DT 516 .W26 1847 Walker, Samuel Abraham. The Church of England mission in Sierra Leone 1 Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2015 littps://arcliive.org/details/cliurcliofenglandmOOwalk CIIURCfi MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSION IN SIEERA LEONE; INCLUDING AN INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OF THAT COLONX AND A COMPREHENSIVE SKETCH OF THE NIGER EXPEDITION IN THE YEAR 1841. BY THE REV. SA:MUEL ABRAHAM WALKER, A.M., RECTOR OF GALLO, MEATH. AUTHOR OF " CHURCH MISSIONS IN WESTERN AFRICA." 'H oAfjfleia iKtvBepdxTd — John viii. 32. SEELEY, BURNSIDE, AND SEELEY, FLEET STREET, LONDON. MDCCCXLVII. t SKKI.KV. TIIAMI'S iirnoN. PUEFACE. Emboldened by the approbation which my former volume, — "Church Missions in Western Africa," has eUcited from many of my brethren in the ministry, whose praise is in all the churches ; as well as from no small portion of the periodical literature of the country, I venture to send forth this my second attempt to record in a condensed form ,the labors of the Church Missionary Society ; with such collateral matter of a historical and geographical character, as seemed to me necessary to enhance the interest and usefulness of the work. The name of Sierra Leone, the subject of the present compilation, is famihar to us as a " household word: " it has often mingled itself with our fears — rarely with our hopes. In civil, military, judicial, and medical circles, the ill-omened appellation has always been heard with trembling interest, by aspirants after Government appointments, and with the gloomiest forebodings of bereavement, by the relatives and friends of West African adventurers. Probably in no department of society, except among the comparatively insignificant class of Christian mission advocates and suj)porters, has ought but ill been augured of the " white man's grave," as this Colony has lugubri- ously been denominated ; and in the records of political complaint and vituperation, the maintenance of this deadly appendage to the IJritish crown, bears a conspicuous part. Does it not seem strange, that with scarcely a voice, public or private, to deprecate its abandonment — VI PREFACE. and involving as its maintenance does, an immense annual drain on the British exchequer : not to speak of the fearful consumption of Ufa and health ; Sierra Leone still continues in proud affiliation with Great Britain, commanding the earnest attention of her successive Cabinets, and obtaining almost unlimited supplies of blood and treasure on demand ? "Thus saith the Lord, " Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it." I for one, cannot doubt that this is the simple explication of the matter : and I entertain no little confidence, that not a few readers of the following pages will take the same view of so obvious a case of pro- vidential interposition. It perhaps has not escaped some, who are acquainted with the history of this distinguished Colony, that a striking parallelism exists between the christian Church planted here, now sending forth its offshoots into neighbouring districts, and the Church of Israel iu the Holy Land, from whence in due time went forth Uving waters to refresh and heal the nations. May not the language of the Psalmist, with some restriction, be applied to the one as well as to the other ; " Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt ; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparest room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs imto the sea, and her branches unto the river." * Both vines originally drooped in the foul atmosphere of slavery, and both were providentially restored to the land of their fathers, where a home was prepared for them amidst the darkness of heathenism, in which civilization, freedom, and spiritual life soon shone conspicuously, and the object of this in both cases evidently was, that in the fulness of time, messengers of peace and salvation, fitted for their office — in the one case miraculously, and in the other scarcely less so, that the people to whom they came, might hear in their own tongue wherein they were born, the wonderful works of God — might go forth to proclaim among the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ. If the Pentecostal effusion could boast of its " signs from heaven," as indicative of the superhuman source from whence it flowed ; surely the fact, that the rcpresenliitives of thirty or forty different African tribes, speaking as many different languages or dialects, have been assembled independently of all human * Vs. \\xx. B— 11. PREFACE. Ml foresight, in one spot, on which the rays of divine truth have now shone for years, in spite of the most formidahle disasters and dis- couragements, is no less demonstrative of omniscient intervention and contrivance. Human agencj- in the attempt to regenerate Africa, has hitherto failed. We have now arrived at a juncture when it will be seen whe- ther He who chooses the " base things of the world, and things which are despised," to effect His mighty enterprises, shall not make the much-abused Colony of Sierra Leone, " a praise in the earth." Although the " Niger Expedition," — a sketch of which I have included in this volume, does not stand in strict relationship to the Church Missionary Society's work, yet it cannot be called altogether independent of it, since the society was collaterally instrumental to its efficiency, by supplving interpreters to the Expedition, of such a character as commanded the respect of the native cliiefs, who were visited on the voyage up the river ; and enhancing in no small degree their admiration of British intelligence and generosity. Moreover, as the information obtained by the Expedition, regarding the countries in the proximity of the Niger, from whence great numbers of the liberated Africans in the Colony were originally sold into slavery, has inspired a general desire on their part to return home, and thus ac- complish the manifest j)urpose of God in collecting them at the Colony ; there seemed to me a propriety in taking some notice of the occur- rence, in which such a movement has originated. Besides, the Niger Expedition appears to mc to remove any doubt, if it ever existed, of the future welfare of Africa ; being under God, entirely dependent on a well-trained native agency : the point to be kept prominently before us, in every consideration of the value of the Sierra Leone Mission. To the bulk of the present volume, as well as of that which has preceded it, some may reasonably object, but I beg to assure them that keeping in view my original object, viz : providing an adequate representation of missionary experience, for satisfactory reference in time to come, and for profitable perusal at all times, my great difficulty has been, in tlie abundance of valuable matter with which the jour- nals of the missionaries have sup])lied me, to confine my work to the present limits ; but at the same time, I can truly say, that while forced to a certain selection of matter, my conscientious aim has been that the character of what was necessarily excluded, should in all its features be most scruj)ulously represented by that which aj)pcared ; — vi PREFACE. and involving as its maintenance does, an immense annual drain on the British exchequer : not to speak of the fearful consumption of life and health ; Sierra Leone still continues in proud affiliation with Great Britain, commanding the earnest attention of her successive Cabinets, and obtaining almost unlimited supplies of blood and treasure on demand ? "Thus saith the Lord, " Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it." I for one, cannot doubt that this is the simple explication of the matter : and I entertain no little confidence, that not a few readers of the following pages will take the same view of so obvious a case of pro- vidential interposition. It perhaps has not escaped some, who are acquainted with the history of this distinguished Colony, that a striking parallelism exists between the christian Church planted here, now sending forth its offshoots into neighbouring districts, and the Church of Israel in the Holy Land, from whence in due time went forth living waters to refresh and heal the nations. May not the language of the Psalmist, with some restriction, be applied to the one as well as to the other ; " Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt ; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. Thou preparest room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river." * Both \Tines originally drooped in the foul atmosphere of slavery, and both were providentially restored to the land of their fathers, where a home was prepared for them amidst the darkness of heathenism, in which civilization, freedom, and spiritual life soon shone conspicuously, and the object of this in both cases evidently vtas, that in the fulness of time, messengers of peace and salvation, fitted for their office — in the one case miraculously, and in the other scarcely less so, that the people to whom they came, might hear in their own tougue wherein they were born, the wonderful works of God — might go forth to proclaim among the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ. If the Pentecostal effusion could boast of its " signs from heaven," as indicative of the superhuman source from whence it flowed ; surely the fact, that the representatives of thirty or forty different African tribes, speaking as many different languages or dialects, have been assembled independently of all human • Ps. ixxx. PREFACE. VII foresight, in one spot, on which the rays of divine truth have now shone for years, in spite of the most formidable disasters and dis- couragements, is no less demonstrative of omniscient intervention and contrivance. Human agency in the attempt to regenerate Africa, has hitherto failed. We have now arrived at a juncture when it will be seen whe- ther He who chooses the " base things of the world, and tilings which are despised," to effect His mighty enterprises, shall not make the much-abused Colony of Sierra Leone, " a praise in the earth." Although the " Niger Expedition," — a sketch of which I have included in this volume, does not stand in strict relationship to the Church Missionary Society's work, yet it cannot be called altogether independent of it, since the society was collaterally instrumental to its efficiency, b}' supplnng interpreters to the Expedition, of such a character as commanded the respect of the native chiefs, who were visited on the voyage up the river ; and enhancing in no small degree their admiration of British intelligence and generosity. jMoreover, as the information obtained by the Expedition, regarding the countries in the proximity of the Niger, from whence great numbers of the liberated Africans in the Colony were originally sold into slavery, has inspired a general desire on their part to return home, and thus ac- complish the manifest purpose of God in collecting them at the Colony ; there seemed to me a propriety in taking some notice of the occur- rence, in which such a movement has originated. Besides, the Niger Expedition appears to me to remove any doubt, if it ever existed, of the future welfare of Africa ; being under God, entirely dependent on a well-trained native agency : the j)oint to be kept prominently before us, in every consideration of the value of the Sierra Leone Mission. To the bulk of the {jresent volume, as well as of that which has preceded it, some may reasonably object, but I beg to assure them that keej)ing iu view my original i)l)ject, viz : providing an adequate representation of missionary experience, for satisfactory reference in time to come, and for jjrofitable perusal at all times, my great difficulty has been, in tlie abundance of valual)le matter with which the jour- nals of the missionaries have supplied me, to confine my work to the present hmits ; but at the same time, I can truly say, that while forced to a certain selection of matter, my conscientious aim has been that the character of what was necessarily excluded, shoidd in all its features be most scrujjulously represented by that which appeared ; — viii PREFACE. and in the absence of all bias of any kind, I trust I hare not strayed from this intent. I commend my volume and its readers to the great first Missionary, Jesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, be as- cribed all the glory of every achievemeut in the field of spiritual warfare, at home and abroad. Amen. Samuel A. Walker. Summerhill, Meath, October 1, 1846. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION. SIERRA LEONE. page xiii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. page 1 CHAPTER 11. regent's town and GLOUCESTER. i'l^C 38 CHAPTER III. regent's TOWN : MB. Johnson's JOURNAL : charlotte town. pageGo X CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. regent's town : mr. Johnson's journal : gloucestrr: mr, during. — charlotte : mr. taylor — death of mr. renner. page 102 CHAPTER V. population of FREETOWN CHURCH CONGREGATION METHODISTS DOMINGO JORDAN HECTOR PETERS THE LORd's DAY BAMBARRA TOWN COMPOSITION OF JURIES AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY DEATH OF MRS. LISK MR. DURINg's RETURN HOME NYLANDER DAVID NOAH FEARFUL CATASTROPHE INCREASE OF POPULATION AT REGENT NATIVE INDUSTRY SAMPLES OF MISSIONARY SUCCESS. page 146 CHAPTER VI. ARRIVAL OF MORE LABORERS RETURN OF MR. DURING DEATH OF MR. JOHNSON OF MR. FLOOD OF MR. PALMER OF MRS. VAUGHAN OF MR. AND MRS. DURING. ..... page 185 CHAPTER VII. DEATH OF SIR CHARLES MACCARTHY HIS CHARACTER CHURCH BUILD- INGS ARRIVAL OF FRESH MISSIONARIES DEATH OF MR. BROOKS, MR. NYLANDER, &c. ...... page 231 CHAPTER VIII. NEW ARRIVALS MORE DEATHS GREAT DISCOURAGEMENTS DEPAR- TURES NEW GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. . . . ;jff^e 260 CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER IX. OPENING OF ST. GEORGe's CHURCH DISCOURAGEMENTS FRESH LOSSES SOME IMPROVEMENT. ...... pOf/e 296 CHAPTER X. ARRIVALS AND FURTHER LOSSES REVIVALS DEATHS FEEBLE STATE OF THE MISSION YET SOME FAVOURABLE PROSPECTS. . page 337 CHAPTER XI. ARRIVAL OF FRESH LABORERS DEATH OF MRS. SCHON AND OF MRS. GRAF ANXIETY OF THE NATIVES FOR INSTRUCTION. . JiOge 383 CHAPTER XII. INCREASE OF THE POPULATION NEW CHURCHES NATIVE TEACHERS SCHOOLS ARRIVALS DEATHS DEATHBEDS OF N.\TIVES. pOffe 406 CHAPTER XIII. ARRIVAL OF MORE LABORERS, 1840 1841 STATE OF THE CHRIS- TIAN INSTITUTION HAPPY RESULTS SEVERAL DEATHS THE TIM- MANEE MISSION. ....... poffe 444 CHAPTER XIV. THE NIGER EXPEDITION. ...... pnge 466 xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER XV. CHURCH MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION AT SIERRA LEONE MISSION OF INQUIRY TO BADAGRY THE CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION CHURCH BUILD- ING EMIGRANTS AT JAMAICA VILLAGES CHURCH RELIEF COMPANY CHARLOTTE BELL DEATH OF MR. AND MRS. THOMPSON. pOffC 500 CHAPTER XVI. REV. S. CROWTHER THE YORUBAS THE HAUSSA PEOPLE SCHOOLS ABBEOKOUTA DEATH OF MRS. GOLLMER SIR F. BUXTON BAPTISMS SCHOOLS FOURAH BAY INSTITUTION POSTSCRIPT. . pOffe 541 INTRODUCTION. SIERRA LEONE. The peninsula of Sierra Leone on the "West Coast of Africa, situated in 8" 30" N. lat. and 13° 43" w. long., was reached by the Portugese navigator, Pedro di Sintra, in 1467. The Portuguese called the promontory to the south of the present settlement, Cape Liedo, and the mountains in the interior. Sierra Leone,* or Lioness Mountain ; because, according to the majority of interpreters, this region was found to abound with lions. " But," says Winterbottom, "this supposition is certainly ill-founded, as lions are not to be met with in this part of the country at present, nor is there any tradition among the natives of their ever having existed here." lu Cada Mosto's relation of Di Sindra's voyage, the reason ascribed is the tremendous roaring of thunder over the summit of the mountain, which is continually wrapped in clouds and mists. The great noise which the sea makes on this coast, has also been thought from its resembUng the roaring of a lion, to have suggested this apjjcUation.f The river or estuary of Sierra Leone, J which bounds the settle- ment on the north, and separates it from the Bullom country, is one of the most beautiful in Africa. It is about twenty miles in length, and it varies from fifteen miles at its entrance between the two extreme points of Leopold's Island and Cape Sierra Leone, to six or seven at St. George's Bay, and four or five at the island of Tombo, where it ceases to be navigable by large vessels, and divides into two ])rincipal branches, the llokel and Port Lokko rivers. Previous to this, how- ever, it sends off a smaller branch to the north, called the Bullom • Sierra Lconc belonged to the TimmanecB, and was by them called Koniatong, or the Mountain. + llnrduin'ii nntos on Pliny. J Called also tlic Milomha. xiv IXTEODUCTION. rirer, from running into that country ; and another to the south more considerable, called the Bance. Of the two principal branches, the Eokel, which flows through the Timmanee countrv, is the only one navigable for any considerable distance ; its source is about 200 miles from Sierra Leone.* Parts of it abound in numerous ledges of rocks which have obtained for it the name of Robung-Dakel or ' river of reefs,' corrupted into Rokel. Several fine bays are formed on the south side of the Sierra Leone river, all opening to the north. The navigable entrance of this river is narrow, the tides are strong, and the Biillom shoal occupying the middle of it very steep, so that it can be entered only by a sea-breeze, which though pretty regular is not always certain in stiength or duration. t Sierra Leone river con- tains several islands, as Gambia, at the mouth of the Bance, formerly a slave-factory belonging to the French ; its extent is considerable, and the land high ; but it is very hot, aud consequently unhealthy. Tasso, formerly a British slave -station, which is also of considerable extent and very fertile ; great exertions have been made here with considerable success, to introduce the arts of agriculture, and to ex- emplifv to the poor African the value of his native soil. The cidtiva- tion of cotton has made considerable progress. Bance Island about a mile and half to the north of Tasso and eighteen from St. George's Bav ; this forms the extreme point of the river to which it is navigable for ships. From its position it is considered of much importance in a commercial point of view. Previous to the occupation of Sierra Leone by the British as a free Negro Colony, they had a small factory on this island for the purpose of supplying them with the slaves purchased for the cultivation of their West India islands. It is uow the site of an extensive timber-manufactory. On approaching this island the eve is met by a fortification, and an elegant range of builthngs and stone-houses. It is however Uttle more than a barren rock of about three quarters of a mile in extent, considerably elevated, with a dry gravellv soil. Being placed in the midst of an Archipelago of low marshy islands, the breeze from whatever quarter it blows, is im- pregnated with moisture and marsh effluvia, which render it sickly. The thermometer usually stands four or five degrees higher here than • Lainc savs the Rokcl in the dry season is navigable for boats only 50 miles from the sea, and Mr. Clarke, senior assistant surgeon to Sierra Leone, remarks, — The Port Lokkoh runs to the eastward about sixty miles. The source of the Rokel is about 200 miles from Sierra Leone, but the streams are not navigable more than sixty miles. This river affords considerable advantage for trade. The Bunce river or estuarj- runs a little beyond Waterloo, about eighteen miles from Freetoi»-n. f This shoal or sandbank has been formed by the rapidity of the current, it renders the N. E. half of the bay inaccessible to large vessels ; but, to the S. E. there is a fine channel more than a league in breadth, and from seven to ten fathoms in depth, extending as far as Gambia island. INTRODUCTION. XV at Freetown, the capital of the Sierra Leone Colony. Besides these, there are several other islands, mostly small and overgrown with man- groves, but some, such as Robanna, Tambo, &c. have native towns upon them, and plantations of rice.* The land forming the peninsula of Sierra Leone, when viewed from the sea, or from the Bullom shore on the opposite side of the river, where the ground is low, appears like a number of hills heaped upon each other in a very irregular manner. On a nearer approach, however, the eye is delighted with the grandeur and beauty of the scenery formed by these hills, and the vallies and prairies discovered in the intervals between them.f Lofty forests clothing the mountains, lend an air of richness and luxuriance to the landscape, and pleasingly contrast with the dull flatness of the Bullom shore ; % and indeed with the whole coast northward to the Gambia, and from the Shcrbro south- ward to cape Palmas, where the thick woods appear to the approaching voyager to grow out of the water ; their foliage and lofty stems stand- ing in full view often for many hours, whilst the land beneath remains unseen. § The shore of Sierra Leone, to the extent of six or seven miles from the mouth of the river, is very rugged, and consists chiefly of rocks abounding in iron, which lie upon a sandy bottom. Much of the coast is marshy and covered with a sort of brushwood or jungle. With regard to the soil, it must be confessed a great part is far from fertile. There are round Freetown several small plains of indurated claystone covered with grass, which are incapable of cul- tivation, as arc also the granitic niountams of the Sierra ; but in the vallies, in the plains up the river Sierra Leone, and below the river Kates, in the highlands and towards the Sherbro, the land is as good and as fertile as in any part of the world, and there is also excellent • The beautiful Banana Islands on the coast, S. VV. of Freetown, were ceded to the crown in Kiiy by the family of the Caulkers, who receive for them an annual payment. They are remarkal)l<; for their salubrity, ranking, in this particular, as respects the colo- nies, with Madeira and the Isle of Wight. The Eastern is nnith larger than the West- em, and contains two villages, Dublin and Ilickctts — the population of the former being over .500— of the latter about .'JOO. These islands are very productive, and promise in every respect to be a valuable acquisition to the colony ; but, perhaps, their full value is not yet ascertained. See p. m, and seq. of the former volume. t " When we reach the entrance of the bay, the eye is immediately attracted by a deep valley, which is entirely covered by the river, having no greater space at most than a hundred fathoms between its waters and the woods and hillocks which form its banks. On the right hand the ground is low ; on the left it rises into amphitheatres, covered with majestic trees of remarkable grandeur, and adorned with foliage? rich, various and luxuriant. The masts of vessels at anchor near the village of Sierra Leone, two other negro villages, the busy movements of men and boats returning from fishing, all con- spired to animate this interesting landscape. Kuropc may present prospects more rich and brilliant, but in no part of the world can there be found a site so delightful as the Bay of Sierra Leone." — fiolberrv. I Tli» word liullom signifies low land. 11 Uankin. xvi INTRODUCTION. water carriage. Major Gray testifies that this Colony is able to vie with many of the West India islands in all the productions of tropical climates, but particularly in the article of coffee, which has been already raised here, and proved by its demand in the English market, to be of as good if not superior quality, to that imported from our other Colonies. Arrow-root has also been cultivated with advantage ; nor can there be a doubt that the sugar-cane could be produced. Cotton, ginger, indigo, &c. already abound.* It is not easy to define the boundaries of this settlement. In 1787 a tract of the peninsula of Sierra Leone was ceded to England by Naimbanna, the king of Sierra Leone, who resided on the small island of Robanna, between the Bance and the Gambia, extending fifteen miles from N. to S. by four from E. to W ; the western boundary subse- quently advanced to the sea as far as the point of land called False Cape. In the charters granted to the Sierra Leone Company in 1800, 1809 and 1821, the Colony is described as the peninsula of Sierra Leone, bounded on the N. by the river of that name ; on the S. by the Camaranca river ; on the E. by the river Bance ; and on the W. by the sea. The peninsula as at present known, is bounded on the N. by the Sierra Leone river : on the S. and W. by the sea at Calmout creek ; on the E. by a line up the Calmont to the Waterloo creek, and dowTi this last, to the Bance, constituting a tract 18 miles from N. to S., and 12 from E. to W. By a convention in 1819, between Sir C. MacCarthy, Governor of Sierra Leone, and a Timmanee chief, named Ka Kouka, possessing country on the boundary of the peninsula, that chief ceded to Great Britain the unlimited sovereignty of the lands known by the name of Mar Ports and Roe Boncss, on the banks of the Bance river. In 1824, Ba Mauro, king of the North BuUoms, ceded to Great Britain the islands of Bance, Tasso, Tombo and all the other islands on the N. side of Sierra Leone, between Zogrine point and Ka Keeper creek ; as well as the N. bank of the river for one mile inland from the river Couray Bay, on the W. to the Ka Keeper creek on the E. ; with a right and title to the navigation of the river Sierra Leone &c. On the N. the boundaries touch the Little Scarcics river, in lat. 8» 50' N. ; on the S. as far as the line which separates the king of Shcrbros' territory from that of the Gallinos in lat. 7° 0' N., embrace- ing the estuary of the Sherbro and its tributaries ; on the W. the At- lantic as far N. as Sierra Leona river ; and on the E. an imaginary line imperfectly defined. f Freetown, tlie capital of the ])eninsula, stands about five miles from Cape Sierra Leone, on the south side of the noble estuary of that name, where it narrows to six or seven miles across, and forms a bay * See Gray'8 Travels in Africa, pp. 333, 334. + Martin's Historj' of the Britisli Colonics, vol. iv. INTRODUCTION. XVU iu front of the town, where there is good and commodious anchorage for vessels of all classes. Nothing can exceed the beauty of the site selected for the town ; " to the left, the shore is broken into a series of little bays, with moderate hills, gently rising above, and waving with palm-trees ; in the front is the wide Sierra Leone glittering in constant sunshine, and bordered by the low woods of the Bullom shore. The inland country to the west is intersected by the waters of the Port Lokko, Rokel and Bance rivers, varied with many a green island and bearing many a little canoe formed of the trunk of a tree and paddled by sturdy savages." * The town is built on a piece of ground which rises abruptly from the water's edge to the height of fifty feet, and then proceeds with a gentle and gradual ascent for about three quarters of a mile till it reaches the foot of a chain of mountains running nearly E. S. E. and W. N. W. : these mountains are from 12 to 1500 feet liigh and wooded to the summit. The intervening space between the town and these mountains is broken by numerous undulations, the outline exhibiting the appearance of a sylvan theatre, replete with highly picturesque sceuerv-. With the exception of the cultivated spots, the hills are thickly planted with timber, and ascend gradually towards Leicester Mountain, above which the Sugar-loaf is seen to rise at some distance iu the rear. The amphitheatre includes a semidiameter of nearly a mile, embracing the town, the Lower Hill, and a piece of land called " King Tom's point." The Lower Hill is in the centre, and Freetown stretches from the water side towards its base ; about half way up its side stand the fort, barracks, hospital. Government house and a martello tower — the whole fonniug, when viewed from the sea, a coup d'oeil of surpassing beautv. The town is laid out with great regularity, with fine streets eighty feet wide, intersecting each other at right angles, the street which is nearest to the water, and running parallel to it, is double the breadth of the others, and receives the cool breeze that blows from the Atlantic. Each house stands separate, and has a small garden attached to it ; the space of ground allowed for each family to build on, being seventy- six feet by forty-eight. At first the houses were built of mud or wood, but a great many are now of stone ; and wood, though still employed, is gradually disappearing ; the negro considering no toil too arduous which enables him to raise a dwelUng like his white neighbour. In consequence of the space occupied by each house, wliich usually stands in a court-yard or garden, and is shaded by luxiuiant trees, the area covered with buildings is much greater in Freetown, than where, as in Europe, the houses stand closely together — the length of the town from E. to W. being about a mile, anil tlie circumference nearly *■ RankiD. w. b XVIU INTRODUCTION. three miles, but both beauty and health seem to be consulted by a de- parture from the ordinary arrangement. Before each house there is a piazza with pillars at regular intervals, supporting verandahs which afford a shady walk even while the noonday sun is shining ; to the verandahs are attached green blinds, called jalousies, and the roofs of the houses formed of shingles, or thin pieces of wood, twelve inches long by four in breadth, placed over each other hke tiles, pro- ject to a considerable distance. There is one excellent well of water in the town, close to the fish market, which the inhabitants call "King Jimmy," and to which all that possibly can, resort. The more distant parts of the town are supplied by a brook wliich descends from the mountains. The first appearance of the wet season used to turn Freetown into a garden of herbs ; the streets being rendered almost impassable by the multitude of plants that suddenly sprung up in them, of which the principal was indigo, from which a well-known blue dye is extracted ; but a resident merchant has within these few years imported a species of West Indian or American grass of dwarfish growth, which is actually sown in the streets, and has the elfect of keeping down all other vegetation, while being itself soft and cool to the feet of the passengers. At the foot of the rocky heights, which suddenly break upon the regularity of the streets, are long suburbs of huts with which the lofty and circular Barrack Hill is encompassed, and in which emauci- pated slaves reside ; these suburbs constitute the most extensive and most populous part of Freetown, and present an appearance of great meanness and poverty, formed as the huts are of a few rude stakes stuck into the ground wattled together, and plastered with brown mud. In some places the negro huts are mere wicker sheds five or six feet square, covered with dry leaves and boughs ; * in others they are circular with conical roofs — attached to these huts are small patches of ground in which the papaw, plaintain and banana plants, are cultivated. The principal buildings are Government-house — the Commissariat — the Court-house — the Market — Fort Thornton — the Barracks, and the Church : of the last, some account will be given in the proper place, when the success of missionary labor has been so far developed as the demand for this sacred edifice implies.-f Several dissenthig sects have also their chapels and congregations among the black population, which * Grass thatching is forbidden by Government order in Freetown, in consequence of the many destructive fires which occurred durinj; its use. The roofing now employed is bamboo, or phittcd pahn leaves, which are not nearlj' so combustible. f It may here just be mentioned th.1t this fine building was constructed entirely by emancipated negroes and boys under Christian instruction, sujicrintendcd only by one Kuroper.n. A second Church called the " Mission Church," lias been erected here within n short period. INTRODUCTION. XIX it may here just be noticed, consists principally of — Settlers, or free blacks of American origin — Maroons, a mixed free race from the Island of Jamaica — Foulahs and Mandingoes, representatives of their resjjective tribes, — Kroomcn natives of the Grain coast, about 350 miles south of Sierra Leone, and liberated slaves rescued by British cruisers from the holds of vessels engaged in the execrable slave traffic, and made free citizens of this Christian Colony. Here also several of the Jaloff na- tion have taken up their residence ; and, indeed, about thirty or forty of the numerous tribes of Western Africa, are represented at the colony by natives from their respective countries, distinguished by their peculiar language and costume. To the several communities regularly resident at Freetown, distinct localities are assigned. The American emigrants reside in a quarter called from them Settler-town. The Mahommedan tribes, the Foulahs and Mandingoes, are their neighbours to the east ; — their town is called Foidah-town. West of Government-house, the Maroons occupy Maroon-town. Beneath the barracks are Jalolf-town and Soldier-town, and in the vicinity, Congo-town and Kroo-town pre- sent their long succession of mud and wicker hovels. Full opportu- nity will be afforded as we proceed to describe the location as well as manners of the liberated slaves. The internal traffic of Freetown is conducted in shops or stores as they are called, in which the customer can be supplied with every variety of article in common use, from a skein of thread to a bottle of rum ; iind the market to which the negroes from a distance around the towu resort, bringing the produce of their ground-nuts, palm-oil, poultry, pigs, ginger, arrowroot, &c., to dispose of them to tiie black and white residents of the colony. The market is stated by travellers to be well supplied with meat, fish, and poultry, and the demand for these and other articles of consumption has given a stinmlus to native industry highly conducive to the moral and social improve- ment of this part of the coast.* The native tribes in the neighbour- hood also are l)eginniug to perceive the advantages of exchanging legi- timate connncrce for the brutalizing system of slave-dealing, and look to the colony with increasing iuterest as a market, both to receive their merchandize, and to supply them with those accessions to comfort of which their notions are daily becoming more just and exalted. Tlie fruit-trees of the colony are mnnerons, aud bear lus> ious fruit. The jieach-tree bears a large, tleshy, and solid fruit, hard, and eatable throughout, and full of small seeds ; it grows from ten to fifteen feet high. The custard apple-tree with fruit as large as a pigeon's egg. * " The foUowiiitc is the price of ciitth,' and jirovisioiis at Sierra Leone : — linrned cattle £3 per head ; sheep from 17s. to £1 ; bread per pound Gd. ; beef -Id. ; mutton Cd. ; fowls Bs. lid. per dozen ; chickens half the price ; rice "Jd. per pound ; colVee West Indian Is. per pound ; ({rocorics and other European stores, .'10 per tent above the markets ii: Ku- rope."— It, Clarke, a»». burg. at Sierra Leone. b 2 XX INTRODUCTION. The Baobab or monkey-bread tree — its fniit large and oblong, tastes like gingerbread.* The locust-tree, a beautiful tree when in blossom, its flowers are succeeded by pods, containing a yellow farinaceous sub- stance, of which the natives are very fond. The cheriy bearing a small oval reddish fruit, hke a plum in flavor. The monkey-apple, with a small oval fruit, red on one side and yellow on the other. The grapes are black and acid. The currants resemble elder-berries, and abound in the mountains. Large and small figs are plentiful. Wild guavas are indigenous to the countn,-. There are various kinds of plums : — the hog plum ; the grey plum ; the gingerbread plum ; the small pigeon plum ; the yellow pigeon plum ; the black plum, and the sugar plum. The last is considered one of the best fruits in the colony, and is sold in large quantities. The tree is very handsome,' sixty feet high, and at ten feet from the ground it throws out roots like a man- grove or pandauus. The sweet pishamin yields a quantity of sweet milky juice. The sour pishamin, sharp and bitter, is much relished by the natives. The mammee apple is large, and the wood of the tree useful. The butter and tallow tree abounds in a yellow greasy juice, to which it owes its name, and which is given out plentifully when the fruit is cut — the natives mix it with their food. There are two kinds of star apple. Certain seeds called Kola by the negroes, are highly esteemed as possessing the same ^•irtues as peruvian bark, they are Uke horse-chesnuts, and grow two and five together in pods. A seed called tola is similarly used. Tliere are two species of tamarinds, the velvet and the brown, differing little except in colour. Pine-apple-trees abound and produce abundantly ; a pleasant wine is made from the fruit at Sierra Leone. The natives cultivate plantains, bananas, cocoa- nuts, and papaws, oranges, lemons, which are scarce, and limes, cashew- nuts, love-apples, rose-apples, tamarinds, melons, cucumbers, gourds, capsicums, &c. f The river of Sierra Leone abounds in fish ; the whale is occasionally found here, there are also sharks, porpoises, eels, mackarels, mullets, • " The Baobab or monkey bread is the largest known tree ; its trunk being sometimes not less than thirty feet in diameter, its height 60 or 70 feet, and its wide-spreading foliage overshadowing a space whose diameter is 140 or 150 feet. This, however, is only when it has attained the age of several thousand years, as it is said to do. At one year old its diameter is one inch, and its height five inches ; at thirty years old, its height is twenty-two feet, and its diameter two feet. At 1,000 years old, its trunk is 14 feet in diameter, and the tree .58 feet high ; and at .5,000 years its lateral growth has so far exceeded its perpendicular, that the trunk will be 30 feet in diameter and only 73 feet in height; the roots of the largest trees will extend to the length of 110 feet. The trunk is liable to be attacked by a fungus, which renders the part affected as soft as pith. The negioes hollow out such trees into chambers, and in them suspend the dead bodies of those who are refused the honor of burial.— Thus they become mummies, perfectly dried and preserved, and are known by the name of Guiriots." — Martin. + Abridged from Martin. INTRODUCTION. snappers, yellow-tails, &c. here is also the mannittee, a mass of shapeless flesh, having much the taste of heef, and much esteemed by the natives. Oysters are found in great abundance, attached to the mterwoven twigs and branches of the mangrove-tree. The common sponge also abounds. Of amphibious animals there are green turtles, hawk's-bills, laggerheads, often weighing several hundred pounds, land-turtles, fresh- water turtles, alUgators, which are very voracious and from twelve to fifteen feet in length, they wUl swallow a man ; lizards are very numerous, and the species in great variety ; snakes are numerous, and haunt the houses at night, preying on poultry, &c. some of them have measured eighteen feet in length. Of domestic animals there are cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, ducks, turkeys, fowls, inferior however to those in Europe ;* and of wild aniraals, lions, leopards, hyaenas, wild hogs, squirrels, monkeys, antelopes, civet and zibath cats — the Chimpanzee or ourang outang,f with numerous tribes of monkeys. Insects are numerous, some of them beautiful, and many destructive and troublesome, among others we may mention ants, cockroaches, crickets, musquitos, sandflies, centipedes, scorpions, wild bees, &c. The resources of Sierra Leone in a commercial point of new, are best ascertained from an enumeration of its principal exports, they consist of timber, camwood, palm-oil,^ ivory, rice, bees-wax, gold, ox-hides, horns, copal gum, ginger, arrowroot, coffee, pepper, indigo, tortoise-shell, planks, india-rubber, hemp, &c. In ten years, from 1816 to 1826, there were 80,560 tons of shipping loaded with timber at this settlement, and the value of its exports in the year 1 834 was j658, 174. The annual importations of palm-oil alone from Sierra Leone into this country-, are now upwards of 12,000 tons, which at • " In 1841 there were in the colony 80 horses ; 588 homed cattle ; 261 sheep ; 1,020 goals; 14,713 pigs; and 13,315 heads of poultry."— R. Clarke. Sudden deaths among horses are said to be of frequent occurrence. t Of all apes yet discovered, this makes the nearest approximation to the human fijnire. t The palm-tree proves to the African one of bis richest blessinj^ ; it yields him meat, drink, and clothing : its leaves thatch his house and afford him a kind of hemp for fish- ing-lines ; of its inner bark he forms cloth, of its outer bark baskets, mats, &c. It is remarkably tall, without branches, having regular and gradual protuberances from the bottom towards the top, ending in five or six clusters of nuts, shaded by long deciduous leaves ; from the nuts the valuable palm-oil is produced. They are beaten into a pulp, which is Ijoiled, when the oil, which is of a crimson color, floats on the top and is skim- med off,— a subsequent process with the pulp produces a substaix-e which mixed with wood-ashes is formed into soap. Palm- wine is produced by making an incision about half an inch in depth at the bottom of every clnster of nuts, from which flows a gallon of wine per day for a week, when it is closed until the following season. The liquid when newly taken resembles whey, but it soon ferments and becomes as acid as strong vinegar, with a disagreeable smell, in which state it inebriates and is much esteemed by th« Dativrit. xxu INTRODUCTION. the market price of £28 per ton, amoxmts to ^6336,000 per annum, giving constant employment to 1500 tons of shipping.* The history of this Colony is deeply interesting to the British Christian patriot, associated as it is with the noblest struggle in which any nation was ever engaged. History offers to our admiration the efforts and sacrifices of communities embarking life and wealth in the cause of liberty to themselves and their posterity, nobly deter- mining to hazard all in the desire to be free ; but it was reserved for Christian Britain to reach a loftier conception of human dignity, and adventure all that the world holds dear, in the field of heroic enterprise, to achieve freedom not for herself, but for the most despised and de- graded of all God's earthly childi'eu ; because looking dovra from the grandeur of her own social condition, she saw in that long injured and afflicted race, an object worthy of her high compassion and patronage, and a means of exemplifying to the world the sincerity of her hatred of tjrranny, and her gratitude to Him who having elevated her above the nations of the earth, and given her political institutions such as the world never paralleled, appointed her to be the natural guardian and deliverer of the oppressed. To commence the work of delivering Africa from slavery, was the object of founding a settlement at Sierra Leone : — to follow up the noble work then commenced, this Colony has since been retained at an immense sacrifice of blood and treasure. Wliether an experience of fifty or sixty years has justified this expen- diture, we shall j)robably be able to decide before the conclusion of this volume. The decision of Lord Mansfield, Cliief Justice of the King's Bench, in favor of the Negro Somerset, in June 1772, had established the noble prmciple that slaves on touching British land became free ; f the consequence of which was, that a great many blacks, to the number of at least 400, who had been brought to England, and afterwards turned adrift by their masters, or who had served in the army or navy, during the war, soon infested the streets of London as beggars, having no claim to support. Mr. Granville Sharp, who had been so instrumental in obtaining for the negro the protection of British law, was visited by numbers of these poor creatures, seeking some means of support. In 1783 Mr. Smeathman, a gentleman who had resided for some time on the West Coast of Africa, conceived the idea of forming a free Negro settlement at Sierra Leone, but he died before he could carry liis benevolent project into execution. This design was taken up by Mr. Sharp, and as government readily entered into his plans, having long considered these Negro mendicants a great nuisance, preparations * These numliers are from Martin, who is generally correct, as he probably is licrc, not- A\ ilhstnnding an apparent discrepancy. The exports now are much greater. t See pp. !>9, GO, of the preceding voliinie. INTRODUCTION. were at once made for transporting the poor Africans to their native continent, and the transports sailed under convoy of the ' Xautilus, ' sloop of war, on the 8th of April 17S7. To the 400 Negroes sent out, were added about sixty Europeans, chiefly women. Great unhealthiness prevailed on board during the passage, owing principally to disorders brought on board, aggravated by subsequent intemperance, and in consequence of unlbrtunate delays the emigrants were landed in the rainy season, and being exposed to the weather a great portion of them very soon died. Many had been carried off by disease, previous to landing, so that in the cotu-se of the first year, their numbers were reduced nearly one half. A few fled into the interior, and the remainder set about constructing a small town. In the next two years the infant Colony was somewhat estabUshed ; out of two hundred settlers but five or six died, and the survivors contrived to support themselves without any great labor. A spirit of restlessness however got among them, and they began to emigrate in such numbers to the neighbouring parts, that the community was in danger of extinction. Fortunately at this crisis the ' M\to,' a small brig, appeared on the coast laden with necessaries for the use of the settlers, and this providential interposition had the effect of drawing the wanderers back, and causing them to feel more satisfied with their condition as British subjects. At this time, a confirmation of the original grant of land, composing the Colony, was obtained from Naimbauna, the king of Sierra Leone, who resided at the small island of Rohanna, between the EugUsh slave-factory at Bauce island, and the French one at Gambia. Towards the end of the year 1 "S9, when prosperity seemed to have set in, the settlers received a formal notice from a great council of the neighbouring Chief, that he had resolved on burning their town, in retaliation for a similar injury- inflicted on his capital, by the crew of an Eiighsh ship of war I Three days were allowed them for the re- moval of their goods, and at the stated time the sentence was carried into execution. This was an almost ruinous blow to the infant colony, but Providence again interfered, a company was now formed in England, called the St. George's Bay Company, an agent from which, Mr. Falconbridgc, set sail in 1 790, with a commission to exam- ine and report the state of the Colony, and to afford a temporary- relief to the sufferers under the recent disaster, until the grant of a Charter, for which application had been made to the King, (George III,) should enable the Directors to take more effective anil permanent measures for tlie jjrosperity of the settlement. It was about twelve months after tlie dispersion of the settlers, that Mr. Falconbridgc arrived ; he collected sixty-four of them, and they XXIV INTRODUCTION. took possession of some deserted houses about Fourah Bay, where tliey cleared about four acres of laud, which they planted with Yams and Cassada, and sowed with English seeds. Mr. Falconbridge sup- plied them with muskets, ammunition, and articles of cutlery, which they might barter with the natives for necessaries. The new settlement received the name of Granville Town, in honour of the negro's friend ; and, as favourable accounts of Sierra Leone begau to be circulated in England, and the St. George's Bay company had obtained their char- ter, a considerable capitfil was raised for carrying on the trade of the settlement. While the Directors were considering the best means of adding to the diminished number of the colonists, a negro named Peters arrived in England from Nova Scotia, as a delegate from a number of his countrj-- men, who had been located there by the British Government, after the American war. These men had been induced to enhst in the British army by the King's proclamation of freedom to all slaves who should join the royal standard, and after the war they were carried to Nova Scotia, where allotments of land were promised to them, which it appears they never received. They were now anxious to join the new Colony at Sierra Leone, and Government on being applied to, engaged to defray the expenses of their passage. The Directors there- fore accepted the offer of Lieutenant Clarkson, R.N. to convey the new colonists to Sierra Leone, they stipulating to be subject to all the regulations of the Colony, and receiving a promise of twenty acres of land each for their support. Clarkson set sail on the 19th of August 1791, and on arriving at Nova Scotia found that the number of emigrants to be embarked was 1196, instead of between 300 and 400, as their delegate had represen- ted ; however, they were all accommodated in sixteen vessels, which arrived at SieiTa Leone, in March, 1792, and from which were landed 1131 Blacks, many of them much reduced by fever, 65 ha^•ing died during the passage. Previous to the arrival of the Nova Scotians, the first vessel sent out by the com])auy had reached the Colony, car- rying out more than a hundred Eurojieaus, artificers, settlers and sol- diers, with their wives and children. The new comers set about raising a town, the streets of which were laid out by inspectors, but as the houses were built in haste and of the materials of the place , they were only small temporary huts. A public wharf and warehouse were hkewisc begun ; and the rising town, according to the instructions of the Directors, was named Freetown. The lains of this year, which began in May, found (he colonists lo a great extent unprepared witii protection against thcni^ — ^tlie conse- quences were most fatal : fever of tlic worst kind raged among INTRODUCTION. XXV Europeans and Africans indiscriminately ; of the latter, at one time 800 were laid up, and as the medical men and storekeepers shared in the common calamity, the supplies of medicine and the necessary provisions, were greatly impeded, and the sufferings of the people consequently increased. Nearly one half of the Europeans, and one tenth of the Nova Scotians died at this dreadful season.* When the sickness began to abate, allotments of land were made to the settlers, according to agreement, they consenting to accept four acres each at first, the right to the remainder being reserved to them. This occupied from November to March, but some of the lots were in time for the crop of 1793. An experimental garden was established, under the care of Dr. Afzilius, an eminent botarast, and a plantation commenced ; both worked by free laborers. In the town, several improvements were made, a church and hospital were erected, also warehouses and houses for the Company's offices — of these buildhigs, frames had been sent from England. The landmg-place was also much improved, and some slight measures of defence were put in execu- tion. On the whole the new Colony prospered. The rainy season of 1793, was more favorable than the preceding one : Schools were opened for the cliildren,to the number of 300, and the Colonists, having become more inured to the climate, were reUeved of much of their apprehension of its effects. Yet serious discontents broke out among them ; complaints ran high against the Governor (Lieutenant Clarkson at first, and afterwards his successor, Mr. Davies,) for alleged acts of injustice and oppres- sion. They were induced to send two delegates to England, to lay their grievances before the Directors, who decided that they were grounded on mistake and misinformation. This decision so exaspe- rated the settlers, that a formidable insurrection ensued, threatening the life of the Governor, and the safety of the Colony. It was sup- pressed, however, without bloodshed, six of the ringleaders were banished, and peace was apparently restored. f A more formidable disaster succeeded this one ; war having broken * An amuBinf; contretemps is recorded of this period : Durinjf the height of the rainy- season, when the settlers were suffering most severely from want of shelter, and wen? looking anxiously for a supply of frame houses and tents from England, to their great joy a vessel hove in sight, and all ran to the wharf to welcome the long wished for cargo, when lo, the vessel was found on inspection, to be freighted with watering-pots, provided by the sagacious philanthropy of the British government, who, anxious for the agricul- tural improvement of the colony, and knowing the generally arid character of tropical soils, conceived that they could not present the settlers with a more refreshing token of their solicitude, than this inopportune arriv.-il was meant to convey. + A serious calamity was visited on the Colony towards the close of this year, which was not calculated to allay the angry feelings of the nuiliontents ; — the " York," store- ship, freighted with a cargo of African produce valued at £1. "),()(•(), unfortunately caught fire, and was entirely consumed. xxvi INTRODUCTION. out witli France in 1793, on the 28th of Septemher 1794, a French squadron appeared in the river, and the plunder and demolition of Freetown ensued, with the greatest barbarity, and without any re- sistance. The pecuniary loss sustained by the Company on this occa- sion, was estimated at ^'40,000, exclusive of the buildings destroyed, which had cost 15,000 more. The "Harpy," their largest vessel, fell into the enemy's hands, as well as two of their small trading vessels. This visitation, however, severe as it was, contributed in no small degree to the welfare of the Colony ; the voice of dissension was silenced : the English slave factories, against which the French squad- ron had been fitted out, were for a time disabled, and the spirited ex- ertions of the Company, in retrieving the disasters which had been occasioned, were productive of improvement, which it would probably otherwise have taken years to effect. In 1798, Freetown contained about 300 houses, laid out with great regularity, besides some public buildings. Three wharfs had beeu erected. The government-house was completed ; it stood on an emi- nence commanding the town and harbour, protected by six pieces of cannon. The inhabitants of the Colony amounted to about 1200, one half of whom were farmers ; many were mechanics : and the rest followed various occupations, as retail shopkeepers, fishermen, seamen, &c. From one to two hundred of the neighbouring natives, daily visited the town for the purpose of exchanging African produce for British manufactures ; some of them came in canoes, a distance of from eighty to a hundred miles. The discontents of the Nova Scotians, which had been only sup- pressed during the period of common danger, broke out afresh on the return of jjrosperity ; so much so, that auother fearful insurrection of these misguided persons threatened the safetj'^ of the loyal portion of the community, which they greatly outnumbered. Under these trying circumstances, the Directors sought for and obtained, in 1 800, a new charter, increasing the powers of the Governor and council, by making the settlement an independent Colony, and placing the criminal juris- diction in the hands of the Governor. Before, however, this charter arrived, the insurgents seeing that no time was to be lost, had well nigh carried their worst designs into execution ; but lie who ruk'th over all, once more interposed to save this instrument of His future mercies for Africa from destruction. A large ship, the "Asia," transport, ap- peared in the river at the most critical juncture, haviug on l)oard 550 Maroons,* (including women and children) from Nova Scotia, together with a detachment of forty-five soldiers under two officers, of his majesty's 24th regiment. The insurgents were now attacked and routed, two of them were killed and thirty-five taken ])risoners, out of * Si'o procediiig Volume, p, 21 1 iioto. INTRODUCTION. XXVU which number three were selected for trial and were executed ; the rest were expelled the colony. The Maroons were located at Granville town, where farms were marked out for them ; they soon built a neat town, and proceeded spiritedly with the cultivation of their land. Parliament indemnified the Company for their losses, and granted besides j65000 for the con- struction of a fort. Peace, however, was again disturbed in November 1801, by the sudden attack of a body of natives, headed by two Nova Scotians, on the Governor's house ; they were however repulsed with some loss on both sides, and the arrival of some additional troops from Goree, restored order. A truce was effected with the natives in March 1 802, but they respected it no longer then the following month, when the Colony was invaded by upwards of 400 of them, and eleven of the banished Nova Scotians, at whose instigation of course, this daring act was committed. The attack was sudden and vigorous, but the assailants were again repulsed with severe loss ; so dispiriting however, was this succession of adverse circumstances, that the settlers aban- doned their farms, and began to speak of vacating the settlement. At this time too the grant from Government to the Colony was suspended, pending a parliamentary enquiry into the history and circumstances of the Colony ; the result of this enquiry was a Report, in which the Com- mittee recommended a transfer of the civil and military authority of the settlement, to the crown. Accordingly a bill to that effect was brought into parliament, which received the royal assent on the 8th of August 1807 ; and on the 1st of January 1808, the possession of the settlement was surrendered to the crown, the Company being well pleased to withdraw from its beneficent, but arduous enterprize.* The failure of the Sierra Leone Company is ascribed to the want of sufficient power in the Government to restrain the turbulent and resist aggressions ; the character of the Nova Scotian settlers ; f the war with France, the slave-trade, and the ruinous expenses in which the Com- jjany was involved. The unceasing attacks also of interested parties on the settlement, and exaggerated representations of the uidiealthi- ness of that part of the coast, with other slanders, contiiuially levelled against the Company and their benevolent undertaking, chilled and iiii])e(led the warm flow of British philanthropy, and considerably dis- heartened, as it was intended, the best friends of the anti-slavery cause in their free-negro labor experiment. * Iloarc's Memoirs of firaiiville Sharp, t Of the class still known hy the name of settlers, descendants of the original Novn Scntia colonists, but few now remain, and these appear the least prosperous of the ditfo- rent parties coniposinj; tiic Sierra Fieone population. A traditional complaint exists nmoni,' them of the injustice indicted on them by the British fjovernnient at their ori- ginal location in the Colony, but it is not the first case in wiiich misconduct and mis- fortune have been foinid to be convertible terms. XX\1U INTRODUCTION. In April 1807, a new Company was formed, ha\4ngfor its object the moral and physical regeneration of Africa ; it was entitled " The African Institution." Of this Company his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester was Patron and President, Upon the transfer of Sierra Leone from the Sierra Leone Company to the Crown, the British Government placed the rising Colony under the management of the African Institution, by which Society its affairs were principally con- ducted until the year 1827, when that Society brought its long and useful labors to a close, and Sierra Leone was again placed under the control of the Crowii. The Committee of the African Institution labored most assiduously to introduce into Africa, principally through the Colony thus com- mitted to their care, the arts of civilization and social improvement ; schools were established for general instruction, the cultivation of the native languages was promoted, the growth of cotton, indigo, rice, coffee, and even silk, was encouraged, and in short, no attempt left untried to induce a taste for agriculture and commercial enterprize. Their principal exertions, however, came to be directed to the preven- tion of slave traffic on this coast, which, in spite of the Abolition act of 1807, and every subsequent measure of the British Government to put a stop to it, continued to be carried on with the most reckless effron- tery by vessels under foreign, principally American flags. The suc- cess however of their benevolent exertions was not by any means com- mensurate with the zeal or perseverance with which they were pro- secuted, and after a struggle of twenty years, they arrived at the con- clusion that nothing less than the extinction of slavery itself should be aimed at by those who desired to abolish a traffic in slaves. Acting on this conviction, they abandoned the field of conflict, leaving to the Anti-Slavery Society, which had been called into existence in the year 1823, the task of laying the axe to the root of the monster miscliief, with the effect of which they had almost fruitlessly conflicted for so many years.* By an order in council, bearing date the 1 Gth of March 180S, one year after the passing of the Abolition Act, it was ordered as follows . " The collector or chief officer of the customs for the time being, in any of his Majesty's Colonies, being seats of Courts of Vice Admiralty, shall receive, protect and provide for, all such negroes, natives of Africa, as have been or shall be comdemned, eitlier as prize of war or forfeiture to the crown, under the provisions of the above acts ; " the • It was granted to the Aiiti-Slavcrv society to see tlie reward of their benevoli'iit lahors in just half tlie period of the African Iimtitutioii's existence, namelj- on the 2itth of Angiist lfi;t;i, when the act for abolishinfi sh'ivery throughout the British dominions received the royal assent, and the nionarcli of Kngland rel'iiscd to exercise sovereignty over any but freemen, in all his wide doininions. INTRODUCTION. xxix order also directs " The Collector or chief officer to receive all such negroes, and to provide suitably for their support and maintenance, subject to the directions of his Majesty, until such negroes can be entered, enlisted, apprenticed, or disposed of according to the true meaning of the Acts." A prize court was constituted at Sierra Leone for the trial and adju- dication of any captures of slaves taken as prize, &c. and the com- manders of ships of war and privateers, were thenceforth directed and enjoined to observe the following instructions in all cases of such capture, viz. " 1st, When any slaves or natives of Africa shall be taken or de- tained as prizes of war, at or near every such part of the coast of Africa, or in any such part of the ocean, from which they can with- out great inconvenience or danger, be carried or sent to Sierra Leone ; they, together with the vessel in which they shall be taken, and all the effects found on board, shall be carried or sent by the captors for examination, and for trial and adjudication, if need be, in the court having prize jurisdiction constituted within the said Colony. " 2nd, The captors of any such natives of Africa, are enjoined and required forthwith, after the final condemnation of the same by the said court of Sierra Leone, or any other court of prize jurisdiction to which they may be brought for trial, to deliver over the same, with all convenient speed, to the proper officer for the receiving, protecting, and providing for such condemned natives of Africa, according to the direc- tions of the recited act and order in Council ; which officer will grant the proper certificates for the bounties payable in respect of such natives of Africa, so condennied and delivered over in good health ; — the officers at present appointed for the purposes aforesaid arc, — at Sierra Leone, the Governor, or person having and exercising the chief civil command for the time being ; and at all other islands, settlements, or colonies, being seats of Courts of Vice Admiralty, the Collector, or chief officer of the customs for the time being, resident in the said respective islands, settlements, or colonies." In consequence of these orders. Sierra Leone became a depot for Africans from all parts of the coast, sjjcaking diflforent languages and dialects, and rci)resenting different tribes. On tiicir landing they be- came subjects of the sovereign of Great Britain, and were clothed and provided for by Government. ( •lothing and rations were supplied to tlieni until tliey were able to maintain tiiemselves by their own lal)or ; and as tliey arrived, they were located in (he ditt'crent villages of the Colony, or in districts where laud was allotted to them, and where villages soon sprang up. In this manner the population of the Colony was rapidly increased. In IHll it amounted to nearly 4500, of wiiich 2500 were liberated slaves. By a census taken in 1817, it was uscer- XXX INTRODUCTION. tained that there were of the latter class, 5130 negroes resident in the Colony, of whom only 284 had been born there. In 1820, thq entire population of the Colony had risen to 12,521, and in 1833, to 29,/64 ; the total number of slaves emancipated between June 1819 and January 1833, was 27,617. The following table shews the population of the Colony, including all classes in the year 1839. Colored population White do. Aliens, Kroomen, . Mandingoes, Foulah, &c. Males. Females. Total. ■21,7.54 75 17,2fiO 24* 927 22,756 17,304 40,060 The mode of managing the liberated Negroes, has not, unfortunately, enjoyed the advantage of any uniform system ; each new Governor adopted some favourite scheme of his own, and consequently set aside the plan of his predecessor. On this subject we shall quote from Mr. Macaulay's pamphlet ' Sierra Leone vindicated.' *' The Colony has been grievously injured by the want of a system- tic plan or rule for its government. Every Governor has been left to follow his own plans, however crude and undigested ; and no two succeeding Governors have ever pursued the same course. This re- mark applies more particularly to the management of the Uberated African. Mr. Ludlam pursued the system of apprenticing them ; Mr. Thompson set that aside, and turned them loose in the Colony, without any other superintendauce than its general police. Captain Columbine employed them on the public works, or apprenticed them. Colonel Maxwell, after delivering over to the persons appointed to re- ceive them, all the men fit for his Majesty's service, aj)])renticed a part of the remainder, and then commenced forming villages with those who could not be disposed of. Sir Charles MacCarthy gave up apprenticing, except in particular cases, and adopted the plan of forming them into villages, under such civil superintendauce and re- ligious instruction as he could command, keeping the youths and child- ren in schools, or making mechanics of them ; neglecting perhaps too much, in his successfid attempt to make them orderly and quiet citizens, the equally desirable object of making them industrious agriculturists and growers of exportable produce. General Turner dissolved in a great measure, the schools and institutions for maehanics, and threw the people more on their own resources ; but did not afl'ord, indeed he did not possess, the means of duly superintending their settlement and progress, or of directing their energies." Much information on this subject will be aflForded in the following * Up to the jcar lor which tliosc nunilieis are net down, very few of the Kuropeans were married men, to the great dttrimcnt of the morals of the Colony. A considerable improvement has however tJikcn |)lace in this respect, and the white female population lias cons('i|iu'iitly increased. INTRODUCTION. xxxi pages, where the improvement of this class of persons in a moral and religious point of ^iew, will be principally treated. We shall add here a few observations ou the progress they have made in temporal prosperity. On this subject Mr. !Macaulay says — " Several of the black and colored colonists are persons both of pro- perty and respectability, and are admitted to the tables of the principal Europeans. Some of them have served with great credit to themselves, and benefit to the Colony, the offices of Alderman, Mayor, Coroner, and Sheriff ; and their mercantile transactions are of considerable magnitude. Numbers of them are possessed of excellent stone houses, well furnished. Their clothing is equal to persons of rank in England, and their style of hviug is respectable. Their families are brought up in a decent, moral manner ; and some, not satisfied with the means of education afforded by tlie Colony, have sent their children to England : witness Messrs. Gabbidon, Wilson, Wise, WilUams, &c. " The duties of commissioners for the recoverj' of small debts, of grand and petty juries, of head and petty constables, and of the other officers of police, have been performed by the inhabitants generally, in a manner which has given satisfaction to every magistrate. The general respectability of their houses, of their appearance, and of their conduct, IS universally allowed. " They have built for their own use several decent places of worship, (some of stone,) the expenses and the ministry of which (except one Wesleyan Missionary) are provided for by themselves, and they are constant and regular attendants in them."* We shall here quote part of a letter from Mr. Ferguson, head of the medical department in Sierra Leone, where, at the date of his communication, he had resided for seventeen years. It is addressed to the late Sir Fowell Buxton, in whose work on the slave trade it appears ; speaking of the liljcrated Africans, he says — " Tliose most recently arrived arc to be found occupying mud houses, and small portions of ground in the neighbourhood of one or other of the villages, which are about twenty in number. The majority of these remain in their location as agriculturists ; but several go to reside in the neighbourhood of Freetown as labourers, farm-ser- vants, servants to carrj' wood and water, grooms, house-servants, &c. Others cultivate vegetables, rear poultry and pigs, or offer for sale a variety of edible substances. They are a harndess and well-disj)osed people ; there is no poverty nor begging amongst them ; their habits are frugal and industrious, and their anxiety to possess money remarkable. • There are in tho Colony about 20 places of worship of the Church of England, and AO Dihscnting Chapels. xxxii INTRODUCTION. " Persons of a grade higher than those just descrihed, are to be found occupying farm-houses, and are mostly employed either in carrying on small trades in the market, in buying and retaihng the cargoes of native canoes, in curing and drying fish, or in working at various mechanical trades. Respectable men of this grade meet with ready mercantile credits, amounting from ^620 to ^£60 ; and the class is very numerous. " Those who have advanced another step, are found in frame-houses, reared on a stone foundation, of from six to ten feet in height ; these houses are very comfortable ; a considerable quantity of furniture of European workmanship, and of books, chiefly of a religious character, is to be found in them, and an air of domestic comfort pervades the whole. Persons of this class are nearly altogether occupied in shopkeeping, and may be seen clubbing together in numbers from three to six, seven, or more, to purchase large lots or unbroken bales ; and the scrupulous honesty with which the subdivision of the goods is afterwards made, cannot be e^^denced more thoroughly than in this, that, common as such transactions are, they have never yet been known to become the suliject of controversy or litigation. The principal streets of Freetown, as well as the approaches to the town, are lined on each side by an almost continuous range of booths and stalls, among which almost every article of merchandise is offered for sale. They are all in easy circumstances, and are iuvariably anxious to possess houses and lands of their own, especially in Old Freetown. Property of this description has of late years become much enhanced, and is still in- creasing in value, solely from their annually increasing numbers and prosperity. " Persons of the highest grade of liberated Africans, occupy com- fortable two-story stone houses, enclosed all round with spacious piazzas. These houses are their own property, and are built from the proceeds of their o\ra industry. In several of them are to be seen mahogany chairs, tables, sofas, and four-post bed-steads, pier-glasses, floor-cloths, and other articles indicative of domestic comfort, and accumulating wealth. They are almost wholly engaged in mercantile pursuits, and are to be found in neatly fitted-up shops on the ground-floor of their respective dwelling-houses. Many of them have realized considerable sums of money. Peter Newland, a liberated African, died a short time before I left the Colony, and his estate realized, in houses, mer- chandise, and cash, upwards of ^6* 1,500. I am well acquainted with one of these individuals, whose name shortly before my departure from the ("olony, stood on the debtor side of the books of one of the princi- cij)al merchants for £1,900, to which sum it had been reduced from ^£3,000 during the preceding two months. Many of them at the INTRODUCTION. xxxni present moment have their children educated in England at their own expence.* " There is at Sierra Leone a very fine regiment of Colonial Militia, more than eight-tenths of which are liberated Africans. The amount of property which they have acquired, is ample guarantee for their loyalty, should that ever be called in question. They turn out with great alacrity and cheerfulness on all occasions, for periodical drill. They also serve on juries ; and I have repeatedly heard the highest legal authority in the Colony, express his satisfaction with their de- cisions." Those only who know something of the condition from which tha class of liberated Africans has been rescued, can duly estimate the blessings which this Colony has bestowed on thousands of the African race. Some attempt has been made in the preceding volume to depict the horrors of the slave-trade, including the agonies of the " Middle passage," and in the following pages some information will be found, as to the state physical and moral, in which the wretched captives are landed in Sierra Leone. Perhaps the following lively description by an eye-mtness of the process of liberation, which takes place on the arrival of a captured slaver at Freetown, will not be out of place. " The captives were now counted : their numbers, sex and age, written down for the information of the court of mixed Commission. f The task was repulsive. As the hold had been divided for the separa- tion of the men and the women, those on deck were first counted ; they were then driven forward, crowded as much as possible, and the women were drawn up through the small hatchway, from their hot, dark confinement. A black boatswain seized them one by one, drag- ging them before us for a moment, when the proper officer in a glance decided the age, whether above or under fourteen ; and they were instantly swung again l)y the arm into the loathsome cell, where ano- ther negro boatswain sat with a whip or stick, and forced them to resume the I)ent and painful attitude necessary, for the stowage of so large a number. The unfortunate women and girls, in general, suIj- mitted with quiet resignation, when absence from disease and the use of their limbs pennitted. A month had made their condition familiar to them ; one or two were less philosophical, or suffered more acutely than the rest. Their shrieks rose faintly from their hidden prison, as * The Akoos or Akiis, called also Yonib.iiis and Kycos, iiilialjitants of a inimlry in the ncip;hl)ourhood of the river Nipor, form a large proportion of the liberated African population of the Colony, timong which they are distinguished by superior intelligence, industry, and success in trade. From their frugal iind industrious habits they have ob- tained the appellation of African .lews. They fre(|uently club together to purchase Ivu- ropean commodities, which they hawk about Freetown and in the villages. t For some description of this court, see p. 70 of tlie preceding volume : note, w. c xxxiv INTRODUCTION. violent compnlsion .alone squeezed tliem into their nook against the curve of the ship's side. I attempted to descend, in order to see the accommodation. The height hetween the floor and ceiling, was about twenty-two inches. The agony of the position of the crouching slaves, may be imagined, especially that of the men, whose heads and necks are bent down by the boarding above them . Once so fixed, relief by motion or change of posture is unattainable. The body frequently stiffens into a permanent curve ; and in the streets of Freetown, I have seen liberated slaves in every conceivable state of distortion. One I remember, who trailed along his body, with his back to the groimd, by means of his hands and ankles ; many can never resume the upright posture." We are tempted to add to the above the evidence of another eye- witness, that of Mr. R. Clark, assistant surgeon at Sierra Leone, who from his official and professional position, is competent in no ordi- nary degree to s{)eak on such a subject. He says : " Great numbers of inth^iduals lauded from the slave-vessel, arrive at the Hospital,* so deplorably emaciated, that the skin appears to be tensely stretched over, and tied down to the skeleton. The expression of the countenance indicates suffering, moral and physical, of the most profound and agonizing nature. Occasionally among the newly arrived group, all sense of suffering is found to be merged in melan- cholic or raving madness. The wizened, shrunk, and skinny features, are lighted up by the hollow, jetty and sparkling eye. The belly is, as it were, tacked to the back, whilst the hip bones protrude, and give rise to foul sloughing and phagedenic ulcers. The hand and skinny fingers seem much elongated, by the great and neglected growth of the nails, which in such cases resemble talons. The squalor and extreme wretchedness of the figure is heightened, in many cases, by the party-colored evacuations with which the body is besmeared. The legs refuse to perform their functions, and with difficulty support the emaciated, tottering and debilitated body. Many of them labor under extensive grangrenous ulcerations, situated on the extremities, often detaching the soft parts from the bones, which becoming carious are exfoliated." It will be the object of this volume to shew the means which have been employed to effect such a work as the contrast here presented, exhibits. Christianity has proved its efficacy in Africa, as it has every where else, to tame the savage, civilize the barbarian, and refine the minds and manners of the rudest specimens of fallen humanity. " Of the liberated Africans as a body," Mr. Ferguson observes, " it may w'tli great truth be said, tbat there is not a more quiet, inoffen- sive and good-hniiioured population on the face of the earth. Of I'll" Kissoy llos|)it!il. INTRODUCTION. XXXV their religious spirit, it is not easy, from the very nature of the sub- ject, to form a decided opinion, but I know that their outward obser- vance of the Sabbath-day is most exemplary. On that day the pas- sion for amusements is altogether laid aside, and the whole body of the ])cople are to be found at one or other of the Churches or chapels, which abound in the Colony." We may fairly claim these observa- tions as indicative of cause and effect. Besides the original settlers, the European residents, and the libera- ted Afiicans, natives of a district of the Grain Coast, between Cape Mount and Cape Palmas, called Kroo country, are found in considerable numbers in the Colony, especially at Freetown. These Kroomeu are a singular race, they constitute the boatmen, labourers, out-of-door servants, and cooks of the Colony. Strongly attached to their native country, which they seldom or never utterly abandon, they migrate to all parts of the coast in search of employment, intent only on gain, and that for the sake of future respectability and independence in their own land, to which their thoughts and energies are ever directed. They are very industrious and are much attached to the English, in whom they have the greatest confidence. The Krooman arrives in the Colony joung, and apprentices himself to a Kroo master, for whom he labors for two or three years, and then sets up on his own account, taking appren- tices in his turn, and receiving their wages. A Krooman's wages are about twenty shillings a month, almost all of which he saves, and between his savings and what he can safely steal — honesty not being among his virtues — he has accumulated at the age of forty, about thirty pounds, which he lays out in marketable articles, and returns home to purchase a number of wives, in the possession of which Kroo res[)cctability consists, and spend the remainder of his days in the practice of his native customs. Kroomen are eminently superstitious and ignorant, nor will they generally submit to be instructed, as, whatever might be their own inclinations on tlie subject, they dare not bring back with tliem to their own country any of white man's learning, or they would fall a sacrifice to the bigotted notions of their countrymen. Hence the missionaries have almost entirt ly failed to make any imjiression on this singvdar race, who, to the ninnl)er of about a thousand, inlial)it a sul)iu l) of Free- town, witli not a woman among them, as they always leave their wives and children l)ehind them in tlieir own country, under the care of the pines or native magistrates, and one half of their earnings is claimed by their king or chief, for the care and exi»ense of their families, during tlieir absence. The Kroomen are seldom very tall, but tlicy are well made, vigorous and active ; generally speaking, they wear no clothing, except a piece of East India cloth folded round their loins, a few however wear Kuroi)eau XXXVl INTRODUCTION, clothing in Sierra Leone, and they often bring home with them old hats and jaeketSj which they are allowed to wear in their own country, in the rainy season, when they are extremely sensible of cold. They are very fond of adopting English names, such as " Pipe of tobacco," "Flying fish," " Bottle of beer," " Mashed potatoes," "Bubble and squeak," and other strange soubriquets of the same character, which, from frequent use, soon cease to be ridiculous . The distinguishing external mark of a Krooman, is a broad black line running from the forehead down the face, along the ridge of the nose, and continuing through the upper and lower lip and chin, and the barb of an arrow represented on each side of the temple. The complexion of the Kroomen varies much from a dark brown to a perfect black, yet in all the Kroo mark is chstinguishable. The body is also generally tattooed in a fanciful manner.* To the credit of the Kroomen it must be mentioned, that they arc not permitted by their laws to engage in the slave-trade ; yet the temp- tations of Europeans and others sometimes prevail to secure their agency in this atrocious tratficf Agriculture seems not to have enjoyed that attention in the Colony which its importance deserves. Favorable experiments have been made to grow several of the tropical productions, but from some unaccount- able cause, they have not been sustained. The principal articles of pro- duce at Sierra Leone are sugar-canes, rice, cassada, cocoa, yams, Indian corn, potatoes, arrowroot, ginger-nuts, plantains. Of the articles of African production exported from the Colony we have spoken already. It is to be hoped that greater advantages will yet be taken of the agricultural resources of the Colony, and its value in a commercial point of view will be greatly enhanced. The Government expenditure on this Colony has been very great ; for the five years ending 1824, it was ^£75,000 per annum, but in the succeeding five years it was diminished to nearly half that sum. The principal items of expense are — for the civil service — Governor j62000 per annum ; Chief Justice ,£1,500; Colonial Secretary £600 ; Queen's Advocate £'500 ; first writer £400 ; second do. ^£300 ; third do. ^6250; fourth do. ^6200; Colonial Surgeon £500 ; Apothecary ^£ 100 ; and Chaplain £500 ; total, £6,850. In the military department the expenses are : pay &c. of the Royal African corps, which consists of * Such national devices are not confined to the Kroo-tribc, each of the^othcr'nations represented in the Colony, has a mark peculiar to itself. + Tlie Kroo mode of swearing in a Court of .Justice is singular. The officer^ of the Court presents to the witness a small quantity of salt, into which the latter dips his finger with wh'ch he had previously touclied his tongue, and whch he elevates, with a small por- tion of salt attached, in the most reverential manner, to heaven ; he then stoops down, and, gazing earnestly on the floor, mixes the salt witii a few grains of dust, which he finally places on his tongue. The legal oath is afterwards administered. INTRODUCTION", XXXVll 20 officers, and oil non commissioned officers, and rank and file ; and West India regiments, £4,508 ; of commissariat and ordinance offi- cers, &c. £2,968 ; army extraordinaries, (including £7,972 as pen- sions to discharged negro soldiers from the 'West India and African regiments) £12,518; for the service of Liberated Africans, £9,325; sundries for do. £328. Total ^629,657.* A great variety of oj)iuions has prevailed as to the advantages which Great Britain derives from Sierra Leone, in return for the large outlay which it has always demanded ; and of course the decision arrived at will be influenced by the nature of the expectations that may be enter- tained regarding it. The philanthropist and the christian will only ask whether this Colony is calculated to promote the moral and spiri- tual regeneration of a people, to whom Great Britain owes a large debt of christian benevolence ; while the mere utilitarian, that is, the man who weighs every thing in the balance, not of the sanctuary, but of the treasury, will constantly enquire how far, as a commercial speculation, it is worthy of confidence or continued support. Perhaps sufficient evidence exists to satisfy both these parties of its value as an appendage to the British crown. Of the influence which this Colony has exerted, and is likely still further to exert on the surrounding nations of Africa there can be no doubt. Mr. Macaulay, already quoted, observes. " Of our influence with the native chiefs, instances are abundant. Yaradee, a barbarous chief, at the head of a considerable army, spared tbe life of Sanassee, his enemy, at the request of the Governor of Sierra Leone, with whom he had no previous communication. The powerful king of the Foulahs is in close connexion with the Colony, and has opened the roads between it and the interior. The king of • The enormous pecuniary sacrifices made b}' Great Britain in her noble exertion3 to suppress slave traffic on this coast, and for the support and protection of the liberated ne- groes, are not included in these items, as ample tables setting forth this part of the expe- diture connected with SiciTa Leone, are inserted in the former volume, pp. 7'.i — 75. We may however here state as a sample of the sacrifices in men and money made by Great Ilritain in the cause of liunianity, tliat, according to a parliamentary document recently printed (procured by Mr. Hume), it appears that there were in the year 104.5 (the re- turn being made up for the 1st of July, as an average of the force employed for the whole of the year) .5(; ships of fi!!*) guns, and 9,2(!9 men, employed in the suppression of the slave trade ; of which 27 of the vessels, with 282 guns and '.i,li'M men were employed on the west coast of Africa station. Although the ships were furnished with slave-trade in- structions, they were only employed in cnii/.ing against slave vessels, as the other duties ol the station on which they were respectively employed would permit. By the second branch of the document it seems that the charge for the ships of war employed in the sup- pression of the slave-trade in the course of last year was .i'706,4:)4, and the deaths of officers and men amounted to 259, and others invalided to 271 ; making a toUil of deaths and invalids in one year 520. The mortality in vessels on the west coast of Africa was l(l(>, and the invalids 104 ; and in vessels not exclusively employed on the west coast of Africa, respectively 9'.) and 1G7. Thus it will be seen that the expense of vessels to suppress the slave-trade in one year Wils .£70(i,454, .md the deatlis and invalided officers and men 520. XXXVIU INTRODUCTION. Bambarra has sent messeugers to tlie Governor ; chiefs from Kenghary, Bouiee, aud Baha, haA c come to Sierra Leone to form commercial con- nections with it. The Soombra Soosoos transferred the Isle de Los to the Colony at a time when the Americans were in treaty for it. In the face of Sir Charles MacCarthy's defeat and death,* the hostile tribes of the Scarcies submitted their disputes to us, and the North Bulloms ceded the territories from which the teak is chiefly procured. In their distress, the Sherbro Bulloms threw themselves upon the pro- tection of the Colony ; and their enemies, the Cussos, sent messengers to sue for peace. The natives of Port Logo, when, about two years ago, their chief died, voluntarily requested to be admitted mider the jurisdiction of the Colony ; and, so far from any unfriendly feeling ex- isting after General Turner's death, the Soosoos and Mandingoes re- ferred their long and bloody disputes to the decision of the Colonial govenimeut, the king even offering to resign his turban if required ; and they transferred the jurischction of their waters with such land as might be requisite, for the purpose of preventing any export of slaves. The king of Barra also, after positively refusing to the Govenior of Senegal in person to rent to the French at Albreda, as much land as would form gardens, voluntarily transferred to the Colonial Government on behalf of his Majesty, the whole jurisdiction of the river Gambia, and oue mile inland of its northern bank in the kingdom of Barra ; and did in person assist at the commencement of a British fort, on the point which commands the entrance of the river." This view of the subject will be amply exemplified in the following pages, where those who conceive this and all other " trials of their faith," to be " much more precious than of gold that perisheth," will have reason to anticipate that this much-abused Colony will " be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." In a commercial point of view. Western Africa is rising in im- portance every year, and settlements on the coast are becoming better appreciated as inlets for our manufactures into the heart of Africa. " Africa," says Sir F. Buxton, " presents an almost boundless tract of country, teeming with inhabitants who admire, and are desirous of possessing our manufactures. There is no limit to the demand, except their want of articles to give us in return." lie elsewhere shews that the commodities which Africa might supply, and which she could ex- change for our manufactures, are most numerous and highly valuable to us as articles of consumption and commerce. The slave-trade alone stands in the way of native production, and foreign legitimate traffic to an almost boundless extent. But even at ]iroscnt Sierra Leone, together witli the other British settlements on tliis coast, are far from desening, on the score of ex- • Sec foi'inor volume, p. 2.'>. INTRODUCTION. xxxix pense, the hard names which have heen so Uberally dealt out to them. jMr. Martin, in referring to this subject, makes use of a letter addressed to the Secretary of State for the Colonies by Mr. Foster, of the firm of Foster and Smith, in which the foUowmg passage occurs : " The annual direct and indirect advantages to the national industry from the (West Africa) trade, I estimate as per statement No. 1, at j£463,234 : 19. and the annual benefit to the revenue, as per state- ment No. 2. at aG207,873 : 13., exclusive of ship-building materials, and labor, as also some minor sources of national benefit, not enume- rated. The total gain to the industry and revenue of the mother country, cannot be less than 36600,000 per annum. In another part of his letter Mr. Foster says : " Striking out of the public estimates every charge belonging to the account of the slave trade, I do not think that the annual cost of maintaining our settlements on the Western coast of Africa, exceeds from twenty-five to thirty thousand pounds per annum, probably not so much, while the national gain is considerably above half a million per annum." Mr. Foster alludes only to the parliamentary grants annually made to the Colony. The local revenue in aid of these grants, arising from import and other duties, amounted in 1835 to £10,000 — it is now doubtless much greater. In speaking of Western Africa as a field for European enterprize, the climate must ever form a subject of commanding interest — in fact it is the topic, in connection with Sierra Leone, which has of late years engaged public attention ; so much so, that while, except in religious or military circles, the circumstances of this Colony are almost totally un- known and unheeded, its name has almost passed into a synonym of the words pestilence and death, and friends and relations shudder as they listen to the announcement that this individual or that is about to proceed thither in a military or missionary capacity. The climate of Sierra Leone is decidedly liostile under ordinary cir- cumstances to European constitutions, hence it has obtained the appel- lation of" The white man's grave ;" but notwithstanding its bad name, if it is compared with the settlements on the Senegal, with Cacheo and Bissao, and the Portuguese factories, with the Gold Coast, or with the West Indies, there is strong reason to believe that the situation has greatly the advantage in point of healthiness. It is not uninteresting to contrast European sensibilities at home on the sul)jeet, with tlie indifference — deploralile in some of its features, exhibited by those who are actually inhaling the jiestilcntial atmos- phere of Sierra Leone. A traveller,* whom we have already quoted, and who visited tlie Colony in the year 1834, after (lescril)ing the - K. II. Rankin. xl INTRODUCTION. melancholy feelings with which a European might anticipate a sojourn here, even for a short time, thus proceeds : — " A slight intercourse only with the European residents is needed to modify his forebodings. Little apprehension of death is indicated by the countenances of the community. Active horsemen, bustling merchants, gay officials, move on all sides, with a cheerfulness little consistent ^^dth enduring dread of the King of Terrors. The church, he thinks, must surely be filled with a population hourly looking for dissolution. He visits it ; it is nearly empty. There are a few black soldiers, a few black servants, and a goodly show of Sunday-school children, but scarcely any of the ill-fated whites preparing themselves for their inevitable interment : — where are they ? They are enjoying the easy hours, released from the cares of the week ; riding to the race-course, sailing on the bright estuary to Pirate's or Cockle Bay, or chatting at home. He casts his eye on the walls of the church, to decipher the tablets which must doubtless abound to the memory of those \-ictims who are stated to be innumerable. Two marbles only he perceives, one on either side of the aisle ; he reads the records on them, which state them both to have been erected to one and the same individual ; and even this individual not a white martyr to the climate but a young man of colour killed in battle at the Gambia. " He meets a party at the hospitable board. Every topic arises but that which he expects as the most obvious, — the state of universal peril. He is urged to plan excursions : he must visit the Gambia, run down to the Bananas, or make a tour round the Peninsula ; and, if lie be a man of nerve, must venture across the river to court the rather hazardous hospitality of the black despot Dalla Mohammedoo. No one hints at an early call from the undertaker. He is alarmed perhaps at the copious proofs of a hot atmosphere upon his brow ; his medical friend assures him of the virtue of that most wholesome and uni)leasant symptom. From those alone who delight in the sweets of mouoimly, and dread the arrival of new competitors in office or in commerce, docs he receive gloomy impressions." Mr. Macaulay gives a list of thirty one individuals resident in Sierra Leone, during periods of from eight and ten to twenty-five, twenty- eight and thirty-seven years. Of these seven died after a long period of constant residence ; the rest are living or died elsewhere. " The greater number of Europeans who lie buried at Calcutta, died under five and twenty, cut off in the first two or three years of their residence. The Euro|)ean i)opulation of Jamaica is said to midergo a total change every seven years ; that of New Orleans in half that jjcriod : two thirds of the I']uropeans who come to reside at Havannah die within six months after tbeir arrival ; and in some of the Duleh East India Islands the INTRODUCTION. xli mortality is still greater. iVIozair.ljique was colonized with criminals from Goa as a sentence equivalent to death." * Yet the following pages will too fatally shew that death sometimes makes sad havoc among the new arrivals in the Colony. It certainly has done so in the case of our missionaries, as the sad calendar which we have to exhibit, but too painfully attests ; but it might not be unpro- fitable to enquire into the deaths connected with the mission, for the purpose of ascertaining whether such precautions as the climate im- peratively demands for the preservation of health, had been taken in all, or the majority of these cases ; or whether the duties of the clerical office do not sometimes involve hazardous exposure to weather, mental and physical exertion, sudden changes of temperature &c., all of which greatly militate against health, and predispose the system to the disor- ders endemic in a tropical cUmate. Mr. W. Singleton, who was deputed by the Society of Friends in 1820 to make some enquiry into the native languages spoken on this coast, arrived in Sierra Leone early in 1821. In his Journal, speaking of the climate there, he says : — " That a considerable number of Europeans die here is a fact ; but it is my opinion that not one fourth of them die merely from the effect of the climate. If those who complain so loudly of the bad effects of the climate, were fully persuaded of the truth of their own complaints and desirous of life, would they not endeavour to counteract, instead of accelerating, the progress of those effects .'' " A good manager here rises early, (six o'clock) takes a plate of roo-e, (like our oatmeal gruel) proceeds to business till cigbt — eats a sufficient breakfast — keeps as much in the shade as possible, at his books or other mercantile business, during the heat of the day — dines at four — always has a sallad on the table — drinks moderately — rises soon after dinner to walk till six, when he takes coffee, and, after sitting a while over a glass of wine and water, retires early to rest — and repeats, on the morrow, the routine of to-day. Thus he is able to reside twenty or thirty years on the continent, with a good portion of health." Tbe Deputy Insj)ector of hospitals at West Africa ascril)es tlie pre- valence of disease ainonj^ Europeans to their mode of living, which he thus represents, " Breakfast is taken at rising — at eleven they sit down to ' relish,' consisting of soups, meats, and the highest seasoned dishes ; wine is drunk as at dinner, and afterwards sangaree or brandy and wa- ter, which too fre(iiHMitly they continue sipping and drinking till late in the afternoon, sonietinies to the dinner hour, (G I'.m.) " In all the countries," says Dr. Nicholl, " which I have visited, I never saw so much eating and drinking." ' (.'oiulcr'd " Modern Traveller. xlii INTRODUCTION. A passage iu the annual medical Report from the West Africa Sta- tion for 1832, falls strangely on our ears, accustomed as they are to hear of Sierra Leoue as a Colony supported by British money for the murder of British subjects. " Sierra Leone. — This station has continued this year, as during the two preceding years to maintain its character for salubrity." That Sierra Leoue is healthy, when compared with other parts of this coast, cannot be denied. The West coast of Africa is, for the most part, low and swampy, while this peninsula consists of a bold headland, rising in consecutive hills backed by a chain of lofty mountains. Freetown, the capital, as we have already obserred, stands upon a piece of ground which rises abniptly from the water's edge to the height of at least fifty feet. The greater part of the Colony is bathed by the salt water of the ocean. The Atlantic washes the entire coast from Cape Sierra Leone to its southern limit, and the waves of the estuary or river Sierra Leone lave its southern shore. In consequence of these advantages, the temperature of the Colony is moderate iu relation to that of the neighbouring country. At Senegal the thermometer has stood at 131°, of Fahrenheit, and on the Gold Coast at 134'', while at Sierra Leone it ranges from 95" to 71°. At Senegal and at Guinea too the range is much greater. The unhealthiness of this coast is ascribed to the rapid changes which take place at certain seasons of the year from heat to moisture and vice versa : for four or five months the country is deluged with almost uninterrupted rain ; according to a table drawn up by Dr. Winter- bottom for one year, out of 1 22 days in the months of June, July, August and September, it rained 110. In July there was only one day dry, and in August two. The rainy season usually begius iu May, and ends in September or October.* The stagnation of so much water in low grounds, together with the miasmata from rapidly decaying vege- table matter, which the rains call into sudden existence, arc a fruitful source of fever, dysentery, &c., but from the elevated position of Sierra Leone, its freedom from swamps, and the natural barrier which its mountains and estuary present to the pestilential vapours of the neigh- bouring coast, it would appear to be comparatively exempt from tliese enls, and therefore ought to be proportionably healthy. " The moun- tains," says Mr. Martin, " in the vicinity of Frectomi, are now gene- rally cleared and cultivated, and the settlement is as healthy for Euro- pean residents as any other tropical climate." In the year 1817, Sir Charles AlacCarthv, governor of Sierra Leone, divided the Colony into parishes, of which Freetown and its vicinity formed one, called St. George's pa^i^sh : the other parishes, with their corresponding Negro towns, were St. Andrew's, Gloucester ; • Sec pp. ti, !), of the former volum \ INTRODUCTION. xliii St. James's, Bathurst ; St. Peter's, Leopold ; St. John's, Charlotte; St. Charles's, Regent ; St. Paul's, Wilberforce ; and St. Patrick's, Kissey. The reader will become sufficiently familiar with the names of these villages of liberated Africans as we advance. We shall add here the dates of the formation of these, and others, for the advan- tage of reference : Leicester, 1809. Regent, 1812. Gloucester, 1816. Kissey, 1817. Leopold, 1817. Charlotte, 181 8. Wilberforce, 1812, reorganized 1818, Bathurst, 1818. Kent, 1819. Isle de Loss, 1819. Banana Isles, 1820. Waterloo, 1820. Allen Town, 1826. Calmont, 1826. Grassfield, 1826. There are besides these, of more recent formation, Ncwland, Denham, Frasertown, Rokelle, Hamilton, Goderich, Aberdeen, Murray, &c. The Governors of this Colony have been very numerous. The following gentleman have successively filled that office down to a recent date: — J. Clarkson, Esq. March 16, 1792; W. Dawes, Esq. Decem- ber 31, 1792. Z. Macaulay, Esq. pro tem, April 1, 1794. W. Dawes, Esq. returns 1795. Z. Macaulay, Governor, 1796. T. Ludlam, pro tem, 1799. W. Dawes, January 4, 1801. Captain W. Day, R. N. .February 15, 1803. J. Ludlam, Esq. August 28, 1803: J. Ludlam, pro tem, January 1808. T. Perronet Thompson, Esq. July 27, 1808. Captain Columbine, R. N. Feb. 12, 1810 ; Lieut. R. Bones, R. N. pro tem, May 1811 ; Lieut. Col. Maxwell, Governor in chief, July 1, 1811 ; Lieut. Col. MacCarthy, (Lieut. Gov.) July 11, 1814; Lieut. Col. MacCarthy, Governor in Chief, Nov. 29, 1815; Captain Grant, 2nd M^ India Regiment, pro tem, July 25, 1820; Brig. Gen. Mac Carthy, Governor in Chief, from 20" N. to 20" S. lat. November 28, 1824. Major Gen. Turner; Major Gen. Sir Niel Campbell; Col. Denham ; Lieut. Col. Luinlcy : Major Rickctts ; Col. Findlay ; Mr. Temple; Major Campbell; Col. Dogherty ; Col. MacDonald ; Dr. Ferguson ; N. MacDonald, Esq. With a few desultory notices of African life and manners as exhibited in the Colony, our introductory sketch must conclude. In the article of clothing, the negro's love for finery is pro- verbial. Men and women, especially among the liberated class, earnestly as])irc after such attractions as a gaudy stj-le of dress can bestow, and often the most grotcscjue and ludicrous adoption of fashionable usages in this respect, meets the eye, especially on the Sabbat ii-day, and in the house of God, where at least such vanities should not intrude, jjroving how readily Satan can adapt his weapons of anticbristiau warfare, to any clime or species of humanity. While the Maroons, Settlers, anil Iil)erated Africans affect the English style of dress ; tlie Mahommedan tribes, such as the Foulahs, and Man- dingoes, tread flie streets of Freetown, in the elegant simplicity of xliv INTRODUCTION. tlic'ir native costume.* The Kroos content themselves for the most part, with the absence of all clothing, excejjt the country cloths of their native land. There is perhaps no town of similar dimensions, where so great a variety of costume is exhibited as in Freetown. The liberated Africans anoint their bodies Avith palm or nut oil, and sometimes with a species of vegetable butter : f and besides the national marks before mentioned, various figures are frequently cut and scored on their face, arms, breast, and back, exhibiting the appearance of raised stripes, or as if threads were passed under the cuticle. The negroes are great smokers of tobacco, they also take snuff, but by the mouth instead of the nose, — a more offensive and injurious mode than the ordinary one, since the breath is materially affected, and the teeth and gums decay. The snuff is placed either between the lower lip and teeth, or on the tongue. Both sexes mdulge in this odious practice. Their food consists principally of yams, rice (their favorite food) cocoa, cassada, maize &c. with meat or fish, which they are said not to object to when a little high in flavor. Palm-oil flavored with shallots, capsicums &c., is always eaten with it. But their favorite dish is palaver sauce, which is composed of smoked meat or fish, or both together, and vegetables seasoned with various spices, and pungent jdants. Palm oil is an indispensable ingredient, imparting to the dish the peculiar relish for which it is celebrated. Various articles of chet composed of vegetables, spices, and the never-failing jialm oil, are hawked about the streets of Freetown, and meet a ready sale. The principal vegetables employed are cassada, maize, or Indian corn, rice, difterent kinds of leaves, shallots, &c. Drunkenness is not a common vice among the negro race, although unhappily its European j)revalency is ftdly exemplified in the case of British sailors, and others of like class in the Colony, and the number of rum shops in Freetown, affords abundant facility for its indulgence ; but Africans are said to ])refi'r beer to rum, and they have several exhilarating beverages of home manufacture, to which they* are very partial. The principal of these is jjalm wine, which is procured after the manner stated in the note at page xxi. Besides this, they make * See preceding volume p. 14. Tlie converts, of these Mussulman iicjrroes, of whom unfortunately there are many in the Colony, especially among the Akus, adojit their g;irb thou;,'h after a more humble fashion. f It is a curious fact whicii may just be noticed here, tluit the llev. T. Miiller, chap- lain to tlie Ni}{cr Kxpcdition, conceived the idea of anointing his body with oil, as a protection asainst the river fever, and that he was one of the few persons who were ex- empted from an attack of that deadly pestilence, ^\'iletlu-r there was anythiug of cause and elTect in the experiment, and the worthy chaplain's immunity from the fever, is a cpieslion for " tlie profession." INTRODUCTION. xlv an intoxicating drink, called jin-jin-billy, more properly jin-jin-Burrah, which is of Soosoo origin,* and a species of country beer called otto, or according to Winterbottom, pitto : prepared from the Indian corn, Guinea corn, or the pine apple. Dancing is a favourite amusement, and is pursued with great avidity during the moonlight nights. Each tribe has its own peculiar measure, but the universal musical-instrument employed on the occasion, is the torn torn ; a small drum, shaped like an hour-glass. A song composed for the occasion, is at the same time sung by some young females, and the whole party of dancers join in the chorus : these songs are very simple, consisting often of the repetition of a single word or sentiment, but sometimes celebrating some person or incident of general notoriety. Dancing is often continued all night, and proves very inconvenient to the European residents, by the disturbance which it occasions during the hours devoted to rest. There is much fear likewise, that these moon- light meetings are the fruitful source of evils, of a more serious character to the younger participants in such nocturnal and exciting orgies. Strong drink being frequently indulged in on such occasions, and the dancers, under the double stimulants, often arriving at a perfect delirum of mental and physical intoxication. Tiiis dance is called by the Maroons, a Tallala, and bj^ the settlers, a Kon King. The liberated Africans call it simply a play. As might be expected, the Christian Missionaries have set their faces against this amusement, not without success, as regards their own people at least. The native Mahomme- dans look with disdain on such frivolities. The liberated Africans as a class, are not remarkable for their honesty. They often go on thieving expeditions, and on such occasions, adopt the ingenious expedient of greasing their skin, thfit they may the more readily slip through the fingers of their captors : of course these l)ractices are repudiated by such of them as make a profession of Christianity. Many of the liberated negroes have made skilful and industrious artisans ; they, in their several capacities, as carpenters, masons, &c. have erected the houses and other buildings in Freetown, and several of them, as has already been observed, have secured for themselves an in- dependence, by their frugality and success in business. The meat markets are supplied by the Foidahs, who are, par excellence, the graziers of Western Africa, and the women of all tribes are the fishmongers of the Colony. Capital ])unishments are said to be of rare occurrence. Murder and Wintcrlmttom c.ills the plant from which this liquor is produced Yiii-yinp, and wiys, " It i« first burnt for a certain timp, and the ashes arc afterwards infused in water; a fermentation is thus produred, which renders it (the lii|uor) intoxicating when taken in large <|iiantities." xlvi INTRODUCTION. kidnapping,* seem to be the crimes for which the extreme penalty of the law has ordinarily been incurred, but it is to be hoped, that these offences are on the decline. Testimony will be borne in the following pages, to the abilitj' and uprightness with which the liberated Africans promote the ends of justice, both as constables to detect, and jurymen to try offenders against the law in the Colony. The Court of Justice at Freetown, forms the uppermost story of the jail, which is a large building, situated at the west end of the town ; in which there are twenty cells in the basement story for persons accused of capital crimes, over these is the debtor department, and a prison for delinquents charged with minor offences. Above all is the court used for Civil, Admiralty and Criminal business, in which the Chief Justice and two members of Council, as assessors, preside. The liberated Africans are subject to numerous diseases, chiefly en- gendered on board the slave-ships, in which they are literally packed for exportation. After capture and relanding at Sierra Leone, dysentery carries off many, fever dispatches others, and some become, or have become insane. Incurable distortions of the spine and limbs are not uncommon, and cutaneous diseases f of every variety and degree of obstinacy, mark the emancipated slave. The small pox often commits great ravages among these people, and vaccination, that most blessed antidote of the white man, fretjuently fails in the cure of the negro, either from some effect of the climate upon the lymph, or some other unascertained cause. In the years 1837 and 1839, the small pox raged with much virulence in the Colon}'. Dropsical disorders are of frequent occurrence, and the usual remedy, tapping, most commonly fails in the case of the African. Scorbutic affections of the groins, and relaxed uvula are very prevalent, so are o])hthalmic, paralytic, and rheumatic complaints. All the Africans of the Colony are subject to an affection, which exhibits itself in an unconejuerable drowsiness, medical men call it Lethargus, of the class Neurotica, but tlie negroes designate it " sleepy sickness," or "sleepy dropsy." "At the commencement of the disease, the patient has connnonly a ravenous appetite, eating twice the quantity of food he was accustomed to when in health, and becoming very fat. When the disease has continued some time, the appetite de- clines, and the patient grachially wastes away." J Even while eating, * Kidnapping consists in iiivcitjling or I'orcinf; the liberated Africans across the cstnary to tlie ]$ulloni sliore, and rcsellinj,' tlieni into slavery ; a practice it wonld appc.ir of com- mon occurrence at a not remote period. The Mahommedan nations, especially the Foiilaiis, are suspected of having been deo])ly implicated in this nefarious procedure, by which it is said thousands of emancipated negroes, have been from time to time ab- ducted from the colony. + The principal of these are Kra Kra, a species of itch, Leprosy, l',le|)hantiasis, Noli me tangere and l-'ranibruDsia, or Vnws ; to this last disease wo luive brielly referred in a note at p. 4!t9, of the last volume. J M'interbottora. INTRODUCTION. xlvii the sufferers will fall asleep, although many of them will not sleep well at night. AVhen once fairly developed, this disease invariably proves fatal. A most commodious hospital has been erected in the %"illage of Kissey, four miles from Freetown ; it consists of an upper and lower hospital, a Lunatic Asylum, apartments for the medical attendant, hospital ac- countant, and matron, &c., and accommodation for several hundred patients. The hospitals are under the medical superintendence of the Colonial and assistant Colonial surgeons. There is also a hospital apothecary, with the usual staff of matrons, dressers, &c. Besides Africans, natives of various countries, usually British and foreign sea- men, are among the patients admitted. The foreigners are generalh' natives of Spain, Portugal, France, America, Italy, Denmark, &c., and the Africans represent at least thirty different tribes. Each liberated African patient is allowed three pence ])er day for diet, and the articles usually purchased, are rice, palm oil, salt, beef and vegetables. The allowance to distressed European seamen is generally limited to a shilling. In the year 1838, there were admitted into this hospital, including adults and infants, male and female 2,744 patients, of whom more than one half, or 1,509 died, and 1,2G4 were discharged (we presume cured).* In 1839, the numbers stood thus : admitted 2,773 : died : 1,635 ; and in 1840, when an evident improvement aj)pears, the deaths were 541, out of 1 181 admitted. Mr. Clarke, assistant surgeon, accounts for this vast mortality on various grounds. For example, the exhausted state in which the liberated captives arrive — ^many even expiring on the way to the hos- pital ; the aversion to have recourse to European remedies for their complaints, until they have tried all those of a native kind with which they or their countrymen are acquainted, and the difficulty of obtain- ing such information from the patients as will enable the medical officer to arrive at a true diagnosis of the cases presented for treatment. Still it is melancholy to contemj)late the immense annual sacrifice of human life wiiich the above numl)ers exhibit, and the question arises, without impugning the skill of the medical gentlemen whose pain- ful duty it is to witness such wholesale mortality, whether the science of therapeutics has not some yet undeveloped resources to avert the fatal antagonism to hiuiiaii life, both native and European, that lurks in the soil and climate of Africa. The Negroes dread to sleep in the open air, being sensible of the least variation of temperature, and much snl)ject to rheumatic attacks. The floor of a hut covered with mats serves all the members of tiie • For those nnd several oilier interesting details, the writer will a^.-iin acknowledpe his oblignliim to A»»i»tant Siirj;i'(iii Clarke, recently— and we believe still— attached to Sierra Leone medical department. xlviii INTRODUCTION. family for a bed, where they He huddled together with no covering save the country cloth during the dry weather, — but wrapped up in all the garments they can procure, and with a fire in the midst of them, when the rainy season arrives. We need not extend these observations, as the social condition of the liberated Africans, both in Freetown and throughout the several vil- lages of the Colony, will come frequently under review in the follow- ing pages. What is here said, will, we trust, lend an interest to the subsequent Missionary statements, and assist with them in calling forth from British Christians a more enlarged development of sympa- thy for Africa, than has yet been exhibited ; and substantiating the claim of the Negro, which has often been denied, to the blessings of moral and intellectual cultivation, on the uncontrovertible ground of successful result in the case of any attempts yet made to confer them. Intercessory appeals have often been made to the Christian world for Africa ; she is now able to plead for herself — so far have Missionary efforts been successful. In one sense Ethiopia stretches out her hands unto God, in another she stretches them out to the Churches of Christendom for ])atronage and support. May she so faithfully and perseveringly plead in every sense, as soon to be able to "lengthen her cords and strengthen her stakes !" CHURCH MISSIONS IN SIERRA LEONE. CHAPTER I. Among the subjects of inquiry to which the Committee of the Church Missionary Society directed the attention of the Rev. Edward Bicker- steth, j)revious to his departure for Africa at the beginning of the year 181G, were the following : — " The state of education in the colony of Sierra Leone. " The number of children therein. " Tiic most promising measures for providing for the education of all the children in the colony. " The number of schoolmasters and schoolmistresses required for the entire education of the colony and settlements. " The preparation which may have been made for the erection of tlie ('hristian Institution, with the further measures which should be pvu-- sued for accomplishing this work with all convenient despatch. " The s\iitableness, or otherwise, of the plans sent out from this country, of tlie j)riucij)al buildings, and of settlers' liabitations. " The l)est arrangements which can be made for the regulation of I lu- Institution, ami for the establishment of the children after they shall liuve been educated. " Tile towns and villages within the colony ; the number of inhabi- tants vuuler the liritish government ; their languages and religion ; I he W 11 2 CHURCH MISSIONS IN SIERRA LEONE. piwision made for their religious instruction, and the education of their children ; and the measures which the Society may pursue with puhlic advantage in these respects." On these subjects much valuable information is contained in Mr. Bickersteth's journal, which is inserted at large in the preceding volume. But besides this journal, Mr. Bickersteth furnished to the Committee a special report of his visit to Western Africa, in which he enters more minutely into the circumstances of the colony, furnishing the most satisfactory replies to the inquiries of the Committee. That part of the report which refers especially to Sierra Leone is as follows : — " The number of inhabitants in the colony is calculated, I am told, on a moderate scale, at between 9,000 and 10,000. But there being no census, I could not obtain an accurate return of the number of adults or children. I should think the entire education of the colony would require, including the teachers now there, twelve schoolmasters and twelve schoolmistresses. " In the colony we have no difficulty, but the want of teachers, in providing for the education of all the children. It has pleased God to place those in authority therein, who seem disposed, in every way, to promote both its temporal and its religions interests. His Excellency Governor MacCarthy, understand Knglish. After the death of .Mr. Jost, my wife was tak( n ill witb the fever; but. regent's town. 13 through the blessing of God, she recovered ^ ery soon, and is now in perfect health ; she has her health ; indeed better than in England. " It rains here almost continually, and considerably more than at Free Town. I came hither before the ho\ise was ready, and was obliged to sleep on the ground, covered with a blanket, for fourteen nights. Sometimes the blanket was wet in the moniing, but, blessed be God ! I have not felt the least injury." On the eighth of October, Mr. Johnson wrote — " Our Heavenly Master has been with us, and has crowned our labours with success. The church will contain about five hundred people : I am very happy to say that it is crowded every Sunday. Ilis Excellency the governor, with several other gentlemen from Free Town, were present a few Sundays since. I read the Church service, and endea- voured to ex})lain that passage (1 Cor. ii. 2), ' Jesus Christ and him crucified.' I endeavoured to answer these questions : Who is Jesus Christ ? — What has Jesus Christ done ? — What is Jesus Christ now doing ? — What is Jesus Christ going to do ? " My j)rayers have been answered. Our Heavenly IMaster has not only opened a way for me, but has crowned my labours with success. Several of the poor negroes have manifested in their conduct that divine grace has wrought on their hearts. I might say much on this subject. On Saturday evenings we hold a meeting for prayer ; one or two of the poor negroes are able to take a part in this sacred work. My soul has often been refreshed while I have heard them wrestle with the Saviour in prayer. Believe me, dear Sir, that I have experienced moments here in this desert, when I have almost forgotten that I was still in the liody. Tiiough the climate is very unhealthy, and I may have but a short time to stay here, yet I shall have reasoa to bless God through eteniity for sending me hither." Under date of November (illi, he writes — " I am veiy happy to inform you that after I had sent the last letter of the 8th of October to you, several people came to me and complained to me about their bad hearts, and gave so striking evidence of grace, that not any man could forbid water that these should be ba])tized. Accordingly I went and spoke with Mr. Butscher on tiieir behalf, who came last Sunday week in the afternoon, omitting service at Free Town, and baptized twenty-one adults, one boy, and three infants (captured negroes). After baptism, twenty-one besides us — twenty-seven in all — received the sacrament for the first time at tliis place. I might say a great deal, but I will leave you to imagine wiiat my heart felt. " On Saturday (\eniug previous I examined them one by one, and I rannot express with this pen in what manifold and wonderful ways God 14 CHURCH MISSIONS IN SIERRA LEONE. revealed himself to these poor people. Several have come forward since. Last Saturday evening we had the house quite full. Time would not permit to hear them all speak. For the future we shall meet in the church, and make such regulations that all may be able to speak. " Permit me to mention a circumstance which perhaps not often happens in our days. A young man came to me a few days before Mr. Butscher came, desirous to be baptized. I told him that he could not be admitted, because he lived with a woman in the country fashion. He went home mth a sad countenance. On Saturday evening he came again, ashamed to look at me, sat down, and turned his face to the wall, and gave a striking account of what the Lord had done for his soul. I proposed that he might be baptized, and come to the table, if he would be married at the same time. A hea^y burden appeared to fall from his heart ; his sad countenance was turned into a smiling one ; and accordingly he was baptized, admitted to the Lord's table, and married, in the space of two hours ; and moreover, I have every reason to believe that a good work is begun upon the heart of liis wife." Several of the missionaries who visited this favoured \'illage were much impressed with its spiritual state. Among the rest, Mr. Wilhelm bore the following testimony : — " I spoke," he said, "with several persons in private, concerning the hope that is set before us in Christ Jesus, admonishing them to lay fast hold on that hope ; and found by their pertinent answers, that they perfectly understood such language. Morning and evening worship was held and very numerously attended. On the Lord's day, the church, which will contain about five hundred people, is too small to contain all that wish to attend. Several boys also give satisfactory proof of the work of grace in their hearts." Mr. Renncr was also among the visitors. He communicated his views to the committee thus : — " I spoke morning and evening in the church to a people that seemed to be devout indeed. Regent's Town is far ad- vancing in getting civilized and Christianized. Almost every night, as I am told, one or other is aflfected, and on certain nights the whole con- gregation seems impressed ; but judging by appearance, these arc they that take the kingdom of heaven by violence. The temporal and spi- ritual work of our brethren is no doubt great and laborious among these j)ropU' ; but to Johnson all is easy and full of ])lcasurc. It is sui])rising to what a degree of harmonious singing both se.xes have attained, as if it were a congregation often years standing."' REGENT S TOWN. 15 In reporting this work of di\4ne grace among his flock, Mr. Johnson mentioned witli much regret a loss wliich he had sustained in the person of George Lancaster, the native usher appointed by Mr. Bickersteth to this station. He died of a debilitating disease, after three weeks' illness — there was every reason to believe in the Lord. In a letter which he wrote to Mr. Bickersteth, after the return of the latter to England, he said, " I will not forget the kindness which you have shown me in Africa. Perhaps I shall not see you again in this world ; but in the next we shall meet together where we shall see Christ our SaA"iour and all his holy angels." The faithful servant of the Lord to whom this letter was written still lives, but we feel assured that, on the brink of eternity, the language of his humble African brother will not be forgotten, or his pious expectation left without a response. The formation of a missionary association at Regent's Town, towards the close of this year (1817), further exemplifies the nature and extent of the work going on there. The following account of the proceedings which took place on that occasion is from Mr. Johnson's journal. " Saturday, Nov. 29, 1817. — At the evening prayer-meeting, I read a letter to the people, which I had received from Mr. Pratt ; and, from the Missionary Register for September, I read and explained to them the anecdote of a poor woman, related in the 407th page. When I had done, four of my communicants addressed the meeting in behalf of the missionary cause, and requested me to set apart one evenuig in the fol- lowing week to form a missionary society. " Wednesday, Dec. 3rd, being the appointed evening to form a mis- sionary society, the church was full at seven o'clock. Prenous to the meeting, we had one for prayer, as usual, being Wednesday. " After this meeting, I addressed the people, explained to them the heathen miserj', and referred to their former state ; urged the necessity of sending out missionaries, and of supporting them ; and concluded with encouraging their exertions, l)y our Lord's acceptance of the poor widow's mite. Mark xii. 42 — 44. " After this, no less than seventeen commmiicants came forward and addressed the meeting. Some si)okc nuich to the purpose, tliougli in broken English. It would have greatly animated our Christian friends in England. " One of them exhorted to prayer, that it might please God to send some of them to their country people, to carry the good news of a Saviour to them. He then came forward, and said, ' F will give half-a-crowu.' I told him what lie might give was to be every month. He replied, ' I know, Sir; I will give it every month.' Several followed his example. A motion was then made, that those who desired to be members were to give not less than two-pence a month : one hundred and seven had 16 CHURCH MISSIONS IN . SIERRA LEONE. their uames put down as subscribers. After which, several of the school-boys and girls came forward, and gave their pence and halfpence. I asked one boy, who requested me to take a penny, where he got money He replied, ' Me got three coppers (three halfpence) long time. Me beg you, Massa, take two, and me keep one.' I told him he had better keep his coppers, which he had kept so long ; but he refused, and urged me to take the two coppers. ' Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits ! ' O what I enjoyed this night ! ' What,' indeed, ' hath God wrought ! ' " The specimen which we have given of the glorious work conmienced at Regent's Town, will prepare us for the wonders of divine grace dis- played in the future history of this highly-favoured settlement. But before we proceed to their developement, it will be well for us to cast our eyes for a few moments on a picture of the character and condition of the first settlers here, by which we shall be the better able to judge of the work that was accomplished ; it will also serve as a fair sample of African humanity, degraded even far below its native hideousness by breathing the pestiferous atmosphere of a slave ship; and thence be- coming the material on which Christian skill and industry were to be employed in every village of the colony. The delineation is from a master-hand, even that of Mr. Johnson himself, the zealous pastor of Regent's Town, who furnished it to the committee of the Church Mis- sionary Society, during a visit which he made to his native land, three years subsequent to the present period. It was in the month of June, 1816, that Mr. Johnson entered on his charge. " On looking narrowly into the actual condition of the people entrusted to his care " — we quote the language of the Twentieth Rejiort of the Church Missionary Society — " he felt great discouragement : natives of twenty -two different nations were here collected together ; and a considerable number of them had been but recently liberated from the holds of slave-vessels : they were greatly prejudiced against one another, and in a state of continual hostility, with no common medium of intercourse but a little broken English. When clothing was given to them they would sell it or throw it away ; it was difficult to induce them even to put it on ; and it was not found practicable to introduce it among thcin, (ill led to it by the example of Mr. Johnson's servant- girl. None of them, on their arrival, seemed to live in the state of marriage : some were soon afterward married by the late Mr. Butscher ; but all the blessings of Ac marriage state and of female i)urity ap- peared, when Mr. Johnson arrived among them, to be quite unknown. In some huts ten of them were crowded together, and in others even fifteen and twenty ; miuiy of them were ghastly as skeletons ; si.\ or eight sometimes died in one day ; and oidy six infants were born during regent's town. 17 the year. Superstition in various forms tyrannized over their minds ; many devil's houses sprung up, and all placed their security in wearing greegrees. Scarcely any desire of improvement was discernible ; for a considerable time there were hardly five or six acres of land brought under cultivation ; and some who wished to cultivate the soil were deterred from doing so by the fear of being plundered of the produce. Some would live in the woods, apart from society ; and others subsisted by thieving and plunder ; they would steal fowls, ducks, and pigs from any one who possessed them. In the first week of his residence among them, Mr. Johnson lost thirty fowls : they would eat them raw, and not a few of them, particularly those of the Ebo nation, the most savage of them all, would prefer any kind of refuse-meat to the rations which they receive from government. " Of this nation of the Ebos it may be right to add some particulars. About forty of them having been drawn, on their liberation from the slave ships, to serve in the African corps, they were placed under a course of military instruction at Bauce Island, but were discharged as intractable, and were sent to Regent's Town. Here they soon gave proof of almost incredible brutality. A negro of another tribe had a sow, which, three or fo\ir days before, had brought him a litter of nine pigs ; some of these people stole his young pigs, and threw them all, while alive, into a large pot of boiling water : there the man found them, when, on returning liome, and ascertaining his loss, he had ob- tained Mr. Johnson's authority to search for them among his suspected neighl)ours. From another were stolen his dog and his iron pot, and he found l)oth among the same depredators, who were preparing for a repast on the poor animal, by boiling him in the pot which they had stolen. A sick dog had been killed aiul buried: it was afterwards dis- covered that some of these people had dug up and made soup of the carcase." These are rej)ulsive details ; but they set forth the greatness of the change which has been wrought in these men. " Placed under the care of one of the natives — himself but recently liberated from the hold of a slave-ship, and as yet but litth- influenced by Christian principle — he exercised over them what appeared to him to be unavoidable severity ; but when his own heart l)ecame {)owerfidIy affected by the gos])eI, he woidd retire to the woods and pray for them — they formed a strong attachment to him— he prevailed on them to attend churcli— and was made an instrument of iucalcnlal)k' good to tiiem. The word of (Jod was l)lcssed to many of tiiem. Tluy are all now civili/ed and married : tliey are steady, sober, and industrious, and several of them regularly communicate at the Lord's lal)le ; all are become clean, decent, and attend llic public worsiiip of (iod. They are active and serviceable men." 18 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. We have anticipated a little, towards the close of this extract, a state of things, as regards these people, which could scarcely be expected at the period of which we are now writing, when the work of scriptural instruction had only just commenced. The contrast, however, is thus rendered more obvious between man in the lowest state of nature, and the same creature in rapid progress towards the highest state of grace ; to which it will be our jirivilege to accompany not a few living trophies of the gospel in Regent's town. We must now leave for a while this attractive spot and turn to KISSEY TOWN. Mr. Bickersteth describes this place as situated about three miles from Free Town. It will be remembered that he placed here the Rev. C. F. Wenzel, late missionary at Canoffee, with Mrs. Wenzel, and James Curtis, one of the elder Bassia boys, as assistant. Mr. Wenzel had the superintendence also of two small towns in the neighbourhood, Bambra and Thoma ; all three containing about 400 souls. Mr. Bren- nant, who was intended to act as schoolmaster at the Gambier settle- ment, and had sailed from England with that object on the 14th of January, 1817, was also appointed, on his arrival in the colony, to assist Mr. Wenzel at Kissey Town. No extraordinary success seems to have attended the first Christian eftbrts at this place. Wenzel established family worship twice daily, and divine service twice on the Lord's day, with catechetical instruction after each service. Early in the year 1817, he had about 300 chil- dren and adults under his immediate care, all of whom were obliged to attend family worship and divine service. Many of the settlers also attended. On Mrs. Wenzel devolved the care and education of the female children, a considerable number of whom were under her charffe. Up to the same period about sixty coujdes had been married. The negroes had built a temporary place of worship for themselves, and ground had been cleared by order of the governor, for the erection of a stone church. Dysentery and small-pox, which attacked the infant settlement with much virulence, were among the discouragements which attended the first attempts to plant the standard of the cross at Kissey Town. The following extract of a letter from Wenzel, dated Feb. 6th, 1817, affords another specimen of the materials on which the servants of Jesus had to commence their work ; and indeed on which they must, as long as the slave-trade continues, be continually engaged, in Sierra Leone. " In the beginning of November, I liad nearly 200 liberated negroes — two-thirds were ciiildren : but in that month, a vessel was taken GLOrCESTER TOWN. 19 with 550 slaves on board ; and the poor creatures who were confined in her suffered so greatly, that, in the course of bringing her into Sierra Leone, during a fortnight, more than 200 died. The others were greatly emaciated. More than 110 children and about 20 men and women were sent to Kissey Town in the course of three days. The ])oor children not having been accustomed to eat rice, fell upon such insects and even reptiles as they could find, as also upon my fowls and ducks. They were all of the Ebo nation. We were obliged to keep watch day and night ; but it was impossible to confine them to the houses. They were running about in the night, and stole from the farms what they could get. They thus brought a deplorable disease on themselves : the dysentery became prevalent among them, which car- ried off more than fifty in the space of a month , to this succeeded the small-pox, which is still making great havoc, and more than thirty have become victims to this disease." GLOUCESTER TOWN. . It has been mentioned that Mr. and Mrs. Diiring had been removed from the Christian Institution at the request of the governor. Sir Charles MacCarthy, and fixed at this newly-formed town. They left Leicester Mountain on the 18th December, 1816, and undertook at this place the charge of about 130 liberated negroes. " The spot," says Diiring, describing his situation, "is beautiful. It is encompassed on every side by small rivulets. The aspect of the surrounding moun- tain is romantic. The people are of five different tribes, and demand sometimes my utmost exertion. At present they have a stcmish heart and disposition, and will retain the same until it is taken from them by divine power." From the same communication, dated Feb. 5, 1817, we derive the following account of his proceedings and encouragements at that early stage of his work . " I have many already who are eager for instruction ; and I pray that the Lord may be with me, to enable me to do good to my fellow- creatures. In about a fortnight my house will be finished, when I shall immcdintc'ly l)egin an evening adult school. My day-school is at present but small : I expect more children every day. Were there more here now. I could not do justice to them, for I am at present to my people sometimes fatlicr, sometimes judge, and sonu'times master. Yet the Lord my (Jod has not forsaken me, and I trust he will never leave me. The thought that these poor creatures, though at present in the grossest state of ignorance, may one day become the diseii)les of Jesus, has always supported me luider (he greatest trials; indeed we 20 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. have evidence already that the gospel light has begun to dawn on many souls." In a subsequent letter of March 15th, he furnishes a more detailed account of his arrangements and progress. " Sunday service with my negroes we observe as follows : We first sing a hymn, of which they are very fond. Then I read a part of the Liturgy with them, v.hich those who understand a little English very much delight in. Between the two lessons we sing a verse or two, and again after I have done reading prayers. Then I take either the gospel or epistle appointed for the day, explain it to them, and make a few remarks suitable to their capacity ; then we sing again, and I pray with them, and so dismiss them. In the afternoon we meet again, from three to four o'clock : I read a chapter out of the New Testament, pray with them, and talk to them, sometimes asking them questions, which some of them answer very well. By these means I hope they soon will be enabled to form an idea of that Saviour whom I have found precious to my own soul. From one to two, and from four to five o'clock, I catechise the children according to the Church Catechism ; in the evening we meet for worship again, and so close the day. I keep school according to the British National system, and observe the same rules as those in the Christian Institution. My wife has the care of sixty-seven girls, who read in the forenoon, and sew in the afternoon. I have at present only twenty boys, who read in the morning, and work in the afternoon. They either cultivate the ground or learn some useful trade ; such as are promising attend also the evening school. This evening school is estabhshed from seven to eight o'clock for adults. The number of scholars is at present about twenty. There arc plenty more who are desirous to become ' bookmen,' as they call it, but for want of accommodation I cannot yet admit more. I hope, through the assistance of the Lord, I shall be able, when the rough branches are cut away from those whom I have at present, to open an adult school on a large scale. His excellency the governor is highly pleased with our plans, and will gladly forward them, in order to promote the designs of government and of our society." WILBF.RFORCE TOWN. Three small towns described by Mr. Bickerstcth, Congo, Cosso, and Bassa, were united to form this station, which was committed, as wc have before mentioned, to the care of Mr. Gates, schoolmaster, who arrived at the colony with Brcnnant, who was fixed at Kissey Town, on the 25th February, 1817. Cates was designed for Yongro, as Brennaiit WILBERFORCE TOWN. 21 liad been for Gambicr. A desire to carry out the governor's views, however, led to both being detained in the colony. I Cates's first efforts were much interrupted by sickness. The spirit, however, with which he entered on his work was of the right kind, and his arrangements were consequently excellent. " As soon," he ! writes, " as I was stationed, I established the same plan of assembling I the people morning and evening for prayer, as is observed at the other towns ; which affords a frequent opportunity of pointing them to Jesus, as ' the Lamb of God which takcth away the sin of the world.' " " Among our people," he proceeds, " we have a class who have renounced their superstitions, and have learned to pray to one God in 'white man's fashion,' as they term it : and on this account they seem to entertain so high an opinion of themselves, as to think they can now claim heaven in their own right. To such men the humbling way of salvation, through faith in the atoning blood and meritorious righteous- ness of a Saviour, cannot of course be acceptable. Another class still retain their country fashion ; trusting to grcegrees and other lying vanities : they seldom attend worship, and arc averse to any sort of instruction, particularly of a religious mature. " Thus both classes, though much opposed to each other, agree in thinking lightly of the only way of escape from the wrath to come. May the Eternal Spirit condescend to own and bless the means made use of for their good, that many may be brought from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ! " On Good Friday afternoon I endeavoured to explain the importance and advantage of being able to read the scriptures ; and [jroposed that those who wished to learn should come to evening school after they had done work. About thirty men and women came forward as scholars. I put their names down ; and on an average twenty-five attended as long as I was there." On the Cth of January, 1818, an examination of the children in the Institution was held before the governor; in reference to which the Sierra Leone Gazette made the following observations :— " The (Miristian Institution — the only one of the kind in Africa — will ever remain an undenial)le evidence of the anxiety of the Society to promote to the utmost of its power the civilization of Africa. It must and ever will command the gratitude of every well-wisher to the African race. " The boys (two hundred) and girls (fifty) went through their dif- ferent exercises in a manner creditable to themselves and their teachers. The examination took place in the church erected by the Society on Leicester Mountain. Tlie site commands a nu)st pxtensive view of the 22 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. town, harbour, and sea. It will stand as a landmark of Christianity. The sailor, on seeing its spire from afar, will return praise to his God, and bless his country for haiing thus afforded an asylum to the oppressed African. The \'iew of a church on British ground in Africa, proclaims the liberty of the subject. Where true Christianity reigns, slavery is banished." After the removal of Butscher from the scene of his earthly labours, Mr. and Mrs. Gamon paid the greatest attention to the children thus so severely bereaved. In this kind office they were joined by Mr. and Mrs. Collier, who arrived at Sierra Leone on the 24th of January ; the former having been appointed by the home government, at the solici- tation of the committee, assistant-chaplain to the colony. Such assist- ance became the more necessary after the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Horton, who had been appointed to assist Butscher, but who had dis- connected themselves from the Society in the March of this year. Together with the Rev. John Collier and his wife, there arrived from England, in the service of this mission, the Rev. Henry Charles Decker, Mrs. Decker, and John Maxwell, an African youth. The accession of these labourers to the rapidly increasing work in the colony, gave the greatest satisfaction to Mr. Gamon and the other tried friends of the cause. This year Regent's Town continued to take the lead in spiritual im- provement. The church there, which was at first calculated for 500 persons, being crowded every Sunday, a gallery was added by the governor for 200 more. This was immediately filled, and a further enlargement was found indispensable. An examination of the schools was held before the governor and other gentlemen on the 31st of December 1817. An account of this interesting event appeared in the Sierra Leone Gazette on the ISth of January 1818, to the following effect : " The appearance of the whole of the scholars, male and female, was equally creditable to their teachers and to themselves. The sight of a well-regulated school has ever been interesting to a feeling heart. We own that to us this was most peculiarly so. We had seen but a short, very short period before, those beings now so cleanly clad and so decent in their appearance, brought to this colony naked, without any idea of the true God, yoked together as the brute beasts, employed by man for the labour of the field, — and we thanked God for the change. " In reading, the adults have made considerable j)rogrcss since the last examination ; the boys and girls have kept j)ace with them. The ex- amination was very properly conchuled by singing — the boys and girls in chorus — of hymns in praise to our Redeemer. The singing was uegknt's town. 23 executed with taste and good voices. Well might they, and well may we sing praise to the Lord ! Hallelujah ! Here might we expatiate with delight on such a scene, and in such a place. Three years are scarcely elapsed and a wilderness is changed into a Christian and ro- mantic spot, inhabited by upwards of thirteen hundred loyal British sul)jects. The company were hospitably entertained by his Excellency at the parsonage-house, — erected within the last year, — and nearly finished. It is the residence of the Rev. William Johnson, the present worthy chaplain and superintendant. That house, the church, and the public buildings, and indeed the private houses (now building by sub- scription among themselves) were, and are raised, by those very beings whom the traffickers in human blood have so long calumniated and oppressed. The whole of those buildings are in a most elegant style ; and we have been assured, as before stated, built by captured negroes, a few soldiers of the Royal African Corps, and an European artificer attached to the engineer department. The day was ended as begun, and will undoubtedly be long remembered by those present. The Bri- tish flag was flying on the tower of St. Charles' church, — the first stone church erected on the west coast of Africa in 1816. His excellency is now enlarging it, and when completed, which will be in the course of one or two months, it will accommodate thirteen or fourteen hundred persons." A few samples of the good work here extracted from the journals of the missionaries will not be out of place. " One of the negro women was asked, ' Do you thank God who sent white massa to teach you.' She replied in broken English, with an earn- estness not to be described : ' Me tank God too much,' that is, very much, ' dat time massa no come me do plenty bad tings, and bring nie plenty trouble.' " The progress of some of the adults in reading is very rapid. In less than a twelvemonth from the time of their liberation they read well in the New Testament, and delight to study it every leisure hour. One said to Mr. Johnson, " Massa, me see myself in dis book," and oj)encd at the seventh chapter to the Romans, pointing to the passage from the nineteenth to the twenty-fourth ver.ses : " For the good that I would I do not : but the evil which I would not, that I do," &c. Not a few of tlieni have been indeed thus led to a knowledge of themselves. They will tell us with the greatest simplicity that they have two hearts within them — a good heart and a i)ad heart ; nor can we convince them to the contrary. They will also tell us that these two hearts have a " long palaver " with each other, and bow much bad licart sliivrs to liurf ;;<">d heart. 24 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " I was speaking," says Mr. Johnson, " to my people a few Sundays ago, of my being sent hither to preach to them about Jesus Christ, and was telling them how good God was to send ministers to Africa, and to bring them to this place ; and that if God had not been so good, they would have perished in their sins. I had an object in ^iew, which was to form among them a little society for the relief of their sick members by subscriptions of a halfpenny a week each. After service, one of them stood up and said to the rest, ' Dat be very good ting, hroders ; suppose one be sick, all be sick ; suppose one be well, all be well ! ' What a simple but practical comment on those words, ' AVhether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it ; or one member he honoured, all the members rejoice with it,' — and indeed on the whole passage, 1 Cor. xii. 12 — 27. " One who had lately been reclaimed from the depths of sin, when asked, ' Well, how is your heart now ? ' replied, ' Massa, my heart no live here now ; my heart live there,' pointing to the skies." Mr. Garnon wrote concerning Regent's Town — " I have been spend- ing a week at Mr. Johnson's. How would you enjoy to visit many of the black people, and hear their simple but sincere expressions of love to Christ ! They manifest great humility, distrust of themselves, and ardent longings after holiness. I attended their Saturday evening meet- ing. One young Ebo woman with tears said, ' Massa, my heart trouble me too much this time ; me have no peace ; me pray ; Jesus no hear me pray. Me tink he no like save me.' From excessive grief she fell suddenly into a kind of fit (for I can describe it as no other), and shook on her knees in the most violent and distressing manner. This appears to be the manner in which these people are commonly affected under their first religious impressions. It may arise from the dread with which they are struck at their awful condition, and from the entire newness of divine things to them. *' The next day was sacrament Sunday, when I united with those beloved black sisters and brothers at the sacred table. Oh that I may be j)crmitted to sit down with them in the heavcidy Jerusalem ! One night we were just returned from the church wlicre family prayer is performed, when one poor man came in and said, ' Massa, me heart burn ; it like fire. Me glad too much.' This was expressive of his enjoyment at the time in the service of God. Tliere is great sweetness and humility among some of the recaptured who are brought to accept Christ as their Saviour." Meanwhile others of the missionaries had their encouragements : for c.\anij)le, Mr. and .Mrs. Garnon had reason to feel that their exertions at Leicester Mountain were not in vain. " 1 love these black people," LEICESTER MOUNTAIN. 25 Mrs. Garnon wrote, " for I always find them friendly and thankful ; and was particularly pleased with the affection of our Krooman. He is cook, fetches water and wood, and does all the hard work. Mr. Ganion was ill at Leicester mountain. The man had been twice down and up to and from Freetown, which is three miles of steep road. As he was obliged to go down to the town again with the surgeon for some medi- cine, I said, ' Ben, you had better send John with the medicine, and do you come up at gun-fire in the morning and make fowl roast for massa.' He instantly said with earnestness, ' Mammy,' which is my usual ap- pellation from them, ' my massa sick ! Suppose me no come, me no sleep ; my heart no good.' This almost overcame me. I said, * Very well, Ben, you may come.' He did so all in the dark, and over a rugged road ; and as soon as it was at all light in the morning, he was at our room door to know ' How massa do.' The children also sent me word, * Me want go see massa ;' and so overjoyed were they all, that when they came and saw him, their eyes quite sparkled with delight." Of the children, Mr. Garnon wrote : " I shall devote my time more to the Leicester Mountain children, I wish you could see them at family prayer, you would weep for joy to see so many black faces, and to hear so many little voices. " The country all around us is beautiful. The road to Regent's Town is truly grand. " I had some of the children who are called after benefactors, in my room by myself. I read to them, and endeavoured to make myself understood ; but from their little knowledge of English and of religion, it is very difficult. Poor little dears ! they looked at me so earnestly : and when I questioned them, said, they ' no sabby,' — could not under- stand me. The tract called " The Negro Servant,' fixed their atten- tion. A short prayer has l)een made for the children which they all use before we rise at night from family prayer. Mr. Garnon repeats it, and they all follow him — ' Thank God for haWng taken care of me this day, and for my food and clothes ! liless me, O God, this night ! for- give me all my sins, and keep me from all evil, for Christ's sake.' " The Uev. John Godfrey Wilhelin, who had presided so faithfully over the now abandoned settlement at Canoffee, was intended to have charge of the newly-formed settlement of Bathnrst, on the island of St. Mary, at the inoulh of the Gambia river ; l)ut it was found ex|)e- dieiit on the removal of Mr. and Mrs. Horton from the Institution, tlwit he should occupy that important station, of wiiich Mr. ('ales, located iit VVi Uington, took temporary charge until the arrival of Wilhelm, at (be end of April, who immediately eutcred on tiie duties of superintendant, 26 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. and was subsequently joined by Mr. Gates, when the Rev. H. C. Decker entered upon his work as minister of WelHngton. At the period when tliese changes took place there were in the Insti- tution about 1 70 boys and young men, aud 50 girls. Many of the elder youths had begun to manifest an uncontrollable, turbulent dis- position, owing to the frequent relaxation of those habitual restraints, so necessary for young persons under their peculiar circumstances. In the school, which contained about 100 boys, Mr. Gates, ably assisted by the native usher John Maxwell, exerted himself to restore the vigour of the National system, which had been allowed to decline, and Mr. Gollier bore testimony to the success of his labours exhibited in the minds and man- ners of his pupils. It appeared, however, desirable for many reasons, that a change should be made in the plan of the Institution. The necessity of it was suggested to the intelligent mind of governor M'Garthy, whose en- lightened \-iews on the subject were subsequently adopted by the com- mittee. The following extract from a letter addressed by him to the secretary, dated August 28, 1818, explains his proposed arrangement : " Since the death of the Rev. Leopold Butscher, the establishment on Leicester Mountain has been losing ground ; and under all the cir- cumstances of the case, and considering the difficulty of procuring Europeans (men and women) qualified to superintend such an extensive concern, I am inclined to concur in the opinion of the whole of the members of your Society who have spoken to me on the subject, that it might perhaps forward more effectually the cause which we all have so much at heart, if the establishment was converted into a college on the same footing as that at Windsor, in Nova Scotia, so far as the relative circumstances might permit. The females might be given up to the care of the wives of those missionaries who act as superiutendants of parishes, and the Society might be relieved from the maintenance of such boys, as after one or two years' schooling might be found better calculated for handicrafts and labourers than for scholars. A certain number of the children of the colony might be admitted as scholars in order to their receiving a superior education. The parents of these children would of course defray their expenses, and the Society would only have to support such natives of Africa, either from the captured negro class, or children of chiefs as they might deem advisable. A considerable ])ro])ortion of the money now expended in the suj)port of the children might be apj)ropriated to the maintenance of teachers of the classics, Arabic and otlier languages. Such a ])lan, I conceive, would ecjually, if not in a higher degree, receive the support of the liberal friends of Africa. Tiie Society woid«l not be considered as de- ILLNESS OF MR. WENZEL. 2/ parting from its original views, but merely giving a greater extension to exertions in a cause which must command the feelings of men." In consequence of the concurrence of the committee, after mature dehberation in his excellency's plan, a selection took place of such boys as it appeared from their conduct and abilities, desirable to retain in the Institution. The others, to the number of 1 30 boys and 40 girls were dispersed among the dilferent villages of the colony, according to their own choice. Henceforth while their maintenance would be de- frayed by Government, their instruction would still devolve on the Society. We must here interrupt our relation of the improvement contemplated in the working of the mission, to allude to the fearful devastations which death was making in the ranks of its faithful conductors. It pleased the all-wise Ruler of the imiverse, that the periodical rains of the western coast of Africa should prove this year peculiarly unhealthy, and conse- quently more than ordinarily fatal to European constitutions. The illness of poor Wenzel, whose health had long been declining, was the first stroke .of the heavenly rod, and the harbinger of the disasters which were to follow. Wenzel had laboured in this vineyard since August, 1809, and almost constant suffering from ill health gave indication of an early ter- mination to his life and labours. On his removal from CanofFce he was appointed to take charge of Kissey Town, where he was assisted by David Brennant as school-master, who, however, was called away, after a few months' labour, in June, 1817, as has been stated in the preceding volume.* At Kissey, poor Wenzel found himself called upon for more exertion, owing to tlie number of people committed to his care, than in his weak condition he was able to encounter ; the charge of the bovs' school consecjuently devolved entirely on the usher, while the girls' school was ably conducted by Mrs. Wenzel. A short time jircvious to his illncs.s, Wenzel had sent his son by his first marriage, a very sickly youth, to England, for the restoration of his health, but he died on the passage home. The melancholy events to which we have referred arc so fully and [)iously recorded in a letter from Mr. Catcs to the Secre- taries of the Society, that we cannot do better than insert his communi- cation at length. " Freetown, August 10, 1818. " Rev. and rear Sirs. — Had I to send the painful information which these sheets will contain, to those who know not that all events are in tlie hands of the Lord, I should be at a loss how to commence, lest their hearts should sink beneath such doleful tidincs. But to those who know Ilim and have embraced the promises through Iliin, • I'agc 10ft. 28 CHUKCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. nothing can give just cause for despair. The Lord reigueth ! and though the dispensation of his providence may pass the utmost stretch of human penetration, yet the time is not far distant when all his re- deemed, disencumbered from their load of clay, shall see that though clouds and darkness have been round about Ilim, yet mercy and truth have ever been the habitation of His throne. Faith teaches us now to rejoice in the stedfast belief of this, of which faith I trust the Society at large, as well as the relatives of those dear friends whose departure I am going to record, will enjoy a large portion. "About the middle of July, Mr. Wenzel was suddenly taken very ill, and sent in the night for Mr. Garnon, who went immediately. In going he got wet, and more so in returning, which brought on a fever supposed to be of the inflammatory kind. Mr. Collier was at the same time in a very weak state from repeated attacks of fever, and both Mrs. Garnon and Mrs. Collier expected to be confined almost immedijitely. " In this situation Mr. Wilhelm and Mr. Johnson came to see them on Wednesday, 22nd of Julj', and returned the following day, giving a melancholy account of what they had seen, in consequence of which I came down. Mr. G. was then a little better, being free from a pain in the head, which till then he had felt very violently. Mr. Collier was still weak and subject to frecpient returns of fever; and Mrs. Collier was in a high fever. It being the wish of all parties that I should stay with them, I deferred going back to Leicester Mountain so long as I could be of use to the sufferers. Mr. Garnon's case was the most urgent ; I therefore constantly attended him the five following nights and days. " On Sunday the 26th, Mrs. Johnson came down to be with Mrs. Collier, whose extreme weakness made her recovery from her expected sufferings very doubtful. On Monday afternoon she was delivered of a still-born male child, and, on Tuesdfiy morning about two o'clock, while I was watching by the death-bed of another dear friend, I was called by Mr. Johnson to witness the death of Mrs. Collier, who was then breathing her last, and before I could reach the house was dead, almost without a struggle. I'oor Mr. Collier was lying in the next room, anxiously exj)ecting what might happen ; I did not tell him till the following morning, when he received the intelligence with resignation truly Christian. Tears would indeed steal from his eyes at this heart- rending separation, but he knew that his beloved wife was gone to a better world to enjoy His presence on whom her affections were su- premely fixed, ami this silenced every murmuring word. She was interred the same afternoon; the governor, the chief justice, and most of the I'iurf)peans following. Our dear friends from the various (owns came down for (lie same purjio.se, l)ut m\ self and one or two others were pre- DEATH OF MR. GAENOX. 29 Tented from paying their last tribute of respect by an increase of our trials. "About the middle of the day a great change took place for the worse in Mr. Gamon. ^Irs. Gamon who till then had been in daily attend- ance on him, being unable to bear the scene any longer, was obhged to force herself from whom him she was never more to behold in this world. Considering her situation, her exertions under her peciUiar circumstances had been tqtx great, but she was most graciously supported as long as the hope of seeing Mr. Gamon recover remained ; and now that that hope was cut ofiF, the Lord was pleased still further to show his love and power, by enabling her to give him up with composure beyond what it was possible to expect. Mr. Gamon was now in a kind of fit, perfectly insensible : I immediately sent to inform the medical gentlemen who attended him. They soon arrived, and used ever\' means for his reco- very, but without success. He continued in the same state till between three and four o'clock on the Wednesday morning, when his spirit left her house on earth without a sigh or groan. 3Ir. Johnson, Mr. During, and I were with him at the time. I had previously retired to rest, but seeing him about to depart, Mr. Johnson, according to my request, called me up a short time before he breathed his last. His earthly remains were interred in the evening, the governor and European inha- bitants following, and the children from Leicester Mountain, Regent's, and Gloucester Towns, and the colonial schools, preceding the corpse. " On the Tuesday evening after Mrs. Gamon had resigned her dearest earthly treasure to the Lord, she consented to leave the house, and accepted the invitation of a friend to pass the night at his house. On the Wednesday morning, as soon as the governor heard the melancholy news, he kindly sent a palanquin to take Mrs. Gamon to the govern- ment-house. There she remained during the day on which Mr. Gamon was buried. Finding her confinement drawing verj- near, she wished to return home, and early on Thursday morning was brought back, and soon after noon on the same day was safely delivered of a son. The death of Mrs. Colher and Mrs. Decker under similar circumstances, added to the shock wliich ^Irs. Gamon had so recentlv sustained, awakened api)rehcnsions for her safety ; yet the composure with which she met the death of her husband, and the humble confidence with which she looked forward to her own trial, served to keep our hopes alive, and it was with heartfelt gratitude that our praises this day ascended to Him who had realized these hopes. For several davs Mrs. Garnon and the child were as well as could be exi)ected ; but Mrs. Gamon has since been attacked with fever, which reduced her exceed- ingly, and once more called forth our serious appreliensions. Through Divine mercy she is now free from fever, though still cxtrcmclv weak. 30 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Mrs. Renner and Mrs. Johnson have been with her; Mrs. Renner contmually, and Mrs. Johnson generally, ever since her confinement. In mind Mrs. Garnon continues to be wonderfully supported, and I trust will now be gradually restored to health and strength, and that the dear little pledge which she has of past affection will be a means of diverting her from dwelling too much on her late loss. " The scenes of distress which the houses of Mr. Garnon and Mr. ColUer altemately presented afforded me little time to think about Mr. Wenzel ; but soon after our departed friends were buried I called to see him. He had previously been brought to Freetown, and was then very ill, not so much from any disease, as from a worn-out consti- tution. During the two following days he was repeatedly %-isited ; he continued getting worse, and was in dreadful pain, till Saturday morn- ing the 1st of August, when he expired about eight o'clock. In the evening we retraced our steps to the churchyard to commit his body to the earth, and thus concluded as eventful a week as perhaps the history of the African mission has on record. It may afford some consolation to know that those whose loss we lament, felt on their deathbeds the support of those principles which they professed during life. Though the severity of Mr. Garnon's fever rendered him delirious at a very early period, yet when he was collected he enjoyed peace with God, and ex- pressed the happiness which he derived from many of the promises of His word. He particularly and frequently dwelt with exultation on that declaration in Phil. iv. 19. " My God shall supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." One evening (I believe that which preceded his death) he requested me to pray with him, which I did. In the course of the night he repeated several con- solatory passages of scripture, concluding with the apostolic benedic- tion— " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with me ! " And, after a short pause, he added — " Yes, it is with me ! " These were the last words with reference to his state which our dear friend uttered, and I have no doubt but that he now enjoys, in all its fulness, the blessing which lie then desired. Mrs. Collier also appeared to possess great peace and serenity of mind, and almost the last time I saw her, expressed her confidence in the Saviour. After her delivery, she never spoke, but aji- peared calm and resigned. " Mrs. Garnon would be glad, that Mr. Pratt would make known the above account to her family, and say that she intends to return to England as soon as her health is sufficiently restored. Mr. Collier, thougli much better than he was, is still but poorly ; ague has suc- ceeded the fever, but I hope it will not last long. " And now, dear Sirs, be not discouraged ; let more lnl)ourers put jir.garnon's history. 31 their lives into their hands, and come to help those who are left. Ethiopia shall yet stretch out her hands unto God ! " I am, Rev. and dear Sirs, your obedient servant, " John B. Gates. "Since writing the above, it has pleased our God to remove Mrs. Gamon's infant to a better world, but as Mrs. Garnon will now be the bearer of this letter, I need add no more on this head." The Rev. William Garnon, thus early prostrated on the field of Christian conflict, had spent several of his early years in the army ; having been bom in the year 1791, and introduced to a mihtary life so early as January, 1805. He was connected with the disastrous expedi- tion to Spain, under Sir John Moore, in 1808, and the more disas- trous Walcheren expedition under the Earl of Chatham in 1809. Severe illness led to his retirement on leave of absence to Brighton, in the year 1810, where, under the roof of a pious aunt, he was in- troduced to a circle of godly acquaintances, and for the first time, brought into contact with vital religion. The doctrine of Christ cruci- £ed, heard for the first time from the pulpit, arrested his attention : he at first opposed it, but soon surrendered himself soul and body to its resistless influence. His conversion led to the resignation of his earthly commission, and subsequent enlistment as a soldier of Jesus Christ. In September, 1814, he entered into holy orders ; and having officiated for some months in a country curacy in Lancashire, he accepted the office of Chaplain of Sierra Leone, at the close of the year 1815. In July of the following year, he married Miss M. D. Rock, of Birmingham, and on the 29th of September, embarked with Mrs. Garnon for iiis post in Western Africa, where they arrived on the 21st of November following. His faithfulness and zeal in the discharge of the varied duties that devolved upon him during the twenty months which he was permitted to labour for the extension of the Redeemer's kingdom in Africa, will live in the records of eternity. He seems to have had but one object, to be always at his post as a servant of Christ, and it was there that the summons of his master fo\nid him : who can tell the amoimt of i)eace and confidence with which tiiis one reflection crowned his dying pillow ! When Mrs. Gar- non tenderly remonstrated against the exposure of himself to the damp night air, which a visit to Wenzel, at the hour when he was summoned would involve, he replied, " My dear, do not I)e anxious about me. I believe it is my duty to go ; therefore I am not at all afraid." In the dread hour of God's judgment that is coming, we may safely say, so confiding a follower of Jesus will have no occasion to be at all afraid. In a letter from Governor MaeCarthv to government, the following passage occurs. " I feel it a melancholy satis^faction to 32 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. state, that the deceased and his relict, were patterns of piety, Christian virtue, and conjugal felicity." And Mr. Renner spoke the sentiments of his hrethren, when he exclaimed : " Garnon, beloved and respected, is no more. Sierra Leone has lost a preacher of righteousness ; one who preached Christ Jesus faithfully, revealing the whole counsel of God respecting man's salvation. Oh ! Freetown, thou hast lost a great treasure in the man who spent every day in thee, in much labour and activity ! " In Mr. Cates's letter to the secretaries, the death of Mrs. Decker is al- luded to. We have mentioned that her husband had been appointed to Wilberforce ; on their way thither, she was taken in labor at Regent's Town, and after a brief struggle, was summoned from time to eternity on the 22nd of June. In consequence of the lamented death of Mr. Garnon, Mr. Collier was appointed first chaplain of the colony ; and the Rev. Thomas Rock Garnsey, who had been accepted as a Missionary by the Society, and intended for India, was nominated to succeed Mr. Collier in the vacant office of second chaplain. We have mentioned the formation of a Church Missionary Auxiliary Society at Regent's Town ; at a meeting of all the Missionaries, held in October of this year ; it was resolved to form a Sierra Leone Mission- ary Society, and that each Missionary should endeavour so far as he might consider it judicious to collect contributions at his station. In the nineteenth report of the Society's proceedings, the committee were able to announce the receipt of £68. 4s. lid. the freewill offerings of Christian Negroes, to the funds of the Church Missionary Society. As there cannot possibly be a more satisfactory test of our own ac- ceptance of the rich offers of mercy in Christ Jesus, than a desire that they should be presented to others still lying under the curse of a broken law ; the reality and extent of the blessed work at Regent's Town, cannot be better exemplified than by an account of the first ainii- versary of the jMissionary association of that village ; held on the seventh of December, in which several of the Natives as well as the Missionaries took part. Mr. Macatday Wilson, treasurer of the asso- ciation, and acting in a medical capacity in the colony, was son of the king of Bulloni. He told the meeting that at the early age of six years he was brought from the Ihdlom shore, by Mr. Macaulay, the governor of Sierra Leone, who took him into his house, where he was accustomed to daily prayer, but seemed not then, nor during a subsequent visit to England, impressed with the nature and use of this holy exercise. On his return from Engbuid, however, he refused to accept a situation in the slave-trade, owing to the principles which he had indiibed from the friend who had taken him to that land of love and spiritual freedom. He then joined the Wesleyan Methodists, from whom he received nmcli NEGRO ADDRESS. 33 benefit, but afterwards became a backslider and lived in the practice of sin, until a sermou by Mr. Johnson was made the instrument of prick- ing him to the heart, and drawing him to the Redeemer of sinners, He then drew a contrast between the blessings of liberty and education enjoyed at Regent's Town, with the slavery, ignorance and abounding wickedness of his native shore ; and expressed confidence in the success of the meeting from the fact of open hearts invariably leading to open purses. After Mr. Wilson, others of the liberated negroes stood up and spoke. We can make room for only one of the admirable addi-esses deUvered by those simple christians. It is a fair sample of what we are obliged to omit. " I thank God for what he has done for me ! When I was sold, at first I thought they would eat me ; but I knew not that Jesus Christ had put me in the good way ; as he says, " I will lead the blind by a way that they know not, and by paths w hich they have not known." We ought all to consider how few live here now, that came in the same ship with us — hardly half They are dead ; and what place are they gone to ? When I first came, I knew nothing, and laughed at prayer ; and should have been in hell, if God had not spared me, and opened my eyes. " Some people say, ' How do you know that any body goes to hell ? Did ever any one die and come back ? ' We must not trust to that. We do not see every thing. We do not see God ; but we see the sua and moon, the trees, and all the other things. Did ever any person see a mountain or a stone make these things ? — Then we know that God made them. " Some say, ' Suppose me go to hell, me soon die there — big fire soon kill me ; then me no feel.' But God says, you no die in hell. Suppose you put stone in the fire, he can't be burnt! No — fire can't burn him — he always Uve there! God says the wicked have hearts of stone, and fire wdl no melt them. " We must believe that Jesus shed his blood for sinners, and pray for our country-people. If we cannot speak English, we must pray in our country-tongue. Jesus can hear, for he knows our thoughts. Suppose we work not for the King, and have l)ut little money, we must give little. When we go to Freetown, sujjpose we have a few coppers, we want not more — we no want house and plenty things there, because we no live there : so we are strangers in the world, and should tr\ist in the Lord, and l)e easy with little, that we may spare some for send missionary to our country people. Suppose we don't behove, wc nnist give an account of every word we hear, and then we shall have nothing to say ; but if we l)elong to Jesus, He waits to take us t«> 34 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. heaven, where there is no sickness, nor sorrow, but we shall sing the song of Moses and the Lamb." " A collection was made, which amoimted to £5. lOs. Sd." Missionary success at Gloucester, led to the same results as at Regent's town, — a practical interest in the great object contemplated by Missions. " The sincerity of the people at large," writes Diiring, "and their sense of the good which they deriAC through the Society and the British government, having been by their means enlightened and blessed through the gospel of Christ, are particularly seen in the zeal which they maiaifest for their benighted countr\Tnen. Last year this zeal began to shew itself in the baptized only, but this year it entirely surpassed my expectations ; in order to satisfy them, I hare formed a Missionary Association among them. At the meeting it was agreed that every one who contributes a penny a month, shall be a member. The number of the subscribers was at first only sixty, but since the month of January, when the Association was formed, the number has increased to 109. " The truth of what I have said, will appear from the conduct of a man who came forward to subscribe three-pence per month. Know- ing that this man had no money allowed him from government, I asked him if he perfectly understood that it was to be month after month ; he said, ' Yes.' I then asked him where he thought to get the money. ' Oh ! ' said he, ' when I go to Freetown, I carry wood every time, for which I get six-pence, and when the month is up, I take half of what I get for one load, and give it to the Society.' Asking him again if he thought to get anything by it in this world, ' No,' said he, ' I only pray and wish that my country, and other countries, may know better things, and that bye and bye they do the same things what we do here.' Such are the spirit and feelings of many among them. " And a blessing has evidently rested on this work. We have re- ceived an abundant reward in seeing that three of the peo{)le have had the eyes of their understanding opened : while aiming at the welfare of their country-people, they were brought to think of their own I " At the meeting of the Missionaries in November, Johnson stated, that his communicants and candidates had increased to 111, and many more were anxious to join them. On Christmns-day he baptized forty-six adults, and on a subsequent administration of the Lord's Sup|ier, 120 of his black brethren and sisters were admitted to that holy ordinance. Gloucester aft'orded other satisfactory indications that the work of the Lord was prosj)ering in the hands of his servants. CHRISTIAN CHARACTERS. 35 On the 27th of October, this year, tlie Rev. Henry Diiring, who had been admitted to ordination in the Lutheran Church, was able to write — " The day is dawning, and Satan sees his empire receiving one blow after another. My people begin to feel themselves men. The eager desire for instruction increases every day, as they begin to see its benefits. The place where I have divine worship is far too small, though it holds more than 200 persons ; this inconvenience will, how- ever, soon be remedied, as I have begun the building of a handsome stone Church, seventy-six feet by forty-two, which when finished will hold above 800." In some cases the power of Divine Grace was very perceptible. Of one member of his flock, Diiruig wrote : — " He was before of a stubborn and stiff-necked disposition, which ran through all his actions ; and was moreover very deceitful and indolent, yet it may be justly said of him, that the lion has been turned into a lamb, and his idleness into pious industry." Another case was more remarkable still — " Vain, foolish and proud in the highest degree, he commonly went by the name of Wild Tom, but since his principles are changed, he is noticed by every individual of the place, as an example of love and seriousness : for seriousness indeed of demeanour he deserves to be styled a shining light." Of a married couple, Diiring testified — " From their long residence in the Colony they had learned to imitate many moral actions ; on account of which they were both re- markably sclf-suflicicnt ; but are now happily stripped of that unbe- coming garb, and adorn the gospel of Jesus Christ as man and wife, particularly by their retired manner of living." The evidence given by a schoolmaster of the Society lately arrived, who had an oj)portunity of attending a Saturday-evening meeting at this station, is ver\' conclusive. — "Could our subscribers," he wrote, "have been present, they would have rejoiced that they were subscribers to so glorious a work. What simplicity of faith did I witness ? What humility of soul ? What tenderness of conscience ? I will mention an instance or two. The negroes arc accustomed to tell their minister all they feel. The first that rose said to Mr. Diiring, " Sir, this week my heart be sorry too much, I think every day that the dirt be better than me." Yet tins is a most oxcinpiary man. Another said, " Every day iny heart D 2 36 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. tell me I be bad man, pass every body." And a boy, who has been made a good boy by God's grace, came forward to say that he was troubled very much, because when he was at work, he revenged himself on one of the masons who had thrown his tool away, by doing the same for him. This, he said, his heart told him was not good, and he feared God would be angry with him. Some said that it had been Sunday all the week with them, and God had made their hearts glad. There were present between forty and fifty of various degrees of Christian knowledge and experience. You have not been deceived about Africa. The Lord is making known his name. Ethio- pia does now stretch out her hand unto God." During succeeded in forming a Church Missionary Association among his negroes ; seven of whom, who were communicants, contributed the sumof 9s. 5\d. to the Society. Upon the death of Wenzel, who had charge of Kissey, the governor invited the Rev. G. R. Nyliinder, on his removal from the Bullom shore to succeed him. Nylander, although suffering from infirm health, and knowing that there was much secular business connected with the office assigned him, con- sidered this too much a call of duty to decline it. Twenty out of twenty-five of his Bullom pupils, accompanied him to his new charge ; and Stephen Caulker, his usher at Yongroo Pomoh, transferred his ser- nces in the same capacity to Kissey. At the end of September there were 400 children and adults under christian instruction. Mr. and Mrs. Renner's removal from Canoffee, on the abandonment of that settlement, to the coloiiy, with sixty children, has been noticed in the preceding volume.* On the 12th of June, they were removed by the governor, to the newly-formed town of Leopold, in the parish of St. Peter, containing about 300 negroes, besides the children who ac- companied them from Canoffee. The superintendance of the secular concerns of the negroes, was found by Renner, as it was by the other missionaries, unfavorable to the missionary work. He found the peo- ple, however, over whom he was appointed, peculiarly quiet and peaceable. Most of them were heathens, and of the scholars about fifty were mechanics. The missionary staff" at Sierra Leone, was augmented at the close of this year, by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, Mr. and INIrs. Taylor, and Mr. George S. Bull, schoolmasters and schoolmistresses, on the 29th of December. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan were appointed to the schools at Regent's Town, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor to the newly- formed village of Charlotte, in the parish of St. John, and Mr. Bull to the Christian Institution on Leicester Mountain. The cnre and charge of the schools at Freetown, had devolved on the Society since the beginning of the present year. Until the arrival * Page 515, FREETOWN SCHOOLS. 37 of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, they had been depending on the care of Mr. and Mrs. Garnon, and Mr. and Mrs. Collier. On the 14th of De- cember, a public examination of the school took place at the Court House, before the governor and principal persons in the Colony ; there were present 301 boys, and 133 girls; the absentees, from sickness and other causes, were 80 boys, and 60 girls, making a total of 574. Both boys and girls were found to have made great progress under the Na- tional system. After the examination, the governor affectionately addressed the children, and expressed his satisfaction at the state of the schools. CHAPTER 11. REGENT'S TOWN ; AND GLOUCESTER. The third annual meeting of the Sierra Leone Auxihary Bible Society, was held at Freetown on the 6th of January 1819, his Excellency the Governor in the chair. It appeared from the report, that the com- mittee had visited, accorchng to the suggestion of the late lamented secretary, the Rev. William Garnou, from house to house in Free- town, to ascertain the want of the scriptures, and the ability to read them ; of 240 christian families, which had been visited, scarcely one was found without at least one member who could read, and above 400 Bibles and Testaments were found to be in use among them. One good effect of this visitation was, that the number of subscribers was nearly doubled, while everywhere the objects of the society seemed to be justly appreciated. The committee, to use their own words, " in witnessing the domestic comforts and good habits of the people, rejoiced to behold the beneficial influence of the Divine book, aflFording the strongest inducements to all classes, to aid its more ample diffusion." The Chief Justice of the colony, addressed the meeting in a speech much calculated to enhance the estimation in which the sacred volume was held, and to promote the objects of the Aux- iliary. As a proof, that African christians were not mimindful of their obligations to their fellow-men, in little more than two years above ^300 had been contributed to the funds of the society. We have recorded in the preceding volume the fact, that the mis- sionaries had turned their attention to the claims of the perishing heathen beyond the colony, and that the experiment of preaching ex- cursions in the neighbourhood, had been made ; some of the par- ticulars of which, have also appeared.* So satisfied were Messrs Johnson and Cates of the advantages likely to result from the natives being addressed by their countrymen in the manner in which William * Set- pp. .iiil' &c., i)l7 NATIVE TEACHERS. 39 Tamba had addressed them, that both he and WilUam Davis were taken by the missionaries into the service of the Society, with the object of their being employed in bearing the message of salvation into native districts. At a meeting of the missionaries, held in Freetown, on the 25th of January 1819, Johnson stated that those young men had given most satisfactory proofs of their conversion to Christianity, and that they had long cherished a desire to visit their respective countries in order to communicate to their friends, what great things the Lord had done for them, and to make known to them the glad tidings by which their own hearts had been won. Both of them, Johnson said, pos- sessed abilities for the work, as he had proved, at least, in the case of William Tamba, during the excursion which had been taken round the colony.* William Tamba and William Davis were then called in and ex- amined. The examination of the former proceeded as follows : "Do you wish to go among your country people?" "Yes." — "What for?" " To talk about God palaver." — " Are you able to do that ? " " Not by myself, but if God help me, I can." " Do you think be will help you ? " " If I pray to Him He will." — " Do you think your present situation is better for you ? Many good men have been ill-treated by an evil world. Perhajjs you may be caught and sold for a slave, or you may be killed." " I know not what may come to pass, if they kill me, they kill me, I know what I go for." — "Do you think it is God's will that you should go ? " "I cannot prove that, I am full of fear." — "What do you fear?" "I have a great desire to go and tell them what God has done for me, but I sometimes fear that it may arise from my own deceitful heart, and that I should do no good." Of William Davis, an examination equally satisfactory ensued : " Do you wish to go to your country people ? " " Yes, I wish to talk to tliem about Jesus Christ. When 1 remember the state in which they are, and in which I was, I feel sorry, and wish to go and talk to them, but am full of doubt." " When did you feel that desire first ? " " Wlien Jesus first began to work uj)()n my heart, two Christ- mas' past." " Dare you go to your country-people alone ? " " No, I cannot go in my own strength." " Do you not think they would catch you, and make you a slave ? " " Perhaps they would, but if God be with me, I don't care." "Should you get trouble, or contempt and ridicule, would you bear it for Christ's sake?" "Yes, I don't mind that ; my countrymen here have laughed at me ; if God be with me, 1 can bear it." " Many young men from Africa linve been to Kng- * I'rcccdinK V'ol. p. .53.0. 40 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. land and were educated there ; but when they went back to their owii countries, they soon turned heathens again. Do you think you could resist this?" " If God be with me I can, but by myself, I can do nothing." On the subject of sending native teachers among their countrymen, the committee, to whom the accession of Tamba and Davis to the ranks of the Society was submitted for their approval, expressed themselves to their missionaries with becoming caution, while confirm- ing their appointment. They desired that the natives received into the Society's sei-vice, should be habituated, on a well-digested plan, to visit their country-people either in or out of the colony. They felt, they said, "that it would not be advisable to send native Christians alone to reside in their respective countries, until they should have gained some general knowledge of men and things, and be tolerably well grounded in enlarged views of Christianity, and have given decisive evidence of its enlightening and steady influence on their own minds. A competent acquaintance," they continued, " with the system of mutual instruction, is of prime necessity to such men : if not pre- viously grounded therein, the committee wish them to attend some of the schools until they become familiar with its details ; after taking charge of a school themselves, for a sufficient time, under the eye of the Society's friends in the colony ; if they acquit themselves well in that service, they may be sent forth with good hope of success, by the blessing of God among their countrymen. European Ministers being still required for the Colony, three addi- tional labourers embarked at Gravesend for Sierra Leone, on the 18th of January, but having been detained there by contrary winds until the 29th, they did not reach their destination until the 26th of March. The new arrivals consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jesty, and Mr. Henry Barrett, schoolmasters and schoolmistress. On the 22nd of April, Regent's Town was temporarily deprived of the services of its highly-esteemed pastor, the Rev. W. Johnson, who felt himself called upon to accompany his faithful partner to England, for the restoration of her health, which was greatly impaired ; her del)ility being so great that she needed the care and attention of her husband on the voyage home. The good man's conflicting emotions on this trying occasion, are well depicted in his journal of this period. " To leave my peojile," he said, " seemed insupportable, and to leave my afflicted wife seemed equally so. Tears and restless nights were my portion. I saw my duty as a husband on the one hand, to accompany my dear wife in her affliction ; and on the other I feared to become a careless shepherd ; and as trials of this kind seldom come Johnson's departure. 41 by themselves, doubts and fears of my own state began to prevail, aud I scarcely knew whether I was a Christian. " Heavy, however, as my trials have been, they have been blessed abundantly. The discourses which I addressed to my people, while under these conflicts of mind, have been made the means of great good. No less than fifty-two negroes have been added the last month to the Church of Christ, and many more are candidates for baptism. " O my God, it has been good for me that I have been afflicted ! " The arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Jesty and Mr. Barrett, seemed to him to open a way for his return to England, especially as it appeared to him, he might, besides accomphshing his own personal object, thereby benefit the cause by conferring with the committee on the state and prospect of the Mission. Mr. Bull ha\-ing taken charge of the Seminary on Leicester Mountain, Mr. Gates had removed to Regent's Town to assist Mr. Johnson, and Mr. and Mrs. Jesty having been placed over the schools at Freetown, Mr, and Mrs. Morgan were at liberty to take charge of Regent's Town, during Mr. and Mrs. Johnson's absence ; the Rev. J. G. Wilhehn undertaking to render the necessary -ministerial services from Leicester Moimtain. Mr. Johnson now prepared for his departure, about which, as might be expected, the greatest excitement prevailed among his faithful negroes. Easter Sunday occurred about three days before he sailed. On that solemn festival he wTote : — " The Church was full at nine o'clock, I married two couples, bap- tized 110 adults and six infants, and administered the Lord's Supper to 253 black brethren and sisters, and four white ; myself making 258. " This was indeed a day of Pentecost in Africa ! " The separation from his negroes was very painful on both sides ; hundreds of both sexes, and of various ages, accompanied him to Freetown, a distance of five miles of difficult road, and took leave of him on tlie shore with many tears ; regretting — in their ardent afl'cction for their faithful shepherd, who had been the honoured instrument of gathering them out of a howling wilderness of sin and misery into the fold of Jesus — that they could not be the companions of his voyage. " Mnssa," they exclaimed, as loud and fervent blessings reached him from all sides, " supjiosc no water live here," pointing to the sea, " me go with you all the way, till no feet more." * Shortly after Mr. and Mrs. Jesty arrived in the Colony, they paid a visit to Regent's Town, anxious no doul)t to witness with their own eyes the wonders of Divine love, which were being exhibited in that • The rcodvr will remember ihc affecting paraUul instances, AqU xx, atj~3(l. xxi. j. 42 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEQNE. favored spot. In a few days Mrs. Jesty wrote to her sister in Eng- land an account of what she saw and heard, and of lier own feehngs under the extraordinary circumstances in which she found herself placed. We shall freely quote from her and her husband's communi- cations on this occasion. In the letter to which we have alluded, dated April 5, 1819, she wrote : — " The power of the gospel and the efficacy of the love of Christ, have excited such joy within me, that I cannot resist giving you some information respecting it. As it is not determined where my husband and myself shall be stationed, we accepted the invitation to visit some of our friends before we enter on our important work. This is our first visit to Mr. Johnson's. I wish that I could find language suffici- ently descriptive of the interesting scenes which we have witnessed here ; indeed they must be seen before these facts will be credited. Had I heard the circumstances from the best authority, I could not have considered it possible that so glorious a progress could have been made in the work of our God, as we have beheld since we have been staying at Regent's Town. On Thursday the first of April, Mr. Johnson sent five of his people to Freetown to take me to his house in a palankeen. While they waited, we heard singing, and on going to the door found that these five men had seated themselves under the piazza, and with united voices were singing a hymn to the praise and glory of the Redeemer. We did not disturb them, but returned to our room, and as you may imagine with feelings of peculiar pleasure, that the songs of Sion should be sung by the inhabitants of a heathen land. In the course of an hour I set off in the palankeen, borne by those hberated negroes ; when we got to the top of Leicester Moun- tain, over which we had to pass in our way to Regent's Town, I requested my bearers to stop and rest themselves, and then took an opportunity of introducing a religious conversation. I think I may say that the few minutes during which we rested on the Mountain, were the h.appiest that I had then ever experiened, because I had never before had an opportunity of seeing the glorious effects wrought by the gospel of Jesus, on the hearts of our dear black brethren. I was much astonished to hear one of the men, (called the headman,) address the other four in language truly Scrij)tural, aud of godly sim])licity ; using the words of exhortation, and strongly urging the necessity of the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse them from their sins ; he spoke much of their depravity by nature, and of their weakness and in- sufficiency without Christ. While his little aiulience listened witii an attentive anxiety to hear the truths of the gospel from one of their countrymen ; I was much affected at what lie said, and was n'ady to exclaim, " Oh how powerful is the word of Cod ! " " The love which tliese people ni.uufest among themselves, niid toward regent's town. 43 their minister, and all faithful missionaries, — their anxiety, and the fer- vency of their prayers, that the gospel may be made known through all nations — these things are worthy the admiration of all Christians. It may almost be said of the inhabitants of Regent's Town, that they dwell in love ; and that they live a life of prayer and praise, to Him who loved them and gave Himself for them ; for besides their meeting for prayer every morning and evening, the hearts of many of them seem to be fiill of the love of Christ the whole day ; and when they are merry they sing psalms, such vocal music resounds from all parts of the town. A dispute is seldom known amongst them, they have every one of them cast off his gregree, and nearly all of them are be- come worshippers of the blessed Jesus. A few years since, all the in- habitants of this place had never heard the name of Jesus, they went about naked, and were in every respect like the savage tribes — but now, Oh what a happy change ! they are all decently dressed, and it is the most heart-cheering sight to see them flock together in crowds to the house of prayer. " Mr. Johnson has been made an instrument of incalculable good to this people. Under his ministry 116 persons have become commu- nicants, and 110 are candidates for baptism and the Lord's supper : these vn\l be received as members of the Church of Christ on Easter Sunday. He is very particular in his examination of the people before they are admitted to the Lord's table. " It may indeed be said that numbers are added to the Church daily, for Mr. Johnson has frequently five or si\ a day coming to his house to talk of the state of their souls, who appear to be very sincere. During the few days that we have been here, upwards of fifty persons have l)een to tell Mr. Johnson of their troubles, which they confess in affect- ing terms. — ' My bad heart trouble me — me no sleep all night — me no {)eace — me know me very wicked, but God good too much — me tank (iod for wliat He has done for my soul — me want love Jesus more — me want to go to Jesus — me know nothing else but the blood of Jesus can wash away niy sins.' Such complaints as these from these lost sheep of Israel are incessantly brought before their worthy pastor, who, with affection diricts them to the great (Comforter, and advises them to embrace that gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. " My dear sister, is not this encouraging to all Christian friends in England, to be doubly zealous and active in their missionary exertions ? Let me entreat you all to be unwearied in your efforts and prayers, that all Africa may become as Regent's To wn. This is the |)art of the gospel. O send forth the gospel and more faithful labourers into tlie vineyard of the Lord ! Let me again beg of you, my dear sister, to pray and not to faint. Let tlie interest of (^hrist's kingdom lie ever uppermost in your heart. Here is yet a wide field for labour. May 44 CHURCH MIS6I0N IN SIERRA LEONE. the happy effect of the gospel be felt by all benighted Africa, and to God shall the glory be given for ever." Of a Sunday spent in Regent's Town, Mr. Jesty, after speaking of an early meeting in the Church, at six o'clock in the morning, — thus writes : — " At ten o'clock I saw a sight, which at once astonished and delighted me. The bell at the Church rang for Divine service, on which Mr. Johnson's well-regulated schools of boys and girls, walked two and two to the Church. The girls, extremely clean and dressed entirely in white, in striking contrast with which were their black arms and faces. The boys equally clean, were dressed in white trowsers, and scarlet jackets. The clotliing of both boys and girls is supplied by government. The eagerness of the inhabitants to hear the word, will appear from their early attendance on the means of grace. It is true there is a bell in the steeple of the Church, but it is of little use in Regent's Town, for the Church is generally filled half an hour before the bell tolls. The greatest attention is paid during the service, indeed I witnessed a Christian congregation in a heathen land ; — a people " fearing God, and working righteousness." The tear of godly sorrow rolled down many a coloured cheek, and shewed the contrition of a heart that felt its own vileness. " At three o'clock in the afternoon, there was again a very full at- tendance, so that scarce an individual was to be seen throughout the town ; so eager are they to hear the word, and to feed on that living bread that came down from heaven. The service was over about half past four o'clock. " At six we went again, and although many had to come from a con- siderable distance, and up a tremendous hill, I did not perceive any decrease of number, or any weariness in their frequent attendance on the means of grace. " We left the Church about eight o'clock and returned to Mr. John- son's. While at supper, I heard singing, and on walking into the piazza, found that about twenty of the school-girls were assembled under it. One of the elder girls gave out the hymn in an impressive manner, while a younger girl held a lamp. After we had supped, the girls, in a very respectfid and humble way, sent up to Mr. Johnson to know if he would allow them to come up stairs into his sitting-room to sing a parting hj'mn. On their entering the room, Mr. Johnson gave out a hymn, and in a few minutes, I think we had at least, 120 boys and girls in the room and piazza. They sung three hymns, and after a few suitable words from Mr. Johnson they departed, pleased with the favour granted them. " Thus was our last Sabbath spent at Regent's Town, Never did I REGENT S TOWN. 45 pass sucli a day in my dear native country. Never did I witness such a congregation in a professing Christian laud, nor ever beheld such apparent sincerity and brotherly love." Of the monthly meeting held on the following evening, Mr. Jesty thus writes : " Mr. Johnson and myself entered the names of subscribers and re- ceived their mites ; and I cannot but notice that, in one minute after Mr. Johnson and myself were ready to receive the money and names, we were surrounded by several hundred of humble friends to missionary exertions, urging as with one voice, ' Massa, take my money. Massa, Massa, take mine ! Eight coppers, one moon.' It was indeed a ] )leasing sight to behold a people, once led captive at the will of Satan, tlevoted to gross superstition and folly, embracing their gregrees, and trusting in them for defence ; and expending all the money that they could spare in the purchase of these false gods — now conquered by the love and power of Him that takcth away the sin of the world : and with clieerful and renewed hearts, gi^■ing of their little sub- stance to aid those means which, by the blessing of God, will commu- nicate the privileges of the gospel to their countrymen also. From these few poor and once injured and despised Africans, we collected that evening about £'2. 7s. Oh, my countrymen, fellow Christians in highly-favoured England ; you who have multipUed and daily renewed comforts and blessings, go and do likewise ! ' " Of the manner of closing this day, Mr. Jesty said : " After we left the Church, the children of the two schools retired to their school-houses, and the rest of the congregation to their respec- tive homes. " But that faith which cometh from above and worketh by love, has taken such possession of the hearts of this people, that they delight to be continually speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, and to sing with grace in their hearts to tlie Lord. " The school-houses are situated behind Mr. Johnson's, on a higher part of the hill. The school-girls assembled in a row before their school-house, with three or four lamps dispersed through their line. The eldest teacher gave out the hymn, and thev were singing delight- fully. " How beauteous are their feet, AV'lio stand on Zion's hill." " While the girls were singing this hymn, the boys had climbed a little higher up the hill, wlien one of their teachers gave out the hymn, " Con\o, ye siiincTH, poor and wrctcliod ;— " " It was a beautiful moonlight night, so that the children could be 46 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. seen from all parts of the town, while the lofty mountains resounded with the echo of their voices. I was walking up and down in the piazza, listening to them and anticipating that time, when all kings shall fall down hefore the Kedeemer, and all nations shall serve Him, when I saw at the foot of the hill, some men and women coming to- wards the children. The men joined the boys, and the women joined the girls. " The boys and girls had now sung several hymns, and after a few minutes cessation began again. I was thinking of our Christian friends in England, and said to Mr. Johnson, Could all the friends of mis- sionary exertions but witness this scene, they would be more and more zealous for the universal diffusion of the gospel of a crucified Saviour ; — when I looked round me, and saw numbers of the inhabitants, men and women coming in every chrection. They joined respectively the boys and girls, and sung for some time ; when the boys and girls re- turned to their school-houses, and the men and women retired to their houses in peace. This is a great work : and it is mar- vellous in our eyes. But it is the Lord, and to him be all the glory ! " Mr. Jesty added : " We rose next morning between five and six o'clock, and attended morning prayer at the Church. After the service was over, a few more came forward and begged us to take their coppers to aid the cause of missions. We collected on this occasion, upwards of fifteen shillings, which, with the collection made the evening before, amounted to more than three pounds. Mr. Johnson has a missionary meeting and sermon once a month, on which occasions he generally collects three pounds. Do not these poor people hold forth a bright example to all Christians." The impression produced on a stranger by a first visit to Regent's Town, especially should it take place at night, is finely described by this worthy schoolmaster. " Just as we had reached the summit of the last mountain, between Freetown and Regent's Town, the latter place presented itself to our view. As I walked down the mountain, pleased with the enchanting scene, I was in an instant lost, in ' wonder, love, and praise.' Music of the sweetest kind, and possessing charms which I had never before experienced, burst upon my ear. It was moonlight, and all the houses being lighted up, I inquired of Brother Johnson, from whence this sound proceeded : he pointed to the church, which is situated at the side of a mountain, then opposite to us on the other side of a brook, that runs from the mountains between the Church and the principal part of the town, over which Brother Johnson has caused his j)e()ple to erect a strong handsome stone bridge. The Church is a fine stone buihUng, it was now lighted up, and the people were assembled for evening prayer. GLOUCESTER TOWN. 47 " The chain of mountains that surrounds the town, resounded with the echo of the praises of the Saviour. " I hastened with all possible speed down the moiontain, and up the other, to enter the church, where I found upwards of five hundred black faces, prostrate at the throne of grace. I entered with Brother Johnson, and soon after Mrs. Jesty arrived ; after the service was over, above 200 of the congregation surrounded us. They came in such crowds to shake hands with us, that we were obliged to give both hands at once. So rejoiced were they to see more labourers from ' white man's country,' that after we left the Church and had entered Brother Johnson's house, many who from the pressure in the Church, were not able to speak and shake hands with us, entered the parlour, and would not leave until they had manifested their love to us by their afiectionate looks and humble salutations. The village of Gloucester was now making rapid strides after Re- gent's Town, in all the evidences of spiritual regeneration. Its faith- ful pastor Mr. During, could speak with much gratitude and joy of the effects whicli his miuistiy continued to produce. A few extracts from his journals will bring him and his work once more before us. '• Our Saturday-evening meetings are very interesting, and are of great utility. In this meeting the exercises are various. By this means I always know the state of mind in the communicants : Church disci- pline is exercised and candidates are admitted. To my encouragement and great joy, I often behold the primitive simplicity in the communi- cants, in their attachment to each other, and in fulfiUing the scripture by bearing one another's burden. " The plan of instructing both adults and children, by way of cate- chizing tliem in a simple and famihar manner, is encouraging both to me and them : to rac because I see the effect ; and to them because they enjoy the benefit of it, which enables me to persevere in tliis im- portant branch of religious instruction." Under date of April 6, 1819, he thus writes : — " Since November last, the work of the Holy Spirit, whose office it is to lead sinners to the fountain opened for sin and unclcanness, has greatly increased, in bringing souls to himself by the simple preaching of' Jesus Christ and him crucified.' The means of grace have been greatly blessed ; especially to those who have been now for two years imder my care, many of whom shew their faith in Cln-ist by fulfilling his comniandnunts. There are at present, thirteen connniniicants ; and fifteen candidates for baptismal Easter; fourteen of whom give the most striking evidence of their conversion, by their lives as well as by their profession. One of them, a girl from the school, is wavering 48 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. at times ; for which reason I cannot conscientiously baptize her on Easter Day. " The work of the Holy Spirit is great, at this time ; especially among the rising generation : — scarcely a day goes over my head, that I have not to point some trembling sinner to Jesus, the all-sufficient Saviour." The following was written on the 6th of July : — " The admission of the fifteen candidates on Easter-Day, to both sacraments, was truly solemn ; and a season of refreshing : many of the candidates, and of the congregation, were much affected." Diiring found that he had a number of professed Mahommedans at Gloucester: " They are not," he wrote, " ' book men,' but they are re- markably obstinate and avowed enemies of Christianity." "One of my people," he adds, "being their countryman, and brought up in the same way, was one evening attacked by them and grossly ridiculed ; but being able to read both English and a little Arabic, he silenced them entirely, by simply comparing the Bible and their Koran, and the different effects these two books have on the minds of men. Many of them have since attended public worship, and also evening school with great earnestness." After mentioning some other encouraging circumstances in his minis- try, he felt constrained to allude to a few of his own domestic trials and their effect upon his mind. " These pleasing circumstances seemed designed to prepare me for a cross which I had very shortly to bear. My child fell ill, so that I saw nothing left for me but to part with her in tliis life. My wife being deprived of several nights' rest, was reduced to a similar condi- tion : which dejected me and brought my spirits very low. The pres- sure of duty and the anxiety of mind, natural!}' occasioned under such circumstances ; threw me also into the fever, from which I suffered more than from any attack that I had during the rains. "However, these my family afflictions, I have good reason to believe, have been sanctified, both to me and my flock. The first time that I preached to them after my recovery was from John xx. 19. "Peace be unto you." I was very weak ; l)ut every word that I uttered, seemed to be as refreshing drops on a thirsty land ; and to the great mortifica- tion of my unbelief, I saw even many more than ever shedding tears. " I desire to raise an Ebenezer in grateful acknowledgment to the Lord who has helped me hitlicrto, and who has delivered me from my troubles. I see myself and my dear w 'lto and child restored — the little flock growing in number ; and, I hope, also in grace, and in the know- ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and among the whole of the iidiubi- NATIVE SCHOOLMASTERS. 49 tants, the effects of God's word in the improvement of social and mo- I ral habits among them," I Mr. Nylander proceeded with steady industrj', and not without encouragement, at his new station at Kissey. His family prayer, morning and evening, was attended by about 200 adults and children, and his congregation on the Lord's day, amounted to upwards of 300. No decided fruits of his labours had as yet appeared among his people ; but he felt himself often refreshed in speaking to them, hopeful of the never'faihng power of the Word. His school was carried on by Ste- phen Caulker and another lad from the Rio Pongas. He had also an evening and a Sunday school. "Here," said he in his journal, " arc about 500 people, young and old, on rations from government, and of course under my immediate care. About 450 more live in scattered huts near Kissey ; and the Timmanees and Bulloms are in our neighbourhood ; so that if a mis- sionary were not so confined by the care and management of the affairs of the settlement, he might make himself useful in visiting all the places in the vicinity. liut circumstanced as wt are at present, I .am fully per- suaded that Kissey is preferable to the Bullom mission ; because here I -have the people more at my command ; and I humbly trust that the Lord will fulfil his gracious promise also in Kissey, that His word ' shall not return unto Him void,' though I may not see the fruit which I so anxiously wish for. " I have introduced a weekly prayer-meeting on Wednesday evening ; about a dozen adults attend. May God visit us in mercy, and hear our prayers. At Freetown the National system of education had been introduced into the schools, with much advantage and prayerful hope for the future. After liaving encountered and overcome some difficulties in its introduction, Mr. Morgan was able to write — " I can now say with much pleasure, after repeated trials from the censures of the parents, and the disinclination of the children, that I have at last succeeded in establishing the Colonial schools on the National system ; they are daily increasing, and now contain about .350 boys and girls, and 180 adults. The parents are gratified. Europeans and Natives acknowledge the progress of the pupils : and the children tliemselvcs are generally pleased. God has in mercy enabled me to persevere when nnich cast down. A child, if ac(|uainted with the system, would now be able to conduct upward of 500 scholars." The training of native schoolmasters was provided for in the plan adopted here, aiul in the other schools of the Colony, of appointing some of the elder boys monitors, to aid in the instruction of the rest. Tliese monitors were themselves imdergoing Ihe best (raining f(u- being 50 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. placed over schools in the different villages, under experienced Euro- pean superintendants ; and it was expected that as these situations ■would tend to their advancement in piety and intelligence, they would form a class, from which native missionaries might be safely selected. From these and the advilt converts, who were fully in possession of their native languages, much future good was looked for. The melancholy duty recurs of recording the baneful effects of African cHmate, upon European instrumentality, employed to bring spiritual health to the diseased children of Ham. The arrival of Mr. Bennett, schoolmaster, and his appointment to Kissey, have been men- tioned. On the 17th of April, he wrote to the secretary, informing him, that the governor was building a house for him, which he expected would be ready for his reception in a few weeks. He expressed joy at having entered on his labours, and a trust that in his office as school- master, he might be enabled to help forward the great work in which he was engaged. It pleased his heavenly Father, however, to disap- point his pious expectations. On the first of May, he called on Mr. and Mrs. Jesty, in Freetown, and was then so unwell, that they con- strained him to remain at their house for the benefit of medical advice — symptons of fever had been manifesting themselves for some days, and that fatal malady now attacked him with such violence, that he sunk rapidly beneath it ; and, on the 10th of May, he was removed from the scene of his earthly pilgrimage, undismayed at the prospects of eternity, through faith in an all-sufficient Redeemer ; whose cause he declared he was far from regretting having undertaken, even in the face of pestilence and death, and whose gospel, he felt himself more strongly convinced than ever, it was the duty of Christians to make known throughout the earth. Towards the close of June, Mr. and Mrs. Jesty were much indis- posed. Mrs. Jesty, though near her confinement, exerted herself to the last in the female department of the Freetown schools. Mr. Jesty's illness assumed so alarming a feature on the 1 st of July, that he was obliged to call in medical aid ; and on the same day his truly ex- cellent wife was also seized with fever. Under these circumstances he was removed to the lower part of the house for the benefit of air, and to leave the upper apartment more retired for her. This separation proved to be a final one between them in this world. On the 7th Mrs. Jesty was delivered of a still-born child. About an hour after she sent for Mr. Morgan and Mr. Taylor, — who had come to visit them on the preceding day, and had slept at their house, — and told them that she wished to take leave of them before she de- parted to heaven, to which she felt that she was fast going. She now begged Mr. Morgan to ])ray for her ; and her two friends had scarcely knelt down by her bedside, before her spirit was released from DEATH OF MRS. JESTY. 51 its earthly tenement, to depart and be with Christ her beloved Saviour. Just before her death she said to an attendant, "I do not love my Saviour as I ought, and as I wish to do ; but when I am in glory, which will be very soon, how pure will that love be with which I shall then love him." "Tell dear Jesty," she afterwards said, "that I am going to glory, and that ere long we shall meet in heaven, never to part again." A few lines written during her short illness, and found by her husband after her death, convey the best testimony that could be added, of her meetness for the change to which she was called — "O God, my Saviour, and my all 1 it is in Thy wisdom that Thou layest me low on a bed of sickness and of pain. Thou alone knowest wlicther it is on a bed of death. I desire to lie passive to Thy will, with no impatient anxiety either for life or death ; fully assured that Thou orderest all things well ! But, dearest Sa\'iour, the love which Thou hast manifested for such a sinful worm as I am, makes me ashamed of my ingratitude. For this, and numberless other trans- gressions, I can only look unto Thee with the PubUcan, and cry ' God be merciful to me a sinner.' " Of this faithful woman, Mr. Bull wrote : — " Not many hours before she died, I conversed with her ; her tes- timonies to the faithfulness of her Sa\-iour, in her dying hour, were very encouraging to our droophig hearts. Her language was, 'Jesus is mine, and I am his, and I am happy.' Many gracious words which dropjjed like honey from her lips, will be long remembered. Thus dropped one of the fairest flowers of the Mission." Some interesting particulars are added by Mr. Diiring which cannot be omitted — " Mrs. Jesty was a woman whose equal in every point belonging to a Christian's life I have scarcely seen. Her piety and amiable be- haviour were such as drew the immediate notice of every Christian. She was a character that could not but be at first sight admired and highly esteemed ; and was an ornament i)()th in the Church of Christ, and to our society. " .'Vnd as her life was truly heavenly, so her dying moments were frinmphant. In a note which I had from her, while dying, she wrote : — ' Though I am but n weak vessel, and hastening to my home, yet I lielieve, and that firmly, that my blessed Saviour will give me grace to drive a nail into his spiritual building, should it even be in my death.' .\nd at the committing of lu r body to the grave, the Lord graciously fulfilled the desire of the soul departed from it. I never liave attended a fuiu-ral like hers ! It was certainly very E 2 52 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. solemn, but not anything mournful to mc, nor to many besides. After the funeral service a hynin was sung ; many tears were shed, and many exclaimed, that they had never witnessed such a scene. Many young people here at Gloucester, who knew her from a short stay with us, attended her funeral. The impression made on their minds is not forgotten ; and it is to be hoped that the eternal happiness of the Christian is by many of them sought after. In the evening I endea- voured to improve from John xi. 25, 26, what they had witnessed in the day, and have reason to hope not without a blessing to many." Last year the melancholy task of recording the mortality which occurred among the missionaries, devolved on JMr. Cates ; another hand was employed this year in the same solemn office, while his lay mouldering in the grave. On the 23rd of July the faithful Cates, " a man," says the 20th report of the Society, " whose talents and devotedness gave the highest promise of usefulness in his Master's ser\'ice, among these injured tribes, was numbered among the martyrs of the African Church." " With him," wrote Mr. During, " we have, humanly speaking, lost our right hand. His penetrating eye and acute discernment are well known to you, and the loss of them is deeply felt by us here." On the evening of his departure, Mr. Bull communicated the melancholy fact to the secretary ; the following is an extract from his letter : — " On Monday last the 19th, I received an intimation that my dear and highly-esteemed brother, Mr. Cates, was in great danger, and desirous of seeing me. On Tuesday I accordingly went to him at Mr. Collier's house, at Freetown ; and remained with liim till this afternoon, when he exchanged a world of woe for a mansion in heaven. Ever since his return in the middle of April, from the journey of ten weeks, with William Tamba and William Davis, into the Bassa conn- try,* in which he hazarded his life for the making known of Christ's name, he has been complaining of sickness, and has endured ex- cruciating pains in the bowels. He removed for change of air, at the end of June, from Regent's Town, where he and Mr. Morgan were in charge during the absence of Mr. Johnson, to Leicester Mountain, and then to Gloucester ; everywhere experiencing great kindness from • The journey hero referred to, was prosecuted during the months of February, March and April, by Mr. Cates, accompanied by William Taniba and AVilliam Davis, with other natives. They travelled nearly 400 miles down the coast ; more than a third of the distance between Sierra Leone and Cape Coast. Their route lay through the Shcrbro, Cosso and liassa countries. In the last named especially, their reception was highly favourable, so thiit good hope was induced of establishing a mission there at sonic future time. DEATH OF MR. CATES. 53 liis affectionate friends. Not appearing to be much benefited by this diange, he was prevailed ou to remove to Freetown, for the advantage of medical attendance. Here he endured much affliction, and con- tinued gradually to sink until death closed his eyes." It api)ears, that until within a few days of his death, he had suffered under much darkness of mind, and many harassing temptations ; yet he was not confounded, but stayed himself on his God and Sa- viour, appropriating to himself as a member of Christ's impregnable Church, the prophet Zechariah's comfortable assurance respecting the final issue of his trials and conflicts, — " at evening-time it shall be light." * Nor was he disappointed — a joyful confidence in liis Re- deemer succeeded this temporary cloud, and he was enabled to express himself most exultingly to those around him, while cheerfully submitting himself to his heavenly Master's will. In this frame he continued until the day preceding liis departure, when he called Mr. Bull to him ; and although under great physical exhaustion, he was still enabled to communicate to him in a few words, his joyful sense of the presence and love of his Saviour. Mr. Bull reminded him of the necessity for patience under his sufferings, and called to his remembrance the words of Job : " All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come." f " Yes," he replied, " if he will not take me home to-day, I must wait till to-morrow, and my soul is all ready to depart." This heavenly frame of mind was only interrupted by delirium, which came on in the evening, and which appeared to continue without in- termission up to the hour of his departure on Friday evening : " When," Mr. Hull wrote, "with a smile on his countenance, and seem- ingly in the act of prayer, his blessed spirit joined the innumerable company of the Church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven." Among tlic most assiduous of those friends who attended poor Cates in his last moments, was the Rev. John Collier, senior Chap- lain of the Colony ; who was himself at the time labouring under severe illness, in consequence of haviiig caught a violent cold at a fimeral some days before. Being somewhat after his time in setting out for the burial-ground, he exerted himself so much in hastening tliither, that he was in a profuse perspiration on his arrival ; and as the rain, against whicii he was not sufficiently guarded, descended on him in torrents, he soon began to experience the effects of this two- fold neglect of tiie reipiisite attention to health in so deadly a climate. Uu Saturday tlu- '24111 of July, the day succeeding Mr. Cates's deatii, he was occupied in writing letters to the Secretary, the last received l)y * Zcth. xiv. 7. t .lob XIV. 1 1. 54 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEUBA LEONE. the Society from liim ; and on the following clay, Sunday, he was so un- well that Mr. Xyliiuder was obliged to supply his place at Church. His fever now increased, and Mr. Wilhelm came down from Leicester Moun- tain to attend him, which he continued to do until the 30th, when by desire of the Governor, Mr. Remier took his place, and remained at the bedside of his friend and brother until he breathed his last. " I staid with him," says Mr. Renner, " until he closed his eyes, which was on Sunday the 1st of August, at half-past ten in the morning, at the time when he usually stood up in the service of his Master, be- seeching his people in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God." The Governor in communicating to the Society the fact of Mr. Collier's removal, bore this gratifyuig testimony to his worth : — "It is with deep sorrow that I have to mention the death of the Rev. John Collier. I regret in him a respectable character, to whom I was sincerely attached, and with whom I had frequent communica- tions on matters nearest to my heart." It is natural to suppose, that these awfully frequent cases of morta- lity among the missionaries, would have the effect of greatly dis- heartening the survivors, if not of altogether paralyzing their Chris- tian efforts : there is something, it must be confessed, appalling to human nature, however elevated by divine grace above its ordinary level, in close approximation with pestilence and death. To feel that we stand on the verge of an ever-open grave, into which we see one and another of our companions almost momentarily precipitated, by a mysteriously invisible, but irresistible influence ; and to know that there is nothing in our own case to exempt us from being the next victim after the last whom we saw engulphed — this cannot fail to startle us, whatever be our relation to the world or to God. Unless life was in- supportable, such a prospect of its sudden privation could hardly be viewed without alarm — at least, without some anxious misgivings on the subject of our own safety. When therefore, we read the sentiments of calm, unmoved resignation to the Divine will, uttered by the surviving labourers in this mission, and unshaken fideUty to the cause in which they had embarked : we might fairly doubt the sin- cerity of professions which human nature does not seem capable of authenticating, did we not know that each soldier in this fatal field, actually stood unfliiu-hing in the gap which the fall of his comrade had occasioned, and there continued faithfully to fight, until called u])on in his turn to resign himseil" to the stroke, wliich he knew sooner or later lie should have to encounter, and from which he never offered to csca])e. It will be obvious, on a comparison of the circumstances of sucli a warfare, and that in whicli ])hysical energies are called fortb, and j>hysical excitement maintained to the verge of intoxication ; that MR. nylander's reflections. 55 in the display of true courage, tlie latter cau exhibit nothing in the way of competition with the case before us. On the one side, every- thing calculated to appal human nature ; pestilence, suffering, death, rapid, decay, were continually paraded, as it were, in slow, and ghastly procession before the eyes, and pointed out as the almost inevitable results, as far as earth is concerned, of the conflict upon which the soldiers of the cross had entered. On the other side, every exertion is employed, and with full success, to keep before the eyes of the combatants the most animating spectacles of pomp, parade and splendor, and occupy their minds with such stimulating notions of honour and advantage, that no room is left for any gloomy anticipa- tion to intrude. We feel satisfied, that when all that is disheartening in the case under review, is taken into account, the West African Church's existence at the present day, can only be ascribed to the operation of a supernatural influence upon the minds and hearts of the human agents employed to preside at its birth, and to nurture it into present maturity. The light enkindled is of God, and the pestiferous breath of the destroyer shall not be permitted to extinguish it. Let us now see what were the feelings of the surviving missionaries regarding these startling visitations. Our first quotation shall be from a letter of an old friend, the Rev. G. R. Nyliinder, minister of Kisscy. " The accounts of so many deaths among us, through the last severe rainy season, must certainly be an additional trial of the faith and courage of the Committee : but be not discouraged, nor be ye dismayed, for it is the Lord's battle that we are fighting, and we are conquering even when falling. Only send us a fresh supply of troo()s for this Holy War, for the increase and enlargement of the kingdom of Christ. " A report was lately spread, that the Society would give up the African Mission on account of the deaths of so many of its missiona- ries ; but let not the Society be discouraged thereby. Look forward for your reward ! If all that died, and we that arc alive, have been labouring together to save a few souls, or to lead them into the way of oi)taining salvation, we shall all be abtnidantly recompensed. Though the bodies of our brethren are removed from among us, yet the seed which they have sown, keeps growing. " How often have I heard persons in Freetown speaking of the late Mr. Prasse, of whose lal)ours nothing was ))ul)licly known. ' Oh ! that was a blessed man ! By his s])eaking to me, my eyes were ojiened, and 1 began to seek the salvation of my soul.' ' Oh ! ' said a European, respecting the late Mr. Barrett, who was only two weeks on his station at Kisscy. 'I believe he was a Irtdy jiious man ; his conversation 56 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEHRA LEONE. with me made such an impression on my mind, that I am determined to look about me, and endeavour to lead a better life.' " Sperrhachen's very grave, will remind the Bulloms, that there were people among them who spoke of the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. " The late Rev. Mr. Garnon's discourses and Christian conduct towards all classes of people in Freetovra, will ever be remembered ; for he was much esteemed and loved, more so than was publicly known. " And can we imagine, that Mr. Cates's voyage down the coast was in vain? By no means. It was good, says the Lord, that it was in thine heart to build me a house. David built a house of stones. Cates, a spiritual temple of living stones, and his work will follow him. He who ventures first into a heathen country, with the glad tidings of sal- vation ; exposing himself to danger like the spies in Canuaan, does as much in the %-ineyard of the Lord, as he who gathers in the clusters of grapes. So, whether dead or alive, we are working together ; and the time will surely come, when those that sow, and those that reap, will rejoice together." The Rev. Henry During employed similar language, while explain- ing to the Committee the arrangements that had been made under the melancholy circumstances in which the Mission was placed by the many losses it had sustained. " When it pleases God," he writes, " to visit his people with afflic- tions, those who are His will be best seen, and distinguished from those who bear his name, but are none of His. How'great is the real Christian's reward already in this polluted world ! While those whose hope is only in this life, are terrified by seeing numbers of their fellow-mortals hurried into eternity, the true Christian is enabled to stand as it were, like a child by its father's side, and see with serenity what He is doing. " We are now in a strait again ! Most of us are sick, or else through weakness unfit for duty. The Brethren Morgan, Taylor and Jesty, have been for many weeks together confined. Brother Renner officiates in Freetown. Brother Nyliinder has his hands full at Kissey ; and I, the least, have to share my labours between Regent's and Gloucester Towns. I have had four attacks again this year from the fever, but thanks be to the Lord of all mercies, who has enabled me at least every Sunday, to go through my work ! Brother Bull, who in June and July assisted me, was at length also laid up with the fever ; but thanks be to God ! he is now restored again and able to render assistance. " What I have said, is by no means intended to discourage you. FEELINGS OF MISSIONARIES. 57 No ! it is merely intended to give you a view of our condition ; and I would humbly say to my superiors, Be not discouraged at the dark dispensations of our God ! Fear not, for the Saviour shall yet see of the travail of His soul among the tribes of Africa. I am by no means cast down : I know that the Lord can work by a single individual as much as by a thousand, only I would crave your earnest petitions at the throne of the heavenly grace for us, the survivors." Mr. Taylor wrote to the secretary' : — " What can we say to these things ? We can only exclaim, 'The will of the Lord be done.' Continue, dear sir, to pray for us ; and stimulate others to do the same, that our Lord may give health and success in the great work before us." Referring to the death of Mrs. Jesty, Mr. Morgan was able to express himself thus : — " I have just been called to pray with and witness the last moments of our beloved sister Mrs. Jesty. Iler death is our loss, but her eternal gain. Clouds seem indeed thick arovmd us here ; pray then, dear sirs, more for us. W^e need your prayers, and more labourers in this trying vineyard. Let none be discouraged, nor let any come, who are not ready to say with our dear sister departed, ' I am entering the glory of my Lord ! my Head is in heaven, and where should I be, but with Him?'" Mr. Jesty, notwithstanding his severe loss, was not himself dis- heartened, and would not have others to be so. " O send us," he wrote to the secretary, " more labourers, our party is very small now, but we are enabled to lean and rei)o.se our trust on our blessed Saviour. Never once did my dear wife regret coming to Africa." We cl().se our extracts on this subject for the present, with one from a letter of Mr. Bidl to the committee, which is even more inspiriting than the former ones. " I believe I speak the feeling of most of our remaining few, when I say, that we are not disheartened, but encouraged. And if we are not so, who ' stand in jeopardy every hour,' you will not do well to be cast down. As that faithful man * wrote in his letter concerning Mr. Garnon, ' Let more labourers put their lives in their hands.' I once asked him what he meant by those words. He reminded me that n missionary should not be over anxious for his life ; but while he was prudent in all things, he should carry as it were, liis life in iiis liand, ready to resign it at his Saviour's command. ' Catcs,'sp(- p. .'!0. 58 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " O, dear sir, we are few and weak, — send us faithful and zealous men, — send us another Gates — an Elisha, instead of our Elijah. May the Lord of the harvest put such labourers in your way ! These things should not move us. HIS ' counsel shall stand, and he will do all his pleasure.' As the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church, so may it be here ! We have every reason to be stedfast, for ' the Lord will yet have mercy upon Zion.' " You may hear perhaps next of 7mj removal, and another may take up his pen to write of me. But be it so ! may I be but faithful to Him who has said, ' Where I am, there shall also my servant be.' " We gladly turn from the work of death to resume our notice of the work of life eternal. The reader will desire to know how Regent's Town prospered during the absence of its indefati2,able pastor. It will be remembered that the church here was committed to the care of Mr. Morgan and poor Gates, whose premature death iu May 1819, we have noticed. Mr. Morgan wrote to the committee respecting his charge as follows ; — " There still goes on here a great enquiry respecting the way of sal- vation. W^e closely examined several candidates lately. One was ad- mitted in whom the evidences of true religion appeared very satis- factory. The house was nearly full of those who desired to belong to the church of Ghrist, but they were dismissed for that season. Snrely our Saviour is gathering his sons from afar, and his daughters from the ends of the earth . Circumstances are daily occurring which prove the force of the truths of the gospel. " I was sent for last month, to visit a commiuiicant, who was very ill. He said, he thought he should die, but he desired to see me first : on my inquiring his reason, he replied, 'for several months before my dear minister left, my heart tell me dat ting what he tell about Lord Jesus, no be true, because nobody (meaning, no one beside Mr. Johnson,) tell me dis ting. But when you come, you talk all same fashion, dat first time, and den God open my eyes. Now I tink, suppose you and Mr. Johnson tell us one ting about Lord Jesus, den I sure dat de Lord teach you, and den I sure all be true.' He was much distressed lest this unbelief should not be forgiven. " In returning one day from some duties which had detained me in a distant ])art of the town, I had much reason given me to bless God, for a striking manifestation of the power of his truth. A man was resting himself who, I ol)served, was suffering under nuich bodily affliction. Among a variety of questions which I put to him, I asked how long it was since he had done any work. ' 1 no work,' said he ' since I come dis country.' ' Who gives you rice then ? ' King Massa.' 'You know, ' said I, 'you linve got one heart.' ' lie live NATIVE COMMUNICATIONS. 59 here, Massa ! ' pointing to his side. ' Well ' said I, ' what work your heart do, all that time your body rest ? ' He laughed ; I explained to him the deceitfuluess of his heart, and told him what must become of him, if Christ did not take away his evil heart, and give him a new heart. The poor fellow was agitated, and moving quite close to me said, ' Massa, all dat what you tell me live in my heart be true too much, but who tell you all dat ? ' He has since been to us enquiring what he must do to go to Christ, and how he can make liis heart rmi away from evil." In a letter of July the 7th, Mr. Morgan writes : — " Inquiries concerning the way to heaven, are very numerous. Many come to complain of the anguish of their hearts. The house is com- pletely filled with those who are desirous of being examined for bap- tism. Mr. Cates and myself, have admitted but three. Many of them, I think, do indeed beheve, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, but do not as yet feel themselves to be, without Him, lost and ])erishing sinners. To Mr. Morgan's great sorrow some fell away from their christian pro- fession ; this was to be expected in their peculiar circumstances, but he laid it much to heart. On retiring one day to his chamber, to pour out the expression of his trouble, at the feet of his Saviour where alone he expected to receive consolation and strength, when he reached the stairs, he saw a man and woman, seated in much apparent distress of mind. Supposing that their object was to seek the settle- ment of some quarrel, he said, " I will have no palaver so late at night, go home." The poor woman, bursting into tears, rei)lied, "No, Massa, but I want to tell you my heart go soon to fire, suppose I no come talk with you." We may imagine what effect this simple incident had on the jirayers of the desj)onding teacher — may it be borne in the recollection of those who are prone to be disheartened at the apparent failure of christian effort — nothing that we do for God is in vain. Though absent in body, there cannot be a doubt that Mr. Johnson was daily |)rescnt in s|>irit with his beloved flock ; nor were thev forgetful of tiuir dear father in the gospel of Jesus ('hrist ; as several of them testified l)y written communications addressed to him in England. The originals of these letters are probably still in existence ; they proved most satisfactorily to the committee, that tlieir exertions for Africa had not l)ecn in vain ; and, at tiie .same time, they afforded a liiir criterion of .Vfrican ca|)acity for mental and spiritual improvement. We sul)join one or two of these letters, and l)eg the reader (o carry witli liiin in their perusal the recollection, tliut the writers of ihem had been 60 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. uot many years before, carried like cattle in the hold of a slave-ship, because, as their inhuman captain and purchasers were in the habit of insisting, they exhibited such demonstrative evidence of intellectual im- becility as fitted them only to rank with brutes. "Regent's Town, May 26tk, 1819. " My dear father in Christ Jesus, " I have written a few lines to you. I hope you are well in the Lord, and your wife. I hope you will remember me to my brethren and sisters, though I do not know them ; but I trust one day or other, we shall meet on the right hand of our Lord Jesus Christ. " When I think about the office to which our Lord has appointed me, I fear.* " When I read the Bible, I learn that God said, ' Fear thou not, fori am with thee ; ' and, ' if ye have faith, as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove — nothing shall be impossible unto you.' And when I read in the Testament, I find Jesus said, ' He that believeth on me hath everlasting life — I am the bread of life.' This is my hope — But I fear again, because the Lord said, ' Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of my mouth.' This is my trouble. " Remember me to all my brethren and sisters — let them pray for me, that the Lord may give me faith to believe in Him. I do not fear what man can do to me, for the Lord is my shield and my hope. " Pray for me ! Pray for me ! for I stand in need . May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with you, and all his children. Amen." We regret that we can only insert one more. It is also from a com- municant : — " I take this opportunity of writing these few lines unto you, my dear brother, and I hope God may ])rescrve and keep you when you pass through the mighty deep ! and by the will of God, I hope we may see one another again. I remember you day by day, and I ask you how you feel in your heart, my dear brother ; I hope you may be well in the Lord Jesus (,-hrist — you and Mrs. Johnson, and I prav unto God tliat lie may keep you till you come to Africa Jigain, that we may see one another. " I thank Almighty God for His loving-kindness to me. I know the Lord is iny Saviour and my God. I ])ray for all the good jjcople who are in England, and the secretary ; I hope you may l)e well in Jesus, and (liat you may send more missionaries to Africa, lo jjrcach the gos- ' The writer was a native nssibtant in one of the schools. NATIVE COMMUNICATIONS. 61 pel to our poor countrj-men. My Master, please to send me one hymn book. My wife ask yon how you do, Mrs. Johnson." The writer of one of the letters referred to, gave in September, the following affecting account of the state of the Colony, during the few months preceding, when it was visited so extensively, as we have seen, with sickness and death. The feelings of the christian natives under their bereavements, afford, we should say, a fair indication of the value of the mission. " I staid at Charlotte Town, When Mr. Taylor was sick, and I speak to the people the word of God. One time we meet together for mis- sionary prayer-m.eeting, Oh, that time many white people sick ! and many of them die ! " And that time we lose one of our sisters, Mary Moddy, she was brought to bed, and the child died ; and herself caught cold, and I went to see her, and I asked her, " How you do ? " she said, " I fear too much." I asked her, " What you fear for ? " and she said, " I done sin, " and I said "Pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, He only can do you good." And I prayed with her, and the next day I went again, and I say unto her, " How do you feel in your heart ? " and she said, "Oh my heart too wicked," and I said " Do you pray to Jesus Christ ? " she said " Yes ! to whom should I pray if I not pray to the Lord Jesus Christ ? " And I talked with her a good while, and then I prayed with her and went away. The next day I went again, and she could hardly speak ; I prayed with her, and stop with her, and by and bye she died. " That time Mr. Cates sick, and Mr. Morgan sick, and poor Mr. Catcs die. I think the journey to the Bassa Country which he take that too much for him, tiie land so long to walk, and the sun so hot. Yet I cannot prove that ; but I think his work done, and his time up. When he was sick I went to see him, " How do you do, Mr. Cates ? " and he said " I shall certainly die." And by and bye he got down to Freetown, and he sink very much, all his strength gone ; but he was a man of faith, and he die on Friday about five o'clock. And on Saturday we go to bury him, four o'clock, and we look upon him ; and then we went to Mr. Jesty's house, and Mr. Jesty tell us, and say, he think God would leave, this place because white people die fast, and when I hear that, I fear too much, and I consider many things in my mind ; and I think hypocrites live among us, and God want to punish us, but I tmst again in the Lord, He knows his people. He never forsake them. Then Mr. (Collier get sick, and Mr. Morgan get sick again ; and our friend said, ' God soon leave this place,' and I said, ' I trust in the Lord Jesus CJhrist, he knows his people, and he never left them neither forsake them.' And next Sunday Mr. ("oilier die about eleven o'clock. Then Mr. 62 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Morgan sick, Mrs. Morgan sick — ^Mr. Bull sick I Oh that time all Missionaries sick. V/e went to Freetown, Mondaj', bury Mr. Collier, and we come home again and Iceep ser\'ice in the Church ; Oh that time trouble too much in my heart. Nobody to teach me, and I was sorry for my poor country-people. Mr. Gates died, Mr. Collier died, Mr. Morgan sick. Oh ! what must I do for my country- men ; but I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, he know what to do ; and I went to pray, and I say, ' O Lord, take not all the teachers away from us.' To this affecting expression of native feeling, we feel constrained to add an extrpose me talk to him about God })alaver, he take whi|) and flog me, ine have trouble too much, trouble too niucli ! but the Lord Jesus Christ help me to take all trouble, iiut, Massa, MR. Johnson's journal. 71 >oinetinies mc fraid he no love me, aud me uo love liim. Oh may he teach me for good ! Suppose, Massa, you no come in this country, we sabby go lire, we be sabby nothing (that is, we now know that we should have perished, we know nothing of ourselves.) We thieve, we lie, we do all that is bad. I thank God for send you here, for teach us poor sinners I ' " M. C. ' My heart too wicked, me can't love Jesus Christ, me want to love him, but my wicked heart won't let me. When I pray my heart tell mc, ' What you pray for ? Jesus Christ no have your prayers, you too bad I ' Me no love my brethren in the Lord, me do not know what to do to love them. Sometimes my husband tell me something, me heart no like it, it raise up. ^lay Jesus Christ give me a better heart, for my heart bad past all hearts.' " S. T. ' Me been sick, Massa, me think nic die, me fraid too much ; me thmk me no belong to Jesus Christ. Me want to love aud to ser\e him too much, because he die for me, poor simier. Me heart love this world too much, me pray that Jesus Christ may teach me more aud more to love and to serve him.' " "These women are amongst the connnuuicauts last received, and are all, one excej)ted, of the Ebo nation, wliich is the most savage of the tribes that arrive in the slave-vessels. " April 5. Sunday. I preached to a large congregation on Luke i\. G2, and administered the sacrament to seventy-six communi- cants, several being absent from sickness. In the afternoon while explaining Luke xiv. 2, all appeared ver\' attentive, which is usuidly the case when the unspeakable love and mercy of Christ towards dinners, is the theme. li\ the evening the subject was Romans v. 20. " .Vpril G. Li the evenhig we had the montlily prayer-meeting lor the success of Missions, being the first Monday in the month. It was well attended, the Church being nearly full. After senice the subscriptions came in better than on any month previous. New subscribers came forward. " William Tamba is one ; lie comes from the Kissey country, was kid- napped from thence when a little boy, and was brought up in a slave-fac- tory, where he learned six languages, besides English, in addition to his own. His master used to seuil him in a canoe to gather slaves; these being of ditt'erent nations, he was induced to learn their languages. 'I'iie Sherbro he speaks best, and is well acquainted with the ("hief in Jenkin's Town, and with the people up the river Masuradu. He is now culirely in(le|)endent, keeps his farm, is our butcher, burns charcoal lor the idaeksniiths, and thus gets an honest living, lie is in tin first class in the evening-school, and 1 instruct him in writing fr«Mn M-veu till eight in the morning. lie !•> married. Ids wife is also a 72 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. communicant, he is about twenty-six years of age and she about twenty, they have no children. "May 11. After the Missionary prayer-meeting the sub- scribers paid cheerfully their contributions. Many school-boys and girls brought their mites. The Missionary spirit appears to increase. May the Spirit of all grace prepare some of this people to go forth and make known to their African brethren a glorious Sanour ! " A school-girl about sixteen years of age, gave a most interesting account of the state and conflicts of her mind : she said, ' About three months past you talk to the school-girls ; when you done talk, plenty girls go and tell you what they been hear on Sunday. You pass me, and ask me what the matter that me no hear something. Me no answer, but me shame too much. You tell me that you think, and be afraid that me never pray to Jesus Christ, but be careless and ])rayer- less and going down to hell. When you say this, me no like it at all. You done, me go home, me begin to fear too much, me try to pray, but my heart come like stone. Me consider all the bad things me do before, me fear more, more. Me no sleep, me fear me die and go to hell. Since that time me no feel rest, me think nobody be bad past me, me worst, me past all. But me think now that Jesus Christ be strong enough to save me. But me sorry too much that my bad heart is always against me ; it will not let me serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Me no sabby what to do with my bad heart.' " June 1, 1818. Being the first Monday in the month, we had the missionary prayer-meeting, when the Church was full. After the meeting, the subscribers paid their contributions with cheerfulness ; and more had their names put down as subscribers. It has pleased God wonderfully to work on the minds of the people in this way. It is not yet two years since the gospel first came to their ears ; and yet a Missionary Society is formed ! The thought causes a feeling in my bosom which I cannot well express. " July 11. This morning I sent for one of the communicants, who had neglected family prayer for some time, and appeared careless to his fellow communicants. I reproved him. He expressed his sorrow with deep sighs and a few tears. " In the evening, all the communicants met as usual. " The half-yearly account, and the Report of the Benefit Society established last year, were read. This Society, which consists only of communicants, has been the means of promoting love and harmony. Each member ])ays a halfpenny per-week, and from this fund those members arc supported who are either sick or distressed. The contri- butions from January to June, amourit to £6 : 14. and the expendi- ture, to .£G : 14 : 5. "July 13. Mot with the appointed communicants, to consider (he MR. Johnson's journal. 73 case of the man who had (juarrel'ccl with his wife in the market-place. The offender confessed his conduct, and said that all was true which the witness (another communicant who was present in the market) said against him ; he expressed great sorrow. It was resolved, that as the offence was public, he should be publicly reproved ; to which he readily agreed. " Sept. 5. This evening all the communicants and candidates met in the Church at the usual time. After singing a hymn and prayer, William Davis rose and addressed the meeting ; his ideas were plain and simple, but very instructive and pointed. ' 1 . He expressed joy and gratitude on seeing the number of his brethren increasing, saying, that God certainly had heard our prayers for the enlargement of the Church. ' 2. He exhorted both communicants and candidates to bring into ex- ercise brotherly love and unity. ' 3. He urged them to resist the world and to be a separate people. He was afraid that some did still keep company improperly with people of worldly minds. ' 4. He was afraid that some who had unconverted neighbours did not tell them of their danger. Yea, he thought, that even some had un- converted husbands or wives, and did not exhort them to flee from the wrath to come, and did not point them to Jesus. ' 5. He exhorted them to follow Christ in every respect. They had heard last Sunday that whosoever would come after Christ must deny himself, take up his cross and follow him. He was afraid that some were given to quarrelling with one another, that was not what Jesus Christ had taught us, who had said, " Whosoever shall smite thee on the one cheek, turn to him the other also." ' 6. He said they should listen to the Word which was preached to them ; and concluded by exhorting .to prayer and watchfulness, and prayed that the Holy Sj)irit would carrj- on the work of grace, and enal)le his people to continue in prayer, and add such unto the Church as should be saved.' " Sept. 6. 1818, Sunday. Divine service at half-past-ten o'clock. The first seats were filled at half-past-nine. Being a fine d.ny, we were completely crowded, as on fine days we have generally strangers from other towns. The vestry, the stairs of the gallery, the tower and (he windows were all full. Some of the seats which were filleil in the passages !)roke down, being overburdened. When I entered the ('hurch and saw the multitudes, I could hardly refrain myself, for my heart was full. " Sept. 10. Yesterday when the shingle-makers went to work, (hey met a man from (he Cockle iJay, who offered gregrees for sale. They brought the man to me, and appeared very nuich against the poor fellow. 74 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. I told them that they had themselves been in the same state, and that they had reason to pity the man more than to despise him, and that our Saviour had not taught us to enforce religion with the sword. I told the man that it would be better for him not to come to Regent's Town again to sell gregrees, as he would always make a very bad market. About an hour after, a whole box full of gregrees was brought in, some of which were very curious and such as I never saw before. The girls and boys committed them to the flames with great joy and acclamations. " Oct. 6. Last night we had the Missionary prayer-meeting as usual ; after service, contributions were paid. This morning at family prayer, some paid for next month. I asked one why he paid for next month now ; he replied, ' I may be sick next month and not able to pay, so I pay now to make sure of it.' Many women came and paid a penny or a halfpenny for their infants, besides their own contributions. " When I came hither in 1816, five, six or seven persons died in one day, and six only were born during the first year. In these last six months seven persons have died and forty-two have been born. Is not this the fruit of the gospel ? While standing on a high rock I could see the greatest part of llegent's Town : I saw the gardens and surrounding fields covered with rice, cassadas, yams, cocoa, plantains, .•md bananas. ' Ah ' thought I, ' Is not the promise fulfilled.' Isa. xli. 18, 19, 20. Two years ago, this was a desert overgrown with bush, and inhabited by wild men and beasts ; and now, in both a sj)iritual and a temporal sense it is a fruitful field ! ' May the Holy One of Israel, whose hand hath done this, have the praise and glory ! " Oct. 7. In the evening after family prayers a woman, who is a communicant, desired to speak with me. As I have set apart Mondays for religious conference, I told her to come next Monday. She said she could not wait till Monday, but must speak to me now. This woman became thoughtful about November last ; she lives in a farm three-quarters of a mile distant, and since that tune she has constantly attended divine service on Sundays, and family prayers morning and evening ; even in the heaviest rains she is the only one among about fifty of her country-people that reside at the same jdace, who attends divine worship. She was baptized in February, and from that time was very inucli ])ersecutcd of her country-j)eoplc. However, she con- stantly and boldly declared to them the name of Jesus Christ. Her luisband threatened to beat her, and actually did so when she began to talk about religion ; but notwithstanding, she stedfastly persevered under the greatest trials and dilficulties. This evening she tells me thai her husband has begini to attend divine service; ami that he uses hei with kindness, and wishes to hav e a lot in the town, in oriU r to live near the Churcli, that he may hear the Word of God. She had l)iouglit DEATH OF MR. JESTY, 75 four of her countiy-women, who w ere below, aud desired to speak with me. I spoke to them separately, and found that divine grace had be- gun to operate in their hearts. Of this, she has apparently been the instrument. Well might this poor woman be impatient to wait till Monday, for her joy was too great to be restrained till that day. May this be a lesson to us all. May we constantly persevere in striving to bring sinners to Christ ! " I have to deliver ^633 : 7 : 1 . to Mr. Collier, being the mites of my people which they have contributed this year to the Church Miss- ionary Society. On the first Monday in December we shall have our anniversary." The year 1820 was almost ushered in with another case of mor- tality among the missionaries. Poor Jesty, whom we saw separated from his affectionate wife in her last moments by severe illness, did not long survive her. After rallying a Uttle, he lost ground during the latter months of the year 1819, and being rendered incapable of attending to the Freetown schools, at the Governor's suggestion he was removed for change of air to Leicester Mountaiti, and Mr. Bull, as a temporary measure, took his place at Freetown. It was soon, however apparent that this arrangement did not produce the effect anticipated from it. The invalid grew worse and worse, and as a last resource, it was judged advisal)le that he should attempt the voyage home. He accordingly embarked early in January, but had not j)roceeded more than 150 miles, when death relieved him from his suiferings, on Sunday, the 1 7th of that month, and his body was committed to the deep on the follow- ing morning. No one felt and deplored the numerous losses, which the Mission had sustained, more than the Governor. "I have no time," hewrote about this time to the Committee, " to speak of my feelings on the repeated losses, which we have suffered ; and I can only say, that I lament them as mucli as the most sincere of your friends." His enlightened mind fully ap|ireciated the advantages of christian cultivation for the native character, as the only medium of social improvement. On the 31st of January, 1820, the West African missionary corps was reinforced by the an-ival of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson on their return from England, accompanied by Mr. Johnson's sister, who attached herself to him on the occasion of a visit, which he paid during his ab- sence to his relations in Hanover, his native country : Mr. and Mrs. Lisk, Mr. and Mrs. Berkley, Rebecca Price, and Mary BonHler, schoolmasters and sciioolmistresses. To decide on the location of tlii se labourers, and to transact other important matters connected with the Mission, ft meeting of the missionaries was held on the 3rd ol" Febru- ary. It was there determined that the (Christian Institution should he 76 CHUllCH MISSION IN SIEIIRA LEONE. removed from Leicester Mountain to Regent's Town, to be under tlie care of Mr. Johnson, who was to be assisted by Mr. Bull, his sister Hannah Johnson, and the three native teachers, Tamba, Davis, and Noah, the last named being now formally taken under the patronage of the Society. The Colonial schools at Freetown, received for their su- perintendants Mr. and Mrs. Berkley, and Mary Bonffler, assisted by George Fox and his wife, native teachers. Kissey was left as before with Mr. Nyliinder as minister, and Stephen Caulker, native usher ; while Mrs. Wenzel had charge of the girls' school. The Rev. J. G. Wilhelm, and Mrs. Wiliielm, were appointed to the new settlement of Waterloo ; and Mr. and Mrs. Lisk to Hastings. Raudlc having married Rebecca Price, who had come out with Johnson and his companions, to whom he was previously engaged, retained his post at Kent ; as did Mr. and Mrs. Taylor theirs at Charlotte. Mr. and Mrs. Renner had, on the occasion of the death of Mr. Collier, been separated for a short time, he ha\ang, at the Governor's request, taken the duty at Freetown, while his wife, at the iutreaty of the people, remained at Leopold, where the morning and evening and Sunday services were conducted by William Allen, a native, who had received some education in England under the African Institution. On the arrival however, of the Colonial chap- lains, Mr. Renner resumed his place at Leopold. Gloucester continued to enjoy the pious and successful labours of Mr. and Mrs. Diiring, while the Rev. H. C. Decker remained at his original station, Wilberforce. Thus on twenty-eight christian laborers devolved the instruction of upward of 2000 scholars, adults and children, recently rescued from slave-ships ; and the gospel of the grace of God was preached to tliousands more of the same wretched class, attendants on the public means of grace provided for them by the Society. We have mentioned the arrival of Colonial chaplains. The gentle- men appointed by government in that caj)acity, at the recommendation of the Society, were the Rev. Thomas Rock Garnsey, and tlie Rev. Samuel Flood; they sailed from Gravesend on the 2yth of January, and reached St. Mary's in the Gambia on the 7th of March. Their land- ing here was attended with imminent peril to their lives, for the boat which was sent to bring them and the captain of the vessel ashore, being very small, was uj)set by some accident at a considcraljle distance from land, and they were all precipitated into the sea, where assistance did not reach them until they had been fully ten minutes in the water ; every one on shore who witnessed the occurrence, considered it almost impossible that they could be saved ; but, to the astonishment of all, some canoes reached them in time to rescue (hem from a watery grave. 'J'lieir deliverance was the more providential, as, soon after they iiad left (he waier, a large siiark — an animal with which (he (ianibia abounds, was seen close to (he jilace where the boat had upset. Mr. Garnsey MB, Johnson's return. 77 was supported a considerable time in the water by a native, who had been sent for the sliip's [lapers. "Language," he writes, " fails nie to describe my feeUngs. The hand of our heavenly Father was visible through the whole. Oh, what can I render unto the Lord, who is the health of my countenance and my God ! ' ' The missionary ranks, which had been considerably thinned by death, being now filled up, the original arrangements for the good conduct of the mission, which had been to some extent suspended during the last fatal rains, were resumed. Among these were meetings of the chaplains and missionaries in Freetown on the first Tuesday in Januarj', April, July, and October, for the regulation of the affairs of the mission, and a prayer-meeting every second Tuesday in the month, to implore the Divine blessing on all missionary efforts, and to prth of February. Mr. NATIVE SPEECHES. 81 Johnson was in the chair, and several of the other Missionaries at- tended and addressed the meeting. Mr. Jolinson, on opening the business of the meeting, expressed regret that the contributions to the Society for the past year amounted only to ^630. 2s. 6d., a sum less by £3. 4s. 7d. than had been contributed the year preceding, which arose he conceived from irregularity in collecting during his absence ; this however he trusted would not occur again. After the meet- ing a collection was made amounting to £4. 9s. Od. The following extracts from some of the speeches delivered by the natives who ad- dressed the meeting, may furnish some of our English and Irish orators with materials for their addresses on similiar occasions. The first black speaker arose and said — " My dear brothers and sisters, — I stand here before the congrega- tion, not by my will, but by the will of God. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his mercy in bringing me to this country to hear the gospel. When I first went to the meeting, I did not know what I went for. One evening when I live in my house, Mr. Johnson came to me, and he talk to me about my soul, and what he told me that night, I no forget till this time. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that he has shewn me my sinful state. That time I live in my country, I think I very good, but I see now, suppose I been die that time, I go down to everlasting condemnation. When I live in my country, fight come ; they catch me, and when I live in ship, I sick too much, but God know what was good for mc. I see plenty peo- ple jump in the water, and I want to do the same, but God would not let me, he prevented me and brought me here. If the Lord had not brought me here, 1 could not come. White man no come for nothing here, he tell us about Jesus, and Jesus know every sinner ; he willing to save them, but no one can come to him, God must draw him. Oh ! I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for what he done for me. Christ says, " Let your light shine before men." Consider — Does your light shine ? Again he says, " Let not your hearts be troul)lcd, ye believe in (Jod, believe also in me ; in my Father's house are many mansions." Those mansions are for the people of God. I thank the Lord that he lias brought Mr. Johnson back, I know Mr. Johnson can't save me, l)ut that word lie tell me can. You pray for Missionary, — that very good thing ; he come to you — he leave his brother, mother, and father, to come to tell you that Jesus Christ came to save sinners. You must give your coppers too. Suppose you have one copper, or one sliilling, no say you no got plenty, what little you have, give that." A second native thus addressed the meeting : — " I once more stand among you, in the house of the Lord : last year I no been know if I shall live this time ; but God enable me. I know w o 82 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. not fatlier and mother, but GoJ is my Father and Mother. Some white man take me and sell me. I came here, my eyes blind, my heart hard, no word of man can open my eyes and ears. The Lord Jesus open my eyes and ear's, and I received his word. As long as I live I desire to talk to my countrypcoi)lc, but they no hear what I say : I pray that they may hear and be saved. They go in the bush, and take a bug-a-bug* nest, and make god ; and they take sticks and make fire to cook rice, and part they burn to their god. I go to see my countrypeople at their farms, but they talk about their good works, they no want to hear .about the Lord Jesus Christ. You should all give to the Missionary Society ; and may God grant that my heart may give also." Another speaker, after relating the circumstances of his being brought to Sierra Leone, added — " Missionary come here, and preach to us, and we pay nothing. England make us free, and bring us to this countrv'. God, my bro- thers, has done great things for us ; but I have denied him like Peter ; I can say I am guilty before him ; but He will have mercy upon whom He will have mercy. Oh may he have mercy upon me ! I am not able to do any thing, I pray God make us help God's word to cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea. I believe that that word will come true. If any one got a penny, let him give it, and pray God to bless our Society." A third speaker concluded his address thus — "When I was blind, the Lord preserved me out of many troubles ; but I did not know then ; but I now see ; once I was blind, but now I see. I am sorry for my country people, they are blind, they are in darkness ; Oh that they may feel and know what I feel and know. We must lift "up our hearts for them to the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank Ilim that He has put into the hearts of white people to do poor l)lack j)eoj)le good ; I will give what I can that they may know the word of God ; I was in my country fashion, but by the grace of God 1 am what I am. Let us pray for our country people ; but don't let us forget ourselves. Oh that the Lord may give us strength ! " With one extract more from the speech of a fourth native communi- cant, we must conclude : — * A spptics of wliite ant ; the Icrmcs bcllicosus of Linnajiis. This insect swamis in West Africa, and the Wcbt Indies, and voraciously prcj s on timber of everj- kind, in find out of the houses. It is about a (juarter of an indi long ; its industry is amazing, covering the face of the country with hillocks, sonic of which arc ten feet high, which these little creatures raise in an incredibly short period of time. In a few weeks they will destroy and carry away the bodies of large trees, without leaving a particle behind. MK. Johnson's encouragements. 83 " When I consider what the Lord has suffered for sinners, I am sorry too much ; especially when I read the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. That chapter makes me sorry too much. ' He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities.' I trust that through the precious l)lood of Jesus, I shall be justified, and shall reign with Him in heaven. My country-people lie in darkness. They wor- ship their own gods. What Mr. Taylor say just now, about the day of judgment — that we should meet our country-people, and that, perhaps, through the coppers which we give, make me glad too much. Friends ; consider your former state, and consider the state of your country-people now, I dare say some people say, ' some white people bring me to this country.' But they are only instni- ments : it is God that brought us here, to hear of Jesus the Saviour of sinners." Some of our readers may think that we give a disproportionate part of our space to Regent's Town. We confess, we feel it almost impossible to get away from this interesting spot, for here we seem to walk with God, and hear His voice speaking reconciliation and love to the long exiled family of Ham. All that we have wished or hojjed from missionary efforts, appears to be realised in the present success of gospel preaching iu this interesting village, and we present our circum- stantial account of it to the christian world, no less, as a gratifying response to their pious prayers and bestowments, on behalf of long neglected Africa, than as an encour^ement for perseverance in a work which the All-mercilViI has evidently acknowledged. We must, how- ever, close our notice of Regent's Town for the year 1 820, with two extracts from Mr. Johnson's communications to the Committee, after his return to his work ; the first relates to a sermon preached on the sub- ject of the thief on the cross. " After service," he says, " several of the communicants expressed great joy. One, an old man, said, ' Massa, my heart sing ! me glad too much.' I asked 'What makes your heart sing?' Ah, Massa, you see that poor thief you talk about — he no be good at all — he be had, when they hang him ou the cross — he no sabby that Jesus be the Saviour : but when he hang on the (;ross, God teach — He shew him bad heart — He make him pray to Jesus Christ ; he say, ' Lord re- member mc ! ' Jesus no say me no want you — you too bad — you be thief too mueli, no ! He no say so ; l)ut take him and tell him ' to- day tiiou shalt be witii me in heaven.' I see Christ take ])Oor sinner, that make gliid too nnieh. Ah ! my heart sing. True, me bad — me very bad — me sin too much : but Jesus Christ can make me good. Tie take poor thief — lie take me — me the same, thank God I tliauk (iod! "' o 2 84 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. The following affecting narrative ought to silence every doiiht of the providential employment of British philanthropy in the coloniza- tion of Sierra Leone. "March 4, 1820. Several people spoke in such a manner this evening, that I felt what I cannot express. One woman, who has been in my school, and is now married, said, — ' When I very young, my mother die ; soon after, bad sick come in my country. People look quite well, and all at once they fall down and die ; so much people die, that they could not bury them. Sometimes six or seven people stand at one place, and all at once three or four fall Aovm and die. My father take me, and run to another country, because he fraid of that bad sick. My father got sick, but he no die ; me got sick too. One day, father send me to get some cassada : two men met me in the road, catch me, and carry me to the headman, and tell the headman that me thief, the headman say they must sell me. Massa, me no been thief that time ; but they wanted to sell me, therefore they tell that lie ; just when they wanted to carry me away, my father come, he very sick — he look me, and they tell him me thief, and they go and sell me ; my father begin to beg them, but they no hear ; my father stand and cry ; and, ]\Iassa, since you talk that palaver about mission- ary, and about our fathers and mothers, me have no rest.' Here she burst into tears, and said — ' My father always stand before my eyes. Oh poor man, he no sabby anything about Jesus Christ.' She wept very loi^d ; after a little, she continued her sad tale. ' After they carried me two days, they sold me, I do not know what they got for me, I stop then a Uttle, and then people carry me to another place, and sell me again, with plenty more people. Me very sick that time ; Oh me so poor — me nothing but bone. After the man that buy me took me, he say — ' This girl no good — she go to die, I will kill her, she no good to sell.' A woman live there, (I think it was one of him wife :) she beg the man not to kill me,' she here wept again bitterly, and said, ' O Massa, God send that woman to save my life ; suppose that woman no come and beg ibr me, what place I live now ? ' She wept again, and could not proceed with her tale. Most of those that are influenced by Divine grace, begin to see now the hand of God in all their former lives. I believe we were all so affected, that many tears were shed in silence. Ah ! who would not be a missionary to Africa? Had I ten thousand lives, I think I would willingly offer them up for the sake of one poor Negro. Our friends in England do not know half of the horrors and miseries that reign in Africa. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion ! " The intended removal of tiie ('liristian Institution to Regent's town, has been mentioned. Above twenty-seven youths were left after the I A native's history. 85 dispersion of the great body of the children among the different schools in the colony, and these were taken under the care of Mr. Bull, who soon after Mr. Johnson's return to the colony removed to Regent's town with thirteen of the youths. The others being found not to answer the pur})oscs of the Society, they were chspersed through the native villages. Wilhelm, on beiug relieved of the onerous duties which such a large collection of children imposed on him, turned his attention to the spiritual welfare of the natives at Leicester Town. To carry out his objects regarding them, he established meetings for religious instruc- tion on Saturday and Sunday evenings, which he endeavoured to oc- cupy in the preparation of caudidates for admission to the Church of Christ and to the Lord's table, examining, exhorting, warning and encouraging as he saw occasion. At the first of these meetings, only two men of the Jaloff * nation followed Wilhelm into his room for enquiry' after evening service. The history of one of these men is interesting, as given by himself to Wil- helm, who wrote respecting him : — " One of these men had long ago expressed a wish to be baptized : but seemed always to rely on a fine dream which he had dreamed ; and en his own good resolutions, no more to live in the same fashion as his countrj' people ; no more to join them in drinking and quarrelUng ; but to pray to God, and to mind that Book-palaver, which he hears of mc. He prayed on this occasion in very affecting expressions, implor- ing the gracious presence of Jesus, the Sa\iour of our souls — declaring that he hoped for no help and for no good thing, but what comes from Jesus — earnestly imploring, that he would forgive us our sins, take us for his people, and save our souls, and bless us all ; concluding with the Lord's prayer. In declaring, afterward, his motives for desiring to be baj)tized, he said, ' Massa, that time when white people bring Mie in a big vessel to this country, mc no sabby what place them carry me — me think me must be slave all time. Well, that time me no sabby nothing, me no hear nothing of God, no more — me see bv and bve, me can work for myself — me can sell what grow in me own luggardf (field) — me free. Well, all that can't enough, God bring me to this place — me must learn to save me soul, me hear all this palaver long time. That time Mr. Butschcr live here, — Mr. Garnon, — this time, you, me believe what you say true, that Book true. Me come here, mc no want money — me no want nothing of this world ; that can't help me soul. One time me tell you me dream — this time, me can't mind dream again. Me poor sinner — me heart bad — no more — me want Jesus. Ilim can do me heart good. Ilim can save mc soul — that me pray for. Me country people trouble me plenty ; them say ' what's the • See Introduction, p. IB. of the preceding volume, for a description of these pcopK + " From the Portiifrncge word liipar, a place."— AViiiti-rbottom. 86 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEREA LEONE. matter, you can't .agree witli us no more ? ' Them curse me for that. That time Christmas-day be, them bring plenty rum : them say, ' what's the matter, you can no sit down ^^ith us ? No more — we make our heart glad ; you no can do so.' Me tell 'em, ' that no can make me heart glad. 'Pose (suppose) me drink rum, me heart lose peace — me no can pray ; that no good. Me fear God, me want pray this night ; me believe white man's book true. Me hear Massa Wilhelm say, Christ- mas-day long time now — Clirist, the Son of God, come in this world for save sinners.' Well, me sinner : Christ uo come for to tell me, me must get drmik this night. Him come for save me soul from every bad thing, that make me want pray for this time.' " Thus he went on giving, in half-broken sentences, and with the plainest and simplest expressions, the most striking indications of a renewed state of mind. His poor wife is an opposite character, the most noisy and quarrelsome in the whole town. I had not long ago, to go down the mountain in the night, on account of the noise which she made, and the crowd of people gathered by her ; in quarrelling with her peaceable and patient husband, for biinging her meat from Free- town market instead of fish, because the fresh fish were not yet brought on shore . I was on that occasion surprised at his coolness of temper, and reasonable way of talking to her. ' Sally, 'pose you go market another day — me want Uttle meat — ^you bring fish, me can eat 'em — me thank God for that — that good. 'Pose me want fish, you bring little meat — all same, me can eat that — ^me no talk for that.' Thus the good man went on, endeavouring to calm the angry tempest, but in vain ; she cried the louder in reproaching him for spending the money for what she wanted not. I then reproved her for her loose tongue, and threatened her, that, if she would not let us go to sleep in peace, I must send her to the jail. ' Jail ; ' cried she ; ' pray. Sir, for whom is jail made ? is it not made for people to live in ? me no mind jail.' " At the end of February, Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm were removed to Waterloo, one of the new settlements. About hidf the ])opulation con- sisted of disbanded soldiers and their families, who at first were very profane and unruly, requiring the utmost firmness and addi'ess in their management. Wilhelm, however aj)pcars to have understood what sort of treatment their case required, and to have adopted it with con- siderable success. He had sometimes occasion to present himself among them in their most boisterous momcuits, and never failed, by a union of kindness and decision, to secure their attention, and calm their disturbed spirits. In his report to the assembled missionaries at Michaelmas, he observed : " I feel happy to say, that Waterloo assumes a more hojieful ap- pearance than it did three months ago. Prayer-meetings and divine services on the Lord's dav, aic more numciouslv alteniUtl l)v (lie CHARLOTTE TOWN. 87 soldiers and the liberated people : and a meeting is formed of nine persons, having an established Christian soldier for their leader. The girl's school is going on regularly though with difficulty, for want of spelling-cards : but for the boy's schools, I want both school materials and an assistant teacher ; as I am continually interrupted in attending to the instruction of the children by a variety of other concerns." Mr. and Mrs. Lisk, who had been appointed to Hastings, another of the new villages, having been removed to Freetown, Hastings also was placed for the present under the charge of Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm. Of the people of Hastings, Lisk wrote after his removal : " They were very attentive and desirous to leani. I have heard them, after I had retired to rest, repeating their lessons ; and when I came away, they expressed (particularly the soldiers) much grief." At Charlotte, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor continued to labour diligently and not without fruit, although the enemy of souls set himself against the work in which they were engaged, with marked malignity. In a letter dated Jaimary 14, 1820, During was able to testify: " Before Mr. Taylor's settling here, the place was in a most pitiable state ; but through the blessing of God on his steady labours, it has become quite another place. " It is wonderful and striking to the utmost, so that even the captured negro observes, and cannot help seeing it, that what the whip and jail cannot effect, the Christian religion can. Mr. Taylor entered among a sort of men-eaters, (so called by the negroes themselves ; ) and having then no knowledge of the habits of the people, met at first with great discouragement ; but there is reason to thank God for en- abling him to do what he has done." Taylor himself, after mentioning that he had about 250 people under his charge, and the means of grace which he ordinarily employed, no doubt with all faithful diligence, is constrained to add : " I cannot report any decided work of grace on the people, for my heart has not yet been gladdened thereby ; but there are several of whom I have good hopes that ere long, God woulcKshow himself merci- ful unto them." Nor were tiic good man's hopes disappointed : shortly after this, de- cided indications of a work begtni, were vouchsafed to his labours and prayers. " One morning," he wrote, " when my wife was hearing a class of girls, one of them burst out crying as if her heart woidd l)reak. My wife asked vvliat made l\er cry so much : but her heart was too full to give an answer. In tlie afternoon, while she was at work by the side of my wife, she asked her what made her cry in the morning ; she answered — ' Heeause nic can't rcnionilx r,' aMnding to licr liook." 88 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " A man came to me one evening after prayer with a card in his hand — ' Oh do massa,' said he, ' do, me beggee you do.' I asked him what I should do for him. He said, ' Do learn me two lines to-night ; me want to sabhy book very much.' " After a Uttle time I entered into conversation with him about the concerns of his soul. I asked him how he felt in his heart. ' Oh massa,' said he ' my heart trouble me, big stone live there.' I asked him what was the matter that made his heart trouble him so much ; and whether he did not, like other people, think himself very good : for he attends regularly on the means of grace, and I believe lives in a habit of prayer : he does not thieve, curse or swear ; and I said this to prove him. He answered ' Oh, massa, suppose somebodj' say me good, he curse me too much — me tell lie, me tief, me do all what bad, me tieve from God that what belong to him,' meaning him- self. "Uliat a practical comment on those words, ' Ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are his.' I pointed him to Jesus with his stony heart, and assured him that He had said He would take away the heart of stone, and give him the heart of flesh." The usual criterion of a personal interest in the gospel of Christ — concern for the salvation of others, and for the universal spread of the Redeemer's kingdom, was not wanting here. On the loth of March, a meeting was held for the purpose of forming a Church Missionary Association, of the nature and objects of which Mr. Taylor took care to inform his people some time previous. On the Sunday preceding the meeting, abimdant CA-idence was afforded, that our sable brethren un- derstood their duties and prinleges In connection with the Society to which they were so largely indebted. " One old man," Mr. Taylor wrote, " came in just as I was about to begin service, and as I had before mentioned the intention of forming an Association, he brought two coppers ; but I told him to keep them till after service. A little while after, while we were singing, another came in from the other end of the town, and put down his two coppers on the table before me. I let them lie there as a willing offering before the Lord from a poor African. " After service a collection was made at the door, when almost all, as they went out, gave something — some six coppers (three pence,) some four coppers (two pence) — some two coppers (one penny,) and those who had none, promised to give some when they had it. Some said ' that they no be sabby good ' — they had not well understood that they were to give them. I told them another time would do, when they hmy. Sometimes I so sorry for myself, I don't know what to do ; and sometimes when you preach me get comfort, but sometimes me get sorrow too nnich for myself. I don't know if Christians stand that fashion, I want to talk to you 110 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. plenty time, but just when I go, something tell me — ' No use for you to go and tell Massa.' Here I interfered, and told him, that he in some measure was right, as I could not help him ; I might give him advice, which was all I could do, and I would now advise him to go with all his troubles to the Lord Jesus Christ, who only was able, and at the same time willing, to deUver him. He said, ' Me think, this time, me have nothing to do with the Lord Jesus Christ.' I spake to him as the Lord enabled me ; and may the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Com- forter, comfort him. " After prayer one morning, at which the church was nearlj' filled, I was followed by a woman, who is a communicant, into my house ; she then gave free course to the fulness of her heart. After she had wept bitterly for some time, she said, ' The Lord has loved me so much, and that make me cry. My father was killed in war, and my mother die, and then the people dragged me about from one place to another, and sold me like a beast in the markets ; sometimes they could not sell me because I was so small, and then they wanted to kill me, but the Lord helped me.' Wept again. ' I feel all them words in my heart which jou talk last night, you shew us how them people stand that have grace in the heart, and every word you talk me feel ; and me want to cry, me feel what great things the Lord Jesus has done for me, and what hurt me and make me sorry is, be- cause I love him so little.' Wept again very much. ' Yesterday, when I go to the Lord's Table, I feel so cold that make me sorry very much.' I endeavoured to comfort her, and she went away, weeping bitterly. " Another instance of this jealousy over the heart, discovers a sim- plicity perfectly delightful, and furnishes a lively illustration of 1 Cor. \'ii. 32 — 34. In calling at one of the houses, I found two women (both com- municants) at needle-work, the house neat and clean, a clean bench was immediately put down, and I was intrcated to sit. One of the women had been lately married to a decent and serious young man. I asked how slie got on now, she said, ' I think not so well as before ; beforetime I go to prayer, nobody hinder me, I live by myself in this house, I have no trouble ; when I go to church, I was glad, nobody hinder me, and the word which I hear was sweet too much. Some- times people ask me, ' Why you no get married ? ' I no answer, but I know I have peace too much, my heart live upon the Lord Jesus Christ. But, soon after, people begin to talk bad of me, and me be afraid that by and bye, people would say I do bad, and I was sorry too much. That same time my husband send one man, and ask me, if I willing to marry, I don't know what to say ; but I think I must say, yes. Well, I say yes, and soon after we got married. Me got plenty trouble this time, my husband he is a good man, but me have MR. JOHNSON S JOmNAL. Ill trouble about him. Every time me think about the LordJesus Christ, my husband come in my mind ; and so I stand, when I hve in the cliurch, sometimes I think it would be better for me if I was not married; then I should only think about my sins, and about the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes I don't know what to do, I hear you preach, but I can't feel it ; only Sunday before last, when you preach in the morning, it was just as if you talk all the time to me, me hold down and cry too much. Oh them words make me glad too much.' The text was Isaiah xliii. 1 ." 6. Of their Faith and Patience under afflictions many edifying ex- amples occur. " While going along the street, some woman called after me, and said a man was sick in the house which I then passed. I turned in and found the man lying on a mat and blanket. When he perceived me, he lifted himself up, though very weak. (He and his wife are communicants.) He told me that he was taken ill last week, on the same day when he buried his only child. He said, ' Massa, God I)unish me this time : but suppose I no belong to Him, He would not do so. Last week he take my little boy, and the same day me got sick too. Suppose, Massa, me have child, and me love that child, and that child do bad, I whip that child. Why ? because I love it. So God do with mc, I do too much sin, and now God punish me.' Wept. 'Oh that the Lord Jesus Christ may pardon my sin ! ' I then inter- ru[)ted him, and l)rought forth such passages as came to my mind, and which I thought would comfort him in his distress." 7. Love to the souls of their relatives. " At one of our Meetings on Saturday evening, one man said, ' I have l)een very glad since last Sunday morning ; when you preach, you talk to me all the time ; what you said was what I felt, which make me glad too much. But when you at last talk to the wicked, I wanted to cry, my heart turn in me for my poor wife. She come always to church, but she no believe, she still careless. I do not know what to do with her ; sometimes when I look at her, I could cry, I cannot keep water out of my eyes, I grieved very much for my wife. Oh, I wish God may teach her.' " 8. The power of religion in recovering and securing domestic happiness. " In visiting a sick communicant, his wife, who was formerly in our school, was present. I asked several (lucstions ; viz. If they prayed together, read a jiart of the Scripture, (the woman can read) con- stantly attended pul)lic worshij), ainl lived in peace witli their ncigli- 112 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. hours. All these questions were answered in the affirmative. I then asked if they Uved in peace together. The man answered, ' Some- times I say a word which my wife no hke, or my wife talk or do what I no like ; but when we want to quarrel, then we shake hands toge- ther, shut the door, and go to prayer, and so we get peace again.' This method of keeping peace quite deUghted me." The reader is aware that the population of the different native vil- lages in the Colony, was continually augmented by the addition of fresh bodies of liberated slaves, arriving from the coast after their liberation from slave-vessels, which were condemned by the court of mixed commis- sion. This constant introduction of heathenism and moral debasement militated considerably against the ocial improvement of the negroes under cultivation ; and of course the labour of the superintendants was consequently increased and their success retarded by this constant inftision of old habits and prejudices into their respective flocks. Sometimes, however, they could not help participating in the joy occa- sioned to some of their people, by the recovery of a long-lost relative, or friend, among the new arrivals, who had been carried away from the same village or district, where they had spent their early days, and, with whom they had perhaps been companions, before the rude hand of the spoiler had reached them. The following case of the arrival of a fresh body of liberated negroes at Regent's Town, will give the reader a ^ivid idea of the scenes which occurred on such occasions. Mr Johnson writes : — " I received a note a few days since from Joseph Reffell, chief super- intendant of captured negroes, in which I was informed that a slave- vessel had been brought in, with 238 of our unfortunate fellow-crea- tures ; and that he and the Acting Governor had agreed to send thcin all to Regent's Town ; and begged me therefore to go down to Free- town the following morning, with some confidential peo{)le, and receive them. Our people soon heard the news ; and great joy was expressed every where, from the hope that some of their relatives might be among the liberated. " The next morning I went, with some of my people, down t Freetown. Those who remained at home, prepared food for their poc country-people. We were, however, all disappointed, as the court of mi.xed commission had not condemned the vessel; Mr. Reffell, however, (whose humanity deserves grateful mention,) had disembarked the negroes, and had, no doubt, saved many lives ; as the vessel was a small schooner, and many of the poor creatures were ill, and reduc( d to skeletons. " As the court sat that day, I sent the people home again ; and stayed in Freetown, to wait the result. LIBERATED NEGROES. 113 " I was informed, the next morning, that the slaves and vessel had been condemned by the court. Of these people, 217 were delivered to me ; the rest, being sick, were carried to Leicester Mountain, to the hospital. I was obliged to have them surrounded by our people, and so march them out of Freetown, as the soldiers of the fort were on the look-out to get some of them for wives. Mr. Reffell accompanied as some distance to prevent any intrusion ; and when we had reached the mountains in safety, he returned. " I cannot describe the scene which occurred when we arrived at Regent's Town. I have seen many landed, but never beheld such an affecting sight as I now witnessed. As soon as we came in view, all the people ran out of their houses toward the road, to meet us, with loud acclamations. When they beheld the new people, weak and faint, they caught hold of them, carried them on their backs, and led them up toward my house. As they lay there exhausted on the ground, many ©f our people recognized their friends and relations ; and there was a general cry of ' O Massa ; my sister : ' — ' my brother : ' — ' my sister : ' — 'my countrvTuan I he live in the same town.' 'My country- woman, &c.' " The poor creatures, who were very faint — hiiving just come out of the hold of a slave-vessel — did not know what had befallen them ; nor whether they should laugh or cry, when they beheld the countenances of those whom they had supposed to have been long dead ; and whom they now saw clothed, clean, and, perhaps, with healthy children in their arms. In short, I cannot do justice to the scene. It was be- yond description. None of us could refrain from shedding tears, and lifting up our hearts in prayer and praise to the wonder-working God, whose ways are in the deep. " The school-boys and girls brought the victuals which they had prepared ; and all the people, following their example, ran to their houses and brought what they had got ready ; and, in a short time, their unfortunate cmnitry-people were overpowered with messes of every description, and made such a dinner as they had not been accus- tomed to for a long time ; pine-apples, ground-nuts, and oranges, were also brought in great abundance. " After all had been gratified, as it was getting late, I begged the people to withdraw, in order that their wearj' countrj -people might have rest ; which, being done, I lodged the men and boys in the boys' school, and thu women and girls in the girls' school. The two perma- nent school-houses, which we have built, I now find of great serv ice ; as each of them, being 73 feet by 30, and having two floors, will con- tain a great number. " The next morning at family jirayer, the church was crowded ; after prayer, the people visited the schools with many messes. I then w I 114 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. picked out sixty-eight boys and sixty-one girls for the schools ; the remainder, men and women, I distributed among the people. Several had the joy to take a brother or a sister home. One boy, who is in the seminary, found a sister, younger than himself, among them ; she remains in the girls' school. " In the evening, the church was crowded again. A school-girl put some of her own clothing on one of the new girls, in order to take her to church. When the poor girl came before the church, and saw the quantity of people, she ran back crying ; on being asked her reason, she said she had been sold too much and did not want to be sold any more. The poor creature thought she was going to a market to be sold again. The girls had some trouble to persuade her otherwise. " On the following Sunday, when the bell rang at ten, I went and placed the people as close as possible. The church was instantly filled, and many people had to remain outside. It is now again far too small ; and the number of hearers will continue to increase from the new people. I have planned another addition, which we shall begin as soon as permission is granted ; at least, at the close of the present rains. I intend to take the north side out, and throw the whole into a double roof, substituting pillars for the present north wall. It will then be as large again. May the Lord bless our feeble endea- vours! " On l/th of May, the colony was visited by a shock of an earth- quake, which, owing, it was supposed, to the volcanic nature of the mountains surrounding Regent's Town, was felt with peculiar severity in that village, shaking all the houses, moving about the furniture and creating universal alarm. Mr. Johnson thus alludes to the starthng occurrence, and its effect upon the minds of his people. " A rattling noise proceeded from the cast to the west, and was im- mediately succeeded by an earthquake. All the houses, &c. shook for a time. My sister, who was just recovering from a fever, and was up stairs, heard an unusual noise, when instantly, every thing was in motion, the chairs, tables, glasses, &c. moved, and the room-doors opened and shut very quickly for a sliort time : she rose up to get down stairs, when she felt so giddy, that she staggered as she went, and could not get further than the staircase, where she was obliged to sit down. The girls ran down stairs, crying, ' The house want to fall ! ' Mrs. Johnson, who was in the yard, felt at the moment very giddy. Mr. and Mrs. Norman heard the same noise, and also saw in their house every thing in motion. Mr. Norman thought his house was above a foot out of the perpendicular, moving very rapidly from one side to the other. The school-girls were beating rice, when they at once saw all the mortars in motion, they threw away their pestles, and KVF.NING MEETINGS. 115 ran towards my house ; one girl was at the brook to get water ; she saw the water in unusual motion, and sat down to behold the same, when the rock on which she sat, moved under her ; upon which she left her water-pot, and ran off. All the people ran out of their houses : and some called tlieir neighbours to assist them in getting their things out of their houses, but were surprised that all the houses shook. One man ran out of his house, and called his family, saying, ' I have not kept family prayer this morning, and now God wants to throw down my house : ' they assembled, and had prayer. Some who were sick, finding their beds shake, gathered all the strength they had, and got out of their houses. The circumstance brought all the people to Church in the evening, when I took the opportunity of improving it. " On the Saturday evening, at the usual meeting, much was said respecting the earthquake. It appears that the shock was felt in Free- town and other parts of the colony, but not so severely as at Regent" s town. This may be accounted for, by our being so close to the Sugar- Loaf mountain." We must turn ourselves away from this refreshing spot, and shall bring our account of the work there for the present year to a close, with a few additional exemplifications of what may fairly be called a saving interest in didne truth. The following practical and experimental commentary on Isaiah xliv. 9 — 20. far excels the most labored exposition that could be given, while proving the supernatural acquaintance with every feature of man's moral deformity, which characterizes the word of God. One evening, a young man thus addressed Johnson : " Massa, them words you talk last night strike me very much. When you preach, you read the 1 5th and 16th verses of forty-fourth chapter of Isaiah, and explain them ; you shew how our country-people stand. Me say, ' Ah, who tell Massa all this ? He never been in my country.' You say, ' Do not your country-people live in that fashion ? I say, ' Yes, tliat true ; God knows all things : he put them things in the Bible. Massa, I so sure that the Bible is God's Word, for man cannot put all them things there, because he no see it. That time I live in my country ; I live with a man that make greegrec. He take me into the bush, and teach me to make grcegrees too. He shew me one tree, he say, that greegrec tree ; he take country axe, and cut some of that tree ; he make a god : and he take the leaves and that which was left, and give me to carry home. When we come homo, he niiike a fire, and all tiie j)eoplf conic and sit round the fire. Then they cook and eat ; — when they done eat, the man take the leaves of the greegrec tree, and burn them in the fire; and then all the people stand roinid the fire, and clap their hands, and cry, 'Aha! Aha!' Mussa, when 116 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. you read that verse (Isaiah xliv. 16.) I can't tell you what I feel, you then begin to talk about the text (verse 20.) "Hefeedeth on ashes," and I was struck again ; for when they done cry ' Aha ! Aha ! ' they take the ashes, and make medicine, they give to people when they be sick. You been see some greegree wliich look like dirt ; that is the same ashes ; they carrj- that round them neck, and they eat it sometimes. You see, Massa, our poor countrvmien feed upon ashes for true ; the Bible God's Word.' " Another man at one of the Saturday evening meetings, thus ex- pressed his view of the portion of Scripture which Johnson had made the subject of his Sunday's discourse from the pulpit : " ^lassa, them words you talk last Sunday morning, sweet very much to my heart, they comfort me for true. That time me come to Church, me so much trouble — my heart full up with sin. Me stand the same like sick person. Oh me so sorry for my sin. Me sit down ; and, by and bye, when you begin talk them words in Matt. ix. 12, you say, ' sick people want doctor.' Me say, ' Ah I that true ; sup- pose me no sick, me can't go for doctor.' By and bye you ask, ' Who is sick in this congregation ? ' and then you tell us who them sick people be the Lord Jesus Christ talk about in the Bible ; and then you begin to talk about them heart-sick people. Ah, Massa, what you talk about them, same thing live in my heart ; and me say, them words God send to me this day ! By and bye, you talk about the Lord Jesus Christ — him the doctor for heart-sick people. Oh them words make me glad ! You talk plenty about the medicine he give ; and that he take no money — he give it freely. O Massa ! that make mc so glad. That time me go home, me comfort very much. Thank God ! the Lord Jesus Christ take him own blood for medicine, and take all my sin away.' " Another man said on a similar occasion : " Them words you talk last Sunday morning, come to my heart with power. I just stand that fashion. I just like oue who sleep ; just the same as if somebody been tell you. First time me feel glad ver\' much ; but this time me feel so cold ; mc no feel good at all ; me more worse every day. My heart so bad he trouble me much ; them thing I no want to remember, them same thing come in my heart. Sometimes me don't know what me must do." On the occasion of the third anniversary of the Church Missionary Association, which was held on the 10th of April, several natives as usual addressed the meeting — one of them said : " I am not worthy to stand here to speak to you, but desire to say MR. bacon's journal. 117 something about the mercy me received. You know we was heathen, but through the mercy of God we are here. In our own country, we had rope put round our neck, and dragged from one place to another, hke beasts ; and our own countrypeople sell we. Since I live in this country, I see people put rope round a goat or sheep ; but I never see any body put rope round man's neck ; you see our country in darkness, and we been live in darkness and bad way ; but this country good. Here \vc live in peace, how easy we live in this place. We sit down under our \'me and under our fig-tree ; when we on board of ship, we say all is done, but all that was mercy. He will lead the blind by a way that they know not ; yes, He will bring them in weeping and supplication. But in this thing I am afraid we no come with weeping and supplica- tion. How rebellious we are, yet the Lord good to us. The Lord done great things for us. He merciful to us. I not think I shall live till this time ; but we live, and meet together and are blessed. The Lord declares He will bless us in all our doings, and in the fruit of the ground ; those mercies I received, I did not deserve them. Re- member, our countrypeople can't hear the gospel till it be sent. That is all I have to say ; I sorry for my countrypeople." The contributions to the funds of the Church Missionary Society, in the year 1821, amounted to ^67 2 : S : Id. The Benefit Society for the relief of the sick, collected in the same year £22 : 10 : Od. which was distributed in accordance with the l)enevolent object contemplated by the Society. The friends of the Church Missionary Society enjoyed at this time the testimony of two gentlemen, wholly unconnected with the Society, as to the success of their Christian operations at Regent's Town, and in the Colony generally. These were Mr. W. Singleton, deputed by the Society of Friends to open an intercourse with the JaioofF nation, and Mr. Ephraim Bacon, agent from the American Government, sent to form a settlement under the American Colonization Society, on the Sherbro coast. Both these gentlemen visited Sierra Leone, and entered in their journals a description of all that they saw during tlieir sojourn there. The following entry appears in Mr. Bacon's journal, which was printed on that gentleman's return to America : — "March 17, 1821, Saturday. About one o'clock we arrived at Hegent's Town. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had been at Freetown, where Mr. Johnson was sick soards, with stores l)elow and a piazza in front. " Tlie su|)tTinten{lant appears to have considerable influence with the |)eople, and his advice is readily followed. "A woman whose husband absconded about four years since, and lias not been heard of during that time, asked the sujierintendant, some time after the man's departure, if siie might not marry again. He informed her, that the law of England required a period of seven years before that was allowed. She submitted, and to the present has lived alone, maintaining herself and acting with exemplary propriety. "As wc were standing under the piiuza iliis mumiuu;, (rith ila\,) a 120 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. young African came to ask permission to marry. Mr. J. gave good reasons for withholding his assent, which he had scarcely done when he was called away ; and I advised the hesitating youth to acquiesce. He readily answered, ' My Massa good man, he say girl too young. We wait, I no pass de word of my Massa.' " Returning from a walk over one or two of the farms, and coming near the market-place, we were met by an elderly African, with a basket on his head, covered with a cloth. He stopped and placing the basket on the ground, drew out a glass bottle, which he held up, that the superintendant might see its contents, and uttering a few words which I could not understand. The bottle contained palm-wine ; and the man, in his simplicity, produced it uncalled-for, to assure the superintendant that it was not rum, the use of this liquor being prohi- bited. Soon after breakfast. Captain Grant came in. We visited the schools together. The girls behaved with seriousness, and appeared under good care ; there was an agreeable sohdity in their countenances, which I hope, indicated something good within. The boys were attentive, and the Monitors active ; as was the case too at Gloucester and Kissey." In his report on his return home, he said : " I visited with satisfaction the school at Freetown, and those at several of the villages in the mountains. At Regent's Town, I re- mained two days, and left the family and villages with regret. This is a favoured place, and while there, indidged a wish that if friends should be induced to commence a settlement on the Gambia, their success might equal that of the superintendant of Regent's Town." Mr. Johnson's account of the manner iu which this amiable mcml)er of the Society of Friends deported himself on the occasion of his visit, adds much interest to his observations. In his journal he writes : " April 6, 1821. This morning after family prayers in the Church, Mr. Singleton, a member of the Society of Friends, and who has been sent out by some members of that Society to collect all the information that he can about Africa, arrived here. Mr. Singleton appeared very resen ed at first, but soon found himself at home. At eight o'clock we have always prayers in our house ; he attended — wept much, and when I had concluded, begged leave to address us. He seemed so much affected, that he could scarcely speak. He concluded by pro- nouncing ' Peace to this house ! ' " The evidence of Captain Taimey, who visited the colony in 1817, and again in 1821, cannot be omitted. Referring to his first visit, he says : NEGRO LETTERS. 121 " Regent's Town, under the direction of the Rev. Mr. Johnson, was then but thinly inhabited. I received the sacrament from his hands with about twelve communicants, the first seals of his ministry. Very few attended divine service. " In contrasting its then condition with the present, I must con- fess, a just description cannot be given without the appearance of ex- aggeration. The change is so visible that no sceptic, however hardened, but must confess it is the hand of the Lord that hath done it : the lives of the recaptured negroes are so opposed to their own, that they are astonished and confounded. " Regent's Town now wears the aspect of a well-peopled village in our happy land — its inhabitants civilized, industrious, honest, and neatly clothed. The ground allotted to each family is cultivated, each lot being distinctly marked out. I have frequently ascended an eminence near the town, to behold the pleasing scene on the Sabbath day — hundreds pressing on to the house of God, at the sound of the bell, hungering after the bread of life. Nothing but sickness prevents their attendance now. What a lesson does this teach many in Britain who count the Sabbath a burden ; and spend it either in indolence and sloth, or in visiting and riot." The Christian Institution was in the early part of the year deprived of the services of both Johnson and Norman, who were laid up at the same time with severe illness. The care of the seminary devolved in the mean time on John Johnson, the eldest of the youths, who con- ducted himself with great propriety. Eleven of the youths began this year the Latin grammar, which they found a very difficult study ; and one of the eighteen in the Institution, Miles Atkinson, was called out of this world in the full hope of a Christian, having given the satis- factory evidences of true humility of spirit, confidence in the Saviour, and consistency of character. Some of the youths addressed letters to the Secretaries, under date of August 4, 1821. We shall quote from a few of these. One wrote : " I write with pleasure to you. The Almighty God is so good to- wards me, because he has brought me from my own country to this place to hear his holy gospel. I thank iiim for all his benefits which he has bestowed upon me. I am not worthy to receive all the blessings which the Lord has bestowed upon me. When I sit down, I look upon myself, I say, I have deserved everlasting j)unishmont ; but God so loved the world that he sent his only-l)egottcn Sou into the world to redeem us sinners witii his ])recioiis l)lood. Oh, tiiat all my country people might enjoy the same which I have received ! Oh, that the gospel may reach to our country ! " WIrh I was in Freetown, I heard that they kept scliool in Uc- 122 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONli. gent's Town. When I came here, I went to Church, but I did not know what I went for. I saw other boys kneel down ; I did the same, but I did not know what I kneel down for. It pleased God to show me my sinful state. I sit down and cried, and said, Lord, pull this bad heart out of me, and give me a new heart ! After that I feel glad to hear the Word of God. May God be pleased to make me humble under his footstool, more and more, through Jesus Christ our Lord ? " Another wrote : " I thank God that he has enabled you to send another teacher to us. Oh pray for us, that God may keep us, and instruct us to under- stand his holy word, so that we may become useful to our countrymen that know nothing of the gospel. I hear it preached unto me, and to others , and I hope God will take away the stony hearts, and give hearts of flesh. " I have reason to thank God that he has taken me from my native country, and brought me where the gospel is preached every day ; and I thank him that he has shewed me that I am a sinner, and shewed me the way to Jesus. O, dear Sirs, pray for the minister of Regent's Town, that God may yet prolong .his days, and make him still faithful to declare the truth as it is in Jesus : and that by his preaching, many more may be added to the Church, of such as shall be saved ; and may many be tiirned from darkness to light, and from Satan to the true and living God, who has promised his Holy Spirit to them that ask him. Oh may he grant unto us a greater desire to pray for each other, and to love each other, and to pray for the perishing heathen, for Christ's sake, Amen." A third youth wrote. " I am glad that I have been put in the Missionary School, to learn and to go and teach my country-people. I hope God will teach me to learn His holy word, and understand ; and to read and learn my grammar well, and understand it. I hope God will send His gosjiel to my country-people, and that they may hear and believe, and turn from their wicked ways, and turn unto the Lord our God. Oh that I may leave my bad ways more and more, and turn unto the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is my pence. When I was at Leicester Mountain, Mr. Wiliiclm j)reached there, 1 heard ; but 1 was blind, and did not know myself. Mr. Bull took some of us in the Missionary School, to learn them to go and teach our country-people the word of God. Wiien I come to Regent's Town, Mr. Johnson preached, and said, ' Whose lieart is not changed by the Holy Ghost will perish for ever.' That word make me afraid. Then I began to pray to the Lord Jesus Clirist. Again he said, ' Who is not sent by the Holy Spirit to preach is not of (Jod.' I heard that, and I was jifraid nnu'li of myself, l)e- cause 1 thought 1 was not sent to go (o teach niy eounlry-peo|tle. Oli ILLNESS OF MR. DURING. 123 may God send His mercy upon me, and make me a faithful teacher among my country-people. May He take away this stony heart from ( me, and give me a heart of flesh, that I may love Him above all things, and nothing else." A fourtli youth wrote. !" I am very glad to write to you ; but when I remember how careless I am, I am afraid to write or to talk about what the Lord has done for , me. I will thank the Lord that he has brought me so far from my country, a place where they turn their fellow-creatures, as goats or sheep, into the market. Oh, when I come to meditate how I was ! brought through the Almighty power of God, from the place of slavery to this place, where the gospel is preached ; I don't know what to do. My poor country-people are still in that place where they still sell one another for their living. When I see that the Lord has done great and wonderful works from me, and I still rebel against him, I so I grieved that I don't know what to do. Oh, that the Lord God of heaven and earth may bestow his grace upon me. I read in the scrip- tures, and find there that many people profess to serve God, and all the time they are liyj)ocrites. When I think about that, I think I shall stand the same in the day of Judgment ; then I am afraid. Oh, may God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit, Three persons in one God, have mercy upon me, for Jesu's sake. Amen." We turn our steps now to Gloucester, where we find the estimable During following hard after his dear brother Johnson, in all the blessed fruits of unwearied attention to his heavenly calling. In the early jiart of this year, he suffered most severely from illness ; having taken cold while preaching in the evening of the 17th of the preceding 1 )( (;ember, in consequence of a window being left open at his back. Tlie sym[)toms, at first, were a most distressing cough and vomiting occasioned by the cough. These were succeeded by rheumatic fever, under the i ftects of which he was at times quite insensible. His pains continued to increase, until the middle of February, when they termi- nated in an alarming attack of cholera morbus, from which the profes- sional skill, and assiduous attention of Mr. Macaulay Wilson were made iustnuiicntnl in relieving hiin. Mr. l)i iring's individual trials were acconnnodated by the Lord of all to the furtherance of His cause ; and the heart of the afflicted pastor had reason to rejoice, in the arrangement by which his sulfcrings were made instrumental to the iniprovenu-nt of his beloved flock. Their eheld their poor countrymen, as they were landed from the I slave-sliip, was a fine exemplification of their moral improvement. > " In the middle of May," writes Mr. During, " a considerable number of unfortunate victims to the disgraceful traffic in human blood, were happily captured by the British cruizers, and were brought into the I harbour of Freetown. I received orders to come to town to receive them ; but I had, at the time, Uttle idea of the miserable state in I which these people were. j " It was j)ast four o'clock in the afternoon, when I received them, j and when I had got them all out of Freetown, on their way to Glou- cester, I reviewed them, and soon found that I had not brought men enough with me, to help these poor afflicted pco))le up the hill, which \ caused me much anxiety. But what could I do ? I must take them f home. Happily for me and the poor people, a man, while they were i passing, after liberation, through the court of Mixed Commission, had I run up to Gloucester to fetch more people to carry the sick home. Ignorant of what the man had done, I went on slowly with them, I almost despairing of getting them up ; but I had not gone far from i the foot of the hill, before I was met by great numbers, who, as they came up, took u[)on their backs those who were unable to walk ; and when I was half-way up, I saw almost the whole of them carried by those whom we had met with on the road. . " It struck me very much, particularly when I compared this effect- ing scene with some which I had formerly beheld. Mr. Bickersteth can sufficiently judge, for he was a witness of the wretched state of I the captured negroes when they arrived in the Colony ; but he then could not have beheld sucli a pleasing scene. The Negroes, then in the Colony, would sometimes slip out to see if any of their respective I countrymen were among the newly-arrived ; if not, they would take 126 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEUR.V LEONE. little or no notice of the unhappy sufferers ; hut now, they sympathize with their distressed fellow-creatures, in a manner the most striking. "When we reached home, I ordered A-ictuals to be prepared for the new people ; but before this could be done, food came in from every quarter. The women and part of our school-girls, who had cooked it, did not stop to ask, ' ^^ ho is of my country ? ' but the men and women who were nearest to them were refreshed. The day being quite gone, and it being Saturday besides, I quartered the men and boys in the church for that and the following night. On Monday, I distributed them among the people in their houses, where they would be taken best care of ; the people were quite eager and impatient to receive them, and make them comfortable in their houses. " Among the rest was a woman, one of the communicants, who took one of the newly-arrived women under her care. She was asked by Mrs. During what she wanted to do with the new woman. She said, ' Ma'am, that now almost two years since we come this country. My country-woman take me, she do me good, she tell me of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that same they do to me that time, me want to do same to this woman.' " Some time afterward Mr. During adds : — "This spirit of humanity towards the unfortunate has not subsided ; it is still the same. At first, the new-comers are generally subject to much sickness, which is the case at present ; but the evidences which I have daily, of the care for them everywhere, makes my heart rejoice ; because they shew the powerful effect of the gospel, even upon the hearts of the rudest barbarian on this continent. But this is not all, the anxiety for tem- poral welfare is, with many, connected with spiritual also ; before I was sufficiently enabled to clothe the new peoj)le, I saw them brought to church morning and evening clad in the clothes of our old inhabitants." The difficulty of dealing \rith these new-comers, is always very great ; untutored as their minds are, and suspicious of the motives which actuate those who have the charge of them, nothing but a combination of kindness and decision, such as the character of an experienced Christian teacher alone ])rescnts, can j>revail over the discor- dant elements of African thought and feeling under such circujnstauces. Mr. Diiring well describes his difficulties, and his method of overcoming them, he says : — " The state in which we receive new-comers is such, that it is of the utmost necessity, that in the first instance, they should be com])ell('d to adhere to some rules, without which nothing could be done with them, on account of their gross ignorance. Of this I shall here give an instance. GLOUCESTEH MISSTONARY ASSOCIATION. 127 " In my last, I stated the reception which those met with, who came to us in the month of May. You will be surprised when I tell you the effects it had on their minds. The first day, they were fatigued, and ha\-ing more victuals prepared for them by their country- people than they could eat, they were quiet that day ; the next being Sunday, they were clothed, and seeing all the old people going to church decently clothed and cheerful, they began to imagine that now as many of them as were well were to be sold, and the rest to be killed. On the Monday I dispersed them, and gave them in charge of such as would best take care of them. This confirmed their apprehensions ; they set up a loud cry ; and I had the greatest chfficulty, through their own countrymen, to persuade them that that would not be the case. It took me no less than a fortnight fully to explain to them, that they were perfectly safe. When this was done, they soon formed a strange notion of liberty, for they began to seize the fowls, sheep, goats, and pigs, which belonged to their very friends, who were labouring to make them happy. "What in such cases is to be done ? To tell them that this is wrong, this I had done, times almost without number ; and nothing but discipline would prevent the settlement from being soon dissolved. I tried imprisonment, but four men whom I confined a week for having plundered a man of ten fowls, the very night that followed their release robbed a man of two sheep, a goat, and a half- grown pig, which were all his property. They were caught, and the next morning, I had them brought up, and every one received six lashes with a leather strap, given them by the keeper of the house of correction, over their clothes. This had the desired effect ; for they abandoned these practices, and I have had no further occasion to punish these j)eople on account of stealing. The African has no idea of such a mode of discipline ; if he steals in his own country, he is sold as a slave, or killed without mercy ; as to confinement he is quite easy about it, being so much used to it, he thihks it no punish- ment at all, until his feelings become in some measure refined." The anniversary of the Gloucester Missionary Association was held in the evening of the second of May, the monthly prayer-meeting having been previously held in the morning. Among the speakers were William Uavis and David Noah, the former of whom with William Taml)a, had recently acconi])anied the agents of the American Coloni- zation Society, to Grand Bassa, his native country, in search of a settlement. He addressed the meeting as follows : — " My friends, — 1 thank Almighty God for all His mercies and benefits towards me. I was sold in my country for a slave, and 1 was slave to devil and man ; bnt I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that He has also freed me from the slavery of the devil. The first time when 128 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. I was brought to this country, if any one had told me that Jesus Christ had died for sinners, I should not believe that, and if they had told me that I should go back to my country, I should not believe them. But God is able to bring good out of evil. When I went with ^Ir. Gates, I believe the Lord Jesus Ghrist was with us ;- but that time was full of doubts and fears ; that time they no beUeve us, when we tell them that the Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners, they said, ' How can that be, if God died, where shall we go to ? ' This time, when we go with the Americans, we came to Cape Mesurada, and saw a vessel buying slaves ; when they saw us, they ran out, and send Kroomen in a boat to ask who we were and what we wanted. We tell them, IjCt us have ground to settle there ; and the next morning, they say the king was sick. Wlien we got to Grand Bassa, king John was dead ; been dead two months, but they no bury him yet, he look very bad. They like to sell one another, if it was not so, they might work and do very well. When I tell them we want ground to settle there, they ask us what we want to do. They hke to have me very much to sell their slaves for them, but they no want to hear God's word, I see there everj* one, small and big man, have Greegree, sheep's horns, snake' s-bone, bugbug nest, goat's head, &c ; all these they think their gods. I took hold of their Greegi-ees, and told them that they could do them no good. But they said, ' You left this country a long time, you no sabby that palaver.' The first night we arrived there, the king had just been sacrificing to a big rock, to bring vessel from England to settle there ; but they do not like to hear about Greegree. Them people that sold me, they don't like to see my face, they hide their faces, when they see me. I hope that they may turn from these dumb idols, and serve the Lord Jesus Christ." He was succeeded by Da^-id Noah, who thus spoke : " My dear friends, as William Davis has described to you, so our country-people stand. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for his great mercy towards me. I was brought from my country a little boy : when I was brought away, I thought it very hard to be taken from my father and mother ; but now I have to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for it. He loved me, therefore with loving-kindness he draw me. Wlien I consider my former state, when I go to meeting and hear the Word of God, and make game in the house of God, if God had cut me down, it would have been what I deserved. But he has spared me in the land of the living ; and it is now a pleasure for us to meet here : you know what it is we have met for — to send the gospel to our country-people. Suppose tlic Lord Jesus call you out of dark- ness into light, you are not willing to be the slave of the Devil again, nor to walk in the broad road to everlasting punishment. What make NATIVE SPEECH. 129 God mindful of me and you ? Are we better than they ? No : it is love. ' His loving-kindness — Oh how free ! ' Some of you can't read, so you can't preach : what must you do ? You must give your coppers ; it is your bounden duty to do it. You must remember Joseph ; his brethren sold him into Egypt ; and when hunger come and catch his country, he, being in Egypt, saved his father and all his brethren. Therefore, you that give, give freely. " Freely ye have received, freely give." Those who got no coppers, must pray." We add one more native speech, that of an inhabitant of Gloucester, which breathes all the spirit of one turned from darkness to light. " My dear friends, I can say I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for what he has done for me. When I was in my country, I don't know about this thing : and first when I come to this country, if any body been say, ' Go back,' I been glad. When I hear about Church, I say, ' them people fool : this country no stand like my country : for in my country, people dance.' When I Uve in town, I hear people say, ' Suppose you curse, swear, tell lie, &c. you go to hell ; ' but them people do the same themselves. They tell me I can find God, if I fast and pray. I say, what's the matter, I no see him ? When I come to tliis place, I hear Massa preach — ' Suppose a man's heart no changed, he must go to Ju'll : ' that word trouble me ; me no want to go again. Another time I go, Massa saj-, ' Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven : ' I say, ' How must man be born again ?' I kneel down to pray, I get up again : I no consider what I pray ; my heart live all upon things of this world : I say, people make me fool. By and bye, Massa keep Saturday -night meet- ing : I go, and talk about dream : Massa tell me to pray — dream no- thing. My heart trouble me too much. My heart say, you no sabby God in your country ; yon must try to pray to him. I no get rest : I lie down, no rest ; I up, no rest. I think that same time I hve in hell this time. I vc^ry glad if God's word go to onv count ry-j)eo])le ; for they do not know any thing about this thing : tiiey take stone and sticks, and make God. The best we can do, we must do for them. One penny can't make us poor ; no, we must give. Suppose you hire man to work in your farm, you nnist give him some rice to eat, else he no strong for work ; and if you no pay him, how can that man work for you ? The coppers we get, we must give for to help those who go. God says, " Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away." Even king self, suppose he no pray, he can't go to heaven. Even in this world, if we do some bad, and Governor come, we can't have any good word to say, but we skin all tremble and shake. The same like tornado blow the dust awav, same God sweep away the wicked ; bnt God so loved the world, that he gave his w K 130 CIIVRCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. only Son to die. Suppose one man kill somebody and he go die for that, can you find some man get up for die for him? No : but God do so. It fit for us to pray that the gospel of Jesus may cover the earth, as the waters cover the sea." The members of the Association were on this occasion increased from 109 to 140. The sum contributed in the year, amounted to ^61 8 : 14. The spirit of love however, awakened and fostered by an interest in the missionary cause, was manifested far more extensively than in a mere pecimiary addition to its funds. It was remarked, that after such meetings as the one we have just noticed, more lively feelings of compassion for the spiritual destitution of others, were sure to de- velope themselves ; and when occasion served, as in the instance of the new arrivals, to which we have adverted, proved their genuineness bv ready practical employment. At Christmas, the number of pupils in the schools was 448 ; consisting of 80 boys and 88 girls in the day-school; and 180 men, 40 women and 60 lads, in the evening-school. Hooping cough, suc- ceeded by dysentery, had in the spring somewhat diminished the at- tendance. This year Chai-lotte Town continued to exhibit signs of vitality, al- though of the majority of the inhabitants, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor could not make a favourable report. A few blades, howev er, indicative of the spiritual husbandry which the pious superintendant and his wife had bestowed with no sluggish hand on the soil, were making their appear- ance, and gave promise of the coming crop. Of one woman whose conduct had given him much uneasiness, Taylor was ))rivilegcd to write. "Divine grace has been magnified in turning a lion into a lamb. It may be truly said of the woman to whom I refer, that she was as a lion in time past, but now, like Mary, she is sitting at the feet of Jesus, and hearing his words. Her lnisband was continually troubled with her before, for she seemed to make it her daily study to ' work iniquity with greediness ;' and not her husband only, but cverv one who came near her, was troubled by her in some way or other. In short, she cared neither for God nor man ; until it })leased God to call her by His grace, and reveal to her the hidden evils of her heart : when she came to me with the burden of a troubled conscience and bowed down to the dust under a sense of her sins." Of his first convert from among the natives, Taylor in his joumnl relates many interesting particulars, illustrative of the gradual yet de- cided change, which, under the jiowcr of divine grace, his heart was undergoing. He used to say of himself: "Nobody sin, past me. Suppose they thieve or curse, or swear, or kill somebody, they no pass me; me do bad very much. Me ashamed to tell everybody what sin NATIVE FEELINGS. 131 me do to-day ; nobodj' sabby but the Lord Jesus Christ; and yet me eat, ine drink, me sleep, me blow (breathe.) " This man possessed much intelligence and an aptitude for instruc- ting others. Being requested by Taylor to explain a matter to a man whose knowledge of English was imperfect, he said, " Suppose you j)lant bean, he make leaf ; and by and bye he make bean, all the same like that what you plant — he no bring corn : and suppose you plant corn, he no bring bean, he bring com, all the same as himself ; so man stand : his first parents were sinners, and so he sin — he do sin every day." In his prayers he was accustomed to employ such expressions as these, ' Oh Lord, our hearts, one time stand all the same like stone : he no fear nothing ; but oh Lord, make us fear more and more to sin against thee ! Our hearts strong too much ; oh Lord make them soft ! Oh Lord I hook me same like men hook fish in the water, and no let me go away from thee, but keep me from sin." Coming one day for his ration after all the other people had been served, Taylor encpiired if he had not heard the sound of the bell : his reply shewed the enjoyment which he began to find in the things of God." " OALassa," he said, " me no sabby people done take rice. True, me been hear bell ring, but one man live there from Regent's Town ; he talk that palaver what good very much. O Massa, that what he talk be sweet very much ; that what make ine too late." Taylor asked him wliat that sweet palaver was which the man talked. He answered, "O Massa, that same palaver what you talk." Taylor, at one of his Saturday-evening meetings, told his people that he was about to write to the kind friends in England wiio had sent him out to teach them, and he asked them if they had any message to send them ; upon which this poor man poured out with the utmost warmth, the feelings of his heart in the following language : " Tell dem, I tank dem for sending you here to teach we poor black people, we poor sinners. I tank dem, and de king and de Governor. I tank dem Portuguese dat take me from my country — tank my country- people for selling me — tank God for sending dem king's people to ratch me in de big water, and for bringing me to dis coimtry — tank dem people what send you to dis country to teach we good word, for we poor sinners — tank de Lord Jesus Christ for teaching you to teach us, and for making we hear dat word, for making we see ourselves poor sinners. De Lord Jesus Christ bless dem people what send vou, and make dem feel a blessing in deir own souls — make dem feel dem- selves sinners, and make dem believe in de Lord Jesus Christ for salva- tion. Me tell dem Tankee, Tankee, Tankee — me can't give drm no more dan Tankee ; but de Lord Jesus Christ sabby tell dem Tankee K 2 L 132 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. very much for sending you to we poor sinful black-])eople. Suppose you no been come, we no hear God's word — we no feel our sinfulness and no believe in de Lord Jesus Christ. Tell dem people Tankee : me no can send dem more but Tankee." A Missionary prayer-meeting was held here on the first Monday in every month. The utility of such an instrument for elevating the spiritual tone of the converts was very apparent. The same fact is probably of universal observation. The following case will exemplify it in the present instance. " I had occasion," wTites Taylor, "one evening, to speak sharply to one of the communicants, who had been led away by covetousness, to an act dishonourable to the gospel, and for which I forbad his attendance at the Saturday-evening meeting. The next morumg he looked very sorrowful, and his swollen eyes testified how he had been employed all night. In the afternoon he came to my wife, begging her to entreat for his admittance at the evening meeting : — ' Suppose somebody,' said he, 'have a child, and that child do bad, and he punish him, he no turn him out of his house — he must keep him in his house. Me do bad, for true — Massa been punish me very much ; but where must I go ? — what must I do ? ' When the other members and candidates came in the evening, he came with them, I asked him why he came, when I told liim he should not come ; but he was speechless. I read that part of the fifth chapter to the Ephesians, which respects covetousness, and then left it to the other members to decide whether he should still be allowed to meet among them or not ; giving them thereby an opportunity to shew what spirit they were of. I was much pleased to observe the manner in which they treated the offender — at once manifesting a hatred of sin and pity to him who had fallen into it. One said, ' We all sinners : we know what it is to be tempted : the devil come and tempt we, softly and easily : and we fall into sin before we are aware, or consider the consequences.' Ano- ther spoke in a similar manner ; adding, ' I hope this will be a warn- ing to him, not to go the same way again.' One was rather severe ; and said that the man had been reproved for covetousness before : he was rather averse to his being retained ; but he was tJie only one who was so inclined. He was, therefore, allowed still to attend. The manner in which the people sometimes at these meetings expressed a sense of sin, was very striking : for instance, one said, " My sinful heart trouble me. Me stand the same, like a man that take bill-hook, and go to hush, and cut big tree ; he cut little and little, and by and bye he throw it down. So me stand : sin cut me little and little, till by-and-byc it throw me down into hell.' Another .said. MR. Taylor's journal. 133 " Me stand like big ship in the middle of the sea, that can see nothing but water, for me wicked heart on one side, and covetous heart on the other, and nothing but trouble and sin. All the bad me do in my country, now come upon me ; and me in the middle of sin, like ship in the middle of the sea." We give the three following cases without further comment, as samples of heavenly workmanship in this improving village. They are extracted from Taylor's journal, and are related in his words. The first is that of a man and his wife, who had been liberated from slavery some years before, when they were children, in the Soosoo country, and taken under the Society's care. " Before," said Taylor, " the grace of God reached their hearts, they were continually quarrelling and fighting. The woman came to me one day, with the blood running down her face, and often she had bruises on her body, from fighting with her husband. Now they hve peaceably and happily together, and their conversation becometh the gospel of Christ. In these people, on account of their great igno- rance, where Divine truth takes effect, there is much simplicity ; and their expressions are very plain, but impressive and delightful to hear. " I told the husband that I was writing to his friend in England, after whom he was named ; and asked him if he had any thing to say. He replied, ' Tell him one poor black boy, who has got his name, tell him ' how do ! ' " Mr. Taylor states another case of remarkable change of life : — " A woman (of whom I may say without giving licr more than her due, that she was the worst in the town,) Iiad been a continual plague to her husband and me ; especially to him, by continually running away from him, cursing him, and troubling him in various ways. He is a pious man : I tliink I may say he was situated in the midst of Sodom, like Lot of old ; for his liousc, when his wife was tlicre, was a second Sodom. But notliing is too hard for the Lord, who often shews the exceeding riches of his grace toward great offenders. This woman came one evening, mourning under the burden of those sins she had been committing l)cfore with greediness ; and saying in heart, though not ex{)rcssly in words, " What must I do to l)e saved ? " I felt particular pleasure in pointing her to " the Lamb of tiod which taketh away the sin of the world." He adds a tliird case of reformation : — " At one of our evening meetings, we were joine, I sick verymucii, I take stick, and walk to meeting. Me sick a long time, Massa say, ' Suj)posc you no believe in the Lord .lesus Christ, you go to hell.' Me say, ' ]Me good man, me can't go to hell.' He tell us we must pray to God, wicked heai t fight against me, but God shew me, me no NATIVE SPEECHES. 135 good. My heart tell me no water, no rice iu hell. Remember trouble in the pass. My brothers, try to pray, my country-people they hate me ; but do, my countryman, I beg you try to pray." Another speaker gave a very instructive account of the antipathy which his unconverted heart entertained to spiritual things, he said : — " My brothers and sisters, — I can't talk that palaver long, no more a little bit. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, he brought me to this country. When we come here, we come into this bush, headman what live here, he black the same as we ; he no sabby book himself, therefore he can't teach we. They tell we to go to church, it make us strong. First Sunday come, me go to Mr. Renner's to church ; me see people make so," — putting his hand before his eyes, as if pray- ing. '* Me say, ' Aha I where this, me no sabby ; he no live so iu my country.' Me come home, me go no more ; by and bye, they say, white man want to come to teach we. I say, what can he teach us ? We go to Ilogbrook," Regent's Town, " and carry all his things, and then he come live bottoms" — that is, at the bottom of the hill. " When night come, I hear, bang, bang, bang. I say, Aha ! what this for ? They say, for hear God's Vrord. Sunday come, I go for laugh, I no go any other day but Sunday, and then no more but for laugh. This time, Mr. Taylor \i\c bottom ; one day Massa come and say, Wliat for you no come to hear God's word ? I say. Yes, I can come , for when I look him eye, I can't say no. By and bye, this house done, Massa come upon top, where his house could see my house, he very close. Sunday come, he knock bell ; I want to gone directly to walk about, sometimes to my country-people, sometimes to Leopold Town, every Sunday I do so. Supj)Ose sometimes I go, I laugh all the time. One Sunday they knock bell, first time, I want to go away, I go bottom of the hill, my heart sa}'. Go hear what white man say ; my heart say again. What for you no want to hear ? So I go back ; Sunday come again, one heart say, Come, get up ! so I take my clothes — jacket, trowsers, and shirts ; and want to go away before bell knock. The other heart say. Go back, go hear God's word, no more this once. I go, I laugh till me tired ; then I get up and go out, but went home, no go back again. One day my heart tell me, Mr. Tay- lor talk God palaver, you no believe, you go to lull. Four o'clock my heart tell me. Go again. Mr. Taylor preach, man must be born again ; I say. Aha ! where can I be born again, must I go back to my country to be Ijorn } " So my countrymen, from that time my heart begin to trouble me. Before that time, suppose somebody say I nmst go to hear God's word, I can figlit him. By and bye, Mussu say we can give cojipers for our country-people to hear God's word. Plenty people say, What 136 CUUIUII MISSION IN SIERRA I.EONE. for they give coppers ? Me say, Me can't give coppers, rue get one dollar and a half a month, no more, me no give coppers. But my brothers and sisters, remember our country-people no hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, therefore let us give as much as we can." The speech of a third native, a communicant, as were the other two, was as follows : — " My good friends, — I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, he brought me to this country. My country-people sold me for slave ; that time they sell me, I don't think I could come to this place. I been walk from my countrj' to another, without any clothes. My country the people make big cap with porcupine's quills and polly's feathers ; they then cut stick in bush, and make him head and eyes and mouth, but he can't speak, and they say he God, he can save them, and they make woman fool very much. That Headman say every body must bring one copper to that god, (that copper no like this country copper, he what they call Jeggy,) and kneel down and pray to him to save them. Every man when he is going to eat, he goes there to eat in pre- sence of the idol. When this idol gets rotten, they cut off his head, and make a place good, and bury him there. " When I come this place he all bush. White man no live here a long time. Massa come ; One day I sick, Massacome to see me. He say, you pray to God ? I say, No. He say, you no sinner ? I say, No, me good man, me no do bad, me no thieve, me no curse, me very good. He ask me. What that God live in my country. I tell him I don't know. He tell me he idol, and suppose I no pray to Jesus Christ, I die and go to hell. When he gone, I sit up in my bed, and say in mj' heart, Wliat that word mean, pray to God ? He come back, he say, no pray, you go to big fire ; in your country you have idol. My heart tell me. Take care. We live that time, we eat and drink, and no fear. I thank the Lord Jesus Christ he shew me that thing. " By and bye, white man say, give coj)pers for send the gospel to your country-people. Some people say. What for they give me money, and go take it back again ? Me say so too ; but now, my friends, let us hear what white man tell us. He come sit down in this bush to teach us ; let us, my countrymen, hear what white man tell us, and give our coppers that our country-people may hear about Jesus Christ." 'ITiis year witnessed the death of the eldest missionary in the service of the Church Missionary Society, the Rev. Melchior Ucnner, who arrived in England from Germany, in November 1 8()'2, and sailed for Africa in March 1S()4, where he arrived on the Nth of the following DEATH OF THE REV. MELCHIOR RENNER. 137 month,* and from which period, up to the day of his death, September 9, 1821, his labours in furtherance of the Society's object, the ex- tension of the Redeemer's kingdom in Africa, had been most assiduou? and unremitting. The spirit by which he was actuated in all his toils and privations will be appreciated by those who have perused his com- munications to the Committee from time to time, as given in our his- torj' of the ^lission to the Soosoos,t in which he bore a prominent part. We have mentioned in the volume referred to, X and in this, the removal of Renner and his wife, together with sixty native children, from the Canoffee settlement among the Soosoos, to the colony, and their loca- tion by the Governor at Leopold. In the interval between the re- moval of the Rev. J. Collier, Chaplain of Sierra Leone, by death, and the arrival of Messrs Garnsey and Flood, the succeeding Chaplains, Renner presided over the schools at Freetown. On the arrival of the Chaplains, he returned to Leopold, from whence, on the suspension of the Superiiitendant of Kent, he was appointed to that station, where being attacked with jaundice, together with an affection of the bowels, he resigned his spirit on the day mentioned into the hands of his Divine Master, unattended by any of his missionary brethren, in consequence of the distance of JCent from any of the other stations. His name will be remembered in connexion with Africa when the earth and the sea yield up the dead that are in them, and the children of Ham and Japhet stand together in judgment before the God of all the earth. We commenced this chapter with a notice of Sir Charles MacCarthy's visit to England in 1 820. During his absence, the government of the colony was administered by Captain Grant, who seems to have given general satisfaction. The return of the Governor took place on Wednesday the 28th of November 1821, and so anxious was he to re- sume his active attention to the interests of the people committed to his charge, tiiat on the following Monday, he rode to the negro towns of Hissey and Wellington ; and on Tuesday, to those of Gloucester, Regent, Bathnrst, Leopold and Charlotte. In these visits, many gentlemen of the colony accomj)anied him, and every where he was re- ceived with the warmest affection. The manner in which this ex- cellent viceroy was welcomed back to his post of dignity and usefulness, reflects equal credit on the Governor and the governed : and while the merits of the exalted official are brought out in iiigh relief, the niornl, social, and intellectual advancement of tiie native colonists, is most liaj)pily authenticated. Tiie following account of Sir (Charles' recep- * Sec pp. 1!)0, 2, ;t, of the preceding volume. : p. 515. + Preceding volume. 138 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. tion at Gloucester and Regent's town is taken from the Colonial Gazette. " As the Governor approached Gloucester, the inhabitants, with their Rector, the Rev. H. Diiring, at their head, greeted his Excellency on entering the town ; as he advanced, he was met by the most affec- tionate cheers of welcome, and in a moment was surrounded by hun- dreds, eagerly striding to shake the hand of their common father and benefactor. The worthy Rector afterwards collected his flock in the Church, where they all joined in the national anthem of ' God save the King,' in a manner truly affecting to every one present. " Sir Charles and the party, next moved on towards Regent : and so soon as he was espied on the heights above the town, the British Ensign was displayed, and a salute fired with much regularity ; the re- echo of which, among the distant hills had the most grand effect. On his Excellency crossing the large stone bridge adjoining the town, he was met by a band of young school-girls, modestly and neatly attired, and decorated with the simple, though sweet and fragrant flowers of the country : the eldest girl supported a banner of blue silk, upon which was exhibited in large white characters : " Fear God. Honour the king." 1 Peter ii. 17. — " Obey them that have the rule over you." Heb. xiii. 17. — " God save the king." 1 Sam. X. 24. " The girls preceded his Excellency up the hill to the parsonage- house, amidst the enthusiastic and affectionate cheering of full two thousand voices, welcoming him once more among them. Sir Charles had scarcely entered the house, when the anxious crowd rushed into the great room, exclaiming again and again, ' Thank God ! Dady come ! God bless him ; ' nor were they satisfied until his Excellency again went out among them. We confess we never witnessed on any occasion, so gratifying a scene, nor one better calculated to excite the finest feelings of human nature ; the joy expressed on every coun- tenance, and the warmth of affectionate feeling poured forth by those freed children of Africa, excited emotions in us which we feel quite in- competent to describe. " His Excellency remained among his affectionate negroes for a con- siderable time, when their excellent Rector and Suj)crintendant, the Rev. W. Johnson, led them in a body to the Church, where they joined in hymns of thanksgiving to the Almighty ; so many voices on such an interesting occasion, aecomj)anicd by the solemn notes of the organ, ])ro(luced in us sensations of the most serious though gratify- ijig description." On the following Thursday, Dec. (>, the Governor with some friends visited Regent's Town and dined with the Snj)erintendants of the liberated negroes. On this occasion, Mr. Johnson expressed i'or THE governor's VISIT TO THE NEGRO VILLAGES. 139 himself and the other Missionaries, the grateful sense they entertained of his Exeellency s paternal care of the poor Africans under their charge. He also mentioned with well-merited eulogj% the exertions of the chief Superintendant of liberated negroes, Joseph Reffcll, Esq. whose indefatigable zeal and attention to his duties, had been most conspicuous during the Governor's absence. "That gentleman (said Mr. Johnson) had spared neither liis health nor strength. He had visited the mountain towns, not only as chief Superintendant, but as a friend, a comforter, an adviser ; nor had the frequency of these visits been in- terrupted by the inclemency of the seasons. Mr. Reffell had not merely examined the people, and inspected the children in the schools, to ascertain their state and progress, but he had urged them in- dividually to a knowledge of that God whose word teaches them " to honour their king," and to " be subject to the higher powers ; "in fact they had, on all occasions, experienced Mr. Rcffell's support and assistance in whatever tended to support the great and good cause iu which all were engaged. The sentiments which he now expressed, were those of his brethren around him ; and he would add, those of exery liberated negro ; for he knew that the negr^oes did feel, and feel gratefully too, towards all their benefactors. To Sir Charles, who stood pre-eminent, they had evinced their love and gratitude. His Excellency had ever proved himself a real father to them, and to the missionaries, and they sincerely blessed God for his happy return among them." Addresses of congratulation on his return, were presented to the Governor a few days after. In his reply, he said " I consider it one of the happiest circumstances of my life to have been accessarj- in my humble exertions to the promotion of the benevolent and lil)eral views of his Majesty's government : to tlie indefatigable exertions and virtuous zeal of the Superintciidants and Missionaries, we are to attribute the state of civilization of that interesting portion of our population — the liberated negroes." The anniversary of the Sierra Leone Church Missionary Association, was held on the 26th of December, at whicli his Excellency presided ; on taking the chair, he said, " My dear friends. — It seems to be your wish that I should ])reside at this meeting, and I cannot but express my feelings for your kind- ness. I am happy to meet you this day, as your brother and your father ; and shall consider it my hajjpiness to support the cause in be- half of which we are met together." The speakers on this interesting occasion, consisted of four su|)('i iu- tcndants, four native teachers, the Rev. G. Lane, Wcsleyan Mission- ary, and J. Lisk, school-master at Freetown. The speeches of the 140 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. natives were characterized by the same sound principles of piety and christian benevolence, as on former occasions. One of them said, " Now, my dear friends, whatever you give, give all with your heart, and with a willing heart. If you do give all, and grudge it, you better keep it — no one will take it from you. Now do you think that missionary can go to our country -people, suppose you no give them something to eat, and something for drink. All these things cost plenty money — therefore you must give all the coppers you can spare, and give them with a praying heart for God to bless them, and make them useful. Now, suppose one man die for another man, don't you think that man what die love t'other one ? Well — God send Him dear Son to die for we sinners : now God Almighty love we dearly." Mr. Johnson having in his speech adverted to the annexation of the British possessions on the gold coast, to the Government of Sierra Leone,* Sir Charles MacCarthy said, " Nothing can be more gratifying to you and to me ; because now I trust we shall have an opportunity of doing good to more people on the coast. Some have been colonized at least 150 years, but they are far behind, in fact we are now to teach them those principles which actuate us ; we are to shew them the true way to prosperity and happi- ness. In the place to which I allude, there is no establishment like that of the Church Missionary Society here, to encourage any one to preach the gospel to the people. It is therefore especially gratifying to me, that the principles which you possess, will be imparted to them also ; and I shall always gladly assist in every measure calculated to promote among them the objects of the Society." The effect which the work of Divine grace was producing, not only on the immediate objects of christian philanthropy, but on the gentle- men of the Colony, who were led to inspect the settlements, and who expressed their surprise and gratification at the order, industry and piety of the inhabitants, was very observable ; they could not help yielding to the conviction, that the gospel is the great and efficient instrument of civilizing the heathen, and acknowledging that the Church Missionary Society was exercising a most beneficial influence on the African population. In testimony of their approval, several of the European residents of the Colony, contributed to the funds of the association, and entered their names as annual subscribers. So that this year the parent Society received a considenably increased accession of pecuniary aid, from this branch of its foreign auxiliaries. The following is the amount of contributions reported at the meeting, together with the items, representing the liberality of both Europeans and Christian Africans. - See Iiilmdiitlioii. TESTIMONY IN FAVOR OF WATERLOO. 141 £, «. d. His Excellency the Governor 10 0 : 0 Donations of colonial gentlemen 20 2 : 0 Annual subscriptions of ditto 13 12 : 0 Ditto of missionaries and teachers 16 10 : 0 Contributions of liberated neqroes. Waterloo 3 10 : 0 Leopold 4 9 : 3 Wilberforce 6 19 : 1| Charlotte 7 .3 : 0 Gloucester 18 14 : 9 Regent's Town 72 8 : 1 /V nniml TTiAAfinry xl.llliu.ctl lllCCl.iIl^ A, 1 n 177 18 : 4 The meeting was held in a fine new stone church, which was com- menced 1818, and opened on the 9th of July, 1820. It was seventy- six feet by forty ; and was capable of containing 800 persons. It was dedicated to St. Andrew. The new village of Waterloo still enjoyed the superintendance of Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm. At Michaelmas, there were sixty boys, and seventy-eight girls in the school. About twenty-eight persons seemed interested about their souls, and twelve communicants gave evidence of a ntal change. The testimony of some gentlemen who made an excursion round the peninsula, in favor of Waterloo, and its faithful minister, must not be omitted. It is extracted from the Sierra Leone Gazette. " Nothing during our tour, gave us greater pleasure than the appearance of this village, established little more than two years. The extent of cleared country in a state of cultivation, is almost incredible. We measured seventy-six s(juare acres of rice, some of which was ready to cut, in the immediate vicinity of this town. " The town is well laid out ; the houses are rather superior to any in the other villages on the ])eninsuia : the rector's house, and the girl's and boy's school-bouses, arc neat and commodious. " The greatest credit is due to the worthy rector, the Rev. J. G. Wilhelm ; and not less to Mrs. Wilhelm, for her assiduity in the instruction of the girls placed under her protection. It is but a short time since these promising girls were relieved from tlie galling chains of slavery, and put under her guidance ; and now to behold them reading their lessons, repeating their prayers, or bubily emjjloyed at their needle, excites the most lively and gratifying reflections, and 142 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. produces a thorough conviction of the unbouudcd blessings which may he bestowed, by a strict attention and constant assiduity, in the educa- tion and civihzation of the most superstitious and barbarous tribes." A missionary association was formed this year at Waterloo, and the sum of £2 : 10. contributed by the people. At Hastings, another of the new villages, William Da\is, a native teacher from Regent's Town, held Divine service every Sunday. The people had voluntarily undertaken to erect a place of worship, and Mr. RefFell, chief superintendant of liberated Africans, was able to report, that the morals of the disbanded soldiers, who formed the bulk of the population, were improving. This year a new station was formed at between two and three miles distance from Kissey : it was named Wellington. At the end of the year it was thus described in the Sierra Leone Gazette : " This village has a very respectable appearance. There are 300 houses in it ; and the inhabitants cultivate their farms about the country surrounding them. There are 200 farmers, 40 lime-burners, 30 sawyers, and 10 shingle-makers ; besides a few carpenters, masons, and a blacksmith. There are upwards of 200 acres in the vicinity of the town under cultivation ; several have raised this year a ton and a half of rice ; and the large quantity of cassadas, cocoa, and Guinea corn, which has likewise been raised, shews that the inhabitants have been as industrious as those at the other villages." Mr. Nylander attended this village as his health, would allow, on Sun- day afternoons, while Beckley was with him as schoolmaster at Kissey. and Beckley attended on Tuesday evenings. On the death of Mr. Renner, however, in September, Beckley was appointed to succeed him at Kent, where a large building 72 feet by 48, the first floor of which was to be approjjriated to Divine worship, was this year completed, and pre- sented a fine appearance from the sea. ^Icntion was made in the preceding volume, of Bathurst, a settle- ment on the island of St. Mary, to which at the recommendation of the Committee, the Rev. William Hughes, formerly schoolmaster under the Society at Goree, was appointed Government Chaplain.* The melancholy deaths of both Mr. and Mrs. Hughes, in the month of August this year, were also mentioned — as was likewise the appoint- ment of the Rev. John Horton to succeed Mr. Hughes. Mr. Horton, however, remained but a short time in the Colony ; and William Tamba, at the request of Mr. Reffell, was placed as native teacher at this settlement, where lie kept Divine service every day, morning and evening, and also superintended a day and evening-school. • See procpdiiig Volume, pp. 534 — 6. COLONIAL STATISTICS. 14;? On the subject of native teachers, Johnson wrote to the Committee at the end of tliis year. " As William Davis has now the charge of Wilberforce^ and Hastings is left vacant, I have spoken to one of our oldest communicants, who has undertaken to officiate for the present at Hastings. He was bap- tized with Tamba, Davis, and Noah — has useful gifts in prayer, and explaining the scriptures, and reads well. He is a tailor by trade, and independent of Government — has a wife and one child — and is of irre- proachable conduct. As he will have to go on Saturday and come back on Monday, we shall be obliged to allow him something for loss of time. " We have another communicant, a carpenter, who has offered his services to the Society : he is very promising. I have put him on trial, he receives extra instruction, and sliould he prove worthy, I shall, at a future period, present him to the Society. He has an ardent de- sire to teach his countrymen. " I feel thankful that we are enabled to supply the Society with native teachers, for which we cannot obtain Europeans. " W. Tamba, I am happy to say, conducts himself with great pro- priety ; the pf'ople luider bis care at Bathurst do certainly improve. The schools are in good order. I am on the other hand sorry that we cannot visit the Sherbro country. Oh that the Lord would lend us more help ! " We cannot better conclude this chapter than by a brief reference to the temporal prosperity of the Colony, together with a few remarks on the subject, from a local observer. The official returns published in the Sierra Leone Gazette, shew that in this year (1821,) thirty-four merchant vessels of from 57 to 355 tons had entered tlie jiort of Freetown; of these 27 were from London, two from Liver])oo], and from Hull, Exeter, Barbadoes, Nova Scotia, and St. John, one each. The returned value of the imports in this yearwas ^105,060 : 1 5 : 10. ; being an increase of <£;?8,;?;i.') :(>:(}. over that of 1820, which was 3666,725 : 19 : 1. In the export trade twenty-six vessels were employed, containing G805 tons. These statistical details are accompanied in the journal in which they appear, with the following encouraging observations : — " The success of the system pursued for some years past, in the internal manaj^ement of this (Colony, has done away with [)rejudices the most inveterate ; and, what is perhaps of more importance, its benignant influence rapidly extends over the barbarous nations adjoin- ing our possessions on the coast. Even the stern and unbending spirit of Islamism, seems to relax and modify itself at the approach of 144 CHURCH MISSION IN SIKRIi.V LKONE. Christian civilization. The great Malioniedan powers of Foulali and of Massina, eagerly court our countenance and coiniection ; their traders and messengers experience, in this Colomr, a probity and good faith hitherto unknown to them in transactions with white men. Nor does a single native return from hence into the interior, without being, in some measure, divested of his prejudices ; and without having imbibed a feeling in favour of our manners and institutions. In consequence of this intercourse with the most distant tribes of the interior, a know- ledge of this Colony is acquired by them, which surprised our late tra- vellers ; the adventurous Dockard having heard, with astonishment, the name of MacCarthy pronounced with respect on the remote banks of the Niger. " It is, however, by a glance at the present actual state of the Colony itself, and on contrasting it with what we were a few years back, that the results of the measures now pursued may be duly estimated. " We have not resided a long time on this coast ourselves, yet we can remember when the inhabitants of Freetown comprised the whole population of the Colony, and when the hills surrounding us seemed to be its boundaries ; when a journey to the Hogbrook, where Regent now stands, was deemed a task of considerable cUfficulty, and was never attempted unless in large parties. At a more recent date, the erection of a stone house, such as we now see on almost every lot, was only attempted by the government; the great majority of the inhabitants residing in miserable hovels, their manners and customs apparently as rude as their habitations. " Such was the picture then afforded to the newly-arrived stranger. His feelings would, of course, be commensurate to the scene before him. "What different sensations must now pervade the breast of an indivi- dual coming among us ! " On our wharfs, the busy stir of commerce meets his ear ; and in every branch of society, he finds persons whose manners and intellec- tual acquirements will bear comparison with the relative ranks, in any part of the world. " But it is in our liberated African towns, that the richest enjoyment awaits the arrival of the philanthropist. There he may contemplate, with delight, the happy fruits of that system, the primary feature of which is Religious Instruction ; and with, and proceeding from that instruction, the inculcation of moral and industrious habits, the superiority of the moimtain roads, the cleanness and respectable appearance of the villages ; but above all, the immense forests cleared away, and the soil covered with the various productions of the climate, fully attest the inncniitting industry of tliese interesting TEMPOHAL STATE OF THE COLONY. 145 people ; — while the buildings erected in the respective villages, solely by the negroes themselves, mark their capability and improvement as artificers. Our population gradually increases by the influx of natives from the neighbouring tribes ; and since the last census, the number of victims rescued by the Squadron from slavery has been considerable. Savage and uncultivated as these new Colonists really are on their arrival, it appears surprising with what facility they acquire our lan- guage ; and how soon they abandon their native customs. In no in- stance, perhaps, is the superiority of the plan adoped in the manage- ment of this interesting portion of the community more apparent, than in observing their comparative moral and intellectual improve- ment, even a few months subsequent to their landing in the Colony." w CHAPTER V POPULATION OF FREETOWN CHURCH CONGREGATION METHODISTS DOMINGO JORDAN HECTOR PETERS THE LORd's DAY BAMBARRA TOWN COMPOSITION OF JURIES AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY DEATH OF MRS. LISK MR. DURINg's RETURN HOME NYLANDER DAVID NOAH FEARFUL CATASTROPHE INCREASE OF POPULATION AT REGENT NATIVE INDUSTRY SAMPLES OF MISSIONARY SUCCESS. We concluded our last chapter with the observations of a local writer, on the growing prosperity of the Colony, in a temporal point of view. We think we cannot better commence this, than with a communication from Chief Justice Fitzgerald, the sincere friend of every Christian undertaking, on the subject of the public observance of religion in Freetown, the capital of the Colony, written in May 1821 : — " The population of Freetown and suburbs comprehends, according to the latest returns, .5,000 persons.* " The congregation which attends the church, consists of the greater portion of the resident Europeans, and their sen'ants, of independent coloured people, soldiers of the garrison, liberated Africans, apprenticed to the king's works, those boys and girls of the colonial schools whose parents attend the church, and some other persons who do not belong to any of these classes. The church is, in general, reasonably full ; and at times, as much so as is consistent with convenience. It may therefore be inferred, that a more numerous attendance woidd take place if the accommodation was more ample ; and this inference is strengthened by what is oc(!asionally seen in the instances of individuals, who if they find a difficulty in obtaining a place on the benches usually frequented by persons of their class, will not immediately present • " According to a return of the population of Sierra Leone, dated August 1, 1823, there were 16,671 inhabitants; of these more than 15, 000 were natives of Africa, tlie rest being chiefly Europeans, and Maroon, and Nova Scotia Settlers. Of those born in Africa, upwards of eleven thousand appear to have been liberated from the holds of tlie vessels which were carrying them into interminable bondage. " — Church Missionary So- ciety, 23rd Ueport. CHURCH CONGREGATIONS : METHODISTS. U7 themselves ; this modesty however, is not frequently prevalent, neither is it necessary ; for there is not any absolute appropriation of seats, and coloured people by no means of the first class, place themselves, with- out any ceremony, on the same benches with the principal Europeans. There is a kind of ante-chamber to the church, which is occupied by liberated Africans ; and a small apartment at the head of the stair- case, with a door opening into the church, admits the prisoners of the gaol to an imperfect participation of the servdce. " The congregation is, throughout all classes, orderly, attentive, and decorous in behaviour. It may not be amiss to mention here, a wish expressed by the late Rev. John Collier, when he was second Colonial Chaplain, that the town should be divided, so that each Chaplain should have a distinct charge. One great difficulty, however, stood in the way of the execution of this plan — the want of a second building which could, with propriety, be employed as a place of worship under the ministr}- of one of the Colonial Chaplains. The Colonial school-house is the only one sufficiently large ; and this is so insecure, that fears are entertained lest it should fall down under the weight of the present occupants. " The propriety of a parochial division, may, however, be made a sub- ject of serious consideration, as soon as a second place suitable for the reception of a congregation, shall be erected. The place now used, besides its limited extent, has the disadvantage of being too remote from the eastern part of the town, inasmuch as it is situated quite at the western extremity. A Church in th.e eastern division, or, as it is commonly called, Settler town, would certainly bring about a great in- crease of worshippers. " Hitherto, the Chaplains have endeavoured to counterbalance the defects of the inconvenient situation and limited accommodation of the (yhurch, by carrying their labours collaterally into those places, when- they seem most wanted, and likely to do the greatest service. The soldiers of the garrison receive instruction in their barracks, and the discharged soldiers of the late Fourth West-India regiment, are taught in the huts appropriated for their residence. No part of the popula- tion of the colony stands more in need of improvenient, than the serving and discharged soldiers — none so freejueutly implicated in crimes of violence, or in those depredations upon property with which Freetown is so grievously infested. " The congregation of the Methodist Chapel, consists of some Europeans, a very large majority of the independent and resj)ectable coloured householders, and their families, including the greater number of the school-children — with some lil)eratc(l Africans, placed in the families as apprentices or as domestic servants. Service is given at tiie Wesleyau ("hapcl twice every day throughout the year. Tlu-re are besides select 148 CHUnCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. prayer-meetings, and a variety of devotional exercises in families ; these lead the members of the Society to a more intimate connection with one another and with their minister. " A good understanding ought by all possible means, to be cultivated between your Missionaries and those of the Methodists. The Method- ists are, more than any others, your natural and legitimate co-operators in the enterprize of converting the heathen Africans to Christianity. " The Wesleyan Chapel hitherto used, is a wooden building. One of larger dimensions (60 feet by 40) is now in progress outside the old one, which will not be taken dovm, until the new one shall have been roofed in over it. This new chapel is of stone. A liberal sub- scription has been raised in the Colony in aid of it ; but the greater part of the charge must, in all probibility, be defrayed by the funds of the Society in England. " A new chapel is also building at the west end of Freetown, for the use of the Wesleyans of the Maroon class, and principally by means of supplies furnished by them ; although aided by a large general subscription among the Colonists, to which the principal Eu- ropeans liberally contributed. This chapel is of stone — the extent 60 feet by 24, it is now ready to receive the roof, and will probably be opened for service about January next. In addition to the large con- gregation at their principal chapel, the Methodist Missionaries have formed two regular subordinate meetings. " One of these is at Congo town ; a large village established by the people of the Congo nation, upon an inlet of the bay of Sierra Leone, about a mile west from Freetown. At this place, a neat stone chapel has been built. The inhabitants are in an advanced state of instruction ; and the care bestowed, collaterally, upon the direction of their industry and on their general improvement, has produced effects highly credita- ble to their teachers. " At Portuguese Town, where the second subordinate meeting is organized, the progress is not yet so striking ; but it is sufficient to afford good j)romise ; and to cherish exertion, as well by the ajjpear- ance of present fruit, as by the prospect of an ample approaching harvest. A Sunday-school was established at this plaoe in 181!) : and the instruction is now extended to some other days. The Missionaries give service as often as tlu'ir occupations will permit, in a chapel which the converts have contributed to erect. The other chief members of the Society in Freetown take charge of the instructions, when the Missionaries are called in other directions. It is said that the people of this village were of very bad character, some few years since ; but now they are among the most orderly and industrious about Freetown, ("oniplaints are, from time to time made, of vexations sustained by them from the malignant bigotry of a few Mahomedans settled in the DOMINGO JORDAN, AND HECTOR PETERS. 149 village ; who, not content with the perfect toleration of their own re- ligious exercises, abuse the protection so liberally aflforded to them, by disturbing the Christian worship, more especially on the Lord's day, when they studiously endeavour by every noisy occupation to interrupt the service, and to shew their contempt of the institution of the Sabbath. Patience, forbearance, and temperate remonstrance, have hitherto been the only means employed to counteract this offensive conduct. It is hoped that these exalted characteristics of Christianity will, in the end, have the effect of correcting the obduracy of these unfeeling followers of Mahomed ; and of converting tliem to that tnie faith, the divine spirit and authority of which they so forcibly prove and exemphfy. Harsh measures, however provoked, and even the moderate legal cor- rectives apparently required, as well as warranted, in circumstances such as those here described, ought as little as possible to be employed in the correction of the errors of Africans, in matters touching religion. The free operation of reason will, in the course of time, convince them of the superiority of the doctrine and of the example of the followers of Christ, to those of the false prophet, as well as to the gross supersti- tions of native Paganism. . " Several independent chapels are established in Freetown. One of these is administered by a coloured man, named Domingo Jordan. This man is parish-clerk of Freetown ; he may, of course, be sup- posed to preach doctrine congenial to that Church. His chapel is well attended. He is a man of integrity and industry in several occu- pations of ordinary business, one of which is that of a shingle-manu- facturer : and although he may derive some emolument from his chapel, it cannot be sufiicient to warrant the slightest imputation of his zeal in the cause of religion to interested motives. Not a day passes, without his morning and evening service. He is much res- pected in his station ; and a subscription, recently instituted for building a new chapel for him on a larger scale, has received liberal contributions, under names which may be understood to convey the best testimonies to his character that the Colony can afford. The pre- sent chapel is of wood, with a thatched roof. The new one is also to be of wood, placed on a foundation of stone, with a shingled roof ; the size, 40 feet by 24. The frequenters of the chapel are to contribute to the work in money, materials, and labour ; it is already in progress. " There is also a numerous Baj)tist congregation, under the direction of a coloured man, named Hector Peters, an honest, laborious, and per- severing individual ; whose fortune has not been much advanced in any of the various pursuits to which his industry has i)een devoted — burthened, moreover, with a family. His chapel is not more pro- ductive of revenue than that of his co-operator, Jordan ; although, like him, he has prayers every day, with inial)ated zeal iiefore sun- 150 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. rise, and after the hours of labour in the evening. Although these men cannot be supposed to be altogether qualified to expound the sacred writings, they are persons of superior intelligence in their class ; and the rectitude of their general principles, as well as the example of their lives, coming in aid of their instructions, their labours have an evident beneficial influence. This humble co-operation cannot, there- fore, with justice and propriety, be overlooked or undervalued, in any notice, however summary, of what is done in this colony for the cause of religion. " There are other officiators, and other chapels. These are, however, entitled to very little consideration, having but few followers, and en- gaging but a small portion of the regard of the community. " Those who are acquainted with the history and composition of the people of the colony, may not unnaturally look for some diWsion in religious inclinations and pursuits, connected with the distinction into the two great classes of Maroons and Settlers ; but it has been happily ordered by providence, that this division has not passed into religious concerns. The principal part of both these classes, in number and importance, is with the Methodists : some of both have followed the Church ; some are with Jordan ; but Peters, and the others of inferior note to him, have in their train all the lowest of the Nova-Scotians ; probably through a principle of attachment to kindred and to country, which the Maroons and other classes could not associate with their religion, having, until very lately, no teachers of their own community. The observances which have been noticed, will probably be thought sufficient to create a favourable impression of the state of religious feeling and demeanor of the settlement of Freetown. The Lord's day is more decorously kei)t than it is in most other j)laces, the shops are all shut : there is no such thing as buying and selhug. The christian part of the people attend worship at the places which they have res- pectively chosen ; and all the congregations are alike remarkable for imi- form and respectful attention. Throughout the streets, corresponding ])ropriety is noticed : intoxication, in the gross and disgusting form in which it is so commonly seen on the Lord's Day in England, is of very rare occurrence here ; with the painful exception of European seamen, whose conduct and language in their frequent inebriations, on that day especially, are of the most depraving example. It is not to be under- stood that the day passes in perfect sobriety, among the inhabitants in general ; it is the decency, and not the abstinence, that makes the distinction. Excesses are committed, and are generally brought under the animadversion of the Magistrates on the Monday, in consequence of the (juarrels occasioned by tin in ; but these quarrels are almost uni- versally of a trilling nature. Tbcre is not anytliing in flie circum- stances collecti\ ely, to detract from tbc credit liuit has been taken. BAMBARA TOWN. 151 " I have now nearly gone through the different degrees of the state and condition of christian worship and instruction, in Freetown and the adjacent hamlets. " There is still one hamlet left, which requires particular notice. It is called Bambara Town, and is situated about half-a-mile to the east- ward of Freetown. The inhabitants of this place are a mixed collec- tion of liberated Africans, chiefly of the nations in the interior : a few of them have received a small portion of Christian instruction, a greater number are Mahomedans, but the majority of all are Pagans. They live by their own exertions, independent of any support from Govern- ment ; and, consequently, independent of its controul ; they are, in truth, under no superintendance whatsoever ; and what has been al- ready observed of the inhabitants of Soldier Town, may, in a stronger manner, be applied to them. Fugitives and occasional absentees from the towns in the interior of the colony, occasional and permanent settlers from the neighbouring nations, native artisans, labourers, and traders, or mere idle visitors, swell the irregular population of Bambara Town ; and render it, in truth, an African hamlet in the centre of a British colony. The associations of conntry-men and ■countrj - women, which have peculiar influence on the minds of Africans, are greatly instrumental to the accumulation of this multitude. The small portion to which a little christian information has been commu- nicated, stands indebted for that great benefit, originally to the labours of some Methodist teachers a consideral)lc number of years since, and recently to the facility of access to the chapel in which the disbanded soldiers of the fourth West-India Regiment are instructed by the Rev. Samuel Flood. The huts, called 'the Camp,' of the fourth West- India Rcgimeut, are close to Bambara Town ; and, to the opportunity thus afforded to the peoj)le of Bambara Town, it is to be attributed, that the impressions originally made there long since, are not suffered to die away. But the general mass is infected with every vice. Gaming and licentiousness prevail without restraint ; and the dej)reda- tions so generally committed upon tlie property of mercliants and princij)al house-holders in Freetown are found, when discovery sup- plies any means of tracing them, to have originated, or to have deposited their fruits in Bambara or in Soldier Town. Bambara Town is, however, entitled to the credit of having made ])ublic discovery of some depots of stolen goods : a credit to which Soldier Town is yet without a claim, having preferred the inviolability of that criminal attachment which but too generally induces Africans to do any thing rather than make discovery one of another. " The importance of instituting a settled system of religious instruc- tion among these nssemljhiges of crude perverted Africans, is ()l)vi(>us and crying. It is favourable t<> the h<)[)es and prospects ol" ani|ilt 152 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. success in commensurate efforts for this object, that the people stand unmixed with others : they are not blended with the general population — communicating tlie corruption of their own barbarism ; and receiving corrupt notions of Christianity, which miglit not afterward be easily eradicated, to make room for more correct notions. " The deduction of the inhabitants of these villages, will account for the deficiency of the general attendance at worship, in comparison with the number of inhabitants given in the last census for Freetown. Notwithstanding the length to which these observations have already extended, there is still a particular matter which cannot be left unnoticed. " It is generally supposed that a deadly and irreconciliable animosity subsists between the Nova Scotians and the Maroons, and almost every year, on the approach of Christmas, rumours of massacres mutually intended by these classes, are in common circulation ; with some alarm, at times, to the timid, but without any attention from the reflecting and well-informed ; some trifling riots committed by very young men, princi[)ally of the Settlers, present the whole amount of actual mischief. But the object of this particular notice is, to mark, in a more special manner, the gradual and rapid extinction of that hostility accom- plished principally by the influence of religion. The resort of the superior persons of both classes, to the church and to the Methodist chapel, has already been mentioned, as well as the happy effect of that concurrence. It appears expedient to mention, also, the direct co- operation of the administrative justice of the colony toward the extinc- tion of this feud. Admonitions, having this tendency addressed to offenders in particular instances, have produced evident and general effect. A more important change was made in a recent instance, res- pecting the composition of juries in the Civil Courts. A practice had formerly been instituted, of composing the j)anel of one third Euro- peans, one third Maroons, and one third Settlers. This practice, in recent times, had not been strictly regarded ; but reference was made to it, upon a particular case, in which the composition of the jury was called in question ; and, on consideration of the whole matter, it was thought a great benefit to the Colony, that the distinction formerly established had fallen into disuse, without having furnished any ground of com])Iaint by the discontinuance. It was thought advisable, not to make the administration of justice instrumental to the revival of dis- tinctions, which were haj)pily sinking into oblivion ; and the sheriff was directed to summon his juries without regard to classes, only taking care that no class should be unrepresented. If any more si)ecific for- mation should appear essential to the ends of justice, a proper order would be made in (he special case, on motion in the C-onrt. This declaration was received with mucli satisfaction by the ])rincipal per- MORAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE COLONY. 153 sons of both classes. Maroons and Settlers, who were present in Court ; and being frequently repeated in successive stages of the case, which was long htigated on motions for a new trial, the knowledge of it became universal in the Settlement, and was gratifying to all. The progress of the spirit of union has continued since that time without interruption." To the general improvement of the Colony, we shall take this opportunity of adducing a few testimonies. Mr. Diiring was able to re- port to the Committee, most favourably, of the capacity of the African for mental cultivation. He said : — " SL\ years' experience has taught me that the African can learn anything ; and that he is not what designing men have represented him, a sort of middle-creature between man and brute. " Most of those with whom I hve, have been brought from the holds of slave-ships. I have seen them rise from the chains of the slave-dealer, to become industrious men and women, faithful subjects, pious Christians, affectionate husbands and wives, tender fathers and mothers, and peaceable neighbours. Considering these things, I have always thought myself among the happiest of men, in serving in this way our Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood cleanses even the soul of an Ethiopian from all sin ; and in being connected \nth our Society, which is evidently instrumental, in the Lord's hand, of much good to distant nations, especially to the afflicted sons of Africa." In September 18'2'2, Mr. Johnson communicated a circumstance which must ap])ear quite conclusive on the point. — " At the Quarter Sessions, the Chief Justice observed, when ad- dressing the Inquest, that ten years ago, when the population of the colony was only 4,000, there were forty cases in the calendar for trial ; and now that the population was upward of 16,000, there were only 8L\ cases on the calendar. lie congratulated the Magistrates and Grand Jury on the moral improvement of the colony. There was not a sin- gle case from any of the villages under the superintendance of a Missionary or School-master ; when the Chief Justice found that this was the fact, he dismissed us and our constables in a \ery civil man- ner, as having no business to attend to at the Quarter Sessions ; and we departed well pleased." But the most decisive testimony is tliat of the Chief Justice him- self, who in a letter to the Secretary of the Society, states some facts in connection witli his own otticial arrangenu'nts, whicli places the matter beyond dispute. lie wrote : — " I avail myself of tliis o|)portunity to express to you niy Mirprise that Mr. Johnson, Mr. During, or Mr. Nvlmdcr, has not, as I infer 154 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. from the want of notice in the Missionan' Register, mentioned to you a matter, which as I conceive, ought to be considered an important event for their respective communities generally ; and worthy of notice, even if only the interests of those immediately concerned, were to be regarded. " At the Colonial Sessions holden in Dec. 1821, I inquired of Mr. Johnson whether any of the inhabitants of Regent's Town were qualified to serve on juries ; and I intimated, that if there were any so quahfied, it would be proper to call upon them to perform that duty, in conjunction with the inhabitants of Freetown. Mr. Johnson named two or three of his people as being fully qualified ; and one of them, named Josiah Yamsey, took his turn as a juror on several trials. A similar mtimation was given to Mr. During and Mr. Nyliin- der, and subsequently persons from Gloucester and Kissey, recom- mended by those gentlemen severally, have served with perfect satisfaction to their fellow-jurors. " It was my intention, originally, to limit their service to trials for offences not capital ; but as they were called over in turn with the others, and no objection was made to them, I did not like to interpose jiersonally for their exclusion, after having, in the first instance, in- vited them, upon a general assurance of their fitness, which after their first service might be considered as approved. I had, besides, reason to beUeve the cases pending to be of that nature in which, in the event of the conviction of the accused, the capital punishment would be remitted. "The first, or at least the most remarkable, instance of a hberated African serving on juries, is John French, Headman of the Coroman- tine nation at Sierra Leone ; whose industry, as well as his generosity in relieving the distressed people of his country with the fruits of it, have been noticed by me on some pubUc occasions. John French has long been in the habit of serving as a juror, in the ordinary course, with the other householders of Freetown. The station which tliis man has attained, and his conduct m it, renders him worthy of higher consi- deration ; residing as he does, in the independent community of Free- town, in a perfect state of self-governance. Others may be found in the same community, like him hi industry and affluence ; but I could not ascertain that they were like him in moral and religious character and conduct. They were left to come forward in ordinary turn ; and, as it was expedient that a further number of liberated Africans should be accustomed to act as jurors, I knew not whence they could so well be called, as from the villages ; the better-chsposed inhabitants of which are known to the respective superintcndants, and are favoured with their particular care and instruction." On the :nst of August, there appeared in the Giuetlc, some rc- AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. 155 marks on the report made to the Agricultural Society, relative to the state of the different settlements. From these we select the follow- ing as corroborative of the views which we wish to establish : — " The reports of the superintendant afford undeniable proofs of the industrious habits of the people ; and hold out the most pleasing and gratifying prospects of the advantages to be reaped from Agricultural labour in this colony. No individual member of the Society had formed any accurate idea of the extent of cultivation, and the quantity of produce obtained thereby, until the facts contained in these reports were disclosed to the Meeting. The highest praise is due to the different superintendants of the tillages, for their assiduity and attention in directing their respective flocks into habits of Agricultural industry, (/ultivation is still extending in all the villages, and many of the peo- ple expect this year, to be enabled to supply the markets much more abundantly with rice and other vegetable products of the soil, than formerly. The rearing of stock is also more particularly attended to ; it appears from the reports, imperfect as they are in many respects, that the total stock on hand consisted of 173 head of cattle, 2,967 ducks, 1,GC8 pigs, 522 sheep, 731 goats, and 9,399 fowls, without including turkeys, pigeons, jackasses, and horses. The honorary rewards which were bestowed on those farmers who had pre-eminently distinguished themselves for industry, as well in clearing the ground and cultivating it, as in rearing stock, have excited no ordinary spirit of laudable zeal among the people ; and it is fully expected that the next prizes to be given will be very warmly contested by the cultivators of the different parishes." We think we mav now unhesitatingly refer this striking change in the habits of these poor despised Africans, to the power of the divine word brought to bear upon their minds and hearts. That they them- selves thought so, we have the strongest assurance in their expressions of gratitude for the sjjiritual privileges amidst which they were placed ; in their love for the Society to whose instrumentality they owed their Christian cultivation, and their ready contributions to its funds ; and in their veneration for the Scriptures and desire for their circulation. In proof of this last fact, it is only necessary to mention that up to the year 1 822, that is, in five years, the Auxiliary Bible Society of the colony had remitted little short of £300 in aid of the parent Institu- tion in London. We resume our history of the Mission. In March, the return home of Mr. and Mrs. Lisk left the Freetown schools without a Euro- pean teacher for the greater part of this year. The severe illness of Mrs. Lisk, which had contiiuicd for several mouths, had rendered iu-r return to Europe imperative, and her husband accompanied her. She 156 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEURA LEONE. was not destined however, to revisit her native land, for she departed in calm resignation to the divine will, on the 24th of June, the day preceding the arrival of the vessel in which she sailed, at Portsmouth. The two native teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Fox, did what they could to supply the deficiency in the schools. A more aflHicting bereavement still was occasioned to the Mission, by the ill health of Mr. Diiring, which at length obliged him on the 3rd of May, to bid a temporary adieu to his dear people, for the pur- pose of trying the effect of a voyage to England, where he arrived on the 16th of July accompanied by Mrs. Johnson, whom repeated attacks of fever had reduced to the lowest state of physical debility. In consequence of these losses to the Mission, it was found necessary to bring forward more native teachers. To William Tamba, William Da\'is, and David Noah, who had been for some time in the Society's service, were added John Sandy and James Thompson ; and several of the youths of the Christian Institution were brought into active service in the different schools. Mr. Johnson's reflections at this crisis were pious and appropriate, " Our company," he writes, " is now smaller than I have known it to be since my being in Africa. When I in thought survej^ our Missionary settlements, I behold one here almost exhausted, having lost liis strength by a long residence in this country, yet struggling to bring another soul to " the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world ; " and another there endeavouring to get the better of repeated attacks of fever, which have unfitted him for usefulness, almost the whole time of his being in Africa. But let us consider on the other hand, it is the Lord who will work, notwithstanding our weak state. He is still doing wonders ; by His sovereign power He carries on His work through the instrumentality of a few weak, worn-out men, that the praise and glory may be all His owti." In the above extract, affecting reference is made to an old and faithful servant of the Society, the llev. G. R. Nyhinder, who was now indeed " almost exhausted " under the pressure of bodily ailments, contracted through the combined influence of climate and mental exertions under unfavourable circumstances. While alluding to his own indivi- dual case in a communication to the Committee, he off'ers a suggestion regarding future Missionaries, which was considered worthy of adop- tion. He said : — " I have kept my health tolerably well since I wrote to you last ; but my constitution is so broken that a very little exertion obliges me to lie down to rest, not to say sick, but exhausted. Our physician says that had I visited Europe in due time, I should have been now as strong as ever I was ; this induces me to suggest to the Committee, whetlier it might not be made a rule for Missionaries coming hither UAVID NOAH. in future, that after staying a certain number of years, they sliould be permitted to return home for the purpose of recruiting their strength ; for certainly in this country, we do eat our bread by the sweat of our brow, and at the expence of our Hves. The Missionary would be animated by the hope of seeing his friends at the expiration of a given period, and of being refreshed both in body and soul ; and our spiritual life needs as much reanimation as our bodies do after so much absence. When I say this, do not think that I myself should wish to leave my station. I have lived here sixteen years ; now let me be buried with my people." The work of the Lord at Regent's Town continued to prosper in the hands of the exemplary Mr. Johnson, assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Nor- man, and forty-seven native ushers and teachers, male and female ; at the head of these stood David Noah, who proved himself a real acquisition to the cause. Of him Mr. Johnson v.rote : — " David Noah is employed from daybreak till ten o'clock at night, a continuance of exertion which no European could endure in this climate. He conducts entirely the day and evening schools ; besides tliis he issues rations for about 1,200 people, keeps the provision-lists and returns, and school-lists, measures out all the lots, and sees that the houses and fences are regularly built ; prays with the sick, receives the stores every Thursday in Freetown, enters marriages, baptisms, &c. and does the duty of a parish clerk ; in short he is every thing at Regent's Town. He occasionally, when I cannot go, has run to Bathurst and also to Gloucester. I cannot sufficiently praise God for having given me such an assistant. He does all with great pleasure, and never thinks that he can do too much. If he has five minutes to spare, they are generally spent in my study among the books. He works a slate full of problems during school-hours, which he copies in a book between ten and eleven o'clock at night ; and after that time he writes his journal ; he then retires, and rests till half-past-five in the morning." John Johnson and William Bickersteth, from the Christian Insti- tution, assisted David Noah in the schools ; and other youths from the Institution, together with those who formed the first classes in the day schools, acted as teachers in the evening schools. John Sandv, another active youth, assisted Mr. Johnson in the preparation of candidates for l)aptism and the Lord's Suj)per. In June the population of this village was considerably increased by the arrival of another batch of liberated slaves. The horrors of the slave-trade were thus ever before tlie eyes of tlie Missionaries. The arrival of these wretched beings at tlie different settlements, with every mark of mental and phy.sical debasement, was sometimes, however, accompanied by circumstances in their case more.n|)paliiug 158 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. still to the h^rts of those men of God, who were ohliged to witness them. For example, in a letter dated June 18, 1822, Mr. Johnson writes : — " The day before yesterday a slave schooner, with 400 unhappy fellow-creatures on board, was upset off Cape Sierra Leone. Only seven men were saved ; they had got into a boat and were picked up by the Myrmidon. Nineteen sailors and two officers of this vessel were on board to bring her into Sierra Leone, who have all perished with the rest. A tornado* came on suddenly and turned the vessel over. " Oh, dear brother, how many poor creatures fall a sacrifice to the inhuman traffic in human blood. I have been filled with horror ever since. Numbers were landed from another vessel yesterday in a most deplorable conch tion. " The hospital at Leicester is overflowing, some are but just alive ; and others are walking about with a death-like look, and vnll, to all appearance, fall also a sacrifice. One poor creature in the girl's-school died just now ; and five or six more will soon follow. My heart is full ! " What do the good people of England know about the real state of Africa ? They can have no idea of its misery, unless they are eye- witnesses as we are. Oh, when shall an end be put to this trade? O Lord ! have mercy, have mercy upon aflHicted Africa ! " This month, in consequence of the fresh arrivals, the population of Regent had increased from 1551 to 1750 — all except 28 being Africans ; and at the close of this year, the children in the schools amounted to 909 — the greatest increase from the new arrivals being in the men's evening-school. On Sunday, the 28th of April, there were 310 communicants at the Lord's table — 30 were absent from sickness, and 38 were under probation ; so that in all they may be reckoned at 378. At Midsummer there were 35 added to this number. At Michaelmas, 25 more, and at Christmas 24. So that at the last men- tioned period, the communicants of Regent's Town amounted to 472 persons. All, it is to be hoped, eager for the bread of life. The church, which at first was only forty feet by thirty, had been enlarged for the fifth time, besides the addition of galleries capable of accommodating 450 persons ; yet was it often crowded to such excess, that many were obliged to stand outside. Attendance on public wor- ship, both on Sundays and week-days, continued most exemplary, and all the fruits of christian cultivation abounded. " Love and unity," said Mr. Johnson, " among the communicants continue to increase ; and morality does at large more prevail at Regent : disputes diminish very faat, and those which do occur are trifling." Meanwhile the formation of industrious habits among the people * Sec p. ft, of the preccdiiiR volume, for a (lo8cri|itiuu of this wiiu!. NATIVE INDUSTRY. 159 at large was not overlooked. The clearing of gromid for cultivation, gave occupation to many, and about this time upwards of 400 acres, which, five years before formed an entire forest, was now under tillage, supporting by its produce, which was sold in the markets of Regent and Freetown, about 600 persons. Of one farmer, Mr. Johnson wrote : — " He sold last year Cassada, £20 ; Cocoa, £19 ; liTdian corn, £S — total £o2. He has more than this value now on the ground — some Indian com to sell, which is good for seed, and a great quantity of pine-apples, plantains and bananas now growing ; and clears ground for rice. Three years ago he bought two goats, which have since produced fifteen. He is building a substantial house. All this is the fruit of his labour." Of such fruits of their industry these Christian people continued to offer to the Lord an acknowledgment of His bounties, both spiritual and temporal. The contributions to the Missionary Association amoun- ted this year to ,£74 : 10 : 2|. We proceed now to supply a few samples of the great work in which the power of the Holy Spirit was so manifest. May these evidences of His Dinne operation in Africa provoke to jealousy the professing christian churches in other quarters of the globe. The writer acknow- ledges with grief and shame, that they far transcend his own expe- rience, cither personally or ministerially ; and he prays earnestly that they may stimulate him to deeper searchings of heart, and fuller and clearer expositions of gospel truth. We make no apology for the length to which our present extracts will run. The power of the word of Ufe iu its application to the hearts and consciences of individual hearers, will furnish us with our first set of examples. After a sermon which Mr. Johnson had preached from Hcb. ix. 27, 28. " One woman," he writes, "wanted to know whether I had not spoken particularly to her. She had been to one of her countrymen, and asked if Massa had not pointed to her. She seemed confident that I had ; and said, ' Massa, all that true that you spoke about me yesterday morning : when you point to me, I stand just in that fash- ion ; ' she wejjt much, ^and wanted to know what she must do to be saved from all them bad things that she had been doing. This woman has hitherto been a very bad character. Slu; continned talking ; and I suppose would willingly have told me all the sins of which she had been guilty, if I had not prevented her. She was so distressed, that she at last wept aloud. All I could do, was to direct her to Him, whom her sins had pierced. May God the Spirit bless the word which was spoken to her ! " On the occasion of another sermon, Mr. Johnson says — " A man, who has hitherto Icil a wicked life, came to nic inurli 160 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. alarmed : he said. On Sunday you preached about them words, ' Come now and let us reason together.' You spoke about a woman who had a bad husband, and who treated his wife very bad ; but the woman was a christian ; she treated her husband very kind, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible : another man observed this, and asked the woman, how she could treat her husband so kind, who did all he could to make her miserable ; she answered, that she endeavoured to do so, as in this life only her poor husband would have to enjoy comforts : being an unconverted person she pitied him, when she considered what his awful condition would be in the world to come. Now I stand just the same ; my wife I believe serves God for true, and many times I trouble her for nothing, but she bears all, and I think I see her now looking at me with tears in her eyes and sighing. I always thought that that was nothing but fancy ; but since you told us about that man and his wife, I have no rest : I am afraid I shall be miserable in the world to come. You said, the same time, that if a man was to fall over- board into the sea, and a rope was thrown to him, and he refused to lay hold of it, if he was drowned it was his own fault. I have heard now six years the word of God, and about the salvation of sinners by the Lord Jesus ; but have refused to lay hold of the rope : I am so afraid that it is now too late : but am a little encouraged, because God says still, ' Come now, and let us reason together.' " A woman said, ' Massa, that time the week comes when we go to the Lord's Supper, I always get into trouble. I fear so much for this week, because next Sunday the Lord's Supper. Suppose this be only once to me, but me see this every time ; something always come and give me trouble. And them words which you speak to-night make me 'fraid too much, — I hope the Lord Jesus will keep me.' " ' I can't tell,' said another woman, ' how I stand this time. Sometimes I long to go to church to hear the word of God ; but, some- times, I could do any thing else, I so cold. I think I love the Lord Jesus ; but ah, how my heart fights against me ; them thoughts that come in my heart, are not fit for any body to take in the mouth. Sometimes I think I hate everybody : I no like to talk with any per- son : I hate myself. Oh, I am so wicked — my sins so many and so great ; but still I have hope ; when I sec what great things the Lord has done for me, I am sure that lie is my great Saviour, I believe He save me. If I perish I will perish at His feet.' This woman leads a holy life — has been about five years a communicant, and is now through grace an established christian. " A woman said, ' Before time, now two year, I was sick ; and last year, I was very sick. That time, my heart glad very much : I can say, that time, when I live on sick bed, Jesus ' altogether lovely.' I thought, that time, I should die — I was sure I should go to lienvcn ; TENDER CONSCIENCES. 161 but this time I tear, because you say in the Church that God's people are a troubled people ; and you see Massa, me no have trouble this time — me no sick — my husband no sick — my child no sick — me and my husband live very quiet together — we have always something to eat and clothes to put on : you see me have no trouble : and that make me 'fraid very much, that me no belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides, my heart more wicked this time ; he always plague me, me don't know what to do.' I spoke to her as her case required, and she went home much relieved and very thankful." " A man, a candidate for baptism, came to me and said, with ap- parent grief, ' My dear master, I come to tell you my trouble. Sunday before last, when you went to Gloucester town to preach, I was walk- ing, and breaking the Sabbath-day : and since that, I have no rest day and night, I can't sleep, and it is no use to hide it from you. Mv countrj'-man came to my house and said, ' C^ome, let us go walking,' I said, 'No : I have done bad long time, I now want to serve God : my country-man, no do so any longer ; you see me hear the word of God, and by and bye, we must account for what we hear.' Then another of my countrymen came, and he talk and talk, till, at last I went with them ; but, the same time, my heart trouble me very much. When we walk in the road, we see you coming ; and we all run into the bush, and hide ourselves till you pass by ; when I hide myself, mv heart strike me, that I hide myself from a man, and all the time God see me behind the bush. I thought the ground would open and swallow me up ; I get so 'fraid, that at last I tremble. It was just as if God look upon me behind the bush. I at last fell upon niy knees, and prayed that the Lord Jesus Christ would have mercy upon nie. I got up — you had passed, I say ' Good bye ' to my country-people, and went home ; but since I had no rest : and now I come and tell you that you may know what bad I do. I feel no peace, I am 'fraid God will not receive me now.' I told him to leave his former companions, or ho would always be exposed to temptations like these. He faitlifullv promised not to meddle with them any more. I could not help pity- ing him, poor man ; and so I do every young Christian, when I con- sider the various snares to which they are exposed. Nothing but grace will j)revent and keep them from falling. " Walking, one Saturday afternoon in my piazza, I saw a school-girl a communicant, about seventeen years old, gcnernllv very steady, coming up the hill, with another girl, rather tiioughtlesslv, laughing and talking: which is uunsual, as most of tlie |)coplc, at that time, when they have got every thing ready for Sunday, sit down and read their Bibles. When she had passed my house, I called to her, and said, Mary, what day is it to-morrow ? She made a full stop — cast her eyes to the ground — paused awhile ; and then looked uji witii a sad w M 162 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. countenance, and said, ' The Lord's day, Sir.' Seeing that she was sufficiently reproved, I resumed my walk. When I turned about, I saw Mary standing at the other end of the piazza, and tears rolling down her black cheeks. When I came near, she made a low curtsey, and said, ' I thank you. Sir ; ' and then turned about and went to the school-house, and I have no doubt, fell on her knees, and turned to her Bible. " At the celebration of the Lord's Supper, on one occasion, a woman was frightened away from the table from having, as she sup- posed, no peace with her husband. They had family prayer at nine o'clock, and their breakfast was ready about ten, when the bell rung for Church. The man, being afraid that he should be too late, left his breakfast, dressed himself, and went away ; saying, * Ann, you might have got the rice cooked a little sooner.' The woman did not answer ; but was so alarmed during divine sernce, that she was tempted to go home, and not partake of the Lord's Supper. The husband was alarmed at this ; and came and told me after service, saying that he had thought no harm, but wa§ troubled very much ; and had he known that his wife had gone home, he should have gone also. He was now afraid that he had received the Lord's Supper unworthily. I sent for the woman, and reproved her , but found that it was really a tender conscience which had kept her away. Both were sorry and really grieved, on account of what had happened. They went home in peace. " I admitted one who had been excommunicated two years before, and who to all appearance, had become quite hardened. He did not attend Church, because what he heard made him uneasy ; but lived according to his evil inclinations. When one of our communicants was buried, he went out of curiosity to the burial-ground ; and endeavoured to prevent my seeing him, by standing behind mc. While I was addressing the people, he tried to engage his thoughts with something else ; but, as he now told mc, while I was speaking I turned my head and said — ' What dost thou say, backslider, about meeting "with thy God, art thou prepared?' The poor man said, M thought you looked me in the face, and it was as if somebody had knocked me on the head ; I went home, but them words followed me every where ; and I have no rest day or night. I been go too far, that is what I fear ; but one word which you spoke in the Church, comfort mc a little, it is, ' I will love them freely, I will heal their backslidings, for my anger is turned away from him.' I cannot stay away any longer, I pray that God may turn me ; that prayer is always iu my heart, ' Turn me, O Lord, and I shall be turned.' I beg you, Sir, pray for me ; I am afraid I shall sink into hell. Oh may the Lord Jesus Christ have mercy uj)0)i me, a poor backslider.' I admonished, and readmitted him. MR. Johnson's parting with his wife. 163 " On a particular occasion before the day appointed for adminis- tering the Lord's Supper, I gave orders that communicants should meet me in the church. Having observed a coldness in them, I was desirous to exhort them previous to the administration ; but as it rained very much, only half came. As this did not satisfy my mind, I appointed the following morning, at nine o'clock, for all who intended to come to the Lord's table, to be in the Church. Accordingly, when the clock struck nine, the whole, ex- cept the sick, came in twelve different parties, according to the divi- sion of the town, to Church. My heart did rejoice when I saw this scene. When they had entered the Church, the church-wardens came and told me, that all who were well had come. I went, and as some had been readmitted, I read and explained such passages of Scripture as were suited to humble them ; and exhorted them to carefulness and watchfulness. I also read and explained the commination-service, and concluded by urging them to self-examination and repentance ; and when my conscience was satisfied, I concluded with prayer. Two young men then came forward, and said, that they had quarrelled, and desired to make peace with each other before they came to the Lord's Supper : this was soon effected, as each said that he was in the wrong. A woman said to me, that she had spoken ill behind another woman's back, and wished to beg her pardon, which of course I advised her to do ; she went and did so, and the offended woman forgave her with cheerfulness. I was so delighted with the simple mode in which they thus dealt with one another, that I scarcely could forbear shedding a tear of joy on seeing that my children walk in truth ; Oh that these beloved j)eo])le may continue in their sim{)licity ! The bell was then rung, and the church was then opened for the rest of the people. I went to my house again, and saw the people come in every direction ; but it was perceptible that the 'salt' and the 'light.' (Matt. v. 13, 14.) were inside tlu; church. I read prayers and preached on Luke xviii. 13, ' God be merciful to me a sinner! ' As the consciences of the peo- ple had been previously wounded, the words of the text seemed to make such a deep impression, that an awful silence, with the greatest attention, was observed during the service." Between such a minister and such a flock, an affectionate sympathy such as the world knows not, must have prevailed. Under these cir- cumstances the language of the apostle " as sorrowful yet always rejoicing," could not apj)ear paradoxical to either party. Poor Johnson needed at lhi.s time every return of kind attention, which he had l)estowed upon his people, and he did not look for it in vain, lie writes : — " May 4, 1822. I took leave this morning of my dear wife ; what I felt on the occasion I cannot express ; were there any prospect of my M •> 164 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LFONF.. jigain seeing her in the flesh, mj' grief would not be so great ; but under the circumstances of her being obliged to return to England, I could not help deeply feeling for her, — -she will have to spend the re- mainder of her days in the greatest misery. May the Lord give her patience, and aiford her support in the hour of death, which I think cannot be far off. I cannot be sufficiently thankful for the mercy vouchsafed to me under this severe trial ; I have enjoyed, and continue to enjoy, the smiles of His countenance.- I can say, with resignation, ' The will of the Lord be done.' One passage of Scripture is con- stantly in my mind, and affords me much comfort, ' What I do, thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter.' I know that this trial will ' work together for good,' and that God will give me strength according to my day. When I came home, the people looked at me with tears in their eyes ; it appeared as though they wished to speak to me, but were too full of sorrow to say anything. One man came at last and said that he could not help weeping when he saw me. ' Mammy,' he observed, ' has been with us six years, and she stands the same like our mother ; God take her away, and who knows how soon God may take you away ; and what will then become of us at Regent's Town ? Again I think about Mammy's sickness, my heart feel I never see any person suffer so ; and when she go, she say she shall never see us again, until we meet at the right hand of God ; them words go through my heart.' He wept much, and wounded my heart afresh. " One woman wept, and asked why I had not told them that Mrs. Johnson was going to England ; she had not known it, and, therefore, had not bid her good-bye. I told her that I had not known it myself, until the day l)efore. She continued, ' Me was young, when mammy came here, and she stand like my mother, and I no bid her good- bye,' " May 3, 1822, Sunday. After prayer- meeting in (he morning, several people came, as before, and with sympathizing affection, j)itieil my affliction. One woman leaned her head against the staircase, and gave free vent to her feelings : after she had a little composed herself, she came to my room and said, ' Oh Massa, I am so sorry that mammy go so quick ; I no say good-bye to her, which make me so troubled. Two words mammy talked to me I never forget." She was 196 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. surmounted the whole alphabet ; and in a twelvemonth, some could read a little in the Testament and Bible. " Many times, when I had warned the peojile to flee from the wrath to come, and take refuge in a crucified Saviour, I had after service the great mortification of visits from some of my hearers, cither to be paid for attending, or to receive something on some other account. Against this I set my face, and constantly spoke against such sort of requests. " My labours increased, as more negroes arrived from slave- vessels ; I had now to provide for 1 ,000 individuals, to whom I had to issue rations twice a week ; and thus I was so much tried, that I was many times on the point of giving up all : but the prospect of bringing some to the knowledge of Christ enabled me to endure. I continued speaking to as many as came, morning and evening, and three times on Sundays ; but saw no signs of real conversion to God. I thought again, that all would be in vain. The rains were now very severe ; this increased my trouble ; but in that dreary time, I received some letters both from the Society and from other friends, which greatly comforted and encouraged me. Meanwhile, the people im- proved much in outward things, and became industrious. Such as had lived in forests and bushes, came and begged a lot in the town ; the streets were regularly laid out, and houses built. They had then few clothes ; but they began to work hard in order to procure them, to appear in on Sundays. On the whole, they made, in twelve months, a progress which astonished many who visited us. *' A Church had been building, which when finished, contained 500 persons. It was filled as soon as opened ; it was then enlarged for 700; and was again filled as soon as opened. One Sunday, the Governor, seeing no room in the Church, said, ' We must take one end of the Church down and make it as large again.' This was done, and it now contains 1300 people ; and for two years, it has been crowded every Sunday three times a day. A great progress was undoubtedly made, which was very gratifying, but still there was no satisfactory evidence of conversion to God ; and I was tempted to think my labour in vain. I made it a subject of earnest prayer, that God would give me, if but one soul, I should then say, with Simeon of old, " Lord ! now Icttest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." " One evening, when I had been praying, and was much cast down, a young man followed me, and said, ' Massa, me want to speak about my heart.' I asked him what he had to say about his heart. ' For some time, Massa, three weeks, my heart bad too much. When I lie doAvn, or get up, or eat, or drink, me think about sins conunitted in my own country, and sins since me came Regent's Town ; and me MR. Johnson's e.\rly success. 197 don't know what to do.' I found what his wants were, and thanked God that I was enabled to point him to "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world." He rejoiced and wept very much ; and has continued to this day, so far as I know, to shew forth a conduct and conversation to the praise and glory of God. I went home, and thanked God that he had heard my prayer. " In the following week, several more came. One woman was much distressed, and wept, and said she had two hearts which troubled her so much, that she did not know what to do. One was the new heart, that told her all things that she had ever been doing. The same heart told her that she must go to Jesus Christ, and tell Him all her sins, as she had heard at Church ; but her old heart told her, never mind, God no save black man, but white man. How know He died for black man ? Her new heart said, Go, cry to Him and ask. Old heart tell me, do my work first, fetch water, make fire, wash, and then go pray. When work done, then me forget to pray. I don't know what to do.' I read to her the seventh chapter to the Iloniaiis, and shewed her that the apostle Paul felt the same things, and spoke of two principles in man. Wlien I came to the verse, " Oh uTetched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? " she said, ' Ah Massa, that me — me no know what to do.' I added the words of St. Paul, " I thank God, through Jesus Christ," and explained to her the love of Christ, how he died for sinners like her ; she burst into tears, and has continued ever since, so far as I know, to follow her Saviour. " I might mention many such instances, did time permit. Soon after, on a Sunday, twenty-one adults, one boy, and three infants were bap- tized. From that time, great were my encouragements : yet not with- out trials, from frequent illness, deaths on every side, and disappoint- ments concerning some who set out with great zeal, but soon turned again into their former courses. All these trials have been the means of humbling mc, and I liavc now reason to thank God for every cross that he has been pleased to lay upon me. " From time to time, I admitted such to baptism and the Lord's Supper, as shewed, in their life and conversation, that Divine grace had begun its work in tlicir iicarts. When I left, on the '23rd of Aj)ril, there were 2G3 communicants; and on Easter Sunday, I bajjtized 110 adults and (» infants, and administered the Lord's Supper to 253 blacks and 4 whites, incltidiug myself. As soon as the people felt the power of religion in their Iiearts, they desired that their countrymen should know the same ; sonu? would go into the woods, in the week-days, and read to them passages in the liil)lc ; and, early on Sunday mornings, tbey would go and tell their country-men wliat the Lord had done for tlieir souls. Tluy were thus tlie instruments of bringing many to 198 CnURCn MISSION in SIEKRA LEONE. Regent's Town to hear the gospel. The Lord's Day is kept among us ill this manner. At six o'clock, we meet for family prayer. Then the twelve older communicants go and \asit the sick : and if they know any place where the people do not attend, they go and invite them to come to Divine service. At ten, the bell rings, but it is often of no use, the church being filled by half past nine : at half past ten, the bell rings again ; when we begin the service, by singing a hymn, after which I read the moniing prayers. All are present when I read the exhortation. I have never, or very seldom, observed one individual to come in after it. Then, another hymn, then after a short prayer, the sermon,. At three o'clock, and again at seven, all attend public worship, I rarely miss any of them, all are in the habit of attending — husband — wife, and children — leaving their houses locked up. Be- tween the service, the families sometimes by themselves, and at others several families together, are employed in singing and prayer, and this in every quarter of the town. After evening service they retire to their houses ; and I have, many times, heard singing in the town till even past midnight. "On week-days, we have family prayer, morning and evening, in the church : and never less than 500 attend, sometimes 900, or it is full. After evening service, an adult school is held till nine, when they re- turn to family duties. " My feelings on resuming my labours, differ in some respects from those with which I first went to Africa. I have not to go to a people altogether in heathen darkness ; but my business is now, not only ' to turn from darkness to light,' but to ' build up ' the people of God ' in their most holy faith : ' and ' Who is sufficient for these thiags ? All our sufficiency is of God.' " I am going out, I trust, in the same spirit in which I went four years ago — leaning entirely on the strength of the Lord. The climate, it is tnie, is still very unhealthy, and some of my dearest friends and brethren in the Lord have fallen victims to it since my departure ; but, by the grace of God, none of these things move me. I am ready to go to Sierra Leone, and die there for the name of the Lord Jesus ; and, while I am speaking thus, I doubt not but I speak the language of the friends who are about to accompany me. Who indeed, can read the animating reports of the (lcj)arturc of our brethren and sisters in the faith, without being encouraged, instead of being cast down. We go then, in the name of the Lord ; determined, by his grace, to know nothing among men sav. Jesus Christ and him crucified." As a sequel to the above, we insert the last quarterly Report pre- sented by this devoted servant of God, to his assembled bretlireii, (he Missionaries and Cliai)lainsof the Colony — on Lady-Day, 182;}. MR. Johnson's last report. 199 " Dear brethren — grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. " Again it has pleased the Lord our God to spare us to labor in His vineyard, and to prosper us in the work of love which He has given us to do. It is true, I have suffered, and continue to suffer much from ophthalmia ; but I trust that even this is among the ' all things ' that ' shall work together for good.' " As it respects Regent's Town, the work of the Lord is proceeding is before. Divine service has been regularly attended by the commu- uic.ints and the other inhabitants : the schools continue to improve. We have had several additions to our congregation and the schools, by the arrivals of slave-vessels ; and our population now amounts to up- ward of 2000 persons. The people behave quietly and orderly, so that we have very few palavers, indeed less than ever before. " I stated, in my last, that we had fifty candidates under trial and instruction, for the holy ordinance of baptism, one of them, a woman, has since died in the faith ; and another, a man, has been excluded for improper conduct : the remaining forty-eight, will, if it please our gra- cious God, be baptized on Easter-Sunday. The youths m the seminarj' continue to ' walk worthy of their high vocation wherewith they are called.' They have made considerable progress in their studies, and promise well for future usefulness ; indeed their conduct is such, that I think it my duty to notice it in my present Report. The number of scholars is as follows : — Boys residing in the school-house 195 Boys residing with their parents 56 (Jirls residing in the school-house (lirls residing witli their parents Men's evening-school Women's evening-school . Christian Institution 251 180 50 230 551 20 27 Total scholars 1079 " There are 710 persons who can read. " The number of the communicants, witli the addition of the forty- eight candidates mentioned above, will be about 450. " Our last ainiivcrsary of tlie Regent's Town Brancli .Missionary vVssociation was very interesting. The collection after (lie meeting amounted to dtllO : 6 : 0|. The new people receive half rice aiul lialf 200 CIIL'RCII MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. cocoa, or cassada ; since October last, 7470 bushels of cassaila, and 1421 bushels of cocoa have been issued; and there is now enough in the people's farms to supply them with half rations throughout the year. "The new road to the sea is nearly completed. Some of the people have begun to trade in the country ; one canoe has been purchased, and another hired for that purpose : one man has already delivered two tons and sixteen bushels of rice. The fishery has commenced, and promises to become a permanent benefit to the town. May the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, the Triune and our covenant Jehovah, be praised for His continual mercies toward us, in carrying on this glorious work. And may He be pleased to keep us humble at the foot of the cross." Several letters from African Christians addressed to their beloved pastor, arrived in England before intelligence of his death reached the colony. These all breathed a spirit of the livelist attachment to him and ardent longing for liis return. They speak of the prosperous con- dition of Regent's Town, and the attention of Mr. Norman to the spiri- tual interests of its people. We regret that want of space compels us to omit these valuable documents — one or two extracts however, we must find room for as a specimen of them all. One of the native teach- ers wrote thus : " Dear and Rev. Sir, " I. have sent these few lines to you, for I liave not much words to write at this time, and therefore I only write about myself and the people. My wish is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and to follow Him, but my own heart is so deceitful that I sometimes cry out like St. Paul, ' O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death ! ' And when I consider that beyond the grave comes the judgment, I am afraid, but I pray, and hope that the Lord who has helped me will still help, for He is faithful to His pro- mises. My wife is very sorry that she did not shake hands with you before you go, and she begs you to forgive her because she did not know the time you went ; and give her love to Mrs. Johnson. " Since you been gone, the people are very quiet and steady ; and plenty come to ('hurch and are attentive. The candidates too, go on well. " I hope the Lord may keep you, and bring you back again, and Mrs. Johnson. Give my love to her and all the good peojde in Eng- land." One oitiic siuuents in tiic Institution thus wrote : " May (Jod bring you l)ack to us iu safety if it be His will, to preacli ('liri.st's misearcliable riches to us sinners, and may all the good people in England, who are very much concerned for Africa, pray for FATAL ILLNESS OF THE REV. S. FLOOD. 201 the time when she shall be delivered out of her ignorance ; and may you remember us in your prayers ! Tell Mr. Pratt and Mr. Bicker- steth, and all the Society, we thank them heartily for all their good- ness to us ; and we pray that God may reward them. May God Al- mighty help you, and prosper you in all your journey, and I pray that the Lord may give you utterance to speak boldly in His name, that it may be the means of stirring up the good people in England to come to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty, for the han est truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. I am sure if the good people of England knew what a wretched state the people of Africa are in, they would come over and help us." ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.' He that was the happy instrument of turning many to righteousness, departed in peace. He had ' fought the good fight — he had finished his course — he had kept the faith ' — to him doubtless it shall be given to shine as a star of the first magnitude for ever and ever. May our last end be like his. We are yet far from having done with the dismal task of tracing the finger of death. We are next to behold the Rev. Samuel Flood, first Colonial Chaplain, within his ruthless grasp. It had been decided that Mr. and Mrs. Flood, having resided for upwards of three years in Africa, should enjoy a short sojourn in Europe for the benefit of Mrs. Flood's health, which had been failing. Accordingly they embarked for England on Saturday the 3rd of May, the day on which dear John- son breathed his last. Mr. Flood had been attacked with fever the day before they set sail, and was consequently indisposed at starting, but it was hoped that the sea air would restore him. In the councils of Infinite Wisdom, however, another issue was determined. Mrs. Flood subsequentlv furnished a brief narrative of the occurrences on board, preceding her husband's decease. We shall make it the medium of communicating the melancholy event. " As soon as we got on board, my husband was obliged to go to bed. The next day, Sunday, I thought him somewhat better, though the fever was not abated. He did not complain of any pain ; nor did I think that he apprehended any danger till Monday morning, when I heard him giving directions to a young man whom we brought with us, respecting some things which he wished him to attend to in case of his death. I immediately said to him, I am afraid you apprehend some danger, and expressed my hope that he would tell me what he thought of himself. He said, ' It is imi)ossible to say how the fever may terminate ; but I think this sickness is unto death ; ' and added, that I must jireparc for the worst, and hope for the best. He en- deavoured to console me with many precious promises, and said. ' I 202 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA L1!0NE. am assured that the Lord will not forsake you ' — reminding me of his goodness to us during the last three years. He said, ' I know if the Lord is about to take me, it will be for my good and His own glory.' I could perceive that he was gradually growing weaker, and that no hope could be entertained of his recovery. He said, ' Forget not to pray for me : perhaps the Lord may hear prayer, and add a few years to my life.' On Tuesday morning between one and two o'clock, he was seized with a hiccough, which is a presage of death. I requested therefore, to be taken to him ; as I was anxious to know the state of his mind in the prospect of his departure. I asked him how he felt himself : he said, ' I know I am going.' I then asked, ' Are you happy ? ' he answered, ' At times, my sins, both of omission and com- mission, distress me ; but I trust, that, through the merits of my Saviour, all will be well.' Seeing me much affected, he desired me not to weep ; and said that the Lord would be my husband, and that we should be separated but for a short time. He then took my hands between his own (which were as cold as death) and prayed most affec- tionately and fervently that the Lord would sujiport me, and be with me in all my trials. His faith appeared strong in the promises, par- ticularly those that are applicable to the widow. After praying that the Lord would be with him, and conduct him safely through the dark valley of the shadow of death, he took a final leave of me. " For several hours after, he was somewhat delirious. All that he said referred to the people among whom he had laboured, and was ex- pressive of earnest desires for their salvation. " Having been removed from him to another part of the vessel, he inquired for me several times, a few hours before he died : and always expressed his confidence that the Lord would be my refuge and strength, and a present help in trouble. He was asked, would he wish to see me again, but said, No, he thought it better that I was removed. " He died about half-past six on Tuesday morning, the 6th of May, three days after we went on board." Mr. Flood possessed the true spirit of a Missionary, and although not immediately in coimcxion with the Society, he was always ready to fulfil his task as an apostle to the perishing millions of Africa. His meat was to do the will of his heavenly Father, and to finish his work ; much as he needed rest, and longed for the temporary refresh- ment of kindred and home, he would joyfully have submitted to any in- dication of the Divine will in reference to his continuance at his post. On the 1.5th of March ])receding his departure he wrote : — " I can truly say that no iudiicenient would draw us from this place, if we supj)oscd that we should therein be acting contrary to the will of our heavenly Father. lie lias caused His goodness so to abound FATAL ILLNESS OF THE REV. 11. PALMER. 203 toward us, that it would be the height of ingratitude iu us to do any- thing, or to act in any way concerning ourselves that would displease Him. We do love Him, we trust, and therefore we study conformi- ty to His will. Permit us then to solicit at this time, a special in- terest in your prayers. Pray that He will prevent us with His grace and Spirit ; that He will be every thing to us while homeward bound, and that he will conduct us safely to our desired haven." The Rev. Henry Palmer, second Chaplain of the colony, had been for some years in the army previous to his entering the ministry, and in his military capacity had resided in various climates, which gave him a great advantage over his brethren in Sierra Leone ; his constitution having become inured to the great change which Europeans must sub- mit to in that respect on the western coast of Africa, where they are not only scorched by a tropical sun, but subject to sudden transitions of chmatc, most inimical to the human frame.* Under ordinary cir- cumstances there was every reason to expect that Mr. Palmer's con- stitution would, with the Divine blessing, have long resisted the vicissitudes of African temperature, and a protracted career of useful- ness been vouchsafed to him from on high, but all human calculations are vain ; the direful fever then desolating the coast exposed the fallacy of man's reasonings. Mr. Palmer, who in a letter from Freetown, dated the second of May, was said to be exerting himself to supply Mr. Flood's place during the absence of the latter, was numbered with the dead on the eighth. In a day or two after Mr. Flood's dej)arture he caught the fever : — " Our dear Mr. Palmer," wrote Norman, schoolmaster of Regent, " was taken ill on Sunday, May the 3rd, while preaching from John xvii. 1, ' Father ! the hour is come!' He went however through the whole service and afterward administered the sacrament. In the even- ing he came up to my house, where Mrs. Palmer was staying. He was then in a burning fever, and appeared much alarmed. He observed soon after he came in, that he believed if he never had another oppor- tunity of speaking to his congregation, he had then faithfully declared the truth. He repeated the words 'Father! the hour is come.' with peculiar solemnity and was much affected. We had no apjjrehension of danger till Wednesday morning, when we found that he had the black vomit ; consequently had no hope of his recovery. Mrs. Nor- man apprised Mrs. Palmer of this, and Dr. Shower confirmed the afflicting information. She received it with Christian fortitiule, and immediately communicated it to Mr. Palmer. He was ratlier surprised, l)ut soon recollected himself, and prayed that the will of the Lord might be done. His disorder was of such a nature as made it impossible for him to speak much, but what he said * Sec pp. f), 0, of the preceding voluine. 204 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. shewed that his treasure was in heaven, that his hope and confidence were in Christ. He was often heard to say, ' Christ is precious,' and to utter similar expressions. He was very frequent in prayer till about about six hours before his death, when he was generally in a stupor. About an hour before he died, Mrs. Palmer sent for me, and we prayed by his side. Mrs. Palmer afterwards repeated the twenty-third Psalm, when he opened his eyes, smiled, and soon after expired, at eleven o'clock in the evening of the 7th of May. He was buried the next day at Regent ; such of the brethren as could come attended, with the native teachers, the youths in the seminary, and many of the elder communicants." "He died," adds his afflicted widow, " trusting in the blood which cleanseth from all sin. Oh how he has laboured for his Lord, since he came to this land of darkness ! and now he has entered into rest. "At Regent's Town where he died, that blessed, highly-blessed place, he is buried." " There cannot be a more honourable death," said Nylander, " than that of the late Mr. Palmer. Had he died in the battle of Waterloo when he fought there, he would have died as a brave soldier, in the service of his king and country, and his death would have been counted honourable ; but here he died in the battle which he had begun to fight in the service of the King of kings and the Lord of lords ; and nothing less than a crown of eternal glory which fadeth not away is his reward." We have now recorded the fall of five soldiers of the cross, in the arms of eternal victory. They were all married men, and at the time of Mr. Palmer's removal a melancholy society of four newly-madc widows, (Mrs. Flood being in England,) attested the perils of Mis- sionary enterprise, and the sincerity of Missionary zeal. Within less than a month all four had been happy wives, and some of them were looking forward to be haj)py mothers. Their earthly patli was now desolate, their prospect dreaiy, but as they did not come to Africa lean- ing only on their human supports, when these failed them they were not utterly cast down. One of them out of the depth of her affliction could say, and doubtless the others could echo her sentiments : — " He who cannot err, whose love to his people never can fail, has seen fit to take my beloved husband to himself. And can I reply against God ! I cannot — I will not. It is well, the hour was come, and His name was glorified. Oh may I still glorify my God — con- vinced that this is one of those all things that shall work together tor good. God is a very present hel)) in trouble. Such have I fomid Him ; and as His promises are sme, such shall I find him." Mr. Palmer having departed on the 8th of May, on (he lOtli Miis. palmer's approaching end. 205 Mrs. Palmer removed from Regent, wliere he died, to Freetown, and was there received with every mark of the kindest sympathy into the house of Lieutenant Colonel Sutherland. The whole of the last week in this month she lay under fever, but as the disorder assumed a some- what remittent character, great hopes of a favorable termination were entertained. The narrative of subsequent events will be given in the language of Mr. Philip Vaughan, schoolmaster at Freetown. In a letter to the Secretary, dated Freetown, June 11, 1823 he said : — " On Saturday, May the 31st, I spent much time with her (Mrs. Palmer,) in assisting her to settle her accounts. We had much profi- table conversation, she appeared to have strong impressions (and in- deed said so,) upon her mind, that her time on earth would be but short. Eternity seemed present to her view. Her conversation was principally on death, judgment, and eternity. She told me that she had no desire of abiding any longer in this vain world, which was now nothing to her ; but, like the Apostle, she had a great desire to depart and be with Christ ; nevertheless she washed to lie submissive in the hands of her God, and was entirely resigned to His sovereign will ; and all her wish was, that the will of God might be done. She said, death had no terrors, as Jesus had taken away the sting ; and though she felt much from inward conflict, she had nothing to fear, because her blessed Saviour, whose sufferings were far greater than ever hers had been, had not only delivered her from the power of Satan, but would deliver her in the hour of death and in the day of judgment ; it was, therefore, with the greatest joy that she looked forward to the immediate presence of God, who had loved her with an everlasting love, and would never leave nor forsake her." Mr. Yaughan was desirous that Mrs. Palmer should address a few parting words to his wife, in a book which Mrs. Vaughan kept for purposes of that nature. This record manifests very strikingly, as Mr. Vaughan observes, " her resignation to the will of God, her sure and certain hope of glory, her comfort and support in the promises, her unshaken confidence in her Saviour, and her full submission to the Divine dispensations." "Freetown, May 31, 1823. Though I am very unfit to write, yet, as you re((uest a few words I will endeavour to comjdy : I feel, my dear Mrs. Vaughan, that they will pro!)ably l)e the last : and do I wish tiiat tliey should not ? No ! I would not linger here an hour after that ap- pointed by God for my quitting this body of sin and death ; nor would I depart an hour sooner than that, to avoid much suffering. I am suRK HK wii.r, no wicLi, ; I fear not (lentil ! sinner as I am, I have a sure and certain hope of a glorious resurrection. 'The l)l()od of Jcsns Christ cleanscth from all sin : ' the assurance of this was my husijnud's support in his last hours. Oh my dear Mrs. Vaughan, you know how 206 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERUA LEONE. to sympathise with me in trials — trials that are common to mission- aries ; but, in this, the trial of my soul, you cannot at all feel for me. He was, indeed, all that my heart could wish. How did he labour and suffer for his Master — his beloved Saviour ; ' Set not your affec- tions on things below,' needs to be continually sounded in our ears, and oh, let these words dwell in our heart ; you may yet be called to suffer as I do : your soul may be disquieted within you, and cast down ; but you will not be forsaken ; as sure as Jesus is Jehovah, so surely will you find all that strength which is promised in His word ; — glory to His grace, that one so vile as I have found Him all to me. It is true I want the society of him who was all my earthly joy ; but I will not utter one wish to have him here : he is in glory ; and could I desire him to associate with all that is inglorious ? Besides, the hour was come : his Father's name was glorified, according to his own purpose ; and that satisfies every murmur. May you and your husband hold each other as loans, with every precious gift that our God may bestow upon you. It is a trying and awful time ; but fear not : it is for Jesus that we suffer, and surely we cannot refuse. ' Rejoice evermore — in all things give thanks.' I find it very contrary to the flesh to thank God for removing my husband : but I know that He, who has enabled me sometimes to do so, will still continue His grace. I have found the latter verses of the viii. of Romans, with the xxiiird aud xlvith Psalms, great treasures : but, I can only say, ' Search the Scrip- tures.' " May the precious blessing of Numbers vi. 24, &c. be your portion! Farewell. Anne Palmer." Mr. Vaughan gives the following account of the departing hours of this Christian woman : — " On Sunday morning, June the 1 st, Mrs. Vaughan and I called to see her ; she had violent fever, and was therefore not able to say much ; as she reached out her hand and pressed ours, she said, ' The will of the Lord be done ! I am quite resigned to it.' I then quoted some of the most applicable promises I could think of : directing her to look to Jesus, and to consider what He suffered for the joy that was set before Him ; she said, ' I do : oh I do ; He is my all, He is my all, and in all! I have none other to look to. The promises that you have mentioned, with the smiles of Jesus, will sweeten the bitter waters of Marah.' I then asked her if Christ was precious as in former times — ' O yes, yes ! if possible, more so. O my dear Saviour, in thee is all my hope — my stay — my trust ; I long to see Thee face to face ; never- theless, not my will, but thine be done.' We then took our leave of her ; commending her to the care of Him who is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble, and who knowcth them that trust in Him.' I DEATH OF MRS. PALMER. 207 " The following morning, Ur. Shower called to inform us, that on the Sunday uight, she was delivered of a still-born child, but was as well as could be expected : and he had great hopes that she would soon be enabled to return to England. On Monday night, the fever returned, and she became much worse : the fever continued in- creasing till noon on Wednesday, when she became delirious, and al- most unmanageable ; she spoke much about her dear husband and child. In a few hours after, she became speechless and insensible ; and continued in this state till her departure. She appeared very calm and free from pain, the whole of this time ; and on Friday night, June 6th, at a quarter past eight o'clock, fell asleep in Christ. Happy soul ! her pilgrimage is ended. She rests from all her severe con- flicts and sorrows, her troubles and her sins. Her age was only twenty years. " As she expressed a wish to me to be buried, if she should die here, by the side of her husband and child, I wrote to brother Nor- man, requesting him to send some men down to convey the corpse to Regent, which he did on the Saturday. " Thus have I endeavoured to give you a brief accomit of the latter days of our departed sister : she was a most devoted Christian, and bore her severe afflictions with the greatest fortitude and submission to the Di\-ine will. Colonel and Mrs. Sutherland could not have shewn greater kindness to Mrs. Palmer had she been their own daughter." Little did Mr. Vaughan think, when he was collecting for his wife the dying thoughts of his Christian sister, how soon the object of his con- jugal solicitude would herself be placed in a position to realize the ex- perience thus communicated. On the 11th of June, just five days after Mrs. Palmer's removal, Mrs. Vaughan complained of pains in her limbs ; and, towards night, was seized with \-iolcnt vomiting, which was succcecded by decided symptons of the maUgnant fever which had already proved so fatal. For a couple of days she rallied a little, but, towards evening on the 1 4th, she became much worse. At that tinu^ her mind was in a most heavenly state. In the morning she said, among other tilings, " I feel thankful that God has by His holy Spi- rit raised us up with Christ, and that He has latterly enabled me to see more clearly that ' vanity, vanity,' is stamped upon all created things, and that they are all ' vexation of spirit.' Nothing can do us good or bring glory to God, that does not lead us to a crucified Saviour : but I have great reason to lament and mourn over the coldness and deadness of my evil heart. Jesus erucitied is the Christian's great theme in this world, and redeeming love will be his everlasting song in the world to come. Ah this is a song that even angels will not be able to sing !" •208 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE On the night of the 16th, she was so ill that her hnshand thought she could not survive till morning. She declared she had no fear of death, and no desire to live — quoting from Young. " Were death denied, poor man would live in vain ; Were death denied, poor man would live a fool. Heav'n wept, that man may smile ; Heav'n bled, that man may never die." With such assurances she strove to comfort her hushand, who the next day asked her if she would not wish to return to her native air. She replied, " O no by no means, for it is for Christ's sake that I am come here, and I only lament that I am not enabled to do more for the good of souls. I know it is He who has brought me hither ; there- fore He will give me health, strength, and life to do what He has ap- pointed for me to do in Africa, and I have nothing else to desire, nor do I fear any thing, because ray God lives and reigns here the same as He does in England." He asked her whether she was not sorry that she had come to Africa? " Why should I be sorry," she replied, " when I believe I have done the will of God." On the 19th and 20th there was an evident amendment in her state, during which she spoke much of the spread of gospel truth among the heathen. However, on the 21st she was much worse, though still enabled to speak with considerable animation on eternal things, and to express her untiring confidence in Christ. On the 24th she experi- enced symptoms of her aj)proaching confinement ; and, on the 25th, gave birth to a still-born child. We must allow her afflicted husband to describe the closing scene. "About twelve o'clock she said to me, I do not think there can be any expectation of my living long. Well, I am quite resigned to God's will, Jesus is far more precious than ever I felt Him before, I do feel a great desire to go to Him, I do hope I shall soon go. 'Jesus, let me to thy bosom fly'.' Oh I never felt so exceedingly happy before, Jesus is my all and in all ! " " I told her that the medical men still entertained hopes of licr recovery. ' Oh ! ' she said, ' I am sorry to hear that ; but, O Lord ! pardon my impatience ; but I have no desire to recover, or even to live long ; don't grieve for me, Jesus is my prophet, priest, and king, therefore I have nothing to fear ; No, not. death itself, for he is no longer the king of terrors, but a messenger of peace.' " About four o'clock, while in conversation with her, I discovered that my dearest wife was dying, and was obliged to quit the room to give vent to my feelings. Before I could speak, on my return, she said, ' Why do you grieve so ? ' and clasping her arms round my neck, added, ' 1 am very happy, though I now know I am dying. I have no fear, I feel Jesus very precious ; you should therefore, rather re- DEATH OF MRS. VAUGHAN. 209 joice with me that I am going from a wT)rkl of wickedness to one of happiness. "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the ^^cto^y, through our Lord Jesus Christ." I feel more happv than words can express.' I asked, ' Do you think the Saviour will be with you as you pass through this dark valley ? ' She rephed, ' I know he will, for the Lord is my shepherd,' repeatmg the whole Psalm, and then adding, ' The last clause is the crowning mercy of all.' ' Well,' I said, ' the Lord has heard your prayer, and has nearly granted yon your heart's desire, for you now really are dving.' 'Yes,' she replied, ' I am, thank God, I am.' "I then asked many questions respecting her confidence in her God and Saviour. There did not appear to be a single doubt or fear on her mind as to her future happiness. She said that the Tempter would, at times, endeavour to harass her ; 'but I know,' she added, 'in whom I have believed, and I know that the eternal God is my refuge, and underneath me are his everlasting arms. Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. He will never leave me nor forsake me. Oh. hen shall I die to vanity, pain, death When shall I die ? When shall I hve for ever ? ' Some time afterward she cried out, referring to the beginning of the third chapter to the Colossians. 'There is mv security, there is my hope ; and had I no other promise than that, it would cheer and comfort me. How great is my security-, for I know that my hfe is hid with Christ in God.' I asked her if she would wish to make any alteration ui the arrangements on which we had before n^reed. ' No,' she said, ' I am happy to think that I have now 1 ling to do, but like Moses, to go up into the Mount, leave the ■ rid behind me, gently close my eyes, and fall asleep in mv Re- (Irt rner, who I know liveth, and whom I long to see.' I asked her it ^.lie felt much pain or inward conflict ; she said, 'No, thank God I : free from both.' I asked if she had anything more that she lied me to say to any one, ' Yes, give my dying love to mv mother, si>iers, and all my friends in Africa, in Hereford, and in London. Tell them all to trust more simply to Jesus, for they will find him faithful. " He will change this vile body, that it may be like unto His glorious body." Oh I how glorious I — my life is hid with Christ in God, and when Christ, who is my hfe, shall appear, I shall appear with Him in glon.-.' " About an hour before she departed she embraced me and said, ' I shall soon bid you a short farewell, but we shall meet again. May God ever bless you ; Oh how I long, Jesus, I long to go ; comfort my dearest husband.' She then pressed me to her, kissed me, and said, ' I am nearly in heaven, farewell, and may God ever bless you, my dearest, dearest love.' After this heart-renchng farewell, she fell into a composed sleep, but never opened her eyes again, nor even w P 210 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. moved, but thus sweetly fell asleep in Jesus, without a struggle or groan." Mrs. Bunyer, wife to the schoolmaster of Freetown, who died on 20th of April, being the first among the Missionaries earned off by the present pestilence, did not long survive her husband. She was removed from the scene of her earthly labours on the 22nd of June, tiTisting, it was hoped, in the merits and sufferings of that blessed Redeemer, for whom she had forsaken home and friends, that she might minister, as a humble handmaid, to the spiritual necessities^ His creatures. The dark catalogue is not yet full. The name of the Rev. C. W. Beckauer must now be added. He arrived in the Colony on the 9th of January, and was appointed to York, which he occupied at the latter end of April, but having taken fever he was obliged to retire to Kent, and did not preach his first sermon at his allotted station mitil Whit- sunday, May the 1 8th, when he was heard ^vith the greatest attention. On the 24th of June he made his first report to the committee, when he was able to say — " I believe that the work of the Lord is begtm in some of the dis- banded soldiers ; but being ignorant of the will of God, they do some- times things which are not at all becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. This experience I have already acquired, that much prayer, patience, and perseverance are required. " Morning prayer," he added, " is held here very early, xiz. half- past-five, or a quarter before six ; and evening prayer at seven. " In the days-chool are fourteen children, mostly boys, and in the evening school sixteen boys. " Since my arrival I have married four couple, and baptized four children. " May the Lord bless every attempt to spread the knowledge of His salvation among the people at York ; and may He pour down His Holy Spirit, and give them the light of the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ ! " This was written on the 24th of Jime. On the 29th Mr. Beckley wrote as follows : — " Having received a note last night, that the Rev. C. Beckauer was very ill, I went, notwithstanding the rain, accompanied by Mrs. Beckley. When we arrived at York, we found Mr. Beckauer had been insensible and in a dying state since twelve o'clock. I spoke several times to him, but he was too far gone ; I then prayed. His sufferings were great until a quarter-past-eleven o'clock, when he de- parted this life. With respect to his immortal soul, I had no doubt but that he left this for a better world ; for a more conscientious CONTINUED STEDFASTNESS OF MR. DURINg's PEOPLE. 211 Christian I have seldom met with ; he was like a child, fearful of taking a step, lest he should fall. The Scripture was the daily rule of his life. I never heard him enter into argument ; he always con- sidered it best to leave the word of God as it was. He has left upon the minds of the people of York the character of a Christian indeed. " Vt'e have mentioned the return of the Rev. Henry Diiring and his family in January, together with the joyful reception which they met with from their people. On the 12th of February he addressed the following letter to the secretaries — " I rejoice exceedingly in being permitted to address you from this in- teresting spot, which I was obliged to quit for a time to my great sorrow. " The seed of eternal life, which is the Word of the Lord, sown by our instrumentality, though in great weakness, is springing up con- tinually, and bringing forth fruit to the praise of His name. The two or three discourses, which I last preached, just before I left, had a great effect on many of the people ; not only on the communicants, but on others, some of whom were admitted to baptism during my absence, and others are now candidates for that ordinance. " Nothing could give me more comfort and encouragement, than to meet things in a state of which I had not the least expectation : for this greatly adds to my assurance, that the work is not of man, but of the Lord Jehovah: Acts xvi. 6, 7, compare with x™i. 9, 10, 11. The fear that I should probably find few, if any at all, of my people, who had stood fast on the Lord's side, continually harassed me while absent ; but thanks be to God, this had no foundation but in the weakness of my faith. " William Tamba has conducted the whole to my entire satisfaction ; and the people seem to like him nuich : for, as yet, I have not heard a single individual complain of him ; but on the contrary, all speak of him with respect." Of his first Sunday after his return, he writes in his journal : " According to my former habits, I went to the Church at six o'clock to early morning prayers, at which hour I found the great body of the people assembled. At ten o'clock, the bell was rung for forenoon sen ice ; l)ut it was luuiecessary, for the Church was full a good while be- fore : I preached from Col. i. 19. but could scarcely proceed, for it was more than my feelings could well bear. In the afternoon William Tamba kept ser\-ice, and explained Eccles. chap. xi. much to my satisfaction. I preached in the evening from I Thess. i. 4 — 10. when I got on better, being more self-{)ossessed than in the morning. The Church has been full four times to-day : all was attention and everything in the greatest order." 212 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. We shall proceed to lav before our readers a few extracts from this journal — the last which this exemplary man and minister ever penned. Shall we not hear it read at the last day ? May our study of it now cause us to recognize it then with joy, and not with grief! " Jan. 27. I could scarcely do any thing else than hear people talk to me : either of what great things the Lord had done for them, or in complaining of their distress on account of their sins. This being really the case, who will say that this is not the work of the Holy Ghost : seeing that it is He alone, who couvinces of sin, and afterward comforts His people by leading them to taste the things of Christ ? After four o'clock I assembled the candidates for private instruction, and was much pleased with their ready answers to my questions. " Jan. 29. This day has been similar to Monday. A poor fellow, a sawj-er, had been teazed and provoked by another for a length of time, till at last, his patience, which was admired by several, failed. He answered the insults offered by the other, and they fell into a quarrel. He came this evening, in consequence, after service, nearly broken-hearted for what he had done, supposing it almost an im- pardonable sin. He begged me to send for the other man, in order to make up the (juarrel in my presence, ' otherwise,' said he, ' suppose the Lord take away mj' life this night, I fear too much : for I shall go to hell for that.' The other man came, and, being also sorry for his misdemeanor ; a reconciliation took place without any trouble. The sawyer is a communicant, the other is not. Oh that all who call them- selves Christians were of such an excellent mind. "Jan. 31. The people still continue coming in numbers : another striking instance of tenderness of conscience and the power of the Word of God was evidenced, this evening, by two women, *vho had given way to words, in their momentary passion ; both came after evening service, and both were afraid to bring the matter forward. I guessed what they wanted, as I had heard something about it ; and therefore brought it forward myself. At first, each seemed to justify herself, which made it rather difficult to reconcile them. I endeavoured to convince them, that they were both in fault : that both had done the same thing, and consequently both were guilty of the same sin : they still seemed to doubt whether it was really so, at last I took up the Bible and gave it to one of them, desiring her to read Matt. vi. 14, 15, no sooner had she read, but she burst into tears — frankly con- fessed her fault, and instantly desired the other to forgive her, though the other had l)een the first offender ; this so much affected the other, that a most (cordial reconciliation took ])lace immediately. " Feb. 9, Sunday. Preached in the forenoon from Matt. xvi. 1.'? — 18. on Christ, the object of our faith, as necessary to salvation. I. It is not a historical, but an experimental faith, that can give us an as- EXTRACTS FROM MR. DLRINg's LAST JOURNAL. 213 surance of Christ's Godhead and Almighty power to save — II. This faith is the gift of God. (v. 17.) — III. The blessedness of those who can say, *I know in whom I have believed.' In the evening, I preached from John xx. 13. on the character of those who have been brought to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. I. The knowledge that Marj' Magdalene had of Christ was experimental ; whence all her tenderness and anxiety. (Luke viii. 2. Mark xvi. 9. Song iii. 1 — 3) — II. If her knowledge of Christ had been merely historical, she, no doubt would ha^e manifested the greatest indifference, like all nominal professors, described in Song v. 9. " After service, I was surrounded by people, some rejoicing, and others in distress. One man said, ' Oh Massa, to-day I find my heart.' How do you find your heart ? Had you no heart before? — ' Yes, but that always sleep same like some person that is dead.' — What do you mean by your heart being dead or alive I have a heart too ; but that is always alive to do bad, never to do good. ' Well, . Massa, I hope you pardon me : I can't talk same you talk.' Well then, talk as well as you can. ' This morning, soon, at first prayers, when you pray, that other heart in me got big, big ! Water run out of my eyes. That same thing I want, you pray for ; when I come home, I sit down upon my bed, and at once I remember the first verse of the twenty-third Psalm, Oh that make me glad. When Church-time come, I was troubled, because my heart feel lazy : but when you preach, that trouble go away again ; and I feel glad again, because all what you say belong to me. So my heart stand.' *' March 14. Expounded in the evening, at Gloucester, Acts xiii. 15 — 37. After senice, I was called to visit some sick communicants. In the first house, I found both husband and wife sick. I am soriy, said I, to see you both in such a state. ' Ah Massa, what for you feel sorrow, I no feel sorrow, I am glad ; and nothing troubles me no more, my body feel pain all over, but that's good for me ; yes, I know by that, that my Father loves me, and makes me so glad. This now makes tliree nights no sleep come in my eyes ; one time my heart want to grumble, but directly, one thought strike me — Remember Job ! he have plenty sores, and he no stand so. Then I feel so ashamed of myself ; first, that thought trouble me much ; and by and bye, my sin come before me : I was so troubled, no more live in my heart. Then I begin to think of my awful state ; I say in my heart, what a miserable sinner I am ; if the Lord cut me off just now, I must go to hell for true. Then something tell me, suppose yon was true Chris- tian, you can't stand so ; it is of no more use for you to pray : the Lord can't hear your prayer no more ; because your sins are too great. Hut Massa, that same time when all that trouble live upon me, I re- member what you say, long time ago, wlicn you preach from lliem words, 214 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEKRA LEONE. ' But Zion said, the Lord, hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.' (Is. xUx. 14, 15.) You say, sometime our un- belie-y-ing heart will say, the Lord hath now left me : He will no more have mercy : He hath forgotten to be gracious any more — and at another time, or perhaps at the same, the Devil will whisper, there is no help for you, your sins are so great, that God cannot pardon them, &c. : but remember, that your heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and that the Devil is a liar from the beginning. That same time I could say, that is true, it is nothing ^hat my heart say or what the Devil say : the Lord J esus say, ' I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' And again ' I am come to seek and to save that which was lost.' This word, Massa, take all at one time my trouble from me, my heart began to be glad, no more water run from my eyes. And then I think again on what you say last Sunday, particularly in the evening.' Here he repeated the heads of my discourse — ' When I think about that, and what a poor blind sinner I was, and that the Lord save me from that blindness, I can say no more than this, for true God love me with everlasting love. I can't say what I feel in my heart.' He burst into a flood of tears, and I with him. After some time, he said, • Before time, I fear to die, when sickness catch me ; but now I can say, Jesus has died for me ; and that same thing which the Lord Jesus has appointed for me, is good for me, even if I must che to- night.' His wife was much in the same state of mind, with this excep- tion, that she was more solicitous for her two little boys, whom she most earnestly recommended to me to take care of, in case she should die. I spoke to them, and to as many as were in the house, for some time ; for, on such occasions, there are always plenty of people present, especially if they hear that I am sent for. " I then went to another, a single man, who also was very ill. When I entered his house, he exclaimed, as soon as he saw me, ' O Massa, I am glad to see you, I hope you have some good word for me, for I am poor ; I don't know how my heart stand tliis time, no more trouble live upon me, I fear I only belong to them people, who build them houses upon the sand.' Are you sensible, said I, that you are a sinner that must j)cri.sli without Christ for ever ? ' Oh yes, if the Lord Jesus don't save mo, I shall ])erish ; because when I look u])oii all things in this world, all that can't save my soul ; my sin too great. Massa, I am very glad that you have come ; but sujipose you can see my heart in what fashion it stand now, you can't come to me, because my heart is too wicked. Yes, tliat word in the eighth chapter of Acts, belongs to me : since that time you talk about that man Simon, no more, — fear come upon me ; for true, since that sick, I always think on that — ' Thou hast neither part nor lot in (his matter, because thy EXTRACTS CONTINUED. 215 heart is not right in the sight of God.' But, said I, how can you compare yourself to that Simon ? — for if that man had felt that he was a sinner, he could not have offered money to the Apostle for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Could you act in the same way as that man did? ' No, Massa, I have nothing to give.' Yes, I said, you have some- thing to give, for the Lord says, in His word, ' My son, give me thine heart ; ' and blessed be the name of the Lord, He does not say, first make thy heart good : no, He says. Give me thy heart, which yet is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked ; and then, ' let us reason together, and though thy sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.' ' Yes, me glad to do this, but my wicked heart won't let me. Plenty time my heart stand like people when they quarrel. And since last rainy season, that fashion my country-people stand in trouble me very much. Same time you go to England last year, plenty sore live on my feet : by and bye, I want to go to the hospital ; but one day, my country people from Rubees,' a small native town between Wellington and Hastings, ' come to see me : they tell me, witch give me that sickness, and suppose me pay them, they want to make country fashion,' that is, a superstitious ceremony. ' When I hear them talk of witch palaver and them country fashion, my heart feel so sorry for them : no more, — water run out of my eyes : I don't know what to do. Then I tell them, I no want your medicine : that fashion you talk no good : I want to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ — He can make me well if He pleases to-day. No, me no want your fashion, and me no want your medicine. Then they go away ; and, two days after that, I go to the hospital. By and bye, my foot get well, and the chicken-pox catch me ; then the doctor send me to Fourah Bay, and they put me in the house of one white man that shot himself two years ago. That same time me live in that house, I see every thing look gay, then I think, what use now this fine house to that man ? He dead now, and other people live here ; and by and bye, they die too, and must leave it again, and so every thing in this world stand. When I think about all this, I remember what you j)rcacli same year Mr. Johnson go to England — " Arise ye, and dej)art, for this is not your rest." Yes, it is no use for man to [)ut his heart upon things of this world. I ask myself, that same time, what thing is there you like best past the Lord Jesus Christ. When I think about nil them things that live here, I stand like stranger — no more — the Lord Jesus Christ can do me good ; and sujjposc that I know that I belong to him, that is best, past every thing.' He said much more, but it is imj)ossiblc to remember all, for what I have stated is merely an outline. " I cotild wish to put down on the S])()t wliat they say on such occa- sions; btit were 1 to attempt it, they would l)e afraid, and would no! be able to sjjeak another word. 216 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " Marcli 30, Easter-Sunday. Was ver\- much confused on account of both my children bemg dangerously sick. My poor little boy, who had been taken with the fever on Friday, was seized with violent spasms this morning. I read the prayers, and preached from Matt, xx^iii. 11 — 15. This was the day appointed for baptizing the candi- dates ; twenty-five adults having given, in their several examinations, full proof of their sincerity, so far as man can judge, were baptized, and afterward admitted to the Lord's Supper, which I administered to 127 communicants. The occasion was truly solemn ; and for a time, I lost all my sorrows. Five infants also were baptized." The following extract from a letter wTitten by this excellent man on the 1 7th of J une, was the harbinger of chsmal tidings to the African church. " I have been severely ill ! obstruction was followed by inflammation, wliich I thought would have put a stop to my earthly existence ; but through the upholdmg hand of our God, I am still spared, and am in some measure enabled to attend to my duties. For the first time since the 11th of ilay, when I administered the Lord's Supper at Regent's, I held service here twice last Sunday, with the assistance of William Tamba, who has been here every Sunday during my illness. He is quite restored ; which is a mercy to us, as he is continually wanted somewhere or other." The sufferings of the pastor drew forth in richest harmony, the christian sympathies of the flock. The gracious hand that dealt the blow, provided a consolation such as His aflSicted servant could well appreciate, and to enjoy which he felt he could gladly cUspense with exemption from mere bodily pain and weakness. The soul was re- freshed and strengthened, and though his outward man was perishing, he felt his inward man renewed by such scenes as the following, from day to day ; he thus records the circumstances attending his ill- ness. " Never have I experienced more excruciating pain, but never felt more peace and comfort ! Oh the blessedness of true religion, when its genuine efficacy is experienced ! It is indeed an easy yoke and a light burden, when Christ the Head speaks peace to the suffering mem- bers. " But while I have hinted at my personal aflSiction, I must not forget the conduct of our people ; as it will tlirow farther light on their pro- gress. During the whole time of my sickness, which all knew to be of a serious natiu'c, the whole under my care were jiaiticularly distressed about it ; and all the communicants of Regent's both sympathized with those here and felt forme ; and their joint prayers and supplications for me were almost incessant. " M'heii niy disease had come to a crisis, which was on the 2nd of MR. ULRINg's illness AND CONSOLATIONS. 217 June, toward evening I was seized with agonizing pain in the bowels, and a strong palpitation of the heart, which made me breathe with ex- treme difficulty : this was very soon known, and in a little time, the bed-room and piazza were filled chiefly with the communicants, all viewing me as certainly dying. No distressful howling noise, as prac- tised by their brethren in their natural state, was heard, but silent tears were seen running down their cheeks in great abundance, while the more hardy vented their grief in sighs and groans : the sight was too much for me. I desired to remove at least so far that I could not see them, and said to those near me, ' I take it very kind of you that you feel for me in my distress, but you only increase my pain when I see you so ; for which reason I wish you would stand in the piazza, where I cannot see you.' But, as some went out, others came in ; I was, therefore, obliged to give way to them. One man who seemed to have been thinking of what I had said, came close to the bed, and said, very feelingly, ' Massa, don't drive us away. We come to see what we can do for you. Suppose you tell us to fetch doctor from town, we can go and carry him up quick, suppose he no have horse to ride.' ' Ah,' said I, ' no earthly doctor can help me, if the Lord Jesus Christ does not. The only thing that is left for you and I, is to fly to Him in our trouble. I should be obliged to you, if you would pray with me : ' No sooner had I uttered these words than all were instantly on their knees, like soldiers well exercised in the use of their arms ! Many times have I felt the power of prayer ; but to a season like this I had been a stranger until now ; and I believe all the people, too, were very deeply impressed as well as myself. " Another event brought also great comfort and satisfaction to my mind, during my illness ; this was, the remarkably good behaviour of the people, both here and at Regent's. Never, I am fully authorised to say, did practical religion shine more brightly among our people, than in the last two months, nor did they sympathize with me only, but e(iually with other suffering servants of the Society, nor did they stop here ; but every respectable European, who fell a victim to the yellow fever, was lamented by them, and I have heard them pray for those whom they knew to be ill with equal simplicity and earnestness. These, my dear Sirs, are evidences of the power of grace which need no comment ; they speak volumes to every christian mind. " Farewell ; and remember us in your continual j)rayers ; we never fail to remember you." On the 9th of August, a letter was written to the Secretaries by Mr. Nyliinder, which confirmed the worst fears of poor Diiring's friends. We extract a passage : — " Brother Diiring seems to be nt the point of death. We held n 218 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. special meeting on the subject on the 7th ; when a certificate of the principal medical gentlemen was read, stating that Brother Diiring is labouring under a dropsical affection of the abdomen, together with a generally diseased state of the viscera of that cavity, which it ap- pears is no longer capable of performing its usual functions ; and that to proceed to Europe as soon as possible affords the only prospect of recovery. A brig sails to-morrow, but all the places having been en- gaged, brother Diiring could not be sent by her. There is a ship to sail in two or three weeks' time : should brother Diiring, who is now in a state of great pain and weakness, be spared so long, he will sail in her." On the last day of August, Mr. and Mrs. Diiring embarked in the "Hadlow" for England — that vessel never reached her destined port, and it was soon felt that she went down with all on board, in one of those fearful gales with which the English channel was visited at the begin- ning of November 1823. Thus sunk in the mighty waters two faith- ful servants of the Friend of sinners. The Lord had need of them in that perishing vessel, and what effects their conversation and example had upon the immortal souls so soon to be plunged into eternity, the last great day alone will discover. As for themselves, Christ Jesus was their ark, bearing their spirits upward above the angry deep. They had fronted undismayed the withering blast of an African pesti- lence, and they did not shrink before the terrors of a devouring sea. Their work was done — their conflict over, and so the heavenly pilot brought them to their desired haven. When Mr. Diiring was in England, he furnished the Committee with a sketch of the origin and progress of the work under his care at Glou- cester. We feel the time has arrived for the insertion of this interesting document. Let it occupy a niche in the African church, as a tablet to the memory of one of its departed saints. " On first seeing the negroes brought from the hold of slave-ships in which they had been confined, I was greatly discouraged. I had indeed heard sometliing of their deplorable condition, but it may truly be said, that no one who has lived in a civilized country can form an adequate idea of the misery of these our poor fellow creatures. I was first apj)ointed to Leicester Mountain, then a station under the Society. On going thither, my heart was almost broken, for I liad a better op- portunity of inquiring into their real state, and soon found, that if I did not become every thing to them, I could have but little hope of benefitting them. Most of them were sick with the dysentery, or had large ulcers : and many died ; but my greatest difficulty with them at first was, that they mistook every act of kindness for a certain sign of their being sold again as soon as cined : and, owing to their ignorance, and the continual cruel usage which they had endured, it MR. DUKINg's first STRUGGLES. 219 was the hardest thmg to persuade them to the contrary. Notwith- standing, however, these and other trials, I became so completely settled, that it was a new trial to me, when I was called upon to leave them, and to undertake the settlement now called Gloucester. " Here begins a new scene, a retrospect of which calls forth my warmest gratitude. " The first day that I went to the spot, I took a cutlass with me : but not knowing what use I could make of it, I had a mind to send it back by one of the boys which were with me, but the boy seemed un- wilUng to go back ; I resolved to take it in my hand, as it would serve instead of a walking-stick, and was in the end glad enough that I had it, for I had to cut my way through many places until I arrived at the spot fixed upon, where I found 107 individuals lately rescued from the chains of the slave-trade, and sent into this forest with an Euro- pean who had to manage them until I took charge of them. "It was on the 18th of December 1816, that I was sent there: about two chain's square had been opened ; the bushes and trees hadng been cut down by those who were able to do a little work ; two huts had been erected, the one half covered and the other half not at all ; so that the sick were neither sheltered from the sun by day, nor from the heavy dews by night. Preparations were now to be made for con- venient houses, against the ensuing rains ; but how to set about it with expedition I knew not : the few who were able to work were obliged to do ever} thing, the rest appeared like skeletons, moved about by machincrj' ! Discouraging as my case was, I was not willing to give up the thought, that this might become an asylum for these and others of the forlorn sons of Africa, at which some of them at least, woiUd with gratitude remember their benefactors, and praise God, who had put into the hearts of his servants to rescue them from the hands of cruel men, and to devise means for their good. This thought continually encouraged me to persevere. " I soon got room enough to build fourteen houses, besides one for myself and one for a school ; those for the people were comfortable enough, but mine and the school beuig of a larger construction than the natives had been used to, they were not able to make them water-proof ; when the rains therefore fully set in, wc were indeed sheltered from the wind, but were obliged to eat our victuals, to sit and to walk about luider an umbrella, even in the house, when it rained ; and, in order to keep our bed dry, I was obliged to build a roof over it within a roof. " In this state, however, of continual exposure to wet and damp, I escaped every sickness ; so that I was two years entirely well. This mercy has always armed me against despair, in the worst of seasons ; for the Lord who preserved me in this (UtHcult and dangerous situa- 220 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. tion, is able still to presen e and keep me in every other danger ; not that I would be presumptuous, and expose myself to danger where there is no necessity ; but, where it may be unavoidable, as it was with me at that time, let me ever trust Him, and not be afraid. But the instruction of the ignorant m the way of salvation, was that for which I had chiefly come to Africa ; and, urgent as our other duties were, this was not to be neglected. The first point to which I bent my attention, with a view to our higher end, was the observance of the Sabbath-day ; the first time I spoke to my poor people on this subject, there were only three who in some measure understood me, and were able to explain to the others what I had said. Soon after this I commenced evening school. When I had got a httle on with this plan, I began to keep morning and evening service, and three times every Sunday ; most of the people shewed at first, great aversion to this, but by little and little, this died away, and our assembhes were more frequently and regularly attended by a good many. "When I had been scarcely six months among them, I found some few began to be concerned for the salvation of their souls. My joy was inexpressibly great ; my toils and labour and dangers were now richly rewarded ; I thought myself the happiest man in the world, and have been able to thank my God ever since, for ha^Tiig brought me, by His good providence, to Africa. WTien I had been about a full year on the spot, I had eight commimi- cants, who had all, to the moment of my leaving them, stood the test, and proved that the Gospel is indeed ' the power of God unto salva- tion to every one that beUeveth,' and had been real ornaments to that faith which they profess. " In the end of 1817, more wood was cleared away, and more houses for the people built ; the foundation of the superintendant's dwelling- house was laid ; and a rice store, thirty feet by eighteen, was begun and finished in less than two months. It may appear extraordinary that Africans, who had hardly become used to their tools as masons, should be so expeditious ; but any one who knows what an effect true religion has on the mind of an African, will no longer wonder, for six of the masons employed at that work were communicants. But this was not all, for the dwelling-house, the foundation of which had been previously laid, was also forward enough for me to live in by the time when the fall of the rains of 1818 set in; and in the latter end of July of the same year all the mason's work was done. When I saw what the workmen could do, I set about planning the Church, to which the Governor readily gave his sanction ; and in consequence the foundation of St. Andrew's Church was laid in the latter end of September 1818; the building is seventy-sLx feet by forty-two, with two galleries all along ; and will hold conveniently 1500 persons; it was opened for di\inc service in June 1820. As soon as the masons had MR. DURINg's last LETTER. 221 finished their work on the Church, the foundation of a female school- house was laid, seventy feet by twenty-five ; this is also finished, and both buildings are in daily use. My next plan is a school for the boys, of the same dimensions ; and then the chief buildings will be finished at this place ; which I heartily desire, for I am quite tired of all the headaches, and groans, and sleepless nights, which those that we have erected caused me ; at the same time, I cannot review the whole without expressing my warmest gratitude to the Lord, who enabled me to do what I have done." We cannot refrain from inserting here the last letter written by this eminent Christian, which is a true portraiture of the man. It was penned a few days before the ' Hadlow ' set sail, and is addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Norman, schoolmaster and schoolmistress of Regent. "August 25, 1823. " Dear Brother and Sister, ".Through much pain last Saturday, I was not able then to answer the very kind and affectionate letter of my dear sister in Christ and in the bonds of the gospel, and though the weather this morning is not in my favour, yet I cannot forbear writing. " The first tidings of recovery on the part of dear Mrs. Norman made me pour out praises and thanksgiving ; as her severe attack had made me to supplicate our God, who hears and answers prayer, for her recovery. But her letter was much more to that effect, and what makes me always to rejoice is when I have evidenc2 that affliction is sanctified. If this is the case in truth, then its end is answered ; and if so, then, though our affliction for the present be not joyous but grievous, after- ward it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness to them that are~exercised thereby. How happy are we, when we see the Lord's hand in every thing, even in our severest trials. " As for the Church, I can only say it is well for her that her keep- ing is not left in the hands of man, whose l)reatli is in liis nostrils ; but with Him, whose name is Lord of lords, and King of kings ; yea, happy for every believer, that his own spiritual hfe is not left in his own hands. I can speak for myself in that case, that if mine had been committed to me tliirteen years ago, I should have lost it as many times as I could breathe in that number of years. But no ! blessed be God, it is in Christ's hands ; yea, it is hid in Him." On Mr. and Mrs. Diiring's departure, William Tamba was put in charge of Gloucester, and Mrs. Reuner from Kent, in care of the females, — Mark Joseph Tamba, also taken into the Society's service, was appointed to assist. At Michaelmas, William Tiunl)a furnished the following report to the missionaries : — 222 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " Dear brethren in the Lord, " I have not much to say to you, for you know the feehngs and trou- bles of the mind. I can only say, the will of the Lord be done. I have no doubt God will carry on His work. I am but a poor black man; but God is no respecter of persons. At present, there are 127 communicants and 14 candidates ; prayer is kept morning and evening, at which the people attend regularly. The day-school girls are 80, and the boys 72 ; the women in the evening- schools 20, and the men 80 ; making in all 252. " May the Lord carry on his work in our hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." At Christmas Tamba reported the number of communicants at 1 35, and the candidates 14 ; with 198 in the schools. Every Sunday he said the church was quite full, the people were veiy quiet. The vete- ran Nyliinder had superintended all. On Mr. Johnson's separation from his flock, Mr. and Mrs. Norman were appointed to the charge of Regent, under the superintendance of Diiring, from whose letter to Johnson, dated June 17, it appears that Norman had succeeded in engaging the affection and respect of the peo- ple. He mentions with much regret, that four native christians, one of whom was a communicant, had been found in a state of intoxication ; this was owing to two men having begun to sell rum secretly. This painful matter was strictly investigated by Mr. Diiring, and the offenders were suspended. With this exception, the conduct of the people con- tinued most exemplary. David Noah had a severe fit of illness, but the Lord spared his valuable life for the work to which He had called and adapted him. In August, the congregation in the church exceeded 2000 who were in constant attendance. The schools were considerably reduced by small-pox, marriages, and the apprenticing of boys out to trades. At Christmas, the number of scholars in all was 984. The com- municants amounted to 450. In the early part of the summer quarter, both Norman and his wife suffered severely from sickness ; and during that time, the corpses of five of the missionary labourers lay in their house. *' Yet," said Norman, " in the midst of these afflictions God has supported us by His grace ; so that ' as our trials abounded, His consolations did much more abound.' " On the 8th of September, intelligence of the death of Messrs. Flood and Johnson, reached the Colony ; with what effect may be conceived. It filled the residents of all descriptions with dismay. The removal of Mr. Johnson especially, was a blow for which they were totally unpre- pared, and it was felt to be as severe as it was unexpected. The communication of the melancholy event to the people of MR. Johnson's death communicated to his flock. 223 Regent, Mr. Johnson's own dear people, devolved on Norman. The » circumstances attending the painful task must be related by himself. " In the early part of September," he writes, " I received informa- tion by letters from the Society, of the death, on the 3rd of May, of our dear brother Johnson. "WTien the letters arrived, I was engaged in reading Milner's Church History, with the native teachers, and the elder boys of the Christian Institution. When I had read the letters, I informed them that their minister was dead. They were all greatly affected, and especially David Noah. The information soon spread over the town, and in a few minutes our house was crowded with weep- ing inquirers. *' I endeavoured to comfort them by telling them that he was cer- tainly taken away for his and for their good — that he had finished his work, and had gone to receive his everlasting reward — that God would not even now forsake them, but would still be gracious to them — that they ought to be yery thankful that God had spared him so long, while many missionaries had been cut off in a short time after they had com- menced their work — and that the only way in which they could tes- tify their gratitude to God, was by bearing the trial with christian pa- tience and meekness, and their love to their late minister by attending to the instructions which he had for seven years given them. I then told them to go home and beg of God grace to bear the trial as be- came them, and promised to read the letters to them in the Church at evening service. They then begged that I would not leave them. I told them I would not while I was able to stand up to teach them, un- less they were provided with another teacher. " In the evening the church was crowded. Before I began the ser- vice I spoke to them, and begged them not to make any noise, as I knew it was an African custom to cry aloud when they had lost a friend. I told them that the christian manner of bearing a trial was with patience and silent submission to God, who had a right to do as he j)leased. " The congregation then sang the following hymn : — Dear refuge of ray weary soul ! On Thee when sorrows rise. On Tliee when waves of trouble roll. My fainting hope relies. To Thee I tell each rising grief. For thou alone canst heal ; Thy word can bring me sure relief For every pain I feel. llast thou not bid me seek thy face And shall I seek in vain? And can the ear of sovereign grace, Be deaf when I complain.^ 224 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. 4. No, still the ear of sovereign grace Attends the mourner's prayer, Oh ! may I ever find access To breathe my sorrows there. Thy mercy-seat is open still, Here let my soul retreat ; With humble hope attend Thy will And wait beneath thy feet. " The passage of scripture which came in course for our consideration this evening was, John riii. 12 — 19. I dwelt more particularly on the twelfth verse. Afterwards I read the letters which had been received. All were remarkably attentive and quiet. " We then sang the following hymn, well known and much used among the people there ; attention having been frequently called to it by their deceased minister. In every trouble sharp and strong. My soul to Jesus flies ; My anchor-hold is firm in Him When swelling billows rise. His comforts bear my spirits up, I trust a faithful God ; The sure foundation of my hope Is in my Saviour's blood. Loud Hallelujahs I will sing To my Redeemer's name ; In joy and sorrow, life and death. His love is still the same. " Knowing the strength of African feehng, I was much astonished at the behaviour of the people. Not a word or sob was heard in the church after ser^•ice, but all was silent grief. " The Saturday evening after, many persons attended the weekly meeting — six of them spoke, and in a most feeling manner adverted to the death of their late pastor. I give the substance of one of these addresses : — " With respect to the death of our dear minister Mr. Johnson, I can say this is a great trial, because I loved him. It was through his instrumentality that I was brought from darkness to light ; but God had a right to take him away when he pleased. We thought too much of Mr. Johnson, though he was a good man, and God will not suffer us to put confidence in any but the Lord Jesus Christ. My dear bre- thren, I think God took him away because we looked more to Mr. Joliu- son than we did to the Lord Jesus. I hope, my dear brethren, this trial will make us all to trust more to the Lord Jesus, for He alone can MORE LOSSES TO THE MISSION. 225 save us — He alone is the light of tlie world. Let us go to Him and beg him to sanctity this trial to us, and let us shew that we do indeed love our dear minister by doing what he told us." Norman communicated to the people of Gloucester, the suspicion entertained that their valued pastor had perished at sea. His infor- mation was received with every demonstration of sorrow, and full evi- dence was afforded of the sincere affection which these christian natives entertained for one who had laboured so faithfully and successfully among them. Upon the removal of Mr. and ISIrs. Bunyer, and Mrs. Vaughan, Mr. Yaughan was the onlj' European teacher in the Freetown schools left. ilrs. Schemel having lost her husband, was afterwards placed in charge of the girl's school, and George Fox and his wife continued their assistance as native teachers. The attendance at these schools varied at different seasons, the smallest being at Midsummer, when the number was 491, and the largest at Christmas, it being then 527. The advantages yet enjoyed by these schools were still further di- minished by the death of Mr. Vaughan, on the 26th of November, he hanng survived his excellent wife just five months. He died at Free- town after an illness of about ten days — prepared to meet his God and Sanour, upon whom his heart was fixed, and in whose service he laboured with unAvcaried zeal. WHiile free from intervals of delirium, he expressed a longing to depart and be with Christ, evidently feeling hai)py in anticipation of the change which awaited him. The affectionate regret of all his brethren accompanied him to his grave. Two of the vacancies in the Freetown schools occasioned by death, were filled up by the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. John Pope, on the first of December. Their appointment to these schools was agreed on at a meeting of the missionaries on the 2nd. But while two labourers were thus added to the mission, two others were withdrawn in the persons of Mr. and ^Irs. Norman, whose confirmed ill health compelled them to abandon the work for the present, and return home. The embar- rassments occasioned by the loss of missionaries in the course of this year were very severely felt. Even l)efore the death of Vaugiiau, and the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Norman, Nyliinder complained of the deserted state of the mission. He .says, in a letter to the Secretaries, dated Nov. 21, 1823:— " Though I have to relate no deaths in the mission, yet I liave to call your attention once more to its distressed state. "Brother Norman has been dangerously ill, and so has Mrs. Norman. Brotlier Norman is ill in bed now, and has kept his bed two days. It is tlie united opinion of the medical gentlemen that Mr. Norman should .return to England as soon as possible, and what will (lien become of 226 CHURCH MISSION IN SICRRA LEONE. Regent, Gloucester, and the Institution ? I have been to Regent twice since brother Diiring left ; and each time administered the Sacra- ment to about 400 communicants ; including the people of Gloucester, who came to Regent on those occasions. I have also administered the Sacrament at Charlotte, where the communicants from Leopold joined us. Once a month I likewise attend the church at Freetown ; so that I am but one Sunday in the month with my own people. Brother Vaughan reads prayers at Freetown on Lord's day ; and then usually visits Gloucester, and spends the remainder of the day with the people there ; but at present even this is prevented." It is not to be wondered at, that under such unfavourable cir- cumstances something like anarchy began to manifest itself in the com- paratively neglected villages. Even Regent — the reader will sigh to learn the fact — Regent shewed symjjtoms of disorder. With what pain must that good man Nyliinder, have penned the following : — " About 100 men met together at Regent, refused to work, and ac- tually engaged in battle ; several were wounded ; and even Mr. Nor- man received blows with sticks and stones, and was carried home. They were, however subdued by superior force ; and about fifty of them arrested and piuiished according to law : among these, I am sorry to say, were some to whom I administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper on the Sunday before. I was present at the examina- tion of the rioters. No blame was attached to Mr. Norman. The rebels said to the Chief Justice, or before him and the council, ' Mr. Norman is a good man, never done us any harm.' It was evident that a nursing-father was much needed for these babes in Christ, who it was scarcely to be expected had yet learned to walk alone. Some of the ^^llages were providentially exempted from the disasters of the year ; for example, Charlotte still enjoyed the pious labours of Taylor and his wife. At Michaelmas 182;3, the pupils in the schools, both children and adults, amounted to 258. At Christmas, this number was diminished to 127, the decrease being chiefly owing to marriages among the elder girls. Of the evening school, toward the close of the year, Taylor had to complain that he had great difficulty in prevailing on the adults to attend, nor did they assign any cause, only they appeared determined not to be taught. In secular industry the inhabitants could scarcely be excelled. In three quarters of a year, the sum of £S07 • 10 : 1. had been received from government for cassada and cocoa, and much more remained to be sold. " The diftorence," wrote Taylor, " in the appearance of the place in a temporal view, is i\ideed great. It may well be said, the wilderness blossoms as the rose. Instead of a large forest, are now to be seen a large town of about 250 houses, with school-houses for SPIRITUAL STATE OF THE TOWNS 227 both sexes, a large tract of land under cultivation, and ever\- con- venience of civilized life ; and now to crown the whole, a Church is begun to be erected for the worship of God. Oh that I could say, the moral aspect was as pleasing to the view of the Christian. Alas ! but few vet know that SaA-iour, whom to know is life eternal." At Kissey, the veteran Nyliinder still held out amidst many dis- couragements arising principally from ill-health, and the distraction of a divided superintendance. Kissey, Freetown, Gloucester, Regent, Wellington — all enjoyed his solicitude, and claimed his occasional services. No wonder then, all were indifferently attended to, and all suffered. The attendance at the Church here, was about 700, and the communicants numbered from twenty-five to thirty. The schools were attended by about 880 children, but between apprenticeship and marriages, they went on, Nyliinder said, only indifferently. Here, as at Charlotte, the evening adult-school was in a declining state. Some comfort, however, was derived from the praj'er meetings. " The Lord," wrote Nylander, " continues to be with us at our Church and prayer-meetings ; which latter are still held on Wednesday and Satur- day evenings, and are attended by about fifteen men and twenty-two women. Some of our communicants, who, like the Galatians 'did run well,' have left off being wise : and like Demas, have gone after the things of this world. I hope to admit to ba])tism next quarter four promising young men and two women. Onr monthly missionary prayer-meeting is regularly attended, and we collect at it upwards of per month." Two native assistants, George Thomas and John Bannah, laboured here very acceptably. Regarding Waterloo, which was attended to by Mr. and Mrs. Lisk and the native assistant W. Lawrence, Wilhelm wrote at Christmas : " I feel thankful in testifying to you, at the close of this year of peculiarly afflictive visitation in this colony, that the people of Waterloo, both young and old, have had through the mercy of God, the means of instruction and of grace and salvation, continued to them. Though it was a verj' sickly season throughout this year for us Europeans in this stfition as well as in others, yet our sickness did not materially in- terrupt us in the work of the Lord. The schools have been well at- tended, especially the boys' school, considerable progress having been made in rca.ling, writing ,ind arithmetic. The evening schools are rather in a declining state, most of'tlie meciiauics neglecting to attend. The meetings of conununieants I have not kept for the last six weeks, some unha[)py differences having taken place which are not yet recti- fied ; as however, 1 can see nothing criminal in the case, I hope that through the mercy of God, charity and (Uiion will be restored among us." . « J 2-28 CHURCH MISSION IN SIF.RR.V LEONE. On the r2tli of February, the fouiul.ition-stone of a stone Church dedicated to St. Michael, was laid here by IMr. Reffell in the absence of the Governor. And iu the afternoon of the same day a Missionary Association was formed, when the sum of £5 : 11: 8. was collected. At Kent, Mr. and Mrs. Beckley (the latter formerly Miss Johnson) laboured with effect, Mrs. Renner having removed to Gloucester. The boys and men's schools were for some time conducted by William Bickersteth, native assistant, but he was afterwards removed to Regent. A Missionary Association was formed here on the 8tli of April, and the sum of £'3:6:8. collected on the occasion. One of the resolu- tions adopted at the meeting is worthy of being preserved. It declared : " That this meeting contemplating the great change which has taken place in a few years on this spot, this being once the principal mart for slave-dealers, cannot but feel grateful to Almighty God, that now the glad tidings of salvation are freely proclaimed." Mr. Beckley was enabled to open a new sphere of usefulness at the Banana islands, which lay off the coast a short distance from Kent. During the last quarter of the year, he had kept service there, generally once a week, and had an attendance of from 60 to 70 persons who seemed anxious for spiritual instruction. The work at Leopold under the care of Mr. and Mrs. Davey, con- tinued to prosper, so that the building a])propriated to public worship was necessarily undergoing enlargement so as to accommodate 1000 persons. No decided marks of a spiritual change had, however, yet appeared, "Although," said Davey, "there are some, of whom we can say, that they are almost Christians." The contributions to the Society from this place, amounted during the year to ^617 : 12 : 6. and the inhabitants had sold to government in the same period, 6112 bushels of cocoa and cassada, for which they received ^296 : 18 : 7 The Rev. W. H. Schemel had succeeded William Davis at Bathurst, and laboured there until his decease, when the Rev. John Gerber and Mrs. Gerber removed hither from Kissey. They were assisted in the schools by William Neville, native schoolmaster. When Mr. Gerber arrived, there were 19 communicants, some of these he found it necessary to exclude, but the others became decided in their (chris- tian walk. The number of scholars at Christmas was 97. The Rev. G. W. E. Metzger and Mrs. Metzger, had attended, with some interruption since January, to the spiritual concerns of Wilberforce, where heathenish practices to some extent still prevailed : but Mr. Metzger was concilia- ting the affection of the peoj)le. At Michaelmas, it was thouglit ad- visable that he shuidd reside fur a season at Kissey, where he would REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST YEAR. 2-29 enjoy the matured counsel of Xvliiuder, whose knowledge of all the peculiarities of the Christian work in Sierra Leone, rendered his in- structions highly valuable to recently-arrived laborers. Mr. and Mrs. Metzger accordingly removed thither, and proved a great acquisition to the over-worked pastor. John Sandy continued to be successful at Wellington. His report at Christmas was highly satisfactory to Xyliinder. Several men and women were said to be under the influence of reUgion, and some had applied for baptism. The Christian Institution now only remains to be noticed. This seminary had suffered severely from the loss of European labourers. Mr. Norman had done what he could, but his services were necessarily very inefficient. As a temporary resource John Johnson, one of the senior students, was put in charge of the other youths, and continued in this office till Christmas, when Mr. Lisk took his place. The num- ber of scholars had been reduced to thirteen. The circumstances of the past year, marked as they were by the re- moval of so many Christian labourers from this important field, led the committee to deliberate seriously on some effectual mode of sup- plying the vacancies which now existed, as well as of securing to the Mission in future the requisite number of teachers to meet the demand as it should arise. It appeared to them expedient to propose to Govcrunient that the Society should take on itself the preparation and support of all the English clergymen that were found necessary for the service of the colony, whether in Freetown or in the towns of the liberated Africans ; these clergymen to be approved of by the Sovereign through the Secretary of state for the colonial dei)artment, the Society having the power of j)lacing them, with tlie concurrence of the Governor, as local circumstances should require ; the stipends of these clergymen, together with the necessary provisions for their family, if any should survive them, being supi)lied by the Society ; also the maintenance of the colonial schools at Freetown and Christian Institu- tion at Regent ; but that the Government shoidd provide in each of the country parishes, for the education of its inhabitants and for their civil superintendence, mider the authority and direction of the clergvman ; and also as o])portunity should offer, tlie requisite buildings for public worship and schools, and dwelling-houses for the clergyman and other teachers, with laud for garden and sufficient glebe. A deputation of the Society, consisting of the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, Lord Calthorpe, Lord lU-xley, ^Ir. Parry and the Secretary, laid this proposal before Earl IJatluirst, and some slight modifications suggested by him having met the concurrence of the committee, it was after some consideration, acceded to on the jiart of Goveniment, and became a law of the Society. 230 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. On a restrospect of the vicissitudes attending the West Africa Mission, a variety of feeling must be entertained : sometimes of aa exultant, and sometimes perhaps, of a desponding character ; but one fact must afford unmixed satisfaction, the social condition of the negro was now far in advance of its original limit, and a great experi- ment had been tried and with full success ; a heartless, interested sophism had been abundantly and notoriously refuted. African in- tellect was found fully equal to all the demands of civilization and of freedom, and African morality had nothing to yield to the pretensions of what Europe at least had to exhibit on this score. We cannot illustrate these facts better than by the observations addressed by the late lamented Chief Justice to the grand jury of Sierra Leone, a short time before his death. " Ten years ago, when the population of the Colony was only 4,000, there were forty cases on the calendar for trial ; and now that the population was upwards of 16,000 there were only six cases on the calendar ; he congratulated the magistrates and the grand jury on the moral improvement of the Colony. There was not a single case from any of the villages under the superintendance of a Missionary or schoolmaster." CHAPTER VII. DEATH OF SIR CHARLES MACCARTHY. HIS CHARACTER. CHURCH BUIL- DINGS. ARRIVAL OF FRESH MISSIONARIES. DEATH OF MR. BROOKS, MR. NYLANDER, &C. The year 1824 was almost ushered in by one of the severest calamities of a temporal nature, with which the British Settlement on the western coast of Africa, could have been visited. We allude to the death of the Governor, Sir Charles MacCarthy, who was slain, as has been elsewhere related, in an engagement ^vith the x\shantees on the '21st of .January.* The reader has had frequent opportunities of esti- mating the character of this truly philanthropic man, whose unwearied exertions in behalf of the maligned and illtreated people, whom he was apj)ointcd to govern, will live in the grateful remembrance of a continent, enjoying it is hoped in future ages the fruits of that perse- vering industry with which he planted and fostered germs of religion and civilization on its remote border ; and which he was permitted to see expanding into blossom, if not quite prej)ared to shed its seed in the desolate regions beyond it. It is due to the friendship which his Excellency entertained for the Church Missionary Society, and the practical interest which he took in its African labours, to emb.ilm his memory in this history of its j)roceedings ; for tliis purpose we shall here insert an abstract of the address of the acting Chief Justice of the Colony, delivered at the first Quarter Sessions held after his death ; especially as this address bears testimony to the moral and spiritual im- provement of the liberated Africans, wiiom Sir (.'harles always committed to the care of the Society's Missionaries with impheit reliance on their comi)etency as instnictors, and many a grateful acknowledgement of their previous success. We quote from the Sierra Leone Gazette : — "The (yhief Justice stated tiiat since the court liad last met, it had pleased the AIniiglity to visit \is with the severest (lis])ensation wliicb could Imve happened to the Colony, in taking from us our common • ProcedinR Vol. p. 2.'>. 232 CIIUUCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. friend and father ; and thus depriving us of the fostering care of him, whose days and nights were devoted to our welfare." ' ' The gentlemeu whom he was addressing knew his late lamented Excellency personally. They had been the spectators, they had been the assistants, in his valuable labours, and nothing which the bench could say could give such a picture of his successful exertions for the good of the colony, and of Africa in general, as every one now pre- sent could draw for himself from his own personal knowledge. " It had always been his great object to advance the commercial and agricultural iinjjortance of the Colony, to raise by the labour of freemen, w hat was in other countries raised by the labour of slaves ; to extend British commerce, and to make this the great focus, to which the pro- duce of this valuable continent should be brought, from its inmost recesses ; to open paths into its most important countries ; and, by the well-merited influence of the Colony and its inhabitants for good faith and honest dealing, to enable the native of its farthest extremity to visit it with confidence and with security. But he had higher views than these ; — to bring forward the negro to his proper station in society, to raise the victim of opj)ression from the state of the savage to that of the man, from the slave to the freeman ; to prove to the world, not by theory but by fact, not by one example but by thousands, that the whole human race belongs to one great family of the Creator, that .all mankind are children of the same Father, that one soul animates the whole, and that the only inequality which exists is the work of man ; the difference between the debasing effects of ignorance, superstition, and slavery, and the glorious fi'uits of light, religion, and liberty. " To his success in these endcavoiu'S, the gentlemen present could all bear witness. They were all personally cognizant of his exertions and of their fruits. Every one present knew to be a fact, what, if it could be described as it deserved, would be classed by strangers as the overflowings of ill-regulated zeal, the outburstings of aflectionate gratitude. " Gratitude is due to Sir Charles, and will always be paid to his memory ; but the appeal at present, is to facts. Look at the state of the Colony when he arrived, and look at it now. Look at the difference in Freetown, in the inhabitants, in the resources, in the importance of the Coloiw ; but above all, look at the liberated Africans and their villages. Could the gentletnen present, who have them- selves seen it, have otherwise believed the change which has taken j)lace ? To say nothing of the churches, the houses, the cultivated fields, which are every where occupying what was previously a dark impenetrable forest, look at the change in the Man. Is the man who, \vorshi|)j»lng his God as a Christian, who daily perforins all the duties of civilized and social life, as a duty for which he knows himself TESTIMONY TO SIR CUARLES MACCARTHY. •233 ajiswerable ; and many of whom are now in this room as constables and as jurymen ; are these the degraded, ignorant beings, scarcely equal to the brute, whom British philanthropy rescued from destruction, from the hold of the slave-ship, from slavery both of body and mind ? The change has been miraculous I The finger of God is here ? But our late lamented Governor was the honoured instrument of Almighty mercy to these poor creatures. And well and faithfully, through every difficulty, through every danger, did he perform his duty to its utmost extent. He has laid the foundation, he has commenced the superstruc- ture of-Hrican civilization, of the improvement of the negro race, of the extension of Christianity over this vast continent so firmly, that even his loss, great as it is, cannot long retard it. By the blessing of God they are now so firmly fixed, that with a continuance of our united exertions, neither the hatred nor malice of our enemies shall prevail against them. " Had he lived to complete the plans which he had formed, he might have retired to enjoy, in the repose of age, the blessings which he had been the means of diffusing among hundreds of thousands of his fellow-creatures, and, with more justice than the Poet might have ex- claimed, " Exigi monumentum aere perennius.," As it is, he has left his memory engraven in the hearts of thousands — never to be erased, while the vital spark exists. Let us raise to him a monument more durable than marble or brass. Let us shew our regard, our affection, our gratitude to him, by redoubled exertions to complete the plans which he was pursuing. Let everj- one of us, in his sphere of action, instead of being depressed at the loss which we have suffered, take fresh courage in the good cause. Let us redouble our determination and perseverance till the work is completed. " But the name of MacCarthy will not only be remembered bv all who had the happiness of knowing him ; it will be a rallving-word for those who shall labour for the good of Africa, when we have all passed away ; and, when the light of civilization, hberty, and Chris- tianity shall have over-spread tliis whole continent, the millions, who shall then enjoy the blessings which he sacrificed his hfe in obtaining, shall hail the name of MacCarthy with affection and with rapture ; as their benefactor and their friend." The retuni to England of Mr. and Mrs. Norman in January, letY the mission in a very destitute condition. The j)oor negroes began nc»w themselves, to feel the want of that spiritual food «ith which tliev had hitherto been so abundantly supplied. " Missionaries and Chap- lains," writes Nyliinder, " are much wanted : as a proof of whicli, I enclose a letter sent me from Leicester mountain, begging for Christ's 234 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. sake to seud them a teacher." This lettei" was from one of the hbe- rated Africans : it was as follows : " I humbly beg thee, in the name of Christ, to give us one teacher for to teach us the w ay of the Lord Jesus Christ, that we may not perish as heathens which have not the light of the countenance of the Lord. I hope that my writing may receive good encouragement ; and I know not how to write better , but I hope the Lord will teach me better ; and this, master, I would feel obliged." The fourth anniversary of the Auxiliary Church Missionary Society, was held at Regent on Tuesday the 9th of March ; the Chief Justice in the chair. Previous to the meeting, Nylander preached a sermon from Rom. x. 12. &c. The resolutions were proposed and seconded by the principal gentlemen of the colony, and the contributions of the liberated Africans reported to be .£118 : 7 : 3. or nearly 5633. short of the sum collected from the same source the preceeding year. Glou- cester fell short by between two and three pounds of its contributions in 1822. and Regent was deficient by more than one half of the sum which it sent to the general fund on that occasion — the difference being between ^630 : 0 : 6. in 1823 and ^674 : 14 : lOf in 1822. An interest in the cause of missions may be called the spiritual barometer of any Christian community. The depression under which these two villages laboured, is clearly indicated by the contrast which the two years exhibit : while on the other hand, Charlotte and Leopold having nearly doubled their contributions of 1 822, and Kissey tripled them, the spiritual improvement of the latter villages, to which their ap- pointed instructors were still spared, was also most satisfactorily de- clared. There were no returns on this occasion from Bathurst, Hastings and Wellington, which places contributed about £20 in 1822. At the last anniversary meeting, which was held at Kissey, one of the native teachers delivered a speech of peculiar interest at that period. The melancholy events which crowded iijion us in the record of that year, obliged us to omit it, together with other speeches and letters of Christian natives illustrative of the work which was going on in spite of every discouragment. We embrace the present opportmiity of embellishing our pages with this admirable address : " Christian friends, with pleasure I stand up to tell you what great cause I have to thank God for the unspeakable mercies bestowed u])on me. " I am a native of the Bassa country, from which it has pleased our gracious God to bring me, through the horrid slave-trade. My mother (lied when I was an infant : and after I had staid with my father a few years, he sent me, with an elder brother of mine, to one of the chiefs of the country ; with whom I stayed about two weeks, when he .sent some people to another country to go trading, with whom be THE HISTORY OF A SLAVE. •235 also sent me. I did not know that they were going to sell me. We walked three days before we reached the place, still ignorant of their intention. " The next day I was called for ; and, when I came I heard, by their conversation, that they had sold me. I cried very much ; but alas ! as there was no Christian religion there, there was no pity, so I became a slave. I looked about me, and saw none but strangers — my country-people had all withdrawn. While I was crying, one came and told me, that I was only j)ut in pound for one month, and that I should return to my friends again. But this proved all false : no pity, no mercy was shown me ; like a beast they began to treat me, though I was free-bom. Soon after they took me to an island, to a white man named John Mills. To him they sold me. 1 had been about three weeks a slave to this white man, when it pleased God to send Englishmen to deliver me, and many more. About five o'clock in the moi-ning, five boats full of solders and sailors, landed. We were taken by the headman into the bush : I and another boy tried to run away, but tliey soon caught us, and brought us back agaui, and John Mills delivered us to the English, who took us off on board the schooner. 'We stayed about one week at anchor, and then sailed for Sierra Leone, where we were landed immediately. " After we had staid about one month in Freetown, we were sent to Regent — then called Hogbrook. At the first, when we were at Regent we were surrounded with nothing but bushes, and we did not like to stop there, but we were forced so to do. I believe we were at Regent a whole year without a wliite man ; and we lived in a most wretched way, — ' without God, and without hoj)e in the world.' After that, Mr. Hirst came, and he took the trouble of teaching me Lord's priiycr ; but my heart did not delight in it. Mr. Hirst also kept meeting ; but I only went to make game. In this awful state I continued, mitil Mr. John- son came, who caused me to stay with him ; but I did not like to stop with him at the first, so when he had gone down to Freetown, to bring up Mrs. .Johnson, I went down to stay with Mr. Reffell. How- ever, Mr. Reffell soon found out that I was good for nothing ; and he sent me back again to Regent and was glad when he got rid of me. " So I went and stayed again witli Mr. Johnson, who put me to keep the rice store. " I then, with the rest of the people, attended divine service in the Church regularly ; and it pleased God soon after, througii the instru- mentality of Mr. Johnson, to call me out of nature's darkness into His marvellous light. I beheld myself wretched and lost, until I was pointed by Mr. Johnson ' (o the Laini) of Ciod (liat laketh away the sin. of the world.' I was encouraged to throw niyself at the feet of Jesus, through whose blood I enjoyed that peace which passeth all 236 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. understanding. Since that time I have struggled with the world, the devil, and the flesh : and have hccn, alas ! too often overtaken by these mighty foes. Yet, through the mercy of God, here I am, thus far He has upheld me, and I am confident He will keep me, by his mighty power, until the end. ' Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.' Why ? because it has followed me. I cannot fully express what I feel. Oh ! when I look back, and con- sider what I was ten years ago, and behold what the Lord has done for me and many of my African brethren, I am astonished and con- strained to exclaim, ' What hath God wrought ! ' " Oh ! that God would give me a grateful heart, that I may be thankful to him who has redeemed, yea, has jducked me as a brand out of the burning, and be grateful to my benefactors — I mean Government, which has been the means of delivering me from temporal slavery, and also to the Church Missionary Societ}', and its Mission- aries, who have been the instruments of delivering me, and I trust I can say, many of my black brethren and sisters, from the slavery of the Denl. " Oh ! what good has been effected through the preaching of the Word of God. " My African brethren, I beseech you to be thankful. You know what we were once ; and now behold what great things the Lord has done for us. Oh ! let us never rest, but be always endeavouring to make known the great mercies we have received, freely to oiu* poor benighted countrymen. Thanks be to God our Father, who has, and does give us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen." The mission was this year deprived of two more labourers by death : Mr. Poj)e, schoolmaster, whose arrival in December, 1823, we an- nounced, and who was ap})ointed to the Freetown schools, he died on the 30th of March ; eing j£800, and Gloucester's the smallest, being only £li)S : 10 : 9. The produce consisted of rice, yams, cocoa, and in one instance, (that of Kent,) beef. In addition to the produce thus disposed of, a large proportion was sold, (partly at the public market at Freetown, and partly at tlic smaller markets held in each village,) consisting of arrow- root, bananas, beans, cassadas, cocoas, (or eddoes,) cringcrce, (or calalue,) ground-nuts, maize, ochres, onions, oranges, palm-oil, palm- wine, -peas, pine-apples, pepper, malag\iettado, birddo, plantains, po- tatoes, (sweet,) rice, soaj), (l)lack,) sugar-canes, tomata, or bitter apples, yams, &c. The population of the Colony, exclusive of Free- town the capital, at the same period was 8786 — that is 3617 adult males, 1 786 adult females, 1406 male children, and 1067 female chil- dren. Tlie number of marriages diu-ing the year had been 293 ; of births 1.56 ; of baptisms 287 ; and of burials 103. 22;)5 of the iniia- bitants had been engaged in agriculture, 679 in trade, 58 were fisher- men, and 600 laborers. The number of acres cultivated bv the libe- w s 258 ciiVRCn mission in sierra leone. rated Africans on their own account was 3587, and the number of gardens occupied by them was 2748. Freetown differed from the villages in various respects, for example, it was the seat of local government and the residence of the European Colonists ; it therefore requires a separate consideration. The inhabi- tants of Freetown, exclusive of the military, amounted at this time to 5643, and yet owing to various unfavourable circumstances, the atten- dance at public worship on Sunday morning did not, at the early part of the year 1825, exceed 120 persons. Toward the close of the year, owing to the presence of the military, it rose to 200. The want of a suitable place for public worship, — service being held in the court- room in the morning, and at an adjoining hamlet called Gibraltar Town, or " the Camp " in the evening — very m.uch interfered with the attendance, especially in the case of the European residents. A new church had been begun, but its progress was impeded by various cir- cumstances, and in its unfinished state, it was made use of by the people as a market for the sale of agricultural produce : in fact, to mark the degeneracy of the period, God's house was converted into a house of merchandize. So far as opportunity had been afforded for ministerial exertion among the colored population, the result had been encouraging. Cir- cumstances had indeed confined the members of this class, who attend- ed public worship, within narrow limits ; in fact, they never exceeded fifty, but they appeared attentive and devout, and there was reason to believe that many felt a real concern for their souls, and a hungering for the bread of Ufe. Several cases of adidt baptism under promising circumstances had occurred during the year. On the whole, while the language of exultation would certainly be out of place, that of disappointment or despondency would be, even regarding the painful contrast exhibited between this and former years, equally inappropriate. To liuman eye, the fruits of missionary labor do not look as luxuriant at the close of 1825, as they did at the close of 1822; but the laborers had been much fewer, and the breadth of ground cultivated consequently much less. Again, the frequent change of teachers was most prcjudieial to the cause, as almost every thing de- pends, in a mission like this, on an intimate knowledge of native cha- racter, and great accommodation on the part of tlie instructors to the peculiarities of their disciples. On this subject the sentiments of the sainted Johnson are invaluable. " When the African once gets a bad opinion of an European, there is no help. Oh that missionaries and schoolmasters would make it their principal object at the beginning to gain the hearts of their peo- ple ! I know by experience, that the missionary who has the affections of the people, can do more with two words spoken in season, yea, with A. HIXT TO MISSIONARIES. 259 a sorrowful look, than another with never so severe means. I have seen some who have used the most entreating language, but to no pur- pose : Why ? Because the individuals intreated did not believe that it came from the heart." The secret of Johnson's, Diiring's, Taylor's success lies here. Happy shall we be if the eye of one missionary resting on this page shall convey to his heart and judgment a hint, which, for practical wis- dom, we think cannot be excelled in the whole range of human contri- vances for winning souls to Jesus. s 2 CHAPTER VIII. NEW ARRIVALS MORE DEATHS GREAT DISCOURAGEMENTS DEPAR- TURES NEW GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS. The painful mortality which had occurred among their missionaries in Sierra Leone, could not but awaken the most painful interest in the minds of the Committee. They felt that it was incumbent on them to employ every exertion, first, to ascertain if possible the cause of such a great destruction of human life ; and secondly, means to avert for the future so grievous a calamity. To carry out this twofold object a medical committee was appointed, consisting of Doctors W. F. Chambers and John Mason Good, and IMessrs. Pearson and Babington, by whom a report was furnished to the Committee, which commences thus : — " Anxious to carry into full effect the important object submitted to them, as far as they might be able, your Committee lost no time in meeting for this purpose, and they have endeavoured Vto obtain from different sources, all the information which has appeared accessible to them. " They have been freely furnished with documents from the Society's books, under the charge of the secretaries ; have personally examined various missionaries and school-masters, as well as conversed with other persons, who have formerly resided on the coast of Sierra Leone ; and solicited general remarks from several professional authorities, on which they could fully depend. They are especially indebted to Sir James McGregor, M.D., Sir William Franklin, U.h., and the other members of his Majesty's Army medical board, for the frank and ready and important information which they have officially communi- cated to them ; and to Dr. James Johnson, of Suffolk-place, Pall Mall, whose life has been largely spent in intertropical climates, for a valuable letter to the same effect. They have also been furnished with an excellent paper of practical remarks, by Dr. Wier of the Tic- NEW ARRIVALS. 261 tualling office, one of tlieir associates in this inquin- ; and, by the kindness of Zachary Macaulay, Esq., they have had the benefit of a long and interesting interview with Joseph Reffell, Esq, member of council at Sierra Leone, and chief superintendent of the liberated captives, and George Rendall, Esq., deputy commissary-general ; they have also well-pondered the subject in their own minds, and now lay before the general committee the result of their researches and re- flections." The report proceeds to suggest a plan of sanitary regulations and precautions, such as it says was found completely successful during the preceding four years in the West Indies, "and especially in the islands of Barbadoes, Tobago, and Antigua." " There is hence," it proceeds to say, " great reason to hope that the adoption of a similar plan of sanitary regulations on the Western Coast of Africa may be attended with somewhat similar benefit ; and that the Church Mission- ary Society may have the heartfelt gratification of beholding its great and unwearied work of faith and labor of love permitted to continue, and even go on to perfection, without being associated with the dis- tressing train of calamities with which it has had so long to contend. The number of labourers in the colony connected with the Church Missionary Society, at the beginning of the year 1 826, was increased from thirty-two to thirty-six, by the arrival on the loth of February of the Rev. W. K. Betts and the Rev. Alfred Scholding, with Mrs. Betts and Mrs. Scholding. A meeting was held on the 21st, when it was decided, subject to the approval of the Governor, that Mr. and Mrs. Betts should settle at Regent, and Mr. and Mrs. Scholding at Gloucester. Mr. and Mrs. Betts went to reside for a short time with Mr. and Mrs. Davey at Leopold, from whence Mr. Betts wrote : — " I desire to live without an anxious thought about life or death, further than that I wish to use all proper means for the [)rcservation of health. " I have just attended Divine sen ice ; — it is delightful to see a such number of Africans worshipping God and reading His word. They will thankfully accept presents of little books which are sent them by friends in England, but they would much rather receive a Bible or a Testament. "I hear that the population of Regent still amo\uits to a thousand or twelve hundred. If Mr. Norman could furnish me with the nanu'& of the communicants in his time, I would endeavour to see what has become of them. " I trust it will please our Heavenly Father to grant us health and strength, that we may be able to teach many, who are now in nature's darkness, the way of salvation. I am frequently led to exdaini, Who •262 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. is sufficient for these things ? Again I consider, it is ' The Lord our Righteousness.' He is able and wilhng to help in every time of need ; then we need not fear the darkest hour. Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified." Mrs. Betts also wrote from Leopold. Tlie following extract appears in her letter : — " Before I entered the boat at Gravesend which conveyed us to the ship in which we were to sail, I found great comfort from this passage of Scripture — ' Lord, increase our faith," and during our voyage this was frequently my prayer." This godly woman had soon need of the exercise of that faith for which she prayed. It was indeed in her heart to assist in rearing a temple to the Lord in a foreign land, far from her kindred and her home ; but her practical reachness to engage in the work was consi- dered sufficient. Her sufferings and death in the cause, are all that the African church was permitted to enjoy. The following communication from Mr. Raban, dated March 31st 1826, must deepen the feelings of dark and dreary solicitude with which the reader no doubt by this time begins to regard the African Mission — "It is my painful duty to appnse jou that events have occurred very similar in their nature to those, which in the early ])art of last year, so particularly called for the exercise of faith and patience. " Mrs. Betts was taken with fever on Sunday the 12th instant, and was brought down, on the 14th, by brother Betts to Freetown, for the advantage of medical assistance. They took up their abode under my roof. At first, the fever was thought rather slight, and expectations were entertained of her passing through it with safety ; but on the following Sunday, very unfavovn-able symptoms appeared, the usual means were resorted to, the medical attendance and exertions of Mr. Ferguson were readily afforded ; and some hopes were cherished, that she might yet be spared ; till early on the morning of the 20th, when it became too evident that her end was approaching ; and about four o'clock she bade adieu to the trials and afflictions of this mortal state ; and entered, we trust and believe, into the mansions of eternal rest. Our departed sister, from all that I saw of her (which was but little) appeared to be of an amiable temper, and to be desirous of eng.iging in the work to which she had devoted herself. She was not generally, after she came to my house, in a state fit for invich conversation ; and was besides, during the last two or three days, troubled with deafness. The few words which I exchanged with her on spiritual concerns indicated that her mind was resting on God, and that she was anxious for more of liis presence. In the mean lime Brotlu-r Betts had been DEATHS. MRS. BETTS. MRS. SCHOLDING. SIR C. TURNER. 263 taken ill of fever ou the 15th, and was lying in an adjacent room un- conscious when the solemn erent took place, which deprived him of a partner, and the Society of one of its labourers, almost before she had put her sickle into the harvest ripening before her. When, however, the loss he had sustained was made known to 1dm, he seemed to bear it with Christian patience ; he was indeed too much burdened by his own affliction, to enter fully into his real condition, and will probably feel it more keenly, should he, as I tmst he may, be restored. He still continues in a very weak state, and though hopes of his recovery are entertained, they are not immingled with fears. " This, however, is not the conclusion of the afflictive events which I have to state. The health of brother Scholdiug had been remarka- bly good from the time of his landing ; and ^Irs. Scholding recovered strength very fast, after their removal to Gloucester, and soon appear- ed as well as in England ; but on the 1 7th instant, they were both attacked with fever. Not long after, Mrs. Scholding was seized with the pains of premature labour ; and was delivered of a child, which lived but a few hours. From this time, her case became more doubt- ful ; yet still some hopes were cherished that she might eventually be restored : till Saturday the 26th, when her state became alarming. During the greater part of Sunday she was in a kind of stupor, and on Monday morning, about 10 o'clock, her spirit left its habitation of clay, and soared to worlds unknown, to dwell, there is good reason to hope, in the mansions of the blessed. " From what I knew of her character for many years, (she being a native of the same place with myself,) and from what I have observed of her since she came to the Colony, I could say much in her praise, or rather in praise of that grace which made her what she was ; but I forbear. Let it suffice to remark, that I have good ground to beheve that her heart was much set upon the work of Missions, and that there was a prospect of her being not only a great comfort to her now be- reaved husband, but a helpmate indeed ii> the work of the Lord. But in her case, as well as in that of our other departed sister, it pleased our heavenly Father to bestow the crown on one who had only for a short time engaged in the conflict. His will Ik; done I " This month the Colony had to regret the death of ^Lijor General Sir Charles Turner, who had succeeded the lamented Sir C. MacCarthv as Governor, and who had shewn every disposition to fulfil the [)ro- mise of patronage and support to the Mission, which he had given to the Committee previous to his de|)arture from England. His death was occasionefl by over-exertion in the cause of humanity, having pro- ceded on a military expedition against the slave-dealers of the Slierbro, who had determined to maintain the mnnlerous traffic bv force, after a (1)11 vent ion entered into by him with the kings and native eliiels for 264 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONK. its suppression. The expedition was entirely successful; the euemy's defences were carried at all points ; and on the fourth of March his Excellency issued a proclamation declaring the posts between the colony and Cape Mount in a state of blockade. This was the last pub- lic act of his government. On the 7th of March the members of council officially announced his decease at six o'clock that morning ; ascribing the melancholy event to " the arduous and unremitting exertions and continual exposure of his Excellency duriug his late expedition to the Sherbro, whither he went to consolidate the state of those pro\'inces, and to counteract the nefarious attempts made by the miscreant slave- dealers of the Boom and Gallinas to restore the horrors of that dread- ful scourge within our territories." Major General Sir Neal Campbell, K. C. B., was appointed successor to Sir Charles Turner, meanwhile the executive government was administered by Kenneth Macaulay, Esq. senior member of council, whose heart the Lord moved to shew farour to the Mission and to every Christian work in the Colony, Small as was now the number of labourers belonging to the Society, it was still further reduced by the return home this year of Mr. Lisk, who had charge of the Gloucester Schools : ^Irs. Lisk having previously been obliged by iU health to visit England. He was accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Beckley, who had charge of Kent. Mr. and Mrs. Davey, who laboured most assiduously at Leopold, were most re- luctantly obliged to embark for England, on the 13th of June. On the 1 7th of July the Rev. Alfred Scholding, debilitated to the last de- gree by repeated attacks of fever, set sail from the Colony. He was landed at Crookhaven in the south west of Ireland on the •20th of September, but the pleasure of his seeing his friends was denied him, for he proceeded no farther than Skibbereen, when death arrested his progress on the 26th of the same month. The catalogue of tliis year's losses is not yet complete. The readers of the preceding volume are familiar witli the name and character of Elizabeth Renner, native of Africa, wife of the Rev. Melchior Renner, first missionary to the Soosoos, and afterwards minister of Kent : we mentioned his death as hanng taken place on the 9th of September, 1821. Mrs. Renner had proved herself for nearly eighteen years a most valuable acquisition to the West Africa mission, both at the Rio Pongas and at Sierra Leone. Her unassuming, yet active piety was always strikingly developed in the improvement of the children com- mitted to lier charge, and both as a missionary's wife and widow she laboured diligently to enlarge the Saviour's kingdom by winning souls i'lOMi the bondage of sin and ignoiaiice. The following extract from a letter of the Rev. J. Raban, dated 9th of June ]S26, ainiouncing this excellent woman's dcjiaiture from earth to rejoin her lni>ljand in the DEATH OF MRS. RENNEK. 265 presence of the Lamb, contains a simple statement of the circumstances accompanying the event, which took place on the 29th of May 1826. " One of the Society's oldest servants in this mission, our respected sister, Mrs. Renner, has been most unexpectedly removed from us. She had been atflicted some time with pains in the knee, and had afterwards an attack in the stomach, but was not considered in danger ; in fact, she thought herself so well on Sunday, the day before she died, that she proposed to take a ride the next day. On the Sunday morning, she conversed on religious subjects with one of the commu- nicants, and afterwards, read two chapters : the 103rd Psalm was one of the portions which occupied her attention, when she thus opened the sacred volume for the last time : in the evening she raised herself up in the bed, knelt down and prayed for a considerable time ; and then quietly taking leave of her attendants she directed them to retire to rest. Early the next morning she was observed by one of those about her to be apparently fainting ; they hastened to her relief, and imme- diately administered some cordials ; but it was too late : the conflict was over, and the spirit had taken its flight no more to return." These repeated losses to the mission could not but depress, to a considerable degree, the friends who anxiously laboured to sustain it at home ; nor is it surprising that the Committee found some dif- ficulty in procuring laborers for so pestilential a field. That however there were found men and women who did press forward from time to time to fill up the gaps which death was continually making, is one of those facts intelligible to the mind even of the infidel ; as it testifies to the reality of Christian principle, and the power of Christian faith and love, to overcome the strongest instincts of our nature in the service of that Redeemer whom we love and who we know loves us. The history of the Sierra Leone mission will suffice at any time to silence the ribald misrepresentations with which missionary efforts are offen assailed by travelled calumniators of religion — men, who having gone down to the sea in shi[)S, and done business in great waters — who liaving seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep, might have been expected to " praise the Lord for his goodness" and rejoice in the opj)ortnnity of testifying to the " excellent spirit " with which he endows his servants, and to the jjower of his word ; but whose earthly hearts seem to have become hardened in the sunshine of His favour, and who, as they went abroad to disgrace Christianity by their exami)le, return home to injure it if they can, by their vilification and apparent contempt. We have already mentioned a loss tliis year to the mission of ciglit of its mendjers — three hy death, and five by a state of health requiring ( hange of climate : to these must be added two of the native teachers who Iind fallen into open sin, niul one who was suspi'iidcd for want of attention to liis ually occupied liy 282 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. liberated Africans, with the exception of three stone-houses belonging to masons who had been brovight up as apprentices in the engineer de- partment; and of two frame-houses : these frame-houses are of one story, with a gallen,- on each side ; the stone-houses are upon the same plan above, but have a half-story below, which is made use of as a store. The persons to whom these stone-houses belong appear to be industrious tradesmen ; they are employed as masons on the public works at Freetown, to which place they repair before the working hour every morning. The public buildings consist of a church, a superin- teudant's house, a school-house, and a small house built for a teacher. The church has never been finished, and is now much out of repair ; this is a large stone building, and it "was intended that it shoidd have a spire, which however has not been erected. The superintendants house is also of stone, two stories high, with galleries on all sides ; it requires some repairs, but is in other respects a comfortable dwelling, although unnecessarily large. "Wellington is situated upon the left bank of the Bunce river, a short distance above its junction with the river Sierra Leone ; and con- sequently has the advantage of communication with Freetown, distant about seven miles. " Mr. Macfoy, a man of colour, born and educated in the United States, is su])erintendant of the settlement, and his wife has charge of the female school. " The only public buildings are, the house of the superintendant, and a store attached to it, both of which are new and appear to be good ; the house is of stone, two stories high, with galleries on every side. The girls' school is held in a very inferior wattle-house, where the girls sleep also ; it is much too small, and in every way unfit for its purpose. The boys' school is also held in a wattle-house, where they sleep at night, and where divine service is pcrfonned by 3Ir. Metzger. "The soil in the vicinity of Wellington is a medium between that of the mountain villages and the more alluvial soil around Hastings. Many of the villages have extended themselves towards Hastings on the one side and Ivissey on the other, in quest of better or more retired situations ; in the rear, tlieir ])rogress has been confined by a considerable hill, at tlie bottom of which the village of Wellington lies. " The houses in the villages, superior to those usually occupied by liberated Africans, are four in number, and all the property of dis- banded soldiers. There was also an unfinished stone-house belonging to a man who had been originally a liberated African, but liad served in and been discharged from the African corps ; he was a sawyer by trade, and stated that, as long as he received wages as a sawyer, he HASTINGS. WATERLOO. 283 applied the suqilus to the erection of his house ; but the suspension of pubHc works having put a stop to his wages, his house was at a stand, and he continued to occupy his former habitation. " As Hastings is approached, the soil becomes gradually deeper, and the situation of the village appears considerably more eUgible for an Agricultural settlement than any other in the Peninsula ; the moun- tains to the southward are, as elsewhere, covered to the summit with wood ; and the tillage, which lies at the foot of these, has an extent of several miles good level land stretching to the northward and east- ward, where it is bounded by the Bunce river, which forms a water communication with Freetown, distant by this route not more than nine miles. The only pubUc building is that intended for the super- intendant, which is large ; and if completed, would be a comfortable house, it is of stone, two stories high, with galleries on every side ; hut it is quite uninhabitable, the work having been suspended by Major General Turner. The superintendant, therefore, occupies at present the building ihtended for a kitchen, there are one small stone and two small frame-houses in this village ; the others being of the usual description : the stone-house was built by a disbanded soldier, who died before it was completed, and it is occupied in an unfinished state by his widow ; the frame-houses, though small, are comfortable, and belong to disbanded soldiers. The boys' school is kept in a wattle- house, thatched with grass, in which also Divine worship is performed. " Waterloo is distant from Hastings about eight miles ; the path- way, like that to Hastings, is cut through the wood, sometimes along the sides of the mountains, and at others over those levels, which, in the peninsula, are called grass-fields ; at a distance they present the api)earance of such, but on examination are found to be formed of level beds of porous rock, the surface of which is covered with a spongy soil of one or two inches in de])th, ])roducing a rank and sour grass, unfit for pasture, altliough cattle arc occasionally turned out upon it. " This village is situated on the bank of a creek of the same name, wliich uniting with the Bunce river, forms a water communication with Freetown, tlie distance Ijeing about eighteen miles. The Rev. Mr. Willu'lin, of tlie Church Missionary Society, has been superintendant of Waterloo since 1820, and Mrs. Wilhelm has, during that period, had charge of the Female school. At this village, some disbanded soldiers and lil)erate(l Africans who were considered well conducted and industrious people, liad at tlioir own n(|uest, each oljtained from tlie school a grown-up lad for the pinpose of a.ssisting them on their farms or at tlieir (radcs, till the lads should l)e capable of coniniencing agriculture or trades on their own account. Mr. Wilhelm staled, 284 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. that these lads were not considered as apprentices, but as free servants ; who were only to receive their food, and might leave their employer if not well treated ; the boys, on being questioned, said that they were quite satisfied with their employers, and generally appeared so, and their employers seemed equally satisfied with them, but it did not appear that they had reaped much advantage from their service. Al- though anxious to retain these lads, some of whom were nearly grown up, none of the men would consent to pay them wages ; they said they would feed and clothe them for the present, and perhaps, '\Mien they grew st'-oug and could work well, they might feed them and give them besides seven shillings and sixpence a month.' Tliis would be something gained to the lads, but the usual wages of a good labourer are four dollars a month, while his food for the same period is only reckoned equal to one dollar. It was plain that these men did not turn the lads' services to profitable use, or that they were unable duly to appreciate its value ; it may, however, be reasonably inferred, that if the principle was once established, and persons of this class induced to pay money wages, however inadequate in tte first instance, the labourer would, in the usual course of events, receive the wages which his services were found to be worth. " The only pubUc buildings in this village are the superintendant's house, and a female school-room ; the first is a comfortable house of two stories, the lower one being of mason-work, and the upper one of wood, with galleries on every side ; the school-house is of stone and in good repair, but too small for the present number of scholars. A school-house for boys had been commenced, and some progress made, but the work was suspended after General Turner's arrival ; the boys are at present assembled in a wattle-house, thatched with grass, where also Divine Service is performed. The other houses are of the class usually occupied by liberated Africans, few of them having any- thing peculiar to mark the progress of improvement, but many possess- ing that moderate degree of comfort with which the Africans who inhabit the villages appeared generally to be satisfied. " Leicester, which is situated some distance up the mountain of that name, and about two miles and a half from Freetown, has never been of greater extent than at j)rcscnt ; and now consists of about thirty houses, constructed like those which is customary for the liberated Africans to erect ; such indeed may be understood, when not other- wise specified, as the kind generally occu])ied by the liberated Africans in the villages. " During the j)eriod that the Church Missionar)- Society maintained an estab'ishnient at Leicester Mountain for the education of youth, (he individual who had charge of the scminury was understood to lend LEICESTER. GLOUCESTER. 285 liis superintending care to the liamlet also ; but since the removal of the seminary, the hamlet has been left altogether without controul, and the children without the means of education. The rocky and mountainous nature of the land affords little facility to agriculture, and the proximity of Freetown having offered other modes of procuring a livelihood, no progress has been made in this branch of industry more than might have been (and probably was) accomplished in the first two or three years. The houses are inferior to most of those which we have seen, and with the exception of some banana and plantain- trees, there is little to intHcate cultivation or improvement ; the general ap- pearance of the place being that of decay. " Gloucester is about five miles from Freetown. The only house here, which indicated any considerable improvement in circumstances, was that of a liberated African who had been brought up as a mason, and resided in the village from its first formation ; the house, which was of stone, had been built by himself, and externally had a respecta- ble appearance, but within it was unfinished and had little that denoted comfort ; the proprietor was absent, as his wife stated, in search of emplojTTient at his trade, although understood to possess the largest farm in Gloucester : he had lately obtained this farm for the sum of j64. the greater part of which he was repaid by a crop of cassada found upon the land. "The public buildings in Gloucester, consist of a church, a superin- tendant's house, and a school-house for girls. The church, which has never been finished, is probably capable of containing 800 persons ; it is greatly out of repair, and by no means kept in that clean or respectable condition, which one would look for in a place dedicated for divine worship ; nor is it, in its present state, practicable to keep it so ; the windows have been ill-constructed, and the shutters are so totally decayed, that, not only the wind and rain, but even the goats and dogs find easy entrance. Tiie erection of a large clock, which had been sent out, was prevented by the insufficiency of the spire, which it became necessary to pull down. The snperintendant's house is well situated, l)ut wants considerable repairs, it would afford comfortal)le accommodation for a clergynian or a suj)erinten(lant, l)ut it is hardly sufficient for both ; it is a stone building, of two stories, with galleries on every side, but, like all other buildings erected by the liberated African department, it was constructed by persons young and inexperienced in their trades, and inider the superintendance of individuals, who could not have nuieli meciianical knowledge; the early decay resulting from tliis imperfect workuiansliip is evident, and i)ro- l)ably leads to a greater ultimate expence, than would accrue from a more costly, hut at the same time, efficient mode of construction. 286 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. The seliool-room for the girls is sufficient for the purpose, but the apartment over it, in which they sleep, is low and confined. " Regent is six miles from Freetown, and one of those which was found without a superintendaut, or any person from whom the least intelligence of a satisfactory kind could be obtained ; a circumstance the more to be regretted, as, from the standing of the village and the number of its inhabitants, it had been looked to, as the settlement from which the most correct inferences might be drawn, as to the progress made in agriculture by the liberated Africans. In consequence of the death of the late superintendant, and the impossibility of finding a proper person to replace him, the settlement was in the nominal charge (for it could be no more) of Mr. Davey, of the Church Mis- sionary Society, who had already under his care four other ^■illages ; from this gentleman all the information was obtained, which, under the circumstances, could be expected from him ; but those details which it was more desirable to learn, he was unacquainted with. Mr. Weeks, the schoolmaster of the Church Missionary Society, had been there only twelve months, he had confined himself exclusively to his duties as teacher ; and having been the greater part of the time in ill health, he was unable to supply any useful detail. " The pubUc buildings are the church, the superintendant' s house, and the school-house. The church, as originally constructed, was not found sufficiently capacious, and a large addition was subsequently made to it, but the foundation being faulty, the superstructure became unsafe, and was consequently taken down ; the remaining part is, however, found to be sufficient for the present population of the village. The superintendant' s house is a stone building, two stories high, with galleries on each side ; it alfords considerable accommodation, but requires repairs. The school-house is sufficiently large, but in bad condition ; there is also a small stone-building, said to have been in- tended for an hospital, but which has never been finished. " The buildings belonging to the Church Missionary Society, which were formerly approj)riated to the ' Christian Institution ' for the edu- cation of youth, are now unoccupied, and going to decay ; the larger one, intended for the accommodation of the students, was never completed. " The houses belonging to the liberated Africans are of the descrip- tion usually occupied by that class, with the exception of two, which are of stone ; these, though small, are tolerably comfortable, one is the property of a mason, and the other of a person who had formerly been employed as a teacher ; but the proprietors were both absent from the village. "B.vTiruRST, Leopold, and Charlotte, are mountain settlements ; distant respectively, six, six and a half, and seven miles from Free- BATHUUST. LEOPOLD. CHARLOTTE. •287 town ; they have all for a short time past, been under the general su- perintendance of Mr. Davey, a teacher belonging to the Church Mis- sionary Society ; their contiguity, and the httle probability which exists of their increasing to any considerable extent, seem to render unne- cessary the maintenance of a separate establishment at each ; and under these circumstances, it may be as well to consider them as one village. " At Bathurst there is no school ; and, from the deserted and decayed appearance of many of the houses, it is inferred that the population has diminished. The public buildings are, a superintendant's house and a school-house, neither of them of more than eight or nine years standing, and yet, from the insufficiency of the workmanship, they are both nearly in a state of ruin, and remain imoccupied. At Leopold, the public buildings are, the Superintendant's house, a chapel adjoining- it, and a school-house : the chapel is, in fact, part of the Superinten- dant's house, and was formerly the school-house ; but, another having been built for that purpose, this apartment underwent alterations which have made it a convenient place of worship, and sufficient for the numbers that have hitherto frequented it. These buildings require painting, but are, in other respects, all in good order ; and indicate, as indeed every thing at Leopold does, the zealous care and attention bes- towed by Mr. and Mrs. Davey, upon the various objects entrusted to their respective charge. " In the village of Charlotte, the public buildings consist of a Super- intendant's house, two school-houses, one for boys and the other for girls : and the walls of a projected church, which have not been roofed in or otherwise finished. Tlie Superintendant's house is a stone build- ing, of two stories, with galleries on every side : the defects in its construction, strongly mark the inferiority of the workmanship : in other respects, the house appeared to be in good order and comfortable. The school-houses are sufficient for the purpose, but require some slight r('))airs. The walls of tiie churcli arc in a Ijetter stvle of ma- sonry, than the generality of tiie buildings of the department ; the liite Mr. Taylor, the Superintcndant, having, it is said, bestowed mucli pains upon it ; the work was put a stop to, like all others, by General Turner, on his assiuning the Government ; and it seems improbable that the jjopulation of these villages will increase so much, as to make it advisable to incur the expense of completing it. " In these three villages, there were only two houses that indicated any consi(leral)le im[)rovement in the circumstances of the ])roprietors. One of these was at Leopold, and belonged to a liberated African, a mason by trade : who was then working as such in Freetown, and receiving "is. 6d. a day, his house was of stone : it was small, but apparently comfortable, although not (piite finished : Mr. Davey stated, that, us lie saved money liy his trade, lie ex|)en(le(l it in completing liis 288 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. house ; the other was m progress at Charlotte, and belonged to a liberated African, named Duncannon : this man had the character of being very industrious, and was stated to have the largest farm in these villages : from this he had sold, the year before, to the liberated Afri- cans' department, cassada to the value of ^£50. all of which he had himself planted and gathered in, without assistance, after it had been three years in the ground : the house which he was erecting was of framed timber, with a shingled roof ; and would, accorcHng to the calculation which he made, cost him the same sum that he had re- ceived for the cassada : he informed us that he intended to try rice next year ; that he would sow eight bushels, and expected each would return him seven, but not more. " The other houses of these villages were generally of the kind usually occupied by the Mberated Africans, but several of those at Leopold indicated more comfort than is common to them. " York is upon the sea coast, sixteen miles distant from Freetown, with which the usual mode of communication is by water, although of late, a path-way has been cut through the bush, parallel with the coast. The village is pleasantly situated on the acclivity of a hill, which rises gradually from the sea, but the mountains nearly surround it on the laud side, and greatly circumscribe the means of extending cultivation : these mountains are distant from the village about a quarter of a mile ; and are beautifully clothed with wood, the base only being cultivated, and that but partially. The soil is rocky, but appears superior to that of the mountain tillages in the vicinity of Freetown. Kice is very little grown, and only for the use of the grower ; the usual articles of cultivation being cocoa, cassada, and yams. Prior to 1S22, the settlers here were all disbanded soldiers ; and several of them appear to have considerably improved their circumstances ; eighty-nine libera- ted Africans were received in 1 822 ; the remainder in 1 824, and 1 825 : those of the earlier date had been employed on the public works ; and the arrival of the others has been so recent, that much improvement could not be looked for among them. From these causes, the Supcr- intendant was unable to point out any that had yet done more than support themselves, and 236, exclusive of children, were still sup- ported by Government. It was found here, as in other places, that many of those who had ceased to receive such supj)ort, had withdrawn themselves some distance, and settled in more retired situations ; seve- ral of the houses which had been occujued by them were vacant ; and the Superintendant stated, that they were so partial to making their farms ' in the bush,' that he thought, if the optiou were given, they would rather do so than have good frame-houses in the village. " The houses are all of the description generally occupied by iil)ern- SKETCHES OF YORK AND KENT. 289 ted Africans, except eight, the property of disbanded soldiers, the greater part of these were in progress ; and consisted of one story of framed timber, with a shingled roof raised upon half a story of mason- work. Although most of the proprietors cultivated provisions for their own use, it was only in a few cases that the money which they were expending on their houses was obtained by agricultural industrj' ; some were employed as sawd ers, others in fishing ; and one had a small store, where he sold spirits, cloth, tobacco, fish, and bread ; tliere were several canoes belonging to the village, by which timber was occasionally sent to Freetown for sale : but it did not appear, that, in any instance, they had been employed for the transport of agricul- tural produce. " The public buildings arc, the Superintendant's house, a school- house for boys, a market-house, and a wattle-house, in which prayers are read by the superintendant. The Superintendant's is a good stone house ; the lower story being used as a public store, and the upper one occupied by the Su})erintendant : it is enclosed, in the rear, by a small court -yard, along the sides of which substantial sheds are fitted up for various uscfid purposes : the building altogether appears to be solid, and well calculated for the use to which it is appropriated. The school-house is a new timber building, with a shingled roof ; it appears to have been well constructed, but is not sufficiently large for the pre- sent number of scholars. The market-house is formed of stone pillars, supporting a shingled roof ; and has a small tower in the cen- tre, where a clock is placed : this building is quite sufficient for the purpose, and gives a neat appearance to the village. The wattle-house, ill which prayers are read, is the best of the kind that has been seen, nltliough it was erected in three or four days. — the whole of tlu; \ illagers having voluntarily assisted ; the walls are plastered witli dux, and white-washed, and good doors and windows make it tolerably comfortable. " Kent, on the sea-coast, near Cape Shilling, is about twenty-two miles from Freetown, witli which place the comnnuncation is almost entirely by water, although a path-way is open to it through the village of York, whence it is distant about seven miles. " Mr. Beckley, a teacher belonging to the Church Missionary Society, had been Superintendant ; but, as he had gone to England, there was no individual from whom to olitain any information witii respect to it that could be relied upon. The Su])erintendant of York was nominally acting as Superintendant also of Kent and the Bananas. The Rev. Mr. (ierl)cr, of the (Miureh Missionary Society, had only the day before removed from the Bananas to assinne the clerical du- ties at Kent; and could not, of course, be acquainted witii the circum- stances of the place. From theninnber of persons stated in the Super- w 290 CIU'RCII MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. iutendant's return to the Commissioners as receiving support from Go- vernment, it was to be inferred that Uttle improvement had been made in the condition of the liberated Africans : George Christie was the individual of that class who had made the greatest progress. In this, as in other settlements, the disbanded soldiers have most improved their condition : of this, Serjeant ISIaitland is a striking instance ; he is one of the few who appear to have made it a practice to hire la- bourers, for the purpose of assisting them in their farms ; for much of his attention was required by his occupations as a retailer of spirits, sugar, and tobacco. " The houses in the village are of the usual kind, with the exception of five : four of these belonged to disbanded soldiers, and one to George Christie before adverted to : these five were frame-houses, of one story, raised upon a story or half story of mason-work ; they were all comfortable ; although George Christie's was not quite finished, but he appeared to have the means of completing it. " The public buildings are the Superintendant's house and two school- houses, also a small frame-house, formerly occupied by the Super- intendaiit, but now unoccupied, and going fast to decay. The Super- intendant's is a large stone house, of two stories, having a gallery on every side ; the upper part only is occupied by the Superintendant, for which purpose it is quite sufficient ; the lower part is appropriated to di\'ine service, and has been fitted up accordingly ; it affords sufficient accommodation for the villagers, but will not, in addition to them, contain the numerous children at present in the public school. The school-houses are adequate to their purpose, but greatly in need of window-shutters and doors : from the want of which the children suffered much, particularly some who had been lately received in a sickly state from the slave-vessels. "The Banana islands, which are situated five miles from the coast, and about eight from Kent, are two in number ; but the channel which separates them being of inconsiderable width, they may with propriety be reported upon as one ; they were ceded to the crown in 1812,, by the family of the Caulkers, who receive for them an annual payment ; the two islands are about six miles in length, and average about one in breadth. " The Superintendant of these islands was employed in command of one of the Colonial vessels, and consequently it was found impossible to obtain satisfactory information with respect to the place. Tlie Rev. Mr. Gcrber, lately removed to the village of Kent, had resided in the Bananas for twelve months ; but having, as he stated, confined him- self solely to his clerical duties, he was little acquainted with the cir- cumstances or condition of the people : he spoke of their morals as being at a very low standard ; and it is but just to say, that the indica- THE BANANA ISLANDS. 291 tions of this fact were move strongly marked, than the cflPects of any attcmpt to improve them. The population was chiefly composed of Uberated Africans ; who had from time to time, been sent from Free- town or the several villages of the peninsula, in consequence of ha\-ing been found unmanageable, or of other imputed misconduct ; even the youths at school were of this description : 49 boys, who were sup- ported by Government, had been received from the chfferent villages. There was no female school, nor any person in charge of the females ; although there were 17 girls, whose ages varied from 8 to 18, re- ceiving support from Government. The original number was stated to have been 28, who had all been sent about twelve months before from the school at Regent, for imputed misconduct ; eleven of these had since married : and several of the others had passed the age at which the girls in the public schools are generally sought in marriage In ex- planation of this circumstance, Mr. Gerber stated, that few of the men in the Bananas were in circumstances to support wives, and he thought tlie girls therefore preferred remaining single, as, upon their marriage, they would be deprived of their rations which they then re- ceived : from the manner in which they appeared to live, there was reason to believe that they found means of reconciling these contending difficulties, being mider no restraint, except that they were obliged to appear daily, in order to obtain their provisions. A few women, who, with several others, had been sent to the Settlement some time before, as wives for those who might wish for and were able to support them, not having obtained husbands, were living in a similar manner. The description of persons com])Osing the population of this village had led to the expectation of a stricter system of controul ; and it is said, that during the residence of the Superintendant, such was the case, as far at least as his personal exertions could attain that object : but, at the time of our risit, the very reverse was apj)arent. The onlv persons wlio appeared to have improved their condition beyond the means of present sul)sistcnce, were two disbanded soldiers, both of whom were constables, and received salaries as such. Mr. Gerber was of opinion that the Sherbro Bulloms, who were settled on the island, were the most industrious of the population ; and that few of the liberated Africans wovdd labour on their farms, unless they were by some means forced to do so. The only public buildings are those for the Superintcnd;..it ; the one I large, new and unfinished house, which when completed, will be a good one : it is of stone, is two stories high, and has galleries on e\ cry side, but rcipiires much to complete it, the upper story only being habitable : this house, like most of those l)nilt by the local Superiu- tcndauts for their own accommodation, apj)ears to be unnecessarily large, thereby entailing expencc without insuring that comfort which u 2 292 CHURCH MISSION IN SIF.RU.V Lr.ONE. the climate requires — the other is a mud house, tliatched with grass, and now going to decay : it was formerly occupied hy the Superintend- ant, and is at present used by some of the girls before alluded to, who do not find accommodation more to their liking elsewhere. There is, besides, a wretched mud house, in which, during Mr. Gerber's residence, divine service was performed, and in which the boys' school is now kept ; it is by no means in a state to protect them from the weather." The new settlement of Allen Town was formed in the latter part of 1 826, on a plan suggested by Mr. W. Allen, after whom it was named. " It is situated," says the 28th Report of the Society, "near Hastings, on the stream which flows from the hills through Regent, and which was formerly called Hogbrook, but now Friends' river. The scenery is highly beautiful. The inhabitants are about 100 ; chiefly newly liberated Africans, and therefore little acquainted with English : there are 25 scholars. Di\dne service is established : about 25 attend." Calmont, another of the new Settlements " which," says the same Report, "is 19 miles from Wilberforce," consisted, at the end of 1826, of only a few natives ; but at Michaelmas, 1827 there were 266 liberated Africans, men, women and children, who had been sent thither chiefly in the early part of that year. The Headman, placed here by Government under Mr. Pierce the manager, was John Plague, formerly a sergeant in the 4th West India regiment, and one of Mr. Metzger's most experienced communicants at Wellington ; " he calls the people together," writes Mr. Metzger, " twice on the Sunday with much success. William Tamba, who attended service there on June 1 7th, found the place of worship, which is a temporary house, full of attendants. The thing we most regret is, that they can hardly im- derstand any English ; and it can only be ascribed to the pious exer- tions of John Plague, that they are at least in the way of being in- formed both in the language of the word of God, and of its saving doctrines." " At Calmont," says William Tamba, " I s])eak to the people in the afternoon. Whenever I go, I always find the house quite full, and the people waiting for me : they are glad to hear the word of God ; about 200 people attend, including children." Grassfield, a third new Settlement, was formed, about three miles and a half from Charlotte on the Hastings road. It contained at first about 175 inhabitants, chiefly deserters from the mountain villages. An attempt was begun this year to instruct them, but Mr. Davey, who visited them to preach the gospel, could not collect them together, so strongly were they addicted to their native superstitions. Mr. Haensel suffered much from fever during the months of August and September, but the Lord graciously raised him up to con- tinue his valuable services at this critical period of the mission. The nEVlVING STATli OF THE MISSION. 293 unfinished state of the Freetown Church liad given him much pain, but at Michaelmas he was able to report that a move was made to- wards supplying the deficiency that existed in this respect. " I re- joice to inform you," he wrote to the Secretary " that half the building erected for a Church, and which has so long stood uufinished, and been appropriated to other purposes, has been partitioned off by a wall from top to bottom and is to be fitted up as a place of worship." The other half was appropriated to a residence for the officiating clergymen. The Rev. J. G. Wilhclm was appointed to the mission Chapel at Gibraltar town, and Mr. Ilacnsel, as we have already mentioned, undertook the Sunday services at Freetown until the arrival of a Government Chaplain. Little eflPectual benefit could be expected from the mission in its present crippled condition — scarcely that of maintaining the ground already won. At one period the ministerial duties of all the African villages devolved on the Rev. J. G. Wilhelm and the Rev. G. W. E. Metzgcr, and even the former of these was for some time laid aside by illness. One native teacher, John Attarra, was this year taken into the service of the Society on probation, and the two clergymen just named were assisted by four natives until October, when one of the latter was suspended for illconduct,* these facts but too pain- fully disclose the spiritual condition of the Colony during the greater part of the year 1827. A favourable change in the state of the mission took place as the year advanced. Mr. and Mrs. Davey, whose departure home the previous year has been mentioned, landed at Freetown on their return to their missionary labours on the 2nd Sc[)tember. Mr. Davey had during his absence been admitted to deacon's orders by the Bishop of London, on the 24th of December 1826, and to those of priest on Trinity Siuiday 1827, so tliat he now proved a peculiarly valuable ac- quisition to tlie mission. On his arrival he was placed in the spiritual charge of the whole Mountain District, assisted by David Noah and William Tamba, and afterwards by two European schoolmasters, whose arrival we have yet to notice. The Rev. Thomas Davey's manner of supplying, as far as jnactica- ble under present circumstances, the wants of the several stations in his district, is thus related by himself : " I have endeavoured to supply the various places on a Sunday, in the following manner. Regent and Gloucester alternately at ten in tin; morning and tlircc in tiie afternoon : Leiceslcr mountain at one in tlie afternoon ; and Hatlnu'st and Ciiarlotte aiteniatcly at ten in the morning and three in the afternoon ; David Noali, taking the fornu-r tlin'c one * All the nntivp KcliooliiwistcrH anil sclioolniislrfsgSn, I'ormorly in Cdiinrclion w illi the Society, were in the bogiiiiiiiig of the ytiii- takuii into tiiu service nl ynvrrmiioiit. 2S4 CHUECH MISSION IN SIERUA LEONE. S'.uiday, aud the latter two on the other Sunday ; and myself doing the same, with the addition of early prayers at Bathurst, and an ex- hortation in the evening." Of the communicants of his district generally, he could not speak with approbation, and of the spiritual condition of the villages, he speaks in his reports with pain and regret ; hut what, we ask, would he the condition of the most highly-disciplined parish in England or Ireland, from which its pastors and means of grace had been almost entirely withdrawn for three or four years ? Let those who are disposed to entertain a feeling of disappointment at the general state of tliis mission, put this question to themselves. Six more ^Missionaries arrived on the 9tli of December — two, the Rev. ^Messrs. Betts and Gerber, to resume former labours, and four, Mrs. Gerber, Mr. and Mrs. Heighway and Mr. Edmund Boston, to under- take new ones. Mr. Gerber, during his visit to the continent of Europe, had entered again into the married state, and with his new partner now returned to Africa. The distribution of these fresh arrivals was as follows : — the Rev. John Gerber was associated with Mr. Metzger in the care of the River District, Mr. and Mrs. Gerber residing at Vi'aterloo, and Mr. and Mrs. Metzger at Wellington. They were assisted by Wilham Tamba. The Rev. W. K. Betts undertook the superintendance of the Sea District, assisted by William Ne\-ille, native teacher. Mr. Heighway' s services were allocated to the moun- tain district, where also his wife w as associated with Mrs. Taylor in the care of an infant school at Bathurst ; Mr. Edmond Boston was also appointed to the ^Mountain District as catechist. The number of schools in the Colony at the close of this year under the charge of Government, was twenty-one, twelve for boys and nine for girls. In these were instructed 6.59 boys and 445 girls, making a total of 11 04 scholars. Thirty-six persons, twenty-two males and four- teen females,, were employed as teachers in these schools. The Missionaries contented themselves under the new arrangements, with inspecting the schools during the hours of instruction, though they felt it very painful to be precluded from all influence over the children out of school hours. The system of ajjprenticing African children was carried to an extent which the Missionaries greatly deplored, be- cause the apprentices almost without exception were deprived of every further means of instruction, being sent neither to school nor to church. Their masters and mistresses seemed to look upon them as scarcely better than slaves ; and if the scanty clothing with which they supplied them, would warrant a judgment of the treatment they re- ceived, their condition seemed far from desirable. A new and interesting feature in the general education of the Colony was the opening of an infant-school at Bathurst, by the llev. Thomas Davey. It was attended at the end of the year by seventy-one cliil- THE POPULATION OF THE SETTLEMENTS. 295 (Iren bom in the Colony, of the age of from two to seven years. It had already been attended with perceptibly useful results. The number of the communicants under the Society this year, was 590, last year it was 605 : no great diminution therefore in this respect had occurred. The contributions to the Church Missionary Society on the part of the Uberated Africans ceased this year altogether, in consequence of the Christian liberality of the different congregations being directed to the supply of palm oil for the lighting of the churches for evening service ; the Colonial government having declined to defray any longer the expence which it had hitherto borne on that account. The population of the settlements at the close of the year 1827, was as follows — The sum includes men, women, and children. Kissey, 1133 — Wellington, 1157 — Hastings, 1116 — ^yaterloo, 1087— Leicester, 327— Gloucester, 911— Regent, 15G6— Bathurst, in which Leopold is included, these villages having been incorporated, 844— Charlotte, 891— York, 9/0- Kent, 837— Bananas, 254— Cal- mont, 281— AUentown, 94— Grassficld, 175— Total, 11603. CHAPTER IX. OPENING OF ST. GEORGe's CHURCH DISCOURAGEMENTS FRESH LOSSES SOME IMPROVEMENT. We have set dowy the population of all the settlements at the end of the j'^ear 182/, at 11603. To minister to this population in spiritual tilings, there were, in the beginning of the year 1828, six clergymen ; three English and three Lutheran, three European and one native catechist, one native and two European schoolmistresses and three native teachers ; besides these there were four wives of clergymen, and the wife of one of the schoolmasters or catechists. A still very inade- quate provision for the urgent wants of the Colony. Even this small number, however, was soon to be diminished, Mr. Thomas Heighway, whose arrival in the Colony on the 9th of December, has been announced, proceeded to his station at York. On the following Sunday he was a good deal exposed to the sun, in an attempt before public service to enforce the due observance of the Sabbath, and when he afterwards addressed the people who were assembled for public worship, he over-exerted himself to a degree which could not fail to excite the aj)prehensioii of his European friends. In the afternoon he com- plained of headache, and found it necessary to take some medicine ; his indisposition however increasing, he removed to Freetown for medi- cal advice on the following Thursday ; but his case, it was soon ascertained, was beyond the efforts of human skill. Though Satan was permitted to harass him at the beginning of his illness, the temptation endured but a short time ; and afterwards his mind was sweetly composed and resigned to the will of God ; he remained in a peaceful frame until INIonday, January 7, when, about four o'clock in the afternoon, he quietly fell asleep in Jesus. " He was a man," wrote Mr. Davey, "of strong faith, ardent zeal, and fervent prayer. I had the ])rivilege to see much of him at Isling- ton, and after his arrival he remained with me a few days at BathursI, THE OPENING OF ST. GEORGe's CHURCH. 297 and assisted me in various ways, in the schools and addressing the people of this district. His whole soul seemed to be drawn out in a peculiar manner for the eternal welfare of those for whom he had left his native country and came out hither to labour." Mrs. Weeks, who was stationed as schoolmistress at Freetown, had been prevented by impaired health from taking a part in the female school of which she was in charge ; and her return to England being strongly urged by her medical advisers, she and her husband em- barked on the 2 1 st of February for England ; thus were two more labourers lost for the present to the Mission. Mrs. Taylor was located as schoolmistress at Freetown, where her presence was of increased importance at the departure of Mrs. Weeks. So prejudicial, however, was the climate of that place to her health, that after suffering severely from illness it was found necessary to re- move her to the mountain district, where during her residence at Charlotte she generally enjoyed good health. Accordingly she was associated with Mrs. Ileighway in the infant school at Bathurst, where her constitution was considerably restored. Her removal, however, and that of Mrs. Weeks, occasioned much inconvenience to the Freetown schools, and it was found necessary to unite the two divisions of those schools which had been formed the year preceding ; leaving the native teacher, George Fox, in charge of the boys' school, and his wife of that of the girls. Added to these disasters among the European labourers was the severe illness of the native teacher, William Tamba ; he was confined for several months with a distressing rheumatic attack, which of course deprived the Mission of his services, which were always very valuable. The interesting ci rc inony of opening St. George's church, Freetown, took place on the 1.3th of January. The Uev. Thomas Davey read prayers, and the Uev. C. L. F. U.aensel preached on the occasion from Ezra vi. 16. The following Sunday Mr. Davcy preached from Isaiah Iv. 10, 11. These clergymen undertook to preach on alternate Sun- days until a Chaplain should be apj)ointed. At first the congregation, including the military and school-children, amounted to 600. Soon after, however, this mumber was considerably diminished. When the rains commenced, the militjvry were withdrawn, and some of the young natives ceased to attend ; at the setting in of the dry weather the attendance amounted to al)out .'300. In spring, Ilaensel wrote about the church with great satisfaction : "Freetown," he said, "has received an inunense benefit by tlie church being opened. We hear the church-going bell now every sal)l)ath, and lia\e if not a complete, nor showy, yet a decent place of 298 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEURA LEONE. worship. I am delighted to see every Sunday a good many benches filled with well-dressed and seemingly attentive young natives, proba- bly of the better class of mechanics, or a step higher ; and I earnestly pray that their attendance may be the means of conveying spiritual good to the minds of this, to me, by far the most interesting part of the congregation." On the 11th of June, Di^nne Service was held in the church at the request of the Chief Justice and the other commissioners, previous to the opening of the Quarter Sessions. Haensel read prayers and Mr. Davey preached from 1 Sam. ii. 2-5. A great many colored men, be- sides a considerable number of Europeans, attended this assize sermon. "The first," said the Missionaries; "ever preached in this Colony within our knowledge." Many of the native parents began at this time to desire for their children a superior education to that provided in the schools opened for every class of children indiscriminately. Those parents could well afford to pay for such an education in the Colony, though as yet they either had not the means or did not feel disposed to send their children to England for the purpose. Respectable boarding schools began to be demanded, and the Missionaries greatly regretted that it did not fall witliin the business of the Society to supply them. The demand, however, was indicative of the intellectual as well as social advancement of the Colony. On this subject we have an additional testimony in the criminal statistics of the period. The Sierra Leone Gazette thus speaks of Sessions recently held : — " It is some gratification to know that notwithstanding these Sessions have been unusually hcavj', still, that out of nineteen prisoners in the calendar, only two were liberated Africans ; although this class of persons forms nine-tenths of the community of the Colony, and that but one of these was found guilty ; whereas the time of the court was taken up with the crimes committed by Kroomen, thirteen of whom were tried for various offences." The determination of the Committee to carry on the Christian Institution effectively, led the Missionaries to look out for better accommodation for it than Freetown could afford. A providential opening towards such an end was made at the beginning of this year, by the sale of land and premises that appeared to oflfer peculiar advan- tages in the way in which it was desired to make use of them. Mr. Ilaensel thus announces the matter to the Committee : — " The late Governor Turner's estate on Fourah Bay, in the Sierra Leone river, is to be sold in small lots as they may be called for ; and we have a tender of that part of it which includes all the buildings, and nine acres, one rood, five perches of land, at (lie j)riie o(,€'.V.i^K A INSTITUTION REMOVED TO FOUnAH BAY. 299 wall or fence, drawn in a straight line from one side of the point of land to the other, would, with the water on every other side, form a situation altogether secluded. The buildings consist of the former dwelling-house, which is a stone building, with a slated roof, considera- bly out of repair, but which will admit of being fitted up at an expence of somewhat more than ^6100, and will then answer the purposes of the Institution, until the number of the pupils shall exceed ten. For the enlargement then required, provision is partly made by a sub- stantial stone building, which was erected by Governor Turner, close by the dwelling-house ; so as to admit of being connected with the piazza of the latter by a short passage ; that stone buikUng will then have to be fitted u{), and will probably afford accommodation for the greatest number of pupils which the Institution is ever likely to contain. A well close by the dwelling-house, supplies the estate with excellent water ; and an out-house will serve for keeping fuel. These buildings are at the extremity of the neck of land, there are also two unfuniished buildings at the entrance, which may either be reserved for future use, or taken down to furnish materials for a wall. The farm and garden have been entirely neglected since Governor Turner's death, and will require to be cleared to bring them again into cultivation. " This estate is near the fashionable rides called the Lower Road and the Race Course ; but it is at a sufficient distance to secure retire- ment, especially to the houses, which are protected by a part of the estate which lies between them and the entrance. It is as nearly as possible in the middle between Freetown and Kissey ; thus affording ea.sy communication with Freetown, and yet admitting of the Institu- tion Iji'ing connected with Kissey, whither the youths would go to re- ceive the Lord's Supper. A prospect of forming a children's school does not yet appear, as there are not many houses in its vicinity ; but if the other parts of the estate should be disposed of in small lots to black people, that object also might be attained at a subsequent period." The premises were purchased by the missionaries for ^6320 : II : G. The house was situated a mile and a iialf from Freetown : of the situa- tion, scenery &c. we nuist allow Mr. IIa( iiscl to sjjeak : — " 1 !un highly favoured l)y the residence which I am at present occupying with the youths under my charge ; we removed to this beautiful sj)ot on Monday, the 18th of February: and I have hithertc) only been confirmed in my opinion, that a more suitable S])()t for the purposes of the Institution could not have been selected, it includes every convenience which we want ; the well supj)lying water for tiic boys washing their clothes without going to the l)r()ok : so that there is no ordinary occasion for them to leave the grounds, e.vccpt for going 300 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERU.V LEONE. to Kisscy church on Sunday mornhig. Tlie house is now a most com- fortable residence, and has been much admired for its suitableness to our purposes. The prospect from the south piazza, embracing the whole range from Kissey church to Cape Sierra Leone, is beautiful beyond description : and I doubt whether one superior to it is to he found in the Colony. The sea-breeze keeps the place so cool, that, for the first two nights after removing from Freetown, I could hear a blanket very well." At Michaelmas there were six youths in the Institution — Samuel Crowther, John Harvey, James Jones, John Pope, John Wright, and William Tamba, son of the native teacher of that name. In the care and education of these, Haeusel laboured assiduously, with good hopes through God's grace of making them ultimately useful to their coun- trymen. The difficulties of a sadly defective instrumentality, still pressed heavily on the mission and the missionaries. European agency to a considerable extent, was now almost as necessary as ever. Native teachers had for some time been found useful when acting under European superintendence and control, but as j'et it was considered very injudicious to employ them alone, for want of that stability of character and entire freedom from native taint, which alone could en- title them to confidence. The missionaries were not sanguine as to a speedy realization of the hopes entertained by christians at home, of raising up a native ministry, competent to undertake the work of instruction and discipline. " I cannot at present," said Davcy, "see any probability of our ha\ing the number of efficient native teachers required : nor have I even a distant hope, that we shall in our days, find such native teachers as arc really wanted, for keeping up regular church discij)line. For want of such, look at the pitiable state of the congregations and com- municants of Regent and Gloucester. The mountain district requires, I think, at least two clergymen. You have no idea what an extent of ground it occupies ; and how difficult it is, from its being so moun- tainous, to get from (me place to another. While, therefore, we have not an adequate nimiber of efficient native teachers, that deficiency must, I tliink, be made up by a greater supply of catechists. And the Colony requires seven clergymen ; for we have felt, oftentimes, the want of one, who should have no regular duty, but be a sort of visiting clergyman ; that is, supply the stations during the sickness of any of the brethren, or take charge of one in the event of temporary absence on a visit to Europe." Tiu' feelings of the missionaries, mider the discotnitgemcnts of llieir pobilion, as expressed in their communications with the authorities at HINDRANCES FROM TEMPER AND BAD EXAMPLES. 301 home, were such as became their high and heavenly calling ; and we must often feel ourselves called upon to adore the supporting grace of the Most High, for the spirit of cheerful acquiescence with His divine will, breathed by them in their reports of the many trying visitations, to which they were subjected in the course of their labours. At the same time, these single-minded men did not conceal the fact, that the disturbing causes to which they were exposed, sometimes produced the effects that might be expected from them, in the case of falUble human beings : for example, one of them made the following ingenuous ad- mission in one of his quarterly reports to the brethren. " While I acknowledge and adore the goodness of God, in restoring to me the bodily strength which my labours require, I feel constrained to humble myself in stating the very lamentable effect which the influ- ence of the climate has produced upon my mind. Ever since my ill- ness, there has been an irritability about me, which has led me into I numerous transgressions. I have often oflPended by fretfulness, impa- tience, and the use of rough words in intercourse with others ; and I deeply lament to say, that, in the general treatment of my pupils, I have widely departed from that course which the religion of tlie meek and lowly Jesus prescribes. I mention this, because I have reason to believe that others before me have had the same experience ; and be- cause there are among us some brethren newly arrived from Europe, to whom it may be useful to be cautioned against a mental malady, which seems to arise out of the influence of the climate upon the body, but it is undoubtedly much more dangerous to the Missionary's own soul, and a greater hindrance to the success of his labours, than any bodily infirmities." Another source of hindrance to the cause, especially as regarded the Society's operations, was the example of the European residents, and the indiff'crence to religion evinced by the official authorities of the Colony. The connexion that existed between the latter and the Soci- ety's missionaries, was found to militate considerably against that independence of action, without which no christian work can prosper. W'liere character and sentiments are so well ascertained, as they must be in sucii a limited coninuuiity as the European po])ulation of a Colony like Sierra Leone, the inconsistency of christian men being associated witij those whose ungodliness is notorious, for the ostensible purpose of advancing the kingdom of Christ, becomes most glaring, and must operate against the object proj)osed. This species of difficulty is hinted at in tlie following remarks of one of the mission- aries. " Many of the natives take encouragement from the examjjle of Europeans, to cohabit without being lawfully married ; and they also 302 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. apply to me to baptise their illegitimate offspring ; for both Europeans and natives seem determined, notwithstanding my explanation of the rite, to look upon the baptism as something that must work like a greegree, or an enchantment, to bind over God as it were to adopt the child for His own ; which, at the same time, it is expected will serve as a sin-offering presented to God by the parents, who shew thereby, as they think, that they do not mean to be altogether without religion, but only plead for a merciful indulgence in the course of life, which they decidedly prefer to lawful marriage." Attempts were made by the missionaries, to meet these and other evils by faithful addresses from the pulpit ; in which the obligation was urged of professed christians, residing in countries where Chris- tianity is not generally received, to recommend it in their lives ; and the extreme guilt of prejudicing the religion professed by unchristian practices, represented and enforced ; but the relation in which the missionaries stood to the local Government, diminished much of the force of this or any similar testimony against the existing e\ils. The new Government measures, in reference to the schools, having pressed with fatal effect upon the functions of the Society : various attempts were made to obtain from the three governors, Lieut. Colonel Denham, Lieut. Colonel Lumley, and S. Smart, Esq. who succeeded each other with such melancholy rapidity, some modification of them, but after three months' fruitless endeavor to secure this object, it was abandoned, and the resolution formed by the missionaries to withdraw from the Government schools, and to establish schools at the expense of the Society, and under its sole authority, wherever the means ex- isted of efficiently conducting and superintending them. Three such schools were accordingly established at Bathurst, Gloucester and Regent, during this year, and preparations made to extend them to the River District, as soon as certain preliminary arrangements should be completed. The Government at home, on a representation of the case by the Committee, acquiesced in the change, and promised every facility to the Society in its plans. The missionaries felt much concern about the liberated African children, bound out as apprentices. Many of them were apprenticed as soon as they arrived from the slave ships ; and, therefore, had no opportunity of receiving instruction, religious or otherwise : for although it was among the obligations entered into by masters and mistresses on taking an apj)rentice, that they should teach them, besides "the Eng- lish language," the "principles of the christian rchgion," by far the greater number of these persons were notoriously incompetent to fulfil that duty ; nor were they even aware of their obligation, until it was pointed out to them in the indentures. Under these circumstances, the missionaries solicited and obtained liberty for the aj)prentice to ABANDONMENT OF STATIONS. 303 attend such means of instruction as would not interfere with the work, for the sake of which, they had been adopted. The infant school at Bathurst proved most satisfactory', and the number of children in attendance rapidly increased : towards the close of the preceding year, it was 75. In July it lijid advanced to 105 ; and not long after, the school contained 147 children of both sexes. As the year drew near a termination, without the expected arrival of a Chaplain, it was found necessary to withdraw the Rev. W. K. Betts, from the superintendance of the Sea District, comprehending the stations of York, Kent and the Bananas, that he might undertake the pastoral charge of St. George's Church, Freetown, his native teacher being also required for the Mountain District ; these stations and others, such as Grassfield, Allen's town and Calniont, were utterly abandoned. " We have felt," wrote the missionaries, "that it can answer no end to keep names of places on our list of stations, where no Church members reside, and to which we cannot extend our religious ser\ices without injury to the congregations which present strong calls for them ; more especially, as we have not succeeded in obtaining avithority from the local Government to call upon the schoolmasters for the per- formance of religious services, which might have been a help towards securing the outward decencies of religion, at least, on the Lord's day." At some of the retained stations, symptoms of resuscitation were not wanting. At Kissey, 22 adults were this year admitted to baptism, and one of the communicants was so struck with this and other evidences of a change for the better, that he observed, " I do not know what the matter is ; this time every body young and old begin to fear : there seems to be an impression on the minds of very many, that they must pray to God, or they are lost." The congrega- tion here consisted of 250 adults and 50 children, out of a ])opnlation of 1 133. At Welliiigton, 23 females, chiefly of the Accoo nation, were admitted to the Church in the sj)ring (piartcr, and 19 males and 16 females at Michaelmas. The Sunday morning congregation here amounted to 460, and the communicants were 191. At Ilastings, William Tamba had been particidarly useful, under the occasional superintendance of the Rev. J. Gerber. The members of the C:hurch here consisted principally of the discharged soldiers of the 4th West India Regiment, who had become quite distinguished by the fact, that wherever they were located a great love for religion was manifested among them, which was not observable among the soldiers of other regiments. Tbe Rev. John Gerber resided at Waterloo from January to November. The early part of his work was attended with much discouragement. "This village," he wrote in July, "is as yet, I may almost say, wholly given to idolatry. Wooden god- 304 CHtRCIl MISSION IN SIERRA LEOXE. makers, and worshippers of these gods made in the likeness of a human figure, are in great uumhers in the houses of this town. Next to tliem are the greegree people ; and after them there are upwards of 100 Mahomedans residing here, who endeavour to make proselytes, and not unfrequently succeed." At Michaelmas, however, some improvement began to appear. ]Mr. Gerher says, " Visiting one evening a meeting held in the house of one of the communicants, I met a boy about 15 years of age : I asked him the reason of his coming there : to which he replied, ' He had got a soul to save,' on asking who had told him so, he said, ' His master did every evening read with him in the Bible, and teach him so.' " In the Mountain District the missionaries were not left without some comforting evidences of a favourable change. In June, Mr. Boston went to reside at Gloucester, where, prenous to his coming, the most melauclioly proofs of spiritual destitution were exhibited — even to a partial return to heathenism. IMr. Boston, however, commenced visit- ing from house to house, which had the usual effect of bringing many of the absentees to the house of God, so that at Michaelmas the Sun- day morning congregation consisted of 220 persons, and the number of the communicants was 70. A Sunday school for api)rentice boys was opened, the attendance was 35, and four of the best-informed of the people instructed therein gratuitously. The following observations of yir. Davey pro\ e that the want of a sufficient number of labourers alone interfered with the prosperity of the mission. " The effect of brother Boston's removal here, and of his exertions among the inhabitants, are so visible, that the most careless observer must notice the difference. I must confess that I first doubted whether the increased attendance on the means of grace would con- tinue any longer than the novelty lasted ; but I rejoice to say that the number continues to increase, and that a marked attention may be obsen ed in them : I trust it will long continue, and that much fruit will be found to arise from the seed which has been sown." The state of Regent may be inferred from the fact that it possessed no resident minister throughout the year, — Mr. Davey having officiated there only four or five times on an average in the quarter. All the ser- vices had been committed to David Noah, who was removed to Waterloo in November. An attem])t was made, with some success, to inqtrove this dej)lorable state of things, by the appointment of one person to overlook every twenty or thirty communicants, so that in September the Church could boast of a congregation of 300 on Sunday mornings out of a popidation of 15G(). The number of comnnuiicants on the list, was 248. Towards the close of the year many were stirred up to seek a restoration to the Christian jirivileges from which they had long e\- elnded themselves. DEATH OF MRS. GERBER. 305 The spread of Mahomedanism at Charlotte this year, was most distressing to the missionaries, who, with their diminished force could do little to resist its progress. In their report for the year, they observe — " the emissaries of the false prophet have manifest advantages over the teachers of Christ's reUgion in this Colony, the latter having so few natives to support them. Their number is considerable ; they can undergo fatigue which would be fatal to a European life ; they need no conveyance for travelling from place to place : and they recom- mend a religion requiring chiefly an outw.ird change without an in- ward, and opening the door to carnal enjovment rather than con- demning it." The state of York and Kent was encoui-aging previous to their necessary abandonment at the end of the year. At the Bananas, on the contrarj', " there appeared," said the missionaries, "but little re- gard to the means of grace, and the place contained no inenibcrs of the Church." Before the end of the year 1828, the missionary ranks were still turther thinned by death. Mrs. Gerber, wife of the Rev. John Gerbcr, gave birth to a female child on the 11th of December, and appeared to be gradually recovering, until a sudden change took place for the worse ; when her frail tenement, reduced by repeated attacks of fever throughout the year, sunk into the grave on the IGth. Di^-ine grace liad prepared her for her departure, and her end was peace. The arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Weeks on the 16th of January 1829, after their temporary visit to England, was most acceptable to the other missionaries, and occasioned some modification of their plans, which was thus announced in a letter from the Rev. C. L. F. Haensel to the acting Colonial Secretary, dated Januarv' 22, 1 829. " I beg to inform through you, his Honour, the Lieut. Governor, that the arrangements in the affairs of the mission, formed toward the close of last year, have become subject to a revision on the part of the Com- mittee of clergymen — in consequence, on the one hand, of the return, then not looked for, of the Society's Catechist, Mr. Weeks, to this Colony ; and, on the other, of the delay which has taken place in the appointment, by his Majesty's Government, of a Chaplain to Free- town, which j)revents the ser\ices of the Rev. W. K. Betts from being devoted to jjart of the Ricer District, as was contemplated by the late arrangement. " Under these circumstances, the Committee have found the ex- igences of the mission to require that Mr. Weeks should take up his residence at Regent, to perform the religious duties there under the superintendence of the Rev. Thomas Davey : and that the native teacher, David Noah, be stationed at Kissey, where his labours, as well as those of William Tamba at Wellington, will be sujieriutended w N 306 CIIURni MISSION IN SIERRA I.EONE. by the Rev. John Gerber. To our regret, it is out of our power at present to make any j)rovision for the residence of a religious teacher at Waterloo. " Waterloo being thus unavoidably left without a religious teacher, is not considered, at present, as under the charge of the mission." Mrs. Weeks's previous sufferings from illness while resident at Free- town, and the relief which she always found from removal to one of the villages, primarily influenced this arrangement. Upon application to Government, a house was provided for Mr. and Mrs. Weeks at Regent, and one for the Rev. J. Gerber at Hastings. The acquisition of two labourers was more than counterbalanced by losses from returns home and death. Mr. and Mrs. Metzger found it iiecessarj' to sail for England in the early part of this year — however, their absence was not of long duration ; but a more serious privation was occasioned by the removal of Mrs. Wilhelm, wife of the Rev. J. G. Wilhelm, after labouring in the Colony for more than sixteen years. She arrived in Africa in March 1813, as the wife of C. H. Meissner, lay assistant to the missionaries labouring among the Soosoos. Meiss- ner was a carpenter and was settled at (\inoffee, where he died early in the year 1814. On the 8th of June 1815, she was united to the Rev. J. G. Wilhelm, then a missionary at Canolfce, and with him removed to Sierra Leone on the surrender of that settlement.* She had been for several years schoolmistress of Waterloo, of which her husband was minister, and from whence they removed to Freetown, where Wilhelm officiated as minister of Gibraltar Chapel. For some time this estimable woman had suffered from debility, and therefore at once sunk under the attack of fever, which occasioned her death after three days' illness. The day before her departure, she experienced much disquietude at the near prospect of death, although a strong believer in the precious promises of the gospel : however, she was after- wards mercifully visited with assurance, and enjoyed peace in her end. Her husband wrote : " In falling helpless into the arms of mercy spread for the reception of penitent sinners, through the' redemption in Christ crucified, be- lieving in Him, and trusting in his free grace above and beyond the accusations of a guilty conscience about what has been left luulone, and what has been done amiss, she was relieved from despondency ; and on the last morning of her life, could join in prayer, with mucli sincerity and comfort." In the early part of June this year, previous to the setting in of the rains, a fearful epidemic visited the Colony. The European part of the p()j)ulation, even iu the case of those who had resided the longest * Sec precoding voliime pp. 29), .'530, Xii. EPIDEMIC IN THE COLONY. 307 on the coast, suffered severely. A sliort extract from a letter of Mr. Betts to the Secretary vaW shew how mercifully the Mission had been dealt with at this crisis — " I wrote very briefly by the ' Alchymist ' in order to prevent any uneasiness which migbt arise in the minds of our friends respecting our safety, in this fearful season of sickness and death. I then expressed a hope that the epidemic had subsided ; but I regret to say that our hopes have been grievously disappointed ; it appeared a few days after I closed that letter, and has raged fearfidly. The esteemed and con- stant friend of our ^Mission, the Hon. Joseph Reffell, has since fallen. It has pleased our Heavenly father to spare all the members of the Mission hitherto ; but we do deeply feel that " in the midst of life we are in death ;" Continue your prayers for us. I cannot conclude without saying that I think a ray of light is now dawning upon our work, which has for so long a time been carried on in darkness." Besides Mr. Reffell, whom we had occasion to mention as Chief superintendent of liberated Africans, and who had always shewed him- self friendly to the Mission, the Colony had to deplore the loss of Mr. Kenneth Macaulay, whose anxiety for the well being and success of Sierra Leone as a British Colony is known to the reader. • A change most agreeable to the friends of the Mission in the case of the liberated children took place in July. The Colonial Govern- ment consented to commit them to the care of the Missionaries in those villages where schools liad been established by the Society. This change was calculated to obviate many of the disadvantages under which the Mission had previously labored. It will not be necessary for us to enter into any detailed account of the Mission during the year 1 829, since unhappily no striking varia- tion in its condition occurred since the year preceding, nor indeed, see- ing that no great improvement had taken jjlace in the supply of laborers, could such be expected. The work was still for the most part discouraging, with now and then a gleam of promise shining amidst the general gloom. One fact, however, was established, that the Mission drooped only for want of a sufficient supjjly of the water of life ; for whenever that could be steadily administered, signs of revival were sure to follow. The Sierra Leone church was yet only as a nursery for babes, who could not be left a moment to themselves, untaught as they were in the ad- vantages of self-discipline, and therefore requiring all the skill and vigor of ' tutors and governors ' to preserve them from relapsing into ' their old sins.' Christianity could scarcely be said to be firmly rooted in this j)art of tlic West African soil, after having been transplanted hither only about fourteen years ; and therefore it was far from likely to resist the storms of adverse circumstances which it had of late years to encounter ; nevertheless its present condition was by no means dis- X 2 308 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA I,EONE. heartening : much of wliat had been done still remained, and if ground liad been lost, it still offered itself for occupation when the ability was A-ouchsafed from on high. The following extracts from the INIissionaries' report will serve instead of a more minute survey. The difficulties arising from the native character, are thus explained : — " On comparing the population of the settlements under our charge, with the a'ttendance at public worship, we perceive that about one fourth of the inhabitants are in the habit of attending divine ser\dce on Sundays. We may fairly presume that all these are ready to assume the Christian name, and will desire to be sworn on the Holy Scrip- tures, if they have to take an oath in a Court of Justice ; and even this jjroportion would no doubt be much increased, were we to lower our standard of requirements in those whom we admit to the church. The fact is, that the idolatrous superstition of the African tribes has in it so little that is fixed and exclusive, that it will comfort itself with, or even give way to, any new superstition or outward rite that may be plausibly offered. We are, indeed, strongly inclined to believe that the whole of the heathen population of the Colony would press to the baptismal font, if we would receive them there on an under- standing that baptism is of all greegrees the best." On the subject of native teachers the Missionaries were constrained to say — " We consider it as one of the most trying features of the work in this Colony, that after fourteen years' labor by the Society's Missionaries, with direct controul, during most of the time, over public education, we should not be able to count more native teachers. " It is also matter of regret, that we have not been able to increase the number of students beyond its present state : — perhaps this requires more explanation. The Colony-born children in the villages are generally too young to afford sufficient evidence of love for better things than the world affords ; though there are not wanting those who give good promise of becoming fit for admission at a future time. The liberated African children supported by Government, who were taken notice of by us previously to our declining the inspection of the schools, have since been apprenticed out ; and, on our reassuming the charge of those children, we found quite a new set, young in years, and backward in their studies ; it will be some time before any of these can attain to a fitness for admission. We have had opportunities of observing that the institution is an object of great interest to our village youth in those parts which have been occasionally visited by the superintendant with his pupils, as well as in those from which children have occasionally been allowed to go on a visit to Fourah Hay ; and that the parents also would set a higher value on its advantages for their children, were it consistent with its design to open it for more promiscuous admission." COMPARISON OF THE PRESENT WITH THE PAST. 309 One of tlic youths in the institution, Samuel Crowther, who had acted in the capacity of assistant to Mr. Ilacnsel, was appointed at Midsummer, native teacher at Regent. His conduct while he was in the institution had given much satisfaction to Mr. Haensel. The Missionaries conclude their report, which they feel is not one calculated to gratify the sanguine expectations of many who had been accustomed to hear and read of the work here in times past, with the following language, which we greatly admire for its Christian modesty and candor : — " We feel that this account of the state of the people to whom we are sent, differs considerably from the general opinion of our friends in Europe ; but we have thought it our duty to give a plain tale, being convinced that the prayers of our Christian brethren on our behalf will be more effectual, the more fully they are informed of the real state of things. And we would not have them believe that we lose sight of, or undervalue, the good that has really been done. We have before alluded to the little flock which the good Shepherd has sought — here asheej), and there one, outof the varioustribes of Africa, andbrought back into His fold ; they are a witness to the labours of the Society's JMissionarics in this Colony ; they are a comfort and support luider many trials, to us now sening in this part of God's vineyard, and will, we doubt not, prove a crown of rejoicing to some now resting from their lal)ours, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, at his coming. " This Mission has been established only about fourteen years. In conseciuonce of illness and deaths, it has had to contend with numer- ous interruptions to the measures which were from time to time put in progress ; the many changes in the agents for carrying on the work have hitherto rendered it im|)racticable for them to come to any tiling like a uniform plan of proceeding ; the insufficiency of their number for the work before them has, up to this time, frequently ])revented them from assisting each other with help in seasons of difficulty, and witii advice in matters of perplexity. Let all this be well weighed, and let it be taken into consideration, that they have been men frail and fallil)le, and the charitable Christian will wonder that so much good has been done, rather tlian feel surprised that no more sliould have been effected." Four new lalionrers were added to tlic Mission in Decemlier ; they were the Ucv. John Murrell, Mr. Henry Graham, Mrs. (Jrahani, an()n his remoMil fimn (he Institution, he was niueli affeelcil. DISMISSALS FROM THE INSTITUTION. 327 I continued him for nearly two weeks longer, in order to give him full time to consider the matter, and found him melt into tears as often as I adverted to his dismissal ; but, as nothing occurred to show a dispo- sition in him to adopt the view of his pastors in the matter, I had to part with him at last. This has been a great trial to me, for the youth had conducted himself in an exemplary manner. He had fine ta- lents and an affectionate disposition, and was remarkably attentive to his duties, so that I, in some measure feel the absence of his assis- tance." Three of the youths thus dismissed were from Freetown, a locality, from which Mr. Haensel could not help observing the most unpro- mising boys were received, which made him cautious in admitting candidates from thence. The Freetown parents felt somewhat aggrieved at the preference showni to the ^•illage boys ; but Mr. Haensel ex- plained to them that his only object was to procure such pupils as gave jiromise of future usefulness, and judging from experience of the past, he should exercise even more caution in the admittance of boys from Freetown than he had hitherto done. Not\vithstancUng the painful incidents connected with the Christian Institution which we have noticed, there was much still in the case of some of the youths to cheer on the Superintendant in his task. One had decidedly improved after admonition : another, having walked consistently since his baptism, had been admitted to the Lord's table. The removal of one of the insubordinate youths had wrought a favour- able change in a third, who began to manifest a deep anxiety for his soul, and it was discovered that this boy and three others were in the habit of hokUng a little devotional meeting on some evenings in the week after school-hours. Towards Christmas, three of the remaining boys occasioned unea- siness to their tutor, and he was obliged to suspend one of them ; but he found consolation in a little occurrence, which shewed that he had some youths under his care who really valued their christian privi- leges, and the human channel through which they were conveved. On his mentioning among them the ile})ression under which the Society's fund this year labored, he was e(|ualiy surprized and pleased to receive from some of them a contribution which they had made out of their little savings to help to make up the deficiency. Mr. Haensel continued to regret that avocations of a missionary character out of the Institution so engrossed his time, that he could not enjoy tiiat private conversational intercourse with his ])upils wiiicli their spiritual liealth re(|uired : at times, however, he did what he could in this way, and longed to enter more constantly and miiuitely into the feelings and views of those from whom so mucii Mould l)e ,328 CHURCH MISSION TX SIIiRiiA LEONE. expected ; but, in the present detective state of the mission, this was impossible, and tlie youths suffered accordiugly. The same lack of ministerial vigilance was occasionally felt in all the stations ; the consequence was, the frequent discovery of open scandals even among the communicants and the candidates for bap- tism, and then expulsion from church commvmion took place : for example, two communicants were thus excommunicated at Kissey in the first quarter of this year, two more, females, in the second by Mr. Metzger, and in the same quarter, Mr. Young thus writes : his letter is dated June. " I am again in the dust before God on account of the discovery of two other persons connected with the church, having fallen into the deplorable sins which are too prevalent among the heathen. Indeed, after having searched into the secret ways of the people, I find that these sins are so familiar to them, that they call these abominable ways of their fathers only their 'country fashion.' Some of the members of the church have been living in a measure, in a state of Idolatry, trusting in their greegrees (charms) which they have concealed under their clothes : and, I believe some have come to the table of the Lord with this refuge of lies hanging about their body, ^\^^en I speak to some of the people about casting them away, or attempt to take them, it is like plucking out a right eye. " We have again experienced the painful necessity of excluding five persons — two communicants, and three candidates for christian baptism ; viz, four for a breach of the seventh commandment ; and one woman for most cruelly treating her apprentice girl, seventeen years of age, with intent to force her to become the concubine of her own master ; but the poor girl, possessing more real virtue than either her master or mistress, after a most cruel beating, till her body was even cut with the blows as well as with the cords by which she was bound, fled out of the house. I thought proper to interfere in the matter, as I was well aware that these people have had much of their own way in such deplorable acts. I put the poor girl under the pro- tection of a constable, till the magistrate came home. The man was put in prison for two months labour, and the apprentice was delivered out of their wicked hands. It is to be feared, that many of those poor apprentice girls fall a sacrifice to the lusts of those who ought to protect them, and who are really compelled to make that sacrifice through bodily fear. The other communicant was also excluded for a similar case, and her apprentice was taken from her. Since these poor girls find that they are protected, another of these de[)lorable works of darkness has been made known by the apprentices who have come to niy house ; and I have considered it my duty to mulertake fiir thcin, by recommending them to the magistrate at this i)lacc." EXCOMMUNICATIONS. 329 The picture which Regent at this time presented, was not less dis- heartening. " Mr. Betts," writes J. Weeks, the catechist, " has suspended fourteen communicants, and readmitted three backsHders, and one has removed to Hastings : of those suspended, nine were for the sin of adultery. I think I never experienced a more trying season than this quarter : it was truly painfiil to witness in most of them, the total want of christian feehng, and of sorrow for their grievous of- fence, while their past conduct was under investigation ; and I am still more sorry to add, that the greater part of them, since they were suspended, have seldom or ever attended Divine service, though they scrupled not to attend the Lord's table while h^ing in those sins." Later in the year Mr. Weeks adds : — " It has really been uphill work this quarter : indeed I may truly say that, since my return to Regent from Hastings, I have been an assistant pruncr ; for we have been called to the very painful duty of Iopj)ing off so many decayed and withered branches as almost to dis- courage mc : some of them appeared lively, and shot forth blossom and bade fair for yielding good fruit. I can now speak from expe- rience, that to be engaged in the necessary work of pruning, espe- cially to so great an extent, and in so short a time as we have been called to is, perhaps, of all missionary work, the most painful and trying." Difficulties were encountered at Gloucester of this and other kinds. At the end of June Mr. Betts writes : — " The communicants arc less by two thin when last reported ; one has been suspended for immoral conduct, the other has left us and attends at some chapel in Freetown ; giving as her reason that she cannot find the Lord at our church. The true meaning of which is, tbat she does not find with us that cxtatic jumping and shouting so common in some of the chapels ; and which she in her ignorance mistakes for religion. Of the rest, I trust, as I hear nothing to the contrary, that they are walking consistently with their Christian profession. " Two candidates have been dismissed as giving no encouragement, and two have been received on trial. I find it very difficult to know how to act respecting these people ; I am fearful of dismissing them, lest I shotdd discourage any whose hearts are sincere ; yet some of them appear so careless, and shew so little semblance of sincerity, that I stand greatly in doubt of them. " Three backsliders are seeking readmission to communion." We have given the darkest side of the iiicture first ; for if the .Mission appears to stagnate as c(Mn[taied with its iKaltliy action iu 330 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. former times, we wish to direct attention to the lull amomit of the mischief which a defective agency had of late years entailed upon it, and the accumulated evils which the present debiUtated staff had to encounter. Surely great faith was required both at home and abroad to sustain exertion under such paralyzing circumstances, but that faith was vouchsafed, and we are at this time permitted to rejoice and praise the Lord that He still kept the African door open through which numbers have since entered and found rest to their souls. But even this year we can assume a livelier tone than the above account would seem to warrant ; in some of the stations the blade was beginning to appear, thus Wilhelm says of Freetown, while re- ferring especially to his congregations at Gibraltar chapel : — " A sense of the importance of religion has much increased among the people of Freetown. There has not been so much housebreaking, thieving, and other criminal conduct heard of as in former periods." Again at the end of June he ^vrites : — " One of the communicants has been confined to her bed through the whole quarter by painful boils and ulcers breaking out upon her. She suffers patiently, believing that all is sent for the good of her soul, by the wise and faithful hand of a reconciled Father in heaven." At Kissey notwithstanding the inconsistency of some professing Christians,four idolaters had been converted through the instrumenta- lity of the Rev. G. W. E. Metzger, and the catechist, Mr. Yoimg. Some interesting particulars respecting these new converts are furnished by the latter. He writes : — ' ' Surely the Lord hath visited the Gentiles to take out from among them ' a people for His name.' Four heathen liberated Africans, by the free grace and mercy of God, have renounced idolatrv' to wor- ship the Saviour, Jesus ; viz. three men and one woman. "One of these men informed us that the Lord touched his heart on the evening of the 16th of July last, with these words — "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes," &c. Rev. xxi. 4. The God which he worshipped is a bust made of a peculiar red earth, and stands five inches high. He sacrificed the first-fruits of liis farm, and of every thing, to Aschawou, his god, before he partook of it himself, then he had no fear of dying by the effects of j)oison. This man literally cast away his god, and gave his temple to the moles and to the bats. " Another god, whose name is Shyung, is of iron, a verv' hideous- looking serpent, twenty-six inches high. The worshipper of this god, according to liis own account, was most fearfully agitated during the season of conviction. I stood near him while he was destroying the house of the god, and the vessels, and the instruments for sacri- fices ; he also cut down a laigo plum tree, wliicli was dedicated to FORMATION" OF A BENEFIT CLUB. 331 Shvung. He would sometimes sacrifice a ram or a goat, or a fowl to his god, in a season of sickness, to make him better. In the destruc- tion of the god's house, buruiug mats, and other demi-gods, numerous black ants, as well as a number of centipedes and scorpions, were destroyed. Both of these men have been persecuted by their country- men since they renoimced idolatry ; but they still seem to hold fast by the unchangeable covenant. "Three of the above-mentioned four have been received on trial by the Rev. G. W. E. Metzger, for Christian baptism and the Lord's Supper." One of the most difficult tasks which the philanthropist has to ac- complish, in his endeavours to elevate a community long sunk in moral and social degradation, is the inculcation of a desire for improvement ; without that all his plans must fail, through the apathetic contentment with present circumstances which characterizes man in his lowest state. A certain step from barbarity to ci^"i]ization is gained, when the superiority of the latter is acknowledged, for the mind that is capable of such a perception has already left the former some way behind, and is prepared to admit the necessity of making an effort to renounce it altogether. If the liberated Africans inhabiting the several villages at the period of which we write, were to be tried by this rule, the success of the exertions made in their behalf both of a temporal and spiritual character would appear undoubted. The advantage of civilized usages was acknowledged, property accumulated by honest industry was employed by its possessors in the attainment of such accessions to respectabiUty and comfort as civilization suggested ; and expedients for mutual improvement began to be demised and adopted : all shewing a sense of the degrading tendency of native customs and practices, and the necessity of a self-controlling effort to escape from their baneful influence. Many examples might be given in illustration of these remarks. We shall select a communication from the Rev. W. K. Betts, as proving how ready the better-instructed Africans were to adopt any suggestion of social advancement offered to them by one in whom they had learned to value the qualities of a Christian instructor : — " An occurrence of rather an interesting nature, has taken place in the formation of a benefit club among the communicants ; it arose from the following circumstance : one or two instances of gross in- toxication having occurred among persons who had met together to feast after a funeral, and it having come to my knowledge, that members of the Church attend at such feasts, which are very common, I .spoke very strongly against the practice, and (iireatened to suspend any comnnniicant who goes lo siuii jiartics. They then agreed, 'to 332 CUVRCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. make company,' as the current expression is, among themselves, to subscribe and assist each other, in the event of any death occurring among them, but to have no feasting whatever ; and to separate from all other companies. When this began to be acted upon, the people from ■whom they had separated, were much displeased, and came to me in a body, to the number of about 20, to complain of this innova- tion ; they commenced with a charge against Matthew Thomas Harding, who had been active in the business, stating that he had told the communicants they were not to join company with persons who were not members of the Church, neither to help them, nor to speak to them. I told them in reply, that I did not think Harding had said, that the communicants were not to help them, nor to speak to them, but that, respecting joimng their companies, I hoped the members of the Church would have nothing to do with it, as I knew there was much rum-drinking, and other improper conduct, on those occasions. One of them said, ' I suppose then, the righteous are to be by themselves, and we wicked must be by ourselves,' I replied : ' Yes ; the righteous should keep to themselves, and not join in company ' with the people of the world, even as the word of God teaches : ' and then read to them, 2 Cor. \i. 14. to the end. One then said, ' If the righteous are not to speak to us, how can we learn, and be converted ; ' I replied, " It is not a time that you will Usten to advice, when you are feasting, and your heads are half full of rum. If any member of the Church is willing to call on you at your houses privately, and speak to you the word of God, I shall be glad ; but they must not join you at your feasts.' They then offered for me to send some person on those occasions, to see who drinks too much ; adding, ' The members of the Church drmk more than we do.' I said, ' No ; where rum be drunk at all, there no communicant must go ; and if it be so, that they drink more than others, I am sorry for it ; yet it only shows how needful it is that they do not go to any drinking-part\-.' "VMien they found that I was not to be drawn into any concession, they departed. " I learned that the rules of this company required each member to contribute eight pence when any member's child died, and thirteen pence when an adult died ; but among the communicants, who have not a feast to provide for, it is found that 1 yd. is sufficient for each to contribute at the death of a child, and threepence each for the funeral of an adult. Another rule is, that when a woman is ill, the other women are to assist her by turns, by washing her linen, &c. This agreement, if properly followed up, will combine the advantages of a benefit-club, and a Temperance Society." The schools in general were this year giving satisfaction. George Fox and his wife continued to labour at the Colonial boys" school in EDUCATION PROSPECTS. 333 FreetoHH, anil spoke favourably of the advance made in the various branches of learning, as well as in religious improvement. At Kissey, Mr. Young by continued firmness and affection secured a good attendance, and correct beha\'iour in children generally under ten years of age. Such as absented themselves three days in succession were rejected, and this disabused the minds of the parents, of the impression which they had contracted, that the missionaries were obliged to teach their children. Several of the girls attended Mrs. Boston five days in the week, to learn needlework, and she was able to speak highly of their progress and general deportment. The Sunday schools advanced rapidly. Tracts and other religious publi- cations were received by the scholars with gladness, and their im- provement in Scriptural instruction was spoken of as very encourag- ing. At Wellington, the day-school consisted of nine classes, two of which read the scriptures. Samuel Crowther was the school- master here, and John Pope his assistant ; the adults and apprentices attended the evening school, which consisted of five classes ; two new classes were added to the school at Gloucester this year, and another native teacher, John Harvey was appointed. The Sunday school, which consisted of ten classes, was giving satisfaction. The children were represented as, " cleanly, orderly, and attentive." The Bathurst Sunday school, consisting entirely of adults and apprentices, was able to supply six young men, qualified to act as teachers. The day school was composed entirely of Colony- born children, of whom there were eighteen classes. Fifty girls were making progress in needlework, under Mrs. Warburton, and the Misses Njliinder ; as regarded the evening school, Mr. Warburton wrote : " The evening school is well attended ; and affords a pleasing sight, as evidencing a real desire for knowledge. Most of those who com- pose it are apprentices, who labour in their masters' farms during the day ; and in the evening, when it might be exj)ccted that they would be fatigued with the toils of the day, they are as diligent as bees." The assistant schoolmaster at Regent was dismissed for bad con- duct. Mr. Weeks the catechist deplored the effect of the immoral conduct of the inhabitants of Regent on the minds of their children, some of whom, however, were giving satisfaction. The girls who learned needlework under Mrs. Weeks, assisted by Miss II. Nyliinder, obtained the ajjprobation of their teachers. Several of the children in the Sunday school manifested a desire to read the word of God, and many of the adidts were candidates for baptism. We mentioned above, that the missionaries had resumed the ciiarge of the liberated African children ; difficulties soon arose which com- pelled them to retreat from the position which they wished to occupy in this respect, and they were obliged to confine their exertions to their 334 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. former limits. This was considered a severe trial, but the step under the circumstances was found to be inevitable. Truly was the mission at this period in the fire ; it might well be said of it, " With- out were fightings, within were fears." Satan must have considered it as a fatal infringement on his territory, wheu he wrought so mightily to weaken or destroy it. If no other token of promise was at this time presented to the Christian's eyes in the circumstances of the West African Church, there was this — it had become an object of fear, and consequent assaidt by the Old Serpent, who had long reigned unmolested over the soil on which it was planted. Tliis year was not destined to pass over without loss to the mission by death. Mr. John Rogers, one of the Society's catechists who arrived on the 8th of January, did not survive that event more than about four months. The particulars of his removal were thus com- municated by Mr. Haensel : " Air. John Rogers was reported unwell on Monday the 7th, but did not desist from his duties in the school on that day. Our medical friend, however, saw him, and advised his taking medicine ; which was done according!}'. On Wednesday he was worse, and an impediment in his utterance began to be observed. On Thursday, it was c^^dent that in addition to the usual country-fever, he was affected with paralysis, which gave a ven,- serious character to his illness. He was quite free from fever when I saw him ; but his articulation was very imperfect ; and the case altogether was very peculiar, and far from en- couraging. He seemed then to be sufficiently collected to join in the prayer which we offered up by his sick-bed ; but his faculties were im- paired. During a very restless night the unfavourable symptoms in- creased, and at about six o'clock on Saturday evening he was released from all the miseries of tliis sinfid world. On Sunday morning, Mr. Wilhelm, Mr. Weeks, and myself, followed his remains to the grave ; •whence, though after his skin, worms destroy his body, yet his flesh shall come forth again at the last day, a spiritual body, to see his Sanour, and to partake of his glory." The death of this European catcchist was followed by that of an African teacher, Richmond Turvey, whose deliver.ance from suffering had been for some time expected. " Death," wrote the Rev. J. Raban, " has been commissioned to remove Richmond Turvey, one of our native schoolmasters, who was disabled from service for many months by an internal complaint, under which he suffered much, but with great patience. Those of us who know most of him, entertiiin a complete persuasion that he died in the faith, and has been received into the presence of the Saviour, in whose service he laboured so long as strength was afforded him." The Rev. John Raban, whose health obliged him to return to DEATH OF MRS. HANNAH KII.HAM. 3.3.3 England every year pre%ious to the coninieneemeut of the rains, had devoted as much time as the exigencies of the mission would allow in the prosecution of his studies in the native languages ; for this pur- pose he had taken up his residence at Fourah Bay, where he enjoyed the assistance of the youths in the Institution, who greatly aided him in his work. His annual return home did not materally interfere with his avocations, as during the voyage, and his subsequent sojourn of three or four months in England, he occupied himself in digesting the mformation which he had collected, and carrying it through the press. In this way two small works in the Eyo language had been prepared and printed. This year witnessed the death of one of the most true-hearted friends that the negro had ever possessed ; Mrs. Hannah Kilham — whom we have mentioned a few pages back, as having been much engaged in arranging and fixing the native dialects, and compihug elementary books for the instruction of the liberated Africans, for which task, she prepared herself by several visits which she made to Sierra Leone. On the 18th of February in this year (1 832,) she visited Liberia, the American Colony, where she continued in good health, examining into the condition of the negro colonists, and especially in- vestigating the system of instruction adopted there, until the 10th of March, when she embarked on her return to Sierra Leone, but never reached that Colony, as she died on the voyage. In her, Africa lost an indefatigable friend and advocate. The Rev. John Raban returned to Africa on the 6th of December, accompanied by the Rev. George Adam Kissliug, the Rev. James Frederick Schtin, Thomas Bates, Edward Gillespie, catechist, and Mrs. Kissling. We shall conclude this chapter in th? language of the thirty-third Report of the Society, which conveys a brief summary of the state of the mission at this period, as well as offering some reflections whidi shew the sj)irit by which the Committee were upheld under the sacri- fices made, and the disaj)pointments annually encountered in con- nexion with this department of their work. " The work of tliis Society has been one of continued and loud appeal to the mercifulness of Christians in this nation : nor has the voice of pity ever been silenced, notwithstanding the great sacrifice of valuable lives which has been incurred in the progress of our labours. The Committee feel moreover, that they are justified in using the strong term, I'nodREss, when speaking of the character of the Society's exertions in Sierra Leone. In a population of twenty-one thousand liberated Africans, of whom about twelve thousand come more parti- cularly under the charge of our missionaries, they can ])oiut out this result — that about three thousand are constant attendants on public 33G CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. worship : three thousand children and adults are under education ; and there are 694 communicants under christian disciphne. It is not a time, therefore, to he dishearteued,^ but to persevere ; under the sure persuasion that the church of Christ, once firmly planted on this Western Coast, shall break forth northward, and southward, and east- ward, till the tribes of Africa acknowledge Him as Lord who is " above all, through all, and in us all." I CHAPTER X. ARRIVALS AND FURTHER LOSSES REVIVALS DEATHS FEEDLE STATE OF THE MISSION YET SOME FAVOURABLE PROSPECTS. At the olose of the last year, as we have seen, the mission was rein- forced by six labourers — five of tliem new arrivals, and one, the Rev. J. Rabaii, who can scarcely be reckoned among them, as, owing to his peculiar department in the mission, he might be considered, even when absent from the colony, at his work — a return after temporary absence. Yet so numerous were the losses, chiefly from missionaries returning home invalided, that it was found necessary in the course of the year 1 833, to abandon for the present, two of the settlements, Wellington and Hastings. The only death that occurred this year amongst the European la- bourers, was that of Mr. Thomas Bates, catechist, one of the new arrivals ; on the 6th of December he was seized with the country fever, soon after he reached the Colony, and after very severe sufferings, was thought to be recovering : strong cramps however seized him shortly after, and on the morning of the following day, January 25, 1 823, he expired. The state of mind which he exhibited during his illness, joined to his humble christian walk previously, led to the hope that he " entered into rest." On the 24th of January, the Rev. C. L. F. llaensel embarked for England. The Rev. W. K. Betts followed his example on the 6th of March, in a very reduced state of health. On the 7th of April, the Rev W. E. Metzger, Mrs. Metzger, and their two children sailed from the Colony for the same destination. Tiie Rev. J. Raban, and Miss A. E. Nyliinder left on the 18th of July, and E. Gillespie, catechist, iinother of the late arrivals, took his departure under medical certificate 'on tiie "(h of September : thus, in scarcely more than seven niontlis ^^ z 338 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. the mission lost eight labourers, of whom only one was this year res- tored, the Rev. C. L. F. Haensel, who returned on the 20th of Sep- tember, but as he in a few weeks set out for the Timmanee country, where he resided several months, his return can scarcely be looked upon as an acquisition to the Sierra Leone Mission. While on the subject of losses, we must allude to a humble yet faithful assistant in the work — the wife of Mr. T. Harding, native assis- tant, who was suddenly removed from time to eternity by the stroke of a falling tree. " I believe," said the Rev. G. A. Kissling, " she was devoted to her Master's will, and prepared to meet death without fear." The charge of the Christian Institution, upon Mr. Haensel's depar- ture for England, devolved on the Rev. J. Raban and Mr. Warburton, who found therein little to give them pleasure, save the conduct of their native assistant, which Mr. Raban reported as exemplarj'. There was one branch of instruction in which the youths in the seminary, and indeed all the African scholars in general took peculiar pleasure, and that was, singing : for that their attention was easily engaged, and several of them acquitted themselves in psalmody tolerably well. Mr. Raban found some of the boys disposed to be stubborn and self- willed, while of others he could afford to speak favourably. This mixture of good and evil ran through all the stations, yet it was quite evident that better times were coming ; the strict discipline and faithful services of the few pious men who " to their power, yea. and beyond their power," still struggled in the deadly breach, were be- ginning to tell on the congregations and the schools ; while on the other hand Satan shewed signs of increasing wivath, as if he saw discomfiture and loss at hand. We shall exhibit the varied features which the Mission this year presented, chiefly from examples furnished by the different labourers. The Rev. J. G. Wilhclm enjoyed some comforting evi- dences of ministerial success, in his congregation at Gibraltar chapel. Under date of June 19, 1833, he reports the following case — " Elizabeth Davis, who is one of those that have died during this quarter, was engaged in selling school-books, tracts, slates, &c. at the book-stall. She was a communicant at Bathurst ; and when she and her husband, who was employed by us as a servant, came to the Missionary house, she joined the communicants at Gibraltar chapel ; she came with her husband every evening in the week, (when there was no evening worshij) in the chapel,) to my dwelling, there to join in company with other readers, in reading a chapter in the l}il)le, and getting it exjdained. The instructions which she received on those occasions were listened to with the greatest attention and eagerness, and thus she got her husband also instructed for baptism and the Lord's Sujjper. If ever I have seen a single-hearted and consisteni UEVIVAI- AT KISSEY .339 Christian .among the poor Africans, it was this woman. In her Httle trade at tlie book- stall, she was very honest and faithful, and very contented and thankful for the little profit she could earn by it. This state of mind was connected with a deep sense of the sinfulness of her heart, and an entire reliance on what Jesus Christ the Son of God had done and suffered for poor sinners. Thus she lived, and thus she died. She died in child-bed, in the middle of last month, and I trust, is gone to heaven ; gone out of the miseries of this sinful world, to Ilim in whom she believed, whose she was, and whom she served, to behold His glory, and to be perfectly happy and glorious in behold- ing it. Oh ! that I could see all my communicants, as I saw her, as much in earnest about the things that belong to their peace ! But let us be thankful for any such evidence of grace as we are enabled to discover, and labour patiently, in hope, that, in the sight of our blessed Redeemer and Saviour, there is more evidence of grace in one and another under our care than we can always see." The Rev. James Frederick . Schon undertook the spiritual super- intendance of the river district, but as Wellington and Hastings were for a time suspended, he was enabled to devote himself entirely to Kissey ; where he reported the church to be crowded on Sunday morn- ings, the average attendance being GOO ; this was partly to be ascribed to the discontinuance of the service at Wellington, from whence a con- siderable number of persons attended on Sundays. The conduct of the communicants, who amounted to 117, had been more sjitisfactory than heretofore, and in private conversations with them at his own house, Mr. Schiin thought that some of them discovered heartfelt piety. He had twenty-eight candidates for baptism under instruction, several of whom, he said, grew in grace as they grew in knowledge, but others, who had been under instruction for more than four years, and had reached the first class, he was obliged to send back to the second for imperfect answering ; this seemed to wound them very much and created some difficulty in their management, as they wished to j)ress forward to the baptismal font, and felt disappointed at being postponed to a longer probation. Sometimes an eagerness for baptism emanated from a sincere desire to exchange " country fashion " for the |)ure religion of Jesus. Mr. Schon, after alluding in one of his letters to the rejected candidates, |)rocecds as follows : — " I have on the other hand to mention that whilst some are sent back, there are others who make application for Ix'iiig re('(>ived as candidates for baptism, or huving been l)aptised as infants, desire admittance to the Lord's Sup])er. One man wiio was well known as a devoted idolater, and of whom others bought greegrees (charms), canu- lately to me, re()uesting me to (ell him ' Jesus' [)alaver ' as he express- /. -2 340 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. ed it. I asked him what he knew of Jesus, upon which he answered, ' Mr. Metzger tell us we must believe in Him ; Mr. Young say we must believe in Him, and now you come and say we must believe in him ; and now I believe in Him, put down my name in the book, I no more believe in greegree, — greegrce nothing, greegree cannot help me.' From what I have heard and seen of him, since the time he first came to me, I believe him to be sincere. His countrymen troubled him much for forsaking their company, and would have him pay a gallon of brandy to them for it : but he was decided in the new way which he had chosen, and prevailed against his enemies. It affords me real pleasure to see that he never neglects divine service, and attending to other means of grace and instruction. So you see, that we always live between fear and hope ; and no doubt, it is thus ordered by our heavenly master, that in Cheering events we may not be over cheerful, and in dismaying ones not altogether dismayed. The Rev. G. A. Kissling superintended the Mountain district, in- cluding Gloucester, Leicester, Regent, Bathurst and Charlotte. At these villages the desire for hearing the word was great and increasing, evidenced by large Sunday morning congregations ; the fruit, however, had, generally speaking, yet to be looked for, but occasionally the labourer had his reward, by witnessing not only a seed taking root, but even an ear gathered into the granary above. For example he writes in June in reference to Bathurst — " Several of the candidates have received the seed of divine truth, and are improving ; others seem to be sluggish of understanding and negligent. One of the candidates for baptism was lately called to her endless reward, her happy death cheered mj' spirit, which was just then exceedingly cast down ; she had been several times with me, complaining of the sinfulness of her heart, and desiring to hear of Christ, and of His love to sinners. Suddenly she became dangerously ill, I was sent for in the night, and found her on her dying bed. After hanng expressed a desire to be with Jesus, acknowledging her sins, but trusting in his all-atoning blood, she wished me to baptize her. I could not sec what should prevent me from complying with her request. She was baptized, after which she said, ' I long to see the Lord ! ' A few hours after, she expired, and entered, as I confi- dently trust, into everlasting rest. Thus I saw that God's blessings were still with us, though sometimes our faith is greatly tried." We may well suppose tiiat among those liberated Africans now outside the pale of the church, there were many who once owned the Christian name, and enjoyed fellowship at least in ordinances with the p('oj)le of God. Many of those for whom the sainted Johnson and BACKSLIDERS. 341 others spent their strength and wearied heaven, were now lost in the heathen mass from whence they were taken, and too many of them it is feared felt neither shame nor sorrow at the spiritual debasement to which they had sunk, nor sighed after the " green pastures and still waters," which it was once their high privilege to enjoy. Neverthe- less there sometimes occurred an instance of painful remembrance of the past, and a longing for the " peaceful hours " that were " once enjoyed." Occasionally an individual was brought to exclaim — Where is the blessedness I knew. When first I sought the Lord ? Where is the soul-refreshing dew Of Jesus and His word 1 Among the backsliders whom the missionaries sometimes encoun- tered, was one of this class, whose case Mr. J. Weeks, Catcchist of the Mountain District thus reports : " I cannot forbear mentioning the observations made to us one evening by one, who had wandered far from God (which much aflPected me,) after I had offered a few remarks, relative to the Nativity of Jesus Christ, he gave vent to his troubled mind, by saying; 'I don't know what to do. Last Sunday you told us, a book will be opened, and another book, with an account of all our sins, will be opened ; and then you told us about the bottomless pit. When I consider what Jesus Christ has done, what has been done by the Church Missionary Society, and how many have given their lives for us poor souls — I remember thirteen Missionaries, who have died in this country, (here he recited their names) — and when I consider how I once eat of that bread, and drank of that cup, and afterwards fell away from God — I cannot tell what to do ! My heart, last Sunday, was so full when you preached, that I was ready to get up, and cry out in the Church ; but then I thought I should only trouble all the people. Oh : what shall I do I ' Here he could no longer contain himself, and burst into tears, to give vent to his grief. When a little revived, he added, ' God bless the Missionaries ; I know Mr. IJicker- steth. God bless him ; and God bless Mr. I'ratt, and all the good people of Kngland, for sending to us poor sinners the Gospel ! ' I encouraged him to hope for pardon, for all his many sins and back- slidings, through the atoning righteousness of Jesus Christ. lie is one of the first lil)erated Africans landed at Sierra Leone. May he obtain the freedom of the Son of God : and then he shall be free indeed ! " From such incidents with wliicli tlie missionaries now began to enliven their reports, it could scarcely l)e doubted that tlie Lord was again iinumg His African people, and lliat Ilis <;ra( i(m> plcasiuc began 342 CHURCH MISSION IK SIERRA LEONE. to prosper in the hands of his servants. Those who dehghted to call themselves by the name of the Lord, although as yet a " little flock," gave signs of returning spirituality, by drawing more closely together in Christian love, considering themselves as one family in the Lord. This was especially the case at Gloucester, where tokens of a revival, were not difficult to be discerned. " The poor and sick," says the Missionaries' report, in reference to this village, "among the commu- nicants are supported by the rest ; and when one of them meets with a misfortune, all of the others willingly contribute to the restoration of his loss ; to quote an instance : — it happened during the past year, that several houses caught fire, when all the communicants joined in the charitable work of raising up suitable houses for their suffering brethren." " It is my firm hope," wrote Mr. Gillespie, schoolmaster of Glouces- ter, '•' that the Lord is re%-iving His work amongst us ; at least it is the case in Gloucester ; for during the last week, three persons came to us, in deep distress of mind, desiring to be instructed in the good way." We have spoken of a mixture of good and evil as characterizing the Missionarj' record of this year ; it will be admitted, we think, that the former of these opposites, was not wanting, and perhaps we could readily gain credit for our assertion regarding the latter without any attempt to exemplify it ; nevertheless, to show the features of hostihty which the enemy assumed, we must venture on an instance or two presented to our hand. Kissey has been named, as affording well- grounded hopes for the future, especially in the case of the candidates for baptism, some of whom however, it has been mentioned, could not be spoken of with approbation : — writing on the subject of these candidates, Mr. Schon says, " One of them who was laid up by sickness for a considerable time, was encouraged by his countrypeople to forsake God, and to play again country fashion — that is, to sacrifice to idols : and they induced him to beUeve that, by doing so, his health would be restored. lie listened to them, and told one of the communicants who visited him, that he intended to forsake God, and no longer to pray to Him, till his idols had made him well ; and after that to serve God again. The communicants admonished him not to do so, but to believe in God, and to continue praying to him ; and that He would certainly relieve him of his pains, and restore his health, if lie thought it to be for his good ; and should he not do that, He could save his soul. But, as they said, he j)ai(l no attention to their admonitions ; and died, a few days afterward, in this doubtful state of mind. Shortly after, another deplorable case of attachment to healhenish MISCONDUCT OF NATIVE ASSISTANTS. 343 customs, occurred at the same village, and is thus related by Mr. Schou : " A man who had I'eceived the Sacrament for several years, and against whose character nothing material could be stated, was still living in much darkness of miiid, and destitute of the light of the Gospel. His crime appears the more odious, when we look at the malignity of his intention, for the accomplishment of which, he took refuge under superstition or the powers of darkness. lie endeavoured to get the loan of greegrees (charms) from others, in order to spoil the heads of two men, one a communicant, who, he said, took his bread or°ser\-ice from him, Wlien he was examined, he tried to deny ever)' thing ; but could not continue to do so, when witnesses stood before him ; and then he only pleaded in defence, that it was not his intention to kill them. A few days afterward, he came to me, sajang his heart troubled liim much, and his case had not been well settled ; that the witnesses had told lies of him ; and that he only inquired for greegrees in order to cure his cough, and not to hurt any body. I was anxious to make him understand that the one was as sinful as the other : but it did not seem that he saw the truth of it. I am sorry to say,nhere is great reason to fear that many, even of the communicants, when they, or the members of their families are sick, have recourse to such things ; and, like Ahaziah, King of Israel, send to Baalzcbub, the god of Ekron, as if there was no God in Israel, — no Helper and Healer to be found in our God." John .\ttarra, one of the native assistants, thus reports the death of a doubtful character. " Tomboquay was neither a cominmiicant nor a candidate. On the 28th. Feb. 1833, he went to get some plantains and other things from his farm, when a tree, which had fire on it, fell upon him and killed him. After school I went to see him. I asked his wife, who was once a communicant, and is now on the list of backsliders, respecting his past life, she told me that she had_often spoken to him about going to the house of God ; but he never listened to her. I then turned to the peoj)le present, and addressed them from the words of our Saviour, Matt. xxiv. 44 : ' Therefore be ye also readv, &c." It is to be feared that the poor man entered into an unknown world, without being prepared for it. May this solemn event warn all of us to prepare to meet our God ! " A fruitful soiuTc of uneasiness to the missionaries, was the froipicnt ill-conduct of the youths selected as assistants and schoolmasters : respecting the latter, Mr. Weeks wrote from Bathurst : — " T!»e monitors, 1") in number, have caused me nuich i)ain and uneasiness of mind. Wc have been nl)Iiged to dismiss lliree from 344 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. that office, and one from the school altogether : the remainder, with the exception of three, have committed various offences ; the conse- quence is, that we labour under many disadvantages." One native assistant was appointed during the year ; while the painful necessity occurred, of removing three from the Society's service on account of improper conduct. At the end of the year, there were 2 native schoolmasters, and 13 native assistants in the employment of the Society, to these must be added, sbc or seven native schoolmistresses. In the course of the year, one native schoolmistress was called from time to eternity : her end was peace. ' In August, Hannah Nylander was united to the Rev. Edward^ Jones, of the Bananas, and of course her connexion with the Society ceased. During this year, monthly missionary prayer-meetings were held at several of the stations on the first Monday of the month. The collec- tions then made in aid of the Church Missionary Society among the liberated Africans, from the 25th of March to the 25th of December, were as follows : — at Gibraltar Chapel, Freetown, £2 : 4 : 2 ; at Kissey Church, ^63 : 13 : 4i; at Gloucester Church, ^62 : 19 : 0| ; at Regent Church, ^63 : 7 : 8i ; and at Bjlthurst Church, £2 : 9 : 10|. Attention to these items will help us first to the discovery that a re- vival to some extent had taken place in the mission ; and, secondly, will awaken painful remembrance of other days, vyhen the Society could reckon its contributions from the Sierra Leone Mission by hun- dreds of pounds annuall}'. The missionaries mention as a great hindrance to their exertions, the love of spirituous liquors, and the consequent prevalence of drunk- enness among the natives, which was witnessed in every village. This is one of the baneful plants introduced into every European Colony by the civilized occupiers, and it germinates but too vigorously in every clime where it is admitted. What an amount of sin, wretchedness, and perdition of soul and body, will the last day disclose as the fruit of tliis our deadly offshoot of the forbidden tree ! It had been arranged in England during the visit wliich Mr. Ilaenscl made there in the early part of the year, that, on his return to Africa, he was to make an excursion to the Timmance Country,* for the pur- pose of originating a mission there ; accordingly, as we have before stated, ho set out for that country early in November, and was very kindly received by Pa Suba, the old chief of Magbelli, where he de- termined on taking up his residence, and studying the Timinauee lan- guage with a view to future usefulness. He was soon waited on bv several persons belonging to Sierra Leone, who resided at Magbelli for j)urposes of trade, and of these he formed a Sunday morning congrega- fiou of twenty-five |)crsons, and induced from five to fifteen to assemble ** SfP prcicdiiig ^'lll^lmc, p. 21. MISSION TO THE TIMMANEES. 345 with him for social worship : these services, however, were interrupted by Mr. Haensel's illness, and the irregular attendance of the little con- gregation. Mahommedanisra prevails to a great extent among the Timmanees in this quarter, but in superstitious usages it diifers no- thing from the grossest heathenism. Ignorance of the language pre- vented Mr. Haensel's doing much missionary work, and the want of good faith on the part of the old chief, in fulfilling his promises, greatly embarrassed him in his proceedings. So that at the close of the year, except making some progress in the language, and obtaining a general knowledge of the manners and habits of the people, he had eifected but little among the Timmanees. A notion began to occupy the mind of the chief and others that he wanted to interfere with the condition of the slaves. "If our slaves get instmction," they said, "they will want to be slaves no longer." A sentiment and an apprehension alas, not confined to the men- stealers of Africa. By means of frequent presents, Haensel continued to secure a sufficiency of food, and to keep his new friends in tolerable good order, but his lodging was misera- ble— a clay hut with a grass roof, through which the rain descended on him as he lay on a damp bank of earth, which was his only bed : frequent and severe illness was the consequence, which reduced him to such a state of debility both of body and mind, that he was hardly able to sit up or make the least physical or mental exertion. With tlie following extract from Mr. Haensel's journal, we must, for the present, conclude our short notice of this first attempt after several years, to penetrate with the gospel into the interior of Western Africa. " Dec. "28. Though I have been free from indisposition for a week, I perceive very little return of my strength. A little teaching, and I am overcome by fatigue. After singing, exposition, and prayer in the evening, I am so exhausted that I find myself unable to set up. 1 must take medicine to keep the functions of the body going. My ser- vant also is a continual trial to me by his laziness and his slender qua- lifications as an interpreter. The lowness of my sj)irits is in itself very luifavourable to my progress in the acquisition of the language ; and the want of progress in this again acts unfavourably upon my spirits." The state of tlie Sierra Leone Mission at the end of the year 1 .S;{;3, is thus summed up by tiie missionaries. " The attendance at Divine service on Sunday amounts to fully .'i.OOO in number, who assemble at eight different places of worship to hear tlie word of God [)r('aehe(l to them : 44.5 eomnnuiicants need the ten- der care of tiieir pastors and sj)iritual guides : 282 religions encjuirers are instructed in (lie salutary doctrines and precepts of the gos])el : 12 seminarists are in tlie ('hri^dan Institution at Fourah Hay, to lie 346 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. educated as native teachers and assistants to the mission. The day, evening, and Sunday-schools contain on the whole, more than 3,000 scholars : the greater part of them are but tender plants, who claim our particular attention, so that they may be trained up in the fear and nurture of the Lord. Among the latter, we count 99 liberated African boys, whom His Honor C. L. Meh-ille, Esq. i^cting Governor, placed under our charge in September last." To understand the true position of the Society in Africa at the com- mencement of the year 1834, we must begin our retrospect of its pro- ceedings, as we have occasionally done before, with a glance at the amount of agency at its disposal, together with the additions and sub- tractions occurring during that interval. The following extract from the report of the missionaries for the year, places the required informa- tion in a condensed form before us. " There were at the commencement of the year nine Europeans, one country-bom, and twenty-four natives, employed in the active la- bours of the mission, including thirteen females. To these were added, during the year, either by arrival from England, or by appointment in the Colony, four Europeans, one couiitrj--born, and three natives. But, at the same period, it pleased God to remove three Europeans by death : it was found necessary that three others should return to Eng- land on accoimt of health ; while one native was dismissed for dis- graceful conduct. Thus it will be seen," adds the report, "that, not- withstanding the additions mentioned, the numerical force can scarcely be accounted greater at the close than at the commencement of the year." The following particulars will explain the references in the above extracts to the arrivals, departures, and deaths, occurring in the course of the year. Mr. Benjamin Yate Ashwell, catechist, landed at Sierra Leone on the 26th of February. Edward Gillespie, who had returned to Eng- land for the restoration of his health, returned to the Colony on the 4th of April : he was accompanied by Mr. Ebenezer Collins, who had Labored for some time in the island of Jamaica, but suffered con- siderably from the climate. The Rev. John Raban and Anne Eliza- beth Nyliinder, who liad also sailed for England the preceding year, were the last arrivals; they reached the Colony on the 1st of De- cember. The departures from the mission consisted of Mr. and Mrs. War- burton, on the 3r(l of June, in consequence of ill health, and the Rev. C;. L. F. Haensel and B. Y. Ashwell, for a similar reason. Tlie three deaths reported consisted of Mrs. Kissling, wife of the lU'v. G. A. Kissling. who departed (m the 2!)th of February, aflei liaviiig been confined of a .still born son, the Bev. John (iodfrey DEATH OF MRS. KISSLING. 347 helm, on the 25th of April, after upwards of twenty-three years unin- terrupted service in Africa, and Edward Gillespie, whose return to his work on the 4th of April we have just announced ; — he died of apoplexy, after two or three days illness, on the 10th of October. Mrs. Kissling was a most interesting character ; she was a German, daughter of the inspector of the king of Wurtemburg's picture- galleiy ; at sixteen years of age she separated herself to the senice of her dear Lord and Saviour ; and having in the year 1 832, when twenty years of age, married the Rev. G. A. Kissling, she accompanied him out to Africa to labour in the cause in which her heart had long been engaged. During the first sLx months after her arrival she enjoyed excellent health, but in June 1833, she was seized with a severe attack of fever, from which however, she soon recovered. In December her constitution was much debilitated by dysentery, with which she was seriously affected ; being then near her confinement, hopes were enter- tained that after that event, should it prove favourable, her health would be restored, but her weakly condition awakened fears in the minds of some, and her affectionate husband was among the number. We shall allow the Rev. J. F. Schon to supply the sequel : " Mrs. Kissling had certainly an expectation of the important change that she was about to undergo, though she endeavoured to conceal it from her husband. But when on one occasion, her husband expressed his wish to be permitted to leave this world of sorrow with her, she calmly replied, ' No, you would then leave an orphan behind.' And at another time, shortly before her death, when her husband, with many tears, said to her, ' I think you will leave me, and enter into eternal bliss.' She observed, ' I do noi know that, so much as I know- that I put my whole trust and confidence in my Redeemer.' A few days before her dissolution, when the conversation turned upon Africa, and the possibility that the influence of a tro])ical climate might augment her pains, she unreservedly declared, that neither privations nor sufferings had caused her to repent of having dethcated her life to the service of her Redeemer in this country ; and that she was willing to spend her life, should the Lord prolong it, in doing good to the children of Africa : she would not, however, express a decided wish, but committed her case to the decision of the Lord. " In the morning of Feb. 25th, after a night of much wrestling with God in incessant prayer, she was delivered of a child, which to all appearance, died under birth ; and about an hour and a half after- ward, the mother followed her little infant to the mansions in her Father's house. She fell asleep in Jesus, while her sorrowing husband, holding her hand, pronounced the words in Numbers vi. 24 — 26, over her. She now rests from her labours, having her little infant in her arms, at the side of tiie late Rev. G. R. Nylandcr, Missionai j of our 348 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Society, waiting together for the resurrection of the just. (By faith) she went out of her countrj-, and sojourned in this strange country (' dwellmg in tabernacles,') and looking (' for a city which has founda- tions, whose builder and maker is God.') The death of the Rev. John Godfrey Wilhelm, removed from the Mission the last survi%-ing representative of the Society's first attempt to introduce the gospel among the native tribes beyond the Colony. He arrived in Africa on the 23rd of December 1811, and for upwards of six years bore a conspicuous part in the discouraging conflict which a few humble servants of the Redeemer carried on with the mighty hosts of Satan, arrayed in a panoply of the fiercest passions that sway the human mind, and rendered dauntless by the imchecked career of some forty centuries of crime. During the twenty-three years and upwards since he first trod the soil of Africa, he was never absent from his work ; having all that time without intermission literally borne the burden and heat of an African day. In the same period he had probably seen nearly a hundred of his fellow labourers disabled or laid low, he had ministered beside the d\"ing bed of many yomiger, and it may be, constitutionally more healthy than himself : it had devolved upon him to commit to their kindred earth, many with whom he had entered into terms of Christian friendship. He had outlived all the " old familiar faces " of his early career as a !Missiouari-, and thus although he had not attained unto the days of the years of the life of his fathers," being aged thirty-three at his arrival * and conse- quently only fifty-six at his death, he yet had paid all the penalties of a lengthened old age in the desolation arising from " the loss of friends." Mr. Kissling writing at a time when the Mission was in trouble, thus bears his testimony to the character of the departed — " WTiile we were thus tryingly exercised, our very dear, aged and venerable brother, the Rev. J. G. Wilhelm was ^^sited with aflBiction, that after suffering awhile he might be fully prepared to receive the divine summons, to quit this vale of tears, of sin and of sorrow, to enter into his heavenly rest and receive a crown of glory with ' Well done ! good and faithful servant.' He had borne the burden and heat of the day for more than twenty-three years in Africa ; one of the most trying climates in the world to Europeans, without leaving it even for a short period. I was often very forcibly struck with the very sweet spirit which dictated his little private notes for several months before he was taken from us ; and his conversations and prayers breathed the simple and sincere desires of one ripe for glory. May a double portion of his spirit be granted to us, and may our latter end be like bis, wliich was peace ! " Mr. Ctillespic. who died on the 10th of October, bad been ap|)ointi d * .Sco p. 3fil, of the pioccdins voluiiu-. FEEBLE STATE OF THE MISSON. 349 to the snperintendance of Regent, where the work of the Lord seemed to prosper in his hands. His death again deprived this important village, where there was an average sabbath attendance of more than 700 worshippers, 179 communicants, and nearly 500 scholars, of a resident European. John Attarra, his native assistant, had thus the entire work laid upon him, and he appears to have performed it with intelligence and piety. Having now represented the condition of the gospel work in West Africa at this period, as regards human instrumentality, perhaps it will appear sufficiently manifesC that the great Head of the Church was viewing it with complacency, when we arc able to announce the continuance of improvement. On this subject the Rev. J. Raban wrote in the course of the ])resent year : — " Often as I have had occasion to regret the reduced state of the number of Euroi)ean labourers employed in the Colony, still the pre- sent strikes me as being the most feeble state of the Mission I have ever witnessed. " Were I able to suggest anything which might induce the parent Committee to compassionate our weakness, and to make some exertions in order to strengthen our hands, I would gladly do it. I would mention that the little I have yet seen of the state of liberated Afri- cans, as far as they are connected with us, is decidedly favourable. Of this I think that the greatly increased attendance on public worship, the exertions of the people of Gloucester in building a temporary church, and the regular contributions of the people to the funds of the Society are suificient indications." The circumstance mentioned in this extract in connexion with the people of Gloucester, is thus related by the Rev. J. F. Schon : — " After the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Warburton, I was requested to take up my abode in this village. The attendance on divine service, both on Sundays and week-days, was encouraging. Mr. T. Harding performed divine service at Leicester regularly every Lord's day in the afternoon, and on W'ednesday evening. The people evinced much zeal in order to secure to themselves the ministration of the word of grace, by doing their utmost toward building a chinch or chapel ; they collected more than fifteen pounds among themselves, which is indeed no trifling sum, considering the very indigent circumstances of most of the inhabitants of this village : some of them gave their labour gratuit- ously ; the sawyers sold boards and joists at a rediu-ed price, and the carpenters and masons did not recpiire full wages for their labour. The subscriptions of the mendjcrs of the Mission assisted them greativ ; but there will be still something required, how to obtain which I am at a loss to say. Wv look anxiously forward to the time when this new church will be fuiislud, because neitiier the old church nor the school-house afford shelter against tiie inclenu'ncy of tiie season." 350 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. The j'ouths at the Christian Institution were this year visitetl with a most distressing -contagious disease in their eyes and mouths, so that their studies were interrupted, and much apprehension of serious consequences was awakened. Four of them who were considered incurable, (two of whom gave no promise of future usefulness) were returned to their parents and guardians, with the request that they should be put to some honest trade, and four others were received from several of the schools in their stead. Towards the close of the year, the malady had disappeared. As regarded their spiritual improvement, Mr. Kissling, who had taken the Institution under his charge, reported favorably, " I trust," he says in one of his reports, " divine grace is working among them ; for in several instances, I have obsei-ved that the truth of God's word touches their hearts ; but I have not encouraged them too openly to make their feelings known." In secular attainments it was hoped they would not be deficient. At Christmas, Mr. Kissling reports them, as " still instructed in singing, reading, writing, arithmetic, grammar, and the spelling of hard words. They have also," he continues, " received lessons in geography, from dictation ; and have been occasionally exercised on the map, which has become one of their favorite emjiloyments. I also observe that a short and simple survey of the history of the Church of Christ, excites great interest among them ; and particularly the accounts of the great persecutions and sufferings of the primitive Christians, work much upon their feelings." All the schools were giving great satisfaction. " Through the medium of Sunday schools," wrote the late Mr. Gillespie, " I trust much good has already been done in this Colony, and they will, under the blessing of God, be productive of much more." " The Sunday school" says Mr. Weeks, speaking of Bathurst, " continues to afford great encouragement ; many are making great progress. The higher classes have nearly committed all Watts' first catechism improved, to memory. The first class, having learned Watts' first and second catechisms, are now in the Church catechism, and read in the Bible." Care as far as possible in the selection of teachers was not overlooked by the missionaries : Mr. Kissling says. " I embraced a favourable opportunity to withdraw those teachers, in whose efficiency to teach I had not full confidence, and have placed others in their room ; persons of some Christian experience, and whose conduct and conversation, I trust, are bl.inieless, and who are sincere in serving God in tlie communion and fellowship of His j)eople." Mr. Kissling gives the following account of the death of some of his Suuilay scholars. DESIRE TO POSSESS THE SCUIPTURES. 351 " Since my last report, three of our scholars have departed into eternity. One of them was a boy about eleven years of age, whom I repeatedly visited during his illness. He was sensible of his approach- ing death, and, as his end drew nigh, listened to me with much seriousness. He had learnt to read his Bible, and had committed several portions of it to memory ; he had also leanit the Church and other catechisms, before his death, and while he was yet suffering much, I conversed with him concerning the salvation of his soul, and endeavoured to bring to his remembrance, the chief truths which he had learnt in the school of Jesus Christ. The following is the substance of our conversation, and his answers to my questions. He knew that he had transgressed against his Heavenly Father, and he believed that his sufferings were a punishment for his sins. He said, that Christ is the Sa\'iour of sinners. I asked him if he thought Jesus Christ would suffer him to perish, if he now prayed to Him? ' No,' he said, ' Jesus is the Sanour of sinners.' The feelings manifested by this boy, of which I was an eye-witness, we may hope were evidences of saring faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." The desire among the children to possess a copy of the sacred scriptures, was a hopeful indication of improvement. The following incident, related by Mr. E. Collins, catechist of the Freetown school, will exemplify the fact. " Impressed with the desirableness of those youths who can read the scriptures, possessing a coj)V of their own, for their own use on the Sunday, and in order to read to their parents at home, I en- deavoured, in May last, to excite them to purchase a copy : upon my mentioning the subject, most of them ])lcaded poverty. I suggested to them the plan pursued by the poor in England, paying for a copy l)y trifling instalments, as tliey were able ; the novelty of the under- taking pleased tiiem much ; and, in a few days, I had the names of a large nunil)er of juvenile subscribers in my book, the little fellows bringing their halfpence, saying, they wished to join the Bible society. Between 50 and 60 have thus enrolled their names as members of that society ; and more than 30, since our commencement in May last, liJive possessed themselves of either a Bible or Testament, princij)ally by hnlf-peiniy or penny instalments. In some instances, the {)arents of some of the subscribers have given them a considerable lift, by sending sixj)cnce ; and, in others, a (piarter dollar, (thirteen pence) at a time. I am gratified to report, that the desire to obtain a co|)y of the Scriptures, is still alive among the children, and that my subscrip- tion-list increases daily." Secular instruction was far from being neglected in the Society's schools ; the object being, l)esides making the children christians, to 352 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERUA LEONE. make them also good and useful members of society ; the parents even, though Heathens and Mahomniedans themselves, most anxiously sought education for their children, even at the hands of Christian instructors ; nor did they seem to entertain any prejuchce against the religion which they imbibed. The children too, for the most part, shewed great love for school, and considered no punishment greater than that of being dismissed ; consequently the progress which they made in their studies was very encouraging. Idolatry, which had begun to rear its hideous front with considerable confidence, was now once more seen to retreat before the radiant form of pure and undefiled religion. " The candidates for baptism," writes the Rev. G. A. Kisshng, are increasing : many of them now attend our evening and Sunday schools, in order to learn and read the scriptures. The Spirit of God seems to be operating among the people at Kissey, in pulling down the bulwarks of sin and Satan among them. A number of Heathens are anxious to obtain instruction, some of them brought their idols to me, confessing that they had been deluded for many years by those pieces of stone and wood ; but that now, their eyes were opened to see that those gods could not help them, and that they only sinned against the true God, by putting their trust in such foolish thuigs. They requested me to allow them to attend our meetings, that they might become acquainted with the way of salvation." The baptism of five adults at Bathurst proved a source of much spiritual refreshment to all who witnessed the interesting ceremon}'. We must not withhold this proof that the missionary waters were now again being agitated, that many might step in and be healed of their soul's disease. Mr. Weeks thus describes the scene with evident feelings of Christian exultation : " The five candidates whom I mentioned in my last report, I had selected for special instruction, were bfrptizcd by Mr. Schiin last Sun- day, June 22 : it was one of the most happy days I have seen in Africa, God has sent a gracious rain upon his inheritance, and has re- freshed us with His j)resence. What pleasure would it have afforded onr friends in England to have witnessed these five persons dedicated to God by holy baptism. It was a solemn sight, to behold a girl of nineteen seated beside an aged widow of fifty, on the same bench, in front of the congregation, close to the altar, waiting for the administra- tion of that holy rite of divine institution, which was performed im- mediately after the second lesson ; the great attention and stillness which prevailed during the ceremony, yet more itnpresscd the mind with a deep sense of the Divine ])resence. I feel more ])eculiarly for one of this number ; she has now been our ser\ant for more than five Native superstition. 353 years, and I earnestly trust and believe that the many privileges which she has enjoyed, have been blessed to her soul's eternal welfare. The widow is a Soosoo ; she came to this Colony in 1818, with Mr. Renner, and settled in this village, where she has remained ever since. Of those baptized, four were two years, and one of them one year under in- struction ; three can read the Bible, may they all long continue orna- ments of the Christian Church." The Bathurst schools were rising in importance. Mr. Weeks spoke very favourably of the monitors whom he had appointed under him ; they were twenty-three in number, and with few excep- tions, conducted themselves to his satisfaction. These monitors were often of use in their own families, whither they convej'ed the scrip- tural knowledge acquired in the school, so that a desire was sometimes awakened in the minds of heathen parents and friends for the enjoy- ment of Christian privileges. Attempts were sometimes made, though under present circumstances they were of a desultory and imperfect character, to produce some impression on the heathen population of the Colony, for whom the missionaries could not help feeling the deepest concern. " I have frequently visited lately," writes Mr. Young, " the heathen in the suburbs of the tillage, simply to teach them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to urge upon them their duty to attend the worship of the only living and true God. I generally get an attentive hearing ; hut their looks indicate little concern for my speech ; and when I have come upon them while they have been engaged in any act contrary to Christianity, I have been told to pass on. On Sunday evening, the 14th instant, after divine service, I called to see a woman, on my way home, who I learnt was sick ; as I entered the yard I saw a dead sheep, and was soon informed by one of the members of the Church, whom I took with me to interpret, that the sheep was brought there to be sacrificed to an idol, as an invocation on behalf of the woman ; but shortly after it was brought there it died, before the knife of the sacrificers touched it. This opened a way for mc fully to shew the owner of the place the great folly of idolatry. I explained to him the great doctrine of the all-sufficiency of the only sacrifice and atone- ment of Jesus Christ; the man seemed however, to be little moved with a sense of his error, and the sin he had just committed against God, but rather seemed moved to anger, that we liad come and disturbed his blind confidence and his false peace. His sick wife I found l}ang on a mat, suffering great internal pain, and a[)parently struggling between life and death. I spoke to her through my interpreter, when she described her sufferings : she appeared much alarmed at the thoughts of her approaching dissolution ; the expression of her countenance iu- ilicated great fear of God in a future judgment ; and she became ex- w 2 A 354 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. ceediugly restless. I endeavoured to set before her the satisfaction of Jesus Christ for all who believe on Him, even in the eleventh hour, but she seemed to receive little comfort from a sight of the bleeding Saviour. She shortly afterward, died ; it is to be feared, with little hope of the resurrection to eternal hfe. This woman, before her ill- ness, experienced repeated smitings of conscience, and a sense of duty to God and her own soul ; and would have joined the number of those who are seeking admission to the Church at this place, but that light was either put out by her own husband, or quenched by herself in its first rising. We need pray that the God of peace might bruise Satan under our feet shortly." In contrast with this melancholy instance of " delusion to believe a lie," on the very confines of eternity, we are enabled to produce a most cheering example of faithfulness unto death, in the case of an ex- perienced female convert, whom it was the privilege of ^Ir. ELissling to attend in her last moments ; the narrative is from his pen : " M. Y. received her first instruction from the late Rev. G. R. Nyliinder, by whom she was admitted into the Church ; and her truly devoted life, firm character, and consistent conduct, have ever since adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour : two days before her death, she desired me to administer to her once more the holy Sacrament, for the comfort of her soul. There being several others who wished to join her in that spiritual ordinance, I went with them to her room ; before its adminsitration, I asked her the following questions : — ' I see that you are in great pain, what is your state of mind ? ' Answer. ' I desire the enjoyment of the Lord's Supper ' — ' Do you think it will be a refreshment to your soul ? ' Answer. ' It is the only thing for which my soul longs.' — 'You are now leaving tliis world and entering into another ; what are your feelings when you think of eternity ? ' Answer. ' I wish to be with Jesus.' — ' Do you think he will acknowledge you, as a child of His ' Answer. ' Yes, I do ' — ' Why do you believe so ? ' Answer. ' Because lie called me when I was a great sinner.' — ' Are you not a smner now in God's sight ? ' Answer. ' Oh I am a great sinner even now I ' — ' How do you then expect to be accepted, when you come before that holy God ? ' Answer. ' I feel I shall be accepted in Jesus, who shed His blood for sinners; Jesus dwells in my heart : I have no fear.' My feelings were too much excited to put further questions. She received the pledges of Christ's dving love ; and then said, ' Oh, Jesus ! now let me die ; call me ^ home.' " " Mr. W. Young, who had also a very interesting conversation with her a short time previous to her deatli, informed me of the following particu- lars, which took place when he visited her. She called for J. S., an elderly woman, who was hor companion in watching over a small number LAST MOMENTS OF M. Y. 355 of communicants at Kissey, and said, " My sister, remember your class; watch over them, see that they live in peace with each other ; esteem them for the Lord's sake, I am done." She then called out for other communicants, and gave each of them a charge. The season was ex- ceedingly interesting and instructive, she commended her god-children to the blessing and care of God, and separately gave them into the charge of communicants. To one of them, an infant, whose mother is dead, she left her her Bible, Prayer-book, and Baxter's Saint's Rest ; at last, she called also her husband to her bed-side ; seriously and affectionately reminded him of the many times she had warned him to flee from the wrath to come ; and illustrated the parable of the unfruitful fig-tree to him. "What," said she, would you do with such a tree ? " Cut it down," he replied, " so the Lord will cut you down," she continued. " If you do not repent ; mind, I have told you, let me not be a witness against you in the day of judgment." It was observed that the native girls were acquiring habits of industry hitherto unknown ; many of them were now good needle- workers, and some began to spin cotton, to which novel employment they applied themselves with great diligence ; commencing after morning prayers, and continuing until five o'clock in the evening, allowing only a short time for breakfast the whole day. Others of the girls found full occupation in making and mending clothes for the liberated African boys. To encourage the cotton girls at Gloucester, Mr. Schon promised a reward to those who made the best thread, and three of them he said, produced very good thread indeed : with the money which they received, and wh'ch Mr. Schiin feared at first they would make an imprudent use of, he was much gratified to find them coming of their own accord to buy school books. Most of the heathen who neglected, when invited to come to the house of God, excused themselves on the plea of wanting suitable apparel, or of not being able to understand English. They had however, superstitious notions on the subject, such as that if they were to attend church, they could not live to an old age, or that their country gods would do them some injury, or at least that they should incur the ill-will of their countrymen. They seemed ashamed however to admit these reasons, being partly convinced of their folly. On one occasion, such a ridiculous objection was made to the religion of Christians, as ' you cannot see your God face to face : but black man can see his.' How forcibly does all this assure us, that the old serpent fights every where with the same weapons, lies and subtleties, and must every where be encountered with the same keen and glitter- ing falchion, the truth as it is in Jesus : More distressing still than the condition of the heathen wa-, fiiai 356 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA I.EONE. of the backslider, who continued impenitent and at enmity with that God, formerly known, professed, and ostensibly worshipped. We have before referred to the fact, that many such awful characters were to be found at this time, among the heathen, associated with them, and revelling in all their profane abominations ; sometimes it was the happy privilege of the ministers of Christ, to awaken these wetched persons to a sense of the height from which they had fallen, and to a longing for the glories which they had left. The great majority of them, however, it is to be feared, left this world unrenewed unto re- pentance, and felt not until they arrived in eternity, that they had crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. We are indebted to Mr, Schon, for the following specimen of this degraded class on the brink of an undone future. " I suppose," Mr. Schon writes, "it will not be thought out of the way, when I mention a few words of the awful death of a man, formerly connected \iath the Church at this place ; it happened in the earlier part of the quarter ; and had an alarming effect upon several who were, like himself, suspended from the church on account of improper conduct, and were since that time his companions in sin. When he was taken ill, the native teacher visited him, to whom he unfolded his troubled mind. In the presence of several other persons, he stated, that since the time he was suspended from the Church, he had been in the practice of worshipping a serpent ; that he was privy to acts of cruelty committed in this Colony, and active when several houses belonging to members of the Church, were set on fire : that he stole some goats from Mr. Betts, when he was stationed at Gloucester ; that he grossly violated the seventh Commandment, all the time he was suspended from the Church. And after ha^nng related these, and many other things, he added, without much concern : ' Now it is too late for me to repent ; God will not hear my prayers any more. All the time I lived in sin, I knew it was wrong : I knew that the Missionaries spoke the truth, and that those who follow them are in the right way. At first, I was willing to obey them ; but my heart liked country fashion too much ; and now it is too late for me ; it is no use to pray,' and similar expressions. When he was told that his sins were certainly many, and great, but that God was rich in mercj-, and ready to forgive ; he replied, ' He knew that it was so : he could believe that God would pardon other sinners, who called upon him ; but as for himself, there was no hope.' He continued in this hopeless state of mind, to the moment he gave up the ghost. May this "instance of an awful death, awaken many a careless professor or secure backslider, and cause them to seek the Lord while He may be found, and not to trifle with sin ! " CLOSE OF THE YEAR 1834. 357 \Vc shall close our record of the year 1834, with a portrait strongly and cheeringly contrasting with the one just held hefore us, it is also from the hand of the Rev. J. F. Schon. " There is one woman of those whom I baptized, of whom I shall mention a few particulars ; in my conversations with her, I always observed that she was anxiously concerned for the salvation of her soul ; she was unwell for a long time, and could not leave the house ; but bore her illness patiently, as sent from God. The only thing she prayed for was, to be so far restored to health, that she might attend the services in the Church : and, indeed, a few weeks before she was baptized, her prayers were answered ; she could walk to my house with the other candidates, and attend the meetings for instruction ; for which she appeared very thankful. I learned of her, that she maintains family prayers regularly with her family. Her husband, not being of the same mind, opposed it at first, to her great grief : however she gave it not up. When she engaged in prayer with her children and apprentices, her husband generally went out, or into the other room, so as not to be present for the time I but to her great encouragement, she obsened, of late, that he kneeled down in the adjoining room, while prayers were offering up ; this she told me with much joy ; but expressed, at the same time, a fear that he might relapse again. It is very gratifying to see, with what care she watches over her children ; though she is very poor, she is doing her utmost to send her children to school decently dressed, and will always endeavour to get some money to buy school-books for them." Mr. Haensel continued in the Timmance country, with the exception of one short visit to Sierra Leone, luitil the end of March, when he returned home, but resumed his visit in a few weeks, on which occasion he attempted during three months more, to promote the object of his mission, but in consequence of most unsatisfactory and delusive treatment from the principal natives, and the circumstance of his house having j)articipated in the general conflagration of the town in which it was situated, together with the state of his health, he was compelled to abandon his undertaking. He regained the Colony on the 30th of July, and after trying in vain, to continue his labours under the ])ressure of sickness and debility, he at length yielded to the advice of his physician, and embarked for England, as we before mentioned, ou the '23rd of September. Throughout the j'ear 1 835, not one new labourer was added to the mission, and yet the work i)rospered in no common degree. Indeed the missionary staff was rattier diminished i)y the departure of Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, owing to the illness of the latter, on the 13th of April, and that of Mr. Italian, on the 27th of June. These losses being in- adeise of the means of grace ; constantly attending the house of CJod and other means appointed for their improvement." 364 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Gibraltar chapel at Freetown, was served by the Rev. J. Rabau until his departure on the 27th of June. The congregation then amounted to about 180, and the communicants to thirty- two; one of them having departed to her eternal rest a short time before Mr. Rabau's removal. " It was very satisfactory," he said, " to observe her resignation to the will of God under great bodily pain, while her humble trust in the Saviour afforded a pleasing proof that she had committed her soul to Him, and found Him an all-sufficient helper." Of the Sunday school attached to the chapel, Mr. Raban writes — " The work of teaching has been carried on as usual, principally by the students from the institution, under the direction of Samuel Crow- ther ; it being in my power to attend only for about half an hour, when the school is closed, by questions on the passage of Scripture which has been read, followed by singing aud prayer. The average attendauce has been seventy-nine. It may not be uninteresting to remark, that one of those admitted during the Quarter, is George Suba, a relative of Pa Suba, the Timmanee chief, in whose district the Rev. C. L. F. Haensel resided for a time ; this circumstance leads to a hope that Pa Suba has begun to set a higher value than he formerly appeared to do, upon the instruction which our dear brother was anxious to communi- cate to him and his people." As samples of genuine religion carried out in the every day concerns of life, and impressing new ideas of common transactions on the mind and conscience : we insert the following two cases of restitution of property dishonestly appropriated by the individuals alluded to, while their understandings were darkened and their hearts alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that was in them ; and we pray that the God of all grace will make use of them to quicken the perceptions of professing Christians to that scrupulous observance of faithfulness and integrity in their ordinary dealings with their fellow men, so well understood and appreciated by the world, and so strictly enjoined in the precepts of their Divine Master, who is " righteous in all His ways and holy in all His works." Mr. Kissling selected these cases from his journal, as instances of the progress of Divine grace in the mission. "A young person, whose name I omit for several reasons, came to me to-day, apparently niucli distressed, saying, that he had committed a sin several years ago, which much troubled his mind now. Instead of confessing it then, he had made it worse by denying it, and telling a falsehood about it. lie coidd now find no rest for his soul ; and as God coidd not forgive him before he had made his fault known to the in- dividuals with whom he was then connected, he would ask me to assist him in informing llu in that he was guilty of what they once charged I PROGRESS OF DIVINE GRACE. 365 liini with ; and that he was sorry that such an evil thought ever entered his mind, and still more that he had not overcome it. Being fearful that the young man might labour under the mistake that a mere outward confession would set his mind at ease, I endeavoured to make him aware that his case required, above all, deep humiliation and contrition of heart before God, against whose law s he had chiefly offended. To this he emphatically replied : ' Sir, I have for some time earnestly prayed that God would pardon my sin ; but my heart always tells me, that I must make it known to those persons before whom I once denied it.' I here remembered the words of St. James the Apostle, when he exhorted the Christians — ' Confess your faults one to another ; and pray one for another, that ye may be healed ; ' and accordingly, I acceded to his request. It appears that he has now obtained peace, and is anxious to be admitted into the Church of Christ by baptism. "August 4, 1835. visited me this afternoon, relating how uneasy he felt on account of his sins. He said he had been coveting his neighbour's goods, and sometimes he took them away from them by nolence. Some of his unlawful property he had returned to the owners, but some he could not, as he had used the articles so long, and as the person to whom they belonged was dead. I asked him whether there were no relations of that person left ; and when he re- plied that there were, I advised him to pay to them the full amount of the property, since it was im[)racticable to restore to them the property itself ; and offered to ad\'ance him the money, if he had none, so as to remove the burden from his mind as far as outward means were able to do it. He declined my offer of the money, but took the advice, saying he would now at once pay the sum of — to the friends of the deceased. I said that sum was too much, for such articles might be purchased for half the amount. ' Yes, sir,' answered he, ' but at the time when I took those articles away, the price of them was twice as high as it is now ; and therefore I have to pay their value as it was at that time.' The man's honesty and sincerity made me forget the pains with which it pleased the Lord to visit my feeble frame, so that I could continue my conversation with him." We may bring our notices of the year 1835 to a close with the following statements of Mr. J. Weeks, in reference to the mission, made to the Committee during his visit this year to England : they con- tain for the most part a summary of the intelligence already conveyed. " The few following facts will shew what a high value the natives in Sierra Leone, set on their present privilege of the gospel. We have a Sunday school cstabhshed in each village tliat is under the superin- tendence of our Society ; there are 150 adults and apprentices on an 366 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. average to each. It is a gratifying fact, to see among this number, many parents patiently submitting to be taught by their own children, who are monitors in the day school : and as soon as ever any of them are able to read the Parables and Miracles, they will be sure to come and purchase a copy of the Holy Scriptures. Their regular attendance on the means of grace, and the great reverence paid to the Sabbath by all, where the missionaries are labouring, is great cause for thank- fulness ; it is a rare thing to see a solitary individual following any worldly business on the Lord's day. A few weeks before I left, the Governor visited the villages, with a view to ascertain the real state of the Churches and schools. While engaged in examining the Church at Charlotte, which had been begun several years since, but unhappily was never finished : two of the most respectable inhabitants of the village and members of our Church, stepped forward, and ad- dressed the Governor ; ' Sir, we are hungry too much : ' on their being requested to explain themselves, they said, ' We are hungry too much to have the Church finished.' The Governor appeared much pleased, and told them he should like to know what assistance the in- habitants would give, and promised to do what he could to assist them. A subscription was immediately opened among themselves ; and when I embarked, they had collected upward of ^30, each man also offered to give one week's labour, a sufficient evidence that they earnestly desired to see the house of God finished. " The people of Gloucester actually built themselves a new frame Church, during the past year; eight months previous to my leaving the Colony, I told the people of Bathurst, the village where I was re- siding, that I should be very glad to receive from them the smallest contribution to the Church Missionary Society, thereby giving them an opportunity to assist in sending the Gospel to those who are still in heathen darkness. In a few weeks, I got 133 subscribers, some giving a farthing, and others a halfpenny, some a penny, which they brought to me every Monday morning. At the end of the eight months, I had received from them £10: 4 : 7. Between ^60 and ^670. worth of school and religious books were purchased by the people of Sierra Leone, during the past year ; (this includes all the school-books which are purchased by the parents for their children.) When we were obliged, from the reduced state of our labourers, to relincjuish Hastings, and concentrate our strength, the inhabitants, the candidates, and communicants, came to intreat me not to leave them ; and many of them wept bitterly ; while one said most feelingly : ' Oh, sir, you are leaving us in darkness ; we fear we shall soon turn back to our heathenish customs ; this trouble is too great.' I visited this station three weeks before I left, with several of my missiouary brethjen, when the people entreated, in tlic most earnest manner, for some one MARRIAGE OF THE REV. J. F. SCHON. 367 to be placed among them : at present, they hare no rehgious teaclier whatever." We shall just include among the events of the year 1835, the marriage of the Rev. J. F. Schon with Miss Nyliinder, on the 27th of May : On the loth of January 1836, the missionary body was reinforced by the arrival of the Rev. C. F. Schlenker and Mr. W. Croley : they were accompanied by the Rev. J. Raban on his return to the Colony. The Rev. John W. "Weeks and Mrs. Weeks, who left Sierra Leone in April last year, returned on the 10th of October in this year. Mr. Weeks had been admitted to holy orders while in England. The mission received a further accession of labourers on the 30th of November in the persons of the Rev. J. M. Graf and Mr. H. Townsend ; accompanying them, were Mr. and Mrs. Young, who had embarked for England on the 8th of March. Mr. Raban who arrived in January, was agaiu compelled by ill health to return to England, on the •26th of July. To this information, immediately in connexion with the INIissionaries, we must add that Mrs. Schon was delivered of a daughter on the tenth of May. As the villages of Wellington and Hastings were once more embraced within the fostering arms of the Mission, we must endeavour to bring up our arrears of information respecting them, of which we have been for some time deprived, by the painful state of suspension in which they were placed. Wellington on being resumed enjoyed the occasional ministerial ser- vices of Mr. Kissling ; but the principal charge of the schools rested on Mr. E. Collins, who furnishes us with the following particulars respecting the present and former condition of this village — " Wellington is situated about six miles from Freetown, and two from Kissey ; and including four hamlets, contains a population of more than 3000 souls. As little more than two months had elapsed at the time of our last meeting, since I commenced my labours at this station ; I could only then briefly refer to a few particulars, and those of rather an encouraging nature, connected with the renewal of the Society's operations among the people of this village. The addition of another three months intercourse has certainly given us a better oppor- tunity of becoming more generally acquainted ; but remembering the resened habits of the African character, and the consequent difficulty in gaining their confidence, added to their very imperfect knowledge of tiie English language, it will be found generally that a much longer intercourse is necessary, ere a correct judgment can be fornu'd respect- ing them. 368 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. . " About six years since, the people of Wellington erected plied to be readmitted ; saying, tliat they were very sorry for their j)ast misconduct. A man, with his wife, observed, ' This makes five years that I and my wife have been in the backsliders' class ; will yon be kind enough to allow us to come to your class at Fourah Bay ? We are very much sorry for the sins which \\v have committed against the Lord our God : we hope we shall never do so any more." Tile following account of Kissey, by Mr. W. ('roly, soon afler iiis arrival in the Colony, is valuable, as conveying the first impressions III" a stranger : 376 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " Kissey is a large village, about three miles from P'reetown, commanding an extensive prospect ; as from it can be seen a great part of the River Sierra Leone, and on the opposite side, the Bullom shore, &c. It is also a well-arranged village. There is a small plot of ground enclosed with each house. The houses are generally built of wattles, Vnd plastered with mud inside ; a few posts driven into the ground serving to support the roofs, which are covered with grass, which m this country grows to the length of fifteen feet ; however, there are a few houses superior to these, in which Europeans reside. The population is estimated to be about 2500 or 3000, many of whom are yet careless about their eternal welfare. There are a few Mahom- medans living in the suburbs. " We have in Kissey one of the best Churches I have seen in the Colony : It is well fitted for public worship. The attendance on the Sunday morning service is about 800 : the evening service is not attended so well : neither is the Thursday evening service attended so well as we could wish. Many of the people r()vide a lamp and oil, he desired to commence a weekly THE lord's day IN SIERRA LEONE. 381 meeting, for prayer and reading the Scriptures, vnth such as were wilUng to attend. I encouraged his desires, but told him to consider, whether he could continue it with regularity, as he had one meeting already to attend to. He answered, ' I will give myself to prayer, that I may not wear out.' On my expressing my wish that he would never neglect to take his Bible with him, as his guide, he exclaimed, ' What can I do without my Bible ? ' " Mr. H. Townsend's first impressions regarding the mode of observing the Lord's day in Sierra Leone, will be read with peculiar satisfaction : " No one arriving here would imagine that he was in a countrj-, the inhabitants of which have been accustomed to idolatry, but in one where God had been many years worshipped in spirit and in truth. The solemn stillness of the day of rest reigns around ; business and work are laid aside ; and numbers of both sexes are seen hastening to school, to learn to read, and to be instructed in the Christian religion. All are clean, and as well-dressed as their circumstances will allow ; some of the men in a white or blue striped shirt, with a pair of white trowsers and straw hat ; others with the addition of a jacket, in which they look remarkably well. The women are dressed in various coloured gowns, some with a kerchief tied round their heads, others •with straw hats. At school, which was well attended, they were most attentive and diligent in learning to read, and repeating the catechism which they had been taught. The first classes read in the Bible and Testament very well, and listen with much attention to any explanation which may be given of the passage they are read- ing. The lower classes also use every effort to get over the first steps in reading ; which is no small task for persons who may be forty, fifty, or sixty years old. Sincerely must they desire to read God's holy word, when they take so much trouble to learn. During divine service they were attentive and devout, each one performing his or her part in the public worship of the day. This is the first Lord's day which I have passed in Sierra Leone : and if every one be kept by the people as this has been, it shows that they honour God's laws, and that the Sj)irit of God has been with them, teaching, and guiding them in the ])ath of holiness, to the praise and glory of that grace which has called them from darkness to light." The same testimony is born by Mr. Kissling in favour of Freetown ; with a contrast verv' disgraceful to Euroj)ean notions of religious obliga- tions, in the same place : " Before I close my remarks on this station (Kissoy) I cannot but express the high satisfaction which I have felt with regard to the im- provement that has taken place at Freetown, in observing the Lord's day. Nearly all the people, whom I have seen moving about in the streets on that holy day> were either coming from or going to a place 382 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. of vTorsliip : only a few Europeans, and some coloured persons — and, oh shame, that it should be so I — were takmg a ride or a drive for their pleasure." Something like a realizing of the hopes and prayers of the friends of the West Africa mission, took place at the close of this year : at least like a streak of light in the east, it seemed to say, that the long looked-for day was at hand. The occurrence is thus related by the Rev. C. F. Schon : " December 14, 1836. Married three couples at Hastings. There was another who wished to be married, from Waterloo ; but as his name was not correctly entered, I could not solemnize the marriage. One of their companions showed a great concern for the young party ; and inquired several times, how it could be arranged that they might be married soon. On asking the reason of his anxiety about it, he told me, that they had agreed to go to the Sherbro' country to preach, after the solemnization of the marriage. This is an instance of rare occurrence, that persons who have been benefitted by the gospel in this Colony, have of their own accord, gone to neighbouring tribes to preach the gospel of Christ. The Mahomedans all around are la- bouring to persuade Gentiles to embrace their creed ; while nothing is done by Christians to prepare the way for the introduction of Christianity. " After a series of falls, separations, persecutions, sickness and death," says Mr. William Young, in a letter dated July 2, 1836, " and amidst all the power of the enemy, there perhaps never was an era in the history of the West African Mission, when it was in a better or soimder state than now. We indeed have nothing to boast of ; but we are sometimes permitted to rejoice, yet with trembling. Idolatry is not so glaring ; the heathen are not so bold, though they worship their idols in secret. I have seen them blush, when they have been reasoned with on the folly of their idol-worship ; and have left them in much confusion. May the Lord open their hearts to attend unto the things which are spoken. Though one and another of our communicants fall into sin, others are becoming more deeply rooted in the faith of Jesus Christ, and are growing in the grace of God." CHAPTER XI. ARRIVAL OF FRESH LABOURERS DEATH OF MRS. SCHON AND OF MRS. GRAF ANXIETY OF THE NATIVES FOR INSTRUCTION. The Mission received no accession of strength for the greater part of the year 1837, for it was not until the 4th of December that a fresh body of labourers arrived in the Colony ; we may therefore consider that as far as means were concerned during the year upon which we are now entering, no improvement can be spoken of ; while the de- parture of the Rev. G. A. Kissling for England on account of his health, on the 6th of March, and that of the Rev. J. M. Graf on the 8th of August, to receive priest's orders, to which may be added the return home of Mr. Collins on the 1st of October, for a similar reason as that which influenced Mr. Kissling, and the death of Mrs. Scluin, wife of the Rev. J. F. Schon, on the 9th of November, tended materi- ally to weaken the Missionary staff, and consequently to embarrass the operations of the remaining laborers. West Africa, along a considerable line of coast, proved this j'car, during the wet season, peculiarly trying to the constitutions of Euro- peans. In the early part of the year, nearly all the members of the Society's missionaries were affected with illness. The yellow fever broke out in Freetown, and ])roved fatal to many of the European re- sidents, but the Missionaries were most providenti.illy sj)arc(l, and not a single case of death from fever occurred among them during the year, although many of them were much enfeebled by disease. Freetown had for some time enjoyed the ministerial services of the Chaplain, tbe Rev. D. F. Morgan, and therefore was not properly a Missionary station. Gil)raltar town, however, a suburb of the capital, was occupied by the Society, and the Missionary Cbapel there had been constantly served by one oi' other of the Society's labourers. The 384 CIIVRCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. congregation had gradually increased, especially on Sunday morning, beyond the accommodation provided, and the commimicauts were re- ported to walk generally worthy of their high vocation. The Sunday school attached to the Chapel was also in a flourishing condition. Mr. Graf, writing in March 183", says of Gibraltar Chapel : " As regards this place of worship, in which divine service is held twice on Sunday, and once in the week, I can say, that I have been pleased with the regular attendance of the people on the Sunday morning sernce ; when the Chapel is not only full, but a good number of children with their mothers, sit outside. The same, however, can- not be said of their attendance in the week, and on Smiday evenings. One of those whom I had to bury, was a member of our Chapel ; he had been a backslider for some time, but was re-admitted upon better conduct. I saw him a few days before his death suffering very much. From the short conversation which I had with him, he seemed to con- sider his illness as a means by which God was graciously pleased to lead him to seek Him more earnestly, and to be more anxious about the salvation of his soul. From the little which I saw of this man, I can hope that he has been received into the assembly of those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. • Freetown presented a strange medley of Christians, Heathens, and Mahommedans. A sketch taken on Good Friday by the hand of Mr. William Young, the society's catechist, brings this fact in a lively manner before us : " March 24, 1837 ; Good Friday. I held divine service in Gib- raltar Chapel in the morning. It was very pleasing to see all the shops closed, and all labour and traffic laid aside. The people w'cre seen resorting to their different places of public worship, to keep holy- day. A company of the settlers were performing a country-dance, a short distance from my house : to whom I went down. After many efforts to get a hearing, the drumming and shouting ceased. I said, ' I am come to make palaver (quarrel ;) but is this the way you keep the day holy ? ' A woman replied, ' We are all drunk : we will not hear you.' Another said, ' We have been drinking yonder ' — pointing to a neighbouring house : ' and nobody troubled us.' One said, ' We will flog you, if you do not go off.' Another gave me a push, one would dance with me. Another said, ' O go home ! ' I replied, ' You are speaking to your own condemnation : you ought not to do so ; you ought to keep this day, by humbling yourselves before God, confessing your sins — and imj)loring his forgiveness for the sake of Jesus Christ, who died for you upon the cross.' A man said, ' Do not get into a bad humour with us.' I replied, ' I am a messenger of peace : I am not come to make you j)alaver ; but your rioting and drunkenness is MAHOMMEDANS. 385 provoking to the God of peace, whose dear Sou you are ueglecting." They then began their sport again ; and I was obhged to leave them. However, they ceased altogether in about ten minutes after I had left them, and quietly dispersed." Hitherto there had been no day school in Gibraltar town, and the Missionaries resolved on opening one there. The task was committed to Mr. Young, who thus describes his success : "Jan. 2, 1837. This morning at nine o'clock, I opened a day- school in Gibraltar town, Freetown. Previous notice had been given to the inhabitants of this district, that the school would be opened on the first Monday in January ; and the news had spread far and wide in this populous town : immediately after the bell had been rung, it was a cheering sight to see parents, with their children, hastening to the Chapel, from all quarters, and in a few minutes the Chapel was crowded to excess, the people rushing into it. It was impossible to command order, until I refused to admit their children, and begged them to go out. I then admitted 1 1 4 children into the school : many of the people said, ' Thank God I thank you, master ; — we give our children to you, to do with them as you like.' " Jan. 3. Many persons were waiting at the Chapel this morning, with their cliildren. I admitted 30, in addition to the 114 yesterday. I then selected monitors, and appointed them to classes ; though they are deficient even in the first rudiments of learning. The school is di\ided into thirteen classes." He subsequently says : "The boys' delight is arithmetic. Reading the Scriptures appears to be a very dull exercise to them : and when they are catechized on the portion of scripture which they have just read, in order to explain the doctrines and precepts of the Bible, their mouths are shut. Many of my scholars have never attended any means of instruction, since they were at the Colonial boys' school, when it was relinquished by the Society in 1835." We have mentioned Mahommcdans, as forming part of the popula- tion of Freetown : we may add unhappily, that they abound all over the Colony, and are generally very active in making proselytes to their creed. The Missionaries frecjuently encountered them, and did not, as may be supposed, omit any opportunity of revealing to them the true Prophet, whom the Lord their God had raised up unto them. For example, Mr. Schon has the following entry in his journal : "Feb. 14. 1837. Kept morning prayers in the chajjcl at half-past five. I met a Maliouunedan in the street, whom I had seen before, I said, ' Wliom do you worship ? ' He replied, ' God only.' — ' What is God ?' ' I do not know. I will fetch my Minister, and he will tell w 2 c 386 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. you all.' 'But,' I said, 'you certainly ought not to be ignorant of the object ot your worship ; or you worship you know not what. God, who is an Eternal Spirit, infinitely wise, holy, good, and just, sent His Son Jesus to teach us the knowledge of Himself ; and you reject Him, to your condemnation.' He replied : ' Mahommed was bom before Jesus, of the same family ; he was a man like yourself : he was cousin to Jesus: he was a good man, and has 121 names.' I said, ' Then he was a man of like passions with ourselves ; he had the same propensities to sin as ourselves ; he had the same corrupt nature as ourselves, and had the same need of an atonement for his sins as we have.' He replied : ' What is a Christian ? ' ' We are so called on account of our heartily embracing and openly professing that reUgion which Jesus taught -, — that all mankind by nature, are sinners against God, in thought, word, and deed ; and without repen- tance, and a true faith in the Son of God, we cannot see eternal life.' He said : ' I believe that Jesus is the Son of God : but I do not pray to Him as you do. I believe Jesus gave all his people to Mahommed : and God may give Mahommed power to save all His people.' " " A Mahommedan blacksmith," writes Mr. Young in his journal dated April 18, "came into my school to-day. It is the first time I have seen a Mahommedan so curious as to visit a Christian school. I took him from class to class, to shew him the boys writing on slates, from scripture : he was much gratified by this plan of teaching boys to write ; and frequently pressed my hand in his, as an expression of the pleasure afforded him by his \isit. He observed, 'The boys in my country,' the Foulah, ' write from right to left ; but your boys write from left to right.' This way of teaching to write amused him much, he was with me nearly an hour, and paid much attention. When he was going away, he said, ' I love you much, for your work's sake : you are a good man : God be with you, and bless you. ' I replied, ' The gospel of Jesus Christ, which I teach, teaches me to love you also ; and it teaches me that all mankind by nature are sinners against God, and that there is none good but one, that is, God.' " Death-bed services are among the most painful which devolve on the Christian minister ; under the most favorable circumstances, the disso- lution of the body with all its accompanying tokens of suffering and decay, is a sad and solemn sight ; but they whose privilege it has been to witness " how a Christian can die," well know that circumstances may exist in connection with the most formidable appurtenances of a dying bed, which more than compensate to the mind of the beholder, for the tribute of painful emotion, which nature pays while contemplat- ing the last struggles of a fellow being. As we have not much that is DEATH-BED SCENES. 387 novel to record in the year now before us, we shall embrace the oppor- tunity of selecting one or two cases, exemplifying the power of faith in a risen Saviour to disarm death of its terrors, and gild the downward passage to the tomb. For this the labors of God's messengers are employed, and where this result is achieved, no surer testimony can be obtained to the reahty of the work which has been accomplished. Our first extract shall be from the journal of the Rev. J. W. Weeks. "April 17. I went again to Regent and visited several sick per- sons. I also administered the Lord's Supper to one of the communi- cants— a poor woman, who has been confined to her house for many years. I then visited another sick candidate, whom I found much reduced in bodily strength since last week ; and I felt persuaded that he was fast hastening to another world. He was anxious that I should baptize him. When I asked him if he thought baptism could save his soul, he immediately replied, ' Not unless I believe.' I then told him that our Saviour had declared, that whosoever beUeved, and was baptized, should be saved. After a little more conversation with him about the things which belonged to his peace, I baptized him. Nine days after, I received the following note from one of our native assistants stationed at Regent : — ' Rev. Sir, — Yesterday, about eight o'clock, the wife of came to me in great haste, and said, that her husband wished to see me before he departed. I went accordingly. He was very low then ; he could not speak, save that he answered me these questions : — ' How do you feel now V he replied, ' I feel very well, for I am going home to my Saviour and my God ' — Do you have any doubt in your mind about your going home } ' ' No,' replied he. In addition to the answer of my question, he said, ' My siiis are washed in the precious blood of Christ : the way is quite open lor me : I shall soon go ; the hour is quite near when my pains shall cease.' — These and other sen- tences he said in a fluttering voice ; I could not understand the rest. Before I left, he spoke no more ; he peaceably slept in the Lord Jesus Christ. I rejoiced greatly in the way he spoke : he felt no pain when he was speaking. Please let me know if you can come to bury liim.' I went o\cr to Regent the same morning, to perform the last ceremony over the mortal remains of one who left a good hope that he had entered into glory. More than 400 of the inhabitants attended his funeral." It is a melancholy yet beautiful spectacle to behold the last struggle between nature and grace ; and to witness the certain triumph of the latter, under circumstances where we cannot withhold our s3'm])nthies from the vanquished, or help lamenting, while we rejoice in the vic- tory achieved, that the conflict was necessary. That two such tender 2 c 2 388 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. ties as those which bind a husband and father to earth should be rent asunder is deplorable ; but how sweet to contemplate the believer calmly resigning such transitory attachments to the claims of a far higher and more endearing relationship. Witness the following case which occurred at Hastings, as reported in the journal of the Rev. J. F. Schon. " I was called this morning (June 24, 1837) to see one of our com- municants ; to whom I had given medicine several times, but to no effect. He was very ill ; but still enjoyed the use of his senses. Being weak, he coidd not speak much, but seemed delighted when I offered to engage in prayer with him. The wife and three children were kneeling around the dying husband and father, dissolved in tears. His wife said to him, ' What shall I do, you go leave me with these three children ? ' Tears rolled down his checks, while he directed her, by lifting up his eyes and hands toward heaven, to the God of the widow and the Father of the fatherless. The scene was affecting. When I shook hands with him, to go away, he pointed to his wife and chil- dren ; meaning to ask me to take notice of them. I hope I shall never forget nor neglect this charge, so long as I shall be able to attend to it." We have before referred to the inveteracy of old heathenish habits, even among the converted liberated Africans ; this often followed them to their sick and dying beds. Mr. Warburton's journal furnishes an example which we shall quote : — " July 16. This morning I %-isited a sick communicant, who as- cribes her illness — a pain in her foot — to her having trodden on a greegree ; I endeavoured to show her how inconsistent such a belief was with the Christian profession, but without effect. She was sure that some one had bewitched her, — this is lamentable ; but we are to remember how deeply rooted such notions are in the mind, previous to conversion." A little farther on, he produces another instance which we cannot omit. " August 19. Having been informed that a female communicant was ill with a bad leg, which she attributed to a greegree, and had been employing a similar thing to cure it, I went to see her, to inquire into the circumstance ; after much hesitation, she said that she had been a long time ill with a bad leg — that something was inside bitmg it — and that she had sent for two women, who promised to cure her for two dollars. They came and rubbed it with their hands in water ; and, after some time, produced some thread, and other little things, which they said they had taken from her leg. This the poor woman believed. She fancied she was a little better afterward ; but the ope- RETURN OF BACKSLIDERS AT REGENT. 389 ration had not effected a cure. It is very sad, that those wlio profess to beUeve in God should beUeve that greegrees can harm them ; or, if they are sick, that they may be cured by any other means than those appointed by God. This woman had been practising some country- fashion : but would not, through fear, tell me all that was done. I think that such persons should be much pitied : for it is difficult to get rid of those notions which are imbibed in childhood, more espe- cially when they are in accordance with our sinful nature." One brief sample more on this head. "Aug. 15, 1837. I \isited several sick persons of Gloucester. One man, who is confined to his bed by ulcerated legs, with which he has been afflicted six years, told me that if he had had such a sickness in his own country, he should most likely have destroyed himself long ago ; but, through the rich mercy of God, he had learnt to beUeve and trust in Jesus Christ, aud to bear with patience whatever God might be pleased to lay upon him." Regent was fast returning to her " first love." Many of those on the backsliders, list and others, came from time to time to Mr. Weeks and others, to acknowledge their offences, and seek reconciliation with God. Mr. Weeks mentions eight persons who came to him on one occasion, one of whom had formerly been his servant ; another a scho- lar of his eleven years before, and a third a woman, who had been eighteen years in the Colony, without ever having manifested any serious regard for her soul. " Now," said he, " she wonders at the long-suffering of God in bearing with her sins so many years ; and that she should have lived so long where the Gospel has been preached without endeavouring to serve God." Under date of August 10th, he writes : — " Two backsliders came to me from Regent this morning. The first said : ' I come to you in very great trouble of soul : my sins talk to me, like one man talks to another : and when I consider all my past sins, and past mercies, and how God has spared me, my heart is too full, so that I can't tell what to do. Death came into my house, and took away my child : and in a Uttle while, death came again into my house, and passed by me, and took my wife : and in a little while, death came again, and passed by me, and took another of my children ; and in this last month of May, I thought death was come for me myself ; and I was much afraid, for I did not know how I stood before God. God was pleased to spare me a little longer ; and when I got a little better, three weeks ago, I went to church, and heard you preach from Psalm ix. 17, so when I re- turned home to my house, that word lie heavy upon me : and I said, ' Yes ! I have forgotten God ; and, if God's word be true, I shall l)e sent to hell. This is what I feel I deserve ; so I can get no rest in my mind.* — I endeavoured to comfort him with that gracious promise, 390 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Jeremiah iii. 22 : 'Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings : ' — and 1 John i. 7 : ' The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth from all sin.' The other, a female, observed : ' I am so grieved and ashamed on account of my past wicked life, that I do not know what to say to you. I have no peace, no comfort in my mind, if I eat or drink, or whatever I do, all things look wrong, and go wrong with me. So at last, I said to my husband, ' Come, let us two go to master, and see if he will receive us on trial.' Then my husband say, ' Go you, and I will come by-and-bye.' Then I say, ' Yes, as I have my own soul to save, I cannot wait for you ; so I try best for myself.' I allowed her to meet with the other backsliders." The value which was now set upon the word of God, was strikingly illustrated in the earnest desire manifested by several of the aged negroes, whose education had been hitherto neglected, to acquire the ability to read it for themselves. The Sunday school at Gloucester was the seminary to which they resorted for the purpose. According to the accoimt of Mr. W. Croley, catechist, it presented a sight which we should well Uke to have witnessed. He wrote — " Several very old people of both sexes attend very regularly. One woman, who was reading the New Testament, attended till her eyes got so dim, that she could see no more. An old man, whose hair is almost white, attends very regularly ; he pursues his studies with de- termination and courage, but poor man, he has not yet got beyond the primer. He is determined, however, to persevere, and notwithstand- ing his age, I hope he is not too old to learn. Another grey-headed old man has been to school a few months. When he first came, I thought he would hardly learn, especially as he had only two hours' instruction one day in seven, but I am now happy to state that he has learned all the alphabet ; and I sincerely hope that he will by and bye be able to read the Scriptures." The people of Wellington shewed themselves well worthy of the Christian privileges which they now enjoyed, for as far as in them lay they came forward to promote with hands and substance, the good work in which their eternal interest was concerned. Mr. E. Collier, whose declining health obliged him, as we have stated, to leave the Colony, on the 1st of October, writes under date of May 19, 1837. — " I am happy to say that, after much delay we have now succeeded in painting our Church inside and out. The cost of it has been little more than twelve pounds. It is with some degree of satisfaction that I contrast the present jieat appearance of our little Church with its for- lorn condition last year. Then we had scarcely a bench to sit upon, the fence round the church was broken down, the flooring had given way. CURIOUS IDEA REGARDING THE SMALL-POX. 391 having been destroyed by the white ants, and the whole premises bore e\adent marks of desertion and desolation. Now we have benches for the whole congregation, the floor has been paved in a substantial manner, a durable fence of mangrove posts has been run round the building, and the plastering, which is just completed, gives a finish to the whole. All this has been effected by the people of the \illage, or rather the people in connexion with us, who have subscribed more than thirty pounds toward these several objects. This chapel is diffei'ently cir- cumstanced from any other in the villages in connexion with our society ; it having been built by the people of Wellington, about eight years ago, at a cost of between two and three hundred pounds." The mercy of a long-suffering God was singularly extended to the Missionary body, during the prevalence of the fearful epidemic that visited the Colony in the early part of the year. May not this be ascribed to the line of conduct adopted on the solemn occasion, by the godly men themselves, who feeling that the Lord's judgments were in the land, learned and pursued the path of righteousness best adapted to their critical circumstances. What that path was, Mr. J. Warburton tells us in his journal, where under date of June 6th, he says : — " This day having been appointed as a day of humiliation and prayer, on account of the epidemic fever now fearfully prevailing in Free- town, divine service was kept here, morning and evening. The attendance was nearly as large as on Sundays ; and great seriousness was observa- ble, labour was suspended, and the village was quiet. May our prayers be heard ! " It is cheering and exemplary to reflect that their faithful procedure was crowTied with marked success. A short time before the appearance of the yellow fever, the small pox appeared with great virulence among the African population of the Colony. The Missionaries exerted themselves to introduce vaccination generally among the children, to which the parents did not object, but at the same time manifested a most painful indifference to the means of security pro^^ded for them. Their ideas on the subject were curious, Mr. Collins adverts to them in his journal, from whence we shall trans- fer the account to our pages — "The people," he says, " have a strange notion here respecting the small pox, which perhaps may partly account for their singular con- duct in reference to it. They suppose it to be an evil spirit, ever prowling about in search of \-ictims, and that it never visits any but those guilty of some enormous crime ; and should any one afflicted with it die under its influence, they consider it a sure mark of the Divine disi)lcasurc. In speaking to-day with an ungodly man, I naturally re- 392 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. minded him of the danger of procrastination, and particularly at the present time, when the small pox is making such fearful ravages among us. ' The disease may seize you,' I observed, ' in the midst of your excuses, and hurry you to your grave,' ' Me, me ! ' he replied, with considerable emphasis, pointing to his heart, ' Me, no, no, small pox no catch me, me no bad somebody ; small pox only catch bad somebody.' " In the early part of the year it was considered adAisable for two of the catechists, Messrs. Collins and Croley, both of whom had suffered severely from illness, to try the effect of a change of air ; and with that object these gentlemen set out on a visit to the Banana and Plantain islands ; this ^nsit is chiefly interesting from the notice which is found in the journal which the invalids kept during their absence, of the Rev. John Newton, with the history of whose early days Africa and the slave trade are darkly interwoven. Whatever has reference to such a man, cannot fail to excite attention, and furnish material for profita- ble contemplation ; we shall therefore enrich our pages with such ex- tracts from the journal as bring him before our view. In that portion written at the Bananas, we read — "Every one conversant with the writings and history of the Rev. J. Newton remembers, that it was on the Plantain island, that he was fifteen months in captivity, an object of pity and commiseration to the meanest slave. Referring to Mr. Newton's narrative, it appears that the Bananas was the first place on which he was thrown, as one ship- wrecked, with little more than the clothes on his back. The Bananas are represented, in Mr. Newton's narrative, as being, in his time, the centre of the white men's residence, who were then eagerly pursuing their traffic in slaves, along the coast. From this place it was that he hired himself to a slave-dealer, by whom, no doubt, he was subse- quently removed to the Plantains ; the sce»es of those grievous morti- fications and sufferings which he was called to pass through, and which are so feelingly referred to in his narrative." In a few days they passed from the Bananas to the Plantains, where they were disappointed at not being welcomed by Mr. Caulker, * the headman of the island, he being from home ; however, they were most kindly received by two of his relations, and treated during their stay with every attention. After mentioning these and a few other par- ticulars, Mr. Collins says — "Among other enquiries of the Messrs. Caulker, I did not forget John Newton ; and was pleased to find, that although it is ninety years since he was a wanderer on this island, his name and history have not * See p. 54(1 ijc. of the pictcdin" voUiiiic. REMINISCENCES OF THE REV, ;OHX NEWTON. 393 been forgotten. It appears that at the Battam river, which is about 150 miles from the Plantains, and which is particularly referred to in Mr. Newton's narrative, as being the place at which he was finally liberated from his captivity, the old people well remember the circum- stance of the ship's calling in and carrying ^Ir. Newton away. " From Mr. Newton, we were naturally led to inquire about the lime-trees planted by him, and to which no small degree of interest has I een attached. "We were pleased to find that they were stiU in existence; our friends seemed proud in telling us, that in 1831, a gentleman from Sierra Leone had visited the island, and made in- quiries about these trees, and had carried away a cutting from each of them. After dinner, Mr. Caulker took a ramble with us over the island, when we made our way first to the Ume-trees. These trees, although possessing the appearance of extreme age, are yet green and flourishing. Unwilling to leave so memorable a spot without some token of our visit, I solicited a cutting from one of the trees ; this, however, we could not obtain, without permission from the elder Mr. Caulker. The late Rev. W. B. Johnson, in his journal of a visit to the Bananas and Plantain islands in Oct. 1820, mentions having visited these trees, when he says, he found that they had been cut down, but he saw the trunk of one, from which new branches had shot forth. These islands are verj- small, the largest, which alone is inhabited, is not more than two miles in circumference. On this soUtary spot it was that Mr. Newton passed many a sorrowful day, beguiling his hours with Barrow's Euclid, the only book in his possession. While walking along the shore, it afforded me a peculiar pleasure to imagine that I had trodden the spot where !Mr. Newton in his captivity, lightened his sorrows by drawing chagrams with a stick upon the sand. Mr. Newton mentions his going in the night, to wash his only shirt upon the rocks, and putting it on his back to dry ; in so small a place, there can be little difliculty in fancying the spot he visited for the pur- pose, which, no doubt, was upon the rocks near the house. Every thing and even,' circumstance connected with John Newton, while a wanderer upon the island, is interesting ; and particularly so, upon a review of his subsequent histoiy. Who but must admire the grace and mercy of God, in raising one sunk so low in the depth of wTCtch- cdncss and guilt, " dead in trespasses and sins," to a life of righteous- ness ; bringing one so fast bound m the bondage of Satan, to the glorious liberty of the sons of God ; in making one, so lost in the estimation of his fellow-creatures, a very outcast from society, despised by the meanest slave, hereafter to become an eminent ])rcaciu'r of the gospel of His Son ; and to have his memory embalmed in the hearts of millions, through many generations, it may be, through his writings." 394 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. We shall make no excuse for this long extract, which we feel as- sured will be read with much interest by those who love to ponder the marvels of Almighty grace which were never more richly or superna- turally unfolded than in the career of him who from a sensualist and a mau-stealer, was exalted to be the bosom friend and associate of Cowper, to be the writer of the Cardiphonia, and a zealous preacher of righteousness to a sinful world. The Rev. J. U. Graf presided over the Christian Institution until his illness, assisted by Samuel Crowther, native teacher ; but on the 7th of August he was succeeded by the Rev. C. F. Schlenker : the youths had then increased to fifteen, and a favourable report was made of their conduct and proficiency. It has already been mentioned that an accession of labourers took place on the 4th of December : it consisted of the Rev. G. A. Kissling and Mrs. Kissling — he having while in England married again ; the Rev. J. U. Graf and Mrs. Graf — Mr. Graf having also formed a matrimonial union during his visit ; the Rev. F. Bidtman, and Messrs. J. Beal, T. Payton, J. Smith, and H. P. Stedman. At an early meeting of the local Committee, these new arrivals were disposed of as follows : the Rev. G. A. Kissling and Mr. J. Beal were appointed to Gibraltar town, Freetovra : Mr. Kissling also resuming charge of the Institution at Fourah Bay. The Rev. F. Bultman assisted by Mr. Warburton, took charge of Bathurst and Charlotte. The Rev. J. U. Graf had Mr. T. Payton associated with him at Hastings. Mr. H. P. Stedman went to assist the Rev. C. F. Schlenker at Kissey, and Mr. Isaac Smith joined the Rev. J. W. Weeks at Gloucester and Regent. About this time the long-abandoned station of Waterloo, the farthest to the east, near the boundary of the Colony, was resumed by Mr. W. Young, who had laboured for some time at Freetown, taking up his residence here : he was joined by John Attarra, who removed from Hastings for the purpose. Mr. Young's entrance on this scene of his future labors, was impressive. We extract an account of it from his journal : *' December 26, 1837. I took my family to Waterloo, the scene of my future labours. We left Freetown in an open boat, about noon ; and reached Waterloo in the evening, after having been exposed to the hot sun for more than four hours, during the hottest part of the day. We were refreshed on entering the Serpentine creek, which leads to the town : the tall mangrove-trees, overshadowing the creek in many places, afforded us a refreshing shade. It was just after sun-set when we entered the town ; as we passed along the streets with our luggage, men, women and children came to see us, and apparently, gave us a hearty welcome ; saying, ' How do, master ? — Thank God.' Thus the Lord, in his providence, I humbly hope, has i)laced me in the THE MISSIONARIES WELCOMED. 395 midst of a population exceeding 5000 souls, including a few hamlets. ' Here we have no continuing city.' I desire to dedicate myself afresh to the service of my God, and humbly go on, in my duty and service, in an entire dependence on the strength of the Almighty, who has said, ' I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.' " The station of Kent was also reoccupied, and the Rev. J. F. Schon, assisted by Mr. W. Croley, located there; they arrived on the 13th of December, 1837, and on the next day were visited by nine couples, who expressed a vrish to be married. In the hberated African schools they found 162 boys and 42 girls, besides about 12 or 15 colony- born children. On inquiring the reason wh}-^ so few town children at- tended, they were told that the people were too careless and indifferent about their children's instruction, and too poor to buy them clothing ; — "a reply," says Mr. Schon, "not very encouraging to us." However, the day following, the people assembled round them early with their children, and had their names taken down. " Not fewer than 142," wrote Mr. Schon, "applied for admission ; a number sufficiently large to begin with. I explained to them, afterwards, the regulations by which our schools were conducted, and told them that they would have to pay a halfpenny per week for each child ; and asked them whether they would be willing to do it : to which they replied, that they were vnlling and glad to do as we told them." They found great difficulty in selecting a residence for themselves, there not being a house in the town in which a European could live, even in the dry season, without much inconvenience and danger to health. The manner in which the new laborers were received by those to whom they were sent, affords, we think no bad criterion of the estima- tion in which gospel privileges were held by many of the poor long- lost children of Ham. From Mr. T. Payton's journal, we select the following beautiful little incident, from which the most cheering in- ferences may be drawn : " December 4, 1837. I disembarked and was highly gratified at the number of natives who were assembled on the shore to receive us. This day, a little incident came under my notice, which kindled in my bosom a Missionary zeal and love for tlic souls of these bcniglited Africans. On my way from Freetown to Gloucester, there were many children in the road, who, when they saw me as I passed by them, said to each other, 'New white man, new Mission.' All of them ex- claimed with a smiling countenance, 'Thank God ! ' This little occur- rence opened my mind to perceive the readiness of these native children in receiving those who are sent to instruct ihcm." 396 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Mr. Smith was much gratified with the appearance of solemnity which an African Sabbath day presented, wherever the influence of Christianity was acknowledged. The views of a stranger about what he sees and hears in a distant land, where there must be so much that is novel to us, are always interesting ; for to hear or read them is the nearest thing to our visiting the objects described ourselves , — as his first impressions — the usual source of pleasurable emotions to travellers, woiUd probably under similar circumstances, be ours. The interest is much enhanced when the place visited is one about which we have read or heard much that we desire to have authenticated by the testimony of an eye-witness. On the subject adverted to, Mr. Smith says : " December 10, 1837: Lord's Day — The people assembled at the Church for prayer, just after the morning dawn ; which I find is their daily practice. Of the congregation it may be said, all were attentive, and their eyes fixed upon their minister, as if ready to catch the words as they fell from his lips. They also join heartily in the seriice, repeating the responses and the amen with great earnestness. I think the natives in general appear kind and courteous, and very anxious to re- ceive the word of life. I was particularly struck with their adherence to the Divine command to keep holy the Lord's day. All ceased from the employments of the week : and as many as came up to the house of prayer, were clad in garments beautifully clean and white ; and after service, none were seen walking about the streets, but each went home. Such an observance I did not expect to find in Africa. It leads me to ask the question, To what can this be attributed, but to the unwearied exertions of those Missionaries who have gone before, who, in the strength of the Lord, laboured beneath tliis burning sun ; some to break up the fallow ground, and others to sow the seed? " Yet we must not suppose that the enemy of souls allows his people to pay such homage to the Lord of Hosts that tliey offer no interrup- tion to the devotional character of the day, so precious to the lovers of sacred rest — it is truly painful to be compelled to add that the Euro- pean residents of tlie Colony alone would have sufficed to prevent a state of things so inconsistent with their ordinary godless deportment : and it would liave been strange if in so mixed a population as that of Sierra Leone, they did not find imitators in profanitj' and self-destruc- tion among their sable brethren around them. Mr. Stedman was soon taught that his difficulties in the work to which he had devoted himself, would not arise exclusively from the evil practices of African Heathens : the guilty conduct of English Christians mingled itself with the most formidable of his hindrances. The following passage appears in his journal : " Dec. 24, 18.37: Lord's Day. On my way to WelHngton, I saw DEATH OF MRS. SCHON. 397 a number of people sitting upon a raised piece of ground. On coming up to them, I observed that they were counting money. I asked why they were thus met together. Upon receiving no answer from them, I immediately took the Tract No. 14, ' On the Lord's Day,' which I providentially had in my pocket ; and after reading to them a short time from it, and explaining as I proceeded, one of them said, ' There is a sick man at the other end of the village, and we are collecting mouey to purchase rum and other things for the following day.' — Returning from Wellington to Kissey on the evening of the same day, I saw a number of people, jmncipally Mahommedaus, killing an ox. I expostidated with them as to such practices on the Lord's Day; when one, who understood EngUsh better than the rest, advanced toward me, and asked, ' Why do you say any thing to us about what we do, when your country-people kill and sell beef on the Smiday morning ? — I have been in England,' he continued, ' and have seen your people no keep the Sabbath better than we do. Why you not let us alone ? ' Another said, ' If we no meat to eat, we no pray.' The whole party, being about twenty in number, expressed their indignation in the highest possible language, because I interfered with them. What can Englishmen say, when they give even the Heathen occasion to blaspheme the Name of God, and shut the mouths of Kis servants." Death secured one victim this year, — Mrs. Schon, wife of the Rev. J. F. Schon, and daughter of the late Rev. G. R. Nyliinder : her union with Mr. Schon in May, 1835, has been mentioned. She was, subsequent to her first confinement, afflicted with occasional mental aberration, but when in health she chccrfidly and zealously engaged in her allotted portion of missionary work. Her bereaved husband relates the circumstances of his untimely loss, as follows : " The complaint under which my departed wife labored, after her first confinement, appeared to be entirely removed, after we had resided for some time at llastings ; and often did I sincerely thank God for the change of station, though we were put to much incon- venience in other respects. I recollect but two severe attacks of the disorder ; but the last of them was exceedingly trying : I was obliged to send my child to Mrs. Jones, at Freetown, to be taken care of ; but was soon convinced that I had taken a wrong step, and that it had a bad effect on the mother, and therefore sent for the child again in two days. When the child was in the house, she soon recovered ; and from that time, August 1837, to the day she left this world, I never perceived another symptom of aberration of mind ; which was a cause of much thankfulness ; — her sufferings, liowever, were not over : they were only of ouother kind. She spoke often with me on the 398 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. State of her soul, and derived much consolation from reading the word of God, aud from prayer. Her chief grief was, that she had been so unprofitable a servant, in the situation in which she had been placed, — that she ought to have been much more zealous aud devoted to the work ; aud veiy often I saw her dissolved in tears, through reflections of this kind. She had nothing to boast of, nothing to glory in, as of her own. If ever I saw a soul under a deep sense of sin, it was hers : and yet there was nothing of a desponding nature ; she could rely on the merits of Jesus alone, for the salvation of her soul ; and realize, in her own experience, the blessedness of those, whose sins are forgiven, and whose iniquities are pardoned. A fort- night before her confinement, on coming home from Freetown, I found her very ill ; and the first word she said to me was, ' Are you going away from me again ? ' I replied, ' No, I shall not leave you again, seeuig you are so unwell.' She could not express in words, how glad she was when I told her I could stay. She was continually in pain to the last moment of her life ; but resigned to the vtdll of God, and patient. On the 5th of November, I sent a messenger, about one o'clock in the morning ; at seven, I sent another, and about six o'clock in the evening I had the pleasure of seeing the doctor arrive. He expressed fears, seeing her so much reduced. At eleven o'clock she gave birth to a fine little boy. When I saw her, she blessed the Lord for His help, aud called on me to be thankful ; she then com- plained of faintness and fatigue. I left her, and spoke to the doctor ; who told me, that he had great fear that she was very weak, and not likely to live. We returned together to her, when she told me she was going to die. I engaged in prayer : she held my hands, and joined heartily in it, fully aware that her end was coming. After prayer, I said to her: Jesus said to Martha, 'lam the Resurrection and the Life ' — quoting the whole passage ; and then asked her, Believest thou this ? . . . I would ask you. My dear, believest thou that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life ; ' ' Yes,' she replied, ' I believe it,' — These were her last words, with the exception of once asking for the doctor : and at two o'clock she ended her short life of twenty-one years and eleven months ; and entered her Father's house, for which she anxiously longed." His afflictions did not end here. A few days after, his faith and patience were put to a further test. Yet comfort arose to him out of the circumstances of his high vocation. He writes : " Only a week after this I was called upon to witness a similar scene. In the middle of the night, I was called up by the nurse of my babe, to sec him, and to my great surprise, I found him in convulsions. His tender age gave me no hope of his recovering, I sent for the doctor ; aud in the mean time apj)lied those remedies NATIVE CHRISTIAN SYMPATHY. 399 which I thought proper, but to no effect. None of my brethren being near me, and it being the Lord's day, I baptized the dear little babe myself, by the name of Frederick Nylander, in the presence of some native Christians, who joined in prayer with me, and shed many a tear, truly sympathizing with me. " Indeed, I ought to mention to you, that the people of Hastings, and particularly the Members of our Church, have endeared them- selves very much to me, by the sympathy which they have always evinced. They made all things ready for the fmieral, in a decent and becoming manner ; and when I inquired after the expense, I was told that they had agreed not to take any thing of me ; and only on my pressing them would they accept payment for those things for which they had to lay out money themselves. Their simple and affectionate way of speaking to me has proved often a great consolation to my heart. A man told me : ' Master, plenty time I want say one word to you ; but no can open my mouth : my heart always tell me, he know better, and me can tell him nothing. Master, the time trouble catch me, me go to you ; you speak to us of Jesus and of the Resurrection, and that can make our hearts glad. Master, this no can comfort you ? your wife no lost, your child no lost : they that believe in Jesus never die.' — How comforting, to hear one, who was but a few years before an Idolater, speak of the consolations which the Gospel affords." The mission presented but little variety of feature during the year 1838. The only changes in its external circumstances, that need be anticipated here, as interfering with the efficiency of the work to be recorded, were the death of Mrs. Graf, wife of the Rev. J. A. Graf, on the 13th of March, to which melancholy event we shall presently further advert, and the return home of Mr. W. Croley, catechist, on the 6th of May : The reoccupation of Waterloo and Kent, at the close of the last year, was a matter of deep congratulation to all the friends of the Mission, and the anxiety which the inhabitants of these villages shewed for Christian instruction, greatly enhanced the pleasure with which the event was contemplated by the Missionaries. Mr. W. Young, appointed catechist of Waterloo, found himself absolutely overwhelmed by the eagerness of the people there, to obtain for them- selves and their children, the books and tracts, which he had brought with him for distribution. One or two extracts from his journal, will illustrate this very interesting fact : " Jan. 2. 1838. Saw two persons reading a book under the piazza of my house . I just dropped over the side of it a number of ' The Chil- dren's Friend.' This gained the attention of a few women in the market-place, who came running to the spot. The otlier people in the 400 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. market soon left their baskets and goods, and came running, earnestly begging for books. This created a great noise ; and in a few minutes, men, women, and children were seen ninning to the spot from every direction. The sight was extraordinary. I was moved to see nearly one hundred of my fellow-sinuers stretching out their hands, appa- rently as desirous for these little books and tracts as for their necessary food. I was totally at a loss how to distribute the books ; as it was useless to throw them to the people, for in the struggle who should get them, they both destroyed the books and hurt one another. I begged them to be quiet, and then addressed them from the piazza. I went down and took my stand under a plantain-tree, and endeavoured to give the books to those who could read ; but the shouting increased more and more, and the people trod one upon another. I was obliged to put up my books and tracts as well as I could, and endeavoured to still the people. The burden of the people's cry was, ' Master, my pickaninny (child), my pickaninny can read ! God bless Master ! thank God for Master ! ' May the precious seed thus sown be followed by the Dinne blessing to these benighted sons and daughters of Africa! — A man brought me, as a present, this evening, two roots of cassada and five cocoa-leaves. He said : ' My heart love you too much, Mas- ter. Ah ! you no sabby how much me love you.' " The ^-illage of Kent, it will be remembered, had been long occupied by the Society. It was made a missionary station in the j'ear 1819, and was abandoned on the suspension of the Sea Distiict at the end of 1828. Its reoccupation took place, as we have mentioned, at the close of the year 1837, by the appointment thereto of the Rev. J. F. Schon as minister, and Mr. W. Croley as catechist ; !Mr. Schon hanng previously paid this Aillage a ^•isit of inspection in June, 1835, and found the people most anxious for the revival of the Society's opera- tions amongst them. One or two extracts from Mr. Schcjn's journal will reintroduce this station to the notice of the reader. "Jan. 2, 1833. — I solemnized ten marriages this morning. It was a day of great joy to the people of the town. When I returned from Church, I asked the constable why the flag was hoisted, it being nei- ther Lord's-day nor holiday. He replied, ' It is to honour you. Sir, and the people who get married : such day wc no see long time.' " Previous to the reoccupation of this station by the missionaries, they had been in the habit of receiving communications from the professing Christians here, somewhat similar to those which reached the Apostle Paul in reference to the church of Corinth. The analogy between the two cases will occur to the reader on the perusal of the following state- ment of Mr. Schon, continued in his account of his former visit to this place. DIVISIONS. 401 "To my regret, I soon obsei-ved that there were parties and divisions, as they had stated in their letters. I considered it best, however, not to speak to them on dilFerences of opinion, but only on the necessity of repentance toward God, and faith in His dear Son Jesus Christ." Mr. Schon, besides ordinary duties of his ministry, was now occu- pied on a translation of the Scriptures into the Sherbro language : on the 23rd of February- he announced the completion of the first chapter of St. John's gospel. He expressed himself as quite delighted with his task, and longing to be able to devote more time to it. He and Mr. Croley sometimes visited the neighboiuing Banana islands and other places in the locality of Kent, for the purpose of baptizing infants, and seeking opportunities of awakening an interest for chris- tian instruction. They were generally well received, and intreated to repeat their \-isits. Some unhappy divisions had got among the members of Gibraltar congregation at the latter part of the year 1837, principally about the chapel itself ; which had the effect of throwing matters there into much disorder, and scattering the congregation. Mr. Kissling, how- ever, by remonstrances, addressed especially to the communicants, succeeded to a great degree in the restoration of harmony. He men- tions an impressive incident — the baptism of several members of one family on the same occasion. We shall quote it from his journal. " Jan. 28. — 1 baptized this day after the second lesson of the morning service, four children of one family ; the peculiar circumstances of this family beautifully illustrate the truth of two passages of the sacred Scriptures; viz. Heb. iv. 12. 'The word of God is qiuck and j)owc'rful, and sharper than any two-edged-sword ; " and Rom. v. 20. ' Where sin abounded, grace did much more aboimd.' Both , and also , now his wife, were living for a length of time in open violation of the commandments of God ; but about eighteen months ago, the man used to come occasionally under the sound of the gospel ; the truth came home to his heart ; and he came in great distress to leani what he must do to be saved. The woman with whom he was living soon followed his example. By my ad^•icc, marriage was solemnized between them soon after : they continued eagerly to em- brace the means of instruction, and were both baptized by the Rev. J. U. Graf, on August 3, 1837 : and this day they dedicated their wliole family, by the same holy ordinances, unto the Lord their God, whom they now ser^e in simplicity of heart. It was a most pleasing sight ; a girl of eight years, another of tour, a l)oy of two, and a little infant of one year, were brought into the congregation of Christ's clnirch. Profound silence prevailed while the service was peri'ormed ; and almost every countenance showed that the case had deeply affectod tlieir minds. May it lead others who live in sin to do the same." w 2 " 402 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Gibraltar chapel, which was only a wooden building, became at this period so crowded with the numbers who attended its services, that many were obliged to turn from its doors ; having vainly sought admittance. This pleasing evidence of improvement was at the same time most distressing to its faithful minister, who also complained of the intense heat of the building, so densely filled with people, while numbers of persons, including many new faces, were every Sunday collected romid the building outside, unable to gain admission. "The Mahommcdans in our neighbourhood," he says, "raise one mosque after another, twice, and three times the size of our chapel, and call from morning to night upon the liberated Afi icans to join in their delusive services ; while those who come to us of their own accord to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to worship God in spirit and in truth, cannot find room." Under these painful circumstances the idea of erecting a larger place of worship occurred to him, and on naming it to the Rev. D. F. Morgan, the Colonial chaplain, that gen- tleman immediately subscribed £3 toward a new chapel ; the Governor, the Chief Justice, and the Hon. II. W. Macaulay gave £5 each. Many of the European residents also contributed, so that Mr. Kissling had soon in his hands upwards of j640, and expected to be able to raise that sum to ^670 by subscriptions in the Colony within a few days, when he said he should look for further aid from home. Mrs. Kissling was in the habit of meeting the female communicants, to the number of from 30 to 40, once a week, to read and converse on one of the gospels. At Kissey the work of the Lord continued to progress ; an extract from the journal of the Rev. C. F. Schlenker, minister, will substan- tiate this statement. " Feb. 8, 1838. — It is very encouraging to see the great attendance on the Lord's day here at Kissey, — there are often more than 1200 present in the morning. I often wish that our friends in England or Germany could see such a congregation in Africa, as I am sure that they would see much more than they would expect. The congregation sing the hjTuns pretty well, especially the children, who are instructed in singing in school ; and as I usually select such hymns as are more or less known to the whole congregation, they join with all their hearts ; all are decently dressed : and if their faces were not black, one would think he was in a village in Germany." Equally satisfactory were the accounts this year from Regent, where a missionary house was in course of erection ; and, towards which, Mr. Weeks hiforms us, his people contributed their services in the most praiseworthy manner. He says : " The communicants and candidates of Regent have rendered me very great assistance, in point of labour for the Society's new house. Tiiey brought up 700 bushels of linu- from Freetown, and 1900 bush- INCREASING VALUE FOR EDUCATION. 403 els of sand from the beach, free of any expense. The distance of Regent from either place is six miles. The day-school is going on very satisfactorily. The children are making considerable progress in the various branches of their instruction. Every year convinces me more and more of the desirableness of separating the infant from the day-school ; but we must wait with patience, until we shall be accom- modated with a school-room for that purpose." The anxiety of parents for the education of their children is pleasing- ly exemplified in the entreaties of a poor woman in behalf of her son, who had been dismissed from the school at Regent for misconduct. The account is from the journal of ^Ir. J. Smith, who must have derived much encouragement from the occurrence happening to him, as it did, soon after his arrival in the Colony : he writes : — " Jan. 8, 1838. I had many applicants again this morning ; among whom was a woman who begged very earnestly that I would take her child into the school : but, by inquiry and reference to the school- list, I found that he had been dismissed by my predecessor ; and hearing, also, that if any child be dismissed for ill-couduet, he could not be re-admitted without paying Is. Id., I refused to take him unless she paid the fine. To which she said : ' Me a poor woman, Massa ; me no get money to pay.' I said, ' No, I cannot take him back, unless you pay the money ;' yet I felt for her, especially when she said, ' He no daddy ; he no money to bviy him shirt ; he but one, Massa.' I told her that I should be glad to put his name in the book, but that she must do as I had told her. To which she answered, in a piteous manner, ' Well, Massa, me go try this week ; me work hard, me try to get the money ; then, Massa, you make his name live in the book ? ' I said, ' Yes ; ' for which she seemed very thankful. — I thought this woman valued the instructions given in our school, and that she was sensible that it would be for his future as well as his pre- sent good. I admitted him the next week, but without the money, because I could not ascertain the true reason why he was chsmissed." The Rev. F. Bidtmann, writing from Bathurst, bears satisfactory testimony to the state of that part of the Missionary field allotted to him, including Bathurst and Charlotte — " It affords me," he says, "pleasure and great satisfaction to be able to state, that there is a continual increase in my congregation, both at Bathurst and Charlotte, and that, with very few exceptions, the communicants of both places have conducted themselves consistently with their profession. Though the increase of Sunday scholars and of candidates for ba})tism is pleasing, yet that of the general attendance at public worship is still more gratifying." The reports from Hastings were not of the same promising character. The Rev. .1. "W. (inif, appointed to minister there, foiuid that much 2 I) 2 4,04 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. uphill work lay before him, and repeated attacks of illness at first greatly interfered with his ministerial duties. The chiu'ch was most numerously attended, but of the schools little could be said, only fifty of the scholars could read the Scriptures ; one hundred were learning the alphabet. An attachment to heathen customs, even among those profess- ing a knowledge of the gospel, naturally j)roved disheartening to their minister. This will appear in an extract from his journal : — "Jan. 20, 1838. This evening I walked out to visit and examine into the state of the people. I began at one end of a street, and visited seven or eight houses in succession ; I cannot say that I was much gratified with the people. Most of them were as ignorant as possible of the Christian religion ; only one appeared to be desirous to know the things that concerned his everlasting peace. About seven o'clock, p. M. I was much startled at hearing a sudden outcry of deep dis- tress in the street ; I was informed that it was some females mourning for an individual who had just died. I was much struck by the man- ner in which their grief was expressed ; and was instantly led to com- pare it to the grief of the Egyptians, as related by INIoses. They instantl}', at the death of the individual, ran out of the house, shriek- ing in the wildest manner ; at the same time running up and down the street, and being also joined by their neighbours and friends. I en- deavoured to speak to them, but their grief was so wild and ungoverna- ble, that I was unable to get them to listen to me. Whenever another friend joined them from a distance, thej' began anew their grief. Thus they continued the whole of the night, until next morning, when the corpse was interred. I was exceedingly sorry afterward, to learn that the principal persons were candidates for baptism, inasmuch as it shows that they still have a love for their heathen customs ; but, doubtless, it is very difficult for them to forget the customs of their fathers." In the death of Mrs. Graf, the Mission lost a faithful and devoted ser- vant. The melancholy event, with its circumstances, is thus recorded by her fellow-voyager, Mrs. Kissling, in a letter, dated March 26, 1838. — " Our beloved sister in Christ, Mrs. Graf, fell asleep in Jesus on the 1 3th of this month, and the following day her remains were de- posited in Kissey churchj'ard, where rest the bodies of many faithful labourers, who have laid down their lives in this part of our heavenly Father's vineyard. It will, I am sure, be interesting to you, to know some particulars concerning our beloved sister. Since their residence at Hastings, her health had appeared to suffer much ; but we all hoped that it might, in some measure, arise from the peculiarity of her situation, and that in short time she would feel better ; but our ways are not as God's ways. About three weeks previously to her illness, we had asked her to Fourah bay, where she came with her now be- reaved husljand, for nearly a- week. During her stay with us, she DEATH OF MRS. GRAF. 405 appeared much better, and coutiuued so for a few days ; but, after that time, unfavourable sypmtoms reappeared, and the evening before the last prayer- meeting, when Mr. Kissliug arrived at Hastings, he saw appearances of fever, which, however, appeared to have subsided the following morning ; but in the evening of that day they returned more decidedly, and from that time there could be no doubt as to the nature of our dear sister's disease. The great distance from Freetown precluded the possibility of Dr. Ferguson seeing her at Hastings ; and he urged her being brought to Freetown. As soon as we knew this, we offered our house, which Mr. Graf accepted : and, after some con- siderable delay about the boats, she arrived on Lord's day morning, about II o'clock, in a most exhausted and enfeebled state ; the doctor arrived soon after, and said that Mrs. Graf was very ill. Her mind wan- dered, this and other unfavourable symptoms increased toward evening, but the following day our hopes were again brightened ; she was more collected, and in the evening about five o'clock, the doctor said that the fever was gone, and that, if her strength would hold out, she would do. Au hour had scarcely elapsed before the other unfavourable symptoms appeared, premature confinement, and from nine o'clock her already much weakened frame gradually sunk, until ten o'clock the following morning, when she left this world of sorrow and sin, and joined, I doubt not, the company which no man can number, who are around the throne. We sorrow, but not as those without hope ; our beloved sister has left behind her a living testimony as to her faith and trust in Him, by whom alone we can be happy in time and in eternity." We cannot better pourtray the character of this excellent woman's mind, than by describing her own expression of the feelings with wliich, at the commencement of the year 1838, she contemplated the career on which she had entered, and thought upon the past and the future. In her journal she says : " Jan. 1. That goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my pilgrimage, ought to be engraven on this heart, with feelings never to be effaced. At the commencement of this year, I find myself brought, by a gracious God and Father in Christ, to Africa's coast — a land where gross darkness, sins described in Romans i. direful sickness, and sudden deatli, ])revail. Still, I feel it my great jirivilege, yea, my cause of rejoichig, to leave my native land and friends of my youth, for His sake, who for mine became poor, that I, through His poverty, might be made rich. When I think of all the Lord's forbearance and long-suffering toward me, under momentary j)ro\ ocations, I am constrauied to say — Lord, who's a ptirdoning God like Thcp y Or who has gnicc so rich, so free.'" CHAPTER XII. INCREASE OF THE POPULATION NEW CHURCHES NATIVE TEACHERS SCHOOLS ARRIVALS DEATHS. DEATHBEDS OF NATIVES. No accession of Missionaries was made to the West Africa Mission in the course of the year 1839, while by death and departures, the losses amounted to six. The case of death, was that of Mrs. Weeks, wife of the Kev. J. W. Weeks, on the 10th of January, after fifteen years faithful service in Africa. The Rev. James F. Schon, and the Rev. Christian F. Schlenker, left the Colony on a visit home, on the 1 7th of March, the Rev. Frederick Biilman embarked the following month with the same object, and ill health compelled Mr. and Mrs. Warburton to return to Europe on the 21st of May. The death of Mrs. Weeks was a severe blow to the Mission. Mr. Warburton calls her ' its eldest and one of its most valuable and most useful members,' and Mr. Kissling raises a monument to her worth, in the following passage of his journal, which far transcends all architectural display : " Jan. 11, 1839. I went to Regent early this morning, to convey to the place appointed for all living, the remains of our departed friend, Mrs. Weeks. The sorrow manifested by hundreds of natives, who were present on the occasion from Regent and the surrounding villages, convinced us of their love and aflFcction, and evidently showed that she had not laboured in vain among them ; but her testimony is on high, where her happy and emancipated spirit is praising, in loud and exalted strains, her God and Saviour. While we do and must deplore the loss of one so long attached to the Missionary work, we would thank God for having spared her among the benighted children of Africa for so many years. She embarked in this work toward the close of the year 1823, and was permitted, almost to the last, (o l)e GREAT ACCESSIONS OF RECAPTURED SLAVES. 407 actively eugagcd in tlie blessed cause, to which she had, for fifteen years, devoted herself. Her work is now done : and we may say of her, ' Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for they rest from their labour, and their works do follow them." ' Mr. Smith who had experienced much kindness at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, thus speaks of the funeral : " It was a day of no common occurrence to me, neither could I bear many such in Africa. The natives held Mrs. Weeks in veneration. It is their practice, when any person whom they respect dies, for a large number of them to attend the funeral ; and on this occasion there was a vast number present, they having come from Hastings, Charlotte, Bathurst, Gloucester, and Freetown. The greater part of them, especially the female communicants of Regent and Gloucester, showed by their actions, more than they could express with their hps, their firm attachment to their departed friend. " The missionaries were at this time particularly embarrassed, by the vast additions which had been made to the population of the Colony. During the preceding three years, not fewer than 1 3,000 recaptured slaves had been registered at Sierra Leone, ' and this,' wrote Mr. Kissling, ' does not include the hundreds, nay, thousands who have been emancipated, but were registered in the West Indies, nor the negroes, upwards of 200, who were brought here a few weeks ago, from the British island of Bahama, and arc now as free as any of their hberated brethren.' ' Such an increase of our population,' he adds, ' has, of course a retrograding influence on the state of cinlization, and the spread of gospel truth in the Colony.' Gibraltar Chapel, of which we have seen Mr. Kissling complaining, as insufficient for the accommodation of the multiplying Sabbath worshippers who frequented it, was blown down by a hurricane, very soon after he announced his intention of endeavoring to erect a more commodious l)uilding ; this startling event was attended with circum- stances of a strikingly providential character, which we trust were blessed to the hearts and consciences of many members of the congre- gation, and of the West Africa Church at large. It is thus related by Mr. Kissling : " The overthrow of the Society's Chajjcl at Gibraltar Town, Free- town, caused no small alarm. The hurricane came on so suddenly, that the children had no time to get out : it shifted from one quarter to another, and brought the building level with the ground wliile nearly 100 children were within it. There was a number of new strong benches in the Chapel, and the children, i)eing thrown on the floor, were by this means preserved from being crushed ; the posts and beams resting on the l)enches, and the children being underneath. What a gracious providence that not one was killed ! — not one even 408 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. seriously wounded ; In the midst of judgment, God remembers mercy!" The overthrow of the old Chapel under such solemn circumstances, no doubt facilitated the work of raising contributions for the erection of a new one ; of course the chief part of the expense ultimately devolved on the Society. Very early in the new year now under review, the new Church was commenced, as we hear from a letter written bv Mr. Kissling, on the 25th of March 1839, in which he says : " On the second of January the foundation-stone of the Mission Church was laid. Almost all the members of the Mission were present, it being the day of our monthly prayer-meeting at Freetown. We first sang a psalm, and then offered up some appropriate collects from the Prayer-Book, imploring the Lord's protection in raising the building, and the manifestation of His power and grace on the soids of those who should worship therein. After this, his Excellency, Gover- nor Doherty, performed the customary ceremony, which was followed by singing another psalm, adapted for the occasion. There was no show or (hsplay whatever. His Excellency returned with us to the house of Mr. Beal, and spent about half an hour in kind and useful conversation." ' This is now,' wrote Mr. Warbuiton, 'the third new Church that has lately been begun at the expense of the Church Missionary Society.' While adverting to Mr. Kissling and his Church, we cannot resist introducing the case of an aged Christian under circumstances calcu- lated to awaken gratitude to God for having sent the gospel to Africa : it is from one of Mr. Kissling's communications during this year : " A Christian friend requested me to call upon a man who had, for a long time, been lingering on a bed of sickness. He is an old re- sident of this Colony, and now suffers excruciating pains from a complaint of which he can hardly expect to be cured. FinrUngthat he spoke the English language very well, I observed that his present sufferings suggested three things to my mind : 1 . That our Lord and Saviour endured much more, when he offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins ; 2. That our afflictions on earth were infinitely less than we had deserved; and, 3. That if their object were obtained, viz. the sanctification of our souls, the j)romised rest in heaven would taste sweeter than if we had not suffered them at all. Here his eyes bright- ened : he raised his furrowed countenance, and said. ' Sir, I believe that God is love : that, in great compassion to our souls. He drew the plan of salvation, and sent His Son into the world in the fulness of tinu'. I believe that Jesus Christ is God : that he became man, and snfi'crcd an ignominious death on the cross, lo atone for our COMMENCEMENT OF A NEW CHURCH. 409 numerous sins. I believe that this book is the Word of God, not only because it speaks of Ilim, but because it is the very word which pro- ceedeth from His mouth, and is the power of salvation unto every one that believeth. And now I look and long for the coming of the Sa- viour, to loose my soul from this body of clay, and take it to Himself. Still, I desire to wait with patience the hour wliich He sees fit.' He now lifted up his hands, and ejaculated, ' Lord ! I am ready to depart.' The power, clearness, and ease, with which he made this confession, quite astonished me. I thought. Here I have to leani, instead of teaching. How little of the hcavenly-mindedness of this poor but happy man do I possess. He lives in a solitary place, almost neglected and forgotten by man, subsisting on the charity of a few friends, Ijdng on a bed of straw, his blessed Bible at his side, and the peace of God in his heart." The Gibraltar school-house, also a small inconvenient building, shared the fate of the Chapel : this it appears proved a triumph to the enemies of scriptural instruction. ' Now ' they exclaimed, ' we see who is right : God has decided the matter.' Mr. Seal's reply to this was, that sometimes it pleased God to bring good out of what was appa- rently evil ; and He for whom this testimony was borne, shortly con- firmed it, for whereas previous to the hurricane there were but 150 children on Mr. Beal's books, owing to the smallness of the school- house, that number was increased on the new school-house being com- pleted to 450. A new Church was also begun at Hastings. The Rev. J. U. Graf, who had been m.ucli afflicted with illness, during the latter part of the preceding year, and in consequence obliged to be absent from his station, gives the following account of the commencement of this good work. " I had the pleasure to lay the foundation-stone of a new place of worship for the Church Missionary Society, in which Divine Service and a school is to be kept. A great number of people had met on tlie spot, with marked interest. The children marched out of their school in order, and placed themselves around the foundation ; then followed the infants, singing one of their little Hymns ; and, after the corner- stone liad been laid, a Hymn was sung by all. After all, both ]K'oj)le and children, liad heartily joined in this Hymn, a collection was made, to wliich the school-children were not the last in contributing ; for their collection, which was made separately, amounted to almost half of that of the adults. " Mr. Graf feeling the inadequacy of mere European exertion to meet the neepssity of a domestic superintendanee of the peojile ronimilted to his care; and witliout wliieli lie knew the duties of a Ciiiistian 410 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. pastor could not be conscientiously fulfilled, either in Europe or in Africa, adopted the plan of appointing district visitors, from among the members of his congregation, upon whose discretion he could rely. He thus describes his mode of proceeding on the occasion : " Having felt long ago, the necessity of some means for rendering the labours of Europeans more extended, and at the same time more energetic, in this populous place, where one or two Europeans are utterly unable to visit all the houses of the natives, I began this year with the appointment of thirteen men and four women, chosen from the most consistent members of the Church, as District Visitors, to whom separate districts of St. Thomas's Parish were assigned, for the purpose of inducing their respective inhabitants, by frequent a isits, and by such means as they might find best suited to their countrymen, to avail themselves of the public means of grace. From time to time I meet these visitors, when they give me some account of what they have done, and of the success or disappointments with which they have met. Time will show the expediency or inexpediency of this plan ; but I am happy to say, that, during the past quarter, it has proved greatly beneficial in bringing many under the sound of the Gospel who hitherto wanted to be stirred up, rather than persuaded to it by argument." "January 16, 1839. I met the District Visitors for the first time, and gathered from them a good deal of information. The following are some of their remarks : 1 . The people generally promise to come to Church by and bye — not unlike Felix of old. 2. Some promised to attend on the means of grace with the opening of the new Church ; to which the Visitors replied, that it might then be too late for them. 3. Others wanted some time to make up their minds whether they should go to Church or not. 4. One man said that he was far too old now : it was not worth while for him to begin to go to Church now. 5. Some said that they had often made up their minds to go to Church, but Satan had always prevented them from going. 6. A notorious drunkard said it was of no use for him to go to Church, because no- body gave him any thing to drink there. 7. One man, a superstitious idolater, related that he had, one Lord's day, been on his way to Church ; but having met the favourite snake which he is accustomed to worship and to call to his house by charms, he had taken it as a bad omen, and returned home. 8. A man was asked why he had not his child baptized ; and answered, because he had heard that children who were baptized died sooner than others. I was highly pleased with the seasonable and just answers which the Visitors had given to those whom they had visited." From the success of this i>lan it was fully proved, if proof was necessary, that native Christians liad the requisite ability to be made DEATH OF NATIVE HELPERS, 411 useful to their countiymeu whenever the time arrived that their judg- ments were sufficiently matured, and their Christian character estab- lished ; so that they could be placed without danger in the responsible position of witnesses for the truth and holiness of God in the midst of heathenish superstition and licentiousness. That such a consummation was, in the good providence of God, to be arrived at, was evident, from the proofs of solid judgment and sincere piety exhibited by some of the native teachers, who were found truly valuable helps. There were now twenty students in the Christian Institution, nearly half of whom consisted, it was said, of young men of steady conduct, and there was every prospect of preparing useful and devoted native assistants for the mission. No circumstance connected with this Mission, we conceive, is so promising as the successful em])loymcnt of natives m carrying out its Christian objects. Mention is made in the communications of the Missionaries during the present year., of the removal by death of two native helpers, which they lament in terms that shew how highly they were appreciated as fellow-workers in the cause. Mr. Weeks reports both cases as follows : " One of our helpers at Regent had, of late, been greatly afflicted. I visited him several times during his illness. On one occasion, which I shall not soon forget, when I entered his yard unperceived, I found that he was engaged with his class, with his Bible on his knees — weak and feeble aud worn-out as he appeared to me — making a few practical remarks. He observed, as I entered at one end of the piazza, ' Thus you see, my brethren, that if we be bom again we are new creatures, and every body will know it ; not because we are communicants, but because we are true Christians ; for all tlie words that come out of our mouth will l)e clean ; they will be right words. So, also, when we buy or sell any thing, or whatever we do, we shall try to do it in the right way. I know it is not by our own power, but by God's power we shall act so.' I endeavoured to improve this opportunity, by making a few obser\ations on the importance of serving the Lord fully when in health and strength ; then sickness and death would prove a blessing. Before I left, he said, ' There are two men of my class who do not meet with us regularly. I fear \cry much that they are getting careless. I wish you would speak to them ; I think they would then attend better.' A few days before his death, when I saw him for the last time, he could scarcely sit up. When I entered his room, he said, ' O master, I did not think I should ever see you again in this world : three days since, I thought I was going to my Father in Heaven ; I now think it will not be very long before my Blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ, will take me away from this very wicked world. I was glad too much when I saw your new house getting on so fast. I said, Our Master will soon be with us altogether : but now I think when you 412 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. come from Glo'ster to live in that house, I shall not be here. Well, all my trust is upon Jesus Christ.' I commended him in prayer to the protection and blessing of God. He has been a useful helper to the Church for upward of thirteen years ; and I now find it a difficult matter to supply his place. " Another of our helpers has been removed from us by death, after only a few days illness, leaving a wife and a large family. He has faithfully discharged his duties towards those over whom he was re- quested to watch, for the last fourteen years. We are again placed in difficulty as to supplying his place. The duty of a helper is to watch with care over twenty-five or thirty communicants ; to report any irregularity in their conduct ; to meet them once a week for social prayer ; to converse on religious subjects ; to relate what they re- member of the Sermons of the preceding Lord's Day ; inform the Missionary if any one is taken ill ; and to visit their country people, and invite them to come to Church. Many of those persons who are now candidates for Christian baptism were first stirred up by this helper, who, I doubt not, is now in glory. Such men are indeed valuable auxiliaries to Missionary labourers." In addition to what has been said above of the public usefulness of these assistants, it is gratifying to know that they did not neglect to shew piety at home. A circumstance mentioned by Mr. Weeks in a subsequent part of his journal, will prove this. He says : "Two youths came to me this morning ; one Colony-born, the other a liberated African: both of them were formerly my scholars. The Colony-born youth is a son of one of the helpers, who died a few weeks since. I doubt not that he has been the child of many earnest prayers ; and now that his father no longer lives to advise, warn, and reprove him, I trust his prayers will be answered. He said, ' I have sinned much, very much, against God ; have refused to listen to all the kind entreaties of my dear father ; and now I am afraid I shall die and perish in my sins. I felt my dear father's death very much : he was removed from us very unexpectedly : so that trouble of body and mind have come upon me both together, and I know not what to do, nor where to go. My friends, seeing me in such great trouble, said to me, ' You should go and join God's people, and serve God, and beg of the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you all your sins, and then you will get ease from this trouble.' I think they are right ; and therefore come to you to learn to love and serve God.' " Contrast with this, the following uistance of parental neglect and its consequences, as proving that the want of home discipline and cx- amj)le camiot be compensated for by any amount of instruction, publir SCRIPTURE READING MEETINGS. 413 or private, out of doors. We quote from the journal of Mr. H. P. Stedman, catechist to the Rev. C. F. Schlenker, at Kissey : " Being out visiting the people, I found one girl who was educated in the Society's school, but having grown up, discontinued to attend ; and being under the care of parents, who were, as far as I could learn, idolaters, the girl was allowed to do as she pleased ; and having no one to teach her to carrj' out those instructions at home, which she had impressed on her while in school, she became as insensible to the duty which she owed to her God as her parents, who never had the like opportunities. The Bible, which was purchased during her stay in school, was laid by, and its commands and precepts almost forgotten ; so much so, that, upon questioning her, it was with difficulty that I could obtain the most simple answers. Here is an instance of a favourite expression of the natives — ' If the father and mother belong for do bad, their children must do the same.' These things are pain- ful to every sincere labourer of the Lord ; for once he had hoped that the early seed would spring up, and bear fruit in riper years. But though this is one instance of this kind, yet I do hope that there are many of a counter kind." The native visitors or Scripture readers, as they may be called, soon found it profitable to assemble at stated times, and in different places, as many of the careless and indifferent, as they could, to consult the word of God, and engage in other spiritual exercises. The Missionaries regarded these meetings with much interest ; they were often attended by as many as thirty, who assembled for the sole purpose, as them- selves expressed it, of hearing ' God palaver ; ' and as they were always held in the evening, the Missionaries often sat quietly at the back of the huts where these native enquirers were assembled, to hear what was going on within, when they were delighted with the figurative sim- plicity of the language with which the Scripture reader pressed home to the hearts of his hearers, the most important truths of the word of God ; many awakenings occurred in consequence of those meetings ; heathenism was rejected, and numbers expressed themselves desirous to become candidates for baptism. "These meetings," said Mr. Stedman, " 1 have long l)ei'n [)ersuaded, form the very ground on which the prosjx'rity of this station (Kissey) exists." Through the medium of Infant Schools, the good seed was planted in the hearts of children, at least, as soon as the enemy usually begins to sow tares. Mr. Payton, catechist to the Rev. J. U. Graf, gives us a specimen of the work that may be carried on in the tenderest minds — of course such replies as he received from the children to whom he refers, are the result of a system of training almost mechanical, but the mind receives furniture — the use of wliieb will be subsecjuently discovered. 414 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " The following," says Mr. Payton, " are some of the questions which I asked the children, and the answers which they gave me : Q. ' My dear cliildren, can you teU me what God is ? ' A. ' God is a Spirit.'— Q. ' ^^^lat else is God ? ' A. ' God is love.'— Q. ' Can you tell me what God is said to be, besides a Spirit and love ? ' A. ' God is light.' — Q. ' Is God called by any other character in the Bible ?' A. • Yes ; God is a rock.' — Q. ' Which of you httle boys or girls can tell me how it is that we know that God is love ? ' One little boy, about seven years old, answered, 'Because he gives me something to cat.' " The spiritual improvement of the more grown children, was also highly satisfactory. Among them the knowledge of divine things was not unfrequently found to be the savour of life unto life. Another ex- tract from ]Mr. Payton's journal will confirm this : " Feb. 15. This day my miud has been very much refreshed, in meeting some of the best-behaved children of our day-school ; who, after school, meet three days in the week for the purpose of reading that delightful little work, the 'Young Cottager,' written by Legh Richmond. I entreated these little ones, who were gathered around me, to follow the example of that good little girl about whom they were reading ; telling them that the same Almighty Saviour who heard and answered the prayers of that little girl is able and willing to re- ceive the young of his fold now, who come to him under the same im- pressions and humbling views of themselves, as little Jane did. ' But, my dear children,' I continued, ' I am afraid that you never pray ; that you never thank God for the gift of his dear Son, who came into the world to save little children.' One girl, about twelve years old, in- terrupted me, bursting into tears, ' I do pray, I do pray, sir, in my poor way.' All present appeared to be much affected. I said to the girl. To whom do you pray } ' To the Saviour, sir,' she replied — ' And for what do you pray ? ' I asked her. She replied, ' That the Lord would make me a better girl, and give me a better heart.' — I put many other questions of the same nature to this girl, and the other children. The scene was truly affecting and delightful." In reference to the schools throughout the Colony in connexion with the Mission, the Society had no reason to feel dissatisfied witli what had been done, and it was to them especially that the faithful men who laboured on the spot, and who yet were far from neglecting the direct duty of a Christian Missionary, namely to preach the gospel to all, looked for the ultimate prostration of heathenism, and the general ac- ceptance of the religion of the cross in Africa. On this subject Mr. Kissling says : " We look to the children of the liberated Africans with much in- terest and concern. They form the rising generation in Sierra Leone. It is therefore of the utmost importance to acquaint them early with LITURGICAL EXERCISES. 415 the blessed truths of the Gospel, and to instil into their minds the principles of civilization. They are also more capable of receiving instruction, as they understand and speak the English language much better than their parents. In the year 1836, the number of such children, with a few liberated Africans, under our daily instruction, was 1/65 : in the year 183", they amounted to 2034. Two new schools have since been opened ; one at Waterloo, and the other at Kent : and there are now, in 1838, no fewer than 2530 children attending our day-schools." The ^lissionaries took care that the value of our incomparable Church Liturgy should be early impressed on the minds of the children, from whom they required that service, so much neglected by those on whom it devolves ; viz. engaging in the responses at public worship ; and to this end they most properly made it a part of the school busmess that the children should be prepared for the performance of this duty in a correct and solemn manner. Mr. Warburton, catechist at Bathurst and Charlotte, thus explains his mode of proceeding : — ' ' After opening school, I caused the whole of the scholars to repeat the responses of the Liturgy in a soft tone of voice, in order to correct a habit of too loudly repeating them in the time of Divine Service. This they did without the aid of a book ; and many who joined in them could not read, having learnt them by constant attendance at church. I was stnick with the important fact of so much good seed being de- posited in the minds of these dear children. What good fruit may we not expect, if the Holy Spirit be pleased to give a vital influence to the doctrine contained in this form of sound words ? If conviction of sin be produced in the heart, what a guide to a Throne of Grace, and to acquaintance with God, will it prove !" The Sunday schools continued to contribute in a most important degree to the general success of the Mission. " Our Sunday school," writes one of the catechists, " is in a most prosperous condition. I have received ninety-seven adults and appren- tices into it during the past quarter, the majority of whom had never been under any Christian instruction previous to their entering the Sunday school. I rejoice to see the proficiency which some of the })eoplc make in reading ; one poor woman, fifty years of age, whom I received two months ago into the school, knew not a letter of the Alphabet when I first admitted her; but now she can read the Primer well, and will shortly l)e able to rcaisly pro- vided for them. The argument, by way of apology for the neglect of Lord's day and the concerns of their souls, was their extreme poverty, and the cares of the world. 'Tlie poorness of our apparel,' said they, ' keeps us from the house of God on the Lord's day, and our constant labour engages our time in the week ; so we find no time for these things.' 1 showed them how insuflicient these excuses were iu the 454 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. sight of God, and told them that the most humble garment was not too poor to go to the house of God in, on the Lord's days. After some further conversation on the subject, they promised to come to our Church and Sunday School." The last example we shall adduce, is from the journal of Matthew Blakiston, native district-visitor of Kissey : " October 30. On Lord's day morning I called at a house : where I met three men, a woman, and some children, to whom I thus spake : — ' Good morning, family, good morning ! you making ready to go to Church ? ' The master of the house said, ' Me no belong to Church ; me no can go there.' — The people who do not belong to Church now, they no can go to Church afterward. "What make you cannot go to Church ? ' Every child live iu his father's house. If you cannot go to God's house, you forget ; you think there is no God.' ' I remember God when I eat, or work, or Uve in my house. Visitor. ^\Tiat make you coming here ? ' 'I know you live here, and I love you. Suppose you remember God and Jesus Christ, you should go to God's house. Suppose you go die to-day, you go to hell r — you wicked man.' 'AMio tell you me wicked — if me die, me go to hell ? ' — ' Stop, friend I the Bible tell you ; not I. Look at Psalm ix. 17 : The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.' ' Me no wicked.' I turned to Rom. iii. 10, 11. There is none righteous ; no, not one, &c. ' You have little children ; you are troubled with them ; you feed them. But the children grow, and never come to your house ; what vou call those children ? ' ' Bad.' — ' So are vou. God made vou, and gave you every tiling ; and you say you cannot come to Him. Take care ! If you forget God, God will forget you also. Siuiday is the Lord's day. Suppose a man give you one dollar, and tell you eat this; and he give you again one farthing, and say, keep this farthing for me ; and you eat both the dollar aud the farthhig ; what would you be ? ' A thief.' — ' So you do. God give you six days to work ; and he only takes one day for himself, that we should go to Church and hear his word ; and you say, ' I cannot go to Church." The family likeness to which we refer is happily not less manifest in the oneness of the Spirit's operations upon hearts throbbing beneath white or sable bosoms. This fact we believe has been already abund- antly exempUfi^d. We cannot however resist introducing one or two corroborative instances here. The first is from Mr. Beal's journal : " May 11, 1841. Mrs. Bcal and myself visited the man named iu my last Quarter's Journal as one of the worst heathens in the town, but who had been led to me to inquire after his soul's salvation. He was very glad to see us, as he always is ; and welcomed us by placing at his door a little stool. I said, ' Well, how do you get on now V ' Oh, Massa I ' he replied, ' I Uve upon Him, I live for try.' — ' What ! you CONTENTED PIETY. 455 are not tired of God's way ? You can leave all your countrj'-fasliion.' ' Oh yes, Massa ! Ah I no business with country-fashion again, no more ! Me poor blind ; me no sabby, [know] me no sabby our Father self.' — I said. True, you do not know much ; but God is able and wilUng to teach you : and though you cannot read, yet he can make you feel, and know how to do His will ; and by and bye you will learn more. 'Ah! heary,' [understand] he answered; 'I hope so.' This man is a wonder to many ; even the oldest members of our Church can hardly believe that he is in earnest : yet he has hitherto proved his sinceritj', by loving the place where prayer is wont to be made. " During the quarter, I have paid particular attention to the remaining few of this class of heathens residing at Charlotte ; and have reason to believe that one of the most staunch supporters of this falling sect will ere long, become a worshipper of the true God. His wife has only been twice to the house of God since coming to Sierra Leone, a period of more than twenty years ; and it is remarkable that, on both these occasions, she was carried from the church apparently in a lifeless state. This, they said, made them think ' white man's fasliion ' would not do for them, and so they followed their fathers' way. I endeavoured to shew them their error, and to make them sensible of the opposition of the Wicked one to that which is good ; entreating them to cast off his cruel yoke, and to take that of Jesus, which is easy, and his burden light. The man thanked me, and said, with a dejected look, * You give me good warning, Massa ; ' at wliich I was not a little surprised. I left him to reflect on what I had said, praying that God would open his heart to receive the truth." Matthew Blackiston before quoted, supplies another. He writes : " March 13. 1841. A female candidate for baptism being very sick, and unable to attend the means of grace, I visited her frequently, and read to her portions of Scripture. She is very poor, having neither cloth nor food ; but I never heard her complain of want of food or raiment. She only spoke much of the love of God to sinners, and of the Saviour's love to sinners. She once said, ' I thankful for bringing me this country, to hear this word.' She had no bench to sit on ; and when I went to see her, she would say, ' Oh, brother you come ; no bench for you to sit on.' I replied. Never mind my dear sister, I will sit any where. — She is poor ; but she loves the Sa- viour : he was her food — her cloth. She was always content, because she believed that the Saviour would come and take her from this sinful world. When I last visited iier, she was very ill. I asked her, If you die to-day, which way do you think you will go ? She replied, ' I will go to my Father.' — Who is your Father ? ' Jesus Christ. I am a poor sinner; but Jesus will save me l)y his power.' I read to her 1U\ . iii- 456 CHURCH illSSION IN SIERRA LEONE. 3 — 12 ; and then prayed with her. May some men or women, read- ing the character of this child of God, say, Let my last end be like this ! " We cannot multiply cases, although many urge themselves on our attention, but the following must not be passed over ; they are related by the Rev. J. Warburton : " March 4, 1842. This evening I visited a poor sick man, who said to me, ' God is faithful to poor sinners : His goodness and mercy to a poor dying soul like me, who these nineteen years in bed. My hands and my feet are useless, by reason of sores. Wliat pleasure have I now in the world that I should put my trust ? for I have no pleasure in my feet, I cannot walk upon them ; neither in my hands, for I cannot handle : also my neighbours, they have no pleasure in me ; except God and His people, whom He sent time after time to tell me of Jesus . I thank God for sending His people to teach me the way of Heaven.' And he said, ' What the Bible says is quite true, that a father will forsake his children, and a friend will forsake his friends in times of trouble ; but God will never leave nor forsake His own. This is my hope and comfort in my distress.' May the Lord continue to increase his faith unto the end of his life ! " " March 5. This evening a woman came to me, and said, ' My heart is quite heavy with trouble, when I remember the goodness of God to we poor African sinners, especially in this Colony of Sierra Leone. God has done great things for them. God gave His people willing minds to leave their fathers and mothers, and all their good friends in their country, and come over to us to teach us the way to Heaven. But when I saw how many are taken away by death, it trouble me very much. Woe will be unto me at the Last Day, if I do not believe what they preached to me ; for the very words which they preach will be a witness against me ! " " Oct. 13. This evening I visited a poor blind man, whom I found weeping. I said to him, ' Friend, what grieves you ? ' He replied, * Ah, my friend ! my trouble is too great for me to bear. You see I have only one hand. My right hand was cut off by the doctor, through sickness : and seven years after I became blind. Again this year, my wife, who was as eyes and hands to me — this week will be three weeks since — she gone away from my house, and gone to live with a man in Freetown. Yes, although my wife forsake me, my Jesus will never leave me nor forsake me ; ' Oh, may the Lord dwell within him, bearing witness with his spirit that he is a child of God I " It was very common for young men especially, to come to one or other of the Missionaries, to request an ox])lanation of some text or passage in the Bible, that presented ditiiculties to their minds in the A CASE OF CONSCIENCE. 457 course of their private study ; and it was observable that these diffi- culties were such as have usually occurred, at first to all serious readers of the sacred volume : for example, Mr. Bultmami mentions the case of one of his candidates for baptism at Hastings, commg to him to ask several questions, such as, why the man of God who came from Judah to testify against king Jeroboam's idolatry was so severely punished : why Nebuchadnezzar was condemned to live with the beasts of the field. Who was Melchizedek, &c. Among others the Rev. N. C. Haastrup had his enquirers at Regent. One case which he records, possesses such peculiar interest from the nature of the subject proposed for inquirj^ that we shall present it to the reader at length. May the explanation eUcited, prove satisfactory to many : "Regent — Oct. 31, 1841. After service, a pious young man came to ask me a question concerning the sin against the Holy Ghost, to which allusion had been made in my sermon. He had always believed that God was able to save to the uttermost, and that the sacrifice of Christ was sufficient for all the sins of the world ; and therefore he could not understand what sin this must be which God could not forgive. I endeavoured to confirm him in his opinion, that God is certainly able to save to the uttermost — and that, under the Gospel Dispensation, all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses — and to show him, that without repentance and faith in Jesus Christ no sin could be pardoned — and that those, therefore, who despise the salvation which God has provided for us, through the blood of His dear Son, and who, against the conviction of their own consciences, ascribe the sanctifpng infiuences of the Holy Spirit to the power of Satan, must die in their sins ; because they reject the only means of life — and that, if those who despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanc- tified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of Grace. " Conceiving the young man to be apprehensive of having, perhaps, committed the unpardonable sin himself, I sought to remove such fears, by showing that those who indeed have been guilty of this sin arc too blind, impenitent, and lianlcned, to feel sorrow on that account ; and that therefore those who arc troubled in this res])ect may consider it as an evidence that they have not been guilty of such sin. But that, on the other hand, such serious i)assages as the one in question shoidd excite us to more earnestness, and to working out our salvation with fear and trembling ; knowing, that if we sin wil- 458 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. full)- after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there rcmaiueth no more sacrifice for sins." The effect of missionary meetings at the different Stations, to represent the progress of the gospel throughout the world, was often manifested in a most gratifying way, for instance Mr. Peyton who laboured at Freetown, under the Rev. E. Jones, relates an occurrence emanating from such a meeting, full of promise to the future welfare of Africa. He says : " Aug. 5. This morning, a man came to my house, and said ' Master, I come to your Missionary meeting last Monday night, and me understand plenty that was said ; but one thing me no understand good. One person said, that every true Christian who could read the Bible, and knew about the Saviour, ought to become a Missionary to his own countrymen who live in bad way and no come to House of God. This is the thing that me no understand good : me no know how I can be a missionary.' I told him that a Christian missionary was one sent to make known the religion of Jesus Christ. ' Now,' I said, ' if you have experienced the power of the Gospel in your own heart, you can, in many ways, make known to your country people that rehgion which you have heard and seen and felt.' — The man replied, * I beg you. Master, to tell me how me can do it.' I said, ' One way in wliich you may do good, under the Divine Blessing, to the souls of your fellowmen, is, by conversation with them on religion. You can tell them what a dear Saviour you have found ; point out to them the sin of idolatry ; invite them to come with you to the house of God on Lord's days ; tell them of the Saviour's power and willingness to save returning sinners ; and, when you have oppor- tunity, go to their houses, and read the word of God to them. Thus, in a certain sense, you may become a Missionary to your country- people.' — In the warmest terms, the man expressed his thanks, and assured me that he would, so far as he was able, attend to the plan recommended to him. He continued, ' Many of my country-peoj)le, I fear, will not hear me, nor do the things I tell them.' ' Be assured my friend,' I said, ' if all your endeavours should appear to be unproductive of good, one blesshig you will have, as the result of your services — God will not forget your work of faith and labour of love ; and it will be no small consolation to you in a dyiug hour, to think that your own soul is free from your countrymen's blood, because, when you saw tliem in danger, you gave them warning." The Rev. F. Bultmann in referring to his proceedings at Kent, introduces such a testimony to the regenerating i)ower of divine truth, over the natural selfishness and \ indictivcnoss of the human heart, as CHRISTIAN RETALIATION. 459 must prove most refreshing to all the lovers of missionary enterprize. He says : " I have pleasure in being able to state, that the congregation is continually increasing in numbers, and growing in importance. Not a few of the people are sincere inquirers after truth ; and there are others, of established Christian character, who, I can confidently affirm, have imbibed the spirit and exercise the principles of the Gospel. Some few, with unquestionable sincerity, have expressed their ardent desire to proclaim the wonders of a Saviour's love to their benighted countrymen. Indeed, one of the communicants declared to me, last night, that, next to seeing and speaking to his own parents, who most probably were not alive, his principal motive for wishing to go back to his country was to see the man who first tied the chain round his neck, and sold him as a slave ; and to tell hirn, that he had not only no malice whatever in his heart against him, but that for the infinite good which he had, by that cruel act, unwittingly entailed upon him, he had come to return him his warmest thanks, and would do all in his power to make him enjoy those blessings which had been, through God's mercy, conferred upon himself. After depicting, with the utmost calmness and moderation, the really cruel circumstances connected with his first capture — how his young limbs (for he was then a boy) were fettered with chains, which were tied not only round his neck and waist, but on his feet and hands likewise ; and how, after that, he was violently torn away from the last of his little sisters, whom he ardently loved — he declared, and his declaration 1 believe to be quite true, that now his pity for that man who had thus cruelly treated him was so great, and his desire for his salvation so ardent, that sometimes, when occupied with these thoughts, he could not sleep for whole nights ; but being unable to do more, he felt constrained to make his requests known to God, by in- terceding for the man in prayer." No wonder that Christian youths enjoying themselves the blessings of pure religion, and remembering all the horrors of heathenism, from which they had been rescued, should meditate with deep regret on the degraded and ruined condition of their parents and friends at home ; especially when sufficient remnants of Satan's supremacy still existed in the Colony, to remind them of what tiiey had been, and awaken their admiration of that (iracc, which had made them what they were. Such facts as tiu- Ibllowing, which Mr. lieal relates, were eminently calculated to make them tlunikful, and keep their spirits low : — " Jime 28. An appalling circumstance occurred to-day. A man and his wife, foniu'dy wor^liippers of the God of tlnuider, l)ul the 4G0 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. wife lately a candidate of our Church at Charlotte, a few months ago removed to a part of Freetown, where this form of heathenism is most licentiously carried on, and where, no doubt, they anticipated follow- ing their hearts' desire without interruption, which they cannot do so well in a village. During a severe storm of thmider and lightning, the electric fluid was permitted to strike their dwelling, depriving them of life, and consuming their house. As it happened in the night, in all probability they were asleep at the time, and were made, I fear, monuments of His wrath, who has said, ' He that, being often re- proved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. " ' Well might the Christian natives feel attached to the godly men, who were instrumental in rescuing them from so deplorable a fate, and rejoice in every accession to the Missionary staff. This was one of those consolations in the midst of danger and discouragement, to a considerable extent, with which the Lord favoured His righteous servants. Many proofs of native attachment to the missionaries, might be produced, perhaps the following from Mr. Beal's journal, will suffice for the present : " Dec. 4. — The monthly prayer-meeting being at Kent, we thought it advisable to spend a few days there, being still unwell. While there, we were much rejoiced to hear that a fresh band of missionary labourers had arrived, to strengthen our hands. We left Kent yes- terday, and reached home this morning. We were heartily welcomed by our people, many of whom came to our house, and thus expressed their pleasure at our return : — ' Massa stay long. Misses stay long, this time,' &c. We were only absent seven days. All were ready to tell us that ' plenty missionaries come.' One observed, 'Ah, white man he no fear dead (death) like black : if he see danger so, he can't go ; but white, this come he die ; t'other come again. Ah, true, white he love we poor black too much. I hoj)e God will sj)are them life ! ' Another said, when gathering a few pence for the Society, and one or two began to make some demur, ' What ! you go grudge two or three copper ? Society send missionary here many year to we. Mr. Renner come, he die ; Mr. Gerber come, he die ; Mr. Davey come, he die ; Mr. Bates come, he die ; and plenty more for we.' With a great deal of energy, ' What you can think about ! Black can do this fashion ? we can send we child — he die : we can send t'oder one again } No, neber ! ' " As an additional proof of the estimation in which the efforts of the Society were held, the sum of £87 : IG : 5. was this year remitted to England from the Sierra Leone Church Missionary Association. Mr. T. Peyton says in his Journal under date of August 14th, " I went out this morning to collect subscrij)tions for the Society ; and in four DEATH OF SEVERAL MISSIONARIES. 461 hours received £lo : 15 : 6. I was highly pleased with the readiness of the most oppulent of the natives to support our labours by their contributions." On the 1st of November he reported that he had already collected £25 for the next year. The " Prince Albert " steamer, one of the vessels included in the Niger expedition, arrived at Sierra Leone on the 24th of June, and the two others, the "Wellington" and "Soudan" shortly afterward. As we shall have occasion to advert to this event more at large on a future occasion, we shall content ourselves with announcing it here. We are now called to the painful, yet in one sense, pleasing task of inserting a few particulars connected with the last moments of those laborers in the raieyard, whom the Lord called this year that He might " give them their hire." The first called was Mrs. Young, wife of Mr. W. Young, catechist of Waterloo. On the 2nd of March, she was j)rematurely confined, and continued gradually to lose strength up to the 1 7th, when she died. Her friends bore witness of her that she was endowed with " the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit," and that the Society lost in her one of its most useful servants, and the people a most kind friend. The second summons was addressed to Mrs. Schmid, wife of the Rev. D. II. Schmid, who arrived with her husband in the Colony on the 12th of January, 1841, and departed to her rest on the 7th of July following. The circumstances of her death have been recorded by the Rev. C. F. Schlenkcr, from whose journal we shall make such extracts as our limits will allow. " July 4. — While our dear sister was suffering great pain, she ex- claimed, ' O, dear Saviour I is it not yet enough '! I cau no longer bear it.' At another time she said, ' It is a proof that God loves me ; but we are frail creatures, and cannot bear much. May it please the Lord to grant me but one quiet hour before my departure, that I may pass into eternity with a composed mind ! ' Shortly after, she observed to me, ' Dear brother, when I die, my husband will be in a situation similar to your own : you can then sympathize with him, and comfort him. After a little while, she said, 'Thou, O Lord, knowest what is enough for me : thou wilt help me, whether living or dying : thou hast already succoured me so many times.' " July 5. — Toward the morning, Mrs. Schmid said, 'I thought I should not again see the Lord's Day below ; but the Lord sees fit that I should suffer a little longer. Well, it is good : may He only enable me to bear it jjatiently ! Into thy hands, O Father, I commit my spirit ; for Thou hast redeemed me.' When I asked her, ' I suppose you will not regret having come to Africa, though the Lord sliould take you hence so soon '! ' she rc])lied : ' Oh no ! my lot has been 462 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. tliTit which I could most have desired : I am very thankful that the Lord has led me here.' "July 7. — Yesterday evening our dear sister's fever increased, and she became partially delirious. About one o'clock in the morning, four hours before her death, she sang, Mith a loud and melodious voice, the first verse of a German hymn, which, if translated into English, would be nearly as follows : — To me to live is Christ, To die is gain for me ; My anxious spirit longs The Friend above to see. Gladly the world I leave ; To all, I bid farewell : With Christ, in endless bliss, Soon, soon, I hope to dwell. " Shortly after we could perceive that her dissolution was at hand. She seemed to be quite insensible. About a quarter before six in the morning her happy spirit took its flight to those mansions of the Blessed, where there is no more pain nor sorrow, but where everlasting joy shall be upon their head. Her end could hardly be perceived : it Mas only from the pulse that we ascertained she was no more. The remains of our departed sister were interred in Kissey, according to her own wish, near those of my own late beloved partner, waiting for the joyful resurrection unto eternal life." Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds were among those laborers who arrived in the Colony on the first of December. They had both suffered much from illness during the voyage ; and, on the 1 8th, Mr. Reynolds, in looking after goods which were being landed, exposed himself to the heat of the sun for some hours, which brought on fever : he was at first at- tended by Mr. Ilott, who had received a medical education, and after- wards by Mr. Fergnsson, the experienced colonial practitioner : the sequel may be told in the words of Mr. J. Peyton. " On Lord's Day, the 26th he became quite delirious, and continued so all day. At night, death seemed to be fast approaching ; and three persons sat up with him. On the following morning, about 8 o'clock, he appeared to be sensible ; and, as I sat by his bed-side, I said to him, ' Mr. Reynolds, I believe you will soon die.' He replied, ' I think so too.' I asked him if he was happy in the prospect of death. He answered, ' Happy, quite happy ! ' I inquired, ' In whom do you trust for the pardon of your sins, and acceptance with God ? ' He said, in a low tone of voice, being so weak, ' Li the Saviour, Jesus Christ.' After this he was insensible till half-past 1 1 o'clock, when he breathed his last. Mrs. Reynolds, in an adjoining room, was ex- tremely ill ; but a few hours before her husband's death, she was most TIMMANEE MISSION. 463 anxious to see him once more in this world. When carried to his room, she spoke to him most affectionately, desiring him to con- fide in Christ ; and having embraced him many times, she took her last farewell of him in this world. The scene was most affecting ; and made an impression on my mind not easily to be erased, Mr. Rey- nolds died on the 27th of December, at half-past eleven o'clock a.m. ; and was interred in the new burjung-ground, Freetown. This pious and affectionate couple were not long divided, Mr. Peyton proceeds to say — " Mrs. Reynolds continued daily to get worse. Mr. Ilott remained with her the whole time ; and Mr. Fergusson saw her three times a-day. Her extreme fever produced miscarriage at two o'clock in the morning of the 30th, when she began to sink very fast, and on the following morn- ing at a quarter to three o'clock, she left this for a better world, where there is no more sickness, and no more death. Both Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, during their illness, were submissive to the will of God. Mrs. Reynolds's fortitude of mind, and resignation to the will of her Heavenly Father, were most gratifying to all who saw her." TIMMANEE MISSION. Tlie Rev. C. F. Schlenker thus describes the Missionary field and the position occupied by the settlement : — "Jan. 28, 1841. The united population of these towns is about 2500. There is what is called Old Port Lokkoh, Port Lokkoh pro- perly so called, Robatt, and Santugo ; but all these nearly join, and may be considered as one town. We have a large field of labour open before us. "April 1. The ground measures about 600 feet by 400. Our school-house is nearly in the centre of it ; and the three dwelling- houses for Europeans are in a straight line on the top of the hill ; so that there is a considerable space between each of them. The public roads, which pass along our land on the right and on the left, meet, a short distance behind our ground, in one road, which leads into the interior, to the Foulah country, &c. From hence to Macbelih, by land, is one day's journey." We subjoin a summary of the labors, difficulties and progress of this mission during the January 1841, from the pen of Mr. Denton, Catcchist : " The question naturally arises. What are the residts of your first year's labours in the new Mission about it. Upon talking with them, I found that they were not afraid of losing their sons, but, as they expressed themselves, they did not want their children to be taken out of the missionaries' hands. However, when I told them that they would b(> helping forward the work of God i)y (his sacrifice, ami tliat their sons would lie under flie 472 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. care of the Missionaries and schoolmasters going with the Expedition, several hastened to Freetown, and offered their sons to the Captains ; and two from Bathurst, and four from other Stations, were selected. The natives were allowed the gratification of looking over the steamers ; and great numbers availed themselves of the permission, notwith- standing they had to pay for boats to convey them. While on board, I saw a number, who had never seen any thing of the kind before, examining the machinery connected with the engines. Nothing could exceed the surprise and delight with which they viewed this, to Africans, more than human work. They broke out in continued ex- clamations : ' Ah, White man he sabby past all ! ' ' "WTiite man he sabby something, for true ; ' One of our schoolmasters said to me, ' This looks like God's work : I never see such thing like this." The Expedition left Sierra Leone on the 2nd of July, taking with it upwards of twenty persons connected with the Church Missionary Society, including the Rev. J. F. Schon, Samuel Crowther, catechist, Thomas King, schoolmaster, and six boys, monitors from the Society's schools ; besides the interpreters mentioned, many of whom were members of the Church. The Rev. J. F. Schon first embarked on board the ' Albert,' but he was afterwards transferred to the ' Wil- berforce.' Mr. Crowther sailed in the ' Soudan.' The Expedition after visiting the African settlements of Liberia and Greenwell, Cape Coast Castle,* and English Accra, arrived at the mouth of the River Nun on the 9th and 1 0th of August ; after crossing the bar on the 1 3th, it was detained here for some days, while the stores were being taken out of a transport-vessel, and the tails of the rudders belonging to the three vessels which had been carried away during the passage from Cape Coast, repaired — up to this period there had been seven deaths, four from casualties during the voyage, one from apoplexy, and two from fever : which was not of the African kind, but of a low typhoid character ; of these last cases, one was a colored man, and the other an European, Mr. J. W. Bach, mathenia- * Having mentioned Cape Coast Castle, we must be allowed to adorn our pages with the following note from Dr. McWilliara's " Medical History of the Expedition." " On a marble slab, in the Castle yard, there is the following epitaph to the memory of L. E. L., Mrs. McLean: Hie jacet sepultum, Onine quod mortale fuit LETITIM ELIZABETH. Mc'LEAN Quam cgrcgia ornatam indole, Musis Uniee aniatam, Omniumquc amores Secum trahentem : in ipso a;tatis flore, Mors immatura rupuit Die Octobris xv. Mncccx.x.wiii. ^tatis xxxvi"°. Qiiod spcctas viator marmor vanum hcu doloris muniiniontinn. Conjux mccrens crexit." NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KING OF ABOII. 473 tical-instrutnent maker to the Expedition. A few cases of sickness occurred especially on board the ' WUberforce,' but before the vessels reached Aboh, all sickness had disappeared. During the voyage hither, religious services had been regularly held on board the different vessels, and previously to commencing the ascent of the river, and " entering upon the most immediate field of labour — upon one of acknowledged difficulty and danger," — Captain Trotter issued an official order for public prayer, in the different ships. The Rev. J. F. Schon occupied himself whenever health and other avoca- tions permitted, with making translations into the Haussa language. Mr. Crowther was similarly employed on the Yoruba. We shall now make use of a letter written by Mr. Schon, dated ' River Niger, 15 miles beyond Ibo,* August 30, 1841," from which some interesting particulars connected with the ascent of the river so far, will be learned: " After a stay of five days at the mouth of the river, during which time every preparation was made in the vessels which was deemed necessar}', we left our anchorage on the 20th instant. The whole company was in excellent spirits, as well as in the enjoyment, with no material exception, of bodily health. The prospect of seeing new countries, other people, customs, and habits, and of entering upon the proper business of our Mission, cheered and euhghtened every heart. The first ten or twelve miles presented nothing interesting, the banks of the river on both sides being covered with mangroves. I thought that they would continue to a much greater distance, and was therefore not a little delighted when I observed their disappearance. In their places, the banks became covered with a great variety of trees, differing as much in size as in shades and varieties of colour, extremely pleasant to the eye. We saw but a few persons the first day, and those whom we saw made their escape into the bush as fast as possible, on our approach. On the second day we saw more ; and some had the courage to come to our vessels in their canoes, but could not be persuaded to come on board. The ' Wilbcrforce ' separated from the other vessels in the afternoon, to examine another branch. The people were much alarmed at us in several villages, and crowded to the water-side, armed : they had no intention of attacking us, but came to defend themselves. We had an Interpreter on our vessel who could speak to them in the Brass language ; and I observed that he always first told them that we were no Portuguese, but came as friends of the Black people. Their apprehensions were generally soon removed ; but still they could not put confidence enough in us to come on board. On the third day we entered the main river again, before the other vessels * The town of Ibo, also written Eboe, but more correctly Aboh, is 130 miles from the mouth of the river. 474 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. of the Expedition. The country appeared beautiful, and the weather was uncommonly fine. " On the evening of the sixth day we anchored at the creek leading to Iho. From all I have hitherto observed, I am inclined to think that we have come, if not at the best season of the year, at least in a very good season. Tlie river is high, and the weather fine, with occasional rain, which is by no means unhealthy. The ' Albert ' and the 'Soudan' anived on the following day, the 27th, in the after- noon ; and we had the unspeakable joy of hearing that there was not a single case of fever on board any of the vessels. Truly God has been gracious unto us hitherto. He has crowned us with loving-kind- ness and tender mercies. " Negociations were immediately commenced with the King of Ibo, who came on board. Our objects ha™ig been largely and clearly ex- plained to him, he expressed himself willing to enter into a treaty with England, and to abolish the slave trade altogether. He admitted that that was a hard thing ; but,^ notwithstanding, agreed to all the pro- posals. Our interpreter, Simon Jonas, acquitted himself very well : he is a hberated African of Sierra Leone, and a member of our Church . He spoke most touchingly to the king, of the miseries which slavery brings on the people at large, of the tears of their parents, the desolation produced to the country, and of the kindness of England in rescuing them from the hands of tlie Spaniards and Portuguese, making them free, and teaching them how to make this life comfortable, and to prepare for the next. The king listened to him with the greatest attention, and expressed his approbation and surprise very frequently. He could not have beheved that slaves could be treated with so much kindness : that they were ill treated, he well knew. " The object of my coming, and my desires, were explained to him by myself and my Interpreter ; when he expressed an earnest desire to have teachers sent to him and his people. He most readily con- fessed that he was ignorant of God, and dependent on ' white man ' for instruction. I directed Simon to read some verses of Scripture to him, which astonished him not a little. That white men should be able to read and write, he expected, as a matter of course : but that an Ibo slave should read, was more than he could ever have expected. He seized Simon's hand, squeezed it most heartily, and said, * You must stop with me : you must teach me and my people : you must tell it to the white man : I cannot let you go, until they return from the country.' He could not be diverted from his object, but insisted on Simon's remaining ; to which, after much consideration, we agreed. I much wish that he had more knowledge, and was better qualified for teaching, as a great door is opened to him. I have had an opportunitv of watching liim daily for the last ten or twelve months, and I believe KATIFICATIOX OF THE TREATY WITH OBI. 475 him to be a sincere Christian. He has a correct knowledge of our religion ; and I beheve that he joined the Expedition with a desire to do good to his countrv-people. I trust he will daily pray for Divine direction, and be made the instrument, in the hands of God, of much good to his benighted countrjnnen. " This occurrence proves that the objection so often raised — that the Africans would not listen to their own country-people, it' they were sent to them with the Gospel — is perfectly groundless. The King ot Ibo is willing, yea anxious, to hear of the wonderful works of God, from the hps of one of his own country-people, formerly a slave. I am also confirmed in my opinion, that Sierra Leone will yet become, like Jerusalem of old, a centre from whence the word of God will go forth to many a benighted tribe of Africa. And I call upon the members of the Church Missionary Society, not to slacken their efforts, and not to spare their money or exertions, toward accompUsh- ing so great and glorious an end, by all the means in their power. I must be the more earnest in my entreaties for native agency, as the place appears to me to be very unhealthy, and prejudicial in a high degree to European constitutions. The town is an entire swamp at present : I was obhged to walk up to my knees in mud to the very door of the king's palace. Mr. Laird and Mr. Lauder must have seen the town at a more favourable season, from the description which they give of it. A few pious intelligent Ibo men — there are such at Sierra Leone — might be further instructed by the Missionaries, and a school- master or two might, no doubt, be obtained for them." It was subsequently determined that Simon Jonas should accompany the Expedition to the confluence of the Tshadda and Niger, and return with letters which Obi undertook to have forwarded to Bouny — a task which we may just mention he never performed. The "iSth of August was appointed for ratifying the treatv- between the Queen of Great Britain and king Obi, for the total aboUtion of the slave trade and suppression of human sacrifices. The latter came mi- attended into the cabin of the ' Albert,' where he was received by the Commissioners, and when all was ready, and copies of the treaty lying on the table for signature, he was told that it was the custom of Chris- tians to call upon God for His blessing in all their undertakings, and that those present were now about to pray for a blessing on both parties, and that he might join or not as he liked. Tliey accordingly knelt down, he following their example, when prayer was offered by the Rev, T. Miiller, Chaplain to the Expedition. At its conclusion he arose from liis knees in extreme alann, trembling all ov^, and the perspira- tion rolling down his cheeks — nothing could exceed the evident agony of his mind. He cried out most loudly for his " .\rrisi" idol or ff ti>b. \\l\ich was brouj;ht liiin ; biU wlu-n liis head-man wn'> nbor.t to 476 CHURCH MISSION IN SIEUKA LEONE. go througli his superstitious ceremonies, the interpreter succeeded in explaining to liis satisfaction and rehef, the nature of the act in which they had been engaged, and which he conceived was the imprecation of a curse upon his head. After partaking of a tumbler of palm-wine handed to him by his sou, and receiving some further explanation from the interpreter, he appeared quite reassured. King Obi is described by Mr. Crowther in his journal, as " a middle- sized man, between the age of forty and fifty : his countenance," Mr. C. adds, " is soft, and he appears to be of a peaceable temper. To- day (the day on which the treaty was signed) his dress, as I was told, was very plain. He appeared in calico trowsers of a country make, and an English jacket of the same stuff : it would have been more re- spectable had they been cleaner, especially as he had no shirt on. He had on his neck, three strings of pipe coral, as large as a man's small finger ; two of which were short and close to the neck, while the third extended to the navel. As far as we could count from the feet of his trowsers, when he moved, each of his feet, about the ancles, was ornamented with eight strings of coral ; a dull old brass button closing each string, and two leopards' teeth attached to the strings of coral on each foot. He had on a red cap ; over which was a marine's cap de- corated with brass scales and other pieces, and coloured cords. His Majesty was not a little proud of this new equipment from the com- mander of the Expedition. He marched about the quarter-deck, with apparent satisfaction at having white men for his friends. He con- sented to the treaty ; and made a proclamation the same day among his people for the aboUtion of the slave-trade in his country." Obi's son and some of his people are referred to in the following ex- tract from Mr. Schon's journal : "August 26, 1841 — King Obi sent one of his sons to welcome the strangers : he was a very fine-looking young man, of about twenty years of age. Both himself and his companions attended our morning devotions ; after which I told them what book it was, of which I had been reading a portion ; and that I had come to this country to tell the people what God had, in it, revealed to us. They were surprised and could not well understand how it was possible that I should have no other object in view. They are sensible of their inferiority, in every respect, to white men, and can therefore be easily led by them either to do evil or good. When I told one, this morning, that the slave- trade was a bad thing, and that white people wished to j)ut an end to it altogether, he gave me an excellent answer : ' Well, if white people give up buying, black people will give up selling slaves.' He assured me, too, that it had hitherto been his beUef that it was the will of God that black people shoidd be slaves to white people." Some particidars regarding the religious notions, and practices of NOTIONS OF THE ABOHS. 477 the Abohs, are supplied by Mr. Sclidn, aud are too interesting to be omitted from these pages, although we study to be brief. Mr. Schon says, in continuation of the above : " I this forenoon satisfied myself of the correctness of various par- ticulars, which I had previously obtained of Ibo people respecting some of their superstitious practices. It appears to be but too true that human sacrifices are offered by them, and that iu a most barbarous manner. The legs of the devoted victim are tied together, and he is dragged from place to place till he expires. The person who gave me this information told me that one man had been dragged about for nearly a whole day before his sufferings terminated in death : the body is afterward cast into the river. Interment is always denied them : they must become food for alligators or fishes. Sometimes people are fastened to trees, or to branches close to the river, until they are fam- ished. While we were at anchor inside the bar, the body of a young woman was found on the sand-bank, having been dead, apparently, only a few hours ; and as no external marks of injury were observed, except those produced by a rope fastened around her loins, she may have been sacrificed in this manner. " Infanticide of a peculiar nature likewise prevails among them : twins are never allowed to live. As soon as they are born, they are put into two earthen pots, and exposed to beasts of the forest, and the unfortunate mother ever afterward endures great trouble and hardships. A small tent is built for her in the forest, in which she is obliged to dwell, and to undergo many ceremonies for her purifi- cation. She is separated from all society for a considerable time : her conjugal alliance with her husband is for ever dissolved ; and she is never again permitted to sit down with other women in the same market or in the same house. To give birth to twins is, therefore, con- sidered to be the greatest misfortune that can befal a woman of the Ibo Nation. If any person wishes to annoy an Ibo woman, he lifts up his two fingers, and says, ' You gave birth to twins,' which is sure to make her almost mad. If a child should happen to cut its top-teeth first, the poor infant is likewise killed : it is considered to indicate that the child, were it allowed to live, would become a verj- bad person. To say to any person, ' You cut your top teeth first,' is therefore, as nuich as to say, ' Nothing good can be expected from you : you arc born to do evil ; it is impossible for you to act otherwise.' "The Ibos are in their way a religious people. The word 'Tshuku,' God, is continually heard. Tshuku is supposed to do every thing. When a few bananas fell out of the hands of one in the water, he com- forted himself by saying, ' God has done it.' Their notions of some of tlie attributes of the Snj)reme Hcing are, in many respects, correct, and their manner of expressing them striking. 'God uuule every 478 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. thing : he made both white and black,' is continually on their lips. Some of their parables are descriptive of the perfections of God. ^Vhen they say, for instance, that God has two eyes or two ears, that the one is in heaven and the other on earth, I suppose the conclusion that they have an idea of God's omniscience and omnipresence cannot be disputed. On the death of a person who has, in their estimation, been good, they will say, ' He will see God ; ' while of a wicked person, they say, ' He will go into fire.' I had frequent opportimities of hearing these expressions at Sierra Leone ; but though I was assured that they had not learned them from Christians, I would not state them before I had satisfied myself, by inquiring of such as had never had any intercourse with Christians, that they possessed correct ideas of a future state of reward and punishment. Truly God has not left Himself without witness ! " The notions of the Aboh people, as to the objects of Europeans in carry- ing on the slave-trade, are not very creditable to the latter ; one of them could scarcely be brought to believe Simon Jonas the interpreter, when he told liim that he had been made a slave, but had been liberated and kindly treated by the EngUsh : he in common with his coimtrymen had always believed that slaves were purchased by the white people to be killed and eaten, and that their blood was used to make red cloth. One day the Brass interpreter recognized among the persons surround- ing one of the vessels, an old acquaintance, by whom also he was immediately known ; although many years had elapsed since the in- terpreter was sold ; the astonishment of the Aboh-man was extraordinary at seeing one whom he verily beheved had long since been kDled and eaten by the white people. His expressions of surprise were strong but verv- significant ; " If God himself," he said, " had told me this, I could not have believed what my eyes now see." It was at this place (Anya) that the interpreter had been sold as a slave, and at which he had spent nine years of his early life, and the person with whom he was speaking had been his doctor and nurse in a severe illness, on which account he had retained a thankful remembrance of him. The treaty ha^-iug been signed about three o'clock on the same day, the vessels got under weigh, and the expedition proceeded to Iddah, one hundred miles further up the river, where it arrived on the 3rd of September. Captain Trotter lost no time in sending a mission to the king of Iddah, whose dominions are very extensive : after nuich ceremony and tedious delay, "a throne," writes Mr. Schiin, who ac- companied the mission, "was put up in the open air, made of some Ijamboo-sticks, and a white country cloth nailed over it. A large red carpet which covered the ground for some yards was spread over the throne, over which was another smaller carjiet ; — about half an SITE OF THE MODEL FARM. 479 hour afterwards, his majesty made his appearance, and took his seat upon the throne. His dress was splendid and ridiculous. I shall not attempt to describe it fully, — the red velvet robe was certainly im- posing, while one could not help smiling at the balls around his legs, the large quantity of beads around his neck, and the carpet-slippers large enough to fit an elephant." The message of the commissioners was delivered to this personage through the interpreter William John- son, in the Eggarra language, to which he returned a rambling reply, full of allusions to his own dignity, and the prerogatives therewith connected. Next day the commissioners, with studied parade, ren- dered necessary by the rather supercilious tone and demeanor of the Attah or king on the preceding day, proceeded to wait on his ma- jesty ; the result of the negociations that ensued, are thus stated by Mr. Schon, who at the same time relates a melancholy occurrence : — " Our proceedings with the king of Iddah were as encouraging as those with King Obi at Ibo. He entered upon the treaty in all its details, agreed to give up the slave trade and human sacrifices, and will be very glad to receive Christian missionaries. He also requested that the interpreter might remain with him, to teach him and his people our fashion. I am sorry to add, that the interpreter, William Johnson, a Communicant of our Church, fell overboard and was drowned, on the ver}- day that the treaty was concluded." Poor Johnson was much respected by his minister and fellow-chris- tians at Sierra Leone, he left one child, a daughter, about fifteen years of age, whom he had committed, previous to setting out on the expedition, to the care of John Attarra, catechist of Wellington. Doubtless her interests have not been overlooked.* " Iddah," says Mr. Schon, " is beautifull}- situated on a hill, on the left bank of the river. The population is not overrated at five or six thousand. The houses are nearly all built of a conical shape ; some of bricks made by the natives merely exposed to the sun and dried. A very few glasses, plates, or cups of Euioj)ean manufacture are seen in their houses ; and besides a hole to creep in there is no other aperture through which light or air is admitted." Very little cultivation was apparent in the neighbourhood. The bulk of the peo- ple are j)agans. but the Mahommcdans exercise a considerable influence over them : they are all, however, etpially ignorant. Not one of the king's own Mallams (priests) was able to sign his hand to the treaty ; and the king escaped the exposure of his ignorance, by saying, " That a king never did anything so menial or servile as to write his own name." The Mahommedans, however, equally witli Christians abhor human • Since the above was put in print, the writer has learned that Captain Trotter, with characteristic philanthropy, upon liis arrival in England raised a subscription for this young female, who is now respectably married. 480 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. sacrifices, and those at Iddah expressed great pleasure when the sub- ject was introduced, and tlie king pledged his word to abolish them ; they shook the interpreter most heartily by the hand in token of their approbation of the measure. In the instructions communicated by Lord John Russell to the Niger commissioners pre^-ious to their departure from England, they were directed to negociate with the native chiefs, for the purchase of a spot, or spots of land on the Niger, to erect " one or more small forts, from where, and by means of which to watch over the due execution of the agreements, to assist in the abolition of the slave- trade, and to protect and further the innocent trade of her Majesty's subjects." And as they were further instructed to select the land to be purchased as near the confluence as possible, for the advantage of trade, this and other reasons determined them to make their purchase in the territory of Iddah. On this subject Mr. Schiin says — " I am much disappointed with regard to the situation of Iddah : for though high, it is surrounded by swamps, and cannot fail to be very unhealthy for Europeans. A large tract of country was purchased from the king of Iddah, commencing at Beaufort Island, and extending to Sterling hill : on this the model farm has been commenced. There appears to be no great population in these regions, as they were driven away by the Foolatahs but a few month ago. They depend on English protection, and have expressed their desire to return to the place : if they should return, I shall be better able to express an opinion as to its eligibility for a Missionary Settlement, after our return from the Niger." From another source we extract the following account of the situation chosen — " From the king of Iddah a tract of land was purchased, extending along the right or eastern bank of the Niger, from Mount Patteh on the north, to Mount Soractc on the south, and including Beaufort Island. Its length is about sixteen miles ; it stretches inland from four to six, and comprises within its limits several populous towns and villages. Tlie climate is considered salubrious, and the ground rises gently from the bank of the river, intersj)erscd with hill and dale, with- out a single marsh, whilst Mount Patteh is elevated 1200 feet above the level of the river. The natives appeared most friendly, and ex- pressed a desire to be employed as laborers upon the model-fariu. Mr. Carr, with one of the surgeons, had been lodged on Mount Stirling, and had set to work with his men, pre])ariug the gromnl for its future crop. The land is well adapted for cotton, which is already cultivated to a large extent, and manufactured by the natives for sale ; the staple is short, but capable of improvement. Unfortunately, a great part of the stores and iin})lements for the farm were injured on FIRST APPEAEANXE OF FEVER. 481 the passage out, aud up the river, and a boat-load of the most valua- ble was lost altogether, in transhippiug them at the farm.'** The bank of the river opposite to Iddah is low and swampy, but abounding with trees, which proved very useful for firewood to the steamers. A party from the ' Wilberforce ' visited the Chief of this District, and was well received by him ; the visitors judged from what they heard that he was under the jurisdiction of the king of Benui, who name was Obah, and who was accustomed to sacrifice three human beings every day ; one at sunrise, the other at noon, and the third at sunset ; the people seemed numerous, powerful, aud well armed with bows and arrows, and short broad knives stuck in their girdles. Up to the arrival of the vessels at Iddah, the crews continued in the enjoyment of good health, and it was believed that the scientific apparatus with which each vessel was furnished, had contributed, imder God, to this happy state of things. At Iddah, however, decided s\Tnptoms of country-fever made their appearance. T\Tiilst there, the ' Albert ' buried one man, and had several dangerously ill ; the other vessels were similarly affected. The services of Messrs. Midler, Schon, and Crowther, were now called into constant requisition, to read and pray with the sick on board the different steamers, while their own health was graciously preserved. On the 6th of September, the ' Soudan ' got under weigh to proceed to the Confluence, fifty miles further up the river. On the 9th, the steward of this vessel breathed his last, giving to Mr. Crowther good hope of his interest in Jesus. Mr. C. buried him in a small island in the river. The ' Albert ' and ' Wilberforce,' came up with the ' Sou- dan ' on the 10th ; next day all the vessels anchored at a place called Adda Kuddu, four or five miles from the confluence of the Tschadda and Niger. This day a sailor on board the ' Wilberforce ' died of the African fever, aud several more were in a precarious state. An extract from Mr. Schou's journal, written on the following day will prepare the reader for more disasters — "Sept. 12. Lord's Day. Another death on board the 'Albert' last night, and several persons still verj- ill in each of our vessels. There is no knowing what another day may bring forth. If ever I felt the importance and responsibility of a minister of the gospel, it was to-day. Our sernce was to my mind a solemn one. I admin- istered the Sacrament for the first time on board the 'Wilberforce.' The ser^-ice was held on the quarter-deck ; behind me was the Ufcless * The model farm mentioned in this and the preceding extract, consisti-d of 500 ncres rented from the Commissioners at a rent of one penny per .tcre annu.illy by Mr. Alfred Carr, before referred to, who was sent out in the Expedition hy a Society called the Model Farm Society, in Miiii-ing lane, London, the objert of which wm obviously to in- trodiirc n knowlcilff of .ipriciiltur^ ii thi- interior of Afrit*. W o I 482 CIIVRCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. corpse of N — a sailor, who expired last uight ; before me an attentive audience of as many as could be spared from their work ; on deck were the carpenters making a coffin ; on the fore part of the vessel were seven persons dangerously ill of the fever ; and at a few rards from us was the ' Albert ' lying with the usual sign of mourning — a lowered flag." It was at Adda Kuddu that the land was purchased from the king of Iddah, who according to promise, sent his second judge to conclude the bargain and receive the cowries agreed for in payment.* The land ex- tended for sixteen miles along the river, of which the free navigation, and right of free trade was guaranteed. Mr. Schou's opinion of the site was as we have seen unfavourable, but the cotton-planter connected vnth the expedition took a different view of it. Mr. Schon also feared that it presented many difficulties as a Missionary station. The popu- lation was small, and several different languages were spoken within a narrow district of country, which together with the poverty of these languages, would much embarrass any attempts to get the Scriptures into circulation. To form a judgment of the losses which the expedition had sustained by death and casualties, up to the day of its arrival at the confluence, and subsequently, it will be necessary to mention, that the whole number of persons victualled in the three vessels and a tender (the ' Amelia ') was 301 : — that is, 145 whites, consisting of fifty-three officers and civilians, and ninety-two men, women, and children ; and 156 blacks, including Kroomen and other Negroes chiefly from Sierra Leone. Since the 3rd of September, the day of arrival at Iddah, there were placed on the sick list sixty-four whites, and sLx blacks, in all seventy. Of this number seven whites had died, two were discharged to dutj', and eight were convalescent ; no black had died ; and three were convalescent. "When therefore the vessels arrived at the conflu- ence, thev contained forty-seven whites and three blacks, still on the sick Ust. This account, however, only refers to the deaths from African fever. The grand total composing the expedition had been still further reduced by casualties and sickness of an ordinary character, chiefly on the pas- sage from England. The losses from these causes amounted to seven ; so that up to the 1 8th of September, fourteen persons, including one officer (Mr. Nightingale, assistant surgeon of the * Albert,') had ex- changed time for eternity. f • The price stipulated to be paid for the land was 700,000 cowries, or about £35 ; cowries, to the value of £8. were paid down ; and it was agreed that the remainder should be paid in twelve months from the date of the first p.iymont. + Mr. Nightingale died on the 17lh. Atr. Schon says of him : — " I am led to believe that his hope for acceptance with God, wa.s in .Icsus Christ." lie was buried in the ground taken for the model farm, as five others had been before. LOSSES BY DEATH. 483 Arrangements were in progress on the 14th of September, for the * Wilberforce ' to enter the Tschadda, and for the 'Albert' and ' Soudan ' to proceed up the Niger. Mr. Schon considering that the Niger, would, in all probability, present better localities for Missionary labor than the Tschadda, and desiring to keep close to his instructions from the Church Missionary Society, had himself transferred to the ' Albert,' Mr. Miiller, taking his place in the ' Wilberforce. ' The state of the sick list, however, seemed to Captain Trotter, to render a change of plans indispensable, and after some deliberations, he resolved on sending one of the vessels, with all the invalids to the sea ; according- ly forty-three of the remaining forty-nine cases were embarked in the 'Soudan' on the 19th of September. "TheUttle vessel," writes Mr. Crowther, "in a short time was converted into an hospital, completely filled, fore and aft with sick men. There was a great deal of dissatisfaction, low-spiritedness, and despon- dency in the minds of many in connexion with the expedition." The • Soudan ' immediately set sail, commanded by Lieutenant Fishbourne ; and Captain B. Allen, her former commander, joined the ' Albert,' to which Mr. Crowther also removed. The invalid ship reached the mouth of the river on the evening of the 21st; on the way, the surgeon of the ' Soudan,' Mr. W. B. Marr shall, and one of the sailors, died. Immediately on the arrival of the sick party at the mouth of the river, they providentially fell in with H. M. S. ' Dolphin,' commander Littlchailes, just arrived in the Bight of Benin, and that officer at once proposed in the kindest manner, to take the sick on board, and land them on Ascension Island. They were all accordhigly removed, with the exception of two, (Mr. Waters, clerk in charge of the ' Soudan,' and Lewis Wolfe, yeoman of signals,) who were not expected to survive, and the ' Dolphin ' immediately saded for Ascension. In seven days after leaving the Nun, eight of the iuvalids had ex- pired. In t)ie other cases a sudden and most favourable change took place, which fresh meat and fruits haj)pily established ; and when they arrived at Ascension, all were restored to health. On the evening of the 19th, after the 'Soudan' had sailed, two of the Commissioners, Captains William Allen and Cook began to complain of illness. Two engineers on board the ' Wilberforce,' and one on board the ' Albert,' were seized with fever. The mas- ter and j)urser of the ' Wilberforce,' and the botanist and mineralo- gist attached to the exj)edition, were also ailing. Next day tiicse cases and others had assumed so fatal a character, and the sick list had be- come so enlarged, that Captain Trotter decided on sending the ' Wil- berforce ' also to the sea, and ascending the river with the 'Albert' •2 1 -2. 484 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. alone.* Preparations were accordingly commenced ; and, on the morn- ing of the 21st, the ' Wilberforce ' was on her way down the river, having taken on board several fresh patients from the ' Albert.' Her passage to the sea was not so rapid as that of the ' Soudan,' ownng to frequent stoppages to procure wood, a task in the then crip- pled state of her crew of no little difficulty. Consequently she did not reach the sea until the 29th ; on the 1st of October she anchored in the port of Clarence, Fernando Po, having lost during her passage down the river, her purser Mr. Wakeham, and after her arrival at Fer- nando Po, Mr. Harvey, the master of the ' Alliert,' and Mr. Collmau, assistant surgeon of the ' Soudan.' The ' Wilberforce ' set sail for Ascension on the 9th of October, and reached that Island with a con- valescent crew on the 17th of November. Before proceeding with the ' Albert ' still farther up the Niger, we shall attempt some account of the model farm, to which reference has already been made. In an extract which we have taken from " The Friend of Africa," it was mentioned that Mr. Carr, and one of the surgeons, had taken up their abode on Mount Stirling, which is a low hill,f with extensive plains on either side of it, and forming part of the land purchased from the Attah of Iddah. This was on the 17th of September, four days having been previously spent in landing the frame-work of a farm-house, and a quantity of provisions, farming implements, and medicines from the two larger steamers. Mr. Carr's manner of commencing the toilsome and perilous experiments with which he had been entrusted, was marked with a solemnity worthy of his christian character, and of the high and holy interests involved in his undertaking. He says — " Before returning to rest, I called my people around me and re- turned thanks to Almighty God for His infinite goodness in having preserved us to be the means of commencing so important an under- taking, as that of introducing improved agriculture, and christian prin- ciples into Central Africa. I hoped they would use their utmost exertions to cooperate with me in fulfilling the duties imposed on us all, reminding them that most of them had already felt the horrors of slavery, from which they were redeemed by British arms, and brought * At this crisis, immediatel}' after the despatch of the ' Soudan ' to the .sea, Com- mander W. Allen and Mr. Cook urged Captain Trotter to return with the whole expedition down the river ; but that intrepid officer felt that he could not, wliile the least chance of success remained, abandon an enterprise upon wliich, under God, the interests of humanity appeared so vitally suspended, especially as he remembered (so he states in his report to Lord Stanley) that Messrs. Lander and Laird's expedition, in 183.'?, had ascended the river higher than this, in the months of September and October, and the Kuropuan crew had remained all that time perfectly free from fever. •f- " About 200 feet high, and aln ady in a state of partial cultivation, with yams, cot- ton, niul a kind of millet."- Dr- McW'illiam. COMMENCEMENT OF THE MODEL FARM. 485 to enjoy tlie blessings of liberty and Christianity : that therefore they ought to be thankful and joyful, that they had been chosen to work for the redemption of their fellow-countrymen, and perhaps their nearest and dearest relations. I also prayed that the natives might be favour- ably disposed towards us, and ended with a short prayer for protection during the night." Next day, the 18th, the work commenced with preparations for the erection of the frame-house by the Sierra Leone carpenters, and the clearing away of brushwood and rank grass by a number of the natives, whom Mr. Carr hired for the purpose, and who laboured vigorously and well. Mr. Carr was able to fix the rate of wages to the satisfac- tion of all employed, viz. 100 cowries* for a day's labor — eighty cowries when the laborer commenced after breakfast ; and so on in proportion. At these rates he had abundance of laborers, men, wo- man and boys, whom he found obedient and industrious. These Mr. Carr found were refugees from a town in the interior, which was sacked by a hostile nation, (probably the Fellatahs, who were a terror to this whole neighbourhood on account of their repeated incursions,) and when he arrived, they were actually in a starving state. " At first," he says in his Journal, " I objected to employ them, seeing them no- thing but skin and bone. I soon found, however, that they worked well ; and, in a short time, I had not only the satisfaction to find them getting fat, but to hear from themselves that they had nearly com- pleted the payment of their debts, (whjch they had contracted for sub- sistence prenous to Mr. Carr's coming.) They said it was the good Spirit that had sent me to relieve them." The frame-house was soon erected on the cleared summit of Afount Stirling, and encircled with a stone wall to secure it from tornadoes. A neighbouring headman sent word to Mr. Carr, that he ought to abandon that spot, for it was dedicated to a spirit. Mr. Carr enquired whether it was a good or a bad spirit ; and, on being informed that it was a good one, replied that then the place chosen nuist be the best for his puq)ose, at the same time telling the headman that God was the only good Spirit, and that He is every where. A few (lays after this, a box of cowries was missing. In a short time it was found thrown down, and half of its contents extracted. On a search being made, the thieves were traced to the neighbouring village of Pandaiki, the headman of which was applied to for the pro- perty, and after son or referred to therein ; ihey being familiar to the hearers, but as yet not so to us. " 13y God's blessing on the means used, the moral aspect of this Colony is being completely changed. On almost every hand is heard the voice, as of the man of Macedonia, crying, Come over and help us ! To satisfy this desire has been the earnest wish of the Agents of this Society, iu establishing and carrying on Bible classes, and Sunday and other Schools, not only at the Stations where they arc resident, but iu the surrounding harnlets and villages. " The increase of numlx-rs, the growing improvement among our people, and the thirst for knowledge, call for greater exertion and more self-deiiying lalwur. But who is to carry on this work ? The Society lias long been convinced, by painful experience, that European con- -stitutious are but ill adapted for enduring much fatigue iu this climate; and that their idtimate hope of succeeding in the e> angeliziition of this benighted continent rests on the raising up and (pialifying, througii God's blessing, native Schoolmasters, Teachers and Ministers, whose constitutions are adapted to the climate, to carry forward that work, wiiicli, through the gnice of God, European zeal has, at an immense sacrifice, begun and sustained in this Colony for nearly forty years. " This lirings us to notice that very important branch of our lal)()urs, the ('hristian Institution at Fouraii Buy, which the I'arcnt Society con- template placing on a more etticieut footing, — l)y increasing the nmnbcr of students, raising the standard of etUication, apjiointing a second Clerical Tutor, and erecting a much larger buihling for the acconnno- dation of the Students. Tbe grand design of this Inslilwtion, from the first, was the training of native youths lor Seiioolmaslers, and if possi- 502 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. ble, for the ministry of the word. From year to year, youths have been prepared and sent forth ; but who have too often been the source of pain and disappointment to their Teachers, by yielding to temptation, and departing from the path of rectitude. During tlie past year there have been thirty Students under instruction : four have been appointed to Stations, and an equal number admitted. The past has been an eventful j ear m the annals of this Institution, in that it has put forth the first promise of its future usefulness in the cause of God in this Colony, and to Africa at large. A native who was formerly educated by the Society, and for some time was a Teacher there, has been sent to Eng- land, to be ordained a minister of our venerable Church. He is the first-fruits of Missionarj^ efforts in this country, as regards the ministry ; and your Committee hope that he is the harbinger of what God is about to accomplish, in this degraded land, by her own sons. Your Committee cannot avoid expressing their gratitude to the Great Head of the Church for having conferred on them so great a favour. Before leaving their notice of the Institution, they would most earnestly entreat the sympathies and prayers of all God's people, that He would bestow, what no man can give, a new heart and right spirit to each Student, and an anxious desire to serve our God in the Gospel of His Son. " It must ever be borne in mind, that our Church is only in its in- fantine state ; and that what has been done, or is now doing, is only a preparation for more extensive operations. Yet the cause of God has now advanced so far among the natives of Sierra Leone, that the Parent Committee have felt it a duty, not only to provide grass-houses, but more substantial buildings, for the worship of God — buildings that shall shew stability, and bear witness that God is honoured and served among us. AVithin the last four years there have been erected four stone Churches ; and the fifth at Waterloo is now in the course of erection, and far advanced toward completion, and which will accom- modate not less than 900 or 1000. " The progress of Missionary labours in all the older Stations is steady, and affords abundant encouragement to your Committee to go forward in sowing the seed of eternal life. In the Colony there are now upward of seventy individuals, European and native, engaged in imparting instruction, and more than 6000 persons who statedly attend Divine worship ; besides 5287 children and adults, attending our Sabbath and day-schools. Dispersed throughout the Colony are twelve princij)al Stations, 1 .300 conmiiuiicants of our Church, and as many candidates for the Sacrament of Baptism. This large number of persons are brought daily under the hallowing influence of Divine truth ; are gradually casting off the trammels of superstition ; and arc being raised from the state of barbarism in which they are found when landed from the sla\e-shii)s, to moral anil soiial habits, as the prosperous aiul AN HALF-YEARLY EXAMINATION. 503 peaceable state of our villages most iadisputably show. The suscepti- bility of the Africans for recei\"ing instruction, and the power of the Gospel both to civilize and Christianize a people, may here be seen by the most casual observer of our villages, schools, and congregations. Not only, however, is the outward condition of our people improved, but they have been also spiritually blessed by having received the Gos- pel : they are enabled to put away their former lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world ; are soothed under affliction ; vrhile others have been supported and cheered in the hour of death. Many instances have been brought under the notice of your Committee of joyful triumph over the last enemy, death, in those who have departed in the faith of Christ. One, on her dying bed, said — and the sentiment is that of many in this Colony — ' I thank God, and the Church Missionary Society, that ever Missionary came to teach me how I might be saved from my sins ! ' And when near her end, she said to those around her, ' You no must cry for me : I am going to Jesus ; I am going to a happy place.' Already a multitude of such blood-bought souls have, from this place, reached the heavenly shore ; and numbers more are, by a humble walk and devotedness to their Saviour, preparing to follow them to glory. " As an instance of the interest now felt in this cause in the Colony, your Committee have the pleasure of stating, that this Auxiliary has forwarded to the Parent Committee during the past year the sum of ^141 : 5 : 2. nearly double the amount of what was contributed the previous year ; of which sum more than £70. was contributed by Africans. " In the Timnianee country, where the Society has extended its labours, the lirethren have been actively engaged in studying the language, in preparing translations of portions of the Scriptures, in con- ducting a school, and preaching the word in the different yards of the Chiefs ; and it is cause of gratitude to God, that they arc well received by both ('hiefs and people. In the school there are 35 children who liave made great progress in their studies. In about nine months, several have learned to read the word of God, and to write and cipher, in English. Humanly speaking, however, it will require years of self- denying labour before we can hope to see nmch fruit in that country, where Mahomcdanism has so firmly and so deeply struck its roots. Hut your (Committee desire to rely on the faithfulness of that God, who has said, Aly word shall not return to me void, but shall accom- ])lish that which I plejvse, and prosper in the thing whereto I sent it ; and who in his good time will bring all nations, if l'roj)liecy be true, to the obedience and knowledge of himself. " Mr. W. C. Thompson, Translator in the Timmanee Mission, has been long absent from us, on a Mission to Tim bo and Sego, in the in- 504 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. terior ; which it is hoped may subserve to extend the cause of CiviHza- tion and Christianity. His despatches are full of interest, and throw much light on the state of things in the interior ; and show how true is the declaration, that the dark places of the earth are full of the habi- tations of cruelty. " At the earnest request of some of the members of our Church, ^Ir. H. Town send was appointed to go on a Mission of Inquiry to Badagry, in the Aku Country, to see and report upon the facilities for carrying the Gospel into that country ; but he has not yet returned. In letters just received from him, he states that the country is in a much better condition than he could have expected to find it : and that he regards the emigration of our people as a providential circumstance for the spread of the Gospel in that hitherto benighted land." The order of events here observed, leads us first to say something of the Christian Institution, to which recent circumstances had at- tached a greater importance than ever. Some account of the half- yearly examination, held on the 6th of September, will bring before us the character of the studies pursued therein, and the proficiency of the students : for this we are indebted to the pen of the Rev. E. Jones, the principal — " Our half-yearly examination was held before a very full attendance of our Missionary body, whose presence showed their great interest in the advancement and welfare of the youths. As it will be more proper for others to speak of that examination, I proceed to give some account of the present studies of the youths. " In Earth's General History they have advanced as far as the com- mencement of Roman History ; and in the same author's Church History, to the close of the seventh century. In connexion with these two works, they are made to form abridgments and analyses of the different sections and chapters, and occasionally to re-write portions in their own style. " In Geography, the first class have gone through Europe, in Ewing's excellent Compendium ; and the others have learned the small Epitome published by the Christian-Knowledge Society. " In Arithmetic, the far greater number have nearly finished Walkinghame. " In Grammar, they have several times gone over ISIurray's small Abridgment ; and the first class are studying his large Abridgment. Here I may remark, that though most of them can parse very well, readily distinguish the different parts of speech, and put a verb into any of its moods and tenses, yet, when they have to express their thoughts in writing, they are strangely forgetful of the laws and pro- j)erties of grammar. For the purposes of declamation and composition they are formed into (lirec divisions. Every Saturday morn- MODE OF TUITION. 505 ing, one divisiou reads compositions on some given subject, while another repeats from memory a portion of some printed sermon, speech, essay, &c. This exercise has contributed greatly to bring about a better style of reading. " Bible History is regularly pursued ; and their acquaintance with this branch of their studies is highly satisfactory. " Most of the students are Teachers in our Sunday School at Free- town, to which they devote two hours and a half every Lord's Day. I have lately begun the practice of causing each teacher to prepare a set of written questions on the chapter to be explained to their classes — a practice from which benefit will be derived, as well to the Teachers as the persons taught. " While a due attention to study has been enforced, and, I must add, readily given by the youths, we have never lost sight of the importance of personal religion. Once a week I give a plain and prac- tical exegesis of a connected portion of Scripture. In this way I have gone over the Epistle to the Hebrews, and am now going through that to the Romans. Great interest is apparently taken in these lectures by the youths, and opportunity afforded to press home on the consci- ence the fundamental truths of the Gospel — man's ruin through Adam, and recovery by Christ, with their attendant doctrines." Mr. Weeks tells us that the examination-course comprised Geogra- phj- — Church History — Mental Arithmetic — English Grammar, and the Holy Scriptures ; in which last, he says, they appeared quite at home. Of secular learaing, the branch most agreeable to the Africans seems to be Arithmetic, which they pursue with much diligence. The ques- tions in Church History were given to the students in writing, to be answered in the same way, and two hours were allowed for that pur- j)Osc. " Their answers," says Mr. Weeks, "generally, were quite to the purpose, and proved that the youths must have read and thought with great care and interest." As a sample of the answering on this occasion, and the youths' mode of ex[)ressing themselves on paper, we insert the following question and the replies furnished by three of those to whom it was proposed — " By what causes was it that the Kingdom of Judah lasted so much longer than that of Israel } The reason why this kingdom lasted longer than that of Israel was, because of their pious kings ; and also the sceptre was not to depart from Judah till Shiloh came. " J{. The people of Judali we re united more than tiiat of Israel. "The succession to the throne of JuJah was more regular, and the character of its sovereigns was more exemplary than that of Israel. " Lastly, The last cause which prolonged tlie kingdom of .Judah more than that of Israel was, because tlic jnue and umleliied IJeiigion 506 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. was most carefully preserved and cultivated in the Kingdom of Judali ; while the vilest idolatry was practised in the Kingdom of Israel. Just after the separation of the ten trihes from Rehoboam and declared Jeroboam their king, the latter, to prevent the returning back of the ten tribes to Jerusalem, made two golden calves for the people to worship ; which act was against the first and second commandments, which forbid all human beings to acknowledge any other God but Him who made heaven and earth. " C. In Rehoboam's reign the ten tribes revolted, and they became separated into two distinct kingdoms ; namely, Israel and Judali. The many kings reigned over Israel were all wicked kings. Although Jehu destroyed the priests of Baal and their idols, yet he was not free from the guilt of sin which he had received from Jeroboam the son of Nebaf. Their wickedness had emulated those of the surrounding nations which God told them to destroy. A kingdom that has lost the knowledge of God cannot be in existence for a long space of time. The nineteen kings reigned over Israel, not one of them good. On this ac- count God dchvered them into the hands of their enemies, who carried them captives, and never returned again to their lands." The native referred to as ha\ing been sent to England for ordination, w^as Mr. Samuel Crowther, who accompanied Mr. Schon on the Niger expedition. He arrived in London on the 3rd of September. In addition to what has been stated in the Sierra Leone Report regarding the builchng of churches, we must introduce the Rev. C. N. Gollmer's account of a meeting held in Bathurst with that object, convened and attended by Africans alone, with the exception of Mr. GoUmer, who went uninvited. We quote from his journal — "Sept. 12. A bell was heard this morning, as also on Saturday evening last, over all Bathurst. I enquired the cause ; and was told that it was to assemble the people in the market-place, iu order to ask them whether they were willing to make a collection for a new Church. Some of the principal persons at Bathurst had mentioned the subject to me previously ; but I was not aware of their further ])rocccdings. Being interested in the matter, I went to the market-place myself, where I found a great number assembled. Four of the prin- cipal inhabitants of Bathurst, having raised themselves on the but- chers' table, addressed the assembly in the following manner : — ' My country people ! God brought me in this land ; and here I was taught the Word of God, which can do good to my soul. The White People ' — Missionaries — ' come here, not on account of money, but to teach good fashion. Now, my country people, wc come together this morning about the Church palaver. This school-house there cannot do much longer ; and then, by-and-byc, we no get a Church : we sit MR. TOWNSEND S DEPARTURE TO THE AKU COUNTRY. 507 down with our children, and have no place for worship God. Suppose we can try for do something, we can die, and our children can wor- ship there, and can say. Our fathers have done this. The Church Missionary Society will help we ; but we must try for help them : and if we put money, the Missionaries all can put money ; and so, by-and- bye, we get a Church.' After the four speakers had finished, I also mounted the butchers' table, and told them, not only that they ought to shew their faith by their works iu this respect, but embraced this opportunity to speak especially to those who never came to Church, and invited them to come for their souls' sake. All the people who were assembled agreed to make a collection, which it is thought will be comparatively considerable. I hope they may succeed iu their object, as the present school-house is but a temporary one." The great subject of this year in the Colony, was the con- veyance of Gospel light to the various distant tribes represented in the Colony. The anxiety of the Christian natives on this subject began to be intense. Mr. J. Beal, Catechist, mentions a striking instance of this in the case of the Aykus or Eeos natives of the Yoriba country, which is watered by a branch of the Niger. " March 26, 1842. Some influential Akus accosted me as I walked along the streets of this busy town, and said, ' Sir, we have sent letters to all the Ministers, and are going to make collections in every village, to send to the Society, to beg the gentlemen, if they will be so kind, to send Missionaries to our country.' I said, ' 1 am glad to hear that, and have no doubt they will grant your recjuest.' They said — ' We sorry for our coiuitry-people too much ; they no have the Gospel.' I told them that was a matter for prayer as well as liber- ality, and then God would surely open the way and incline His people's hearts toward their benighted land. Their prayers, they said, should not be wanting." To j)rayers, the Akus added performances, as Mr. Davies, catechist, tells us : " April 4. A meeting was held in tlie churcli at Kissey ; notice having been [)reviously given, that it would l)e considered how a Missionary miglit be sent, at no distant period, to the Aku country. The meeting was fully attended ; and as soon as the subject in con- templation was fully understood, numbers came forward to subscribe for such a I)l( ssed eutcrj)rize. Many, even of our scho()l-l)oys, whose j)arents are Akus, put their luimes down, and suljscribed tlicir coppers." In consecpience of the excitement which prevailed among the Akus or Yoribans, as they would be more proj)crly called, on the sul)ject of their return to father-land, wlii<'li however many of them said they would not attempt, unless accompanied by a Missionary, Mr. II. 508 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Townsend was ilepiited to proceed to the Aku country, to sec wliellier anything of a pennauent character could he effected, for the spiritual good of the emigrants from Sierra Leone and the natives ; to ascertain the disposition of the kings of Badgary, in the Bight of Benin, and of Ahheokuta, which was abdut nine days journey from the Niger, and other places — to receive ^lissionaries ; and to bring the children of Chiefs and others to Sierra Leone, for education. Mr. Beal gives an interesting account of the circumstances attending Mr. Townsend's departure. He writes : " Nov. 14. This evening, Mr. H. Townsend embarked on board the Schooner ' Wilberforce,' for the Aku country. His Mission has excited in the Natives a very lively interest, and in the pious a hope that the time to favour their country with the Gospel of peace is ap- proaching. I believe he goes ^ith the good wishes and prayers of thousands in this Colony. The Natives, in the furtherance of this cause, have acted in a praiseworthy manner, and shown a zeal for the glory of God and the good of their country ; which, considering they were slaves a few years ago, and in the lowest degree of degradation, reflects great credit upon them, and evidences what the Gospel of Jesus Christ cau effect in the hearts even of Negroes. As we passed along the streets, the people pointed out to each other the * TNTiite Man going to their country ; ' and many a hearty ' God bless you, Massa, and go wit you ! ' saluted our ears. But it is not from these expressions of good- will alone that I gather the interest which they take in the subject : they have done something more tangible. Inde- pendently of the subscription they got up in several villages to present to the Society, with a view to bring their country before its notice, several leading men of that tribe spared no labour, but gave freely their services to assist in getting the requisite articles for the expedi- tion : and the people of Hastings voluntarily raised a second sub- scription, to pay the expenses of passage. Sec, of one of their own number to accompany Mr. Townsend. But the owner of the vessel, an Aku, and a member of our Church, puts many of my conutrymen to the blush. Hearing that his vessel would shortly leave, with the emigrants, we sent for him, to ascertain particulars as to the time of sailing, and to know if he could take Mr. Towniscnd. He hesitated for a moment ; and then said, ' Yes, I glad for you to go in my vessel ; but I no get good place for White Man, and so much people going wit me.' — Mr. Townsend replied, ' I do not mind that ; ' hoping that by thus being among so many who spoke the Aku language his knowledge of it would be increased. ' Very well,' said the owner ; ' because no time now for make best cabin.' We next enquired the amount of passage-money for each person, which was twelve dollars — 12s. sterling, each way. But Mr. Townsend signitied to him I.ETTKR FROM A LIBERATED AFRICAN. 509 tliat he ouglit to favour tlic Society, as he was going for the good of his country. He at once rej)Hed, ' I wilHng for that, I wiUing : I'm glad for you to go with me.' How pleasing thus to see the Slave- trade made subservient to the cause of truth and righteousness, by the first messenger of peace from our Society to that benighted land being carried thither in a captured slave-vessel ! And how delightful to see the owner, himself a liberated Slave, consecrating the first-fruits of his labour to the cause of his country and his God ! An example this, worthy of more enlightened and wealthier shipowners in highly- favoured England." An attempt on the part of Merchants and others at Sierra Leone, to extend the intercourse between the Colony and the Foulah country, by a Mission to Teembo, which Mr. W. C. Thompson, linguist and Translator to the West Africa Mission, was requested to conduct : afforded an ojiportunity for making some Christian efforts in that quarter. Mr. Thompson, with the consent of the local committee, set out at the latter end of December 184i, and after encountering many difficulties and vexatious delays, succeeded in reaching Teembo, which lies about 400 miles north east from Sierra Leone. He was cordially received wherever he went, and although the Foulahs are strict Mahommedans, he was promised every facility for the introduc- tion of the Gospel, by means of Schools and otherwise ; and his invitation to parents to send their cliildren to Sierra Leone to be educated, was received with much apparent satisfaction. lie was absent during the greater ))art of this year. * The proper sense which the native Christians in the Colony entertain- ed of their obligation to do something for their benighted countrymen, was well expressed in an address at tliis crisis from Mr. John Langley, a liberated African, a native of the Ibo country, who had been resciied from a slave-ship eighteen or twenty years before. On his arrival in the Colony, he was placed in the Church Missionary school at Regent : and he was subsequently admitted into the Christian Listitution. In that seminary he was trained as a native schoolmjister, in which capacity he labored for several years at Kent, and other \-illages. For eight or ten years he was employed as a manager of a district ami a Magistrate. He now resided in a good house, which he built in Freetown, and had for four or five years carried on a profitable liusi- ness as a Merchant. lie was a member of the Church of Engliuid, a consistent Christian, and a hberal contributor to the Church Missionary Society, and otlicr religious ol)jects. His address is dated October 12, 1842. We rcgict that want of sj)ace })reveuts us giving • W'o regret that we cannot iutriidiico licre the interesting account whicli Mr. Thomp- son has fnrnish(Ml of liis jonnicy, l)nt as it is sonicwhat lengthy anil not strictly of a niissionury chnmctcr, we must forbvar. 510 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. more than a few of the concluding paragraplis. After alluding to the efforts of England, in favour of Africa, in sending out the Niger Expedition, &c. he proceeds : " You must bear in mind, my dear friends, the many sacrifices which the people of that favoured country have made, and still are making, to accomplish their object. Time, property, and life, are willingly offered up ; and all this, not for the purpose of benefitting themselves, but solely that they may rescue and deliver the helpless Africans from slavery, degradation, and death. " If these considerations are not sutficicnt to excite in you gratitude and thanks, allow me to remind you of the condescension of the Consort of Her who now swaj's the sceptre of England, who felt so deeply interested in the subject, that he took an active part in one of the principal Meetings which were held in connexion with it. " From the foregoing observations it may be asked, "What are we doing ? In what way or manner are we endeavouring to evidence our gratitude to this Society for their benevolence toward us ? Though we have scarcely any thing to give — neither do they require any thing from us — yet a Letter of gratitude, with as great a sum of money as our present circumstances will allow us to contribute, will, I appre- hend, assure them that we have a lively sense of the obligation under which they have laid us, and will be an evidence of the gratitude which we cherish toward them. It will also show them that we, as well as they, earnestly desire to sec the Gospel of Christ sent to our benighted countrymen, that they may be brought from the region and the shadow of death, to see the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. " With these remarks, I most humbly beg to propose that a Letter of gratitude, with as much money as may be raised in this Colony, be sent to the Society above named. Remember, St. Paul says, ' To do good and to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Signed) John Langley." Not only can we speak of the holy emulation with which the native Christians of different tribes were seized to carry forth the precious seed of the word to their friends and relations at a distance, but we are in a position to shew the effect of Gospel teaching, in the case of those who had actually gone forth, not indeed to their own countries, but as emigrants to a foreign land in search of employment. Tlie following gratifying statement is from the Rev. J. V. Sessing's report of his missionary Station — Birnam "Wood, Jamaica — for the (juarter ending Michaelmas 1842. We make no apology for the length of the extract : " A vessel with emigrants from Sierra Leone came into Annotlo Ray THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE EMIGRANTS. 511 some months back. A neighbouring Proprietor, a friend of ours, endeavoured to obtain some of them ; but, as there were so many applicants, he doubted of being successful. He had, however, an op- portunity of going on board, before they landed, or had had any negociation with others. In conversation, he asked them if they knew me, as I had been at Sierra Leone. On hearing my name, they all thronged around him, and inquired where I was, and said that they had a Letter for me. No sooner did they hear that my Chapel was situate only a few miles from this gentleman's property, than all desired to go with him. He engaged a gang of thirty-two people, with a man named William J ohnson at their head ; and although, afterward, several more advantageous offers were made to them, they declined them all, saying, • We have given our word already.' " About eight of them soon paid us a \'isit, and delivered a letter from our old friend, the Rev. J. W. Weeks : their appearance was most cheering. There was not that shyness and suspicion in their looks which is stamped, as it were, upon the face of almost every emanci- pated slave, as the consequence of the old system ; but they smiled at us with confidence, as people do who have never seen or tasted actual slavery. We were at once translated, in the spirit, to Sierra Leone, our old happy sphere of labour ; when, in conversation with them, we touched upon every object of dear remembrance. We thought we had long been forgotten by them ; but they gave us sufficient proofs that we had not. They brought us presents of neatly-worked mats, and palm- oil, which is not produced in this country, and was relished by us in a ' palaver-sauce ' as much as, some eight years ago, on the African Coast. " The whole gang proved to be inhabitants of Bathurst, one of the oldest missionary settlements in Sierra Leone. About two-thirds of them had been baptized ; but none as yet admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper. " The following Lord's Day, about twelve of them attended my Chaj)el, being neatly and cleanly dressed, and bringing their bibles, prayer-books, and hymn-books, with them. At first, they were not noticed ; but when they began to give the responses in their accus- tomed slow and solemn voice, a general sensation was created among the congregation. Every one was anxious to learn from whence these strange but sweet voices proceeded ; and when they ultimately knew, they were at a loss what to make of them. After service, they attended my bible class , and here the surprise of niy scholars was even increased, on hearing lioth the men aud their wives read, and upon seeing them fall into our plan, as if they had been attending for a long time. One of iny own scholars was afterwards heard to say, ' As soon as these j)( ()])le begin to read, him heart fail — iiim cannot go on.' Nor was the reading alone conunendable in them ; I)ut tlieir answers to my quesi 512 ClIURni MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. tious proved that they were well versed in the bible, and, in short, that they had been brought up in the Church INIissionary Society's Schools at Sierra Leone. " When first engaged, these people entered on a term of approbation for three months, and agreed, during that time, to work for 1« : 6rf. per day. These three months having passed, they made a permanent agreement with their employer ; whom they were unwilling to leave, having nothing of which to complain. They continue to receive Is : 6d., the Headman 4s., and a constable under him 2s., for every day they work ; with some other allowances, such as a house and ground. At first, they bought their provisions, but now they are to cultivate ground for themselves, and settle down. The character which their employer gives them is above praise. They keep to themselves, and behave in a most orderly and quiet manner. Whenever they make a joyful noise, it is iu an evening, when they all sit together in the mill- house, singing hymns while they cook their supper. They are most conscientious in the performance of their duties, regularly working nine hours a-day, and refusing every farthing which is not due to them. " In order to give you an insight into their character, I will mention but two instances, which are descriptive of their confidence, kindness, justice, and the pleasing but rare fact here, that they are actuated by religious principles. " Their employer made it a rule to pay them regularly every Friday evening. One week he sent a messenger to town for money, who had not returned when the people came from the field on the Friday even- ing. He expressed his regret to the Headman, adding, that he could not help it. The Headman asked him how much money he would require. He replied, ' about £5 would do,' and left him, never for a moment thinking that the question had any meaning at all. But how surprised was he, when, about fifteen minutes afterward, Johnson came up to the house, placed £5 in cash ujion the table, and said, ' Here, Master ; if you please, you can pay the people ; and when you get your money you can return it to me.' This was more than his master had experienced from any Negro. He had lived in Jamaica forty-five years, and moved in the different situations of bookkeeper, overseer, and proprietor ; but such an act of generosity and disinterest- edness he had never before witnessed. This, however, is not all. The money arrived the same day, although too late to return it ; nor would the gentleman, being a conscientious Jew, defile his hands by counting it on Saturday, his Sabbath. On Lord's Day, however, his first day of the week, early in the morning, he got the money ready, and called his Headman, saying, ' Here, Johnson, is your money : I am much obliged to you for it.' But what did Johnson do ? He smiled, and said, 'Never nnnd, master : this is my Sabballi : let it be there, if you 1 INCREASE OF AFRICAN VILLAGES. 513 please : to-morrow I can take it.' I paid thera a visit on the following Monday. I saw the parcel still lying on the sideboard ; and the gen- tleman declared to me that he had never seen nor heard the hke during his long residence in Jamaica. I replied, ' This is the blessed result of a religious education ; and the praise is due, next to God, to the indefatigable labours of the Church Missionaries at Sierra Leone. Here you sec the effects of slavery on the one hand, and those of freedom and religion on the other. " The other instance is equally affecting, and manifests their love for their teachers, and the value which they attach to religious in- struction and the means of grace, by which they have become what they now are. Two of their number were to return to Sierra Leone, as delegates in the service of the Emigration Agents. The day before they were to leave, the whole of them, men and women, wrote letters to their friends ; and in the evening they had a meeting among them- selves, and a collection for the Church Missionary Society at Sierra Leone : it amounted to about twenty dollars, which the two men were to take ^\ith them, and deliver to the missionaries. This last instance needs no comment. It is a proof of the power of the gospel, which, whether it be in a white man or in a negro, makes him abound in every good work, so that he shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Another testimony, not less honourable to the efficiency of the Sierra Leone Mission, was borne in a Report of the House of Commons by a Select Committee appointed to examine into several subjects connected with the West Coast of Africa. We arc able to furnish only a short extract. " To the invaluable exertions of the Church Missionary Society more especially — as also to a considerable extent, as in all our African Settlements, to the Wcsleyan body — the highest praise is due. By their efforts, nearly one-fifth of the whole [)opulation — a most unusually high proportion in any comitry — arc at school ; and the efforts are visible, in the considerable intellectual, moral, and religious improve- ment— very considerable under the peculiar circumstances of such a Colony." With tlie growth of lil)eratcd African villages within the Colony, the labors of the missionaries were necessarily extended. We have sometimes incidtiitally adverted to pLiccs such as Bcnguema, near Waterloo, the Banana islands in coinicxion with Kent, Sec. not classed as missionary stations but which, however, had enjoyed their atten- tion from time to time, and were visited as often as circumstances would permit. Schools were opened in these places, and as the Govern- ment usually had small clia|)els erected wherever such villag(>s were formed, the glad tidings of Salvation were proclaimed whenever oppor- w o I, 514 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. tunity occurred. The Government overseers were usually men edu- cated by the Church Missionary Society ; and not uncommonly were men of piety and zeal for souls ; and it was gratifying to see off-shoots from the parent tree thus transplanted into new soils, where they grew and bore fruit characteristic of their heavenly origin, and shed precious seed after their kind. We are tempted to introduce here an account by the Rev. F. Biiltmann, of visits which he paid to three of these extra mission villages included in the Sea District : they were called New Tumbo, Old Tumbo, and Loco Town. He WTites : — " May 22 : Lord's Day — After morning service, I went to New Tumbo to hold evening service. Since February last, new locations of liberated Africans have been made, both here and at Loco Town. New Tumbo is seven miles, and Loco Town ten miles, east from Kent. The popu- lation of these two places is nearly equal in number, each amounting to upward of 200. The disparity between the two places, however, in point of character, is great. At New Tumbo the greatest simplicity prevails among all, from the highest to the lowest. Their overseer is a liberated African from the Bight of Benin ; and is a man of very good sense, uncorrupted habits, genuine piety, and primitive sim- plicity. His wife is very much the same ; though more knowing, as her nation in general appears to be. She is one of the Susoos brought hither by the late Rev. J. G. Wilhelm. They supply the place of a father and mother to the poor liberated Africans placed under their care. Last month this village, and at the same time Loco Tovra, was supplied with a schoolmaster by Government. At the request of the overseer, however, I continue to send both schoolmasters and two communicants, in turn, to supply religious instruction on Lord's Days. Very few children, scarcely a dozen, are yet able to attend the day school ; but upward of sixty adults are already in the list of Sunday scholars. At public worship on Lord's Days we may reckon eighty in the morning, and forty in the evening. " At Loco Town, on the contrary, there are more children than adults; the number of children amounting to 122, all of them Locos. These, with their parents, escaped about two years ago from the Mahara war, and were afforded an asylum in this place : hence the name Loco Town, though since altered into Russell Town." The reference in the above extract to the labors of the Rev. J. G. Wilhelm among the Soosoos, awakens a melancholy interest, when wc remember the apparently unsuccessful struggle of this devoted ser\'ant of tlie Lord and his brethren for several years among that people ; here, however, was one of them destined to be his joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of the Lord Jesus : consequently, whatever he might have apjjrehended, his labor was not in vain in the Lord. Such testimonies to the ultimate success of gospel preaching in spite of di'-- CANDIDATES FOR BAPTISM. 515 couragements are highly valuable. We shall probably be pardoned for introducmg one more extract from the Journal of Mr. J. Beal. " Oct. 15 : Freetown — The name of Johnson is particularly dear to the members of the Church who have come from Regent. He must have been eminently successfid among the inhabitants of that town ; for in tliis one congregation there are now thirty-two of our commu- nicants who from time to time have come from that place, and five backsliders who have within a few months been admitted on trial, all of whom trace theii" first rehgious impressions principally to his instru- mentality ; besides some who have departed, in the faith of Christ, to their eternal rest. To God be all the praise ! " Such facts as these doubtless had their due effect on the present laborers in the same field who, amidst many difliculties, had such effects of faithful perseverance, continually presented to their view, to remind them that the battle was the Lord's and He worJd triumph ; but their own seals, which were many, and such as must have been pecuharly cheering evidences of their success, crowd upon us in the periodical publications of the Society, and we deeply regret that numerous most brilliant specimens of gospel work must be omitted for want of space ; but two or three we must produce as samples of the entire. On the 15th of May, the Rev. J. U. Graf baptiied at Hastings nineteen can- didates— of one of them he says : — " He was the chief of a \vicked set of idolaters, and was in the habit of representing the devil, by arraying himself on certain occasions in a disgusting grass apparel. He, with another similar dressed, used to parade the streets during the Christmas holidays — a great nuisance to the orderly inhabitants, and a great temptation to our school children. He is now a converted character — is ashamed of what he boasted in before — has left all his companions in sin — and, though ignorant and dull, has learnt the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, &c., and lias a very en- couraging knowledge of God's Word. His intellect has since been sensibly developed, so that now he is learning to read. The mode by which he has got on so well is this : he has a boy in our school, ten or twelve years of age, whom he brings with him to the Sunday School, that he may listen to all that is taught, and mark in the book whatever is to be learnt by heart. Then, during the week, he makes the same boy teach him what he heard on the previous Lord's Day, keeping him till late at niglit ; and, indeed, sometimes making him rise in the night, if he cannot sleep, or is anxious to learn at once something out of the bible or catechism. About tlirce months ago, when examining him for the purpose of receiving him to the Lord's Table, I found him so very stupid, that I postponed his admittance ; but now I was very agreeably surprised to see the readiness with which he answered a few questions on Scripture History." 51S CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Tlie education of the female children was not generally as forward as that of the males ; the attention of tlic Committee and INIissionaiies was directed to this fact, and preparations were being made for the establishment of an Institution for girls, similar to the one at Fourah Bay : — a great deficiency of schoolmistresses in the Colony, demand- ing such an instrument for preparing young woman to act in that capa- city.— We insert a letter written to jNIrs. Frey, wife of jSIr. Frey, the Catechist of Bathurst, on her removal from that village, by a girl thirteen years of age, as a fair sample of female intelligence and affec- tion for Christian teachers — To my kind departinff Mistress. "Bathurst, Aug. 14, 1842. "Dear Mistress — I am very sorry to say that you are going now. Mam ; but as yon are not sent to teach only few, but to every one, we cannot help it. V^'e are not able to stop you. Mam ; but by God's assistance I shall remember you in my prayer, and I hope I shall see you once more again. But the instruction you have instructed me may take deep root in my heart ; and may God bless the teaching and increase the learning more and more ; and as I am not able to thank you. Mam, may the Lord prosper your work ! and I hope you will remember me in your prayer. I cannot forget you. The last thoughts of your scholar will be spent in prayer for you. Mam ; and may God add his blessing, for Christ's sake ! — Farewell, Mam. Yours truly. Scholar, S. C. The two following cases of resignation under severe suffering, are worthy of insertion here, Mr. Beal writes : — " May 1 8 — I to-day visited many people : one was far advanced in consumption ; but perfectly resigned to the will of God. Another was suffering from a very bad ulcer on her leg, which had prevented her moving for some time, and had deprived her of sleep, I said, ' Do you tliink this hard ? Do you think God is not kind ? ' ' O no, Massa, God do good for me very well. Jesus good and kind ; if He no been good, I no live till to-day. I no trust grccgree (charm) — I no trust idol — I no trust in country pot — that no good ; but I beg God, and He give me patience. He send through sick, and me willing for bear it.' " Mr. Francis Davies supplies the second — " On the 1 ■2th of November I visited John Taylor. He was much altered in appearance, in consequence of his long-continued sickness. On my asking him how he was, he said — lifting- uj) both his arms witli difficulty, for the use of those members was nearly gone — ' You see that my Heavenly Father is taking down this poor house by little and little ; but me no mind, me be glad too much, for me know that He go make me new again.' I turned to 2 Cor. v, and read the first " CHURCH-RELIEF COMPANY." 517 verse : For we know, that if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." He smiled, and said, • Me look to Jesus, for me long sometimes too much for it ; and me say, I no must be in hurrj'. I must wait till Jesus go call me," ' The disposition of the natives to form themselves into Benefit Societies or ' companies ' as they were called, was the occasion of much trouble to the ^lissionaries ; since the communicants and can- didates for baptism were thus associated with the worst characters, and often learned their ways. A plan intended to supersede this per- nicious usage was adopted by Mr. Graf, at Hastings, with great success ; it was to establish among the members of his church and the candidates, a Christian Relief Company, with somewhat similar object as the Companies, only based on Christian principles. As the result of his efforts among his people, he says — " All, \vith the exception of one or two, cheerfully promised to give them up, notwithstanding that they might have to suffer from their worldly friends ; and thanked me for my promise to form a Relief Company from among themselves only. The spirit which they mani- fested after the first struggle was very pleasing. Flesh and blood at first seemed to shrink ; yet feeling that to keep up the connexion was inconsistent with their Christian character, as well as contrary to the plainest injunctions of God's Word, they at last gladly submitted to the alternative of giving up what had heretofore been dear to them. In the mean time, the prince of this world, the devil, stirred up those whom he Icadcth captive at his will : they tried to discourage and intimidate. " I have since formed a ' Hastings Church-Relief Company,' under the management of a Committee of eight Communicants, to be super- intended by the Minister on the s])ot. Minute regulations have been formed and agreed upon, to facilitate the impartial administration of the Committee." Other Missionaries followed Mr. Graf's example in this respect. The translation of the native languages and dialects continued to engage the attention of the Committee. During Mr. Schon's visit to England he completed and carried through the press, a grammar and vocabulary of the Haussa language, the fruit of his voyage up the river, while accompanying the Niger expedition. He also superin- tended a grammar and vocal)ulary of the Yaruba language, whicli had been complied by Mr. Samuel Crowther, on the same occasion. The Timmanee Missionaries also this year added to their translations tiie first eight chajjters of the Acts of the Apostles, and proceeded more than half way in their lOnglish Timmanee Diclionary. Tile Mission iiad this year to lament tiie dialh of Mrs, (Jiillnier, wilV 518 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. of tlie Rev. C. A. Gollmer, who fell a victim to the country fever on 11th of February, having been taken ill on the 1st. Her bereaved husband thus adverts to his affliction— " I need not say that a more distressing and painful affliction could not befal me. In her I had found a dear and affectionate partner ; whose heart was one with mine in the great work to which we were called ; and who made it her study and delight to promote my happiness, and to encourage and assist me in my work. It was her earnest desire to be made useful among the female part of our IMission ; and it is a consolation to me, that she did not come here quite in vain ; Although she was not suffered to labour long, she had commenced her labours ; and of her I can say, that she hath done what she could. And it is a still greater consolation to my mind, that she died as she lived — rejoicing and believing in her Saviour, whom she loved. This may be seen from her own words : for when she knew that she must leave me, she requested me to tell our relations and friends that she had never regretted having come to Africa ; observing, ' For if I die, I shall the sooner be with my God. I rejoice that I am going liome ; only I am sorry to leave you, I must leave you : it pleases God to take me from hence, but to use you still in his sernce. God bless you, and make you an instrument for the salvation of many souls ! ' " We cannot withhold the following case of the death of a native Christian female, Charlotte Bell, which will bring one of the Rev. Legh Richmond's beautiful little narratives strikingly to mind; the re- lation is by the Rev. E. Jones — " Charlotte Bell was the daughter of Christian Parents, who had removed from Regent to Freetown. She was about fifteen years of age, and was a Monitor in our School. Previous to her illness, she manifested no religious feeling whatever, but was considered to be a girl of a light and trifling character. Indeed, so much was this the case, that I strongly remonstrated with one of our Native Assistants, to whom she was engaged, and who was deeply attached to her, on the impropriety of his so nearly connecting himself with a ])erson apparent- ly devoid of all personal religion. He assented to the force of my re- marks ; but seemed to say that the subject had not been presented to him before in that light, and that he had gone too far to retract, having made a direct promise of marriage. The marriage never took place ; but, to her everlasting salvation, she was married to another, even unto Christ. " Young and healthy, with life's fair prospects opening to her view, she was to be another instance of the uncertainty of all human ho})es and expectations. Consumption laid its hand upon her, and soon her form wasted and her strength departed. At first, she discontinued going to school, as yet unsuspi* ions of danger ; then she became HAPPY DEATH OF CHARLOTTE BELL. 519 unable to leave the house ; and at last was obliged to keep her bed. It was then that the Lord brought all her sins to her remembrance, and she saw and felt her pressing need of a Saviour. I was one day, in April last, passing her father's house, when he told me that his daughter was veiy anxious to see me. I went in, and found her almost reduced to a skeleton. ' Thank you, my dear Minister ! ' she said, holding out her bony fingers, ' thank you for coming ! I have long wanted to see you.' I expressed my sympathy at seeing her so reduced ; hoped that her sickness might be sanctified to her ; and spoke of the great privilege which she had enjoyed in being taught to read the word of God. Here she thus interrupted me : ' Yes, I thank the Church Missionary Society, I thank the Missionaries, for teaching me good. Don't you remember one Thursday Evening you preached about the Parable of the Sower ? I was a wicked girl at that time : but I could not forget what you told the people.' She then gave me a verj' fair account of the sermon to which she referred, and which I had preached about a year previous. * Oh yes,' she said, ' " it is good for me that I have been afflicted." ' I have learned to know God : I have learned to love Jesus.' Here she gave me to understand, that, while lying upon her sick-bed, the Lord had opened her eyes to see her sinful state, and her heart to understand the Scriptures ; and that, in particular, the Parable of the Sower had been blessed to her soul. Indeed, I was particularly struck with her knowledge of the Scriptures ; and all who visited her won- dered at the intimate acquaintance with the Divine Word which, in her facility of quotation, she evinced. " Her case affords striking encouragement to all the friends of Scrip- tural Education to persist in making the Bible a chief school-book ; for the divhie seed though scattered upon an unkindly soil — thoughtless hearts and vacant minds — may yet take root, springing up we know not how, and bringing forth fruit unto perfection. In the present instance, the meek sufferer frequently and loudly expressed her thanks to the Church ^Missionaries for having taught her to read the Bible, and for the comfort which it afforded lier in sickness. During my repeated visits I never once saw her but with the Bible in her hands. At her own earnest desire, and after I had fully explained to her its nature, I administered the Lord's Supper, in the j)resencc of her parents, to her and the young man to whom she had been affianced. She Ungercd on for about a month longer, till the morning of the 2nd of August, when she ceased to feel sin or sorrow, or cartlily pang. ' Cast thy bread upon tlie waters : for thou shalt find it after many days.' " Mr. J. Beal adds : — " After her decease I called upon her parents, who related many in- teresting circutnstanccs of her last days. After I had seen her tlie last time, aiul read |)art of the ' Young Cottager,' she related the whole to 520 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. her mother with much pleasure, and said I had brought her a com- panion ; and that God had blessed her more than little Jane^ because her father and mother taught her to love God, and never laughed at her, or tried to keep her from being religious, as Jane's parents did ; and that made her feel very happy and thankful. The day before she died, she called her mother, and said, ' When I am gone, you must not be sorry : nobody must cry. I am going to a good place. I don't want you to put on mourning : you must all have white ; because, where I am going, all are dressed in white. I am going to a happy place.' The following morning, before break of day, she told her mother to open a window, and then a second, and to call her father to pray, which he did. She then wished him to lie down again ; but she was very restless, and her cough troubled her much ; which made her mother say, ' What is the matter, my child ? ' She replied, ' Nothing, mother ; lie down.' She did ; but soon after there appeared the symp- toms of death, too plain to be concealed from her affectionate parent, who again got up ; when Charlotte said that now she was going, and desired them to pray again ; after which she repeated aloud that sweet hymn — How did my heart rejoice to Lear My friends devoutly say, In Zion let us all appear. And keep the solemn day ! &c. She was then silent ; and after a few moments, ceased to breathe. The next day she was committed to the grave ' in sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection to eternal life,' amid a vast multitude of relatives, young companions, and school-fellows, lamenting her loss." Mrs. Gollmer was the only member of the Mission removed this year by death, but six others left the Colony for a visit to England, chiefly on account of ill health ; these were, Mr. N. Denton and Mr. and Mrs. Peyton, who departed on the 21st of April : Mr. and Mrs. Ilott on the 1st of May, and the Rev. F. Bulttmann on the 30th of August. The Rev. J. W. Weeks and Mrs. Weeks arrived in the Colony from England on the 2nd of May. In consequence of Mr. N. Denton's return home from the Timma- nee Mission ; the Rev. D. H. Schmid in April, joined the Rev. C. H. Schlenker in the labors of that Mission, which now consisted of two Missionaries and two native Schoolmasters. At the end of the year the number of Children in the school had increased to 35 : viz. 25 boys and 10 girls — of their progress Mr. Schmid w rote in June : " Ten months ago, when I came hither for a change of air, none of the boys or girls understood a word of English, which was only begun with this year ; and now I sec the greater part of them writing and reading, some of tlicm nucntly. In arithmetic, also, they ha\c made ORDINATION OF SAMLEL CROWTHER. 521 good progress. With their singing, too, I am often dehghted. They show, in general, great cheerfulness in learning, as well as in their conduct ; which gives us great hope that the Lord will so bless the seed which is now sown in their hearts, that not only they may he brought into the flock of Christ, but also, through them, their relations and friends, yea, all this people." The Missionaries, besides holding English ser\-ice regularly for the children and others, preached frequently in Timmanee in the yard of the king's house, and those of other cliiefs, to congregations varying in number from 30 to 60 ; they seemed rcry attentive and thankful for what they heard. On one occasion, after ^Ir. Schlenker had preached from 2 Cor. v. 19, 20, Ali Kali, the king, said to those who were present, ' ' All that he tells us is verj' good ; and if we are not doing now what he tells us, wc shall one day see each other again, and then we shall say to each other ' Ah why did we not do that which white men tell us that time ? They have come to this country because they love God's work, and this made them to leave their o^vn country." We might, perhaps, venture to say, that the author of such a senti- ment was not far from the kingdom of God. The year 1843 is distinguished in the annals of the West Africa Mission, by an event after which many Christian hearts had long yearned, and which recent events had rendered the friends of Africa more anxious than ever to behold ; — we allude to the admission of a native, Mr. Samuel Crowther, to the sacred office of a minister of Christ, as the first fruits of the Sierra Leone Mission in the production of a native ministry for Africa. We reported his arrival in London on the 3rd of September 1S42 : he was there received into tlie histitutioii for the education of Missionaries, and remained there prosecuting his studies until the Bishop of London, by whom he was received and treated with marked kindness and cordiality, admitted him to the Holy Orders of a Deacon, on Sunday the 1 1th of June. He received Priest's orders on the 1st of October, at the hands of the same prelate. Samuel Crowther, torn from his country and kindred in early life, and con- signed to the hold of a Portuguese slaver, but providentially rescued by a British cruiser, and carried into Sierra Leone, where he received his Christian training in the schools of tlic Church Missionary Society, was now a Presbyter of the Church of England and Ireland, and officially capacitated for occupying one of tlu' highest posts of dignity in the British Eui])ire, nearest to the person and throne of the Sovereign.* Mr.' Crowther did not return to Sierra Leone until December. Wc have mentioned Mr. Townsend's visit to Badagry, Abbeokoutn, * If the reader will refer to p. .51 G, of the preeeding volume, lie will find the name of Samnel Crowther among those of the chililren received under the care of the mi.s^ionarii'» (ttCaaoflce, from slavc-.ship", jubt previous to the brcakiun up of that settlement in Iftllt. 522 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. &c. preparatory to a Mission being established in those parts to which many of the Sierra Leone people belonged, and to which they were now returning. Mr. Townsend embarked at Freetown on the 14th of November 1 842, and landed at Badagiy on the 1 9th of December. He was kindly received by the " English Chief," Worm, so called in consequence of the protection given by him to the liberated people from Sierra Leone, " who are considered to be Englishmen." Describing his rece])tion, Mr. Townsend says : " A mat was spread to accommodate my coloured friends who accom- panied me ; while an empty powder-keg was brought to me for a chair ; and another keg to answer the purposes of a table, on which were spread a small bottle of rum, a jug of water, a few dram glasses and tumblers. When the Chief had tasted the water, he invited me to partake with my friends, of what was placed before me ; but we took nothing but water." He did not remain long at Badagry, having to proceed to Abbeokouta, which is about 100 miles from the coast in a north east direction. This town was the residence of a chief named Sodeke, who exercised considerable influence in that part of Africa ; its population was esti- mated by Mr. Townsend at 30,000, of recent formation, as he conceived both from reports on the sjiot and from the fact of Abbeokouta being un- noticed by Captain Clapperton, in his travels ; although, having com- menced his journey into the interior at Badagiy, he must have passed but a little way to the westward of it. Mr. Townsend and his party reached Abbeokouta on the 4th of January 1 843, and had quite a trium- pliant entrance into the town, to which they were conducted by the king's son and a body of armed men sent to convey them to the chief. " As we entered the town," wrote Mr. Townsend, " the crowd became immense ; the doorways of houses and the corners of streets were filled with eager spectators, who all endeavoured to shew the liveliest joy, and shouted as I passed, " How do you do, white man. How do you do, you that are coming ! " He found the king surrounded by several of his wives and chiefs. He received him very kindly, and directly gave him a bag of cowries, value £2 : 3 : 4. and afterwards followed him to the house provided for him, bringing with him a large sheep which he gave him. The following extract from Mr. Townscnd's journal con- tains some important particulars connected with the object of his visit : " Jan. 5. Early this morning several of the relatives of Sodeke, and some Chiefs, came to see me. In the forenoon I had a private interview with Sodeke, and gave him the present of which I was the bearer. He received it very thankfully ; and stated that it was his earnest desire that many White Men should come and dwell with him. I th.anked him, in behalf of the Society, for the kindness which he had shown to the Sierra-Leone j)co])le who had returned to MS. TOWNSENd's visit to BADAGRY ; ABBEOKOUTA, &C. 523 their country. He wished me to make some request to the Queen of England for him ; but I interrupted him by telling him that I had no connexion with the British Government beyond that of being a British subject ; and then endeavoured to show him the object of my journey, and the nature of the work in which the Church Missionary Society was engaged, which he seemed fully to understand. I also directed him to communicate his wishes with reference to the British Govern- ment to his Excellency the Governor of Sierra Leone ; which he said he would do. I then told him, that I was instructed to take any of his children to Sierra Leone to educate them, should he like to commit any to our care for that purpose. In reply, he observed that if White Men should come to Abbeokouta, which he thought probable, there would be no occasion to send them away so far ; but that he would reflect on the proposal. " Jan. 7. In the afternoon, Sodeke sent for me, to write his Letter to his Excellency the Governor of Sierra Leone, which I did. I was highly gratified with the sentiment which he wished to express. He wanted to express his thankfulness to the British Government for what it had done for his people, and his own convictions that they were seeking the happiness and welfare of the African race. Also, that he had determined to suppress all slave trade in his own country, and in the neighbouring parts, so far as his influence extends. Further, his desire for the return of his people, and that white men, both Mission- aries and merchants, might settle in his country. After having finished his letter, I asked, if missionaries were to be sent to Abbeo- kouta, whether he would give them children to teach. ' Yes,' he said, ' more than you woidd be able to manage : ' and also, ' If you will stop a few days more than you state you purpose doing, I will give you any spot of ground you may select, on which to build a school- house.' I was obhged to decline his ofi'er, as my instructions did not sanction my contracting any engagement to commence a Mission. I also asked him if he would receive a native, should one be sent as a schoolmaster. He replied, ' Yes ; and I would help him to build liis house.' lie also told me, in answer to my inqiuries respecting it, that it was unlawful for any Chief to sell a domestic slave ; and any one found doing so would be punished." Some of Mr. Townsend's companions found long-lost relations at Abbeokouta ; one of them who had been two years in Sierra Leone, came to him one morning, bringing a female, and saying with groat joy, " I (lone find my wife." Andrew ^Villu'lm discovercil many of liis kindred, and .John McCormack, who was torn from his country, after he had become a father, discovered his sister in the market, as he was purchasing something from her. Mr. Townscnd asked him if any of the children whoni he liad belbre he was taken from his country, were 524 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. yet alive, he said he had just heard that one of them was dead, but that the other, hkc himself had been made a slave, and iu the merciful providence of God brought to Sierra Leone. Mr. Townsend adds : " His account of meeting her in Sierra Leone is particularly inter- esting. TMiile •walking with a friend, on the road leading from Hastings to Waterloo, they met a young female. After they had passed her, his friend observed to him, ' That female is one of your country : ' to which McCormack replied, that he thought she was not. To satisfy his friend, he went back to her, and asked who she was ; and found, to his great surprise and pleasure, that she was his own child. She had, before this, married, and was residing near where he found her. John McCormack is, I believe, a sincere Chris- tian : he has, he tells me, told his relatives here about God and the Christian religion ; and they have promised him that they will become Christians too, if Missionaries will come and teach them." Abbeokouta was found a country of much promise for missionary exertions, and it just now derived a peculiar interest, from the fact of Yo- ruba, the true name of the district in which Abbeokouta, or Understone (from " Abbe " " under " and " okouta," "a rock or stone,") as it was called by the people of Sierra Leone, was situated, being the birth- place of the Rev. Samuel Crowther, who it was ultimately decided should be located there as a missionary. The desire of the liberated Africans in the Colony, and especially of the Yorubaus, to return home, was greatly increased by the arrival of Mr. Townsend and his companions, after their excursion, bringing favourable intelligence of their reception in the Y'^oruba country, and the condition of those who had already returned thither. The state of feeling produced by this event, may be judged of by the following extracts, from the journals of different members of the Mission. Mr. J. Attarra writes : " April 15. A famous inteUigence was heard this day at our village — that Mr. Townsend, who had gone to Badagry, had returned. The Yoruban people took much interest in his arrival, for they had been long expecting to hear a report from thence. And when they heard that he had also brought a very favourable information, their hearts were much revived in them. One of them came to me with rapturous joy, and said to me, ' Do you hear that Mr. Townsend has come, and has also brought a good news from our country ? ' I an- swered him, ' Yes, I have heard it.' — He said, ' Ah ! next year I shall go to my coiuitry.' He further affirmed, that not he alone would go, but tbat many more were making preparations to that effect." The Rev. G. U. Graf writes from Hastings ; " April 13, 1843. Late at night wc received tidings of the safe YEAHNINGS FOR HOME. 525 return of Mr. Townsend and party : and on the following morning all were anxious to hear what news they had brought respecting their reception in the Yoruba country, and the probabiUty of their visit being followed up by INIissionary operations. It being the Lord's day, however, only a few went to Freetown to welcome the successful pioneers, the majority waiting until ^londay morning, when a great number left for town. About 11 o'clock at night they all returned, with the three Hastings' men who had accompanied Mr. Townsend ; when the whole village became roused into a state of great excitement, crowds flocking to the strangers' houses, and the firing of muskets and the shouts of the people lasting all night. The news of our friends' favourable reception at Understone flew speedily from village to village, and filled every one belonging to the Egga tribe of Yorubans with the fondest anticipations of a speedy return to their country." Speaking of that longing for home wliich was now so general among the Christian natives, several of whom were actuated by the noblest motives, Mr. F. Dalies says : " There is an increasing desire among the adults to understand what they are taught ; and this desire is not so much with regard to their own individual information, as the hope which they cherish of soon being able to impart the knowledge they possess to others in their own land. Proofs of this kind I have repeatedly presented to me. It was but the other day when one of our members said, ' Sir, I try to Icam all I can, so that, if the Lord will, I may be spared to visit my own country, and teach the people there what I know of the power of the religion of Jesus.' " Even the children shared in the general feeling, but they had learned to value the Christian privileges which they were about to leave behind. Respecting them Mr. Graf writes : " April 10. No fewer than nine children left our School to-day, being al)out to sail to the Yoruba country with their parents. Most of them came for certificates of their good behaviour while in our school, that, in case the Society should establish a school hereafter in their country, they might at once be allowed to attend. Some of these poor children were much affected ; and two of them could not part without shedding tears at their being ol)liged to leave behind them the j)rivileges of a Christian school." Mr. Townsend had become a general object of interest among the Yorul)ans, whenever he met them in the streets or roads of Sierra Leone, he frecjuently heard them remarking to each other that he was the white man who had been to their country ; when some kind ex- pression would follow, and strangers on being informed, frequently returned to thank him. With two extracts more in reference to the Yorubans, and their 526 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. return home we must leave them for the present. The first is from the journal of Mr. F. Davies, and relates an incident characteristic of the affection which will always exist between faithful Christian teachers, and their pupils. " Nov. 23, 1843. This morning one of ray school-boys, an in- teresting little fellow, called to see me. On my asking him what he wanted, he replied that ' he only came to tell me that he was going to leave the school, as his father was about to take him to the Yomba country.' I asked him if he felt glad at gomg. He answered, ' I should have been more glad if you were going too, for there be plenty of people who would be too much glad to see you there.' — I said, ' the people do not know me ; and how is it that they would be glad to see me ? ' He replied, ' Sir, you no remember the plenty of people who have left here for that country ; and they all pray much before they go, that white missionary may come and teach them God's book.' I told him that I believed God would very soon send them black and white ministers, who would be glad to teach them the way of salvation. The little fellow replied, ' I am glad to hear that.' I then asked him what he intended to do until they should arrive there. ' I will teach them [the children] to sew, and teach them to read, and will do all I can to make them good.' I told him that I was pleased to find that such was his intention ; and desired him never to forget the many useful and pious lessons which he had been taught in the School and in the Church. He promised me to remember them. On taking leave of me, he said, " Sir, will you please to receive this for the Church INIissionary Societj' : it is all I have got ? " extending his hand toward me with a penny, while the large tears were rolling dowii his jet cheeks. I said, "Yes, I will receive it very gladly." I gave him a parting present of a few Homilies and other Tracts." The second is supplied by the Rev. J. U. Graf ; we see in it such evidences of Christian principle, as must awaken the most sanguine expectations of the blessed effect to be produced by the radiation of gospel light from the Colony to remote districts of the African con- tinent. " Nov. 27. The last party took their leave of us for the Yoruba country, among whom was Andrew Wilhclm, who had assisted me at this station for several years as a Christian Visitor. Devoted to God with his whole heart, active and zealous in the promotion of His glory, fearless and undaunted by the persecutions of his hcathen- country-people, he was a man of great usefulness, although of limited natural abilities. A few days before he left, he wished to testify, in some way or other, his gratitude to the Church Missionary Society, not only for the benefits which he had derived from it while in the Colony, but also for the Society's promise to send Missionaries to his TAKING LExVVE. 527 native land. Upon constdting with his wife, they hoth agreed that, instead of seUiug their house, as they had intended, they would give it to the Society, with the lot of land on which it stands. The house is not of much value, though it is rather superior to the generality of native houses, but the sacrifice, which for a native is great, shows the sincerity of liis heart. He and the others, with their wives and their little ones, are now gone, and probably I shall see their faces no more in this world. For their own sakes, I could not help expressing un- feigned regret at their departure, were it not for the prospect that soon they will have the joy and privilege to welcome in their land some of my Missionary brethren. May they be blessed, and prove a blessing ! " The same feeUng that actuated the Yorubans operated on the minds of the Nufi people, inhabitants of a countrj- watered by the Niger, and visited by the "Expedition." The number of Xufis in the Colony was at all times small. The Rev. J. F. Schon estimates the number of the whole nation at more than 100,000, and informs us that their language is spoken from the confluence of the Tshadda and Niger along the left bank of the Niger to beyond Rabba. A copy of Messrs. Schon and Crowther's Journals having fallen into the hands of the Nufis in the colony, their attention was directed to that part of it in which an account is given of the manners and customs of the Nufi people ; and a hint was thrown out that it might be possible to send thither a missionary of their own nation. Home with all its associations was brought before their minds ; httle meetings were held for consul- tation, and a line of procedure was adopted, which will be best ex- plained in the follomng coinnnuiicatio'i from the Rev. G. Warburton : — " Sept. 19, 1843. To-day Mr. Bartholomew, the Society's Native Catechist at Gloucester, who is of the Nufi nation, accompanied by ten of liis countrymen, brought me the sum of ^10, as a benefaction to the Society from certain Nufis in tlie villages of Kissey, Wellington, Hastings, Waterloo, Charlotte, Bathurst, and Gloucester ; accom- panied with an earnest refjuest that the Society woidd send a missionary to Rabbah, the capital of their country. This sum is accompanied by tlie following letter to the Missionarj' Committee here : — " Gloucester, Sept 19, 1843. " Dear Sirs — It afforded us no small cause for tliankfulness to see the return from the Niger Expedition of the Rev. J. F. Sciiiin and l)rotIur Samuel Crowthcr, whose lives God has graciously spared. We of the Nufi people, whom God by His providence and goodness has ' rought to this Colony, where the gospel of rich grace is heard, wliich we hope will be a saving of our immortal souls, linving rend tlie Jour- nals of the Rev. J. F. Schon and our brother Samuel Crowthcr, it irivos 528' CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. US a great interest to see, from tlie aboTe-nientioiied Journal by the Rev. J. F. Sclion, that ' if it were in the power of the Committee, they would wish immediately to send missionaries to Rabba.' This town we consider to be the capital of our country. We are moved again by the same Journal, which says, ' There is one of the Nufi nation, Joseph Bar- tholomew, employed by our Society as schoolmaster at Sierra Leone. Might not he become a missionary to his own country-people ? ' This communication and anticipation we trust, by God's assistance, will, sooner or later, be accomplished. In consequence, we of the Nufi nation have made a subscription of a small sum of money of j610, as a benefaction to the Church Missionary Society, accompanied with our earnest request that the Church INIissionary Society will, when able to do so, send a missionary to Rabba to instruct our country-people in the ' Gospel of peace.' So we hope, by the blessing of God, that, in future, an entrance may be opened for us into our own country. Please, that the sum offered is so little, the Committee will take into conside- ration that the number of the Nufi nation is verj' small in this Colony. The Bible tells us, that the poor widow's two mites, which make a far- thing, was not forgotten by our Lord Jesus Christ. " We humbly therefore conclude with our imperfect prayer before the throne of God, with our ardent wish for the success of your labours." (Signed with the marks of eleven individuals.) Among the delegates who brought the benefaction was one Mahom- medan, three persons who did not communicate with any church, one Native Methodist, three Wesleyaus, and three Churchmen. About 100 ])ersons joined to raise the sum. It was mentioned in our relation of Mr. Thompson's visit to Tcembo, that the object of the parties with whom it originated was to open a communication between the interior of Africa in that direction, and Sierra Leone : as a proof that the attempt was not without success, the Colony was visited early this year by a Moor of high rank, Shcrccf Hamidi Falah, as a pioneer for his countrymen, the great Moorish mer- chants of the interior. Mr. Thompson had made this gentleman's ac- quaintance while on his travels, and had received from him many tokens of reg.ird, and had been supplied by him with letters of introduction to all the Mahommedan princes whom he should visit by the way : these letters, from the rank and great influence of the writer, Mr. Thompson found most serviceable to him, and in return for which he begged for him the attentions of his friends in the Colony, besides the gift of a Bible, which he was most desirous to obtain ; also a New Testament and Psalter. During his stay at Sierra Leone, he visited the Fourah Bay Institution. The j)articulars of this visit are interesting, and arc thus suj)plied by the Rev. E. Jones, the princij)al : — VISIT OF SHEREEF HAMIDI FALAH. 529 " This evening, the Shcreef Hamidi Falah, with several of his friends, called to see me. It had been previously arranged that he should call here, to see an Arabic bible, the gift of our Local Com- mittee ; and I was, at the same time, to show him the Institution. He was dressed in Moorish costume, having the lower part of his face concealed by his dress. On entering the school-room, an exclamation of surprise burst from him ; and when I related the objects contem- plated in congregating so many youths together, he expressed his gratification that such pains were taken to instruct those who were to be the teachers of others. " After several hymns had been sung by the students, he addressed them in a very forcible manner upon the pleasures of serving God, and exhorted them to continue in His service. He became so affected, that at times he could not bring out a word, but would silently look up to heaven. He was much pleased with his present of a bible ; and, upon leaving us, desired every blessing upon the youths and myself. This intelligent stranger, who has come here solely to observe our ways, will carry back with him the remembrance of all he has seen and licard. lie is entirely free from that bigotry which one expects to see in a Mahomedan ; and repeatedly assured me that I might Uve in his country with perfect safety, and that nothing would please him more than to see missionaries there. Mr. Thompson seems to have impressed him with the most favourable news of the missionary cha- racter." We regret to record the death of both Mr. Thompson and his wife in the course of this year. Mrs. Thompson died in the Colony after a protracted ilhiess in October, and Mr. Thompson, who had heroically braved the most formidable perils and privations for eleven months, in an endeavour to open a way for the introduction of the gospel among the influential nation of the Foulahs,* whom with their sanguinary Chief, Omar, he had to a great extent succeeded in conciliating, was re- moved from his earthly toils and sufferings, after four days illness, at Darah, near Teembo, on the 26th of November, 1843. The mission was deprived of the valuable services of Mr. and Mrs. J. Beal for a part of this year liy tlieir visit to Knglaud : they embarked on tlie .30tli of .Vj)ril. Mr. and Mrs. II. Townsend also left the Colony on tlic "Jind of October, Mr. Townsend having been called home by the Committee for the purpose of being presented to the Bishop of London, as a candidate for admission to holy orders preparatory to his occupying Abbeokouta as a missionary. The departures were more than compensated for by the arrival on the 31st of May, of the Rev. J. F. Scluin and Mrs. Schon, on their * Sec preceding' Volunio, p. 17. W -2 M 530 CHURCH MISSION- IN SIERRA LEONE. return from England ; they were accompanied by the Misses Morris, Philips and Diettrich. The Rev. Frederick Bulttmann also arrived on the 3rd of November, and, lastly, on the 2nd of December, the hearts of all connected with the mission, were cheered by the arrival of the Rev. Samuel Crowther, Avho was accompanied by the Rev. Christian Ehemann. Mr. Crowther' s return was looked for with much anxiety. Mr. Da\ies says : — " Aug. 10 — This morning one of the male communicants called to see me, vnth an apparent degree of concern. I asked him what he wanted to say to me ? He replied, ' I wish to know, Sir, if Mr. S. Crowther is crowned a minister ; for I long very much to see him back again, so that we poor black people may look to him as our black minister.' " The sentiments of a native christian teacher on this auspicious event, are very becoming, and should tend much to our encouragement. Mr. M. T. Harding, native catechist to the Mountain District, thus expresses his gratitude for the admission of his countryman to the high and holy office of a minister of Christ : " Happy am I to see that the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus is spreading far and wide in the world ; that even Africans, who were bowing down to images, are receiving the sacred scriptures, as the very word of God. Truly may one say, that the Lord is now opening a way into the interior of Africa, by choosing an African, even the Rev. S. Crowther, to be a minister to bear his name among his countrymen. How many of the sons of fallen man will hear the glad sounds of a Saviour's name. May the Lord give His blessing to His servant, that he may be useful in turning many souls to glory ! May the Lord raise up many more after him, to become faithful minis- ters of His gospel in the world ! " The day after his arrival, the Rev. Samuel Crowther ascended the pulpit for the first time, and presented himself before his countrymen as an accredited messenger of Jesus Christ to their souls ; his own reference to this remarkable event is such as might be expected from his character. He says : — " Dec. 3 — Preached ray first sermon in Africa to a large congregation of natives in English, in the Mission Church at Freetown, from Luke xiv. 22 : ' Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.' It was Sacramental Sunday. I had the pleasure of hearing once more, from the lips of my African brethren, the hcirty and loud responses of our excellent Liturgy. The singing was ])erformcd with solemnity, and I doubt not was with the Sj)irit and with the under- standing also. The novelty of seeing a native clergyman performing Divine scr\ ice excited a very great interest among all who were present. But the question, Who maketh thee to differ ? filled me with shame THE RI.V. SAMUEL CROWTIIER S FIRST SERMON. 531 and confusion of face. It pleases the Disposer of all hearts to give me favour in the sight of the people : wherever I go they welcome me as a messenger of Christ. After service, I assisted the Rev. E. Jones to administer the Lord's Supper : it was a very solemn season. The Lord was with us. In the evening, preached to a large and attentive congregation, from 2 Cor. x. parts of 15th and 16th verses." Mr. Crowthcr had been requested by the Committee to engage him- self in making translations into the Yoruba language, and also to estab- lish a week-day service in Freetown in that tongue, for the special ad- vantage of those liberated Africans to whom it was vernacular. He began his translations during the voyage from Eugland, and completed the first three chapters of St. Luke's gospel, with less difficulty he said than he at first anticipated, and also the first two chapters of the Acts of the Apostles. All Mr. Crowther's countrymen felt very proud of his elevation to the English Presbytery, even such as refused to identify themselves with the sacred cause of which he was made a minister. A Yoruba Mahommedan headman paid him a visit shortly after his arrival, to learn whether he was certainly going to the Yoruba^ country. Mr. Crowther spoke to him very faithfully. " I told him," he said, " and his people who were present, in the Yoruba language, of the blessings of Christianity on the people of England ; refemd them to the proceedings of the friends^ of Africa in the late Niger Expedition ; that it was the religion of Christ which taught them to love all men, and do what they can to do them good ; and told them the importance of surrendering to the religion of the white man's bible, because it leads the sure way to happiness." The first impressions produced on the Rev. C. F. Ehemann, who accompanied Mr. (.-rowther from England, on contemplating the work in which he came to participate, are worth recording. He says : — " On my arrival in this Colony it was indeed cheering and encou- raging to see what the Lord has done — how Ue has blessed the work of my predecessors — how the churches, not at one station only, but at all the places I have as yet visited, are crowded with attenti\e wor- shipj)cTs, and for the most part, I have reason to believe, with lively members of our Master and Head, Jesus Christ. I cannot express the feelings of my heart when I first came to this Colony, and saw the sons of Ilam bow their knees devoutly before the only living and true (Jod, and His Son Jesus Christ." Tlie Rev. C. A. GoUmer expresses himself in a similar manner after officiating at Regent during the Rev. J. W. Weeks's teniporary ab- sciu'c from illness. " The congiegaliou in (he morning, as well as tiie evening, was most 2 M -2 532 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. cheering, being not less attentive than numerous. I have often wished it were possible for our friends to witness what the Lord has done, and is doing, among the poor Africans. I am sure, that even the sight of so numerous an assembly, but much more their devotion — as partly observed in their responses and singing, would afford great consolation and encouragement to those of our friends at home who have laid their hands on the African plough, as well as afford convincing evidence to those of our friends who still think that the time is not yet come for the conversion of Africa, who cannot yet see the signal blessings con- ferred on the descendants of Ham, and who consequently forbear joining hands with us in this work of faith ." The number of adult baptisms now annually taking place, affords a very good criterion of the prosperity of the Mission, especially when it is remembered that a probation of some years was required, accom- panied by constant instruction and enquiry, before any candidate for that holy rite was allowed to partake in its administration. We feel constrained to exemplify this statement by a few instances from the Journals of the Missionaries : the reader will find several very interest- ing particulars introduced. We begin with the Rev. C. A. GoUmer. He writes : " Feb. 19, 1843. This being the day appointed for the admission of several adults into the Church of Christ by holy baptism, our Church at Bathurst exhibited no common, but a peculiarly pleasing appearance this morning. An unusual number assembled in the house of the Lord. The candidates for baptism were fifteen, four men and eleven women ; of which number there were three men with their wives : they were seated in front of the congregation, all neatlv dressed in white, and veri- clean. Although this delightful appearance cheered my heart not a Uttle, I was still more gratified by the assurance of their sincerity and humble rehance on Christ our Lord, which I had had many an opportunity of ascertaining whilst preparing them for this sacred rite, and examining them individually. All of them had com- mitted to memopi- the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Creed, All had attended Sunday School — some for five, others for three or two years, i. e. as long as they had been imder preparation for baptism. They had learnt to read their Bibles, with the exception of four rather aged persons, who found it cUfficult to keep pace with the others. I baptized them, with two children, after the second lesson ; when, and especially during the Scnuon, there appeared a grateful re- joicing among them. May they be preserved from the world, and be- come a glon,- to the name of our Lord Christ ! " The next is from the Journal of the Rev. J. W. Weeks : "Feb. 12, 1843: Lord's day — This morning, after the second lesson, I baptized ten men and eighteen women. All came to Church ADULT BAPTISMS. 533 dressed in white ; and were arranged around the communion-rail, their witnesses being behind them. It was truly an interesting occasion. Most of these persons have been four or five years under regular weekly instruction ; and for some time past I have met them twice a-week. Scarcely ever was one absent, except through sickness. It may be interesting to know that the baptized persons are of eight dif- ferent tribes. I humbly hope that they are the children of God, and that they will prove their faith to be sincere by their holy and godly lives. These are fruits of our Missionary labours, which God graciously vouchsafes to us, the gathering-in of which occasions real and heart- felt joy." Although the next extract is long, we do not consider ourselves at liberty to abridge it, but while having several other testimonies to the work, of the same kind, at hand, we must conclude with this one, which is supplied to us by the Rev. C. T. Frey : "Oct. 29, 1843: Lord's day. At service this morning I baptized twenty-six adults — fifteen men and eleven women ; twenty-three of whom belong to Waterloo and three to Benguema. It was to me a most gratifying and affecting service. Several of the candidates were much affected, some of whom shed tears. The whole congregation was evidently much interested, and the communicants, especially, were thankful for this addition to their number. Whilst the bajitized per- sons were under preparatory instruction, I now and then %isited them at their houses in order to become personally acquainted with them ; and I was with many of them much pleased, observing the cleanliness of their houses, their contentedness of mind, and their apparent sin- cerity in following Christ. Some of them deserve particular notice. One, an Aku man, is about thirty-eight years of age : he was a notorious idolater, not only trusting in greegrees, but had in his house a carved idol of human but ugly form. This, he said, he worshipped twice a day for a,l)out fourteen years, offered many a fowl to it, and fed it daily, and yet could never appease his conscience. Being trouliled in heart, he began to attend the Sunday school and the (Church, and, by the grace of God, was convinced of his folly. lie now resolved to put all idolatry aside, aiul to serve the true God. This was a hard task ; and he lingered for tliree weeks, at first removing his idol to his kitchen. However, ultimately he applied to be admitted as a candidate for bap- tism, and at the same time delivered his ugly idol to Mr. Young. This man is now a converted character, ashamed of what he had formerly delighted in ; and has learned to read tlie Bil)le, can r('))eat the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten ('omniandmeuts. " Two others, Akus, are, a young man of about twenty-two years of age, and his mother, a rather elderly woman. They were separated in their native countrv bv the slave-trade, were sold from owner to 534 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. owner, aud then taken on board of different vessels, which, being captured by her Majesty's cruisers, were brought to Sierra Leone. Here, after some years, they providentially met with each other ; and the son, ha^-ing first tasted of the sweetness of our holy religion, rested not rmtil he had prevailed on his mother to put aside country-fashion, and to accompany him to our Church. Both of them are now, through the transforming grace of God, consistent Christians : the son, being able to read with fluency, has, comparatively speaking, a good know- ledge of the Bible. That the Lord may deliver them all from every evil work, and preserve them unto his heavenly kingdom, is my fervent prayer." We cannot afford space for any particular enquiry into the progress made in the Lord's work this year — One or two samples must suffice : alluding to "Waterloo, Mr. Young says : " Aug. 9. Our new Church is a substantial stone building, 80 feet by 30, It will afford comfortable seats for 600 persons and upward on the ground floor, all free-sittings ; and a gallery is erected at the west end, which will contain between 200 and 300 children. I now feel amply repaid for all my toil, deprivations, and solicitude, during its erection ; since our labours are no longer hindered for want of a proper place of worship, and we are no longer compelled to shift our position on a rainy day, to save ourseh es from the droppings of a dila- pidated grass-house. It is the sixth place of worship in the Mission erected at the expense of the Society. It will cost about ^900. I think I am correct, when I say that the Mission to this part of Sierra Leone, through the blessing of God, is prosecuted under encouraging circumstances. Our congregations, both at Waterloo and at the out- stations, were never so large as at present. Our schools, also, are growing in importance." The spiritual condition of this station is thus described by Mr. ^^'arburton : " Aug. 9. I preached at Waterloo new Church from 2 Chron. vii. 15, 16. Though a week-day, the place was filled. It is with grateful feelings to Him who giveth the increase, that I observe how abun- dantly it has pleased God to bless the labours of his servants at this village. Not quite six years ago Missionary work was recommenced at this Station; and now there is a flourishing day school of 377 children; a Sunday School of 257 Adults; a large congregation re- gtilarly hearing the word; 70 candidates for baptism: 51 communi- cants ; and, to crown the whole, a substantial church has been built, under the superintendence of Mr. Young, capable of containing 900 persons." An interesting fact is recorded by Mr. Warburton, writing from CHRISTIAN AFFECTION OF AFRICANS. 535 Gloucester, which goes far to exemphfy the assurance that the right- eous shall be had in everlasting remembrance : " April 10, 1843. I to-day packed up a parcel which is about to be sent to England, to Miss During, the daughter of one of the Society's first Missionaries, the Rev. H. During, who laboured faith- fully and successfully at this Station, and whose name is held in grateful remembrance by many of the inhabitants. The parcel consists of small presents and letters from a few females belonging to our Church, who were benefitted under the ministry of ^Ir. During. It was a pleasant duty to assist in forwarding such tokens of sincere affection from these Christian females ; and it is interesting to remark, that the devotedness of the departeil Missionary to the service of Christ among the liberated Africans in Sierra Leone is being rewarded in a way that he, perhaps, did not think of at the time — even by their prayers for the spiritual welfare of his child." It pleased the Lord often to make the children instrumental to the recovery of their parents, from a state of darkness and death ; indeed we may mention incidentally, that a vciy signal change for the better, had of late taken place in the rising generation of the Colony. The Rev. C. A. GoUmer mentions the successful appeal of a dying child to his parents. He writes from Bathurst : " May 1 to 6. A special blessing has been bestowed upon us during the week. No fewer than six individuals have been to me, desiring to join our Church. Two of them were the parents of a school-boy, who, when about to die, told them that he was going to Heaven ; and that if they wished to see him again, they must not continue heathens, but go to churcli and pray to God. I believe their application was made in consequence. In how many ways does our Lord still seek that which was lost ! I was not a little cheered at the conclusion of the week ; and thankfully added them to the list of those who hear the voice of the Lord, and worshij) him in spirit and in truth." This year the mission was deprived of a most exempliiry native labourer, William David, assistant at the Christian Institution, Fourali Bay. He had been a[)i)ointed in Januar\' schoolmaster to Gloucester, and as his health Iwul l)een for some time declining, the change, it was hoped, would prove favorable, although the Rev. E. Jones deeply regretted his loss to the Institution, which he felt would be great : " aj)art from his qualifications," said the Rev. Principal, " as an Instructor, his (Christian (le|ioitinent was so exemplary, and he exhil)ited so nmch of the mind of Christ in his daily walk, as to have exerted a most salutary influence upon all aronnd." He was suddenly seized witli illness on the 2;3tli of February, and bis case was soon pro- nounced hopeless by his medical attendant, b>it he had long since 536 CIIUKCII MISSION l.V SIERRA LEONE. taken refuge in Jesusf; and the announcement had no terrors for him. We sliall let the Rev. E. Jones relate what followed : "About ten days before his death, he told me that there was a passage of St. Paul which troubled his mind. ' Sir, I have read in Hebrews, that " whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." I have never been scourged : I have never had any trouble : I have been very comfortable. Do you think. Sir, I can be a true child of God ? ' I endeavoured to explain the passage to him ; and told him also that he should look at his long-continued illness as a chastening from the hand of his Heavenly Father. This seemed to afford him much comfort, and I heard no more of doubts disturbing his few remaining days. He was much in prayer, and did not like many visitors, as it hindered him from this delightful privilege. On Friday, the 10th of March, he appeared to have revived a little ; but died somewhat suddenly, about, one o'clock on the same day. On the morning of the 11th I followed his remains to the grave. I had loved him as a brother. I had formed great hopes of his future usefulness, and deeply felt his loss. As I turned away in sadness from the scene, I thought on the Prophet's words, and was comforted : " The righteous perisheth, and no man taketh it to heart : and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace : they shall rest in their bed, each one walking in his uprightness." Several other members of the Church departed this year ripe for glory ; one was a poor widow, who had been baptized by the Rev. W. B. Johnson, and who had been known to the Rev. J. W. Weeks for eigh- teen years, during which time " her attendance on the means of grace had been regular and devout ; her whole conduct exemplary ; her faith in Christ simple and firm ; her hope of glory bright and stedfast." " During the last few months," continued Mr. Weeks, " she was confined to her house. I asked her one day how she felt in the near prospect of death. She replied, ' I know I am a poor sinner, nothing to rest on but Christ our Saviour ; and the comfort He has given to refresh my soul since I fall under this sickness is verj' great. I thank Him truly that He has continued this trial of sickness so long, I do not look to the world and expect comfort for my soul : I look to ("hrist, to Him only. His j)romises are many and very great, and ujion these I can rest. God has fidfilled one part of that promise, so 1 believe He will also fulfil the other — ' Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive ; and let thy widows trust in me.' Yes, God has mercifully taken care of me, a poor widow, ever since my hus- band's death ; and so I trust He will take care of my two dear chil- dren. I leave tliem with God.' " DEATH OF JOHN PHILIPS. 537 Another was an old soldier, John Phillips, who had been disbanded from the 3rd West India regiment, in the year 1 824, on account of old age and infirmities. " As long," writes the Rev. J. A. Graf, " as the veteran could walk, he would be always first at his place in the House of God, and the most regular attendant on the public and private means of grace — listening to the Gospel message with the most unwearied attention. Though poor and infirm, he would be seen at dawn repairing with a cheerful mind and quick pace to the House of God, to offer his morn- ing sacrifice ; and though the morning might be cold and rainy, and he felt the inclemency of the weather more than others, yet would he seldom be absent. Even when his limbs became weak and tremblins:, and his body bent forward on his stick, yet did he always endeavour to be first and last at church. His words were generally few ; but when recounting the mercies of God toward him, especially His gracious help during the ^"icissitudes of his military career, his spirits re\'ived, and he spoke with a cheerful animation that would surprise every one." After a few more observations to the same effect, Mr. Graf con- cludes— " A few days before his death, while lying on his bed, he exclaimed, ' I want to go, I want to go.' Being asked whither he wanted to go, he replied, *To Jesus Christ: that will be better for me,' On the day of his death he lay composed, as usual ; w'neu he at once said, ' I go, I go ; " and expired without a struggle." A few pages back we inserted part of an address from Mr. John Langlcy, to his countrymen, dated October 12, 1842 ; — it becomes now our painful duty to announce the death of this respectable native merchant in less than six months after that admirable address was written. Originally a liberated slave, having been re-captured and brought to Sierra Leone in the year 1816, he attauied, as we have before stated, to some of the highest offices among his fellow-citizens at Freetown, and there is every reason to believe tiiat the Christian instruction which he enjoyed under the Society, always exercised a salutary influence on his mind and conduct. Early in this year he removed to Kent for change of air, and there he was soon confined to a sick bed. A circumstance now occurred whicli proved the sincerity of his Christian profession, and his growing conscientiousness in things relating to God : Being the proprietor of a shop in which s[)irituous licpinrs were retailed, he conceived that it was inconsistent with his Christian character to carry on that soid-destroying, tliougii profitable business, and sent orders to his wife to discontinue the sale of rum, though his license, for which he paid annually thirty ])0iuuis sterling, would not expire for some months. He said, as he laid on 538- CHURCH mission in sierra leone. his dying bed, that he owed cA-erything to the instruction of the Missionaries, and he was desirous to do something for them in return. For his friend, Samuel Crowther, he manifested much concern, and thanked God for the prospect that seemed to be opening for Africa. His demeanor had been formerly thought by some to be somewhat haughty and self-conceited, but he now manifested the utmost meek- ness and humiliation. The Rev. E. Jones will finish the picture — " The days of his pilgrimage were drawing near their end. On Friday the 7th of April, about six o'clock in the evening, his countenance looked so death-like, that a friend who was present spoke to him a few words of comfort. ' Oh,' said Langlej^ in reply, * the time is fast approaching when I shall be with Christ, and so enter rest.' At this time, Joseph Wilson, one of our Assistant Native Catechists, came in, and asked the dying man if he would like to hear a chapter of the Bible read. He gladly answered, ' Yes ; ' and asked for his own Bible. It was brought, and put into his hands, and with his wife's assistance he was enabled to hold the book and follow while Romans viii. was read. Wilson now offered up a prayer, during which JNIr. Langley frequently raised his hand to heaven, and showed that he was wholly occupied in that solemn exercise. He now embraced his wife, exclaiming, ' Happy me ! for I am going to rest with Christ.' He never spoke more ; but was soon unconscious, and quietly breathed his last between seven and eight o'clock that evening. Originally an Ibo slave — through British benevolence, a liberated African, and the first of his class — by the grace of God, redeemed, regenerated, and made a partaker ' of the inheritance of the saints in light ! ' " We fear to enlarge on this fascinating subject, but we cannot with- hold from our young readers an account of the last moments of a young school-girl, at Regent, as given by the Rev. J. W. Weeks — " Jan. 22, Lord's day. After the duties of the day, having preached twice, with comfort to myself, and, I trust, with profit to my j)eople, a Communicant came, requesting a note from me to the Surgeon of Kissey Hospital to receive the little girl brought to me by her parents last Friday, as she did not get better. I immediately gave him a note. The next morning, however, he brought back my note, saying, ' The girl done go.' At first I could scarcely understand what he meant ; when he said, ' The child died about two o'clock in the morning ; " and then gave me the following account : — ' Last night, after you gave me the letter for the Doctor at Kissey, I went to inform the girl 1 had got men and a hammock ready to take her to the hosjjital very early in the morning, before the sun was strong. The girl told me, * I shall be gone before morning. I do not want the men. I am going home to Jesus. I have been a great sinner, but I hope Jesus Clirist will forgive me all. lie said, " Suffer little children to come unto me," I NEW STATIONS 539 want to go to Him.' She then requested me to get a h^-mn-hook, and to read two verses from the hymn ' Not all the blood of beasts, ' &c. ; and the hymn, ' 'Tis religion that can give,' &c.' Here the man pro- duced the hymn-book, with the leaves turned down to mark the two hymns; and said, 'We first thought whether the girl's head was crazy ; but when she spoke so confidently of dying that night, and so much about heaven, we sat up all night ; and at two o'clock she died. " Thus died a little African Girl, only nine years of age, and is, we hope, now with the Saviour. Ten days ago she was in school. May this sudden event be blessed to all now attending our school ! " The accounts this year from some of the new stations, were very encouraging. At ]Moco Town, ten miles from Waterloo, the inhabi- tants voluntarily made over their chapel to the Church Missionary Society. G. Hoskinson, the Native Sehoolmaster, collected thirty-one children, and the good work was prospering. The same may be said of Benguema also in the neighbourhood of Waterloo, its occasional services were most numerously attended, and a large school-house had become necessary. The Banana island likewise afforded a large and attentive congregation whenever it was visited by the ^lissionaries, and both the sacred ordinances of our Church were administered on such occasions. Mr. Wilson, Native Catechist, had charge of Teembo and Rus-ell, the two new stations in the neighbourhood of Kent ; these villages are described by Mr. Bultmann as being most romantically situated. He says — " The scenerj' here was, at times, sublime and romantic, not unlike some parts of Switzerland ; especially the first brook on leaving Tumbo, with its bamboo bridge of at least eighty feet in length, ton feet above the purling brook, and about fifty feet below the banks on either side. The view from the Tumbo side is truly imposing. Nothing, however, was calculated more to enliven our recollections of home than the sound of the horn used, in the absence of a bell, for calling to Church, which met our ear as we were near innnerging from the wood innnedi- ately i)receding Russell. We had just time to take breakfast — and breakfast literally it was — before the second horn for Service was sounded. The congregation consisted of about twenty-eight men, sixteen women, and thirty-six children ; (piite as many as we could reasonably have expected, for it is not quite six weeks siiice Mr. Wilson was sent here to open a new Station." Various circumst.inces occurred to impede the jirogress of the Tinunance Mission, sucii as tlie repairing of the Missionary l)niidiugs, a dispute between the Tiunnanees and Soosoos, about a jjortion of the BuUom country, to which they respectively laid claim ; the jjrevalence of measles among the children of the school, and the necessary absence of tlie Hev. C. F. Sehleuker, on aceouu of his wife's heidth. 540 . CHURCH mission in sierra leone. The Lord's Day services were however regularly kept with various success, and the instruction of the children was persevered in. The Ali Kali or king continued to hefriend the Missionaries, who were likewise encouraged by occasional visits from their brethren in the Colony. The contributions of the Sierra Leone Auxiliary to the Church Missionary Society, to the general fund, for the year ending Septem- ber 25, 1 843, is reported as £200 : 1 : 2, and the interest felt in the advancement of Christ's kingdom among Jews and Gentiles, may be collected from the following communication of the Rev. J. W. Weeks from Regent : "April 25. We took advantage of a visit from Mr. Miiller to have our Monthly Missionary Meeting, although a week before the usual time. Mr. Miiller gave notice of the Meeting yesterday ; and said he would relate some interesting particulars respecting Jerusalem, as he had lately come from that city. This was quite sufficient to attract a very fiill Meeting : more than 600 were present. It was truly gratify- ing to witness the very great attention manifested by this large Meet- ing. I trust but one feeling pervaded the whole assembly — deep sympathy for the Jews imder their present condition, and heartfelt thankfulness to God for the rich Gospel privileges which He has so graciously vouchsafed to themselves and their children." CHAPTER XVI. SIR J. CROWTHER THE YORUBAS THE HAUSTA PEOPLE SCHOOLS ABBEO KOUTA FOURAH BAY INSTITUTION. The admission of a Native African to holy orders in the Church of England, constituted an era in the history of Africa, to which future ages will advert with much solemn interest, as an earnest of the prophetic announcement that, in spite of the most adverse circum- stances, " Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God." That the event was one of an extraordinary character, the Committee of the Church Missionary Society seem to have been fully aware, for they determined that it should be attended by a plan of Missionary operations, of a wider range and bolder character than they had ever yet ventured on among the savage tribes of Africa. The Rev. Samuel Crowther was something more than an ordinary minister, he was the representative and credential of the West African Church ; in him the daring lie of interested avarice, and the heartless reasonings of ignorance and unbelief were fully controverted ; the practicability of a native agency was now proved, but its adecpiacy to the task whi<;h it was intended to encounter was yet to be tested : and as the eyes of Christendom were on the experiment, it must be made under such circumstances as would render the proceedings obvious, and the decision easy. The Colony of Sierra Leone was rather a Missionary school, than a Mission. Scholars were supplied l)ya providential appropriation of human iniquity to divine purj)Oses, from about forty diiferent sections of the African family ; and now after a protracted pupillage several of those were retiring from the seminary, l)earing witli them their moral and intellectual accpiiremcnts, to form tlu; nuclei of religion and civilization in the countries to which they returned ; yet much in this way could not be expected from merely the lay members of the church, if left to form an ecclesiaslieal system for themselves, nor indeed did those 542 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. most desirous of returning to tlieir fatherland, disguise their apprehen- sions of the evils which must attend their want of that spiritual dis- cipline to which they had been accustomed, and those religious ordi- nances by which their Christian principles were upheld and streng- thened, in the midst of heathenish customs, sanctioned and com- mended by affectionate friends and relatives. The crisis served as an occasion for testing the soundness of the expectations which had been formed regarding a native agency : the Yoruban were the most con- siderable of the native tribes in the colony, and they are distinguished as making the first move towards their native land — contemporaneous with this movement was the ordination of the Rev. J. Crowther, a Yoruban. Such a coincidence could not be less than providential, and thus the first fruits of the African ministry at once assumed a position marked out for him by the Allwise, and most strikingly adapted to the elucida- tion of the grand problem on which the Sierra Leone Mission had been formed : the creation of a native ministry suited to the spiritual and physical circumstances of Africa. To prepare him for the work to which he was devoted, the Com- mittee had requested Mr. Crowther to commence a service in the Yoruba language for his countrymen exclusively, on his return to the Colony ; this service he determined on opening in the Mission Church, on the 9th of January, 1 844 ; and, to secure an attendance, he re- quested his brethren in the ministry to give notice of his design in their respective churches on Sunday the 7th : he also visited those Yorubas, who were not in the habit of attending Divine Service, and invited them to assemble themselves with their countrymen on the 9th. After such preparation, his success was such as we might expect : he thus informs us of the auspicious event : — " Jan. 9 — This afternoon, at half-past four o'clock, I opened the Yoruba sernce in the Mission Church in Freetown. As might be expected, the novelty of the thing brought a large number of people together, Yorubas, Ibos, Calabas, &c., to witness the reading and preaching of the gospel of Christ in a native language in an English Church. Although the language is my native tongue, with which I am well acquainted, yet, on this occasion, it appeared as if I was a babe just learning to utter my mother-tongue. The work in which I was engaged, the place where I stood, and the congregation before me, were altogether so new and strange, that the whole proceeding seemed to myself like a dream. But the Lord supported me. I opened the service in English, when I read those of the prayers which were not translated, and afterward those which were translated, and a portion of St. Luke's gospel in Yoruba. In the congregation, I observed three of my Mahomedan friends, sent by their Headman to attend the service, according to promise. The text from wbieh 1 j)rcachcd was MR. CROWTIIER S RETURN TO THE COLONY. 543 taken from the lesson I read to them, Luke i. 35. I was glad to hear the people express their satisfaction at my feehle attempt to explain this doctrine. After service, the Mahomedans followed me to my house, and expressed their satisfaction at what they had heard. They apologized for the non-attendance of their Headman, a stranger having called on him, upon a visit, when he was making ready to come to the Service, They wislied God to help me in this important work I had commenced." . Of the succeeding Tuesday's sen ice he writes : — " Jan. 16. 1844 — The Yoruba service was numerously attended to- day : a very attentive congregation. Introduced the creed and the responses of the Ten (^ommaudments, which were very heartily re- peated. At the conclusion of the blessing, the whole church rang with Ke oh shell — ' So be it, so let it be.' The subject of ovir discourse this afternoon was, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ." At first this service was attended by a congregation of 300 or 400, but when the excitement and novelty had ceased, it dwindled down to 25 or 30, who, however, were regular hearers. Besides keeping this service and visiting, Mr. Crowther cmi)loyed himself in a Yoruba translation of the scriptures ; before the end of the year he got through the first draft of the Gospel of St. Luke, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistle to the Romans. Such was now the earnestness of the Yorubas to return home, that the Rev. F. Schon wrote in June : — " While emigration to the West Indies proves a complete failure, entirely owing to the disinclination of the negroes, and not to any oppo- sition against it, the emigration to Badagry proceeds on a larger scale. But a short time since a commodious vessel was hired by one hmidred and sixty-one Yorubas, for which they paid, in hard cash, 1000 Spanish dollars, besides laying in provisions for the passage." Mr. Schon was at this time actively engaged in making translations into the Ilaussa language — one generally spoken in the countries wa- tered by the Niger. While he was thus employed, several Mahomme- dans of the Bornou, Ilaussa, Nnfi and Yoruba nations, who inulerstood the Ilaussa language, now aiul tlien paid him a visit, and aftbrdcd him opportunities of testing his translation, while he did not neglect to preach to them Jesus, and expose to them tlie impostures of the false proj)het. Under this head his Quarterly Report for June contains some interesting particulars. He writes : — " I am borry to observe that some, who belbre frecjiK'ntly visited me, now either keep away, or come very seldom. On meeting one of them some time ago in the streets of Freetown, I said to him, ' It seems that you are not my friend now, as you never come to .see me.' lie replied, ' Yes, Sir, 1 am your friend still ; Imt wlienever I come to 544 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. you my heart cannot give me rest. I am like a man standing on two roads, and do not know which to choose.' I told him that for this very reason he ought to come more frequently, that he might become sure which was the right one. " Lately I had a visit from no fewer than thirty-seven Haussa women at once, who came ' to give me honour,' or pay their respects, and to express their pleasure in the interest which I took in their na- tion and language. " They told me that only half of them had come, as my house could not hold them all, and the rest would come another time. As usual on such occasions, I read to them some portions of scripture in their o^vn language, and spoke to them of repentance and faith in Christ Jesus as the only conditions of our acceptance w^th God. One of them, a Mahomedan, said, that both their own and our religion were all one : to which one of our Communicants from Kissey repUed that she was greatly mistaken. There were many things, she said, in the Testament which were common to both ; but the New Testament religion and Mahomedanism were quite opposed to each other : that Mahomed wanted to be what Jesus Christ alone was — the Redeemer of all mankind : that Jesus Christ wanted the hearts of all His fol- lowers ; but Mahomed asked for fasting, washing, bowing to the East, &c. — things which a man might do, and yet be a bad man. They expressed a wish that I would allow them to come to me sometimes to hear more of the word of God in their own language ; to which I most readilv agreed, and trust that I may gradually collect a small Haussa congregation. " I find that the Haussa people are as anxious to emigrate to their own country as are the Yorubans." Several communications were received this year from Andrew Wil- helm, native catechist, who accompanied a party of Yorubans to Abbco- kouta, in November, 1843; from these it appears that he and his party safely arrived at Badagry on the 2cSth of December. On the 15th of January, 1844, he started for Abbeokouta, where he arrived on the 20th. On the 22nd, he visited the King Sodeke. who kindly enquired after Mr. Townsend and all the Sierra Leone missionaries, and directed him to write to the missionaries and tell them from him, that " same word he said to Mr. Townsend last year, to that word he keeps, and to that word he expects a missionary every day, and mer- chants to trade with." On a subsequent visit on the 27th of March, the king en(iuired "whether he had heard any news from the Church INIissionary Society yet " he told Wilhelin to write again and say that " Not he alone, but also the whole inhabitants of Abbeokouta, wanted the missionaries." Meanwhile Andrew Wilhelm omitted no exertion to imj)rove his opportunities among his jieojde, visiting them at their THE ABBEOKOVTA MISSION. 545 houses, and holding meetings with them for scriptural instruction. We may mention here that Mr. Townseud having been admitted to both Deacon's and Priest's orders by the Bishop of London, arrived in the Colony on the second of December in this year ; and, on the 1 8th of the same month, he and Mrs. Townsend, Mr. and Mrs. Gollmcr, Mr. and Mrs. Crowther, and four native teachers, sailed for Badagry, on their way to Abbeokouta. We reserve the particulars for their proper place. Two objects which the Committee had for some time contem])lated for the better carrj-ing out of their plans as regarded a native agency, were this year accomplished : — one of them was the establishment of a grammar-school, as an intermediate step between the village schools and the Christian Institution. In this school it was proposed to give a sound religious and general education to boys and youths, who had received some previous training in the lower schools. Those who, after being trained in the grammar-school, gave proof of suitable dispo- sitions and qualifications, were to be transferred to the Christian Institution, to receive there such farther training as should fit them for native teachers ; while others educated in the grammar-school would pass into different stations of life, where it was hoped their Christian training would enable them to exert a salutary influence on the social circles with which they might become connected. A Committee formed in London, called " The African Native Agency Committee," placed at the disposal of the Church Missionary Committee the sum of ^150 per annum for three j ears, for the education of four native youths, either at the grammar-school or the Christian Institution. Suitable premises for the grammar-school were procured in Regency Square, Freetown. One other object efiFccted this year was the establishment of an Institution for the training of females exclusively. The want of a special j)rovision for imparting a higher degree of education to those promising native girls, educated in the village schools, who might afterwards be employed as teachers and schoolmistresses, had long been felt in the Mission. This institution was opened at Regent, under the care of Miss Morris, and the general superintendence of the Rev. N. Denton. Miss Phillips, another of the unmarried ladies, who went out with Miss Morris and the party who arrived on the 31st of May 1843, was married at the close of that year to the Rev. C. A. Gollmer. The R(\ . E. Jones, snpcrintcmlaiit of thf Foiiraii Hiiy Institution, left the Colony for England, accompanied by .Mr. V. \\ . 11. Davit s, in consequence of ill health, on the 19th of A|)ril, and arri\( tl in London on the 7th of June : he l)ronght with him two .Vfricfni boys, George Nichol and Thomas .Maxwell — students from the ('luistian 546 CIirRCII MISSION IN SIERRA LKONE. Institution, with a ^-iew to their further preparation for cniploymeiit in the Alission. These youths were placed on their arrival in the Islington Institution, where they gave much satisfaction by their conduct and progress in their studies. During Mr. Jones's absence, the Fourah Bay Institution was suc- cessively under the charge of the Rev. N. Denton, the Rev. S. Crow- ther, and the Rev. T. Peyton. Mr. Denton reported most favourably in March of the conduct of the students, several of whom gave indications of a vital interest in heavenly things. He remarks : " Six of them have been recei-Niug private religious instruction from Mr. Jones, preparatory to their receiving the Lord's Supper ; and within the past ten days six others have applied to me for the same purpose. Such a number, applying within a few- days of each other, led me to fear lest, in some instances, this might be rather the result of temporary impression or excitement of mind than of the genuine work of the Holy Spirit. However, on examining them se- parately, and sifting them as thoroughly as I could, my fears, except in one instance, gave way to thankfuhiess and hope." Previous to Mr. Jones's departure, he had been under the painful necessity of expelling one student for improper conduct. The fall of that one seems to have made an extraordinary impression on the minds of his companions, and to have urged them to a closer walk with God. "We noticed that a number of adult baptisms took place throughout the Missionary stations last year ; haj)pily we are enabled to repeat that cheering intelligence in our record of the year now under reNiew. The following accounts are from Kissey and Wellington, where the Rev. N. C. Haestrup ministered — they are taken from his journal : " Jan. 7, 1844 : Lord's day. After the Second Lesson at morning service, I baptized the male candidates at Kissey, twenty-eight in number. It being more than three years since this Sacrament was administered to adults at this Station, there was perhaps a little curiosity mixed with the lively uiterest that was manifested by the whole of the congregation on this solemn occasion. Some of the candidates were much affected. I trust that they not only received ' the outward visible sign,' but were also made partakers of ' the inward spiritual grace.' " Feb. 15. After the Second Lesson at evening sernce, I baptized the female candidates at Kissey, thirty-six in number. Tiie Church was almost as full as on a Lord's-day morning. The candidates were all neatly dressed in white, and placed in the front of the ("hurcli. One of them, who had been confined to her bed for a considerable time, was so .anxious to be bai)tized, that she sent her husband more than once to inquire the time, in order that she might be carried to THE REV. J. weeks' I'AREWEI.L SERMON. 547 the Church ; but she was now so far restored as to be able to walk there. "Feb. 18: Lord's day. This morning I baptized the candidates at Wellington, fourteen men and ten women. The Church was quite crowded." The Rev. J. Weeks and Mrs. Weeks were obliged by continued ill health to embark for England on the 9th of July, upon which occasion Mr. Weeks felt constrained to relinquish his share in the Mission, after more than twenty years faithful ser\ices. The following two extracts from the Rev. N. Denton's journal refer to a number of bap- tisms, which took place in Regent's Town, the scene of that gentleman's labors, and to the effect which his intended departure produced upon those to whom he had long ministered : " June 2, 1 844. I went to Regent to assist Mr. Weeks, who was unwell, and who.se duties were heavier than usual on account of his receiving a large number of candidates into the Church by baptism. The scene was deeply interesting and encouraging. Thirty-five per- sons, in clean white apparel, occupied the front seats of the Church, which was filled with a remarkably decent and devout congregation ; who, to the several clauses of the baptismal Service, responded with their hearty Amen, as the several candidates received the sacred rite. These are fresh proofs that the great head of the Church is still with His servants, not suffering them to labour in vain or spend their strength for nought. " June 23. This being the last Lord's day which Mr. Weeks would probably spend with his people at Regent, he had purposed to baptize a number of candidates in the morning, and in the afternoon to preach his farewell Scriiiou. I therefore went to assist liim. There was something deeply solemn and affecting in the scene. At the close of the sermon nearly the whole congregation was in tears ; and the Church being quite full, the sensation was great. After Service, many of the people, as they supposed he was leaving im- mediately, came to take their leave of him, and e.\hibited much affection and regret, sorrowing most of all that they should see his face no more." From the Bananas the Church was now recei\'ing several accessions. The Rev. F. Biiltniaini writes : " April 5 : (lood Friday. I baj)tize(l 2.) adults — l.j men and ten women — at Bananas. Several of them are (U'cidcdly ])ious, and will be one day a crown of rejoicing to all who have laboured and are labouring for their eternal welfare." Another criterion of |)rogress was supplied in the ease of tliose wlio 548 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEOXE. offered themselves as candidates for baptism. Ou this subject the Rev. C. T. Frey writes from Waterloo : "Junel. I admitted five young men and two women, of the Yoruba nation, as candidates for Holy baptism. The men had long since attracted my attention by their regular attendance at Divine SerAice and Sunday school, in which they have advanced already to the Bible class. They appear to be sincerely concerned about their souls' salvation. Instances like these are rare, and therefore the more gratifying. " July 2. This morning five individuals came to me from Bengu- ema, all applying to be admitted candidates for Baptism. In exam- ining them I was much cheered by finding that they were not ignorant of the corruption of human nature, and that they had learned to read in the Sunday School. This Station, I am thankful to say, contiimes prosperous. The candidates have increased from 9 to 26 ; and the day scholars from 44 to 63 ; and the attendance on public worship, on Lord's-day mornings, from 84 to 103. " July 22. I admitted the wife of the communicant who was buried June 28 a candidate for baptism. She is quite an old woman, and was, to the great grief of her husband, formerly very indifferent to matters of religion. It pleased Almighty God to rouse her by means of her partner's death. She herself told me, that, since the day of his death, her heart would not give her any rest : he was day and night telling her, ' Go to Church ; pray to God ; else you will go to hell.' " In reference to Regent, Mr. Denton writes : " July 1. There are at present in communion with the Church 157 males and 196 females; besides 114 male candidates, and 88 females. Such a prosperous state of things calls for renewed exertions and devout thankfulness to the great Lord of the harvest." The large and increasing number of communicants, and their punctual attendance at the Lord's table, cannot be overlooked among the signs of growing prosperity in the Mission. We can afford only a sample or two under this head. The Rev. N. C. Ilaastrup writes from Kissey : " April 7 : Easter day. I preached and administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, assisted by Mr. Crowther. The candidates lately baptized were admitted to the Lord's Supper, and also a young woman of the Colony- l)orn candidates, who was one of the first tliat applied to me for admission, and who has proved herself to be sincere. It was most gratifying to see about 300 persons devoutly waiting to receive the pledges of the dying Saviour's love : it was indeed a time of refreshing from the presence of tlie Lord." COMMUNICANTS MRS. NICUOL. 549 The Rev. N. Dentou succeeded Mr Weeks, in the ministerial charge of Regent. He writes : " Aug. 4. I administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper for the first time at Regent. The number of communicants was very great: not fewer than 271 were present, of whom 47 were a short time since bapti2ed by Mr. Weeks, and now for the first time were admitted to the Lord's table ; though not till some pains had previ- ously been taken to make them acquainted with the nature of that Institution, and to ascertain their fitness for the same." In connexion with this subject we shall here introduce a few in- teresting notices of Commimicants, selected from the journals of the Missionaries. The first two relate to Kent — they are communicated by the Rev. F. Biiltmann : " June 2 : Lord's day. A. B. is one of the most unostentatious of our communicants. Tliough old — at least sixty — and beginning to learn the alphabet a few years ago, with spectacles, she is one of the rare ones who can read their Bible, and that with understanding. She still, however, continues to be a regular attendant on the Sunday school, occujiying a jdace in the first Bible class. " I visited the house of one of our communicants who is lame : she, and our two blind communicants, Peter Randall and Edward Reuner, has a daily pension of twopence from Government. Here, as is usual on some week-day evenings, I found as many of our comnmni- cants assembled as her little house would hold, and engaged in prayer ; which ended, Peter Randall gave out the beautiful hymn, * Guide mc, O thou great Jehovah ! ' How happily, I thought, is that beautiful ])rophecy of Isaiah exemj)lified in these two blind men — ' And I will bring the blind by a way that they know not : I will lead them in paths that they have not known : I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.' These two come every Saturday to Mrs. Bidtmann to learn chapters of the Bible by heart : and always ask, as they pass along, for the meaning of any sentence which they do not understand." The next case is esjiccially interesting, from the fact that it intro- duces to our acquaintance tlie motlier of George Nichol, one of the youths brought to England by the Kev. Jones, for instnu tion in the Islington Institution. " Aug. 8. To-day one of my Communicants, the motlier of Georgo Nichol, ca)iie to me to express Iut gratitude for what tlic Society liad done for her sou, by instructing him here, sending liini to Knglnud, and placing him in the Society's Institution at Islington for further education. She had a letter from her son, and was delighted witli his kind reception from tlie Conuuittee and other friends of the Society. 550 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. It was pleasing to obsen e tliat she felt, and expressed, that all this had come to pass through the gracious providence and goodness of God. ' Though I am poor,' she said, ' my heart tells me that I must try what I can do for Christ's cause.' She then gave me a small sum, as a thank-olFering ; and added, ' May God bless the Society ! ' I am persuaded that this is the feeling of many others : " The schools throughout the Colony continued to flourish. The system of instruction by monitors was most successful. On this subject Mr. Midler wrote from Kissey in June : " The Monitor boys, now thirty-eight in number, receive instruction at my house three times a week, while the monitor girls are taught by William Philipp. The good behaviour of the Monitor boys, as well as their abilities and attention to what they are taught, give me every reason to suggest that they may be trained up as Teachers for benighted Africa." In the Sunday schools, strange sights sometimes met the eye. Mr. J. Bartholomew, native catechist of the River District, thus describes the Benguema Sunday school : " It is gratifying to see the diligence of little Monitors of both sexes — they were between four and five years of age — teaching the adults. The scholars would take their aforesaid little Monitors on their laps, as a woman would nurse her child. This peculiar method, I have no doubt, shews their earnest desire of learning in order to catch every word that they are taught. I have had repeated ojjportunities of ob- serving that the Sunday school at Moco Town is like that of Benguema." Practical endences of Christian teaching were far from uncommon among the school children of the Colony. Such a case as the one we are about to give is conclusive of the excellence of the system which could produce such fruits, scarcely to be paralleled even in these more favored lands ; it is from the pen of Mr. Denton : " A very pleasing circumstance came to my notice a few days since, which discovered an unexpected good resulthig from our boy's school. While the Rev. J. F. Schon was spending a few days with us for the benefit of his health, we went together to visit some of the people ; and while speaking to a member of the Church, who has been for the last seven months confined at home, and perfectly helpless from the effects of a fall, he called his little boy, who attends our school, to reach him a scrap of paper stuck up in the side of the house. Having ojicned it, the boy read to us the text and parts of the sermon which Mr. Schon had preached at Church on the preceding Lord's day. The father told us, that being unable to come to Clnu-(-h himself, he was glad to get what little his boy could bring him hotne, and that he had now .many such ficra])s, which were a great comfort to him. This is en- couraging, l)o(h to schoolmasters and to ministers ; and it would be LOVE TO THE CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 551 well indeed if white children in England would follow the example of the little black boy at Regent." The Church jMissionary Society continued to be an object of grateful solicitude. ^Ir. John Attarra, the native catechist of "Wellington, has enabled us to illustrate this fact in a pleasing way. lie writes : — " July 8, 1844. Oue of our coramunicants, who is also a very re- spectable man among the inhabitants of Wellington, came to-day to inform me that all the communicants and candidates connected with our Church wanted to make a voluntary contribution to aid the Church Missionarj' Society in their blessed work. 'What you spoke at our last Monthly meeting, of the good deeds of others toward the Society,' said he, ' has caused us to follow their example, to assist the Society as far as wc can. We are only waiting for you to appoint us a day for making a collection.' I told him, very well ; but I delayed for some time appointing them a day, on purpose to prove whether they were in earnest about it or not. " Aug. 3. Having been again reminded concerning the collection to aid the Church Missionary Society, I now thought it proper to comj)ly with their request, and so ajjpointed to-day for that purpose. We were thus assembled in the Church, and nearly the whole of them personally appeared : those who were sick, and could not come, sent their money by their brethren. Thus we commenced our happy meeting by singing a hymn, and then offering up a prayer. After this, 1 stood up, and addressed the assembly, and said, that what they were about to do would be good for nothing, unless they offered it with all their hearts. In their reply, they said that nobody compelled them to it, and that they simply agreed together to show their love and gratitude, above all, to God, and also to the Society. The collection was then made — no less than £3 : 2 : 8. ; which I have since delivered to the Rev. N. C. Ilaastrup." In Mr. Ridtmann's report of Kent he introduces an occurrence full of promise to the (christian cause in Sierra Leone, and to the best in- terests of Africans of all ranks and denomiuations : it was the visit of a Mahommedan of rank and his interpreter to that station, which seems to have been attended with very gratifying results. We rpiote first from Mr. Riiltmann's journal, and afterwards from that of Mr. Joseph Wilson, native catechist of Kent. Mr. Ridtniann says : " June 24. Last night, after (church, we received a visit from two strangers, Fende Sanasi Mudu, and Thomas Lawson. Sanasi is from the Rnlloiii Sliore, one of the sons of the late Chief Dalia Maiionu-dn ; and Lawson is a Rritish sul)jeet, l)Ut originally also an African prince, who, speaking better English, serves Sanasi as interpreter and giiide. We invited them to sjiend the night at our house, which they thuid<- fuUy accepted ; and it was affecting, at t\ening prayers, to see a 552 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. king's SOU, still a Mahomecian, bow his knees with us at the feet of Jesus, who, I hope, will make this interesting chief, who seems not far from the kingdom of God, to become one day an instrument of much good among his people, TVliile his eldest brother, to keep up his royal dignity, has upward of a dozen wives, Sanasi has but two ; and declares himself ready to give up one, should he become convinced of the truth of our religion ; though his attachment, he confesses, is so greatly divided between both, that he does not know to which of them to give the preference. This morning he very politely made Mrs. Bultmann a present of his richly ornamented Mandingo gown, in re- turn for which I presented him with a Bible and Testament in Arabic. With these tokens of mutual friendship we parted. "June 28. I received the following letter from Fende Sanasi Mudu, written, no doubt, by his friend Thomas Lawson : — " ' Sir — With feelings of many thanks I beg to lay these few lines to you, to return you thanks for your worthy present made to me on the 22d inst. By the assistance of one of our learned men, who can read the Arabic more clear than myself, and by the endeavour of my friend, Thomas Lawson, has got both myself and the same man to get some good understanding about the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in the 1st chap, of St. Matthew, ver. 1 to the end, more especially from the 18th verse; also we read the 2d chap, verse 1 to the end ; also the 3d chap, more particularly the last two verses, where it is de- clared, not by the voice of man, but by the voice of the Spirit of God, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And what can we say ? No man have any right to contradict the Spirit of God. We read also the 3d chap, of the Gospel of St. John, from the 16th verse; also the 4th cliap. of the 1st Epistle of St. John, from the 1st verse to the end. 1 cannot help it, but return to j ou many thanks for your valuable present to me. " ' I am. Sir, your sincere friend, Fende S.\nasi Mudu." " Though I was backward to give at once full credit to the sincerity of these professions, and returned an answer accordingly, yet I have since had good reason to believe that Thomas Lawson is a pious person, and Sanasi, to say the least, a sincere inquirer after truth. " Sept. 8, 1844. On my arrival at Tumbo this morning, I was very much gratified to perceive Fende Sanasi Mudu entering the town from the opposite end, with several of his men, and also Thomas Lawson. They came from their factorj', and were very decently dressed for attending public worship. The}' appeared to be extremely attentive ; and I was ])articnlarly gratified at seeing Sanasi use the Arabic Bible which I had given him, not only in the reading of the FEXDE SAXASI MUDf. 553 Lessons, but turning with the assistance of his friend, Tliomas Law- sou, to various passages referred to in the course of the sermon. My already strong persuasion of their sincerity was much confirmed to-day, not only by their evident attention at Church and niy subsequent con- versation with them, but also by Mr. Wilson, who, taking my duties for this day at Kent, took tea with us in the evening, and spoke much of Lawson and Sanasi. I hope this interesting circumstance will be eventually of very essential benefit to the projected Susoo Mission, for this language is spoken by all his brother's subjects." Mr. Wilson's communication is as follows : " July 16. I went this evening to see Fende Sanasi Mudu, a Mahomedan, who is always regular in attending our service, every Lord's day, at Tumbo, and is one of the sons of the late chief of the Bullom Shore, and has made his residence here, for the purpose of hewing and purchasing timber. When asked whether he always un- derstood what he often heard in the Chapel, he said, ' Yes ; and often mv eves flow with tears. I formerly thought, whenever I came from Bullom Shore to Freetown, and saw the conduct especially of the white people there, I always mocked their religion. I only thought that the book which the white people have, was not signifying any other thing besides, but only worldly business ; but am now happy to know that the Bible is the best of books : and while there arc many who live contrary to the Bible, who mind about the things of this world, there are many, also, who are minduig about the things of God and of their souls' happiness. I believe, indeed, that Jesus is the only Son of God, and that this is the true rehgion. And as long as I am here, I shall not spend the Lord's day as I used to do bifore, but in God's house, that there I may learn to know Ilim.' After a few days, he was told that he had some charms on him, as it is customary, especially with Mahoniedans, which he always thought could make him to be ven,' lucky, and even keep him from things hurtful. But as he once heard in the Chapel that God had forbidden all men to do so, and to trust only in his Son Jesus Christ, his conscience would no longer bear them ; he immediately put them off ; and soon after he had done so, trusting only in God, he went down to Freetown, to his customer, from whom he received a more favourable reception tlian ever ; for which he acknowledged that God was the only giver of all good things." We have mentioned the departure from Sierra Leone of the Mission- aries appointed to Abbeokonta on the 1 Sth of December. Tliey em- barked in an American vessel called the " .Vdario, " wiiich happened to be in the harbour of Freetown. A frame house constructed for Mr. Townsend in England, and another pre|)ared for Mr. GoUmer in Sierra Leone, together witii other necessary supplies, were put on board. 55i CHuRCH MISSION IX SIERRA LEONE. Previous to their departure, ^Ir. Towiisend received a letter of iu- troductiou from the Lieutenant Governor to Sodeke, chief of Abbeo- kouta, and another to the native chief, who stiled himself the Eng- lish Governor of Badagrv. The Missionaries were also furnished with a letter to the king of Dahomey bv Commodore James of her Majesty's ship " Penelope." Mr. Warburton adds : " Immediately before going on board we assembled together in the Missiou-house, Freetown, and commended each other to the care and blessing of God. The season was solemn and profitable. Several of the brethren accompanied them to the ship, and continued with them till the anchor was weighed and they were proceeding out to sea, when we heartily bade them God speed." The Mission lost two of its female laborers this year, Mrs. ^lidler, wife of Mr. J. C. Miiller, Catechist of Kissey, who died in that village of fever on the 9th of May, after a few days illness, and Mrs. Smith, wife of the Rev. J. Smith, who sunk beneath the same fatal disease at Freetown, on the 26th of December, hanng only reached the Colony in company with her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Peytou on the 3rd of the same month. In reference to the first of these losses the Rev. J. Warburton wrote : " May 9, 1844. I heard with deep regret, this day, of the death of Mrs. Miiller, and followed her remains to their resting-place in the burial ground at Kissey. By this solemn providence the Society and the Mission have been deprived of a cheerful, active, and pious liibourer. While, however, we sorrow for the loss we have sustained, I would notice, with gratitude to our heavenly Father, that this is the only death, by the country fever, that we have had for about two years and a half, during which period eight new comers have joined the Mission." The Rev. J. Smith writing of his departed wife, observed : " She often said that the place and the people far exceeded her ex- pectation. She would sometimes say, ' We have every thing to en- courage us to proceed with our work. Surely God has greatly owned and blessed the work among this simple-hearted people. I only wish that those kind Christian ladies in England, who feel so much interest in the welfare of their sex in heathen lands, could see with their own eyes these dear children in the schools : I am sure thej' would feel a double interest for the future.' And again with reference to the Sund.iy school of adults at Gloucester, she said, ' There aj)pears to be so much sinijjlicity, mingled with so much sincerity and affection, that I did not expect to find here.' " Notwithstanding these two cases of disease and death, the mission- aries had occa!>ion to speak in grateful terms of the increased heatliiness LAYING THE FIRST STONE OF THE FOURAII BAY INSTITUTION. 555 of the Colouy. At the quarterly meeting of the missionaries in March, not one of the twenty-three European clergymen and catechists com- posing the mission was absent. " How different," savs Mr. Warburton, " was the first meetins of the kind which I attended on my return to Sierra Leone in 1 835, when only seven persons were present, and that small number included all the clergymen and catechists, European and Native, then in the mis- sion ! Truly the Lord of the harvest has sent out labourers. May a rich harvest be reaped by them ! " Of the Timmaiiee mission this year there is little to be said : the missionaries, the Rev. C. F. Schlcuker, and the Rev. D. H. Schmid, continued to labour in faith, not being as yet allowed to see any fruit of their miuistr}'. During part of the year, the Ali Kali was absent from Port Lokkoh, and no opportunity was then afforded of addressing the natives in their own language on the Lord's day, but the EugUsh services were regidarly held at the missionary premises. There were thirty-eight boys, and ten girls in the schools, twenty-seven of these were now able to read, and their progress in learning was represented as satisfactorj". The year 1845 will hereafter be a remarkable one, in the annals of the West African church, for the planting of the first offshoot of the christian mission, which now for forty years had been struggling into maturity amidst perils and disasters which nothing but such an cn- terprize of grace and mercy could have withstood. We are called upon now to accompany the favored men, to whom the formation of the Abbcokouta Mission was entrusted ; but before doing so, it will be well to give a brief space to the affhirs of the parent Church, during the former part of this year. The first matter which we shall notice, is the erection of new })uildings for the Institution at Fourah Bay, the dilapidated state of the old ones, as was mentioned before, rendering such a stip indis- j)ensable. " The first stone," says the forty-fifth report of the Society, " was laid on the 5th of February by His Excellrncy Lieut. Governor Fer- gusson. The Missionaries met together for prayer at the house of the Rev. J. F. Schon, and afterward proceeded to Fourah Bay. When the ceremony was concluded, the Lieut. -Governor adtlrcssed the as- seml)ly ; but he was unable to repress his feelings when he referred to the fact, that on the very sj)ot where they were jireparing to erect a building from whence it was hoped that s|)iritual frirdoni would be imparted to many Africans, there stood, forty years ago, a Slave Factory." Tlic Christian natives throughout the Colony, took much intercbt 556 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. ill these new buildings, and many of them contributed out of their small means towards the expense incurred in their erection. The opening of the grammar-school to which we shall presently advert, relieved the Christian Institution of the care of fourteen of the younger students, who were transferred to that seminary. This, and the appointment of two native schoolmasters from the Institution, reduced the number of students there to ten, who appear according to the Rev. E. Jones's report for September 1 845, to be engaged in a curriculum of studies such as it is probable few public schools in our own favored land impose upon their youthful alumni. Mr. Jones writes : " The students have gone over, verse by verse, the first eighteen Chapters of St. Matthew's Gospel ; have read through Parts I. and II. of Home's Compendium, on the genuineness, authenticity, inspi- ration, literary history, and interpretation of the Scriptures ; and have committed to memory the whole of the Articles of the Church of England, referring to other works bearing on the subject. The Greek class have read Valpy's Grammar, through a portion of the Syntax, with the first twenty pages of his Delectus. With two exceptions, their progress is very encouraging. In Geography, the portions relating to Africa and British North America have occupied the class. The text-book, is Ewing's, and they possess a creditable knowledge of it. Euclid and Algebra have been taken up by them with some earnestness. They have gone over the first thirty Propositions of the First Book of Euclid, and through Involution in Algebra. In general History, with Keightlcy's Outlines as a text-book, the history of Rome has been proceeded with, from its origin to the commencement of the reign of Diocletian. English Grammar and composition may be truly called our ' questiones vexatse.' There is, however, a slow but manifest improvement. On the whole, I must say that their pro- gress and diligence have been praiseworthy." With these books of secular instruction, the reader will easily believe the " Book of books," was closely and honestly associated. Two of the students were this year admitted to the Lord's Table, and every exertion was made to render the religious exercises of each day practically subservient to personal ]>iety and growth in grace. Suitable premises having been obtained for the Grammar School in Regency square, Freetown, it was commenced in March, under the suj)erintendance of the Rev. T. Peyton, who thus reports the results, which were obtained after the school had been six months in operation. " The number of pupils is now thirty. Ten are educated and maintained hy their friends, six by the native Agency committee, and i'ourlccn by the Chinch jMissionury Society. The whole are divided EXAMINATION OF THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL. 557 into two classes. The course of instruction pursued by the first division embraces EngUsh Grammar and composition, Greek, Mathe- matics, Geography, Astronomy, with the use of the Globes and Mapping, Bible history, the thirty-nine Articles, English history, writing, and recitation from the English Reader, and music. " The second class follows the same courses, ^vith the exception of Mathematics and Greek. " On the 30th of September, six months having elapsed since the commencement of the Grammar School, an examination of the pupils took place, when the majority of the members of the Mission were present. The subjects of the first day were. Geography, Bible history, Mathematics, English history, Greek, and recitation of pieces from the English Reader. The Rev. E. Jones examined the students in the three branches last named, and the other subjects were taken by myself. The examination gratified all present : the demonstra- tions in Euclid and Algebra were very satisfoctory. " The subjects of the following day were, English Grammar, com- jjosition, and Arithmetic." Evidences of true piety were not wanting, and Mr. Peyton had the happiness of adding : " Nine of the students are candidates for the Lord's Supper, and two arc communicants. On the 14th of September I had the pleasure of admitting two of the youths into the Christian Church by Bap- tism." Besides this seminary for boys, a girls' institution of a similar character was determined on, and Regent selected for its location. This female school when established, was entrusted to Miss Morris, who, however, in consequence of her union with the Rev. J. Smith, was obhged in a short time to resign her charge, and Mrs. Denton undertook to render what services she could until the arrival of more help from England. On the subject of education as we have already mentioned, there was a growing intelligence among those members of the liberated African class, who by industry and good conduct had risen to independence, and tliey were not a few. To meet the demand for education of a higher grade than the village schools supplied, the institutions to which we have referred were opened. Respecting them the governor of the ('olony thus expressed himself, in one of his despatches to the liome Government : " Boarding-schools, for the education of children of both sexes, have been established, under the auspices of tlie (^Inirch Missionary Society ; and so far the scheme ])romises well. It will, at no remote date, be the means of establisiiing a new, most important, and influ- ential grade in the society of Sierra Leone ; among which the hus- .')5S CHUKCII MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. bands, the wives, aud the domestic intercourse, of the middle classes of England, will, for the first time, find representatives in Western Africa. It may be taken as neither an unfair nor unfavourable crite- rion of the position in the social scale at which the people have arrived, that these establishments are at length acknowledged to have become necessarv' ; and that the pecuniary means, of many of the more industrious and successful of the people, are now such as to enable them to avail themselves of the advantages which they afford. " There has been an increase, in the total number of children educated iu the schools of the Colony, of 1528 scholars over the number' of last year. The cause of education has assuredly borne its full share in the generally progressive advancement of the Colony. " The progress, has not, however, been confined to mere numerical increase. Along with that, measures have also been adopted for affording to the children of the Colony, that which the progressive prosperity of its people has now made a desideratum, viz. an educa- tional course of a higher character than that which merely qualifies for the labourer and the tradesman, wherein the principle of either total or partial charity is to be abandoned." The Missionaries of the Society were not slow to avail themselves of every opportunity afforded them of elevating aud expanding the African mind ; far from supposing that there was anything in general literature unimical to the power of Gospel truth, they gladly added to their character of Missionaries that of lecturers on scientific or other subjects of general interest, whenever occasion served, or as they ac- countered intellects capable of deriving pleasure from such studies. For example, the Rev. T. Peyton, principal of the grammar-school says, writing in September 1 845 : " I have, during the quarter, given a few simple and explanatory lectures in the evening on the air pump and Astronomy — illustrated by the Phantasmagoria lantern — and instruction in English Grammar. The voung men to whom I have given these lectures and instruction have given me, for the benefit of my school, the sum of five pounds ten shillings, which I liave already appropriated to philosophical ])urposcs, with another contribution which one of our Missionary friends has made for the same purpose." The opening of the grammar-school gave occasion to the formation of a new Sunday school in Freetown inuler the most encouraging circumstances. Mr. Peyton says of it shortly after it was opened : " This school continues to afford every encouragement. It is well attended, and scarcely a Lord's day passes but I am under the pain- ful necessity of refusing to admit many persons, in consequence of not having sufficient room in my house for those already received. The INCREASED DEMAND FOR CHURCHES. 559 number on the books is now 321, with an average attendance of 204, Of those on the books, 2 1 1 read the Word of God, and the know- ledge which they possess of Scripture truth is truly pleasing. On the 27th of July, I opened a subscription in the Sunday-school, toward the erection of a new Church at the West-end of Freetown, and furnished all the teachers with Missionary boxes for that purpose. Twelve of them are now filled with the small contributions of the people. I am not prepared to state the amount collected, as the boxes have not yet been opened." The students of the Grammar-school assisted Mr. and Mrs. Peyton in their Sunday school labors. Thus the leadings of Di^-ine Pro^^dence were pleasingly exemplified, and His servants had reason to rejoice that "in w 564 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONK. same place tliirteeu men and twelve women. In April, an interesting Missionary meeting was held here, when Mr. Bultmann and the Rev. J. F. Schon addressed an assembly composed of 300 persons. Besides Ricketts, another village named Dublin contained the ele- ments of a promising church ; — of this place the Rev. J. Warburton, who visited the Bananas in June, thus speaks : — " June 8 : Lord's-day — I visited the Banana Islands, and held Di- vine Service in the morning at Dublin, and in the afternoon at Ricketts. At Dublin there is a very interesting congregation, larger and more intelligent than that at Ricketts, with which I was much gratified. A Sunday-school is kept at both places by school-masters in the employ- ment of Government : both, I trust, are good men and diligent. The people at Dublin wanted to keep me there for the afternoon service, by telling me that I was sure to have rain ; but I told them I must see Ricketts also. They seemed to be a respectful and affectionate people." The accursed slave-trade still moves on death-distilling wing over the plains of Africa, desolating her villages, and reddening her fields with human gore. Amidst all that is lovely in nature anil grace to gladden the eye of the Christian Missionary at Sierra Leone, such sights as the following will intrude to remind him of the accumulating debt which a righteous God will exact from His professing chiuch, iu favor of the long-oppressed children of Ham. " In going," writes the Rev. C. T. Frey, " from Kissey to Freetown, I met with a scene of misery which made such an impression on my mind that I shall scarcely forget it. About 400 emancipated Africans, old and young, of both sexes, were proceeding toward Kissey hospital. They had just come from the slave-vessel, and were in a most heart- rending condition. Some, not being able to walk, were carried, while others supported themselves by sticks, looking, from the starvation they had endured on board, more like human skeletons than living beings. I have since been informed, that within a short time about a hundred of them died. What had these poor creatures committed, tliat they shoiild be thus treated ? It was the love of money, truly called the root of all evil, in those who are called civilized people, which had brought them into this condition. How much longer shall this outrage be committed ? If Cyhristians iu Europe could have but one peep into such misery, they would more fervently pray for the propaga- tion of the Gospel of Peace in Africa, and more actively engage in abo- lishing the slave-trade." The Timinanee Mission still enjoyed the valuable services of the Rev. C. F. Schlenker, who had the happiness of l)aj)tizing two of the the boys in his school on the I .'ith of June. The names given to TIMMANEE MISSION. , 565 them were John Samuel and FrtdtMie Moses. Thi v were about nine years of age, and had given their worthy pastor much satisfac- tion. The school continued to increase in numbers. At 3Iidsummer there were on the list thirty-three boys and fifteen girls — forty-eight in all, thirty-five of these children were maintained by the Society. A mali- cious report had been circulated to the effect that a child died iu the school every day, and this frightened the parents so much that they would not send their children. Pah Kimbah, Chief of Maburr}-, had two children ready to be sent to the school when this report reached him, and he refused to send them until the woman who had circulated the falsehood was confronted by a friend of the mission in the presence of the ('hief, and her story proved to be false, when Pah Kimbah sent word to Mr. Schlcnker that he would come himself with the children. Mr. Schlenker continued to address as many adults as he could assemble in Ali Kali's yard ; considerable attention was paid to him on such occasions, and intimations given that what he had said was well understood. He mentions in his journal the promising case of Solimann Bunduh, a Mahommedan priest, who devoted himself to the study of the Scriptures in English and Arabic with much assiduity, and frequently made enquiries as to prayers and subjects of difficulty, which he encountered. He used to maintain that the Bible and the Koran were one, but the study of the former, Mr. Schlenker said, had considerably modified this view. We have now arrived at the agreeable task of adverting to the circumstances attending the first attempt to restore African slaves converted into Christian freemen, to the land of their forefathers, charged with a message of love and mercy to their kindred and coun- trymen. We have already mentioned the sailing of the Missionary party bound for Badagry, in the Bight of Jieuin, on the ISth of Deccnil)cr, 1844, and we shall now jjrocced to record the commence- ment of the ABBEOKOUTA MISSION. Afler a prosperous voyage, the ' Adario ' anchored off Badagry on the 17th of January 1845, and althougii tlic surf on tiiat coast is ordinarily of a dangerous character, the Missionaries were this day favoured with every facility for landing, so that they reached the shore without inconvenience, and were most hospitably received into the house of the Rev. S. Anncar, Wesleyan Missionary, with whom (licv continued several weeks. 56G CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Intelligence of the death of Sodeke, Chief of Abbeokouta, a few days after their arrival^ considerably embarrassed their proceedings, and threw a gloom over the prospects of the Mission. The Mis- sionaries, however, lost no time in communicating with the chiefs of Yoruba, who were assembled at an encampment formed by Sodeke over against Adu, chief town of a people called Ottas, who occupy a small tract of country situated between Abbeokouta and Badagry ; the object of the encampment being to keep open the road between these two places, and protect traders from the Ottas or Adus, who are notorious slave-dealers, making captive of all unprotected tra- vellers passing through their country. It was said that one main object with Sodeke in forming this encampment, was to facilitate the return of the Sierra Leone people. The camp was enclosed with a mud wall six feet high, perforated with loopholes for muskets ; it was found to be almost a mile in circumference. Within the wall, habita- tions had been erected for those who composed the army, and there the wives and children of the chiefs resided with them. Low watch- towers, about twelve feet high, supported that part of the wall next to the town of Adu, which was about a furlong from it, and a part of the intervening space was under cultivation. A proof that militar}^ opera- tions were not very vigorously carried on. A visit by the Missionaries to the encampment being resolved on, they set out on the 30th of January, under which date, Mr. Townsend has inserted in his journal, the following interesting details of their journey to the camp — " This morning we left for the encampment, and arrived at Mowo, or Mo, in about three hours. Mowo is the frontier town of the territory of Badagry, and is situated on the opposite side of an exten- sive morass, which almost encircles Badagry. Mowo is of small size, and is surrounded by a low wall. The Chief of this town is a poor little man, mean in appearance, and possesses, I should think, no power : but Amewu, or Mewu, a Chief of Badagry, resides here, and receives all the honours due to the Chief of the town : he seems also to exercise the power. He is a fine tall man, past the meridian of life, with a round, good-tempered countenance, very much marked with the small-pox. His dress, externally, is a large cloth decorated with cowries, and a pair of sandals or wooden shoes on his feet. His house is small and confined, and the apartment in which he generally sits and receives visitors is hung round with bones of various animals, bottles, calabashes, strings of cowries, and a few scraps of Arabic writing. These, being never removed or dusted, were very dirty, and presented a most disgusting appearance : they were his potent charms to avert evil. Ilis manner toward us was kind and obliging. "The road from Badagry to Mo is loose sand ; but from Mo onward ABBEOKOUT.V RECEPTION OF THE JIISSIONAUIES. 567 it becomes hard and firm, the sand being mixed with soil. After we had travelled about two hours we came to a town called Ikauga. The comitry around seemed to have been desolated by war : the trees, which we passed during the first part of our journey from Mo, giving place to low bush and yoimg trees, proving that it bad been once cleared, perhaps for cultivation, but was now left to be covered with the wild plants of the forest around. As we approached the encampment, the trees were larger ; and within a short distance we passed through large fields of Iiidiaa corn, recently cut, planted by the people of the encampment. " At the distance of a mile or two from the encampment we were met by a party of soldiers, sent to met us, and, as we proceeded, by several other parties, sent for the same purpose ; so that, by the time we reached the walls of the encampment, we had a large escort. We were conducted through the camp to the residence of Ogubonna, whom we found sitting before his house, waiting to receive us. Ogubonna knew me, having seen me on my former visit ; but I did not recollect him. He received us very kindly, and gave us a part of his house to reside in." From the Rev. S. Crowther's journal, wc extract the following parti- culars, in connexion with the reception of the Missionaries at Ognbonua's house, and subsequent events — " At the entrance to the square we met him sitting on a mat spread on the ground — a fine, stout, tall, clean, and noble-looking man ; and his pet daughter, really her father's imago, about ten years old, but quite naked, sitting close by him. He soon obtained a chair, and two empty powder-kegs, for our seats. As the drums continued beating, and the Lonis blowing, the noise was so great that we could scarcely hear our- selves. Many of the Chiefs came, and were introduced to us by Ogubonna. As the noise was still very great, he conducted us to the square, and into his room, where he lodged us. Here we were glad to rest awhile, and to be quiet from the noisy multitude. He asked whe- ther we had brought our house (tent) with us : we answered in the negative, on account of our haste in lca\ ing Badagry. Oguboinia, not being accustomed to provide for white men, was at a loss what to do on this occasion : but we soon made him easy by ordering one of our men to assist in boiling a fowl and some yams for our dinner and suji- per. Before suj)per was ready, we passed the time in conversation, lying on a lfoj)ard-skin, which was sometimes used for a chair, and at other times lor a sofa, as we wished to change our jiosition. Supper being ready, after a blessing had been asked, every one took his plate on his lap, or jjlaced it on tiie leopard-skin, as it suited him l)est. We asked Ogubonna to jjurtake with us ; but he declined, because he 568 CIIL'RCa MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. (lid not know how to eat as white men ea;t. We took some tea without milk, and asked Ogubonna to take a cup, to which he consented. To make it agreeable to his taste, Mr. Gollmer sweetened it well with sugar, and the Chief seemed to enjoy it veiy much. " When it was about 9 o'clock, we expressed our wish to have family prayer, and said that we should be glad if he and his household would join us. He instantly ordered all in the square to assemble, when I read Acts xvii. 16 — 31, and expounded it to them, and prayed in their native tongue. After prayers, we told him that it was our cus- tom to read a portion of Scripture every morning and evening, and to pray to God with our people ; and that not only had I been taught, in the white man's country, thus to read the Word of God, but many of our country -people in Sierra Leone. To prove this, Mr. Thomas Puddicomb, a liberated African of the Yoruba Nation, who is our head carpenter, and Mr. Mark Willonghby, Mr. Golhner's interpreter, were each requested to read a portion of Scripture, and to translate it to the Chief. Mr. Puddicomb read a few verses from Genesis ii., and Mr. Willoughby the miracle of the Widow's Son at Nain, which they both translated to the astonishment of Ogubonna. Mr. Willoughby was liberated at the same time with me, and Mr. Pnddicumb at the same time with my wife. We were all taught to read the Word of God at Bathurst School, superintended, at that time, by Mrs. Weeks. "After this, we were conducted to our room. j\Ir. Townsend's travelling basket served for his bed ; Mr. Gollmer laid his small mat- trass on a mat on the ground ; and I was supplied with a mat and a cushion by Ogubonna, on which I spread my blanket, and covered myself with my cloak. Thus Ave passed the night in our common room." The proceedings of the following day, Jan. 31, are from Mr. Townsend's journal. He writes — " This morning a large number of the Chiefs of the various parties in the encampment came to sec us, when we had to tell them why we came. They all expressed their gladness at our arrival, and their intention to act toward us as Sodeke intended. In the afternoon we visited Shumoi, the late king's brother, at whose house I lodged on my former visit. He received us very coolly, blaming us, among other things, for having gone to Ogubonna's house instead of his, and also for coining without j)resents. A report having been brought to Ogubonna, by his servant, who accompanied us to Shumoi's house, of what Shumoi had said to us, a council of Chiefs was called, and Shumoi was obliged to beg our pardon. The Chiefs advised us to dwell for a short time at Badagry until they should lia\ c tcrniiuatcd the war; because, they said, there was no head at Abl)e()kouta, since Sodeke's death, to whom we could look for protection ; and war was in HOSTILITIES BETWEEN NATIVE TRIBES. 569 the road between the encampment and Abbeokouta, so that we could not pass safely." On the first of February the Missionaries left the encampment and re- turned home, where on the 23rd of the same month, they heard of the destruction of the camp, and the flight of the chiefs and army, in con- sequence of an invasion of the Dahomians,* who, it appears, as their annual festival was approaching, wanted six hundred victims for sacri- fice ; besides which, they wished to open the slave-trade road from their country to the Lagos by land. At first the Egba people, who for the most part formed the encampment, gained some advantages over the Dahomians, killing a chief of great rank, besides about twenty others, and taking two j)risoners, and the umbrella of the chief with various chains and shackles to bind slaves ; however, reverses soon followed, and the Egba poeple, panic-struck, evacuated the encampment with their wives and children, sending the latter off to Abbeokouta for safety. The frequency of petty wars between different tribes of Africans, is one of the main hindrances to Missionary work among them, as it is in other uncivilized countries ; but it may be fairly anticipated from analogy, that this is one of the types of human depravity which it is the peculiar pro\'ince of the Christian religion to remove. The bre- thren labouring at Badagry, were often reminded of their position in this respect : the mischief of which they had recently heard from a distance, soon visited their own locality. On the 1 / tli of March Mr. Townscnd wrote : " This has been an eventful day for Badagry. In the afternoon the cry of war on the Lagoon was raised ; immediately the whole town was in an ujiroar : women running al)out crying to their gods, and men hastening to arm themselves in defence of the town. Our premises are at the extreme east end of Badagry, on the Lagoon side, and the enemy approached the town from the west, so that we were at first farthest removed from the seat of war. On going a short dis- tance westward, I lieard the reports of muskets tired in rapid succes- sion, and saw the Iso people, in large nuiMl)ers, coming down on the opposite side of the Lagoon, keeping as close to tlie l)ank as possible. Tlic Badagry j)eoplc fired at them from the town ; but the Iso jieoplc were too distant to receive any damage. I returned home to ac(|naint Mrs. Townsend, and Mr. and Mrs. (iollmer, who were ill, with tlie state of things, and to keep our own j)eople together, within our own yard. " By this time the fleet of canoes lined tlie o|)posite l)ank of tlic Lagoon, and extended far below l$ailagry toward tlie east. Two large guns, used as signal guns to vessels at sea, were now brought to bear upon the canoes. I believe they did no real mischief; but alarmed * Sec tlic foniKT Volume, p. 2.'', for a (IcHcriptinii of tlicbc [icojiU'. 570 CHURCH MISSION IN' SIERRA LEONE. the enemy not a little, and made many, vrho were venturesome enough at first, anxious to return : being, however, afraid of passing within range of the guns, they were cut ofiP from those farther up the Lagoon. " At this period a small number of Badagry canoes put off a short distance into the Lagoon ; but were afraid to approach the Iso canoes, at least near enough to receive or do any damage. Between the people in these canoes, and the Iso people a good deal of firing took place, continuing as long as the light enabled them to see each other. Night put a close to a bloodless battle, m which a vast quantity of ammunition had been expended as innocently as it well could be, and in which both sides displayed their want of courage to enter into actual conflict. Had the Iso people attempted to laud, doubtless the Badagry people would have defended themselves, and there would have been a great slaughter, which happily was prevented by the attempt not being made." The Missionaries had been prevented from proceeding to Abbe- okouta, (although they received a letter from Sagbua, chief of that town, inviting them thither,) in consequence of the unsettled state of the country, and the advice of the Chiefs, at the encampment, who did not consider it safe for them to remove from their present resi- dence. They consequently decided on remaining for the present at Badagry, where they proceeded to erect a temporary church, for which meanwhile was substituted the shade of a large tree, and to set up Mr. GoUmer's farm-house, besides building a native house, and other- wise providing for immediate shelter and accommodation. On the 22nd of February they left the kind and hospitable house of Mr. and IVIrs. Annear, " from whom," wrote Mr. Townsend, " we have re- ceived every attention and kindness," and on the following day they held divine service in their own sitting-room, which was filled by the natives. A few extracts from their journals will convey the necessary information as to their proceedings. The Rev. S. Crowther writes as follows : " March 2 — Mr. Gollmer and myself went out this morning to select a suitable sj)ot, luider a tree, from which to preach to the people. We fixed upon a s])ot under an umbrella-tree, between two markets, where I preached to a congregation of about 250 persons : thev were very attentive. Mr. Townsend took the Morning Service in our house. " April 13 — I i)reaclK'd to a congregation of sixty three adults and forty children. The children seemed to be peculiarly delighted with the service, and were heard distinctly joining in the Confession, the Lord's prayer, the creed, and the responses to the ten Command- ments, in the Yoruba language. Last Lord's-day I sighed that we PREACHING ( CHVRCII AND SUNDAY SCHOOL OPENED. 571 could not as yet get any of these children to school ; but to-day I brought with me a few letters of the alphabet, thinking thev might amuse them ; and that thus they would at the same time be initiated, though but slowly, into the mystery of speaking their language out of books, as they see me do every Lord's-day. The simple-hearted children were quite pleased with this new art : and soon blocked me up in their midst to see me point to the moon-like O, and the serpent- like S. Although the men and women were at liberty to go away after Service, yet they remained to see these wonderful letters. When I was about to return home, some of the poor children fell on tlieir faces to thank me for teaching them the white man's book : this mode of shewing respect I hope hereafter to alter to the more convenient English custom, " June 1, 1845 — I preached this morning, under the tree, to a congregation of 130 persons. As usual, I taught the children from the alphabet-board. Having made a translation of the Litany, I introduced it in the Church at the evening Service. I have hitherto used the ten Commandments in the place of it, both at the Morning and Evening Service. We hope the Morning and Evening prayers will soon come into their proper places, according to the order of our beloved Church." The Church was opened by Mr. Gollmer, on the 9th of March, and in the afternoon Mr. Townsend preached through an interpreter, to about sixty natives. On the same day, previous to Morning Service, a Sunday school was opened with about forty scholars. Mr. Townsend and Mr. Gollmer were under the disadvantage when addressing the peoi)le, of speaking by an interj)reter : Mr. Marsh the native catechist, usually acting in that capacity ; nevertheless they had the gratification of preaching to considerable bodies of the people, who always listened to them with the greatest attention. These faithful men likewise paid visits to the different chiefs in the neighbourhood, to obtain their consent and assistance for assembling their |)e()ple to hear the blessed message of life eternal. One or two extracts from their journals will exemplify their proceedings on such occasions. Mr. Townsend says : " Muij 18 — This morning I went to the Portuguese Chiefs house, in order to obtain, if possible, a hearing for (he word of (Jod from him and his people. I there met the principal Chiefs of Hadagry, assembled in council, each Chief with a goodly number of attendants. I apologi/.ed for coming when they were assembled in eouiieil, of which I was not aware. As they wished me to sit down, I asked if I might be permitted to say that which I came to deliver ; to which assent was readily given. I then addressed them, through Mr. Marsh, who acted as interpreter, on the fall of nnm, and his redemption through 572 CllUnCII MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. the one sacrifice of Christ Jesus. After I had finished, I asked permissioQ to pray that God would grant us His blessing ; to which, also, they readily assented. I then engaged in prayer, Mr. Marsh following me in the Yoruba language : during the prayer, Amen was frequently audibly pronounced by one of the Chiefs, using the native word." We have before adverted to one of the Chiefs, who was styled the English Chief of Badagry : this man, whose name was Wawu, had received the ^lissionaries very kindly, and promised to facilitate their efforts for the instruction of his people. Mr. Gollmcr refers to him in the following extract from his journal : " June 8 — Wawu informed me, last evening, that tlie death of one of his family would call him from home, and that I, therefore, must not come as arranged last Lord's Day. On hearing this, I went to Letu, another Chief, and a relative of the King of Lagos. Letu received me gladly, and had no objection whatever to my speaking to his people. I first acquainted him, again, with the object of our coming to this countiy, and of our living among them ; and then told him, that this was the Lord's-day, on which we always assemble for Divine Worship. ' And therefore,' I said, ' I have come this morning to see whether you will permit me to assemble your people, and speak to them a few words about God.' Letu replied, that all was good, and that I might speak to them. He wished me to begin at once ; but as the room in which we were was rather confined, and all the people were not assembled, I requested him to allow me to have Service in his yard, and also to wait a little until all his people should have come, which was willingly complied with. Letu and three of his princi})al men seated tht'insclves on the floor, as usual, under an open piazza, and the j)eople arranged themselves around us, some sitting, some lying, and some standing. I began the Service by reading the Lord's prayer, and the ten Commandments, in the Yoruba language. After this, I read my sermon, which my interpreter translated. The people, 125 in number, were, on the whole, atten- tive ; but all I said — I spoke from John iii. 1 6 — appeared to be entirely new to them all. The Chief and others several times repeated the word ' Jesus,' while my interpreter endeavoured to make its meaning very plain to them. When I had finished, the Chief and peo])le thanked me much ; saying, that what I had said, was good, and that they trusted God would make them hear and understand more l)y and by. One among the number said, ' We see the sun rise, and go down ; but we cannot tell who it is that has ordered it so. We see the moon, stars, &c., and we know there must be One greater tliaii we ; but we cannot tell, we do not know him.' On hearing this, I fold lliem, Uiaf, in times past, wliite man's country was like their's VISIT TO ABBEOKOUTA. 573 now ; that wliite man, at that time, had idols of wood and stone, just as the Yorubas had now, and the ' Hvmg and true God ' they did not know. ' But,' I continued, "when Missionaries came, and brought that same book whicli we have brought here ; when they preached from that book to the people, as I have preached this morning here ; and when the people acted according to that which was preached to them ; then they learned that their idols could do them no good, and that the great God must be another God than one made of wood and stone; and thus they came to know 'the living and tnie God.' They prayed to that God, war ceased, peace was established, and so, by and by, the country became a Christian country. To make your country the same as white man's is why we come here, and why we wish to preach this Word of God to you.' ' All this is good ; this is what we wish ; we want you to teach us,' was their reply. I was much gratified by this substantial encouragement to carry on our holv work." It being considered advisable that a visit should be paid to Abbeo- kouta, to learn the actual state of things there, Mr. W. Marsh, native catechist, set out for that place on the 9th of June, and on the 24th he wrote to the brethren at Badagrj', as follows : " By the mercy of God I reached Abbeokouta on the 14th of June, just at the conclusion of the burial of Sodeke. Oro is to conclude the burial of such great men. Women are shut up during seven days. If a woman, either by mistake or willingly, should come out at such a time, she is put to death. There is no ransom nor pardon for any. Three men were executed ; one a murderer, aud the other two thieves : the women believe that the god of Oro swallowed them. .\s far a.s things can be, the people are busy in setting things in order here. INIany persons are in prison, and are likely to be put to death. Children go freely about. Food is in abundance, perha])s more than four times cheaper tlian at Badagiy. Most of the people arc very industrious. Cowries are much valued, and rare. No one is allowed to oppress the weak. I have visited some of the principal of the Chiefs. They spoke very favourably of the Missionaries, and told nie some of the chief hindrances why they have not sent for them. They are now at peace with the people in the interior. There has been no disturbance in any of the villages belonging to Abbeokouta. The people partly know the intention of the Missionaries, and are glad to have their children taught. Tlu v generally call the English men of truth, ami men who know the tnu- ilnd. Tiu-y speak very highly of the English, and love tiiem. Idolatry flourishes here to a great degree. There is a sacrifice in my family almost every day : I assure them that, if thev call my name before the idol, I will remove from the family to W'illielin's ; otherwise, they might perhaps sacrifice 574 CHUECII MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. sheep, goats, and fowls, on my account : their seeing me again is as- cribed to the power of their god. " They have elected a new Chief, by the name of Ayikondu. I have not yet seen him. " Excuse my faulty letter. If I should find a pei*son willing to bring you a letter, I will write you a better one. The bearer of this came to me unawares. No person is wilhng to bring a letter through to Badagrj- as a messenger." At the close of the year 1845, the Missionaries had not been able to proceed beyond Badagry, but had continued the services there with considerable success, as regards the attendance of the natives, who to the number of two hundred and fifty, usually assembled on the Lord's Day with the sixty native Christians from Sierra Leone. By the latest communication received from the Mission, the pleasing intelligence is conveyed that the way to Abbeokouta was at length opened, and that the Chiefs of that district had invited the Mission- aries thither. Some of the latter were then preparing to embrace the opportunity thus afforded ; but several months may elapse before any further information can reach this country, as communication with the Colony is at present very precarious. One death occurred among the Badagry Missionaries this year, that of Mrs. GoUmer, wife of the Rev. C. A. GoUmer ; on the 11th of April, after a painful illness of three months. Her end was peace. The Rev. S. Crowther wiites : " This is the first Chiistian funeral that has ever been publicly per- formed in this country. Many of the Natives, out of curiosity, ac- companied us to the Church and to the burial ground, to witness the burial of a Christian. Though our dear sister is dead, yet she speaks to the Natives around, and shows the difference between the death of a saint and that of a heathen. The scene of this daj' will not soon wear away from the minds of those who were present — about 150 persons. The Chiefs, having been informed of our mournful bereave- ment, sent their messengers to express their sympathy with us : althiuigh no worshippers of the great God who made all things, yet they invariably ascribed this afflictive visitation to the providence of God, who knew and ordered all the events of life in His secret wis- dom. Truly, although they know Him as God, ' they glorify Him not as God but become vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart is darkened." We must now return to Sierra Leone, and take up the last three months of the year 1845. Two weddings occurred in the Missionary corps in October ; the first SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR SIR FOWELI, BUXTOn's MONUMENT. 575 took place on the 2nd of the month, when the Rev. Edward Jones entered again into the married state, and was united to Miss Meta Wilkins, sister to the lamented Mrs. Bultmann, whose decease we shall mention presently. The ceremony was performed b)' the Rev. ¥. Bultmann in the new Mission Church, Freetown. All the Mission- aries, with a few exceptions, were present ; as was also his Excellency the Governor. The second we have already adverted to : it occurred on the 28th, when the Rev. J. Smith was united to Miss A. C. Morris, the faithful superintendant of the female Institution at Regent. The Rev. J. F. Shon solemnized the marriage at Regent, from whence Mrs. Smith of course removed with her husband to Bathurst. Among the matters of general interest, may be mentioned a subscrip- tion set on foot throughout the different tillages, towards defraying the expenses of a monument to the lamented Sir T. Fowell Buxton, in Westminster Abbey. Neither the liberated Africans nor the Colony- born inhabitants of Sierra Leone, appeared insensible of the vast debt of gratitude which Africa owed to that unwearied friend of the negro race, and several pleasing instances occurred on the present occasion, of their readiness to acknowledge it. The Rev. J. Warburton writing from Gloucester under date of Nov. 24 ; mentions his having called a meeting of his people to explain the nature and object of the collection going on in the Colony, and that it was very numerously attended, although there happened to be at the same time a funeral at Regent, lie thus proceeds : " I did not address them in vain, for they most cheerfiUly cnme forward and offered their contributions. Tlie amount received from Leicester is ten shillings ; and from Gloucester, ^1 : 10 : 0. These are small sums, it must be acknowledged, but it nmst also be remembered that they are given feelingly and cheerfully, and there is some truth in the declaration of one of them — " Master ; we like that man, he do us good. Suppose we have more, we can give more, but we no have so much." The Sunday school ehihlren were not behind their jiarents in senti- ments of gratitude and esteem, Thomas King, native schoolmaster at Freetown, thus writes : " The progress wliich the scholars anr making, is verj- encouraging. With {>leasure, I am happy to state the forwardness evinced by them of expressing their thankfulness for the means they enjoy. When in- formed of the intention of making a subscri|)tion for tlie erection of a monument in memory of that nuicli-valued friend of the .\fricans, the late lamented Sir Tliom.as Fowell Buxton, wlio not only did liberally devote his substance, but with unremitting assiduity, laboured for the religious improvement and welfare of the .Vfrieans; and to whose kindness, and the otliers, under CJod, thousanils of us in the 576 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. Colony are indebted for our liberation ; with cheerfulness they gave as they could : it amounted to no less than £2 : 10 : 8. a sum far exceed- uig what we reasonably expected, when Compared with the number we have at present." At a special meeting of ^lissionaries held at Freetown on the 9th of December, the Rev. J. Smith handed in the sum of ^3 : 8 : 3 from the inhabitants of Bathurst and Charlotte, towards the same object, and he mentioned that his people brought their contributions with the greatest cheerfulness, exclaiming — as he reminded them of the advantages which they enjoyed through the instrumentality of him in whose honor the monument was sought to be raised — "True, master, that man was the best friend black man ever had, thank God, thank God for that." The inhabitants of Charlotte were then contributing to- wards the purchase of materials to make a pall for the town, and they soon placed in the hands of !Mrs. Smith some excellent black velvet and white silk, of which she got the school-girls to make the article re- quired, whicli cost about £5. On the 1 0th of November was laid the foundation of a new church at Kent, where for several years the members of the Church had worshipped in a miserable building, which Mr. Haastrup, in his journal, describes, as not only very uncomfortable, but also extremely uidecent : " In fact," he says, " it looks more like a cow-house than a Church ; and," he continues, " I was not much surprised at this, when I heard that it was erected several years ago, at the expense of £5." So dissatisfied were the inhabitants with this state of things, that as Joseph King, native schoolmaster, informs us, many of them were thinking of removing to some other village, which enjoyed, as they thought, more of the Church Missionary Society's favor than_ Kent. However, they are no doubt by this time gratified with a commodious stone edifice, more worthy of Him to whose service it is dedicated, and agreeable to their feeluigs, as His worshippers. Mr. Haastrup in- forms us that it is situated on a delightful spot. A new ^lission-house was erected at Waterloo, under the auspices of the Rev. C. F. Frey ; and he and Mrs. Frey removed into it on the 18th of October, to their great satisfaction and comfort. The monthly ^Missionary prayer-meeting was held in it on the 5th of November, " when," writes Mr. Frey, " twelve members of our mission-family were present on the occasion ; the largest body of Europeans,"^he adds, " ever assembled at this distant station, for the purpose of offering up prayers and supplications for the extension of our Saviour's kingdom." We must not omit here, Mr. Denton's description of Waterloo. " From what I had heard of it," he writes, " I expected to see a well-formed towTi, l)\it it exceeded my expectations botli in appearance and size : it lies in an open plain, and its streets arc laid TEMFERANCE MOVEMENT AT REGENt's TOWN. 577 out uniformly, and with taste. I was more especially pleased with the view of the Church. In its whole appearance it struck me r.s the most sacred-looking edifice in the mission, surrounded by a neat fence, enclosing about half an acre of ground thickly covered with rich green grass ; and much to the credit of Mr. Frey, there is now a neat and convenient cottage for the accommodation of a missionary." Concerning Mr. Denton's own charge at Kent, it is most gratifying to record the following opinion of a laborer just arrived in the Colony, Mr. W. Parkins, who landed at Freetown on the 30th of November, and thus writes under date of 7th December. " Assisted Brother Denton m the performance of Divine Serv ice at Regent. I was particularly struck with the great number of attendant worshippers, their responses and marked attention, as well as their be- coming reverence in the house of God. It being Sacrament Sunday, I was again agreeably surprised to behold so great a portion of the con- gregation remain to partake of the holy communion of the body and blood of Christ. I have visited many churches in England, when the Sacrament has been administered, but never saw so great a majority of its members jtartake at one time of that holy supper. Truly the Lord has greatly blessed the labours of his servants, by gathering so many from the heathen, we trust, into the fold of Christ." As an endence of the godly discipline which Mr. Denton was ena- bled to exercise over his Hock, we may mention his successful exer- tions to obnate the mischief with which Regent was threatened from the opening of a rum-shop in the town, by a colony-born youth, who had hired for the purpose the cellar of one of the communicants. Mr. Denton finding that the proper license had been obtained, and that the opening of the shop could not be prevented, thought thnt at least he might persuade his people not to purchase the rum. He accordingly sent for his class-leaders, pointed out to them the evil, and recjuested them earnestly to caution the people. " In my intercourse," proceeds Mr. Deuton, " with the people among my own classes and in my dis- courses, I failed not to say all I possibly could against it. and I was glad to find in a few days that the whole town was as much opjjosed to it as myself. Considerable interest prevailed on the subject for a fortnight, and as a proof how dp( i)ly it was felt, 1 may mention that in all their benefit-companies a fine was imposed on any of their numbers who should be detected purchasing rum at that shop, 'i lu- eoniminii- cant who, for the love of money, let him the cellar, at my request aUo gave him notice to quit at the expiration of three months ; but the young man has long since left the town, and tlieshoji lias been closed." We think we hear many a minister in Ciiristian Britain exclaiming. " Oh that we possessed -^o salutary n control over the ((M.dn. i our people I " 578 CIII RCII MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. We have before referred to .the Christiaii beneftt-coinpames men- tioned in this extract ; the heathen part of the community had adopted the principle, but carried it ont, it may well be believed, in a very dif- ferent manner ; as an instance, we select a case from Mr. Grafs Journal at Hastings. A heathen man died in that village who had belonged to three relief companies, as they were called. " The following particu- lars," writes Mr. Graf, "will show what kind of assistance they gave the poor widow ; one of these companies provided for the coffin and burial ; the second gave the widow 20s. and the third 10s. as presents, as they call it ; but in return for these kind oflBces, the poor woman was obliged, during the seven nights' wake following the burial, to ]jrovide supper and rum for each of the three companies, beside getting food for visitors from other villages ; and on the last night of the week, she had to prepare a feast for the companies, strangers, and any neigh- bours who chose to come ; and, when the poor woman had spent IDs. over and above the pecuniary assistance received, they insolently m- sisted on her getting several more bottles of rum, and when the wake was over, complained of the woman's niggardly conduct." Verily, we may add, the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel ! The subject of admitting canchdates to baptism seems most properly to have drawn forth all Mr. Grafs energies of mind and body ; he- would not accept the clearest expression of scripture views, unless thoroughly satisfied on the point of personal character ; and hence he made himself intimately acquainted with the individual history of every communicant and candidate under his care, and exercised the strictest discipline in admitting them to the ordinances of the church. With his sentiments on this subject we most heartily concur. " If," he says, " the church be, as considered by some, a kind of spiritual or ecclesias- tical hospital, which flourishes in proportion to the number of patients it admits, then I confess having used considerable strictness ; but if the church be a ' company of faithful men,' or if this be the standard to be aimed at, I believe in that case I have acted with considerable kind- ness and liberalitv." Mr. Graf and his excellent partner set their faces like a flint against the love of dress, so prominent in the African cha- racter, and which is continually intruding itself into the schools, and especially into the churches of the Colony, iu spite of every effort of the missionaries to exclude it. Mr. Graf took a great interest in the girls' school, where everj- species of usefiil sewing was taught ; liis notion being that " what most concerns the African is that he should be vsefulhj-minded — as in sewing," he says, " so in dress, I banish all finery from the school. I also stick," he adds, " to the rule that tidi- ness and cleanliness are next to godliness, and therefore am in the habit generally once a week, of reviewing the children at school, and CONTRIBUTIONS PRAYER-MEETINGS 579 sending home all dirty and broken clothes to be nuiuled at the sewing- school, whereby the girls get another nseful lesson, viz. mending." The funds of the " rehef-company " at Hastings had accumulated in three years to ^£78, including some extra contributions, while the disbursements in the same period had not exceeded £38; besides which the members had a stock of articles, used at burials, on hand for several years, and also a good velvet pall, so that the company was in a flou- rishing condition, and could contemplate in course of time the institu- tion of such local charities as a hospital, school of industry. Orphan Asylum &c., over and above what was contributed to the Church Mis- sionary- and Bible Societies. As regards church attendance here, we can only quote one sentence from Mr. Grafs Journal. " To see the people at church really enjoy the word, and open their eyes and mouths to catch its meaning — that cheers the heart and refreshes the spirit." This station had contributed to the Church Missionar}- Society in four years the sum of 3650 including £S : 14 : 4. of extra collec- tions for the Yoruba Mission and Fourah Bay Institution. Together with all these favourable indications, there was much sin and inconsistency at Hastings — of this Mr. Graf makes free mention in his Journal, and says that he was enabled to encounter it with all boldness, no man questioning his authority to do so. Kissev continued to afford encouragement to the faithful men with whose district it was connected. The principle of self-improvement was adopted here with most exemplary effect. Mr. Midler, the catechist says — " It is the general practice of our commiuiicants and candidates at Kissey, to meet every week in different places, for the sake of private devotions; — one of the most enlightened and intelligent men among them alternately conducts the meeting. The people thus meet together, sing, prav, and hear a portion of holy writ read, explained, and applied to them." The Rev. N. C. Ilaastrnp mentions the baptism of a scliool-lmy, named William Cole, here on the 30tli of November, under interesting circumstances. Both his parents were heathens, and resided, mitil the death of his father, in a heathen country, where of course he was brought uj) in ignorance ; but when his mother became a >vidow she removed to the Colony, and sent him to school, where among other things he learned tlie Church Catechism, and then found out tliat la- had no godfather and godmother like other boys, which he was told was in consequence of never having been l)aptizid : this made him so nneasv, that he got one of the boys to .icronipnny him to .Mr. IIanslru|> to beg him to baptize him immediately, but as be was fourteen years of age, and therefore quite able to answer for him.self, Mr. Ilaastrnp hought it right that he should l)e baptized as an adult, and proceeded 580 CHiaCH MISSION IN SIEEHA LEONE. to instruct him privately. " I have," adds Mr. Haastrap, " spent many hours with him in my study, and trust the Lord has blessed my endeavours to lead him to the knowledge of the truth, and that a change has taken place in his heart. The baptism was very solemn, and reminded me much of the rite of confirmation, of which I am sorry to say we are here deprived." After service, the boy went to Mr. Haastrup, and expressed the happiness he felt, that he was no more a heathen. He afterwards became a candidate for the Lord's Supper. The arrival of a new laborer, Mr. Parkins, has been incidentally referred to. Mr. Parkins was accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Beale on their return, and the African youths, George Nichol and Thomas Maxwell, after a sojourn in England of more than sixteen months, and the enjo}Tnent of the valuable superintendence and instruction of the Rev. C. F. Childe, principal of the Islington Institution. After a more than usually perilous voyage, the party landed at Freetown, on the 30th of November, and were hospitably received by the Rev. Thomas Peyton, principal of the grammar-school. Mr. Beale describes the welcome which he and his dear partner re- ceived on their return to their charge, as most gratif%"ing to their feehngs. He says — " The report of our arrival spread quickly through the towns and villages. Many members from Church met us at the water-side, and gave us a regular black man's hearty welcome to their shores. They gladly carried all our boxes and luggage, &c. to the Mission-house, without any pay. I offered money to one man, but he said, ' No Massa, no mind that, me no want that,' yet this man was not a mem- ber, although he partook of the joy which animated the rest. " Early on Monday morning a scene commenced which would have gladdened any heart : it was the people commg in from chfferent towns in great numbers to see us and bid us welcome. We shook hands vdth so many, young and old, as at length to be quite fatigued. All ' thanking God for our safe arrival.' For several days the same plea- sure was afforded us, during which we could scarcely turn our heads without being saluted by some smiling face, ' How do, Massa, you done come, me glad for see you, Massa, thank God O I thank God O I ' whilst others ran out of the houses, and seized our bands, crying aloud, ' .\h me Massa I Ah me Massa I thank God Massa done come.' " We must not omit what follows — '■ Thursday, Dec. 11. One of the most pious and useful women of Freetown was reported to me as being prevented from coming to pay her respects to us by illness. The person who came to tell us said, ' Please Massa, R. P. want to come to see you, but she so sick, she no able ; she say perhaps by and bye you go far away, and she no see you. Massa, she like for cry about this all day.' This evening we SANCTIFIED AFFLICTIONS. 581 went to her house to sec her, and found her in bed ven* unwell. ' Oh, ' she said, as we entered the room, grasping our hands M ith much affection, wliilst her weak frame was almost overpowered with joy, ' me no been think me go live till this day, thank God we see one another's face in this world once more. God so good to bring you back over the big water once more, thank God ! thank God ! ' When I enquired respecting her sickness, she said she had been suffering much since August, but added, ' Massa, this sickness do much for mc, I thank God for it. When I lay upon this bed, I consider my state, I look upon Jesus and he give me patience for bear, Jesus do good to me ! When the sickness hard upon me, and the pain so bad me heart ready for complain, then Jesus send Holy Spirit, and give me patience for bear.' " Thomas King portrays the character of another aged Christian, for whom we are called on to praise God and rejoice in the West Africa Mission. The following is from his report — "Oct. 31. Visited old S. I. this evening, whom I found sitting by the fireside : her reply to my question, ' Bow do you do ? ' expressed the devotedness of one, of whom it might be said, that she has licr loins girded, her lights burning, and who is only waiting for the coming of her Lord and Redeemer, that when hecometh and knocketh, she may open to him immediately. Her reply was, ' I am only waiting for my Saviour's time,' which very much corresponds with the patriarch Jacob. Though decrepid and afflicted, and none with her in the house, when sick or the like, she complains very little of her lot. My asking how she felt at such times was responded to by sajnng, ' Though nobody to call when the pains increased on me sometimes in the night, or to send when unable to move for what I want, yet I know that one who sees and knows all my pains is with me. I have no husband, no child, or anytliing in this world ; but Jesus is my husband, my por- tion, yea my all, and what more do I want ? Soon all my troubles and trials shall be done. Plenty of my country and friends done die, but Jesus keeps me till to-day. Nothing in the world but my soul's salvation I am crying to Jesus for.' I took my leave after rej)enting some Scripture promises to her. Woidd to God all who profess faitli in Jesus were so single-eyed, as to have their whole body and mind full of light." The great desire which now pervades all cla.sses for iMstniclion is well exemplified in the following case related by Mr. Denton — "For some time past a female of the name of Pratt, had aliiii(ti(l our atterition i)y her great earnestness and diligence in learning to read, as well as her regidar attendance at Church. A few months since, when learning the alpliabet, she was very desirous to jinreluise one of the large boards on wliicli the shiet-lessons are pasted, tlint ^lu^ 582 CHURCH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. might take it home to learn in the week ; as soon as she was removed into a higher class, she most cheerfully purchased the book in w hich they were reading. In the same class there was another woman, who seemed to vie with her in the desire to be able to read, and having a child at home able to instruct her, (an advantage which the other did not enjoy) she was prepared before the other to be removed into a higher class. When this took place, poor Pratt was quite overcome, and gave vent to her feelings in tears, telling Mrs. D. that she had no child at home to teach her, and that many times when she saw the school-children playing in the streets, she had gone out to them with a copper in her hand, offering it to them if they would come and teach her to read." Mr. Frey mentions tlie case of a man exemplifying his conjugal affection, by laboring to make his wife a partaker of the blessings of education. He writes — Dec. 10. Admitted the wife of one of our communicants a candi- date for baptism : she is quite a young woman recently sent to Water- loo from the liberated African department, but her husband having taken her to the Sunday school from the beginning, as well as taught her at home, she has to my agreeable sui-prise already learnt the Lord's prayer, and understands English pretty well. With one more specimen of the materials of which the African tem- ple is being raised, we must rest satisfied for the present ; it is from the Sabbath-school at Bathurst, and it draws forth an expression of earnest desire, that some of the "wise men, the scribes, the disputers of this world," whose religion, like the "antique towers" that crown their academical retreats, exhibits the only features that time can lend to its own productions — darkness and decay — could see and appreciate the freshness, the \"igor of mind and heart, which the simple truth as it is in Jesus, can communicate to the infant and to the sage — to the noble- man who lays his high mental and social endowments at the feet of his Sa^^our, and to the liberated Negro, whose bosom throbs with a con- sciousness of new-born dignity as an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. Mr. Smith says — " I one Sabbath entered the fourth class of males, who were reading the New Testament at John x, and interrupted them by asking if they quite understood the Saviour's meaning when he speaks of himself as the door, and says, " No man cometh unto the Father but by me } " To this they replied, ' Yes, Jesus Christ is our true master, those who believe are His sheep, he died for them, and through him they get to glory at last.' I then required one of them to tell me and tlie class what he understood by the first verse, which sj)eaks of the sheeptbld, the door, and the person entering that door by an iniproj)cr way. He said, ' The fold is Christ's Church, into which he will bring DU.VTU OF MRS. BULTMANN. 583 all his people, but there is only one door for all to enter Christ's told ; that is, all must come and believe in Christ, and put away sin,' and then another added, when I asked what he thought on the subject, ' Yes, it stand all the same as if one man wished to come into this house, and he came to the wrong side where the door is not, and he jumped in by the window ; now if somebody live inside, he will catch him and heave him back and tell him to pass round and come in right fashion by the door. So will Jesus Christ do ; if somebody try to get to heaven any other way beside by Jesus Christ ; because he is the way, he is the door, nobody can come to God except by Him.' " During this quarter the Bananas continued to flourish. " Religion and industry," wrote Mr. Bultmann in December, "go hand and hand here. We have now upwards of a hundred communicants at Bananas and Ricketts, and their characteristic simplicity of mind and manners, so truly pleasing, is graciously preserved to them by their separation from the mainland." At the special Meeting of the Missionaries on the 9th of December, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who labored at Bathurst, were appointed to the Abbeokouta Mission. " We are now both," writes Mr. Smith, " re- markably well, and feel pretty well acclimatized, and desire only to be where our God would have us to be, and then to labour with a single eye to Ilis glory, and the salvation of the poor heathen." Happy sen- timents ! worthy of the minister and the cause ! We have postponed to this place the painful task of recording the death this year of a truly faithful missionary's wife, Mrs. Bultmann, who was married to Mr. Bultmann in Hanover, on the 3rd of May 1842, and arrived with her husband at their ap])ointed station, Kent, on the 1 8th of the following November, where she made it her study by every available means, to elevate the character, and improve the condition of the native females committed to her charge. To the widows and children of the settlement she ])roved herself a Christian benefactress, and by all the numbers of her husband's flock, slie was looked up to with respect and aftection. In reference to her sickness and deatli, Mr. Bultmann wrote in September, 1845 : " She always enjoyed excellent health until a fortnight before her death. On Lord's day, the (Jtli of July last, she gave birth to tlie second and only surviving daughter. No alarming symptoms, however, made their appearance before the night of the IGth, wlien puerperal fever was manifest. Vor several days previous she had felt and ex- pressed the strongest jncscntimenfs of deatli, and would repeatedly call upon me to ]»ray with her ; and sometimes, with the most chanu-terislic simplicity, would pray for herself. \t half-past eigiit, i-.m., on Lord's (lay the "iOth of July, 1 I)esought the Hev. .1. F. Sehini to oiler np a last prayer ; after «liicb her spirit took it^l flight In heaven. 584 CIIIECH MISSION IN SIERRA LEONE. " In accordance with her desire, expressed the day before her deatli, her mortal remains were conveyed from Freetown to Kent ; where, at her funeral, on the 22nd, the widows and children of Kent stood by her bier weeping and showing the coats and garments which she had made, while she was with them ; for in truth she had been a Dorcas to the whole parish." The Rev. J. Warburtou's testimony to her Christian character, is as follows : " Mrs. Bultmann was a true Christian, and an excellent Mission- ary's wife. Her kind, gentle, and unobtrusive manners were obvious to all ; and those who have had the opportunity of spending any time under the hospitable roof of our dear brother must feel that he has lost an help-meet, not only in domestic affairs, but also in his Missionary labors. Mrs. Bultmann was diligent in improving the female children in needle- work, and in instructing them in religious and usefiil knowledge ; but she did not confine her labours to them. I have seen adults also come to her statedly for instruction in the Word of God ; and I have been surprised to hear how well she spoke English, and to observe how scripturaily she taught them. At the commencemeut of the fever, Mrs. Bultmann suffered considerably ; but was more free from pain to- ward the last day or two ; and, when not suffering from the peculiar nature of the disease, her mind was calm, and trusting in God. She died in peace. The loss of Mrs. Bultmann to the inhabitants of Kent, to the ^lission, and to her husband, is great. We therefore sorrow ; but not as others which have no hope." Justice to the memory of this exemplary woman, demands the in- sertion of the following tribute of affectionate regret on the {)art of the people who knew her well, and could therefore fully appreciate their loss : it is from the pen of Mr. J. Wilson, native Catcchist, at Russell near Kent : " July 22. Unexpectedly, about eight o'clock this morning, there arrived at Russel Mr. J. Bartholomew and Mr. Cecil, who brought us the mournful news of the death of Mrs. Bultmann, our dear beloved mistress. Therefore they were on their way to Kent in order to attend the burial, as it was to take place there by her own desire. Alarmed as my wife and I were, we rose up, and accompanied our friends to Kent. Just on our arrival we met three persons running one after the other, with letters from the friends to inform us of this awfid pro- vidence ; for the boat which brought the corpse from Freetown hr.d arrived al)out an hour before us. Accompanied by Mr. J. Bartholomew, and many other persons, I instantly went down to the wharf, as the coffin was not yet brought up. Here we met several men, women, and children sitting round, and mourning over tlie cofiin of their beloved mistress. I ordered the coHin to be brought u]), and placed in the Chureli, until NATIVE RESPECT FOR MRS. BOLTMANN. 585 the Rev. ?Jcssrs. Ilanstnip and Frcy sliould arrive. The pco])le of this village were greatly alarmed by the death cf their beloved mistress : here and there you would see men, women, and children, flocking to- gether in the streets, holding their mouths with each of their hands, and scarcely uttering a word, as is the manner of the Africans when- ever a thing is too painful to them. Nothing now presented itself to us but sorrow, anguish, the gloomy appendages of death, and an opening grave. And I was also told by many of the people, that, as the boat which brought her mortal remains from Freetown came not in view of the peoi)le here, until it had nearly reached the wharf, and as they thought it was Mr. and Mrs. Ikiltmann who were tlien coming, so many of them ran down to the wharf especially to welcome their be- loved mistress, to whom the Lord had given safe deliverance of a little girl at Freetown. But alas ! they received the coffin in which their be- loved m.istress was lying. About two o'clock this afternoon, after the arrival of the Rev. N. C. Ilaastrup, and the Rev. C. T. Frey, the solemn bell began to tell her departure. Men, women, and children would now be seen coming from every quarter of the town to attend the funeral of their beloved mistress ; and not long after this we conveyed her niortal remains to the tomb, even where our sweet Saviour 'left a long perfume.' Although the Lord has not permitted our late dear mistress to live long in this part of the climate, yet her agreeable temper and conduct, as well as usefulness, during the short space of time, had gained the esteem of all persons in this village. But all that is horn of tiie race of man is frail and mortal ; and all that is done by the hand of God is wise and holy. We mourn and we submit in silence." Mrs. Bultmann was born at Bremen, in Hanover on the 13th of January, 1820. She commenced her missionary labors in her twenty- third year, and died in her twenty-sixth, on the '20th of J\dy 184.5, having been spared to her work something more than two years and a half. Her witness is on high. Li connexion with this melancholy event, and the expression of native feeling which it drew forth, we must briefly refer to the delicate sympathy which poor Mr. Bultmann received from his people on the occasion of his severe loss — writing on the 'Jnd of November, he says, " I went to Rickelts (at Bananas) where among others, on my arrival, a little orphan boy of al)ont nine years of age, came to tell nie ' hosh, ' a word invariul)ly used here among all African tribes to express their sympathy. Having repeated this word half a-dozen times, (African like) he a