It was only an exemplification of
the wide scope of Sea and Land when a generation later one of its
ministers chanced across one of these men in Western Australia.

A feature of the prayer-meeting in those days was the reading of these
seamen's letters, giving account of themselves to Borella. They always
stirred the man, who would add words of Christian admonition that lacked
nothing in definiteness.

He was the right hand of Dr. Hopper, re-wrote records and generally made
himself useful.

But in his olden days he became restless and as no mission board would
take a man of sixty-four years he went, after Dr. Hopper's death, to
Africa at his own expense. He soon attached himself to Bishop William
Taylor and with his master's certificate ran the missionary boat
_Anne Taylor_ on the Congo.

Bishop Taylor says of his end: "One Sunday morning we walked together to
a preaching service at Vivi top. Captain Borella was suddenly taken ill
and on my return there Monday morning was very low with fever. On August
12, 1891, he fell asleep in Jesus, and we buried him under a huge baobab
tree at Vivi top."

[Illustration: Christian A. Borella]

Physically he was stockily built, well knit and evidently a strong man,
always neat, but exceedingly plain in dress. He was born in Southern
Denmark, of Spanish ancestry. His modest fortune he had made in
California in '49, and his conversion was under Father Taylor when
Borella came under his influence in Boston. It was Father Taylor of whom
Walt Whitman said that he was "the one essentially perfect orator" he
had ever heard.

After several voyages Borella became "cold and a backslider," and an eye
disease nearly blinded him. "The Lord cured my blindness, physical and
spiritual, and I promist him then that I would serve him the rest of my
life," and he did it with the virility and sternness of an Old Testament
prophet.

Borella was succeeded by Captain William Dollar, a dear old saint, who
was stationed at the Sailors' Home for twelve years.

The church's work in these earlier days was simple enough,
prayer-meeting Thursdays, then Wednesdays, and temperance meeting under
McClellan and Campbell on Friday. But on Sunday, besides the two long
church services there was Sunday school, morning and afternoon, and
young people's meeting preceding the evening service.

When the sailing vessels were still along South Street, meetings were
held on ships as opportunity offered.

In 1882 th