Wilson-Apostle To Islam.pdf - Radical Truth

40 Apostle to Islam Pioneering in Arabia 41
logical Seminary. Dr. Lansing's Manual for Classical Arabic had just
been published, and our teacher was enthusiastic, but his frequent illness
and our other studies, which were not elective, interfered with any great
progress. At any rate, I knew the alphabet and elementary rules before
reaching Beirut. Professor Lansing's brother, Dr. Elmer Lansing, who
had lived long in Egypt, was at that time practicing medicine at Haverstraw,
New York, and I recall how he drilled me in some of the gutturals during
a weekend visit. Both Cantine and I procured excellent native teachers in
Syria, and for a short time I sat at the feet of that prince of Arabic scholars,
Dr. Cornelius Van Dyke. He told me it was a seven-day-a-week job and
that one could become proficient only by neglecting all English papers and
books!
"This so-called 'language of the angels' is celebrated among those ,vho
know it for its beauty and, among all who try to learn it, for its difficulty ...
"The first difficnlty is its correct pronunciation. Some A.rabic letters cannot
be transliterated into English, although certain grammars take infinite
pains to accomplish the impossible. The gutturals belong to the desert and,
doubtless, were borrowed from the camel when it complained of overloading.
There are also one or two other letters which sorely try the patience
of the beginner and in some cases remain obstinate to the end."2'
Before the close of the year 1890 the two pioneers left Beirut; we may
let Cantine speak:
"At Cairo we met Dr. Lansing, whose health had broken down and who
was seeking its renewal in the environment of his old home city. Together
we threshed out all possibilities for our loeation, finally holding to our early
hope of working with the Scotch Mission at Sheikh Othman. In June I
.took a direct steamer from Suez to Aden, Zwemer remaining lonaer with
Dr. Lansing and then taking a coasting steamer down the Red S~, which
allo\ved him to go on shore at various· ports. A memorable e..'"'t:perience of
his was having as a fellow passenger the venerable Bishop French of the
Anglican Church, one-time missionary Bishop of the Punjab, India, and
always very jealous for the evangelization of the Moslem world. At this
time he was travelling around the Arabian peninsula, looking as we were,
for the best location in which to establish a new mission.'"
I
It is no doubt best to let Zwemer describe his own first journey along
the Red Sea coast of Arabia:
"It has been my choice, or my fate, to be the 'Flying Dutchman' of the
Arabian Mission. In our adventure it seemed the part of wisdom to both
of US to gain some knowledge of those areas on the coast that were accessible.
So, in travelling from Cairo to Aden; where Cantine had preceded
2. Ibid.~ Pl'. 34. 35, 36.
3. Ibid.. PP, 27. 28.
me, I took a small coasting steamer. These 'tramp' ships, as they were
called, offered few comforts but plenty of adventure. One was never sure
at what ports the captain would call for cargo, how long there would be
delays, or what fellow passengers would be encountered. I remember, a
few years later, travelling from Basrah to Aden on the S. S. Gorgi loaded
with datlS for London and pilgrims for Mecca. By the time we got to
Aden there were sick pilgrims and dead pilgrims. The food was bad and
the voyage rough. I was the only English speaking passenger and received
as a gift from the captain 'a book someone left on board, of which none of
us can make any sense.' It was Carlyle's French Rez'ollttion and it was a
godsend on that lonely voyage!
"On January 8, 1891, I left Cairo for Suez, paying seven pounds for
a second-class ticket to Aden. The Rt. Rev. Thomas Valpy French and
his chaplain, Mr. IHaitland, were the only other European passengersthe
rest mostly were pilgrims for Jiddah. It was a great e."'