and pastoral work.

But a new mission is to be opened further south in Guyana

Guyana

Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...

, close to the Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

ian border. Cary-Elwes is chosen for the challenging task. In 1909 he travels through the Amazonian forest to reach the Takutu River

Takutu River

The Takutu River is a river in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo Region of Guyana. It forms part of the boundary with Brazil, and is a tributary of the Branco River...

. He is in Macushi

Macushi

The Macuxi are an ethnic group of southern Guyana and northern Brazil. There are approximately 15,000 Macushi speakers in Brazil and 9,000 in Guyana.-Origins:...

 and Wapishana

Wapishana

The Wapishana are an indigenous group found in the Roraima area of southern Guyana and northern Brazil....

 territory, two Amerindian groups whose langue he learns. For two years he has to rely entirely on interpreters for communicating with them. But soon his progressive fluency in the languages allows him to make himself understood among the Patamona people who receive him well. He builds many simple houses and a few churches. Quite a few people receive baptism

Baptism

In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...

.

His pastoral area covers 300 square miles (777 km²) through which he walks for hours and days, finding this more helpful for prayer: «without a real spirit of prayer my life as a missionary would be impossible». His natural gentleness, prayerfulness and love for the Indians attracted people. Once he had mastered the Makushi language he used to sit long hours into the night, surrounded by men women and children, talking, singing and instructing them in an informal way. Dearly loved and adopted by his Rupununi

Rupununi

Rupununi is a river and region in southern Guyana, South America, originating in the Kanuku Mountains. The Rupununi River runs from near the Brazilian border into the Essequibo River. The river during the flood season actually shares a watershed with the Amazon...

 people he was called ‘Little padre’ the affectionate title.

Return to England

In January 1923, struck by a several mental breakdown that left him disoriented in the forest for several weeks he was taken back to Georgetown and repatriated to England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. He recovered fairly well, but a return to Guyana was deemed unthinkable. His Rupununi congregation of Christians kept on asking news about his ’Little padre’ but Cary-Elwes had to remain in England.

For another 20 years he gave lectures, missions and retreats, and published his notes on the Makushi, and other tribal languages of the region. Keeping in touch with the mission he used to compose hymns in Wapishana. Cuthbert Cary-Elwes died in London the 23 August 1945.

Recognition

Acknowledging the great contribution the simple missionary made to the people of the Amazonian forest made, the Guyana postal department issued in 2007 a stamp in honour of the Missionary among the Amerindians.