative, or post holder (Footnote: In Suriname, the Dutch expression for [German] Posthalter has nothing to do with the usual meaning of the word, since, as in any such country so thinly populated and uncivilized which does not even have a single road yet, a postal institution does not and could not exist. This expression means, rather, a government agent assigned to any one Indian or Bush Negro tribe, who holds this post among them.), lives among this tribe of Bush Negroes.

In the small home of this man we found a friendly welcome instead of the usual reception. I was the first white face that he had seen in one and a half years since he had taken up his new position here at the mouth of Combee Creek on the western bank of the river. This gentleman, who knows the Bush Negroes so well, very willingly shared with me his experience of many years. He had very valuable information about this group of people, whose best interests he seems to have at heart. And because he himself seeks the word of God, we could have a heart to heart talk. Last year he worked as a government agent in the upper portion of the Auca territory, and it is well worth reading the reports he has written about the diplomatic manner in which the Auca refused all suggestions of the government. This can be seen in replies of the big chief and his council to the government. There is no heathen stupidity here, but rather the situation is expressed in a refined and intelligently conceived policy. No European could improve on these replies. 

Since Combee Creek is the only one which flows towards the Commewijne River, and the old government agent thought we would certainly come across runaway Negroes on the other side of the savanna (as the open stretches of uncultivated land covered with grass or low bushes is known. These contrast with the forest and deep swamps and sandy places which occur alternately in the wilderness of the interior of this country.) I decided to travel up this creek and inspect the territory from this side. The next day, without letting the frequent rain hold us up, we got back in our little corjal. When our party and the three rowers are in it together, its sides are only half an inch above the water level. We made quick progress against the rather strong current. But after an hour we were stuck fast in such a thickly-grown swamp that we could not think of going any farther. So we now looked for a way out into the forest along the northern bank and came to a beautiful, fertile area not terribly overgrown. But our search for the open savanna was in vain. Nor could we find any human dwellings in this wilderness, in spite of the traces of people we found everywhere.

So, having no success, we had to turn around, and during the journey back down the creek our little boat hit so many rocks that it soon filled with water. But we did not get any wetter than we already were. At midday we arrived back at the home of the government agent. We also were unsuccessful at finding a path of communication to the Perica or the Commewijne Rivers, especially as our good host knew of no single person there who could help us in our search. The time we lost this day we wanted to make up March 11, the following day. So very early we started up the Cottica River.About three quarters of an hour farther you reach the beautiful Curmatibo River. I got out on the eastern shore, where all maps show the name of the Plantation Jerusalem [Not a plantation but a military post.] There I found a ditch which had probably been dug out earlier by the military. Following  the path along this ditch, I came upon an open, neatly-organized  place, where the heathens celebrate their feasts. It was my birthday and I wondered whether I would get a present. 

We travelled farther along the Cottica River to the large village of Brossugron, a quarter of an hour from our last stop. Captain Andries of Battralo was there himself, and he and his family constitute the main inhabitants. These people were very friendly, just as they were everywhere we went. We conversed with them in a pleasant manner. A Negress who had a darling, small, ten or eleven year old daughter with her and who was very trusting, asked me bluntly whether she should not raise this daughter in order to be given to me. This is a terrible custom of the heathens; they would keep her as a co-wife for me. I said to her: "Give me this child and I will try to raise her for our Savior and bring her back after a number of years."  Because the family had to first come together to consult about this, no agreement could be reached.

In the evening we arrived at another village where I found two sisters living in a house with their brother who had leprosy. That illness had attacked him to such an extent that not only were his toes almost entirely rotted away, but even his skull appeared to disintegrate. This was a frightful stage of the illness, one which I had never witnessed before. My companion Matthew was so moved by this that he gave words of comfort, because they had difficulty understanding me. I am convinced that I received my birthday present, because the message went straight to the hearts of those poor people. That was clear from the emotion and feeling they showed when we bid farewell. They also presented us with baked cassava.

I will not list the various places of residence of the Bush Negroes who stay in this region. Their huts are very lightly constructed. On the Cottica River, three days beyond here, you come across the deserted dwelling places of the former colonists. There are coffee and cocoa trees which have continued to thrive on their own for at least eighty years. Then you come to settlements which are now inhabited: Conow-Moffe, Lievelust, and Nieuw-Kondre.

Even fewer people live on the Curmotibo River in the villages of Paramacca-ondro, Tukriki, Mongoantioni, and Koffykampo. There is very little cultivated land in this area. Everywhere we found people who knew us; they seemed to know the difference between our work and that of the other white people very well. An old Negress told me, when I encouraged her to get to know the Lord Jesus, "Oh, Master! Have I not often heard you preach in the church at Paramaribo?" It was strange to see how little she found unusual in what I said to her. Oh, if only this is a favorable preview of things to come! It is clear that there is a big field open to us here, but these are not easy people to deal with. 

Most of the villages were half empty. This convinced me to turn back earlier than I really wanted to. The mountains and high waterfalls would not have held me back. Even a steamship could reach Wana Creek on the Curmotibo River and go further along the Cottica River, because the river here has a depth of fifteen feet or more everywhere. In the big rainy season the river rises two to three feet at most. It apparently floods the land here, since you find mostly Mauritz palm trees, and they grow in low, swampy land. No one lives on Wana Creek near the passage to the Marowijne River anymore. In general, the Negroes are moving farther and farther into the interior of the country. And why? Because the Governor, acting for the well-being of the Colony and of the Bush Negroes, offered them food and rich payment to come to the city to build a canal through the forest to the Saramacca River. The Bush Negroes rejected this idea completely. This offer reawakened in them the old fear of becoming slaves of the white man. You can see the sad effect on the spirit of the slaves when they will not even trust a well-intended idea.

Our return trip went very quickly, and I hope I can say that because of this trip doors were opened which never again be shut. (Revelations 3,8) May the Lord grant this!

November 9, 1847  [33. MB 11(23) 185-88.] 

Visit of Brother Otto Tank in Demerara and on the West Indian islands and Arrival in New York

I left Paramaribo on May 27 after my little daughter, Mary, took a heart-rending farewell from her black nursemaid. We arrived at Georgetown in Demerara two and a half days later. Here we enjoyed the hospitality of the foreign religious leaders, Methodists, independents and others, while waiting for the departure of the next ship. A large, splendid steamship took us via Tobago to the glorious harbor of Grenada, surrounded by high mountains. We could not disembark there because we were only staying half an hour. This trip took two days, and we stayed in Grenada for four full days enjoying the scenery while waiting for another steamship from Europe.

In Grenada we were also received with great kindness by the Methodists. The powerful old fortifications on six to seven foot high cliffs allow a view of the even higher mountains with the most  splendid shapes. At Grenada we took on a number of friendly passengers, mostly people who had just arrived from Europe. Then 'we visited the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe and admired the unusual, fantastic rocky islands in the sea. These are particularly attractive to the eye of a person somewhat tired of the flat landscape of Suriname. On the other hand, their steepness and height make living there tedious.

The island of St. Vincent rises up even more wonderfully with its volcano, which was so frighteningly active in the year 1812. We travelled very close to the land which had been covered with streams of lava at that time and admired the fearlessness of the people who build upon these cliffs again and continue to live there without worrying. From Grenada we went to the island of St. Lucia. Here I had the pleasure of seeing dear Brother Millar, the superintendent of the entire Mico charity, come rushing toward us. (Note: This name comes from the woman in England named Mico who left a considerable sum of money for the purpose of founding educational institutions in the West Indies for Negro youth.) The joy was reciprocated. We were very pleased to be able to travel together to Antigua and arrived there on the 12th of June. 

Brother Cranz was travelling with us in order to learn about the local schools for Negro youth so we could introduce such schools in Suriname too. He needed to begin his work of visiting the schools here now so we went around together. Just seeing the progress of black brother and sisters, which seemed fantastic to us, should be very valuable for him. 

We stayed at the home of Brother and Sister Harvey, and this kind brother told me about many practical matters in a very helpful way. In exchange for this I had to go to a lot of meetings of his people everywhere and tell them about our Negroes in Suriname and extend greetings. All this met with great interest, and many kind greetings were returned. 

Practically everywhere we found Negroes with every means to be happy and independent people in this world. They seemed to realize this, but only a small number really put this knowledge to good use. In many Negro homes we found domestic happiness and the blessing that comes with it. You will find places on this island where the Negroes have acquired all the external comforts of life and even the things which come along with higher education, namely literature and musical instruments. In many homes the black daughters of the house sat confidently at their pianos and played and sang. Even in our congregation I heard more than ten young Negresses play the organ. How freely and happily they looked at me. What a contrast to Suriname where there is still slavery! 

I got to know the English brothers as missionaries and was really pleased to find them free from all prejudice. Everywhere I went I had to tell about Suriname, and I believe that there is much interest on both sides. It was especially interesting to attend a tea party one evening with only black and colored teachers of both sexes. Six or eight came forward and spoke. I did too. Imagine what would probably happen if we all gathered together in a public place in Suriname in the same way, we Whites mixing so freely with Blacks and colored people? 

On the July 9 many brothers and sisters accompanied me to the ship from New York, which headed for St. Thomas. In a day and a half we reached this commercial port and were received with much kindness by Brother Heinrich Wied. After a twenty-four hour stay, we went on to St. Croix, a trip of six to eight hours, and stayed on this glorious island for nine days. There I spent quite a bit of time visiting the schools and mission stations. At 8:30 in the evening, on the trip back in a very small, poor little boat, we were caught in a terrible storm at the mouth of the harbor of St. Thomas. This storm also did damage in the city and it threw us and our pitiful boat, whose captain and owner was a Negro, out to sea for a couple of hours. We finally arrived back in town after midnight and were received with thanksgiving and praise by the brother and sisters.

After I had been in St. Thomas for one day I looked for an opportunity to go to St. Jan. I stayed there two days and travelled across the island with its high mountains on horseback. On the way back to St. Thomas I could only stop at Bethany and Emmaus for half a day each because I did not dare miss the boat to North America. But, sure enough, in those two days I did miss the chance, so I had a further stay of one and half days. So I was able to spend time at the oldest of all our mission stations, New Herrnhut. Here I visited all the places where the first brothers had been (and the grave of Friedrich Martin at plantation Princess in St. Croix as well.) I visited their pulpit in the rocks with great reverence.

How everything has changed here! Now the Negroes are free on Saturday in order to have Sunday entirely for the sermon and instruction. And how little use we make of this! You can see the abundant, living spirit of God here, which alone gives us life and breath. I have learned very, very much on this trip. I had to wait quite a time for the opportunity to travel further, but I was able to get to know a good number of people in this city. This can be very useful, since St. Thomas is the central point of the West Indies. 

On July 28 we sailed on a large American ship from St. Thomas but stopped again at Brother and Sister Voss' in Friedensberg on the west end of St. Croix for two days, while twenty-five new passengers were taken on. Until August 3 the weather was very favorable, then we had two days of calm, which ended in the night with a real storm. We were treated to a beautiful display of the elements, which began the day. Not everyone agreed that it was beautiful. The weather soon became better, and we flew over the high waves of the gulf and arrived safely in New York on the 9th of August. 

We have already experienced much kindness from the brothers and sisters and friends of the kingdom of God since arriving here, and I feel very well among them. There is a lot for me to do here but also a lot to be enjoyed. What a busy life people lead here! 

Churches shoot up like mushrooms, one more beautiful than the next, and all from private means. Church and state are totally separated here. The latter does not accept the former, and yet the church fares better than in our country. It is a glorious country and I am happy to be able to see it.

February 29, 1848 [ MB 12(5) 33-34.]

Letter of Brother Otto Tank to the Editor 

Niesky [Germany], January 22, 1848 

Contents: Brother Tank, who arrived safely in Europe from his long trip from South America via the West Indies and North America, and who has consulted with the brothers of the Mission Department in Berthelsdorf about the work in Suriname, went from there to Niesky. He fell ill there as a result of the ordeals he had suffered throughout the year. His first letter is postmarked Niesky.

Dear Brother! In answer to your request for a complete description of my journey I would only like to remark that during the trip there was no time to write as there was so much to absorb. In North America there was plenty to learn, and now I have been ill for many weeks. 

In Suriname I almost turned into a bushman myself because of my long sojourn among the savages in the interior. Oh, I can hardly bear to part with these people! I have heard that Suriname will be declared a free port. With that our mission there will have a new task to fulfill, because that will open the door to the former Spanish part of South America, the darkest of all areas. Caracas is already open to us. I know that we are heartily welcome there. Our New Testament in the Arawak language (Note: a translation by the late Brother Schumann which Brother Tank took to New York for this purpose) is already being printed in New York. Arawak is the main language of the Indian tribes,especially in the Republic of Bolivia.

I have been able to relate many things to our elderly brothers Theodor Schulz and Johannes Maehr (the former a teacher among the Indians and the latter among the Bush Negroes; both have been in mission service in Suriname.) about their former disobedient pupils and our current work among them. Much is being done for the Indians by the English. For example, in Demerara an ordained African is a teacher in an Indian community. There is also a lot being done for the education of the Blacks.

We had another Negro on our ship who was on his way to Canada in order to be ordained there. He carried on missionary work among the sailors, and I never saw him on the deck of the ship without several people gathered around him, very eager to hear the cheerful young black witness. He certainly had the gift of preaching about his belief, compared to my miserable ability. How things change in the world! A black man teaches a white man!- and we should remain quiet about this?

In our North American Moravian churches I found a wonderful school for young brothers who promise on their part to become faithful witnesses of the Gospel. Everywhere I have been, a unifying grace is evident. These young brothers are in complete agreement with the main teachings of our church. I could not teach them anything. Teachers and communities were very eager to hear so many good reports from a representative of the German community.

Now my travels should take me to Holland in order to see what can be done to ease the very unpleasant conditions of the Negro slaves in Suriname. Mission work among slaves is a very difficult task. It is like sewing and planting in an open road without hedge and fence (Jeremiah 4,3; Matthew 13,4 and 7). Slavery and missionary work do not go well together.
---OOO---
REFERENCES 

KILLOUGH, MARY, 1996. Niels Otto Tank (1800-1864) Moravian Missionary to Suriname and Wisconsin. Transactions of the ' Moravian Historical Society  29: 85-102. 

KILLOUGH, MARY, 2000.  The Tank Family of Green Bay. Voyageur. Northeast Wisconsin's Historical Review 17 (1) Summer/Fall: 26-32.
========================================================

NOTE: This article also appeared in OSO: TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR SURINAMISTIEK (Vol. 23/2, November 2004, pp. 322-333.)

MARY K. KILLOUGH, PhD. 

28 Wagon Trail, Black Mountain, NC 28711 (USA)

e-mail: mary@thekilloughs.com
 
 August 19, 2003/updated April 15, 2005. revisited 11/21/2009