J.r ^r T-'T- T ''^ SOUTH AME tk^ THOMAS * B NEEIEY /V3.7 CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Cornell University Library BV2851.N37 South America: its missionary problems, 3 1924 020 400 408 Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tlie Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924020400408 FOREIGN MISSION STUDY COURSES EDITED TINDER THE DIRECTION OP THE TOUNG people's missionary MOVEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA SOUTH AMERICA: ITS MISSIONARY PROBLEMS Leaders' general helps to aoeompany each text-book In tbe Forward Mission Study Courses and special denominational helps may be obtained by_ corresponding with the secretary of your mission board or society. The Christ of the Andes SOUTH AMERICA: ITS MISSIONARY PROBLEMS By BISHOP THOMAS B. NEELY NEW YORK YOUNG PEOPLE'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA 1909 J, ^^ / Oopyright, 1909, by Young People's Missionary Movement of the United States and Canada CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE Preface ix I The South American Continent 1 II The Early Inhabitants 41 III Making of the Republics 79 IV Social and Political Life 119 V The Religions 153 VI Protestant Missionary Occupation — ^Notable Events and Types of Work 187 VII The Problem and Its Solution 229 VIII TheOutlook 261 APPENDIXES A Bibliography 292 B Statistics of Protestant Missions in South America 297 Index 299 ILLUSTRA.TIONS The Christ of the Andes Frontispiece Drying Coffee, Brazil. Coffee Farm, Brazil. Page 7 Sheep-raising in the Andes " 19 The Culebra Cut, Panama Canal " 27 Masonry of the Incas, Laid without Tools or Mortar. Typical Incas of To-day " 47 Monument to San Martin, Buenos Aires " 103 Interior of a Wealthy Gentleman's Home, Guayaquil. Exterior of a Wealthy Gen- tleman's Home, Guayaquil " 123 Roman Catholic Cathedral, Montevideo. Church of the Sepulcher, Pemambuco, Brazil " 169 Objects of Worship Among Roman Catholics " 173 Virgin of Lujan " 177 Protestant Church Leaders and Business Men, Brazil. Missionaries and Native Preach- ers, ChUe " 207 Baptist College and Seminary, Rio de Janeiro, Methodist College, Juiz de Fora, Brazil. " 213 Typical Bible Colporteur " 217 Instituto Ingles, Santiago. Santiago College, Santiago " 223 vii viii Illustrations Once an Inquisition Building, now Property of Southern Baptist Convention, Bahia, Brazil. Methodist School, Riberrao Pre- to, Brazil Page 255 Avenida de Mayo, Buenos Aires. Plaza de Mayo, Buenos Aires " 267 Office La Presna, Buenos Aires, the Greatest Spanish Daily Newspaper in the World. " 269 Baptist Church, Pemambuco, Brazil. Presby- terian Church, Curitiba, Brazil " 275 Methodist Church, with Site for Hall of Con- gress in the Foreground, the Church of the Jesuits in the Right Background, Montevideo " 279 PREFACE TTntil very recently, South America has been a practi- cally unknown continent to the vast majority of the people, even of educated and reading people, in North America and in Europe. In the average school, even of a high class, little has been taught and less has been learned about this great southern section of the Western Hemisphere, notwith- standing the fact that it is most interesting in itself and has a most interesting history. Through commercial travelers, members of the consular corps, and higher representatives of governments, the occasional literary tourist, and especially through mis- sionaries, at last attention has been attracted and considerable information has been imparted concerning this continent. The attempt of the French companies, and even their failure, to cut a canal from the -waters of the Atlantic to the waters of the Pacific called attention to the Isthmus of Panama, but the construction of the canal by the United States government has turned the gaze of the Whole world, not only toward the Isthmian Canal Zone, but also, toward the whole continent of South America. More and more the world must think of South Amer- ica. The nations must take South America into their calculations. Business men, manufacturers, importers and exporters, producers and consumers, must and will give more thought to this continent. The man of science X Preface and the general student will seek familiarity with it. The tourist, looking for new scenes, will voyage to and journey through this southern continent for its long and lofty mountain ranges, its immense rivers, its almost boundless plains, and its growing cities and varied countries. Most of all, the Christian world should become profoundly interested in South America. Some years of residence in that land and a number of tours around and through the continent have given the writer a deep interest in its countries and their people, and a strong sympathy in their progress. One outcome of his experience is this book, which has been written in view of a special purpose on the part of those who have invited its production. The style of the work has been determined by this particular plan. It seeks to give information, both comprehensive and detailed and also suggestive, as to the different countries and their inhabitants. !A.t the same time it reveals religious condi- tions and discusses the work and possibilities of Protes- tant missions in that land. It is hoped that the book may excite interest on the part of the readers and others in the uplift and advance- ment of the people of South America. Thomas B. Neely. New York City, June 15, 1909. THE SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENT Naturally in this material age we see the chief evi- dence of progress in commercial expansion. In Brazil we see that in ten years her foreign commerce has grown from $235,000,000 to $494,000,000; in this same period she has spent millions upon millions in improving her rivers and harbors, in building railways, in making her municipalities, especially the capital, Eio de Janeiro, cities of notable attractiveness. Argentina's foreign trade has grown in the last ten years from $193,000,000 to $583,000,000 — an astonishing growth for a nation of only six millions of people. That republie is gridironed with a splendid railway system, Buenos Aires, the capital, possessing a population of 1,200,000. Chile's foreign commerce has grown in the same period from $100,000,- 000 to $210,000,000, and we find her extending her railway systems and preparing herself for a most im- portant position among the nations of South America. The foreign trade of Peru has grown from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 in the last decade, and this republie is experiencing a new life that augurs well for the future. Similar facts might be mentioned with regard to Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia. If the situation is not quite so favorable in Venezuela and Paraguay, it is only a question of time when they will show a like record. — John Barrett It is undeniable that Argentina can give lodgment to 100,000,000 people and can furnish nourishment at a remarkably cheap rate, for as many more, when her whole area is utilized. — Albert Hale The immigration statistics of South America for 1908 show sixty-seven per cent, as large a number of foreigners coming to South America as passed through all our Atlantic ports. — Homer C. Stunts THE SOUTH AMERICAN CONTINENT SOMETIMES South America is spoken of as Location flBd a country. It is not a country but a con- Boundaries tinent made up of many countries. It lies rather to the southeast than directly south of the United States. This may easily be ob- served by glancing at a map showing the Western Hemisphere. Santiago in Chile is actually farther east than New York City. South America has on its east side the Atlantic Ocean, into which it juts far out toward Africa. To the north are the Atlantic and its extension known as the Caribbean Sea. Northwestward and westward are Central America and the wide Pacific. To the south, where the At- lantic and Pacific Oceans meet, its southern point projects toward the Antarctic Ocean. South America extends from about 13 degrees north of the equator to 56 degrees south lati- tude, a total of about 69 degrees, and hence 3 4 South America the greater part of South America is south of the equator. Peculiar The configuration of South America is peculiar. *** It is shaped like a leg of mutton or like an ir- regular triangle standing on its apex, its greatest breadth from east to west is 3,500 miles, and its greatest length from north to south is about 4,600 miles. Vast Size The vastness of this southern continent is very impressive and, when the facts and figtires are given, to most persons they are quite surprising. The size of the continent, as com- pared with North America, shows that there is little difference. North America contains 8,559,000' square miles, while South America has 7,598,000. This shows some difference in figures but when it is remembered that North America has a very considerable frigid region, while South America has very little, it will be concluded that for produstive purposes. South America is practically as large as North America. Less than one per cent, of South America is insular. ' Statistics as far as possible are based upon figures in publications of the International Bureau of American Re- publics. Where these are not available, other standard authorities are used. The South American Continent We get a more definite idea of the immense Compara- tive Area Panama size of this continent when we glance at the ^* *"*~ dimensions of the countries covering the con- tinent and, particularly, when we select special countries and compare them with others with which we are more familiar. Let us take them as nearly as possible in order of size, and begin with the httle Republic of Panama, which many laughed at on the ground that it was too small to be an independent republic. But a httle study shows that Panama is larger than two Switzerlands, and hardly anybody thinks of Switzerland as too small to be a repub- lic and have a government of its own. Switzer- land has 15,976 square miles, while the Republic of Panama has 33,000 square miles. So Panama is larger than four states the size of New Jersey or Massachusetts, and exceeds Ireland by 1,400 square miles. Uruguay with its 72,210 square miles is a Uruguay and little larger than Scotland, Ireland, and Wales ^^^S^y together, and it is over 3,000 square miles larger than the six New England states with Delaware added^ Paraguay, away up in the interior, has 98,000 square miles, or nearly ten 6 South America thousand more than are in England, Scot- land, and Wales joined together. Panama' 33.00 360.341 EcuadoT,, IIS.OOOi l.400/,000 I95