The Henson Journals

[9]

Wednesday, June 8th, 1921.

I motored into Durham in time to preside at the missionary conference in Cosin's Library at 11.30 a.m. Welldon introduced a discussion on the organisation of native churches. He was discursive & platitudinous, saying nothing that was either helpful to discussion, or deserving of record. Then there followed a discussion. Canon Cosgrave, speaking from his own experience in India, advocated the widest concessions to native sentiment, and denounced the Establishment as wholly malefic in India. Nothing else of much value was said, and at 1 p.m. we made an end. After lunching with the Bishop of Jarrow, who looks woefully ill, I attended a "Garden Fete" in aid of the Universities Mission to central Africa, and made a speech in which I alluded to the Bishop of Zanzibar’s attacks on me, & my impressions of him in the Lambeth Conference. Then I went to the Cathedral for the Festival Service, and preached the sermon in a heavy atmosphere to a half–slumbering congregation, which was the less numerous on account of the rain which was falling briskly. After tea with Welldon, I called on Cruickshank, & then betook myself to the Castle, where I had undertaken to dine as J. G. Wilson's guest. He was entertaining Sir John Riddell, the late receiver of St Paul's, whom I used to meet not infrequently in the company of Henry Wakeman. After a pleasant dinner, I went to my room & changed. William arrived in the car. Clayton joined me, & we returned to Auckland. Before going to bed we went through the correspondence, which was less considerable than usual.