The Cross of Christ in Bolo-Land (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902 edition. Excerpt: ...decision, but of hours of study. To see Mr. Lund, Senor Manikin and their assistant Mata, seated at a table littered with versions, lexicons, grammars and notes, poring, discussing and copying in the close, hot air of an Iloilo June, gave me an increased appreciation of those gigantic labors of the past which have given us in the present nearly four hundred versions of the Word of God. It was my privilege to assist in securing the services of a native reviser as Mr. Lund deemed it necessary to secure a thorough revision of Manikin's version of Matthew. By inquiry among native friends he found that the man best qualified for such a work was an excaptain of the insurgent army, Fernando Salas, then incarcerated in Fort Iloilo. Securing permission from the officer in charge, we interviewed the Captain in his cell and found him a very pleasant fellow. He laughingly confessed that time was hanging heavily on his hands, and willingly undertook the work for a consideration. His work proved satisfactory, and not only Matthew but other portions of the Testament as well were revised in Salas's cell. Outside of Manikin and Salas, Mr. Lund's most valuable helper was an old schoolmaster, Senor Mata, who consented to leave the interior and live with Mr. Lund in order to facilitate the work. While unwilling to accept the Good Tidings himself, his hatred of the friars and padres made him eager to assist any movement to which they were opposed. He was of peasant parentage and unusually valuable for that reason, his vocabulary being a simple and generally intelligible one. The work of translation had hardly gotten good headway when the native priests at Jaro, Molo and Iloilo began to threaten dire penalties on all who should assist it. This raging had the effect of...