Читать книгу The Karen Apostle: or, Memoir of Ko Thah-byu - Francis Mason - Страница 6

Table of Contents

Ko Thah-Byu's first journey into the jungle, to Khat.--Second to Thalu.--Seeks his countrymen in the city of Tavoy.--First journey across the eastern mountains, to Tshiek-ku.--Second visit to Tshiek-ku.--Third journey to Tshiek-ku.--Accompanies Mr. Boardman on his first tour among the Karens.--Visits the southern Karens at Toung-byouk, Pai, and Palouk.--Teachers school at Tshiek-ku.--Goes to Siam.--Journey into the Maulmain Karen jungles.--Returns to Tavoy with Mr. Boardman...

Immediately after his baptism, Ko Thah-byu, accompanied by two of his countrymen, that were present, left Tavoy to visit the Karens beyond the eastern mountains, in the valley of the Tenasserim. The rains, which had commenced, were so powerful, and the streams so high, that he was compelled to abandon his intentions; but he turned aside, on his return, to a little settlement of Karens on Khat creek, a few miles south of his path, and a short day's walk from town. "It was planting season," says one of my Karen correspondents, who lived there, "and we had gone to plant on the hill sides, when one of those, who had been left behind in the house, came and said, 'Here is a man come from the up country, to trace his genealogy to us: come and listen.' We went and found Ko Thah-byu, who preached and explained the catechism. All gave attention, and Moung Khway resolved at once to become a Christian; and he went with Ko Thah-byu, on his return to town, to see the teacher." This man, the first fruits of Ko Thah-byu's labors, was brother to the Chief of the village, and became a most valuable member of the church. He was an efficient auxiliary in the evangelizing of his village, nearly the whole of whose inhabitants ultimately became Christians. At the time of his baptism, Mr. Boardman writes concerning him; "He appears remarkably well. With but little opportunity of receiving instruction, he has made great progress in Christian knowledge and practice. His experience and heavenly-mindedness might, perhaps, put many a world-minded Christian to the blush."

Mr. Boardman, recording his return, says, "Ko Thah-byu finding the rains very violent, and the brooks much swelled, was obliged to abandon his plan of visiting the Karen teacher's village. He returned last evening. During his absence, he met several people, to whom he spoke as he was able. Many of them heard with attention, and two of them accompanied him on his return, in order to gain further instruction. They profess a readiness to receive the gospel, and wish me to visit them after the rains."

"Last evening, two respectable Karens, whom Ko Thah-byu saw in his late tour, called for further instruction. They live a day's journey from Tavoy. They profess a full belief of the truth of the gospel. May their professions prove to be sincere."

In July, he visited another Karen settlement, Thalu, it is believed, where the writer of this memoir subsequently found several converts. Mr. Boardman noticing his return, says, "Ko Thah-byu, the Karen Christian, who went out five days ago, to visit a Karen village, returned to-day, and says that all the people of the village listened to his words."

While in town he was busied in looking up his countrymen, who for various purposes occasionally visit the city. "About a month since," writes Mr. Boardman in August, "a very interesting young Karen was found by Ko Thah-byu, in the niche of a pagoda, where he had been fasting two days. Knowing only the religion of Gaudama, which he had heard from the Burmans, he had embraced it so far as to practice this austerity, in the hope of obtaining a great reward in a future state. Our Karen Christian explained to him the folly of fasting, as practised by the Burmans, and invited the young man to our house, where he paid a very serious attention to Christian instruction. After learning the way of the Lord more perfectly, he took a Christian book and returned to his native forest. Our prayers accompanied him. We all remarked something peculiarly interesting and amiable in his appearance. I have often wished to have him live with me, in hope that he might become a Christian, and a herald of the gospel. Yesterday, this young man returned to us, with three of his relations, to receive further instruction. After conversing with me for some time, and attending Burman worship with us, he went to Ko Thah-byu's apartment, where I heard them talking of the gospel till near midnight; and at break of day, this morning, the conversation was renewed. This afternoon, he expressed a wish to live with me, in order to learn more fully about the true God and Saviour. On my inquiring how long he would be willing to stay for this purpose, he replied, 'Ten or twelve years, till I can learn fully about God and Christ. Many of the Karens will also come.' He is a youth of good understanding, quick apprehension, and amiable manners. He says, he wishes no longer to worship heaps of brick, but to know and serve the everliving and true God."

He felt the greatness of the missionaries' work, and the inadequacy of the means in operation to carry it forward; and hence we find in Mr. Boardman's journal of the following day, "After evening worship in Burman, the Karen Christian having related the adventures of the day, said to me, 'There is one subject on which I wish to await your decision: I wish you would write to America, for more teachers to be sent out.'"

About the end of September, before the rains had fully closed, he started again to visit the eastern Karens. He went to the village of Tshiekku, where the teacher or prophet that brought the sacred book* to Mr. Boardman, lived with his disciples.

[Footnote: * See Appendix--Karen Prophets.]

Moung Sekkee, the Karen who was his companion, and guide over the mountains, writes; "Teacher Boardman preached to me the words of God, and I understood a little, but not fully: Ko Thah-byu taught me in Karen so that I understood perfectly, and I went with him to Tshiekku, where the people listened and built a zayat for the teacher, who soon after came to visit them, when Moung So and Moung-Kya asked for baptism." The two men last mentioned have been valuable assistants many years; and the latter writes, "When I heard at first, that a teacher with a Karen man and his wife had come down from Maulmain, I asked the man's name, and was told, Ko Thah-byu. Then I said, what has he come for? 'To preach the words,' was the reply, 'of the God that made the heavens and the earth.' So I went to Tavoy to hear; and after Ko Thah-byu had preached to me, I said to him, 'Brother, truly it is the word of God! Come out and preach at Tshiekku.' He asked permission of teacher Boardman, who readily consented, and he afterwards came out, and lived with the Bookho,+ going out from his house to visit me and others, and then returning. The Bookho, however, had a quarrel with his wife, and would not obey the word of God; and having heard of it, I went to Ko Thah-byu and said, Brother, come and live with me, and he came."

[Footnote: + The teacher or prophet, referred to above.]

Mr. Boardman, noticing his return from this journey, says, 'Ko Thah-byu returned from the villages, where he has spent the last ten days in making known the gospel to his countrymen. The Karen teacher, or rather conjurer, mentioned in former journals, came with him, and appeared somewhat tamed and in his right mind. He says now that he will practice no more joger's tricks and ceremonies, but will, from the heart, worship the eternal God and his Son, Jesus Christ.'

He soon after made a second visit, and returned to town again in November with ten converts. Mr. Boardman says, "Ko Thah-byu returned from the villages, with ten of his countrymen, several of whom profess to have become converts to Christ. One of the more promising, is the chieftain before mentioned."

About a month afterwards, he made a third tour to the same settlement, and was in town again in January 1829, to conduct Mr. Boardman into the jungles. Mr. Boardman writes at this time, "Three days since, two Karens arrived, who had travelled three days' journey in expectation of finding me at the Karen settlements; but not finding me there, they came three days' journey farther to see me at my own house. They appear very desirous of receiving Christian instruction; and Ko Thah-byu is unwearied in his efforts to impart it. One of them came from the province of Mergui, and he states that the Karens in Tavoy, Mergui, and Tenasserim, have all heard of us, and are desirous of listening to our instructions."

A few days afterwards, Mr. Boardman, accompanied by Ko Thah-byu, made his first tour among the Karens. After Mr. Boardman had preached in Burman, Ko Thah-byu was in the habit of interpreting as much of the discourse as he could remember into Karen; and on other occasions, as opportunity offered, he preached himself. Once Mr. Boardman remarks, "After breakfast, Ko Thah-byu discoursed to them in Karen, an hour or two, on the being and perfections of God;" and in another place, "one man who had heard the gospel repeatedly from Ko Thah-byu, presented a request for Christian baptism."

He returned to town with Mr. Boardman, and was busily employed there in searching out the Karens, who visited the city on business. In March, Mr. Boardman writes, "A very respectable looking old Karen, said to be the chief of his nation in the province of Mergui, was introduced by Ko Thah-byu. He states, that all the Karens in Mergui and Tenasserim have heard of us; and his great desire to see us had brought him thus far from home. After listening to the gospel awhile, he took his leave, saying, he would return in the evening."

"Ko Thah-byu has concluded, with our approbation, to go out on a missionary tour of several weeks. It is surprising how magnanimous a naturally weak man becomes, when the spirit of Christ and the love of souls inspire him. This poor Karen, who, to say the least, does not excel in intellectual endowment or human learning, is continually devising new and judicious plans of doing good. 'There are,' says he, 'the districts of Pai and Palau, and several other places near the mouth of the river, where there are many Karen settlements which I wish to visit. There are also many Karens in the province of Mergui; I wish to declare the gospel to them all. And before long, I want to go across, and visit the Karens in Siam, and afterwards to visit Bassein, my native place, near Rangoon. Many Karens live there.' Such are in general, this old man's plans. An event has occurred this evening which seems a providential intimation of present duty. The old Karen chief who was here this morning, has desired Ko Thah-byu to accompany him to Mergui in his boat, promising at the same time to see that he shall be accompanied from one Karen settlement to another, till he shall reach this province again. Ko Thah-byu is inclined to go, and expects to be absent five or six weeks."

A few days after, Mr. Boardman adds, "A good number of Karens are now with us, and Ko Thah-byu is engaged day and night in reading and explaining to them the words of eternal life. It seems as though the time for favoring this people had come."

Mah A, Ko Thah-byu's wife, was baptized on the twentieth of this month, March. Mr. Boardman, recording her examination, remarks, "She was formerly very ignorant and very wicked; but under the care and instruction of her husband and Mrs. Boardman, she has within the last few months become a very hopeful inquirer, and we are encouraged to hope that she is now truly converted. She requested baptism three months ago."

Immediately after his wife's baptism, Ko Thah-byu started on his tour to the south, intending to go as far as Mergui. He did not however accompany the Karen Chief, previously referred to, as "the Chief of his nation in the province of Mergui;" and as this is the last notice of that Chief, it may be here remarked, that he was baptized by me in the year 1837. He has been a valuable member of the church; and his descendants, who are almost as numerous as Jacob's, when he went down into Egypt, have very generally followed his footsteps into the baptismal waters. Ko Thah-byu was accompanied, on his journey, by Moung Sekkee, who writes, "We went to Toung-byouk and Men-thah creek, where we preached the word of God to Sau Co-klay, and Sau Yu-khay; and then we went to Kyouk-toung, where we preached to Sau Ke-krau and family." These places are in the neighborhood of Toung-byouk, and the persons mentioned were baptized, several years afterwards. "We next," continues Sekkee, "went to Pai and Palouk, preaching to both Pghos and Sgaus, but no one listened. At Palouk, Ko Thah-byu was taken sick." Here, sick among strangers and unbelievers, it might be supposed that he could ill spare his only Christian companion; but the preaching of the gospel was more to him than his own comfort. Hence Sekkee adds, "He made me go on to preach at Pyeekhya, and leave him behind at Palouk." His health was such that he felt wholly unable to go on to Mergui; and as soon as he was well enough to travel again, they reluctantly turned their faces towards Tavoy, travelling slowly, and preaching in all the Karen settlements by the way, through which the zigzag path led, which they had chosen. The man, with whom Ko Thah-byu staid while sick in Palouk, was the first baptized in that settlement, in the year 1838, and is now one of the pillars of the church. In May, Mr. Boardman writes; "Ko Thah-byu arrived, having spent the last seven weeks in the wilderness, making known the gospel to his countrymen. His account of his tour is interesting and encouraging. We are concerned, however, to find that he is in a bad state of health. May the Lord spare him for much more usefulness among his benighted countrymen."

The succeeding rains he spent principally teaching school near Tshiekku; the former scene of his labors. Moung Kya writes; "He came with his wife, and both lived with me; and he taught us how to worship God. When the dry season arrived, he said to me, 'Brother, it is very pleasant staying with thee, but my wife wishes to go and stay at Tshiekku.' So he placed his wife at Tshiekku, and went over the mountains to Thalu; and after his departure, his wife preached* the word of God at Tshiekku, till hearing that he was sick; when we took her to where he was living."

[Footnote: * Mr. Judson remarks in one of his journals, "Though I began to preach the gospel as soon as I could speak intelligibly, I have thought it hardly becoming to apply the term preaching, to my imperfect, desultory observation and conversations."--Throughout this book, the term is used so as to embrace the informal ways of making known the gospel, as defined above; and it is so used by the natives.]

About this time the rebellion took place in Tavoy, and Mr. Boardman went up to Maulmain. On his return in October, he remarks; "Ko Thah-byu, it seems, has come to town twice since our absence, but as he left his wife and two little brothers sick in the jungle, he returned to them before our arrival. They have passed through various hardships and perils since they left us at the wharf; but the Lord has delivered them out of them all, and blessed be his holy name."

Two weeks afterwards, Ko Thah-byu arrived; and after another preaching excursion of a few days in the jungle, he was in town again, when Mr. Boardman writes, "Moung So, the baptized Karen headman's mother having died, lately, he fears that the other relatives of the deceased will wish to perform the heathenish customs practised among the people, subsequent to the funeral; and to counteract the bad effects of such practices, he proposes to erect a preaching zayat near the grave, and has invited Ko Thah-byu and his wife to go out with him, and 'hold forth the word of life,' while the heathens around may be indulging in their wicked customs.* I have consented to their going, and they are to leave to-morrow."

[Footnote: * See Appendix--Karen Funeral Rites.]

About the middle of December, Mr. Boardman returning from village preaching, remarks; "I had scarcely seated myself, when Ko Thah-byu and two of the baptized, and several others from Moung So's village, arrived. After a short discourse in Burman, prayers and thanks were offered to God, in both Burman and Karen. Twelve Karens were present. Of these, two had come to solicit baptism. Two were females, who have been listening to Mrs. Boardman's instructions, for a year past. Three were headmen of villages, among whom was our hitherto faithful brother, Moung So. He and Ko Thah-byu represent, that during the heathenish ceremonies occasioned by the recent decease of his mother, Moung So and the other Christians of his village, having built a zayat near the grave, spent the time in listening to Christian instruction. They felt no reluctance, but a pleasure, at abandoning those heathenish practices in which they had formerly indulged."

The day after Ko Thah-byu's arrival, he brought forward the subject of a journey into Siam. Mr. Boardman says, "We have concluded to encourage Ko Thah-byu's going to Siam. The journey across will occupy six or seven days. He expects to leave to-morrow, and to be absent seven or eight weeks." And he adds the next day, "Ko Thah-byu has long wished to go across the great mountains, and visit the Karens in Siam; and having lately seen some of them, who urgently invited him over, he has laid the subject before us for our consideration and decision." And on the third day, he gives the conclusion; "Having solemnly commended the Karens, and especially Ko Thah-byu, to the divine blessing, we sent him on his journey this morning. I gave him an affectionate letter of introduction and recommendation, written in both Burman and English, to the people and 'the powers that be.'"

Moung Sekkee who accompanied him, writes "When we reached Siam, the ruler there would not allow Ko Thah-byu to proceed. He said, that were we to go on to the next town, the king would call him down to Bankok, because he was an Elder. So he had to return, but I was permitted to go on, and I preached and found some that listened."

When Mr. Boardman went up to Maulmain to take charge of that station, in April, 1830, Ko Thah-byu accompanied him, and soon after his arrival, in company with Ko Myat-kyau, a Taling assistant, he left town to preach in the Karen jungles as he had done at Tavoy. In July, Mr. Boardman writes; "A month ago this same person who speaks Karen tolerably well, set off in company with Ko Thah-byu to visit the Karen settlements up the river. I gave them a large supply of books and tracts for distribution. Four days ago, they returned delighted with their tour; the Karens had received them in the same manner as those in Tavoy had previously received Ko Thah-byu. Many of them listened with the most encouraging attention to the message of redeeming love. Books were most eagerly received both by those who could read and those who could not; 'For' said they, 'we will ask others to read them to us.' Long before the close of their tour, their supply of books failed, and Ko Myat-kyau was compelled to give away the books from his own private satchel. On their return five Karens accompanied them to town, four of whom profess to be decided in embracing the gospel, and have applied for baptism; but though I believe I should get a unanimous vote in their favor from the whole native church, I feel inclined to delay their baptism for further proofs of sincerity and steadfastness."

When Mr. Boardman returned to Tavoy in November, he was again accompanied by Ko Thah-byu, who, on their arrival, immediately departed for the Karen settlements to announce their return. Mr. Boardman in his last journal, under date of December 16, writes; "In the afternoon, Ko Thah-byu arrived, with about forty in his train, all of whom, he said, had come to receive baptism. It appeared, that there were in the company all the disciples, except the two who had previously visited us. So that we have now met with each one of the thirteen Karen disciples; and a large number of others who wish to be baptized. How pleasing is our interview. But I am too feeble to describe it."