--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, Nicholas G. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 18 number: 7 published: 1915-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Nicholas G. Smith, "A Cloud by Day," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 7 (May 1915): 616–620.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1807unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1807unse start_page: 616 end_page: 620 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1807unse publication_year: 1915 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Cloud by Day Cloud by Day Marvelous Provision to Furnish Water for Drink BY NICHOLAS G. SMITH, PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION When I received a call to come to South Africa, on a mis- sion,my heart seemed to stop with a dull thud, and when I reached a telephone, and told my wife that it was South Africa, she said, "Oh what, to that horrid black place !" and burst into tears. My mother, as she heard the name of the mission to which I was called, tried hard to hide the tears that rushed to her eyes, as she said : "You will do what the Lord wants you to do, my son." My desire is best shown in the words of the song: "I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, Over mountain, or plain, or sea; I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord, I'll be what you want me to be." Myobject in writing this letter is to reach those who have received calls, and those who may receive calls, to come to this land and let them know the advantages of coming to such a ; blessed place. In the first place, I might have asked to have my mission changed to a closer and as I thought a more civilized country. But the authorities knew where they wanted me. I was not call- ing myself on a mission, but the servants of the living God had designated the place where they needed me and wanted me to go. Who was I that I could tell the Lord that he was mistaken, that I was better needed elsewhere? I had fifteen days time to sell my furniture and turn over business interests that really needed my attention, and get myself, wife and three children ready for a six weeks' journey to an unknown land. The trip to England by train and boat, is without doubt a very interesting one and, of course, much talked about by the many people who make it ; but it can not compare with the trip from England to South Africa. A fact to which the few fortunate ones who come here can testify. Saving nothing about the cold, bleak, windy Atlantic which is so well known by our people, I will begin our trip at Southampton. The evening was rather chilly as we sailed out past the needles into the North Atlantic ocean, but we were interested in watching the lights of other ships that were rising and falling, so that we hardly noticed the cold. We walked up and down the decks, which, by the way, are so much more roomy and at- tractive than the decks on the ships plying between Europe and America, and wondered how we would stand another rough and .'uncomfortable journey for three weeks. We did not spend much time on deck that evening as we were tired out from the day's business in arranging to embark, so we soon retired to our cabins which were much bigger and better than the ones across the Atlantic. We slept well. On arising in the morning we found that we were in the Bay of Biscay, with a clear sky, a smooth sea, and a most refreshing breeze. The weather was ideal and, in fact, continued so until we arrived at Madeira, three days later. Really, it was a wonderful sight to see the Island as we approached it, dressed in its tropical vegetation. Here we stopped for a few hours, and were surprised to see, as we went ashore, the sleds that are drawn by oxen to take sight-seeing crowds around the city over the pebble-made pavements which are worn very smooth. Beautiful hand-made inhabitants of laces are displayed on every hand by the Portugese the island. After leaving Maderia we set our course due South and the of the next morning had the opportunity of seeing the outline we passed them. This is the last land we Canary Islands, as The saw until we arrived in Table Bav fourteen days later. way. Dances were held nearly every weather was grand all the of sports were eveirno- on the decks, and during the day all sorts Over $500 were gathered up to be given out as indulged in. Day after day, we wondered just what Cape Town * was like, the people would and whether we would like it or not. and whether or not, or if it could compare with our own deal be to our liking we wondered whether home in the mountains. Last, but not least, us land in peace, or whether the immigration officials would let prison, and keep us thereuntil another they would cast us into boat should leave for England on which we could be deported excitement filled our whole souls when just What intense had been pushing us through before dawn, the propeller which the water for two weeks slowed down and stopped. We jumped out of bed and stuck our heads out of ^^.-^/'^S sky, we bel lei d Table Mou ntam with its dark outline against the twinkling around its base which seemed with hundreds of lights :™dow^to the water's edge. As daylight city from the deck : came and of the ship we felt we looked on this beautiful mother U-iat we would give our very life to walk upon good old detention bureau with the undesir- earth evln though it be in the and the poor Russian Jew ables £om India" China, Italy, Greece, who has come to a land of freedom. Cape Town's main street, which is only about the length of two Salt Lake blocks, is Adderley Street. On it the shops all have balconies which extend out over the sidewalk and protect you from the tropical sun, and the rain in wet weather. The shop windows are all fixed up just as tastily as are the windows in our big stores in Salt Lake City. The sidewalks are always crowded with people dressed in immaculate, white clothes, many without hats, but nearly all walking up and down to see how well other folks can dress. American goods of all sorts can be purchased here, in fact, petroleum is the fuel of the country and it comes from America. ; Nearly everyone uses an American oil stove, and we pay twenty- five cents a gallon for our oil. Ford cars are everywhere to be seen and cost $900. Cape Town proper had a population, in 1911, of 67.170 people, 37,237 of the total being colored. With the suberbs Cape Town extends almost around Table Mountain, and has a popula- tion of about 170,000 with about half of them colored. The wholesale houses and factories are located right in Cape Town, and the laborers live in the nearest suberbs. Woodstock, where we have a very nice branch of the mission, is where most of the laboring classes live. As you go on out around the mountain the homes become more pretentious and the people have their auto's to travel in. The street cars are double deckers and run three-fourths of the way around the mountain, and this trip as viewed from the top story of the car, is the most beautiful one I ever took, notwith- standing the fact that I have visited most of the great and beau- tiful, cities of the world. Tropical vegetation of every sort thrives here, and the state- ment is made that on Table Mountain alone there are two hundred more species of plant life than there is in the whole of England. Chief among the number is the famous Silver Leaf tree which it is claimed is only found on the slopes of Table Mountain. The blue and red gum trees, with their beautiful blue and deep red flowers, are everywhere to be seen mighty oaks spread their ; branches everywhere eucaliptus trees and weeping willow, palms ; of every sort, cactus and shrubbery of every imaginable kind, covers the earth. A peculiar thing is that nearly every kind of vegetation bears flowers of some sort. The great fir trees that have been planted all over the mountain, by the municipality, bring forth cones which produce a nut similar to our pine nut, but with a shell as hard as a Brazil nut. November to March are the dry months, or summer time, as they call it here and, during that time the grass and weeds all ; die for want of moisture. We have had very little rain since October, so you can see it is an easy matter for this tropical sun to destroy the plant life and bake the soil to such an extent that it looks just like red brick dust. From March to October we have rain most of the time in the afternoons, and when the season begins the vegetation springs up like magic, and the whole face of nature takes on a most beautiful hue. To me the water supply is the most wonderful part of the general make-up of the city. In Africa the rivers are mostly dry gulches in the summer time. Cape Town would be in serious difficulty if she had to depend on rivers or snow for her water supply, in the summer. Herein lies the glory of Table Mountain. Table mountain rises to a height of three thousand five hun- dred and eighty two feet (3,582) and is flat on top, with a general slope towards the south. Here the city has builded a number of reservoirs which are filled with water from the clouds. In the winter season, when it rains all the time, it is not so wonderful thai the reservoirs should be full; but in the summer time, when we have no rain for three months, it would take a wonderful basin to hold enough water for one hundred and seventy thousand people with their domestic animals and gardens. Here is where PROMENADE PIER AND TABLE MOUNTAIN, SOUTH AFRICA During the the Lord shows his power to a wonderful extent. south-easters, or a wind that summer, we have what are called and when that wind is blowing there is blows from the south-east ; the mountain and extends down a cloud that settles on the top of as the table cloth. I his over the ed^es and has become known right there for days when one would think it would cloud remain moisture which i blow away; and all the while it is depositing and then brought down to the plains drained"into the reservoirs, there. below, to give life to all living of how the children of We marvel when we read the account Israel were cared for in their journey through the wilderness. Manna was furnished to them for food, and living water gushed forth from solid rocks, at the magic touch of the prophet's staff; and a cloud was set to lead them. Yet in our day we have our heavenly Father showing his power in the self-same way by a cloud, and by that cloud giving us drink day by day. People can TABLE MOUNTAIN With famous table cloth, as taken by Conference President June B. Sharp, January 25, 1915. see the divine when it is a long way off, but not when right at their doors. Truly this is a civilized and a wonderful country, and my wife, with eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed with happiness, as she looks at our three bonny boys, says, "I love this horrid black place, and I thank the Lord that he called us to such a lovely land to do our little part." "MAGDALA," CAPE COLONY, AFRICA