The Karen Apostle Author:Francis Mason Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. First journey into the jungle, to Khat.—Second to Thalu.— Seeks his countrymen in the city of Tavoy.—First journey across the eastern mountains, ... more »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 Pa- louk.—Teaches 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 : comeand 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 appea...« less