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SCENES  AND  INCIDENTS 


OP 


EVEM-DAY  LIFE   IN  AFRICA. 


SOEN'ES    AND    INCIDENTS 


0  F 


Africa 


BY  HAEEIEnE  G,  BEITIAN. 


wur  i^-: 


''Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  he  saved." — -Acts  xvi.  SI. 

"  How  then  shall  they  call  on  him  in  whom  thej  have  not  helieved  ?  And  how  shall 
thej  believe  in  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard?  And  how  shall  they  hear  without 
a  preacher?  And  how  shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent?  As  it  is  written, 
How  beautiful  are  the  feet  of  them  that  preach  the  Gospel  of  Peace,  and  bring 
glad  tidings  of  good  things."~R02,i.  x.  14,  15. 


SECOND  EDITION. 


PUDNEY    &    RUSSELL,    PUBLISHERS, 


No.   79   JOHN-STREET. 
1860 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1859, 

By   PUDNEY   &   EUSSELL, 

n  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States,  for  the  Southern 

District  of  New- York. 


"J 

0..- 


/  .2.^-1 


tVitiiuin. 


TO    MY    BELOVED     PASTOR, 

KE V.      J  .      A.      PADDO  C  K. 


/'i^ 


It  is  meet  that  to  one,  to  wliom  I  owe  so  much  of  what  I  possess  of 

spiritual  life,  the  first  efforts  of  my  pen  for  the  spread  of  the  Redeemer's 

kingdom  should  be  dedicated.     You,  dear  Sir,  know  how  these  scenes 

were  first  penned,  as  letters  to  loved  ones  at  home,  and  that  it  was  from 

reiterated  assurances  that  they  might  be  useful  and  interesting  to  the 

public  at  large,  that  they  have  now  be«n  published.     This  work  has 

been  entered  up'on  and  prosecuted  with  many  doubts  and  fears.     I  can 

not  expect  it  to  be  received  by  a  critical  public,  as  it  has  been  by 

loving  friends  ;  but  you  are  fully  awa;*e  of  the  motives  that  prompted 

;  ^5  undertaking :  an  earnest  desire  to  promote  the  best  interests  of 

irica  ;  to  spread  the  Kedeemer's  kingdom,  and  the  elevation  and  re- 

.neration  of  our  common  humanity.     These  being  the  motives,  I  trust 

ere  are  many  who  will  forgive  the  lack  of  skill,  or  other  deficiencies 

in  the  work — looking  upon  it,  not  with  a  critic's,  but  a  Christian's  eye, 

believing,  as  I  know  you  will,  "  she  hath  done  what  she  could." 

Harriett  G.  Brittan. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

AT  SEA. 

Page, 
Parting — Slave  Trade— Sunset — Storm — Friendlese — Escape — Com- 

posant — Salute — Kroomen 13 

CHAPTER  11. 

MONROVIA. 

Kroomen —  Mr.  Wilson — Landing  —  Kroo  Philosophy — Schools — 

The  Drivers — Miss  Killpatric — Sail  again 24 

CHAPTER  III. 

CAPE    PALMAS. 

Church  —  The  Asylum  —  Our  Pets  —  Sunday — -Hoffman  Station- 
Daily  Life 37 

CHAPTER  ly. 

CAVALLA. 

Lepers — Cavalla  Examination — The  Feast — Boys'  Examination.  . .     63 

CHAPTER  V. 

RETURN   HOME. 

Baptism  —  Mr.   Wilson's  Arrival  —  Asylum  Examination — The 

Bishop  Arrives — Christmas  Eve — Christmas  Day — Escape. ...     60 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  yi. 

^  SUNDAY-SCHOOL   ANNIVERSARY. 

^  Page. 

Work — ^I^ative  Class— Old  M'Lede — Father  Scotland— Xew  Year's 

Eve—New- Year's  Day —Fever— The  AYill , 68 

CHAPTER  YH. 

SCHOOL. 

Saturday — The  Yincennes — Witchcraft — The  Dinner  Table — Cor- 
rection— Liberian  Uniform — The  Children — Communion  Sun- 
day— Our  Household — Food — Auntie  Dade — Ocean  Eagle — 
News  from  Cavalla 80 

CHAPTER  YHI. 

THE   WEDDING. 

The  Eagle  Sails — The  Lake — Cavalla — Daily  Fare — Baptism — Little 

Thomas— The  Hospital 100 

CHAPTER   IX. 

TEST, 

Love  Feast— The  Horse— Wah— The  Boat— The  Snake— Saturday 
Interruptions — Grawah — Insects  —  Saturday  Evening — Sunday 
— Wah  —  Sacerdillo  —  Convocation — Good  Friday — Change — 
Easter  Sunday— Travening— Want— The  AYell— Yisitors 112 

CHAPTER  X. 

BADE. 

Witchcraft— Saturday  Afternoon— Wounds— Sickness— Moonhght 
— Prayer — Lowliness  —  The  Bodia  —  Cannibals — Atonement — 
Self-denial— The  Well— Begging— Daily  Duties— Surgery- 
Heroism  —  Sassa-wood — Surgery — Sick  Man — CannibaUsm — 
French  Emigrant  Yessel — Cruelty — Cold --  136 


CONTENTS.  V 

CHAPTER  XI. 

SASSA    ORDEAL. 

Page. 
Valentine — Wounds — Thomas — The  Bishop's  Arrival — Communion 
— Life — Rum — Missionary  Meeting — Salt— Joy — More  Joy — 
Work — Illness — The  Examination  and  Wedding— Birth- day — 
Baptism — Sassa — The  Invitations  — Doda-lu — Centipede — Sad 
News — The  Kwi — Time — The  Funeral — Ignorance — The  Ac- 
cepted Invitation — Consumption - 16 

CHAPTER  XII. 

ULCERS. 

Climate  —  Company  —  Strange  Ideas  —  Singing  —  Beauty — Sassa 
Triumph — Fish — Fever — Harry  Bacon— Text — Cape  Palmas — 
New  Friends — Carriage — On  Board — Travelling — King  Weir — 
Lucie — Reveries — Stores  from  Home — Transmigration — Ru- 
mors— Music — A  Pleasant  Day — Dauha ....;    ....  194 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

ENTHUSIASM. 

Letters— Josephine — The  Garden  Graves — The  Missionary  Box — 
The  Girls'  School — Patience-— Superstition — Cape  Palmas — 
Mount  Yaughaa  —  Home  —  Cruelty  —  Crazy  Man  —  Nye— 
Beauty  —  Marriage — Amusements  —  Sickness  —  The  Earth- 
quake— The  Comet  —  Generosity  —  Strange  Yessel — Music — 
Cares — Superstition — The  Army — Letters — Fish — Faith — The 
Sabbath  Law — Letters — Harriett — Penalty — Justice — Legends 
—The  Mermaid— The  Witch— Church— Sickness 226 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

MONROVIA. 

Visitors — Sunday  School  Celebration — Patience — Speeches — Uncle 
Simon — Company — Sunday — St,  Paul's  River — Drivers — A 
Curiosity  —  Poverty  —  The  Mite  —  The  Creek  —  Leopard — 
Travel — Feasts — Pleasure  —  Monrovia — The  Stevens — Christ- 
mas Day — Sunday — The  Congoes — The  Gospel — Sickness — 
Friends— The  Ship— Bassa  Sinoe  ...   282 


^  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XV. 

HOME. 

Mrs.  Gillet— Ordination— The  Magic  Lantern— Illness— Funeral- 
Departure  —  Passengers  —  Sierra  Leone  —  The  Gambia—The 
Jujn— Cruelties— Drunkenness— Teneriffe— Madeira 332 


INCIDENTS  AND   SCENES 

OP 

EVERY-DAY  LIFE  IN  AFEICA. 


AT    SEA. 


Parting. — How  many  scenes  of  ship  life  have  been 
given  again  and  again  to  the  pubhc  eye  ;  in  all  there  is 
much  that  is  similar,  and  yet  how  varied  !  The  vessel 
seems  like  a  little  world  of  itself — far  away  from  all 
others  ;  yet  the  hopes  and  fears,  the  joys  and  loves^  of  so 
many  centre  in  her.  Following  our  little  bark,  we  knew 
were  the  thoughts  and  prayers  of  many,  oh  !  how  many, 
of  Grod's  dear  children.  We  were  a  little  band  of  ei^iit 
missionaries,  from  three  different  branches  of  the  Church 
on  earth,  but  belonging,  as  we  all  hoped,  to  the  one  great 
spiritual  Church  of  the  Redeemer.  And  what  confi- 
dence it  gave  us  to  feel  that  prayers  for  us  were  being- 
wafted  on  every  gale.  I  pass  over  the  scene  of  our  part- 
iii<y  ;  none  but  those  who  have  felt  it  can  understand  the 
missionary's  farewell  to  his  loved  ones — the  mingling  of 
joy  and  sorrow  ;  it  is  a  strangely  sad,  yet  blissful  part- 


ing. 


14  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Slave  Trade.— We  have  morning  and  evening  worship 
in  our  little  cabin.     Unless  obliged  to  be  on  deck,  all  the 
ship's  company  attend,  except  the  man  at  the  helm.     I 
hope  our  presence  may  be  a  blessing  to  them ;  and  while 
thinking  of  the  poor  heathen  at  a  distance,  may  we  not 
forget  those  around  us.    The  mate  brought  us  a  flying-fish 
this  morning,  which  had  been  killed  by  striking  against 
the  man  at  the  helm.     It  is  a  beautiful  little  creature,  of 
a  deep  bright  blue.     Its  wings  are  very  delicate,  and  per- 
fectly  transparent.     Our  mate  was  telling  us  an  adven- 
ture of  his  early  life— a  sad  one.   He  shipped  on  board  a 
vessel  bound  for  the  African  coast,  ostensibly  to  obtain  a 
cargo  of  camwood  ;  but  it,  in  reality,  was  a  slave  ship. 
He  and  some  of  the  other  sailors  had  no  idea  what  the 
v^sel  was  till  they  reached  the  slave  coast,  or  what  was 
the  species  of  labor  they  would  be  required  to  perform. 
The  horrors  of  the  fearful  trade  are  too  well  known 
for   me  to  recapitulate  them   here.     He,  poor  fellow, 
could  not  get  inured  to  them,  and  he  loathed  himself  for 
the  very  acts  he  was  compelled  to  perform.     At  length 
they  had  succeeded  in  obtaining  two  hundred  and  eighty, 
about  one  third  of  their  cargo,  when  a  British  cruiser 

hove  in  sight. 

"  The  poor  negroes,"  said  he,  ''  were  stowed  away, 
like  cattle  in  pens,  under  the  deck ;  and  to  hear  their 
groans,  moans,  and  yells,  was  perfectly  dreadful."  The 
slaver  was  chased  by  the  cruiser  for  five  days,  and  then, 
finding  escape  impossible,  the  captain  ran  her  upon  the 
rocks,  and,  taking  to  the  small  boats,  he  and  the  crew 
escaped  to  the  shore.  Whether  the  poor  captives  were 
rescued  by  the  British,  or  most  miserably  perished,  ho 


EVERY-DAY   LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  15 

never  knew.  The  crew,  to  avoid  detection  by  the  na- 
tives, sought  singly  for  safety.  He  wandered  down  the 
coast  for  four  hundred  miles,  feeding  on  berries  and  roots, 
till  he  came  to  a  Portuguese  seaport,  where  he  obtained 
a  homeward  passage.  Whether  any  of  his  comrades  es- 
caped, he  never  knew.  So  sometimes  even  in  this  world, 
Grod  permits  the  ^'  wicked  to  be  snared  in  his  own  net." 
This  poor  man  said  he  believed  if  he  should  ever  be  en- 
trapped in  such  an  undertaking  again,  he  would  throw 
himself  overboard. 

Sunset. — This  evening,  what  a  magnificent  sunset  we 
have  had  !  It  puts  all  my  powers  of  description  at  de- 
fiance. Two  of  us  were  sitting  together  on  the  deck,  and 
we  called  to  mind  that  it  was  the  hour  of  our  little  prayer- 
meeting  at  home.  "We  sang  together,  and  then  engaged 
in  silent  prayer  for  a  few  moments — ^remembering  ''  that 
prayer  is  a  great  triangle,  the  base  connecting  distant 
friends  on  earth,  the  apex  being  formed  by  our  Father's 
throne."  We  then  sat  and  watched  that  splendid  scene, 
exclaiming — 

*'  Loose  all  your  bars  of  massy  light, 
And  wide  unfold  the  ethereal  scene." 

And,  truly,  I  never  so  fully  realized  what  must  be  the 
glorious  reality  of  the  heavenly  city,  as  I  did  in  witness- 
ing that  sunset.  ^'  Eye  hath  not  seen,  ear  hath  not  heard, 
nor  hath  it  entered  into  the  heart  of  man  to  conceive, 
the  glories  which  He  hath  prepared  for  those  that  love 
Him." 

Storm. — The  captain  was  called  up  at  four  o'clock  in 


16  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

tlie  morning :  a  heavy  squall  was  coming  on,  and  we  soon 
felt  its  terrible  effects.  It  lasted  about  thirty-six  hours. 
To  look  out,  from  the  deck,  the  scene  was  sublimely 
awful.  The  waves  rolling  in  mountains,  the  dense 
leaden  clouds  (from  which  the  rain  poured  dow^n  in  tor- 
rents) coming  so  close  to  the  water  that  you  could  hardly 
discover  where  one  began  and  the  other  terminated  ; 
our  little  vessel  pitching  and  tossing  from  side  to 
side,  every , sail  furled  close,  the  helm  lashed  hard,  and 
we  left  to  drift  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  the  winds  and 
waves.  All  that  human  hands  could  do,  the  captain  had 
done,  and  now  we  must  rely  entirely  on  the  strength  oi 
an  Almighty  arm.  I  never  heard  a  single  fear  expressed  ; 
all  seemed  to  feel  that  our  Father  ^' was  at  the  helm," 
and  that  He  who  once  spake  to  the  raging  billows, 
^'  Peace  !  be  still !"  yet  ''  holds  the  winds  in  His  fist  and 
the  waves  in  the  hollow  of  His  hand ;"  and  we  knew 
that  without  His  permission  not  a  hair  of  our  heads 
could  perish.  Outside,  the  scene  was  grand  and  terrific  ; 
inside,  spite  of  the  awe  (not  fear)  we  all  felt,  the  scene 
was  so  ludicrous,  that  every  few.  minutes  there  would 
be  a  merry  peal  of  laughter.  We  did  not  profess  to  have 
any  spiritual  mediums  on  board,  yet  our  heavy  oak  table 
was  lifted  out  of  its  sockets,  which  were  nailed  to  the 
floor,  and  was  seen  performing  most  remarkable  gyra- 
tions through  the  cabin.  It  would  have  made  the  for- 
tune of  a  spiritualist,  and  all  done  without  the  interven- 
tion of  any  human  hands,  and  even  against  the  human 
will,  following  the  luckless  wight  who  happened  to  be  in 
its  path  so  swiftly,  that  he  seldom  escaped  without  a 
squeeze  ;  and  so  obstinate  was  it,  that  our  united  efforts 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  17 

were  needed,  not  to  make  it  move,  but  to  make  it  keep 
still.  Benches  and  chairs  were  turning  somersets  ; 
trunks  were  flying  atout  in  all  directions.  As  to  our- 
selves, seat  and  all,  we  would  occasionally  take  a  flying 
leap  to  the  other  side  of  the  cabin,  frequently  putting 
ourselves  into  one  another's  arms.  Our  different  steps 
and  manoeuvres  were  such  as  a  dancing  or  posture  mas- 
ter would  strive  to  imitate  in  vain.  At  night  the  storm 
seemed  more  fearful  still.  The  deep,  impenetrable  dark- 
ness  around  us  ;  the  noises  sounding  louder  and  harsher  ; 
everything  in  the  cabin  dashing  about ;  the  doors  rat- 
tling and  knocking  ;  the  loud  roar  of  the  winds  and 
waves  ;  while  every  beam  in  the  little  vessel  seemed  to 
creak  and  groan,  as  if  in  pain.  ''  Those  who  go  down 
to  the  sea  in  ships,  who  do  business  in  great  waters, 
these  see  the  wonders  of  the  Lord."  At  length  the 
storm  ceased,  and  again  tranquillity  reigned  on  the  bosom 
of  the  mighty  deep.  '^  Oh  !  that  men  would  praise  the 
Lord  for  His  doings  to  the  children  of  men." 

Friendless. — Last  night  I  heard  a  sad  tale — but  how 
many  there  are  like  it.  I  had  frequently  noticed  our  sec- 
ond mate,  so  A^ery  kind  and  attentive,  when  he  had  any 
opportunity,  doing  little  acts  of  service.  I  always  spoke 
kindly  to  him.  Last  evening  it  was  his  watch  on  deck — I 
went  up  for  a  little  fresh  air  before  retiring.  He  placed 
a  seat  for  me,  and  then  lingering  near,  I  commenced  a 
conversation  with  him.  Poor  fellow !  his  heart  was 
overflowing.  He  told  me  that  I  was  the  first  lady  who 
had  ever  spoken  to  him — what  women  he  had  ever 
known  had  been  of  the  lowest  order.     I  said  something 


18  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

about  home.  Home  !  home !  he  knew  not  what  the 
word  meant.  He  had  no  home.  His  mother  had  been 
dead  six  years,  his  father  only  a  few  months.  They 
were  both  drunkards.  At  the  age  of  five  he  was  turned 
into  the  street  to  get  his  living  as  he  could.  He  begged, 
and  in  summer  slept  in  the  markets  and  under  carts,  &c.; 
in  the  winter  he  would  occasionally  find  a  sleeping-place 
with  one  of  his  companions,  or  he  would  beg  enough  to 
pay  for  a  bed — sometimes  finding  where  his  mother  and 
father  w^ere,  and  sleeping  for  a  week  or  so  with  them. 
At  length  he  picked  up  a  few  pennies^  bought  some 
newspapers,  and  set  up  in  that  business.  From  his 
papers,  with  the  aid  of  the  other  boys  about  him,  he 
taught  himself  to  read.  At  the  age  of  fourteen  he  went 
to  sea.  For  three  years  he  suffered  much,  but  now  he  has 
been  a  sailor  for  nine  years  ;  he  does  not  like  it,  but  at 
first  ''  necessity  knew  no  law,"  and  now  he  feels  that  he 
is  not  fitted  for  anything  else.  He  is  a  very  fine  steady 
young  man,  very  ambitious,  and  desirous  to  improve 
himself.  The  captain  takes  quite  an  interest  in  him, 
and  is  teaching  him  navigation.  I  have  promised  to 
lend  him  some  books,  as  he  has  none,  and  would  like 
much  to  read.  Poor  fellow  !  he  feels  as  if  he  was  like  a 
waif  cast  upon  the  waters,  without  friends,  or  home,  or 
any  to  love,  or  feel,  or  care  for  him.  I  hope  we  may  be 
able  to  benefit  him,  and  let  him  feel  that  some  of  his 
fellow-creatures  take  an  interest  in  him,  and,  above  all, 
I  hope  we  may  show  him  that  he  has  a  Friend  above, 
who  ever  cares  for  and  watches  over  him.  Poor  fellow  ! 
his  has  been  a  hard  fate,  but  I  hope  brighter  days  are  in 
store  for  him. 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  19 

Escape. — What  a  proof  have  we  had  to-day  of  God's 
watchful  providence  and  care  of  us  !  I  was  lying  very 
sick  on  the  sofa  (for  though  a  month  out,  I  still  suffer 
much)  alone,  all  the  rest  were  on  deck,  when  suddenly  I 
heard  the  most  fearful  screams.  I  rushed  on  deck,  and 
found  Miss  Ball  had  fallen  overheard.  Our  captain  was 
in  the  forward  part  of  the  vessel ;  he  heard  the  steward 
scream  "  some  one  overheard,"  and  shouted  directly  to  the 
man  at  the  helm  to  lay-to,  for  them  to  get  out  the  boat ; 
hut  by  that  time  he  saw  that  Miss  Ball  was  hanging  on  the 
side.  There  was  a  rope  swinging  on  to  the  hoom,  which 
the  mate,  providentially,  had  placed  there  only  that 
morning,  and,  as  she  fell,  she  had  caught  that.  Had  the 
accident  occurred  the  day  before,  there  would  have  been 
no  hope,  as  at  that  time  we  were  going  very  fast,  and, 
for  several  days,  sharks  had  been  seen  playing  round  the 
ship.  The  captain  and  mate  were  over  the  side  of  the 
vessel  in  a  minute,  and  had  her  on  board  directly.  But, 
oh  I  the  agony  of  that  minute.  She  did  not  lose  con- 
sciousness till  she  was  on  deck.  The  second  mate  was  tear- 
ing up  the  steps,  and  with  them  he  intended  to  leap  over- 
board and  tryand  swim  to  her.  But  the  captain  says,  if 
she  had  once  been  in  the  water  he  thinks  there  would 
have  been  no  hope  of  saving  her,  we  were  going  so  fast. 
May  we  have  grateful  hearts  for  our  God's  unnumbered 
mercies. 

Composant. — A  heavy  thunder-storm  last  night,  in  the 
midst  of  which  the  captain  called  us  up,  to  see  what  he 
called  a  composant ;  it  was  a  large  ball  of  brilliant  light, 
that  appeared  to  be  slowly  climbing  the  rigging,  and  at 


20  mCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

length  settled  on  the  top  of  the  mast.  After  this,  we  saw 
a  number  of  them  at  different  times,  hut  we  never  could 
arrive  at  any  determination  as  to  what  they  were.  At 
one  time  we  thought  they  might  be  masses  of  decomposed 
animal  ma  tter,  or  some  species  of  phosphorescence  blown 
on  board  by  the  storm ;  but  on  the  sailors  climbing  to 
find  out,  they  would  put  their  hands  on  the  very  spot 
where  the  light  was,  and  could  feel  nothing,  but  the 
light  would  shine  on  their  hands.  We  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  some  species  of  electricity,  but  what 
we  could  not  tell. 

Salute. — One  of  our  lady  passengers  was  awakened 
last  night  by  a  very  affectionate  salutation  from  a  black 
gentleman  ;  but  he  happened  to  be  of  the  swine  species. 
He  broke  out  of  his  pen,  and  in  the  middle  of  the  night 
came  rooting  about  for  something  nice,  and  so  walked 
into  her  state-room,  and  put  his  cold  nose  in  her  face,  she 
sleeping  in  the  lower  berth.  There  was  a  great  uproar,  as 
the  l,ady  had  not  bargained  for  so  affectionate  a  greeting 
to  the  African  coast.  The  captain  was  soon  at  work, 
trying  to  drive  the  gentleman  out,  but  the  more  he  drove, 
the  more  the  pig  would'nt  go  ;  he  was  chased  round  and 
round  the  cabin,  but  at  length,  after  affording  us  quite 
sufficient  laughter  and  merriment,  he  was  expelled. 

Kroomen. — A  ship  very  near  us  all  day.  In  the  eve- 
ning we  were  watching  the  rising  moon,  all  sitting  on 
deck,  and  feeling  quite  sentimental,  when  we  heard 
a  very  strange  noise,  like  some  one  crying  out  for  help. 
The  man  at  the  wheel  shouted,  ''A  man  overboard!" 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  21 

The  captain  sprung  directly  to  the  side  of  the  vessel, 
and  there,  on  the  top  of  the  water,  was  a  dark  ohject 
nearing  us.  He  knew  that  none  had  fallen  overboard 
from  our  vessel,  and  he  did  not  suppose,  if  any  one 
had  fallen  from  the  other,  that  they  could  have  sus- 
tained themselves  so  long  ahove  water,  particularly  as 
there  appeared  to  he  no  lack  of  sharks  in  this  vicinity. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  shouts  became  louder,  and 
we  found  that  they  must  proceed  from  several  human 
voices.  The  captain  immediately  concluded  that  it 
was  some  Kroomen  come  off  from  shore  to  be  hired  by 
him.  These  Kroomen  are  a  race  of  seamen,  who  live 
all  along  the  coast.  As  soon  as  ever  they  discover  a 
vessel  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon,  they  put  off  for 
it  in  their  canoes,  hoping  to  be  engaged  by  the  captain ; 
every  vessel  on  the  African  coast  being  obliged  to  engage 
a  number  of  these  men  to  perform  all  the  manual  labor 
while  she  stays  on  the  coast,  loading  and  unloading  the 
vessel,  &c.,  fee,  as  white  men  can  perform  very  little 
labor  here.  All  the  harbors,  likewise,  on  the  whole  coast 
are  so  bad,  that  nowhere  can  vessels  come  nearer  than 
two  miles  from  shore,  all  the  loading  and  unloading  being 
done  by  small  boats.  These,  also,  must  always  be  man- 
ned by  Kroomen,  on  account  of  the  shifting  sand-bars, 
rolling  surf,  and  sunken  rocks,  with  which  they  only  are 
familiar :  they,  in  fact,  are  the  pilots  of  the  coast ; 
therefore,  as  they  are  most  expert  seamen,  and  no  ves- 
sel, not  even  a  slaver,  can  by  any  possibility  do  with- 
out them,  they  are  never  enslaved ;  and  to  distin- 
guish them  from  other  tribes  on  the  coast,  they  have 
(both  men  and  women)   a  long  black  mark  down  the 


22  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

face,  from  the  top  of  the  forehead  to  the  tip  of  the  nose. 
This  is  something  like  tattooing ;  it  is  done  in  childhood, 
and  is  indelible.  They  also  sharpen  the  two  front  teeth 
to  a  point,  like  dogs'  teeth.  They  are  a  tall,  well- formed, 
athletic  race.  Generally,  when  a  captain  engages  a  set 
of  these  men,  he  keeps  them  with  him  all  the  time  he  is 
on  the  coast ;  they  receive  better  wages  and  food  than 
they  can  otherwise  obtain,  and  when  he  discharges  them, 
he  writes  them  a  certificate  of  good  behaviour.  This 
they  call  a  book  (any  writing  is  a  book),  which  they 
show  to  the  next  with  whom  they  wish  to  engage.  Our 
captain,  not  wishing  the  company  of  any  of  these  gentry 
till  we  should  reach  Monrovia,  made  no  attempt  to  wait 
for  them  ;  but  they  redoubled  their  efforts,  making  the 
most  unearthly  noises  and  yells.  In  a  little  while  they 
reached  the  side  of  the  vessel.  There  were  three  men 
in  a  little  canoe  ;  it  seemed  like  a  scollop- shell,  so  small, 
exactly  in  shape  like  an  Indian  snow-shoe,  pointed  at 
both  ends.  One  of  the  men  was  employed  all  the  time 
baling  out  the  water.  The  captain  shouted  to  the  men 
that  he  did  not  want  them ;  but  one  of  them  kept  calling 
out  all  the  time,  "  Book  !  captain,  book!"  and,  spite  of 
all  efforts  to  prevent  it,  he  caught  a  rope,  and  was  up  the 
side  of  the  vessel  like  a  monkey.  His  costume,  like  the 
rest  of  the  Kroomen,  consisted  of  a  cloth  around  the  loins, 
and  an  old  hat ;  this,  being  the  only  dry  spot,  is  where 
"  the  book"  is  generally  carried.  He  presented  a  large 
paper  parcel  to  the  captain,  which,  on  examining,  proved 
to  be  a  package  of  letters  the  captain  of  the  other  vessel 
wished  us  to  post  for  him  at  Monrovia.  A  polite  mes- 
sage was  returned  ;  but,  before  leaving,  the  Kroomen 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA  23 

wanted  ''  a  dash,"  (a  present.)  They  are  great  heggars. 
They  wanted  either  rum  or  tobacco.  Upon  finding  we 
had  neither  on  board,  they  were  quite  disgusted,  but 
upon  the  receipt  of  a  httle  biscuit  and  meat,  they  disap- 
peared in  the  direction  of  the  other  vessel.  Long  after 
they  had  disappeared  from  our  sight,  however,  we  could 
hear  their  harsh  cries  and  discordant  yells,  which  it  seems 
was  singing — though,  truth  to  say,  I  should  never  have 
supposed  it.     So,  I  suppose,  we  are  introduced  to  Africa. 


24  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


MONROVIA. 

Kroomen. — iit  three  o'clock  to-day  we  came  within 
sight  of  Cape  Mesurado,  behind  which  lies  the  town  of 
Monrovia,  and  soon  commenced  such  a  scene  of  excite- 
ment as  I  never  before  witnessed.  When  we  were  still 
several  miles  out  from  land,  the  water  began  to  be  dotted 
with  black  specks,  and,  in  a  short  time,  we  perceived 
that  they  were  the  canoes  of  the  Kroomen,  each  strain- 
ing vigorously  to  be  the  first  to  reach  the  vessel.  In 
each  canoe  is  a  headman  ;  he  is  the  best  dressed — per- 
haps he  will  wear  a  shirt  and  pantaloons.  He  presents 
his  ''book"  to  the  captain,  which  he  carries  either  in  his 
hat,  or  in  a  little  tin  box  around  his  neck,  and  the  first 
one  whose  testimonials  are  satisfactory  is  immediately 
engaged.  He  instantly  takes  charge  of  the  vessel,  pilots 
her  to  her  anchorage,  and  engages,  and  is  responsible 
for  the  conduct  of  the  other  men  the  captain  may 
require.  The  vessel  anchors  two  or  three  miles  from 
shore,  and  even  the  row-boats  can  seldom  approach 
nearer  than  a  dozen  or  twenty  yards  from  the  beach, 
and  everything,  including  live  stock,  has  to  be  carried 
on  shore,  in  the  Krooman's  arms,  through  the  boiling 
surf.  Our  captain  has  engaged  Jack  Frying  Pan  at 
half  a   dollar,  or   the  worth  of  it  in   cloth,    and    five 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  25 

others  at  a  shilling  a  day.  They  often  have  very  curious 
names,  given  to  them  in  jest  by  the  sailors  with  whom 
they  have  worked.  These  names  they  have  cut  out,  or 
carved  on  large  ivory  rings,  which  they  wear  as  bracelets. 

Mr.  Wilson. — In  about  an  hour  after  we  anchored, 
we  perceived  a  boat  pushing  off  from  the  shore.  In  it 
was  the  custom-house  officer,  a  colored  gentleman,  and 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Wilson,  a  white  missionary,  belonging  to 
the  Presbyterian  Board.  He  knew  we  were  expected, 
and  came  to  see  if  we  had  arrived,  and  to  give  us  a 
warm  and  Christian  greeting.  We  never  shall  forget 
his  kind  and  affectionate  welcome.  He  made  us  feel  at 
once  that  he  forgot  not  the  injunction,  '^  love  as  bre- 
thren." That  is  one  beautiful  feature  of  missionary 
life — there  is  no  distinction  felt  of  sect  or  denomination, 
all  are  "  one  in  Christ  Jesus  ;"  they  feel  that  there  is 
"  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father 
of  aZ/,"  and  they  are  too  anxious  to  point  the  poor  dark- 
ened souls  to  the  true  way,  to  stop  themselves  to  quarrel 
about  the  appearance  of  the  different  shrubs,  flowers, 
and  trees  in  that  way.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  the  effect 
of  such  a  greeting  to  a  sad  heart,  and  from  a  stranger, 
too.  It  is  one  of  those  bright  spots  in  life,  which  time 
or  change  can  never  efface.  Mr.  Wilson  remained  on 
board  with  us  an  hour  or  so,  and  made  us  promise  to 
spend  the  day  with  him  to-morrow  on  shore. 

Landing. — The  captain  expects  to  lay  here  at  Mon- 
rovia for  several  days ;  he  says  we  may  have  the  boat 
to  go  on  shore  whenever  we  like,  and  if  we  will  only  let 


26  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

him  know  in  time,  he  will  always  go  with  us  to  take  care 
of  us  ;  he  is  very  kind.  About  ten  o'clock  we  announced 
our  readiness.  The  boat  was  drawn  up  alongside,  and 
we  prepared  to  descend.  The  captain  went  down  with 
each  lady.  Clambering  down  the  rope  ladder  made  us 
feel  very  dizzy,  and  rather  fearful.  After  he  had  assisted 
all  the  ladies,  the  captain  left  the  gentlemen  to  manage 
for  themselves,  and  they  very  much  amused  as  well  as 
somewhat  frightened  us  by  their  unsailor-like  manoeuvres. 
"We  had  Jack  Frying  Pan,  and  four  stout  Kroomen,  to 
manage  the  boat,  and  they  commenced  a  species  of  sing- 
ing or  yelling,  keeping  time  to  their  oars  ;  one  impro- 
vising something  in  praise  of  one  or  all  of  their  passengers, 
and  the  others  coming  in  with  the  chorus. 

The  scene,  as  we  near  the  town,  is  very  pretty.  On 
our  right  is  Cape  Mesurado,  a  lofty  promontory,  stretch- 
ing a  long  distance  into  the  ocean,  covered  from  base  to 
summit  with  trees  of  most  luxuriant  foliage  ;  peeping 
out  from  amongst  them,  at  the  very  top,  is  the  white 
lighthouse,  looking  very  pretty  from  amidst  the  surround- 
ing trees.  Back  of  the  Cape  lies  the  town ;  we  can 
scarcely  see  it  from  the  water.  On  our  left,  stretches  a 
long  line  of  low,  sandy  beach,  with  here  and  there  a 
stately  palm-tree  lifting  up  its  head,  looking  even  more 
tall  from  the  surrounding  flatness.  Immediately  in  front 
of  us  is  a  narrow  beach,  on  which  the  Kroo-town  is  situ- 
ated, the  mouth  of  the  St.  Paul's  River  coming  into  the 
ocean  just  at  its  side.  Back  of  the  town  thick  foliage 
again  appears,  while  between  the  shore  and  ourselves  ex- 
tend a  long  line  of  breakers,  looking  very  beautiful,  in- 
deed ;  but  when  we  recollect  that  they  lie  between  us 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  27 

and  the  land,  and  that  we  must  pass  through  them  'ere 
we  reach  .  it— and  imagination  portrays  to  us  a  good 
ducking,  if  nothing  worse — we  could  readily  dispense 
with  the  additional  beauty  they  add  to  the  scene.  But 
here  they  come  now  ;  sit  still— keep  quiet.  There  !  we 
can  but  admire  the  skill  with  which  we  have  been  pi- 
loted over  those  enormous  breakers,  without  even  a 
sprinkle.  And,  look  !  there  are  crowds  of  men,  women 
and  children  on  the  shore  to  greet  us  :  many  of  them,  in 
addition  to  their  ordinary  attire  of  a  simple  cloth  around 
the  loins,  having  a  string  of  beads,  or  a  piece  of  string., 
with  from  one  to  eight  leopard's  teeth  attached,  worn 
around  the  neck.  Many  of  the  women,  too,  consider 
themselves  very  much  ornamented  by  white  stripes  on 
the  face  and  body,  formed  with  a  species  of  pipe-clay. 
It,  however,  serves  to  make  them  look  ghastly.  There ! 
our  boat  is  aground,  and  we  are  about  twenty  yards 
from  the  shore.  Our  boatmen  spring  out  into  the  water, 
and  shouting,  "  Come,  daddy — come,  mammy,"  lift  us, 
with  apparently  the  same  ease  that  we  would  a  little 
child,  and  carry  us  on  shore.  It  was  amusing  too,  to  see 
tall  men,  like  our  gentlemen,  carried  in  the  arms  like 
overgrown  babies — and  our  first  salutations  to  the  shores 
of  Africa  were  merry  peals  of  laughter.  How  different 
to  the  sensations  we  thought  would  pervade  our  minds 
when  we  should  first  set  foot  on  that  darkened  land, 
where  we  all  expected  to  suffer  sickness,  weariness,  toil 
and  privation,  if  not  death — hoping  to  aid  in  her  redemp- 
tion !  But  a  sense  of  the  ludicrous,  for  the  time,  over- 
came all  other  feeling.  The  Kroo-town  here  is  a  collec- 
tion of  houses,  placed  without  regard  to  regularity  or 


28  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

order ;  they  are  small  houses,  about  sixteen  to  twenty 
feet  square,  the  sides  formed  of  plaited  bamboo,  with 
branches  of  the  plantain  laid  on  to  form  the  roof :  the 
roof  overhanging  all  round,  so  as  to  throw  off  the  water. 
In  some  houses  there  is  an  attempt  to  form  a  piazza. 
The  door  being  quite  low,  you  are  compelled  to  stoop  very 
much  to  enter.  This  door  serves  as  chimney  and 
window,  as  well  as  door.  We  passed  through  the  town, 
followed  by  troops  of  men,  women  and  children,  and 
climbing  up  a  steep  hill,  entered  Monrovia.  Mr.  Wilson 
had  come  to  meet  us,  but  somehow  he  had  missed  us  ; 
soon,  however,  we  saw  his  bright,  beaming  counten- 
ance, and  felt  the  cordial  pressure  of  his  hand.  Poor 
man  !  he  was  alone  ;  his  wife  and  child  had  been  com- 
pelled for  a  time  to  leave  him,  to  seek  health  in  their 
native  clime  ;  and  his  colleague,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Williams, 
had  lately  had  a  very  severe  illness,  on  which  account  he 
had  gone  on  a  short  voyage.  On  the  top  of  the  hill  stands 
the  city  of  Monrovia,  the  capital  of  Liberia.  The  houses 
are  disconnected  from  each  other  ;  and,  whether  built 
of  brick,  stone,  wood  or  plaster,  are  all  very  much 
defaced  by  the  effects  of  the  climate.  The  streets  are  very 
broad,  and  covered  with  grass  ;  but  having  no  horses  or 
vehicles  of  any  kind,  there  is  nothing  to  destroy  it. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  paving-stone  to  be  seen  ;  so 
in  walking  through  the  streets  you  are  like  walking 
through  a  beautiful  green  field,  shaded  by  the  orange, 
cocoa-nut,  plantain  and  banana  trees,  that  grow  in  the 
gardens.  Mr.  James  met  us  :  he  is  a  colored  gentleman, 
one  of  the  first  missionaries  in  Liberia.  (When  I  use  the 
word  gentleman,  I  use  it  in  its  true  acceptation,  mean- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  29 

ing  an  educated  and  refined  man  ;  and  the  true  Chris- 
tian is  always  a  gentleman.  He  has  charge  of  the 
school  here,  and  he  conducted  us  to  his  house.  Mr. 
Wilson  boards  with  him.  Thjs  house,  which  is  a  sample 
of  many,  is  built  of  rough,  unhewn  stone,  like  some  of 
our  old-fashioned  country  churches.  You  enter  by  the 
front  door  into  a  large  room,  used  as  a  dining-room. 
The  floors  of  all  the  rooms  are  covered  with  matting. 
Close  to  the  front  door,  as  you  enter,  there  is  a  narrow 
staircase  that  leads  up  to  the  parlor.  The  staircase 
never  has  any  carpeting.  The  parlor  is  a  large  room, 
plainly  but  neatly  furnished,  always  with  a  broad  piazza 
in  front.  The  bedrooms  all  open  out  of  the  parlor,  from 
which  they  are  divided  by  plain,  wooden  partitions, 
sometimes  painted,  but  more  frequently  without  either 
paint  or  whitewash.  G-enerally,  there  are  no  rooms  be- 
low, except  the  dining-room  and  offices,  as  it  is  prefer- 
able to  sleep  and  live  as  high  from  the  ground  as  pos- 
sible.    The  people  here  dress   very  handsomely. 

We  went  with  Mr.  Wilson  to  see  his  house,  where 
he  lives :  it  is  the  mission-house ;  but  having  no  lady 
there,  he  and  his  colleague  take  their  meals  at  Mr. 
James,'  though  they  live  at  the  mission-house.  It  made 
us  feel  very  sad  when  we  went  into  the  bedroom,  to  see 
the  little  vacant  crib,  (its  dear  little  occupant  having 
gone  home  with  its  mother  in  pursuit  of  health),  and  to 
remember  that  we  should  have  no  dear  little  pets  in 
Africa,  as  no  white  child  can  live  here.  And  I  think  we 
at  the  North  show  a  far  stronger  aversion  to  the  colored 
race  than  even  the  Southerners  do.  Many  of  us  would 
far  rather  kiss  and  fondle  an  ugly  little  black  dog,  than 


30  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

we  would  bestow  the  same  kindnesses  on  a  little  human 
being,  endowed  with  an  immortal  soul,  which  we  hope 
and  pray  may  live  with  us  forevei'  in  eternity,  because 
that  human  being  is  of  a  different  color  from  ourselves. 
How  strange,  how  inconsistent  is  man  ! 

This  is  the  warmest  season  of  the  year,  the  thermom- 
eter at  ninety-two  ;  it  rarely  exceeds  that,  but  we  have 
a  most  refreshing  sea-breeze.  The  climate  of  this  coun- 
try is  very  even,  rarely  exceeding  ninety-two,  and  never 
hardly  going  below  seventy-two.  After  being  again 
most  cordially  welcomed,  and  made  to  feel  at  home,  Mr. 
Wilson  brought  us  some  oranges  ;  they  were  larger 
than  any  I  had  ever  seen,  but  as  green  as  the  greenest 
apple,  yet  perfectly  ripe.  They  were  very  delicious. 
No  fruit  must  be  eaten  here  after  sunset ;  it  is  considered 
unwholesome.  At  dinner-time  we  again  adjourned  to 
Mr.  James'.  "We  had  an  excellent  dinner — the  table 
beautifully  laid — plenty  of  silver,  napkins,  &c.  Two 
little  boy-natives  waited  at  table,  and  did  it  exceedingly 
well.  The  natives  are  becoming  civilized,  by  being  ser- 
vants ;  and  they  are  quite  willing  to  act  as  such,  even  for 
very  small  pay,  as  they  obtain  in  that  way  much  better 
food  than  they  do  at  home.  We  had  many  different 
kinds  of  vegetables,  all  new  and  strange  to  me,  but  I 
thought  them  all  good  ;  for  after  so  many  weeks  of  sea- 
fare,  everything  tasted  nice.  About  five  o'clock  we  re- 
turned to  the  ship,  as  we  did  not  wish  to  remain  on 
shore  after  dusk.  Sleeping  on  shore  one  night  is  enough 
to  give  the  fever,  and  we  did  not  wish  to  take  it  till  our 
arrival  at  our  own  homes  ;  but  a  good  night's  rest  on 
shore  was  a  great  temptation.     We  had  to  be  carried  in 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  31 

the  same  way  from  the  shore  to  the  boat  that  we  had 
been  in  the  morning.  We  reached  the  vessel  greatly 
tiredj  but  very  much  pleased  with  our  reception,  and  I 
hope  with  hearts  filled  with  gratitude  to  our  heavenly 
Father. 

Kroo  Philosophy. — Mr.  Wilson  came  on  board  early 
this  morning,  and  brought  us  a  quantity  of  limes  and 
oranges.  He  looks  very  unhealthy  ;  but  says  his  ap- 
pearance is  a  fair  specimen  of  all  the  whites  we  would 
see  on  the  coast.  He  and  Mrs.  Ogden  sang  very  sweetly 
together. 

I  asked  one  of  our  Kroomen  (who  spoke  a  little  Eng- 
lish), Jim  Upside-Down^  "  How  many  wives  have  you, 
Jim?"  He  answered,  "  0,  me  five,  mammy."  "  That's 
wrong,  Jim ;  you  ought  to  have  but  one.  Grod's  book 
says  man  have  one  wife."  "  Oh,  mammy,  that  no  coun- 
try fash.^  S'pose  now,  mammy,  me  but  one  wife  ;  she 
be  cross  sometime  ;  she  have  palaver  ;t  she  no  cook  me 
my  rice  ;  what  I  do  den  ?  But  s'pose  I  go  have  tree, 
four  wives ;  the  first  one  be  cross,  den  'noder  cook  me 
my  rice."  Such  is  their  philosophy.  A  man's  wealth 
and  position  in  society  is  estimated  by  the  number  of  his 
wives. 

Sunday. — ^We  went  on  shore  to  church  to-day.  Our 
own  little  place  of  worship  being  closed,  we  went  to  the 
Presbyterian — our  ministers,  who  were  on  board,  preach- 
ing. We  were  all  very  kindly  invited  to  Dr.  McGilPs  to 
dinner — Mr.  Wilson  to  be  with  us.     In  the  church,  the 

*  Fashion,  custom,     t  Quarrel,  dispute  ;  serious  talk  about  anything. 


32  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENT:S    OF 

colored  clergyman,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Henning,  read  the 
hymns  beautifully,  and  offered  the  closing  prayer.  His 
prayer  was  excellent.  Sitting  in  that  little  church,  this 
morning,  after  passing  through  the  disgusting  scenes  of 
Kroo-town,  as  I  saw  the  decent  and  well-dressed  congre- 
gation, and  compared  them  with  those  we  had  just  seen, 
I  could  only  think,  '^  What  hath  G-od  wrought !"  Though 
white  ladies  are  great  strangers  here,  yet  there  was  no 
staring,  no  looking  round,  but  as  devout  behaviour  as  I 
have  ever  seen  in  the  house  of  God.  As  I  glanced 
through  the  window,  and  saw  many  of  the  poor,  half- 
naked  savages  passing  along,  and  then  looked  inside,  the 
tears  coursed  down  my  cheeks.  I  had  to  lean  my  head 
down,  and  to  thank  G-od,  oh  !  how  heartily,  that  He  had 
granted  to  me,  one  so  vile  and  feeble,  the  glorious  pri- 
vilege of  coming  forth  to  bear  the  'Mamp  of  life"  to 
these  poor  darkened  ones.  I  thought,  if  our  dear  friends 
at  home  could  only  see  all  we  had  seen  to-day,  instead  of 
mourning  our  loss,  their  very  philanthropy  or  love  to  hu- 
manity (if  their  love  to  God  and  His  glory,  and  the  eternal 
welfare  of  immortal  souls,  would  not  do  it,)  would  make 
them  willing  that  their  loved  ones,  as  missionaries,  like 
Howard,  should  have  the  glorious  privilege  of  helping  to 
restore  and  elevate  the  human  race.  After  service,  the 
people  crowded  round  us,  to  shake  hands,  and  thank  us 
for  coming  among  them  to  help  them.  We  were  very 
much  pleased  with  Dr.  McG-ill  and  family.  The  Doctor 
received  his  education  partly  in  England.  He  is  consid- 
ered a  very  efficient  and  able  physician.  He  and  his 
family  are  quite  light-colored.  After  service  we  again 
went  on  board.     So  ended  our  first  Sunday  in  Africa. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  33 

Oar  gentlemen  have  commenced  their  labors.  Grod  grant 
that  faithfully  and  truly  they  may  preach  and  teach 
Christ  crucified. 

Dr.  McGrill  is  a  gentleman,  and  his  house,  in  all  par- 
ticulars, well  appointed. 

Schools. — Two  of  us  went  on  shore  to-day.  "We  visi- 
ted the  school  under  the  care  of  Miss  Williams.  (She  is 
a  young  colored  lady,  attached  to  our  mission,  a  cousin 
of  Dr.  McGrill.)  She  has  a  very  nice  school ;  about  fifty 
bright,  intelligent-looking  children,  all  shades  of  color, 
from  pure  white  (at  which  I  was  much  surprised)  to  the 
most  jetty  black.  In  their  spelling,  little  ones  of  seven 
years  of  age  were  spelling  long  words,  such  as  ''  hydro- 
statics," &c. 

"We  then  went  to  the  high  school.  It  was  the  time 
of  the  school  examination,  previous  to  breaking  up  for 
the  holidays.  They  were  here  being  examined  in  gram- 
mar, and  the  children  did  great  credit  both  to  themselves 
and  their  teacher. 

We  then  called  on  Mrs.  Crummel.  Her  husband  is 
one  of  our  colored  clergymen.  She  is  very  dark,  but  a 
lady  in  mind  and  manners.  Indeed,  we  have  been  very 
much  surprised  at  the  good  breeding  of  all  we  have  met 
here.  Rev.  Mr.  Crummel  was  educated  partly  at  Cam- 
bridge, England,  and  she  was  with  him  there.  They 
mixed  in  the  best  society  ;  indeed,  they  received  great 
attention  there. 

The  Driver. — To-day  I  made  an  acquaintance  which 
I  could  very  readily  have  dispensed  with.     It  was  the 


34  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

African  ant,  called  the  driver.  Tliey  seem  formed  to  te 
the  scavengers  of  Africa.  They  devour  everything  of  the 
animal  kind  that  is  already  dead,  and  even  attack  the 
largest  living  animals,  when  at  all  disabled,  eating  them 
up  entirely,  and  leaving  nothing  but  w^ell-oleaned  bones. 
Rats,  mice,  and  all  small  vermin,  have  no  chance  with 
them.  If  they  once  enter  the  house,  the  human  beings 
have  to  desert  it ;  and  then  they  never  leave  it  till  every 
living  thing  of  every  kind  is  entirely  demolished.  A 
poor  man  was  left  here  a  short  time  ago,  sick  in  bed,  and 
shut  up  in  a  house  alone  for  a  few  hours.  When  his 
friends  returned,  they  found  him  dead,  and  almost  com- 
pletely eaten  up.  I  have  read  that  in  some  part  of  Af- 
rica it  used  to  be  the  mode  in  which  they  would  deal 
capital  punishment  on  an  offender,  just  to  bind  him  and 
lay  him  out  in  the  grass,  in  the  track  of  these  ants,  and 
in  a  few  hours  his  bones  would  be  bleaching  in  the  sun. 
The  inhabitants  here  are  often  very  glad  to  have  a  visit 
from  the  drivers  ;  for  it  is  only  to  leave  the  house  to  them 
for  a  few  hours,  and  every  species  of  vermin  is  destroyed, 
and  then  they  take  themselves  off  to  another  quarter.  I 
was  in  the  garden  walking,  when  I  felt  such  a  dreadful 
bite.  I  ran  immediately  into  the  house,  and  I  found 
four  of  them  upon  me  ;  and  by  what  they  made  me  suf- 
fer in  those  few  minutes,  I  could  readily  imagine  how 
possible  it  was  for  thousands  of  them  to  destroy  any  liv- 
ing thing.  They  are  about  half  an  inch  long,  a  dark 
brown,  their  fore  claws  resembling  those  of  a  lobster  ; 
and  with  these  they  can  make  you  feel.  I  have  no  de- 
sire to  renew  my  personal  acquaintance  with  them. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    XN    AFRICA.  35 

Miss  Killpatric. — Miss  Killpatric,  an  Irish  lady,  a 
missionary  of  the  Methodist  Church,  who  has  a  school 
at  a  station  up  the  St.  Paul's  river,  about  twenty  miles 
from  here,  having  received  letters,  and  hearing  of  our  arri- 
val, came  down  to  see  and  welcome  us.  She  said  it  did 
her  so  much  good  to  see  faces  from  home. 

All  missionaries  are  truly,  and  indeed,  one  family. 
So  isolated  from  all  the  world,  they  love  the  more  dearly 
those  whom  they  may  meet  far,  far  away  from  home. 
They  all  have  the  same  hopes,  and  fears,  and  aims  ;  the 
same  joys  and  sorrows  ;  the  same  labors  and  rewards,  and 
they  ^'  love  as  brethren."  We  asked  her  to  come  and 
spend  the  day  on  board  with  us  to-morrow. 

The  next  day  I  had  a  very  bad  headache,  and  was  quite 
sick.  I  could  not  enjoy  Miss  Killpatric's  society  in  con- 
sequence. I  suppose  we  went  about  too  much  in  the 
sun  yesterday.  Mr.  Wilson  slept  on  board.  How  pleas- 
antly he  talks,  and  encourages  us  in  the  prospect  of  our 
work  ;  but  he  gives  us  such  strict  charges  to  be  careful 
about  our  health.     Grod  give  us  hearts  to  labor. 

Sail  Again. — Mr.  Wilson  slept  on  board  again  last 
night,  and  we  weighed  anchor  this  morning,  after  sending 
him  ashore.  Our  company,  I  believe,  has  cheered  his  lone- 
liness. He  had  been  threatened  with  an  attack  of  fever, 
but  now  feels  a  little  better.  He  had  recently  received  a 
letter  telling  him  they  were  hourly  expecting  the  death  ol 
Mrs.  Payne.  She  is  dying  of  consumption.  She  has 
been  a  faithful  laborer  here  for  eighteen  years,  and  now 
she  is  joyfully  anticipating  her  home.     Probably,  ere  we 


36  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

anchor,    her   little   bark  will  be  safely  moored  in  the 
harbor  of  eternal  rest. 

"We  see  many  Kroomen  out  fishing.  The  captain 
bought  some  fish  to-day ;  they  were  as  small  as  flat-fish 
but  somewhat  the  shape  of  a  mackerel,  of  a  beautiful 
coral  color,  and  delicious  flavor.  I  could  not  learn  their 
name. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  37 


CAPE    PALMAS. 

The  breeze  has  freshened.  We  may  possibly  arrive  at 
home  to-day ;  home^  it  will  be  for  some  time,  possibly, 
my  long'  home.  Some  of  the  Kroomen  who  came  along- 
side told  us  Mrs.  Payne  died  last  Friday — sad  news  for 
us,  but  her  home  is  now  in  the  skies. 

About  three  o'clock  we  anchored  off  Cape  Palmas,  but 
full  two  hours  before  we  dropped  anchor,  a  Krooman 
brought  a  note  to  Miss  Ball  from  Mr.  Hoffman,  saying 
he  ''  hoped  the  vessel  now  in  sight  might  prove  to  be  the 
Ocean  Eagle ;  we  were  expected  in  her ;  and  if  so,  he 
begged  warmly  to  welcome  us,  and  state  how  long  and 
anxiously  they  had  been  looking  for  us,  and  how  much 
they  would  rejoice  at  our  arrival."  None  but  those  that 
have  been  circumstanced  as  we  were,  can  know  the  feel- 
ings we  experienced  at  receiving  such  greetings.  Mr.  Hoff- 
man is  our  missionary  at  Cape  Palmas.  For  some  time, 
in  addition  to  all  his  other  duties,  he  has  had  charge  of 
the  Girls'  Orphan  Asylum.  I  hope  we  may  relieve  him 
of  some  of  his  cares.  My  labor,  for  the  present,  will  be 
among  the  Liberians,  wlio  are  mostly  liberated  slaves,  and 
their  children  ;  a  class  of  people  in  whom  I  feel  deeply 
interested.     The  Orphan  Asylum  is  not  for  the  natives, 


3^  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


but  exclusively  for  the  orphans  of  Liberians.  I  am 
to  be  their  teacher.  For  my  own  part,  I  am  willing  to 
labor  wherever  the  Bishop  shall  see  fit  to  place  me. 

About  four  o'clock  we  bid  adieu  to  our  ocean  home 
and  started  for  the  shore.     But  who  shall  tell  the  agita- 
tion  of  our  feelings  as  we  felt  that  now,  indeed,  we  were 
about  to    enter    on  our    glorious  work— that  we  were 
privileged  to  lend  our  feeble  aid  for  the  redemption  of 
Africa  ?     Cape  Palmas  runs  out  into  a  point,  and  the 
Orphan  Asylum  is  situated  directly  on   the  point.     It 
is   beautifully  located.     The   point   is    very  high,   but 
you  can  descend  to  the  water's  edge  by  a  winding  path 
formed  in  the  rugged  rocks;  at  the  base  of  the° point 
these  rocks  jut  out  in  broken  pieces  into  the  sea,  the 
waves  forever  foaming  and  bursting  upon  them.     As  we 
neared  the  shore,  we  saw  the   girls  from   the  Asylum 
run  down  the  path,  on  to  one  of  the  higher  portions  of 
the  rock,  and  stand  watching  our  approach,  and  when 
we  came  near  enough  they  began  to  sing  some  songs  of 
welcome,  waving  to  us,  and  some  of  them  dancing  up 
and  down  in  their  delight  at  our  arrival.     The  landing 
was  some  little  distance  further  along  the  beach.     There 
Mr.  Hoffman  was  waiting  for  us,  who  gave  us  such  a 
warm  greeting  he  made  us  feel  at  home  at  once.     With 
him  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gibson,  one  of  our  colored  clergy, 
men  ;  he  is  a  very  fine  man.     He  very  politely  offered 
me  his  arm  to  help  me  up  the  hill.     We  Northerners, 
who  are   so  bitterly  opposed  to  the  oppression  of  the 
Africans,    by  our  proud   reserve  and   hauteur,   wound 
the  feelings  of  the  free  educated  black  much  more  than 
the  lash  does  that  of  the  slave.     There  is  no  reason  that 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  39 

we  should  become  amalgamationists,  but  we  should  treat 
every  one  as  our  fellow  marij  and  a  gentleman,  as  such, 
no  matter  of  what  country  or  clime  he  is. 

When  we  reached  the  Asylum  the  children  were  all 
ranged  in  a  row,  to  receive  us,  looking  so  delighted  and 
happy.  When  we  entered  our  room  there  were  flowers 
beautifully  arranged  and  everything  speaking  a  wel- 
come to  us.  Mr.  Hoffman  sent  off  a  note  immediately  to 
inform  the  Bishop  of  our  arrival.  Cavalla,  the  station 
where  he  resides,  is  about  twelve  miles  from  here,  be- 
yond the  boundaries  of  Liberia,  entirely  in  the  heathen 
territory. 

Church. — After  tea,  feeling  much  refreshed.  Miss 
Ball  and  myself  went  out  to  church  with  Mr.  Hoffman. 
Wednesday  evening,  being  lecture-night,  Miss  Hogan 
felt  too  fatigued  to  go  with  us.  The  little  church  is 
quite  half  a  mile  from  the  Asylum,  and  it  seemed  a  long 
walk,  particularly  as  there  is  a  very  steep  hill  to  climb. 
The  cape  is  joined  to  the  main  land  by  a  sort  of  isth- 
mus, quite  narrow  in  some  places,  so  that  we  hear  the 
constant  beat  of  the  waves  on  the  rocks,  during  our  walk. 

How  beautiful  our  church  service  seemed  that  night, 
and  I  do  think  there  were  some  grateful  hearts  there. 
How  we  wished  our  friends  at  home  could  have  known 
of  our  arrival,  that  they  might  have  joined  with  us  in 
the  grateful  song  of  praise.  After  service,  our  colored 
friends  crowded  around  us  to  give  us  their  welcomes  and 
congratulations.  May  our  lives  here  testify  our  ^ratu 
tude  for  G-od's  mercies. 


40  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

The  Asylum. — Though  we  had  thought  it  would  be 
so  dehghtful  to  sleep  on  shore,  yet  we  were  all  too  much 
excited  ;  but  our  coffee  refreshed  us  much  this  morning. 
There  is  coffee  enough  grown  here  for  home  consump- 
tion, and  it  is  far  superior  to  any  I  have  ever  tasted. 
They  are  in  hopes  soon  to  raise  enough  to  export.  I  am 
sure  it  would  bring  a  good  price. 

I  find  we  are  on  a  lovely  spot.  The  cape  is  a  high 
promontory,  running  out  into  the  water  quite  a  distance, 
and  the  land  to  the  right,  forming  part  of  a  circle,  makes 
a  very  pretty  bay — a  small  river  from  inland  opening 
into  this  bay — across  that  river  and  along  the  shore  are 
several  little  Kroo-towns,  with  a  background  of  dense 
foliage.  Immediately  back  of  the  Asylum,  which  stands 
by  the  side  of  the  lighthouse,  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
and  has  a  splendid  look-out  to* sea,  are  a  number  of 
the  houses  of  the  colonists,  with  their  little  gardens  in 
good  cultivation,  (we  have  a  fine  garden  at  the  Asylum.) 
Then  comes  the  isthmus,  a  very  rocky,  sandy  bit  of 
land — a  Krootown  used  to  stand  there,  but  since  the  late 
war  between  the  colonists  and  the  natives,  the  natives 
have  been  compelled  to  remove  the  town  across  the  river. 
It  was  a  great  annoyance,  as  the  church  standing  on  the 
other  side  of  this  little  neck  of  land,  where  it  is  more 
thickly  peopled,  those  who  lived  on  the  point  were 
always  obliged  to  pass  through  the  town  to  go  to 
church ;  and  this,  on  a  Sunday,  was  particularly  disa- 
greeable, as  they  disliked  that  their  children  should 
witness  the  fearful  desecration  of  the  Sabbath.  It  is 
pleasanter  now,  it  is  removed.  We  have  a  number  of 
cocoa-nut  and  other  trees  around  the  house,  but  it  hav- 
ing been  so  recently  constructed  (indeed,  it  is  not  quite 


o 

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EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  41 

finished  yet),  they  are  younger  and  fewer  than  we  could 
wish,  but  that  a  little  time  will  remedy. 

We  were  awakened  very  early  this  morning  by  a  loud 
talking  and  jabbering  outside  our  window.  Upon  look- 
ing out  upon  what  we  should  call  our  back-yard,  what  a 
strange  sight  presented  itself!  about  a  dozen  men, 
women  and  children,  hanging  about,  talking  as  fast  and 
as  loud  as  possible.  Though  the  adults  always  wear  a 
cloth  around  their  loins,  the  children,  until  the  age  of 
twelve  or  fourteen,  rarely,  if  ever,  wear  anything  at  all 
upon  their  persons,  save  at  times  a  string  of  beads  or  a 
string  of  grass  around  their  loins,  or  neck,  sometimes 
with  one,  two  or  three  leopard's  teeth  attached.  In  the 
yard  were  several  women  beating  rice ;  this  is  the  chief 
food  here,  and  among  the  poorer  classes  they  have  little 
else,  both  colonists  and  natives.  For  beating  the  rice 
they  have  large  wooden  mortars,  and  two  women  stand 
on  opposite  sides  with  very  thick  heavy  pestles,  with 
which  they  beat.  After  this  it  is  emptied  into  large 
basket  sieves,  and  tossed,  for  the  wind  to  blow  away  the 
chaff.  There  being  so  many  to  feed  in  this  house, 
the  work  is  going  on  the  most  of  the  time.  Besides 
these,  there  were  other  women  carrying  stone  for  the 
completion  of  the  building— all  burdens  are  borne  on 
the  head. 

We  received  very  kind  notes  from  the  Bishop  and  Miss 
Williford  to-day.  They  pleaded  excessive  fatigue,  and  sad- 
ness consequent  on  their  recent  bereavement,  as  an  excuse 
for  not  coming  to  meet  us  ;  but  hoped,  as  the  next  week 
was  to  be  the  school  examination  at  C  a  valla,  we  would 
go  down  there,  and  we  should  receive  the  warmest  wel- 
come. 


42  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

We  have  arrived  in  good  season.  The  children  in  all 
the  schools  have  a  public  examination  half-yearly,  at 
Christmas  and  midsummer,  and  then  they  have  holiday 
for  three  weeks,  and  those  who  have  homes  or  friends 
visit  them  at  that  time  if  they  wish. 

Mr.  T.  Thompson,  a  young  colored  man  who  is  study- 
ing for  the  ministry,  has  been  teaching  the  girls  here  in 
the  absence  of  any  ladies,  but  he  is  very  glad  to  resign 
his  charge,  as  he  is  very  anxious  to  pursue  his  studies. 
The  holidays  just  commencing,  I  shall  have  a  little  time 
to  get  my  things  straight  before  school  duties  begin. 
All  our  friends  from  on  board  ship  spent  the  day  here  to- 
day. The  missionaries  all  along  the  coast  have  learnt 
the  injunction  to  ^'  use  hospitality  one  to  another,  with- 
out grudging." 

Miss  Ball  has  left  us  to  go  to  her  home  at  C  a  valla, 
where  she  is  much  needed.  She  went  in  a  hammock — 
this  is  the  usual  mode  of  conveyance.  A  long  pole,  to 
which  the  hammock  is  swung,  is  borne  on  the  heads  of 
two  of  the  natives — a  flat  piece  of  wood  being  fastened 
to  the  ends  of  the  pole,  where  it  rests  on  the  head — under 
this,  however,  they  first  place  a  sort  of  pad,  formed  of 
leaves.  I  should  think  it  a  very  unpleasant  mode  of 
conveyance,  as  you  must  all  the  time  feel  as  if  you  are 
making  beasts  of  burden  of  your  fellow-creatures.  The 
Bishop  and  Mr.  Hoff*man  have  each  of  them  had  a  horse 
made  a  present  to  them.  But,  poor  things,  they  suffer, 
too,  as  well  as  human  beings  in  this  climate.  At  pres- 
ent they  are  going  through  their  acclimation,  and  must 
be  used  very  tenderly. 

Our   morning  and  evening  worship   is   held    in  the 


EVERY-DA.Y    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  43 

school-room  ;  and  a  bell  being  rung,  some  of  the  natives 
always  come  in — sometimes  it  is  one  and  sometimes  it 
is  another — and  they  always  behave  with  great  propri- 
ety. A  number  of  them  are  Christians.  Truly,  the  field 
here  is  white  for  the  harvest ;  and  we  must  pray  more 
faithfally  that  ''the  Lord  of  the  harvest  will  send  forth 
more  laborers  into  His  harvest."  Mr.  Hoffman  has  a  ser- 
vice every  Friday  at  Mount  Vaughan,  about  three  miles 
from  here.  The  two  gentlemen  from  on  board  the  ship 
are  gone  with  him  to-day.  Mrs.  Ogden  is  with  us,  help- 
ing us  to  get  our  rooms  a  little  in  order.  The  other  la- 
dies have  not  come  on  shore  to-day.  The  house  is  con- 
stantly crowded  with  natives.  One  woman  has  come  to 
''  dash  "  us  a  fowl  (to  dash,  is  to  present) ;  but  they  al- 
ways expect  to  receive,  in  a  few  days,  a  dash  in  return, 
far  more  valuable  than  the  one  they  present.  The  ani- 
mals of  all  kinds  here  are  very  diminutive  ;  there  are 
very  few  cattle,  or  domestic  animals,  of  any  sort.  Mr. 
Hoffman  has  a  cow  ;  neither  cows  nor  bullocks  are 
larger  than  Shetland  ponies  ;  but  they  are  very  pretty. 
The  calves  are  not  larger  than  good-sized  spaniels;  they 
come  from  the  Mandingo  country.  The  chickens,  also, 
are  very  small. 

We  are  trying  to  get  a  little  to  rights,  but  the  things 
from  the  ship  come  on  shore  very  slowly.  My  matting 
has  just  arrived,  and  two  of  the  native  men  are  putting 
it  down  for  me.  They  do  it  very  nicely.  They  are 
Christians — Scott  and  Eastburn.  As  I  look  round, 
those  words  constantly  come  up  :  ''  What  hath  God 
wrought !"  May  I  labor  diligently  in  this  vineyard.  But 
I  already  feel  the  effects  of  the  climate — such  lassitude 


44  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

and  debility,  as  if  I  could  hardly  stand  or  move.  This 
must  he  shaken  off;  it  will  never  do  to  give  way  to  it. 
But  I  believe  my  long  and  severe  illness  on  shipboard 
has  enfeebled  me  very  much,  instead  of  the  voyage  in- 
vigorating me. 

Our  Pets. — Miss  Hogan  and  myself  have  each  se- 
lected one  of  the  elder  girls  to  be  our  attendant,  in  our 
own  rooms,  and  we  shall,  in  return,  teach  them  the 
lighter  and  finer  kinds  of  work — nice  needlework,  &c.,  &c 
They  are  both  members  of  the  Church,  and  very  good 
girls.  Artee,  Miss  Hogan's  attendant,  is  a  very  pretty, 
light-colored  girl.  She  stood  as  godmother,  a  few  Sun- 
days ago,  for  a  little  infant  (the  child  of  a  native  Chris- 
tian) who  was  baptized.  She  seems  thoroughly  to  un- 
derstand her  duty.  Julia^  my  girl,  is  very  black,  but 
very  good-natured,  and  understands  the  G-rebo  language  ; 
and  I  want  her  to  go  with  me  as  interprieter  to  the  native 
towns,  which  I  hope,  if  God  gives  me  health  and 
strength,  often  to  visit. 

Mr.  Hoffman  called  me  out  of  my  room  this  morning ; 
he  had  something  to  tell  me  he  knew  would  make  my 
heart  glad,  or,  as  the  natives  express  it,  ''  make  my  heart 
lay  down."  He  told  me  that  the  boy  who  is  supported 
by  our  Sunday-school,  and  to  whom  we  had  given  the 
name  of  Christopher  Lippet  Paddock,  had  appeared  for  a 
long  time  to  be  deeply  serious  ;  indeed,  he  could  not 
doubt  of  his  being  really  a  Christian.  He  is  now  very  de- 
'sirous  of  baptism  ;  and  Mr.  Hoffman  thinks  him  a  very 
suitable  subject,  in  every  way  fitted  for  the  reception  of 
the  sacred  rite.  Two  others,  from  the  same  station,  are 
to  be  baptized  to-morrow  with  him  (the  station  he  is  at 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  45 

is  about  five  miles  off),  here  at  our  little  church,  St. 
Mark's.  It  is  his  wish  and  Mr.  Hoffman's  that  I  should 
stand  with  him,  as  one  of  his  witnesses.  How  pleasant 
this  will  be — my  first  Sunday  at  my  African  liome.  Is 
it  not  good  news  for  our  Sunday-school  ?  May  Grod  en- 
large their  hearts  and  their  means  more  and  more  in  this 
good  work. 

Mr.  Hoffman  has  also  two  little  pets  here,  which  he  has 
taken  expressly,  he  says,  for  Miss  Hogan  and  myself  to 
take  care  of  They  are  two  little  boys,  about  five  years 
old.  Wall  is  a  little  deaf  mute,  but  so  bright ;  he  is  a 
brother  to  the  little  deaf  and  dumb  boy  Mr.  Hoffman  sent 
to  America,  and  who  is  now  in  the  asylum,  under  the 
care  of  Mr.  Peet.  The  other,  Dapo,  is  a  little  G-rebo 
boy,  the  son  of  the  head  man  of  a  town  about  six  miles 
from  here.  Often  Mr.  Hoffman  had  noticed  him  when  he 
would  preach  in  that  town.  At  length  the  child  appeared 
to  become  very  much  attached  to  Mr.  Hoffman  ;  and  one 
day  he  followed  him,  and  would  not  leave  him.  And 
the  father  willingly  giving  his  consent,  Mr.  Hoffman 
brought  him  home  with  him,  where  he  has  since  re- 
mained. He  is  a  regular  negro — flat  nose,  thick  lips, 
&c. — very  ugly  ;  but  he  is  a  dear  little  fellow,  very  gen- 
tle and  docile.  Miss  Hogan  said  she  liked  Wak  best ; 
so  she  has  taken  him  for  her  boy,  and  I  have  taken 
Dayo,  He  cannot  yet  speak  a  word  of  English  ;  so  I 
have  everything  to  teach  him.  May  grace  be  given,  that 
he  may  be  trained  up  for  G-od.  Strange  to  say,  the  chil- 
dren, too,  have  specially  attached  themselves  to  us,  as  if 
they  knew  of  our  arrangement.  Perhaps,  unwittingly, 
there  may  be  a  difference  in  our  manner  to  them.    I  can- 


46  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

not  find  a  minute  in  the  daytime  to  write  home  ;  I  have 
to  do  it  after  I  retire  for  the  night.  A  bad  habit,  this,  in 
a  climate  where  we  require  so  much  rest. 

Sunday. — We  could  perceive  it  was  Sunday  morning, 
even  before  we  were  out  of  bed— the  deep  calm  of  a  Sab- 
bath morn,  instead  of  the  clatter  of  other  days,  prevail- 
ing. Nothing  now  was  to  be  heard  but  the  breaking  of 
the  surf  upon  the  rocks,  at  the  base  of  our  mount.  We 
had  prayers,  at  which  a  great  many  of  the  natives  at- 
tended. I  like  Mr.  Hoffman's  plan  of  conducting  prayers 
so  much.  In  the  morning,  after  singing  a  hymn,  he  re- 
peats a  verse  of  Scripture,  and  makes  a  few  remarks  on 
it ;  then  each  one  present  repeats  a  verse  in  rotation,  and 
he  makes  a  few  remarks  on  each.  In  this  way  the  chil- 
dren acquire  an  immense  amount  of  Scripture  knowl- 
edge. At  evening  worship,  he  selects  a  portion  of  Scrip- 
ture and  explains  it.  We  breakfasted  at  eight.  Imme- 
diately after  which,  Mr.  Hoffman  went  off  to  preach,  or 
teach,  in  one  native  town,  and  Mr.  Thompson,  our  colored 
teacher,  who  is  preparing  for  the  ministry,  and  boards 
with  us,  went  to  another.  At  half-past  nine  all  the  chil- 
dren collected  in  the  school-room,  neatly  dressed,  where 
they  practiced  different  hymns  and  chants  till  it  was 
time  to  proceed  to  church. 

Our  friends  from  the  vessel  met  us,  and  together  we 
w^ent  to  church,  which  is  a  long  walk  in  the  heat  of  the 
day  in  this  sultry  clime.  It  is  not  so  hot  as  we  fre- 
quently have  it  in  America,  but  there  appears  to  be  some- 
thing very  debilitating  in  the  atmosphere,  that  oppresses 
one  with  a  constant  feelinsr  of  weariness.    Our  church  is 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  47 

very  small,  and  much  crowded  ;  it  needs  enlarging  very 
much.  Two  schools  .of  native  boys  attend  here  ;  one 
from  Hoffman  station,  directly  across  the  river,  under 
the  charge  of  Greorge  Harris,  a  native,  who  is  studying 
for  the  ministry — a  very  fine  man  ;  the  other  a  school 
five  miles  off  (they  walk  in  every  Sunday  to  church). 
As  yet  it  has  only  six  boys,  three  of  whom  are  to  be  bap- 
tized to-day.  Their  teacher  is  a  native — John  Farr. 
Thus  these  first  fruits  are  beginning  to  sow  the  seeds  of 
a  glorious  harvest. 

The  dress  of  these  boys,  as  of  most  native  Christians, 
consists  of  a  shirt  of  colored  cotton,  and  a  strip  of  printed 
calico  about  a  yard  and  a  half  long,  the  full  width  of  the 
calico.  This  is  neatly  bound  with  some  bright  color,  and 
tucked  in  round  the  waist,  hanging  down  to  the  knees,  or 
below.  The  teachers,  and  others,  as  they  advance  in 
civilization,  assume  more  the  dress  and  appearance  of 
Christians.  How  exquisitely  beautiful  appeared  our  ser- 
vices to-day.  It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  my 
feelings  when  I  went  forward  to  stand  as  the  chosen  wit- 
ness of  one  who  had  lately  been  brought  ^'out  of  dark- 
ness into  marvellous  light" — one  whom  our  own  Sun- 
day-school had  been  the  means,  under  God,  of  placing 
in  his  present  position,  as  "  a  child  of  God,  an  inheritor 
of  eternal  life."  The  candidates  do  not  yet  thoroughly 
understand  English.  The  service,  and  its  nature,  had 
been  previously  thoroughly  explained  to  them  in  Grebo, 
and  the  questions  were  put  to  them  by  their  teacher 
(as  Mr.  Hoffman's  interpreter),  who  stood  as  one  of  their 
witnesses,  in  that  language  ;  and  the  answers  were  given 
most  slowly  and  distinctly,  in  the  same.     ''May  God 


48  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

perfect  the  good  work  thus  begun  in  them."  C.  L.  Pad- 
dock is  about  fourteen,  a  fine,  nice-looking  boy,  of  great 
promise.  The  other  two  are  older  ;  they,  also,  are  very 
fine  boys  ;  but  I  shall  always  be  likely  to  take  a  warmer 
interest  in  Paddock.  I  feel  as  if  this  had  been  one  of 
the  happiest  days  of  my  life.  Nothing  would  tempt  me 
to  return  home.  I  hope,  if  it  is  God's  will,  to  live,  and 
yes,  to  die  in  Africa !  In  the  afternoon  we  went  to  Sunday- 
school.  Every  alternate  Sunday  Mr.  Hoffman  preaches 
over  the  river,  in  the  afternoon,  at  Hoffman  station.  His 
labors  are  very  great.  In  the  evening,  Mr.  Gribson  (our 
colored  clergyman)  preached  a  most  excellent  sermon ; 
and  so  finished  our  first  Sunday  in  our  new  home. 
Walking  to  that  church  three  times  a  day  is  too  much. 
I  hardly  know  whether  I  am  really  ill,  or  whether  it  is 
only  the  effects  of  the  climate  on  me  already.  I  must 
fight  against  it ;  but  my  head  aches  all  the  time,  and  a 
constant  aching  pain  in  my  limbs  troubles  me  ;  but  I 
must  not  complain. 

We  are  still  busy  getting  our  rooms  in  order,  but  we 
have  such  constant  interruptions.  We,  each  of  us,  have 
a  nice  large  room,  very  airy  ;  they  all  open  on  a  fine 
piazza,  that  runs  all  around  the  house.  These  piazzas 
are  not  only  great  luxuries,  but  they  are  absolute  neces- 
sities in  this  hot  climate.  We  feel  completely  at  home, 
and  amongst  w^arm  friends.  Every  day  we  receive  a 
kind  note  from  the  Bishop,  or  one  of  the  ladies  at  Ca- 
valla,  inquiring  of  our  welfare.  Each  morning,  directly 
after  prayers,  Julia  brings  Dayo  up  into  my  room,  and 
I  am  trying  to  begin  my  instruction  to  him,  she  inter- 
preting to  him  for  me.     This  morning  I  made  her  tell 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  49 

him  that  the  great  God  who  made  him  lives  in  heaven ; 
and  that  he  must  pray  to  him  to  take  care  of  him.  I 
then  made  him  kneel  down  beside  me,  and  say  after  me, 
"  Pray,  God,  take  care  of  Dayo,  and  make  him  a  good 
boy."  Julia  explained  to  him  what  he  was  doing,  and 
the  meaning  of  the  words.  I  made  him  repeat  this  over 
several  times,  till  he  could  pronounce  each  word  right. 
I  then  got  a  picture  book,  and  showed  him  a  horse,  dog, 
&c.,  till  he  knew  several  words.  Such  was  my  first  les- 
son, which  I  hope  to  repeat,  a^  little  at  a  time,  several 
times  a  day. 

Hoffman  Station. — Our  friends  came  from  the  ship 
to  go  across  the  river  to  visit  Hoffman  station,  where 
Harris  resides.  The  captain  kindly  lent  us  his  boat,  and 
we  soon  reached  what  Mr.  Hoffman  calls  his  flower  gar- 
den, "buds  of  promise,"  both  literally  and  spiritually. 
Harris  has  a  very  pretty  little  house,  surrounded  by  a  most 
beautiful  flower  garden,  arranged  with  excellent  taste. 
There  is  a  native  town  close  by,  from  which  the  boys 
are  collected  in  school.  We  first  went  into  Harris's 
house.  His  wife  is  a  deeply  pious,  devoted  woman. 
She  was  a  native,  educated  at  the  girls'  school  at  Ca- 
valla  ;  she  collects  the  women  from  the  town  on  Sunday 
afternoon,  and  once  in  the  week,  to  teach  them  the 
things  pertaining  to  God  ;  and  at  other  times  she  teaches 
them  to  sew.  She  is  doing  a  great  work  among  them. 
A.fter  paying  a  short  visit  to  Sophia  (Harris's  wife),  we 
went  to  the  boys'  school,  followed  everywhere  by  a 
tribe  of  women  and  children.  About  thirty  boys  were 
here,  all  natives,  conning  their  lessons  under  the  care  of 

3 


50  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

another  teacher,  also  a  native,  whom  Harris  has  occa- 
sionally to  assist  him.  They  read  very  vsrell,  both  in 
English  and  G-rebo,  and  recited  their  lessons  in  English. 
Mr.  Jack  then  asked  them  many  questions  in  Bible 
history,  through  an  interpreter,  and  we  were  all  much 
astonished  at  their  aptness,  and  the  extent  of  their  infor- 
mation. We  have  been  constantly  surprised  at  the  state 
of  progress  and  improvement  going  on.  It  must  have 
been  a  work  of  pure,  implicit  faith  in  the  first  labors 
here ;  but  so  much  of  the  fruits  can  be  seen,  that 
though  still  a  work  of  faith,  yet  now  there  is  abundant 
evidence  of  the  result.  From  the  school' we  proceeded 
to  the  native  town.  This  is  a  cluster  of  huts,  from  one 
to  two  hundred  in  number,  perfectly  circular,  varying  in 
size  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  feet  in  circumference ;  the 
roof  rises  into  a  perfect  cone,  thatched  with  the  long 
branches  of  the  banana,  plantain,  and  bamboo  ;  these  are 
from  twelve  to  twenty  feet  high  at  the  highest  point. 
The  roof  extends  several  feet  beyond  the  sides  of  the  hut. 
The  floor  is  made  of  clay,  beaten  very  hard  and  smooth, 
and  generally  kept  very  clean  and  neat.  In  the  centre 
of  the  hut  are  three  short,  upright  pillars,  formed  of  hard 
clay,  about  a  foot  high,  put  very  close  together :  the^^e 
form  a  triangle,  between  which  the  fire  is  placed,  which 
is  seldom  extinguished  ;  and  on  these  their  iron  pot 
(their  only  cooking  utensil)  rests — the  smoke,  after  cir- 
culating freely  about  the  hut,  at  length  finds  its  way  out 
by  the  door.  Some  of  the  more  wealthy  will  have  one 
or  two  boxes  or  chests,  and  a  low  chair,  strangely  con- 
structed. They  sleep  on  mats,  with  a  block  of  wood 
for  a  pillow.     These  blocks  serve  for  seats,  in  the  day, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  51 

and  the  mats  are  then  put  up  on  a  sort  of  rack,  made 
under  the  roof,  where,  also,  they  generally  have  a  pile  of 
wood  stored  away.  Those  of  the  richer  part,  too,  will 
have  a  quantity  of  pitchers,  dishes,  plates,  &c.,  hung 
round  the  sides  of  the  hut ;  they  have  a  way  of  boring  a 
hole  through  the  plates,  &c.,  without  cracking  them,  and 
then,  passing  a  string  through  them,  they  can  readily 
hang  them  up.  We  went  into  several  huts,  and  were 
struck  by  the  cleanliness  prevailing  everywhere,  both  in- 
side and  outside.  If  there  is  any  litter  or  rubbish  al- 
lowed to  accumulate,  the  woman  receives  the  name  of 
a  bad  housekeeper.  The  women  all  expressed  pleasure 
at  seeing  us,  coming  out  of  their  huts  to  shake  hands, 
and  hoping  we  would  come  often  to  visit  them.  At  a 
little  distance,  their  towns  resemble  a  large  field  of  hay- 
ricks. There  is  a  nice  little  church  going  up  here,  of 
which  Harris,  I  believe,  is  to  be  the  pastor,  after  he  is 
ordained.  At  present,  Mr.  Hoffman  and  Mr.  Gibson  alter- 
nate in  preaching  to  the  natives,  wherever  they  can  col- 
lect them.  After  our  return,  I  went  off  and  slept  on 
board  ship  ;  Mrs.  Ogden  persuaded  me,  she  felt  so  very 
lonely — so,  far  away  from  all  our  friends  and  loved  ones, 
we  became  very  much  attached  to  each  other,  and  we 
were  very  happy  together  on  board. 

Daily  Life. — ^We  came  on  shore  very  early  this  morn- 
ing ;  the  gentlemen  going  with  Mr.  Hoffman  to  Spring 
Hill,  the  station  at  which  Paddock  resides.  Mr.  Hoffman 
goes  there  once  a  fortnight,  to  examine  and  instruct  the 
boys,  and  to  preach  in  the  towns.  Though  the  mission- 
ary's work  is  one  of  love,  yet  it  is  a  labor  of  love.     The 


52  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

captain  has  been  very  kind  to  us,  in  helping  us  put  up  our 
bedsteads,  and  unpacking  our  furniture,  &c.  In  fact, 
from  the  commencement  of  our  voyage,  he  has  shown 
us  every  kindness  and  attention  in  his  power. 

When  I  came  home  this  morning,  Mr.  Hoffman  and 
Mr.  Thompson  both  welcomed  me  as  warmly  as  if  I  had 
been  an  old  member  of  the  family,  away  for  a  long  time. 
Mr.  Hoffman  thanked  the  captain  for  his  care  of  me,  &c., 
as  if  it  was  really  his  charge  now  to  look  after  us,  and 
care  for  us  ;  and  I  believe  he  feels  so.  G-od  has  given 
us  a  new  home  and  family  circle.  In  the  evening,  Mr. 
Hoffman  went  to  preach  at  Mount  Vaughan  ;  Mr.  Thomp- 
son conducted  family  worship  :  he  appears  to  be  a  very 
serious  and  devout  young  man. 

Mrs.  Ogden  comes  on  shore  every  day,  to  give  the 
children  singing  lessons.  They  are  improving  very 
much ;  and  she  has  promised,  while  we  are  away,  to 
continue  her  instructions.  I  find  I  love  her  more  each 
day  ;  it  will  be  hard  to  say  "  good-bye"  when  the  vessel 
leaves,  but  it  will  be  a  week  or  two,  first.  These  part- 
ings are  very  painful,  but  so  it  ever  must  be.  I  some- 
times think  it  would  be  good  for  missionaries  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  a  cool,  calm,  impassible  nature,  and  then  they 
would  not  suffer  so  much  by  the  rupturing  of  these  ties ; 
but,  so  far  as  I  have  seen,  they  are  all  warm,  ardent, 
and  endowed  with  very  strong  affections — better  so,  per- 
haps, else  they  never  would  gain  the  love  of  those  poor 
souls  whom  they  seek  to  win. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  53 


CAVALLA. 

The  examination  of  the  girls'  school  is  to  take  place 
to-morrow,  at  Cavalla,  so  we  started  this  afternoon  for 
that  place.  Our  fellow-passengers  did  not  go  with  us, 
though  the  Bishop  cordially  invited  them,  as  they  dare 
not  sleep  on  shore  ;  so  we  started.  Miss  Hogan,  Mr. 
Hoffman,  and  myself,  each  in  a  hammock,  borne  on  the 
heads  of  two  men,  with  two  others  for  each  hammock, 
to  relieve.  Besides  these,  there  was  a  company  of  about 
twenty  men  and  boys,  carrying  loads  down  for  the 
Bishop.  Our  road  lay,  for  about  nine  miles,  along  a 
narrow  ledge  of  sand,  thrown  up  between  the  ocean  and 
a  beautiful  fresh-water  lake.  In  some  places  this  sand, 
that  divides  the  two  waters,  would  not  be  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  in  width  ;  in  others,  it  would  be  nearly 
half-a  mile.  The  sand  is  very  fine,  dry,  and  loose, 
which  makes  it  very  hard  travelling,  as  the  foot  sinks 
into  it  at  each  step.  The  easiest  mode  of  reach- 
ing Cavalla  would  be  by  the  lake,  if  there  were  boats ; 
but  there  are  only  the  canoes  of  the  natives,  and  they 
are  rather  dangerous,  and,  unless  you  have  a  very  large 
one,  you  are  sure  to  get  wet — and  at  this  season  of  the 
year  the  natives  use  them  fishing.  I  wish  I  could  give 
a  correct  description  of  the  scene,  as  we  journeyed  along. 


54  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

On  the  one  side  the  sea  rolling  in,  with  a  heavy  surf,  the 
spray  dashing  high  in  the  air,  and  forming  myriads  of 
tiny  rainbows  ;  on  the  other  side  of  us,  the  calm,  beau- 
tiful lake,  varying  in  width  from  half  to  three-quarters 
of  a  mile ;  on  the  opposite  shore  the  hills  forming  a 
beautiful  background,  covered  with  the  most  luxuriant 
vegetation,  crowned  with  the  loftiest  palm-trees.  (All 
my  preconceived  notions  of  Africa,  as  a  dead,  level, 
sandy  plain,  have  completely  vanished.)  Then  imag- 
ine ourselves  riding  in  very  uncomfortable  but  truly 
picturesque  style,  followed  by  a  number  of  men,  wo- 
men, and  children — our  train  changing  occasionally,  as 
we  passed  through  or  by  the  different  towns,  one  set 
being  tired  of  gazing  at  us,  and  making  room  for  others 
to  take  a  peep,  and  satisfy  their  curiosity.  Hammock 
travelling  is  decidedly  uncomfortable  ;  we  were  very 
tired  remaining  so  long  in  one  position.  The  reception 
we  met  with  on  our  arrival  was  such  as  would  have 
warmed  the  coldest  heart,  and  cheered  and  revived  the 
most  home-sick,  which  we  were  very  far  from  being. 
The  mission-house  and  church,  and  school-houses,  all 
stand  within  one  enclosure.  Here  the  Bishop  has  a 
beautiful  flower-garden,  and  in  one  corner  of  this,  those 
who  have  laid  down  their  lives  here,  sweetly  ''sleep  in 
Jesus."  The  church  is  a  very  pretty  little  building ;  it 
is  not  yet  finished,  although  service  is  regularly  con- 
ducted in  it,  in  the  Grebo  language.  The  boys'  school- 
house  is  in  course  of  building,  also.  The  one  they  at 
present  occupy  is  in  very  bad  condition,  and  very  unsafe. 
The  whole  of  these  premises  are  literally  in  a  grove  of 
cocoanut  trees,  which  give  a  most  delightful  shade,  as 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  55 

well  as  looking  so  beautiful,  and  being  so  useful.  Most 
of  them  were  planted  by  the  hands  of  the  Bishop.  A 
great  part  of  the  work,  in  the  construction  of  the  church 
and  school-house,  has  been  the  labors  of  the  Christian 
natives,  under  the  direction  of  some  colonist  carpenters, 
masons,  &c.  Just  back  of  the  mission-house  is  the 
Christian  village,  on  the  mission  premises.  This  is  a 
collection  of  houses,  built  somewhat  in  American  style, 
where  the  Christian  boys  who  have  been  educated 
in  the  school,  having  married  Christian  girls,  reside. 
They,  all  of  them,  have  some  trade,  or  means  of  earning 
a  liveUhood,  and  here  they  live  very  comfortably.  These 
little  houses  are  very  clean  and  neat,  with  many  articles 
of  American  manufacture  in  them — tables,  chairs,  &c., 
&c.  May  this  be  the  beginning  of  a  mighty  city,  where 
Christ  shall  be  king.  There  are  five  native  towns  sur- 
rounding the  mission  premises,  the  huts  coming  up  to 
the  very  gates,  so  the  Bishop  is  directly  in  the  midst  of 
his  people  ;  and  may  the  Christianity  there  exhibited  be 
like  leaven,  "  which  shall  leaven  the  whole  lump."  The 
Bishop  and  Miss  Williford  look  very  unwell. 

The  house  is  full  of  natives,  all  the  while  com- 
ing and  going.  They  come  in,  sit  awhile,  shake  hands, 
and  stare  at  you,  or,  as  they  say,  "  look  you,"  and  go 
away  again.  The  doors  are  never  shut  till  ten  at 
night,  and  they  are  allowed  to  come  and  go  as  they 
please.  The  Bishop  hopes  it  may  tend  to  elevate  them, 
even  to  observe  our  customs  and  manners.  The  only 
time  you  can  be  sure  of  being  alone  is  when  you  are 
eating.  -  Their  '^  country  fashion"  is  never  to  look  at  a 
person  when  eating  ;  therefore,  at  that  time  they  always 
leave. 


56  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Lepers. — I  have  seen  a  great  many  lepers  in  Africa. 
They  are  most  disgusting  objects,  poor  things !  The 
flesh  turns  white  in  spots,  and  then  the  joints  gradually 
rot  off.  The  disease  is  not  as  painful  as  many  others. 
At  the  time  a  joint  drops  off  the  place  is  sore  for  a  little 
while;  that  is  all.  There  is  one  man,  who  comes  a 
great  deal  to  the  Asylum,  who  has  lost  all  his  fingers  and 
toes.  He  is  a  pitiable  object.  This  disease  is  hereditary 
but  not  infectious. 

Cavalla  Examination. — The  girls'  school  was  exam- 
ined to-day,  and  I  had  no  idea  that  these  poor  degraded 
natives  had  such  power  and  capacities,  which  only  need 
developing.  They  have  very  powerful  memories — their 
proficiency  in  grammar  astonished  me.  There  was  one 
little  class  of  four  girls  that  had  only  been  in  the  school 
about  six  months,  who  could  read  in  the  Grebo  Testa- 
ment, and  spell  hard  words,  and  are  learning  to  read  in 
English.  They  have  been  taught  by  a  native  teacher. 
It  is  almost  incredible,  but  their  memories  are  excel- 
lent. The  girls'  school-house  is  a  separate  building, 
but  close  by  the  side  of  the  mission-house.  The 
school-house  is  very  nicely  fitted  up,  owing  to  the  kind- 
ness and  liberality  of  friends  at  home ;  and  there  are 
many  nice  maps  around  the  walls.  It  is  a  very  large 
room,  and  it  is  used  for  Sunday  evening  and  week 
evening  services.  Back  of  the  school-room  is  a  large 
eating  room,  with  two  long  tables  and  benches.  And 
the  matron's  little  room  is  here  also,  so  that  she  may  be 
always  near  the  girls.  Mrs.  Gillet,  the  assistant  teacher 
in  the  school,  is  also  the  matron.     She  is  a  native  woman, 


•  EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  57 

but  a  most  trustworthy,  devoted  Christian,  and  has  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  interests  of  the  girls  at  heart. 
Over  the  school-room  is  the  dormitory.  It  is  divided  off 
into  a  number  cf  rooms.  There  is  a  bedstead  in  each 
room  for  the  larger  girls,  but  they  seldom  use  it — pre- 
ferring to  sleep  on  the  floor  with  the  others.  They  each 
have  a  mat  and  a  blanket ;  these  must  be  neatly  rolled 
up  and  put  away  in  the  daytime. 

Ths  Feast. — On  the  day  of  the  girls'  examination 
the  Bishop  generally  has  a  feast  prepared,  of  which  all 
the  school  children,  boys  and  girls,  the  Christian  vil- 
lagers, and  head  men  of  the  town,  and  the  native 
Christians,  are  invited  to  partake.  The  carpenters  with 
their  boards  had  prepared  a  sort  of  table,  that  reached  a 
long  distance  on  the  grass,  under  the  cocoanut  trees. 
We  stood  on  the  piazza  watching  the  scene.  It  was  ex- 
ceedingly pleasant,  yet  very  grotesque.  On  the  table 
was  a  profusion  of  such  things  as  they  like  best :  rice, 
palm-butter,  cassadas,  salt  beef,  some  salt  fish,  plantains, 
cocoanuts  and  bananas.  There  were  long  benches  set  on 
either  side.  But  it  was  pleasant  to  see  here  the  courte- 
ousness  and  politeness  that  Christianity  bestows ;  the 
natives  from  the  town  huddled  in,  men  and  women, 
each  striving  who  first  could  obtain  a  seat.  The  men 
and  women  from  the  Christian  village  walked  quietly  up, 
arm  in  arm  (almost  the  only  time  I  ever  saw  them  do 
that,  by  the  way,)  to  the  table,  and  the  men  saw  that 
their  ladies  were  seated  before  themselves,  with  every 
mark  of  politeness.  The  old  men  from  the  towns  were 
dressed  in  all  sorts  of  costumes.     Some  with  old  coats 

3* 


58  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF    , 

with  brass  buttons,  and  a  black  beaver  hat ;  this  last, 
with  a  bright  colored  nmbrellaj  is  the  height  of  their 
ambition  ;  if  they  only  have  these  things  they  are 
''  proper  gentlemen."  One  man  had  a  cloth  around  his 
loins,  and  over  this  an  old  coat  of  a  navy  captain,  with 
the  buttons  and  epaulettes,  and  a  commodore's  hat.  He 
did  think  himself  fine,  and  he  strutted  about,  the  envy 
of  all  beholders.  Others  had  long  red,  yellow,  or  blue 
gowns,  made  like  a  flannel  gown,  down  to  the  feet ;  some 
with  all  these  colors,  in  stripes — they  could  be  seen  at  a 
distance.  Many,  both  men  and  women,  had  heavy  brass 
armlets  and  anklets,  sometimes  as  many  as  a  dozen  on 
the  arm  or  leg;  these  clinking  together  made  a  great  noise 
as  they  walked.  (Many  of  the  little  children,  also,  wear 
these,  in  default  of  any  other  dress.)  The  Bishop  asked  a 
blessing,  and  then  they  all  fell  to,  like  hungry  wolves  ; 
probably  many  of  them  had  tasted  nothing  before  that 
day,  as  they  often  have  but  one  meal  a  day. 

The  influence  of  Christianity  has  done  much  to  ele- 
vate the  heathen  in  all  the  towns  around.  In  the  towns 
in  this  vicinity,  the  Bishop  has  induced  them  to  plant 
cocoanuts — for  though  they  flourish,  they  are  not  indi- 
genous to  the  soil.  The  natives  are  very  much  attached 
to  him — they  came  from  thirty  miles  around  to  express 
their  commiseration  with  him  on  the  loss  of  his  wife. 

All  are  so  kind  to  us,  the  new  comers.  If  Christian  love 
can  make  earth  so  happy,  what  must  heaven  be,  where 
there  is  no  discordant  or  jarring  sound  permitted  to  en- 
ter ? 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  59 

Boys'  Examination.— The  boys  were  examined  to-day, 
and  presents  distributed  to  the  children  of  both  schools. 
The  boys'  examination,  like  the  girls',  was  excellent ; 
Miss  Ball  had  brought  out  a  doll,  dressed,  for  each  girl — 
many  of  them  had  never  seen  such  a  thing,  and  their 
delight  was  great ;  even  girls,  seventeen  and  eighteen, 
were  as  delighted  as  the  youngest  child,  and  the 
dress  of  the  dolls  was  a  subject  of  great  wonderment. 
The  boys'  studies  were  grammar,  higher  geography, 
philosophy,  &c,,  &c.  But  in  all  the  schools  the  Bible, 
and  Bible  history,  are,  of  course,  the  principal  study.  To 
me  it  is  truly  an  affecting  sight,  these  poor  heathen  appa- 
rently so  ready  and  willing  to  hear  God's  word.  Oh ! 
that  "  great  might  be  the  multitade  of  preachers,"  they 
welcome  us  with  such  warm  demonstrations  of  pleasure  ; 
take  hold  of  our  hands  and  clasp  them  in  both  of  theirs, 
and  look  so  pleased  to  see  us.  The  Bishop  appears  to  be 
very  unwell.     I  hope  he  is  not  going  to  be  seriously  ill. 


fiO  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 


RETURN    HOME. 

V/e  returned  to  the  Cape  to-day,  in  the  same  way  in 
which  we  left — in  our  liammocks.  It  w^as  very  hot 
in  the  sun.  We  had  intended  to  leave  Cavalla  very  early 
in  the  morning,  but  there  is  no  such  thing  as  hurrying 
the  natives — they  have  no  idea  of  the  value  of  time — so 
we  did  not  get  started  till  after  twelve  o'clock.  Think 
how  strong  they  must  be,  to  carry  us,  or  any  other  heavy 
burden,  tfor  twelve  or  fourteen  miles,  and  then  return  the 
same  day,  without  exhibiting  any  symptoms  of  fatigue. 

The  Bishop  appears  to  have  signs  of  pleurisy,  and  spit- 
ting blood;  the  trials  and  fatigues  he  has  gone  through 
lately  have  completely  exhausted  him.  They  have  all 
been  advising  him  to  take  a  voyage  down  the  coast  to 
Corisco,  with  our  good  captain.  He  does  not  doubt  but 
that  it  would  greatly  benefit  him,  but  fears  he  will  not 
be  able  to  leave.  This  atmosphere  must  be  very  inju- 
rious, for  everything  that  is  left  unused  for  two  or  three 
days  becomes  coated  with  mildew. 

On  our  arrival  we  found  Mrs.  Ogden  giving  the  children 
a  singing  lesson.  She  is  very  kind,  and  so  loveable. 
Mr.  Ogden  has  received  a  note,  by  some  Kroomen,  from 
Mr.  Wilson.  He  is  so  feeble  that  the  doctor  has  ordered 
a  voyage,  and  as  he  had  some  business  for  the  mission 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  61 

to  transact  at  Corisoo,  he  has  concluded  to  go  down 
there  in  the  Ocean  Eagle  ;  so  he  will  come  down  from 
Monrovia  in  a  little  sloop.  And  if  the  Bishop  goes,  too, 
they  will  have  a  pleasant  little  company,  as  Mr.  Wilson 
and  he  are  old  friends 

Baptism. — My  journey  in  the  heat  of  the  sun  did  me 
no  good,  yesterday.  I  am  very  feverish  to-day.  I  went 
to  church  in  the  morning,  but  had  to  rest  quietly  at 
home  this  afternoon  and  evening.  The  captain  has 
taken  our  friends  from  the  ship  down  in  his  boat  to  Ca- 
valla ;  they  started  very  early,  so  as  to  be  in  time  for 
church.  They  much  wished  to  see  our  mission  in 
all  its  phases.  A  little  babe,  the  child  of  G-eorge  Har- 
ris, our  native  teacher  at  Hoffman  Station,  was  baptized 
to-day.  Miss  Hogan  stood  as  sponsor ;  and  when,  at 
these  times,  I  think  of  our  favored  land,  and  the  great 
neglect  that  oft  prevails  there,  I  fancy  I  hear  our  Saviour's 
words,  "  The  Queen  of  the  South  shall  rise  up  in  judg- 
ment against  tliis  generation." 

Mr.  Wilson's  Arrival. — ^Very  busy  making  rosettes 
out  of  pink  and  white  glazed  muslin,  for  the  Sunday- 
school  anniversary,  which  is  to  take  place  next  Satur- 
day. There  will  be  about  three  hundred  children  pres- 
ent, from  the  different  schools  under  Mr.  Hoffman's  super- 
vision. He  wishes  rosettes  made  for  all,  as  they  think 
much  of  even  such  a  trifle. 

This  will  be  a  busy  week  to  us ;  in  fact,  we  have  not 
had  a  moment  to  ourselves  since  our  arrival,  and  though 
we  appear  to  be  doing  nothing,  we  are  learning  our  work. 


62  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Mr.  Hoffman  is  attending  the  examination  of  the  school 
at  Mount  Vaughan,  to-day.  "Where  the  teachers  are  na- 
tives, and  in  fact  in  all  the  schools,  these  semi-annual 
examinations  are  absolutelpnecessary,  to  mark  the  pro- 
gress, and  to  be  sure  that  the  word  of  Grod  is  made  the 
basis  ol  all  that  is  taught.  Mrs.  Ogden  and  the  Captain 
insisted  that  I  should  go  on  board  with  them  and  spend 
the  night,  thinking  the  sea-breeze  would  refresh  me, 
which  it  did  very  much.  Just  after  I  left.  Miss  Ball 
arrived,  to  stay  a  few  days  with  us,  and  attend  the  ex- 
amination of  the  schools  here.  As  we  were  rowing 
toward  the  vessel  the  Captain  pointed  out  a  distant  sail. 
''  There,"  said  he,  "  that  is  Mr.  Wilson,  and  after  I  have 
put  you  ladies  on  board  I  shall  go  and  look  after  that 
little  craft,  as  I  know  it  must  be  very  comfortless  on  her, 
and  if  Mr.  Wilson  is  there,  he  cannot  go  on  shore  to- 
night, so  I  shall  bring  him  on  board  with  me."  He  did 
so,  and  about  eight  o'clock  we  were  all  at  tea  in  the 
cabin.  Mr.  Wilson  was  much  pleased  with  the  captian's 
attention.  He  said  the  accommodations  on  the  little 
sloop  were  very  bad  ;  he  had  slept  on  deck,  as  it  was 
impossible  to  go  below,  and  he  had  eaten  ham  (which 
he  had  cooked  before  going  on  board)  and  crackers  out 
of  a  wash-bowl — forcing  himself  to  eat,  though  loathing 
it — pleasant  things  these  for  a  sick  man.  But  mission- 
aries expect  such  things,  and  though  they  feel  them, 
they  do  not  complain. 

AsYLUxM  Examination. — The  Captain  took  us  on  shore 
before  prayer  time  this  morning,  as  the  girls  at  the 
Asylum  were  to  pass  their  examination  to-day.     We 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  63 

found  Miss  Ball  quite  sick  ;  she  had  considerable  trouhle 
with  her  bearers,  and  they  detained  her  a  long  time  on 
the  road,  in  the  sun. 

A  number  of  the  more  respectable  part  of  the  colo- 
nists came  to  observe  the  improvement  in  the  children. 
At  noon  we  had  an  intermission  for  a  time,  and  a  lunch 
prepared,  of  which  all  present  were  invited  to  partake. 
The  afternoon  I  spent  like  an  uneasy  spirit,  wandering 
about  from  the  school-room  to  one  sick-room  or  the  other. 
Mr.  Wilson,  Miss  Ball,  and  the  Captain,  have  all  high 
fever — the  effects  of  exposure,  for  the  Captain  over  ex- 
erted himself  a  day  or  two  ago,  working  in  the  sun,  con- 
structing a  raft  of  the  timber  he  has  to  leave  here.  He 
had  to  set  to  work  himself  to  show  the  others  how.  It 
is  very  hard  to  be  strictly  prudent  here,  and  y  et  we 
must  be  so. 

The  Bishop  has  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  ab- 
solutely necessary,  and  his  duty,  to  take  the  voyage ;  so 
we  expect  him  here  to-morrow.  We  have  the  house  full 
constantly. 

The  Bishop  Arrives. — The  boys  at  Hoffman  Station 
were  examined  to-day.  Mr.  Hoffman,  Miss  Hogan,  and 
our  friends  from  the  ship  went.  Mr.  Wilson  and  Miss 
Ball  were  both  very  unwell  in  the  night,  but<  were  better 
this  morning,  and  needed  a  little  nursing,  so  I  am  taking 
care  of  them,  and  trying  to  do  a  few  stitches  toward 
making  some  banners  and  flags.  The  Bishop  arrived 
quite  late  in  the  evening.  I  opened  some  preserved 
peaches  I  had  brought  from  home  ;  he  said  it  was  the 
first  thing  he  had  eaten  with  a  relish  for  weeks.  Any 
thing  from  home  tastes  good  here. 


64  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Christmas  Eve. — This  is  Christmas  eve,  and  the 
weather  is  intensely  hot,  it  is  the  warmest  season  of 
the  year  ;  we  can  scarcely  realize  it  is  so  cold  at  home. 
The  house  full  of  company  again  all  day.  It  is  no 
small  item  in  a  missionary's  expenditure,  the  number 
of  guests  he  has  to  entertain.  But  that  is  one  thing 
in  which  he  cannot  possibly  curtail ;  it  is  one  of  his 
greatest  pleasures,  as  well  as  his  duty  ;  and,  especially 
with  the  poorer  part  of  his  visitors,  he  must  let  them  see 
that  he  has  a  regard  for  their  bodies,  or  how  will  they 
believe  in  his  love  for  their  souls.  "What  a  magnificent 
scene  moonlight  is  in  these  tropical  climes.  I  have  been 
standing,  for  a  time,  on  the  piazza,  no  sound  to  break  the 
solemn  stillness  but  the  ceaseless  dash  of  the  waves  ;  and 
then  I  thought  that  on  just  such  a  night  as  this,  eighteen 
hundred  and  fifty  odd  years  ago,  the  ^'  glad  tidings 
of  great  joy"  were  announced  to  man,  and  I  could  realize 
the  scene  as  I  never  had  done  before ;  then  looking  up, 
the  graceful  waving  of  the  bng  leaves  of  the  cocoanuts 
caught  my  eye,  and  these  words  came  into  my  mind, 
*^and  all  the  trees  of  the  field  shall  clap  their  hands." 
Oh,  that  multitudes  of  grateful  hearts  might  everywhere 
respond,  "  The  Lord  is  come,  the  Lord  is  come !" 

Christmas  Day. — Christmas  day — glorious  Christmas. 
Oh,  that  some  dear  to  me  might  this  day  be  born  into 
the  kingdom  of  Grod's  dear  Son  !  and  that  in  their  hearts 
they  might  sing,  "  Grlory  to  Grod  in  the  highest."  How 
sweet  it  is  to  think  that  all  over  earth's  domain,  from  some 
part,  throughout  each  hour  of  this  day,  will  ascend  that 
noble  song  from  Christian  hearts,  ''  Glory  to  G-od,"  and 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  65 

*^  peace  on  earth,"  and  man  will  join  with  angel  choirs 
"  to  sing  redeeming  love,"  and  each  hour  of  this  day,  the 
sacred  feast  of  the  "  true  passover"  will  be  celebrated  by- 
some  of  His  faithful  followers,  of  ^^  every  nation  and  kin- 
dred, people  and  tongue."  How  much  such  days  bring 
loved  absent  ones  to  mind — ^but  we  shall  soon  meet  to 
part  no  more.  After  writing  a  few  warm  greetings  to 
those  at  home,  I  went  out  into  the  breakfast-room  and 
found  Mr.  Wilson  writing  his  loving  remembrances  to 
his  wife  and  child.  Miss  Hogan  and  some  of  the  girls 
went  very  early  to  see  what  they  could  do  in  decorating 
the  church,  but,  though  the  shrubs  and  plants  are  green 
all  the  year  round  ;  we  have  no  evergreens,  such  as 
those  we  have  at  home,  therefore,  what  they  did  put  up 
withered,  even  before  the  service  was  over. 

The  service  was  very  long  but  I  enjoyed  it  much.  We 
had  adult  baptism,  confirmation,  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 
There  were  fifteen  confirmed,  five  with  the  Kroo-mark 
upon  them.  When  laying  his  hands  on  the  natives  the 
Bishop  pronounced  the  prayer  "  Defend  0  Lord,"  in 
Grebo.  He  says  the  G-rebo  has  become  so  familiar  to  him 
that  he  can  preach  in  that  better  than  in  English.  It  is 
a  joyous  sight  to  see  these  poor  natives  gathered  in,  and 
to  feel  that  there  is  ''  One  fold  and  one  Shepherd."  The 
church  was  so  crowded,  that  they  even  had  a  number 
of  benches  placed  outside  the  door.  We  had  about 
seventy  communicants,  about  one  third  of  these  natives,  so 
*'  mightily  grows  the  Word  of  God,  and  prevails."  Well 
may  the  cry  go  forth  from  here,  ''  Come  over  and  help 
us."  ''  Who  will  come  up  to  the  help  of  the  Lord  against 
the  mighty  ?"     Here,  in  all  this  region,  are  but  two  white 


66  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

"  heralds  of  the  cross,"  and  though  they  are  gathering  in 
the  fruit,  and  sending  it  forth  to  scatter  the  seed  broad- 
cast yet  these  converts  from  heathenism  need  yet 
much  training  and  much  oversight  in  their  work. 

We  sat  down,  twelve  of  us,  to  dinner  at  first,  and  ahout 
twice  as  many  afterward,  teachers  and  scholars,  who 
had  come  in  from  distant  stations.  At  half  past  three 
there  was  a  missionary  meeting.  They  collect  here, 
even  in  this  poor  little  place,  where  money  is  so  hard  to 
be  had,  about  ten  dollars  a  month,  to  send  the  Grospel 
further  on,  to  those  who  are  sitting  in  darkness.  May  all 
learn  that  it  is  indeed  '^  more  blessed  to  give  than  to 
receive."  At  seven  o'clock  we  bade  a  long  good-bye  to 
our  friends.  The  captain  expects  to  sail  very  early  in 
the  morning.  Shall  we  ever  meet  again?  God  only  knows. 
Our  lives  are  in  His  hands,  and  to  Him  and  His  service  we 
are^devoted,  in  life  or  death.  But  these  partings  are  sad. 
If  we  have  few  friends,  few  ties  here,  yet : 

*<  We  love  tlic  better  tlioee 
Our  Heavenly  Father  sends." 

Escape. — Early  this  morning  we  had  a  great  fright. 
We  went  to  view  the  last  traces  of  our  vessel,  when 
w^e  were  startled  to  see  she  was  not  yet  gone,  but  with 
all  sails  set,  she  was  driving  full  upon  Dead  Island,  a 
horrid  reef  of  rocks  that  stretches  to  our  left.  With 
what  intense  anxiety  we  watched  her,  and  saw  the 
great  hurry  on  deck,  but  when  she  appeared  close  on  the 
rocks  her  anchor  was  dropped.  We  then  went  into  break- 
fast. The  captain  came  in  in  a  few  minutes,  and  said, 
that  '^  after  weisfhins:  anchor  the  land  breeze  blew  so 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN   AFRICA.  67 

strong,  he  was  very  much  afraid  that  they  would  "be 
dashed  on  the  rocks ;  the  vessel  would  have  to  lay  there 
till  the  sea-breeze  sprung  up,  which  it  generally 
does  about  ten  o'clock."  He  had  come  on  shore  to 
attend  to  a  little  business  he  had  forgotten  the  night 
before.  About  ten  o'clock  a  fine  breeze  sprung  up,  and  we 
saw  the  little  ship  move  from  her  moorings.  For  half  an 
hour  we  watched  with  great  anxiety  till  we  saw  she 
was  in  safety  ;  though  we  had  felt  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  for  anything  to  happen  to  her  ;  she  had  too 
many  good  people  on  board,  and  was  freighted  with  too 
rqany  prayers.  But  this  is  a  fearfully  dangerous  coast. 
There  is  lying  here,  on  the  strand,  the  remains  of  a 
vessel  that,  about  three  months  ago,  was  anchored  here, 
and,  in  broad  daylight,  the  force  of  the  current  and  the 
wind  tore  her  from  her  moorings,  and  she  dashed,  head 
foremost,  on  the  shore ;  nothing  could  save  her,  though, 
providentially,  no  lives  were  lost. 


68  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


SUNDAY-SCHOOL    ANNIVERSARY. 

This  is  to  be  the  Sunday-school  anniversary.  The 
different  schools  are  to  meet  at  the  church,  have  some 
exercises  there,  then  come  up  here  and  go  down  on  the 
rocks,  under  the  Cape,  and  have  refreshments.  Our  old 
cook,  "  Auntie  Dade,"  is  busy  making  some  gingerbread, 
and  cooking  meat  and  short-cake.  The  meat  has  been 
sent  to  Mr.  Hoffman,  with  considerable  plain  cake,  from 
some  of  the  wealthier  of  the  colonists.  This  will  be  a 
great  treat  to  many  of  the  poor  children,  who  scarcely 
ever  taste  anything  but  rice  and  palm  butter.  We  have 
prepared  all  their  rosettes  and  banners,  and  Mr.  Hoffman 
and  Miss  Hogan  went  down  to  the  church  with  our 
children,  while  I  prepared  the  refreshments  for  them  on 
the  rocks.  Miss  Ball  has  gone  home  to  Cavalla.  I  had 
scarcely  completed  my  arrangements  when  the  children 
appeared.  I  heard  the  sound  of  their  voices,  singing 
sweetly  before  I  saw  them.  They  came  down  in  perfect 
order  over  the  rocks,  over  three  hundred  of  them ;  it  was 
a  pleasant  sight,  and  each  school  quietly  took  the  place 
assigned  for  it,  and  then  the  children  seated  themselves 
on  the  rocks,  and  waited  patiently  till  they  were  served. 
Though  many  of  these  children  never  saw  a  bit  of  cake 


KVERY-PAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  69 

but  once  a  year,  and  some  of  them  had  never  seen  it  before, 
yet  they  waited  with  the  greatest  patience,  each  for  his 
tm-n  to  be  served ;  there  was  no  pulUng,  or  pushing,  or 
snatching,  or  seeking  to  get  more  than  their  share.  No, 
all  w^as  done  decently  and  in  order.  Their  behavior 
was  a  model  of  propriety.  The  scene  was  very  pretty ; 
the  rocks  beautiful  and  jagged.  The  surge  constant- 
ly rolling  and  breaking  on  them  (to  me  the  roar  of 
the  ocean  is  perfect  music),  and  pouring  in  through 
the  fissures,  formed  little  ponds  around,  in  which,  at 
times,  you  can  find  some  very  pretty  shells.  Then  the 
costume  of  the  children  was  so  strange ;  there  was  the 
half-naked  little  boy,  and  the  young  colored  lady  bediz- 
ened out  in  her  choicest  finery,  beads,  laces,  &c.,  showy 
and  gaudy.  On  the  top  of  the  rocks  the  beautiful 
cocoanuts  w'aved  their  plumed  heads.  It  was  a  w41d, 
strange,  beautiful  sight,  never  to  bo  seen  but  in  such 
a  clime.  After  their  refreshments  the  children  sung 
very  sweetly,  and  then  departed  to  their  homes,  some  of 
them  having  five  miles  to  walk. 

Work. — Now  we  shall  commence  our  work — to  teach 
the  Word.  Mr.  Hoffman  gave  notice  in  Church  to-day, 
that  a  class  for  adult  females,  those  w^ho  cannot  read,  or 
only  very  imperfectly,  will  commence  this  afternoon  at 
the  Asylum  ;  Miss  Hogan  will  take  charge  of  it.  On 
Monday  we  shall  have  a  class  for  the  native  women, 
which  Ave  shall  take  charge  of  alternately  (Miss  Hogan, 
however,  soon  took  its  entire  charge),  and  a  Bible 
class  will  be  commenced  on  Thursday  for  adult  females, 
teachers  and  others,  who  may  feel  the  need  of  more 


70  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

thorough  knowledge  of  sacred  Scripture  ;  of  this  I  am  to 
have  charge.  I  attended  Sunday-school  this  afternoon, 
and  I  find,  in  doing  so,  it  will  be  impossible  to  attend 
evening  worship  ;  the  distance  being  too  great. 

Native  Class. — After  dinner  to-day  our  native  women 
came  to  be  taught,  but  Miss  Hogan  had  forgotten,  and 
had  let  Julia,  our  interpreter,  go  out,  and  one  of  the 
others  only  understood  a  little  Grebo,  so  we  could  have 
but  very  little  conversation  with  them.  However,  for  to- 
day, we  just  let  them  understand  that  we  wanted  them  to 
come  every  Monday,  so  we  might  teach  them  "  the 
things  of  God."  There  were  nine  of  them ;  several  of 
them  the  wives  of  the  Christian  natives,  and  very  willing 
to  learn.  As  we  could  not  teach  them  this  afternoon, 
we  thought  we  would  amuse  them.  Mr.  Hoffman  has  a 
very  large  music-box,  in  perfect  order ;  and  I  showed 
them  some  daguerreotypes,  with  which  they  were  much 
amused  ;  but  when  Miss  Hogan  brought  out  the  model 
of  a  railroad-engine,  which,  by  winding  up,  will  run 
about  the  floor  for  several  minutes,  their  delight  knew 
no  bounds.  They  jumped,  clapped  their  hands,  laughed, 
sat  on  the  floor,  and  performed  the  most  grotesque 
antics ;  but  when  it  would  move  towards  them,  would 
scream,  jump  on  the  chairs,  and  appear  greatly  fright- 
ened. They  say,  "  white  man  can  do  everything  but 
put  the  breath  into  a  dead  body."  Afterwards,  we 
had  a  teachers'  meeting  ;  the  teachers,  or  some  of  them, 
from  three  different  schools,  were  present.  Mr.  Hoffman 
wants  to  give  a  number  of  gowns  to  some  of  the  old 
native  men  on  New  Year's  Day,  so,  in  the  evening,  I 
was  busy  trying  to  make  one. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  7^ 

Old  J\'PLede. — My  poor  little  boy,  Dayo,  is  gone 
away  to-day  ;  I  quite  miss  him.  For  several  days  I 
have  noticed  a  sore  place  on  his  head,  and  thought  it 
v^as  occasioned  by  a  w^ound,  but  Mr.  Hoffman  told  me 
that  it  was  a  disease  perfectly  unpronounceable  to 
me,  and  that  he  thought  he  had  better  go  home 
to  get  cured,  as  he  did  not  know  what  to  do  for 
it,  and  his  friends  probably  did  ;  they  cure  it  with  some 
herb.  This  morning  his  father  came  in,  quite  unex- 
pectedly, and  he  said  he  must  take  him  home  for  two  or 
three  weeks,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  well,  he  would  bring 
him  back.  Poor  child  !  he  came  running  to  me  in  great 
distress,  and,  by  gesture  and  speech,  tried  to  make  me 
understand  that  he  could  not  leave  me.  We  all  thought, 
however,  he  had  better  go  for  a  little  while,  and  so  he 
was  taken  off  in  great  trouble.  I  really  have  become 
quite  attached  to  him.  On  the  day  of  the  examination 
of  the  school  here,  I  noticed  a  native  woman  with  a 
darling  little  child,  (yes !  though  black,  a  little  darling), 
perfect  in  form,  about  three  years  old — it  was  her  little 
grandchild.  I  could  not  help  noticing  both  the  old 
woman  and  child.  Upon  inquiring  of  Mr.  Hoffman  who 
they  were,  "  That,"  said  he,  ''  is  M'Lede  ;  remind  me, 
and  I  will  tell  you  about  her."  1  forgot  it,  till  yesterday, 
when  she  came  to  be  tausrht  amono^  the  other  women. 
I  asked  her,  ''  Where  is  your  little  one  ?"  She  said, 
"  Me  left  home."  I  told  her  when  she  came  again,  she 
must  bring  her  with  her,  as  I  loved  her.  She  said, 
''  Her  mother,  my  daughter,  be  stranger  here,  (that  is, 
she  is  on  a  visit  here),  but  she  go  away  next  day  (to- 
morrow) home  in  the  bush,  and  she  take  Boah  with  her, 


72  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

but  me  bring  her  see  you  first  time" — (before  she  goes.) 
I  told  her  to  do  so;  so,  to-day,  the  old  grandmother,  the 
mother  and  the  little  one  came  to  see  me.  Old  M^Lede 
is  apparently  a  true  Christian.  Mrs.  Scott  has  written  a 
pretty  little  history  of  her,  which  is  published — she  was 
a  demon  woman,  or  devil  doctress,  but  she  has  cast  all 
aside  for  Christ.  Truly,  ^'the  "Word  of  God  is  mighty 
to  the  pulling  down  the  strongholds  of  sin  and  Satan." 
I  asked  the  mother,  when  the  child  was  old  enough, 
would  she  send  her  to  school.  ^'  Oh,  yes  !  Oh,  yes !" 
(they  are  very  ready  in  promising,  whatever  the  perform- 
ing may  be)  ''  so  soon  she  be  big  enough,  I  send  her 
you  way  from  the  bush — you  teach  her  'bout  Nyesoa^^^ 
(God.)  I  then  brought  her  a  little  doll,  but  it  frightened 
the  child,  so  I  gave  her  some  beads  instead.  A  little 
act  of  kindness  finds  its  way  here,  as  elsewhere,  to  the 
heart.  Mr.  Hoffman  and  Miss  Hogan  are  gone  out  to  the 
service  at  Mount  Vaughan.  I  did  not  go,  for,  though 
feeling  otherwise  very  well,  I  have  a  great  aching  in  my 
limbs  ;  they  say  it  is  Africa  striking  me.  A  number  of 
the  girls  are  away,  spending  the  holidays  with  their 
friends.  Mr.  Thompson  also  being  away,  I  had  to  conduct 
evening  worship. 

Father  Scotland. — We  are  anxiously  looking  for  let- 
ters now  from  home.  The  first  thing  I  do  each  morn- 
ing is  to  look  out  and  see  if  there  are  any  vessels  in  sight. 
The  Stevens  is  daily  expected  from  Baltimore.  I  have 
just  received  a  very  kind  note  from  Miss  Williford,  wish- 
ing much  I  would  spend  a  week  with  them  at  Cavalla, 
before  school  commences  ;  but  I  have  been  obliged  to  de- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  73 

cline,  for  I  have  so  many  things  yet  to  do,  I  feel  as  if  I 
cannot  spare  the  time.  There  is  so  much  writing  to  be 
done  here,  as  no  verbal  message  can  be  sent,  you  almost 
require  to  sit  with  pen  in  hand.  Mr.  Hoffman  has  gone  to 
Cavalla,  to  stay  all  night.  .  He  intends  to  do  so  once  a 
week  during  the  Bishop's  absence.  Mr.  Toomy^  wrote 
me  a  very  pretty  little  note,  accompanying  some  shells 
he  had  picked  up  for  me.  This  afternoon  I  went  to  see 
Mr.  Scotland,  an  aged  dying  Christian.  He  sent  me 
word  yesterday  he  would  like  to  see  me.  He  is  in  an  old 
dilapidated  shanty  ;  the  furniture  consists  of  a  few 
boards,  knocked  together,  elevated  about  a  foot  from  the 
floor,  to  serve  as  a  bedstead  (the  straw  bed  we  made 
for  him  on  our  first  arrival) ;  a  little  bench,  on  which  is 
placed  two  Bibles,  and  an  earthen  jar  for  water.  He  is 
dependent  for  food  and  care  on  his  neighbors,  as  he  is 
perfectly  helpless.  How  much  we  need  a  hospital  here ! 
It  is  one  of  the  things  for  which  Mr.  Hoffman  labors  and 
prays.  A  woman  who  was  near  brought  me  a  little  stool, 
and  I  sat  down  beside  him.  He  was  perfectly  delighted 
to  see  me;  told  me  "  that  he  had  served  the  Lord  for 
forty  years  ;  he  had  been  a  Methodist  preacher  for  many 
years;  he  had  often  preached  three  times  a  day,  though 
he  could  never  read  a  word  ;  he  would  get  some  boy  to 
read  to  him  several  chapters  in  the  Bible,  till  he  got  hold 
of  just  the  text  that  would  suit  him."  T  was  very  much 
surprised  at  his  familiarity  with  the  Word  of  Grod.  He 
could  tell  me  where  to  find  almost  any  passage.  I  could 
not  but  look  at  that  poor  old  man,  with  his  few  privi- 

*  His  little  history  is  written  elsewhere. 

4 


74  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

leges,  and  think  of  our  own  more  favored  country,  and 
those  words :  "  They  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the 
west,  and  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  Grod  ;  and  ye  shall 
be  cast  out."  And  as  I  looked  at  him,  in  his  want  and 
penury,  and  witnessed  his  happiness  and  his  impUcit 
faith,  and  saw  how  near  home  he  was,  I  felt  he  was 
really  to  be  envied.  Who  can  doubt  the  power  of  Di- 
vine grace  ?  I  read  to  him  and  talked  with  him  on  the 
glories  of  the  resurrection,  and  the  mansions  our  Saviour 
has  prepared  for  those  who  love  Him  ;  and  then  left  him, 
with  the  promise  of  soon  seeing  him  again.  He  is  al- 
most blind  now.  He  begged  me  not  to  forget  him  in  my 
prayers.  He  is  dying  of  old  age.  No  one  knows  how 
old  he  is. 

New- Year's  Eve. — -The  last  day  of  the  year  !  Yery 
probably,  ere  another  year  closes,  I  shall  have  done  with 
time  and  shall  have  begun  eternity.  ''  Lord,  teach  me  so 
to  number  my  days,  that  I  may  apply  my  heart  unto 
wisdom."  What  a  time  for  self-examination  and  prayer 
should  the  close  of  the  year  be  !  In  the  eyes  of  the  world 
we  may  appear  to  be  better  and  fnore  devoted  Christians 
than  we  ever  were  before;  but  "  Grod  seeth  not  as  man 
seeth,"  and  in  His  sight  we  may  be  far  less  acceptable. 
*'  Search  us,  oh  Grod !  and  our  thoughts,  and  see  if  there 
be  any  way  of  wickedness  in  us,  and  lead  us  in  the  way 
everlasting."  Mr.  Hoffman  brought  me  such  a  kind  little 
note  from  Cavalla.  What  would  this  earth  be  without 
love  ?  A  dreary  waste.  I  have  finished  my  gowns  for 
the  old  men.  My  Bible  class  was  to  commence  to-day, 
but  being  holiday  time,  all  the  ladies  were  so  much  en- 
gaged, it  has  to  be  deferred  till  next  week. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  75 

New- Year's  Day. — New- Year's  day  !  Very,  very 
hot.  How  constantly  the  subject  of  death  is  in  the  mind 
here.  This  year  may  I  live  each  day  as  though  it  would 
be  my  last,  and  daily  may  I  go  humbly  to  the  throne  of 
grace,  saying,  ^'  Lord,  what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do  ?" 
and  then,  "  whatsoever  my  hand  findeth  to  do,  may  I  do 
it  with  all  my  might."  I  have  dedicated  myself  wholly, 
''  body,  soul,  and  spirit,"  to  my  Saviour's  service.  Oh  ! 
that  He  would  receive,  accept  me,  love  me  freely,  and 
'^seal  me  to  the  day  of  redemption  ;"  and,  if  it  please 
Him,  that  here  He  would  give  me  souls  for  my  hire,  use 
me  for  His  glory  on  earth,  and  afterwards  receive  me 
into  the  mansions  prepared  above. 

I  have  been  writing  home.  We  must  get  our  letters 
prepared,  even  though  they  may  have  to  wait  months 
before  we  can  send  them,  as  there  is  no  knowing  any 
day  when  a  vessel  may  stop  on  her  way  home. 

We  had  a  very  pleasant  service  in  church  this  morn- 
ing, and  a  very  good  congregation.  Both  Mr.  Hoffman 
and  Mr.  G-ibson  gave  us  a  short  address. 

We  always  put  away  our  work,  and  retire  to  our 
rooms  at  ten  o'clock.  After  that,  is  the  only  time  when 
we  can  really  have  a  few  minutes  of  undisturbed  quiet, 
for  writing  letters,  journals,  &c.,  &c.  It  is  not  a  very 
good  time  for  our  own  health,  but  it  is  almost  the  only 
time.  I  have  often  heard  the  remark  made,  that  it  is 
a  wonder  missionaries  do  not  write  more  interesting  ac- 
counts and  letters  ;  but  people  would  wonder  no  longer, 
if  they  could  see  the  wearied  state,  both  of  body  and 
mind,  in  which  they  are  when  they  do  sit  down  to  write. 
There  is  a  constant  care,  and  anxiety  for  immortal  souls, 


76  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

impressed  more  deeply  by  the  conviction  that  your  time 
may  be  so  short.  I  often  look  at  Mr.  Hoffman,  and  think 
of  the  words  of  the  apostle,  in  summing  up  his  labors : 
''  That  which  cometh  upon  me  daily,  the  care  of  all  the 
churches."  in  the  Bishop's  absence,  of  course,  his  cares 
are  much  increased. 

Fever. — I  have  put  the  finishing  stroke  to  my  room 
to-day — covering  my  big  trunk  to  form  a  settee.  My 
new  matting,  and  clean  white  curtains  and  cloths,  make 
all  look  so  neat  and  nice.  It  is  a  great  comfort  to 
have  a  pleasant  room,  either  in  sickness  or  health.  I 
have  had  a  chill,  and  an  intense  aching  in  my  limbs, 
to-day.  I  am  glad  my  room  is  all  right,  for  I  think  it 
will  not  be  long  before  I  get  the  fever.  They  say  it  is 
best  to  have  it  soon  after  arrival  here.  Mr.  Toomy 
has  been  spending  the  evening  here.  I  like  him  very 
much. 

My  anticipations  were  realized.  The  day  after  writ- 
ing the  above,  though  feeling  very  badly,  I  went  to 
church,  but  became  so  much  worse  that  it  was  with  dif- 
ficulty I  reached  home.  A  doctor  and  nurse  were  im- 
mediately sent  for.  At  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  my  fe- 
ver was  broken,  and  I  was  pronounced  convalescent. 

I  found  the  Saviour  true  to  His  promise :  ^'  I  will  be 
with  thee."  I  had  always  Kad  an  intense  horror  of 
death,  so  much  so  that  I  often  wondered  I  should  have 
courage  to  come  to  such  a  clime ;  and  once,  some  time 
ago,  I  had  spoken  to  my  dear  pastor  on  the  subject,  fear- 
ing I  could  not  be  a  Christian ;  but  he  had  kindly  en- 
Gom^aged  me,  telling   me    ^'  That  I   must   not  expect 


EVERY-DAV    LIEE    IN    AFRICA.  77 

dying  grace  in  my  hours  of  health  and  strength ;  that 
dying  grace  was  for  dying  hours  ;  and  that  the  promise 
iSj  "  As  thy  day^  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  And  I  found 
it  so;  for  ''He  is  faithful  that  promised."  I  had  no 
fear ;  I  was  perfectly  resigned  to  His  will,  and  was  in  a 
very  happy  frame  of  mind.  The  last  night,  however,  be- 
fore my  fever  broke,  was  a  sore  one  to  me.  My  dis- 
ease was  at  its  height ;  I  could  not  sleep.  I  was  not 
exactly  delirious,  but  I  had  no  control  over  my  thoughts. 
I  was  in  a  sort  of  waking  nightmare.  I  knew  I  was 
very  ill,  and  that  my  thoughts  ought  to  dwell  on  the 
love,  the  precious  atoning  love,  of  the  Redeemer  :  His 
blood  shed  for  me,  my  own  utter  worthlessness,  and  the 
joys  He  had  purchased  for  me ;  and  yet,  instead  of 
these,  the  worst  thoughts  were  occupying  my  mind — the 
most  strange  and  wicked  imaginations ;  such  things  as 
I  had  never  before  conceived  possible,  were  floating  be- 
fore my  brain.  Every  little  while  I  would  be  recalled  to 
myself;  and  as  I  would  be  conscious  of  the  greatness  of 
my  iniquity,  I  would  utter  a  deep  groan.  My  nurse 
would  come  to  ask  what  she  should  do  for  me.  For  an 
instant  I  would  be  aroused,  in  terror,  lest  I  had  given 
utterance  to  my  sinful  thoughts;  but  in  a  moment  I 
was  off  again.  It  was  a  fearful  night ;  I  shall  never 
forget  it.  Towards  morning,  rousing  for  a  few  min- 
utes, it  suddenly  struck  me  that  it  must  be  Satan  who 
was  putting  these  blasphemous  ideas  into  my  mind, 
to  draw  me  away  from  Grod  ;  and  then,  as  if  in  a  pic- 
ture, came  up  before  me  the  scene  in  the  ''  Pilgrim's 
Progress  "  (which  I  had  not  read  since  I  was  a  child),  of 
Christian  in  the   ''  Valley  of  the   Shadow  of    Death," 


78  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

after  his  fight  with  Apollyon.  Here  evil  spirits,  which 
he  could  not  see,  were  whispering  to  him  blasphe- 
mous thoughts  ;  and  it  gave  him  much  trouble,  as  he 
imagined  these  suggestions  of  the  evil  ones  proceeded  from 
his  own  heart ;  but  at  length  he  vanquished  them  with 
his  weapon.  All-prayer,  and  soon  he  was  out  of  the  val- 
ley. This  was  all  pictured  so  clearly  to  my  view,  I 
thought,  perhaps,  it  was  the  same  with  me.  Immediately, 
I  commenced  praying  so  earnestly  to  my  Saviour,  that  if 
these  things  proceeded  from  ray  own  heart.  He  would 
''  cleanse  the  thoughts  of  my  heart  by  the  inspiration  of 
His  Holy  Spirit ;"  and  if  they  were  the  suggestions  of 
the  evil  one,  that  He  would  conquer  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness, and  bid  them  depart.  Whilst  I  was  still  praying,  a 
deep,  sweet  sleep  fell  upon  me,  from  which  I  did  not 
arouse  till  late  in  the  morning,  when  my  fever  had  left 
me,  and  danger  was  considered  past.  Surely  He  is  a 
hearer  of  prayer  ;  He  not  only  rebuked  the  evil  one,  but 
the  disease  also.  A  week  from  that  time  I  was  able  to 
sit  up,  and  receive  letters  from  home.  Letters  !  none 
but  those  who  are  far  from  home,  and  loved  ones,  in  a 
heathen  land,  can  ever  know  their  value.  During  my 
illness,  Miss  Ball  came  up  and  remained  a  few  days  with 
mc,  and  I  had  every  care  and  attention.  How  much 
have  I  to  be  thankful  for  !  Mr.  Thompson  had  to  com- 
mence with  the  school,  as  I  was  yet  too  weak. 

The  Wills. — We  have  a  little  lisfht-colored  bov  board- 
ing  with  us.  I  employ  myself  an  hour  every  evening 
in  helping  him  with  his  lessons.  Matthew  is  one  of 
five  children  ;  all  very  light,  pretty,  and  well-behaved 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  79 

Their  mistress  sent  them  out  here,  with  their  father  and 
mother,  about  three  years  ago.  Their  parents  both  died 
within  a  few  weeks  of  their  landing.  The  children  are 
maintained  by  their  mistress.  She  wishes  them  brought 
up  as  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The  little  girls  come  to  the 
Asylum  to  day-school,  but  she  pays  their  board  else- 
where. She  did  not  wish  them  to  do  the  housework  that 
the  girls  do  here ;  and,  of  course,  as  they  were  here,  no 
difference  could  be  made  between  them  and  the  other 
children.  I  do  not  think  it  is  wise  to  give  them  such 
high  notions  ;  it  would  not  hm't  girls  to  know  how  to  do 
a  little  housework  anywhere,  but  particularly  in  a  new 
country,  where  the  industry  of  its  inhabitants  must  be 
its  wealth.  The  other  boys  board  elsewhere,  but  go  with 
Matthew  to  the  high  school.  Their  mistress  dresses  them 
not  naerely  nicely,  but  elegantly.  Matthew  takes  his 
meals  with  us,  and  is  quite  a  little  gentleman.  Mrs. 
Thomson,  a  colored  lady,  took  tea  with  us  to-night.  They 
call  her  the  "  Mother  of  the  Mission."  She  came  out 
here  and  commenced  a  little  school  twenty-six  years 
ago,  and  she  has  labored  faithfully  ever  since.  Hers  is 
an  infant  school.     I  wish  she  had  the  apparatus  for  it. 


80  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


Clja^tu  S^ljentt 


SCHOOL. 


Kind  invitations  from  Cavalla  again.  They  think  a 
little  change  will  be  beneficial  after  the  fever,  and  they 
say  I  must  not  think  of  going  into  school  yet  for  two  or 
three  weeks.  But  I  think  a  journey  down  there  will  try 
my  strength  much  more  than  school.  I  mean  to  begin, 
for  an  hour  or  two,  to-morrow,  so  I  must  decline  the  in- 
vitation. Neither  of  the  ladies  are  well.  If  they  should 
become  worse,  then  I  should  look  upon  it  as  my  duty  to 
go  there.  Miss  Ball  has  considerable  fever.  We  un- 
packed a  box  of  presents  sent  out  for  the  girls — ^books, 
dresses,  &c. ;  very  acceptable.  Many,  many  thanks,  to 
the  kind  friends  who  sent  them. 

I  am  going  to  have  sewing-school  for  the  girls  (there 
are  twenty-six)  three  times  a  week,  in  the  afternoon.  I 
commenced  to-day.  My  eyes  trouble  me  very  much ;  I 
believe  it  is  always  one  of  the  effects  of  the  fever. 

They  are  better  at  Cavalla,  to-day  ;  Mr.  Hoffman  has 
gone  there  to  superintend  affairs.  Mrs.  Scott,  who 
was  formerly  a  missionary  here,  has  sent  the  gh'ls  a 
present  of  a  dress  each,  and  I  mean  that  they  shall 
make  them  themselves,  the  elder  helping  the  younger. 
It  is  a  little  trouble,  however,  cutting  and  basting  for  so 
many.    After  sewing-school,  my  Bible  class  commenced  ; 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA,  81 

I  had  fourteen  present.  May  I  be  taught  of  Grod,  so  as 
rightly  to  teach  others.  I  find  I  must  ''  go  softly  ;"  I 
have  not  regained  my  strength  yet. 

Grood  news  !  Miss  Ball's  attack  of  fever  was  very 
short ;  she  is  up  to-day.  I  have  been  looking  over  the 
girls'  books  with  Mr.  S.  Thompson,  as  I  expect  on  Mon- 
day to  relieve  him  of  his  charge.  I  went  down  on  the 
rocks  and  picked  up  a  few  shells,  but  was  very  much 
tired ;  one  is  always  weary  here. 

Up  in  the  store-room,  looking  for  school-books.  We 
have  been  marking  a  set  of  new  shirts  and  cloths  for  the 
boys  at  Hoffman  Station  ;  and  I  have  been  teaching 
Julia  to  darn  stockings.  She  is  a  good  girl  ;  she  is  de- 
sirous of  improving,  so  she  may  become  a  teacher. 

I  have  begun  my  regular  school  duties  to-day.  Mon- 
day being  washing-day,  ten  of  the  elder  girls  remain  out 
of  school  to  do  the  washing  ;  they  wash  everything  for 
their  own  use,  bedding,  table-cloths,  &c.  I  remained  in 
school  till  half-past  one  ;  at  half-past  two  we  dine.  I 
had  the  elder  girls  in  the  school-room  for  an  hour, 
for  an  arithmetic  class,  then  to  the  store-room  to  sort 
books,  and  arrange  lessons.  We  had  a  very  heavy 
thunder-storm  ;  it  was  truly  grand.  By  half-past  six  it 
is  quite  dark,  we  then  have  prayers  ;  and  by  the  time 
tea  is  over,  it  is  eight  o'clock — then,  with  helping  Mat, 
and  a  little  sewing  or  reading,  the  day  is  gone. 

All  my  girls  in  school  to-day ;  they  seem  to  be  very 
obedient,  good  girls.  M'*.  Hoffman  invited  me  to  go  to 
Mount  Vaughan  with  him  this  evening,  but  I  thought  I 
had  better  wait  another  week,  before  incurring  the  fa- 
tiofue.     An  English  and  American  vessel  have  both  been 

4* 


82  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

at  anchor  here  for  two  or  three  days ;  it  is  pleasant  to 
see  them  ;  we  hope  to  send  letters  home  by  the  Ameri- 
can. 

One  of  the  ladies  of  my  Bible-class  came  to-day  to  ask 
me  to  trim  her  bonnet  f(jr  her.  T  was  very  busy,  but  still 
I  feel  that  it  is  by  little  acts  of  kindness  we  must  win 
them  to  us. 

A  very  bad  headache  to-day ;  in  school  till  four 
o'clock,  then  to  my  Bible  class  ;  it  has  now  increased  to 
eighteen.  Kind  little  notes  from  Cavalla,  but  did  not 
have  time  to  answer  them.  Mr.  Hoffman  has  a  prayer- 
meeting  at  Mount  Vaughan  to-day. 

"We  have  a  prayer-meeting  at  the  Cape  every  Friday 
afternoon.  The  mornings  here  are  sometimes  very 
damp  and  cool,  even  in  the  hottest  part  of  the  year.  A 
little  flannel  sack  is  very  comfortable. 

Saturday. — How  can  I  tell  the  multiplied  and  multi- 
farious occupations  here  on  Saturday.  In  the  first 
place,  it  is  the  great  day  for  the  natives  to  come  in  to 
trade^ — that  is,  to  sell  rice,  chickens,  cassadas,  palm- 
nuts,  &c. ;  and  they  must  be  paid  with  tin  cups,  to- 
bacco, pipes,  or  cloths — this  is  the  small  change ;  tin 
pans,  w^ash-bowls,  &c.,  being  the  larger  coin.  Then  the 
teachers  from  the  stations,  the  workmen  about  the 
buildings,  the  poor  pensioners  on  the  mission,  come  to 
purchase,  to  beg,  to  settle  accounts,  &c.  It  is  a  perfect 
levee  all  day.  None  of  these  occupations  belong  to  me, 
but  there  is  often  a  little  to  do  in  helping  others,  talking 
to  those  who  come,  and  such  like.  I  received  and 
answered    two   little    notes   from    Cavalla.     Miss    Ball 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  83 

is  well  enough  to  go  in  school  again.  Helped  to  prepare 
and  mark  more  cloths  and  shirts  for  the  hoys  of  Harris's 
station.  After  dinner,  Mr.  Hoffman  started  for  Cavalla  ; 
he  will  stay  there  over  Sunday ;  when  he  goes,  he 
always  stops  and  preaches  at  one  or  two  of  the  towns  on 
his  way.  In  the  afternoon,  Lavinia  came  up  to  me  : 
she  is  a  young  woman  I  have  promised  to  assist  to  read 
and  write  ;  she  can  only  come  to  me  on  Saturday  after- 
noon. After  she  was  gone,  I  was  taking  a  turn  or  two 
on  the  piazza  before  dusk,  watching  a  vessel  coming  in, 
which  we  supposed  a  man-of-war,  when  I  was  very 
much  startled  by  hearing  my  mother's  voice  calling  me  ; 
it  sounded  as  plain  as  I  ever  heard  it.  How  powerful  is 
imagination  !  The  young  men  her6  have  a  Saturday 
evening  prayer-meeting — Mr.  Thompson  leads.  To-night 
they  have  been  forming  a  young  man's  Christian  asso- 
ciation, on  the  plan  of  that  in  America.  Each  young 
man,  a  member  of  the  Church,  promises  to  devote  what- 
ever spare  time  he  can  afford  to  purposes  of  benevo- 
lence— ^visiting  the  sick,  the  afflicted,  and  the  heathen, 
not  leaving  it  all  to  their  pastor,  but  each  one  striving 
what  he  can  do  for  the  promotion  of  Grod's  glory,  and  the 
good  of  mankind.  They  are  each  to  give  in  a  monthly 
report  of  their  labors.  Sixteen  have  joined  to-night ; 
may  they  be  blessed  in  their  efforts,  and  not  grow  weary 
in  well-doing. 

The  Yincennes. — We  had  a  very  heavy  thunder- 
storm last  night.  The  ground  is  very  damp,  so  they 
would  not  allow  us  to  go  to  church,  as  it  is  very  bad  to 
get  wet  here.      The  vessel  we  saw  last  night  is  the 


84  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

American  frigate  Vincennes.  Several  of  the  officers 
came  on  shore,  and  having  packages  for  the  Bishop  and 
Mr.  Hoffinan,  they  came  up  to  the  Asylum,  but  without 
any  idea  that  there  v^ere  any  ladies  at  the  mission ; 
they,  however,  seemed  much  pleased,  and  four  of  them 
remained,  as  it  was  just  dinner-time.  They  had 
been  strolling  about  all  the  morning,  trying,  some  of 
them,  to  purchase  fruit,  vegetables,  &c.,  and  were  very 
much  surprised  upon  being  told,  even  in  the  heathen 
towns,  that,  it  being  Sunday,  they  could  obtain  none ;  if 
they  would  wait  till  to-morrow  morning,  they  woTild 
have  plenty  ;  this  they  could  not  do,  as  the  ship  sailed 
at  four  o'clock.  They  appeared  quite  astonished  at  the 
decency  and  respect  for  the  Sabbath  everywhere  observ- 
able, and  at  the  accounts  of  the  gqod  work  going  on 
among  the  natives.  The  doctor  had  gone  to  church, 
and  was  much  pleased  with  Mr.  Gibson's  sermon.  We 
wished  it  had  been  any  day  but  Sunday,  as  then  they 
could  have  visited  the  schools,  and  themselves  seen  the 
work  that  was  going  on  ;  but  I  think  they  saw  enough 
to  prove  to  them  that  the  Gospel  is  doing  a  mighty 
w^ork.  It  is  not  pleasant  to  have  company  on  Sun- 
days, but  we  must  follow  the  Apostle's  injunction,  '^  Be 
careful  to  entertain  strangers  ;"  and  we  must  only  try 
that  our  words  and  acts  are  becoming  the  sacredness  of 
the  day.  AVe  were  sorry  Mr.  Hoffinan  was  not  at  home, 
as  he  could  have  given  them  much  more  information  re- 
garding the  work  here  than  v/e  could. 

"Witchcraft.  —  Letters  from   home   to-day — such   a 
treat !  all  well,  thank  God.     Mr.  Hoffman  has  returned, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  85 

and  told  us  of  a  scene  which  has  taken  place  at  Cavalla  ; 
it  was  a  trial  by  the  gidu  or  sassa-wood  ordeal.  But 
first  I  must  remind  you  of  the  custom  with  regard  to 
sassa-wood  among  the  natives.  I  shall  say  as  little  of 
this,  and  other  similar  customs  among  the  natives,  as 
possible,  as  Mrs.  Scott  has  recently  published  a  very  in- 
teresting w^ork,  called  ''  Day-Dawn  in  Africa,"  which 
gives  a  very  fall  account ;  therefore,  mine  would  only 
be  a  repetition,  and  might  even  to  some  appear  to  be  a 
plagiarism.  When  any  one  dies,  unless  it  is  a  very  aged 
person  or  young  infant,  the  death  is  always  attributed 
to  witchcraft,  it  being  believed  that  every  one  possesses 
the  power  of  witchcraft,  if  he  or  she  only  choose  to  ex- 
ercise it.  Therefore,  most  frequently,  on  the  death  of 
an  individual,  some  person  is  accused  of  the  deed — often- 
times the  nearest  friend  of  the  deceased,  as  father,  wife, 
or  child.  The  accused  person  is  immediately  seized,  and 
compelled  to  pass  through  the  sassa  ordeal,  unless  they 
can  make  good  their  escape  to  a  neighboring  town, 
where,  as  in  a  ''  city  of  refuge,"  they  cannot  be  touched. 
But  the  odium  of  being  a  witch  is  so  great,  that  they 
very  frequently  return,  and,  in  the  presence  of  a  few 
friends,  take  the  poison.  This  poison  is  a  decoction  made 
from  the  bark  of  the  gidu-tree.  The  bark  is  pounded  in 
a  mortar,  and  from  two  to  three  quarts  of  water  poured 
upon  it,  the  whole  of  w^hich  the  wTctched  victim  is  com- 
pelled to  swallow.  Its  properties  are  narcotic ;  and, 
without  being  aware  of  it,  the  executioners  go  the  right 
way  to  prevent  its  taking  effect ;  for  the  moment  it  is 
swallowed,  they  seize  the  victim,  not  allowing  him  to 
rest  a  moment,  but  drag  him  from  place  to   place,  till 


86  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


-« 


he  either  falls  dead,  or  his  stomach  rejects  it,  and  he 
vomits  freely.  In  the  latter  case  he  (or  she)  has  a  grand 
triumph ;  dressed  up  in  all  the  finery  they  can  collect, 
they  go  about  to  all  their  friends,  generally  followed  by 
a  train  of  their  dearest  friends,  singing  and  dancing  ; 
and  at  every  house  they  go  to  they  expect  some  present. 
But  if  the  person  dies,  the  body  is  dragged  on  the  beach, 
where  it  lies  in  the  sun  till  the  family  can  provide  a  bul- 
lock, which,  after  being  devoted  to  the  Kwi,  is  killed  and 
divided  among  all  the  people  in  town,  all  rejoicing  and 
exulting  that  '^the  witch  is  dead,"  his  death  being  a 
sure  sign  of  his  guilt.  Formerly  it  was  not  allowed  for 
his  nearest  relations  to  mourn  at  all ;  but  now  that  is 
permitted,  though  they  are  looked  upon  with  contempt 
for  so  doing,  it  being  asserted  that  they  ought  to  rejoice 
that  "  a  witch  is  dead."  The  body  is  then  taken  up, 
and  thrown  somewhere  in  the  bush  along  the  shore.  It 
is  not  permitted  to  be  buried  in  the  common  burial 
place.  It  is  a  very  singular  fact,  that  on  the  administra- 
tion of  the  gidu  is  the  only  time  when  God,  or  Nye- 
soa,  is  invoked.  At  that  time,  the  one  who  administers 
the  dose,  holding  the  bowl  in  his  hand,  looks  towards  the 
e^st,  and  calls  upon  God  to  assert  the  guilt,  or  vin- 
dicate the  innocence,  of  the  accused,  by  the  effects  of 
the  poison.  The  victim  takes  the  bowl,  and  does  the 
same. 

This  is  often  used  as  a  means  of  personal  private 
revenge,  as  any  one  may  accuse  another  of  witchcraft. 
Therefore,  they  live  in  hourly  fear  ;  no  one  is  safe.  Now 
for  Mr.  Hoffman's  story.  On  Saturday,  at  the  Christian 
village  at  Cavalla,  a  native  Christian,  who  had  taken  a 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  87 

heavy  cold  on  a  recent  expedition  up  the  river,  died  of 
hasty  consumption.  His  friends  in  the  town  instantly 
accused  a  fine  looking  man,  whom  I  have  frequently  seen 
here  (who  speaks  English  very  well),  of  being  the  witch. 
They  caught  him  Saturday  night  and  made  him  take 
the  sassa ;  but  he  recovered.  On  Sunday  afternoon 
Mr.  Hoffman  was  standing  on  the  piazza  when  he  saw  a 
great  crowd  on  the  beach,  and  perceived  that  there  was 
a  ''  palaver"  of  some  sort.  He  immediately  went  down 
to  see.  There,  in  the  centre  of  the  crowd,  sat  a  man  and 
woman,  no  relations,  but  both  accused  of  having  prac- 
tised witchcraft  on  the  deceased.  They  were  firmly 
guarded.  The  man  sat  with  his  head  hanging  down,  in 
an  attitude  of  great  despondency.  The  other,  a  fine, 
noble  looking  woman,  sat  in  perfect  composure,  as  if 
determined  to  brave  it  oat ;  though  there  was  an  old 
woman,  apparently  her  mother,  sitting  by  her  in  great 
distress,  every  few  minutes  giving  vent  to  her  anguish 
in  loud  screams,  flinging  her  arms  around  her  daughter, 
crying  and  sobbing,  and,  by  word  and  gesture,  imploring 
compassion  for  her  daughter.  The  young  woman,  with 
her  hand,  would  try  to  still  her  mother  and  gently  put  her 
away  from  her  ;  though,  it  was  evident,  a  great  struggle 
was  going  on  within.  Immediately  in  front  of  them  a 
man  had  just  set  down  a  pestle  and  mortar,  another  had 
a  huge  piece  of  the  sassa  bark,  that  he  was  beginning 
to  break  into  the  mortar,  while  two  boys  were  bringing 
large  jars  of  water  from  a  neighboring  stream.  In  these 
cases  the  missionary  never  dares  to  interfere,  otherwise 
than  by  persuasion  ;  '^  it  is  their  country  fash,"  and  they 
believe  it  to  be  right.     As  Mr.  Hoffman  passed  in  among 


88  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

the  crowd,  a  little  girl,  one  of  the  best  scholars  at  the 
school  at  Cavalla,  caught  hold  of  him ;  she  was  crying 
most  bitterly.  Mr  Hoffman  asked  her,  "  What  was  the 
matter  that  she  was  in  such  distress  ?"  She  said  :  '^  It  is 
my  brother's  wife  they  are  going  to  kill,  and  I  love  her 
so  much.  Mr.  Hoffman  began  to  talk  to  them  on  the 
wickedness  and  folly  of  their  proceedings,  they  listened 
to  him  quietly,  but  still  went  on  with  their  preparations  ; 
when  suddenly  a  detachment  of  young  men  from  the 
Christian  village  appeared,  headed  by  Kade,  the  son  of 
the  former  king,  now  a  Christian  and  a  great  spokes- 
man. They,  with  Mr.  Hoffman,  represented  to  the  peo- 
ple that  as  the  deceased  was  a  Christian,  and  died  in 
the  Christian  faith,  they  had  no  right  to  accuse  any  one 
of  causing  his  death,  and  at  length,  by  their  arguments, 
they  succeeded  in  obtaining  the  release  of  the  accused 
and  carrying  them  off  in  triumph. 

The  Dinner  Table. — The  headman  of  one  of  our 
towns  dined  here  to-day  with  us.  Each  town  has  a 
headman  or  petty  chief;  they  are  subordinate  to  a  king 
who  rules  over  a  number  of  them  conioined.  Mr. 
Hoffman  said  there  were  few  he  could  ask,  but  this 
one  could  behave  himself  decently  at  table.  He  speaks 
English  tolerably.  One  of  his  sons  is,  apparently,  an 
earnest,  devoted  Christian.  The  old  man  is  a  very 
tall,  large  man,  with  grey  hair  and  beard.  He  had 
on  one  of  the  long  gowns  I  had  made,  a  red  flannel  cap, 
with  a  black  tassel,  and  a  black  beaver  hat,  and  truly 
he  was  "  a  proper  gentleman."  At  dinner  he  sat 
with  his   chair  so   far   from   the   table    that   he  could 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  89 

hardly  reach.  He  used  his  knife  and  fork,  and  spoon,  a 
great  deal  better  than  I  had  supposed.  He  would 
strike  his  fork  into  a  sweet  potato,  and  bite  oft'  all  around 
it.  When  we  had  nearly  dined,  Mr.  Hoffman  passed  him 
some  bread.  He  said  :  ''  No,  me  no  take,  me  be  full ;"  a 
minute  after  we  had  some  toasted  cheese,  molasses,  &c., 
brought  in  ;  he  immediately  took  some,  eating  the  cheese 
and  molasses  together,  which  he  appeared  very  much 
to  enjoy ;  amusing  us  very  much  by  his  ineffectual 
efforts  to  say  cheese  ;  the  nearest  approach  he  could  make 
was  "  keese." 

Correction. — To-day  I  had  to  perform  the  feat  (a 
great  one  for  me)  of  whipping  one  of  the  children.  I  did 
not  think  I  could  ever  do  such  a  thing,  tut  she  well 
deserved  it,  and  I  found  nothing  else  would  do.  I  want 
to  attach  the  idea  of  shame  and  disgrace  to  a  whipping, 
so  as  to  inflict  it  only  in  extreme  cases  when  all  other 
measures  had  been  resorted  to  in  vain.  I  cannot  bear 
punishment,  when  it  can  possibly  be  avoided  ;  but,  I 
think,  when  it  is  done  it  should  b@  thorough.  I  suffered 
a  great  deal  more  than  the  child,  for  I  had  a  nervous 
chill  after  it.  Mr.  Hoffman  is  quite  unwell,  'he  has  had 
to  send  for  the  doctor  this  evening  ;  it  is  an  attack  of 
intermittent,  so  we  have  it  each  in  turn. 

My  Bible  class  increases — two  fresh  scholars.  What 
a  rich  mine  the  Bible  is  ;  the  more  it  is  worked  the  more 
treasures  we  find. 

Our  old  gardener,  an  old  man  of  sixty,  was  married 
to-day.  He  was  very  much  disappointed  that  Mr.  Hoff'- 
man  was  too  unwell  to  perform  the  ceremony. 


90  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

LiBERiAN  Uniform. — Mr.  Hoffman  is  very  sick  to-day. 
It  has  been  the  general  parade  of  the  Liberian  MiHtia. 
The  French,  some  time  ago,  sent  the  Republic  a  present 
of  a  thousand  suits  as  a  uniform.  It  consists  of  a  sort  of 
tight  jacket  or  vest ;  very  full  red  Turkish  trowsers  that 
come  about  to  the  calf  of  the  leg,  where  they  are  met  by 
leather  leggins  ;  a  very  wide  blue  sash,  tied  at  the  side  ; 
and  a  red  cap  with  black  tassel.  All  the  suit  was  made 
of  flannel.  They  looked  very  much  like  the  pictures  we  see 
of  Algerines.  This  afternoon  went  lo  see  Father  Scot- 
land. He  is  in  a  most  miserable  but  happy  condition.  I 
then  went  to  see  another  poor  man,  whom  they  call  Red 
Jackson.  He  is  as  white  as  a  Portugese,  and  has  dark, 
sandy-colored  hair.  He  was  a  hard-working,  industrious 
man,  and  he  was  breaking  rocks,  when  a  piece  of  ''  poi- 
son rock,"  as  he  calls  it,  struck  his  leg,  and  for  two 
years  he  has  had  a  dreadful  leg,  so  much  ulcerated  and 
swollen. 

How  much  we  do  need  a  hospital.  There  is  a  little 
house  close  to  the  Asylum  that  is  to  be  let  for  a  very 
low  rent.  Mr.  Hoffman  is  thinking  of  putting  the  old 
gardener  in  this  house  and  removing  old  Father  Scotland, 
if  he  can,  up  here,  so  that  he  may  be  a  little  better  taken 
care  of,  and  he  hopes  it  may  be  the  beginning  of  a  hos- 
pital. I  do  not  think  that  near  so  many  immigrants 
would  die  of  the  fever,  when  they  first  come  out  here,  if 
they  had  better  care  and  attendance. 

The  Children. — Oh  !  how  much  money  is  wanted  here. 
I  pity  the  poor  colonists  so  much — there  is  very  little 
doing  here  ;  I  do  not  know  how  any  of  them    contrive 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  91 

to  get  a  living  ;  it  is  true  they  live  mostly  on  rice,  but  the 
difficulty  is  for  them  to  obtain  a  bit  of  clothes  or  furni- 
ture. Bnt  we  must  hope  ''  there  is  a  good  time  coming" 
for  Liberia.  As  her  inhabitants  become  educated,  en- 
terprise and  national  ambition  will  soon  follow,  and  then 
the  natural  resources  of  the  country  will  be  developed. 
The  missionaries  here  do  all  they  can,  for  both  the  tempo- 
ral and  spiritual  needs  of  the  people  ;  but  the  field  is  vast 
and  the  laborers  are  few. 

Dayo's  father  came  to  see  me  to-day.  He  was,  or 
seemed  to  be,  perfectly  delighted  to  see  me  well  again  ; 
he  took  both  of  my  hands  in  his,  and  shook  them  warmly. 
He  said,  '*  Uayo  cry  every  day  to  come  back  to  mammy." 
He  calls  77ie  mammy ;  it  is  with  them  a  title  of  respect, 
like  mistress.  I  told  him  he  could  come  home  if  his 
head  was  quite  well.  He  said  it  was,  and  then  went  on 
to  say,  "  Mammy  teach  Dayo  American  fashion,  no 
country  (none  of  our  country)  fashion  ;  you  teach  him 
things  of  G-od — make  him  be  Grod-man"  (he  meant 
Christian),  and  he,  himself,  is  a  heathen.  Surely  Grod 
has  put  it  into  his  heart  to  wish  his  child  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian. As  to  little  Wahj  the  deaf  and  dumb  boy,  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  keeping  him.  He  will  be  here 
for  a  week,  perhaps,  and  will  be  kept  clean  and  neat, 
then  he  will  start  off  to  his  mother  or  somewhere  else. 
Everybody  knows  him  and  is  kind  to  him  ;  his  mother 
rarely  knows  where  he  is  ;  perhaps  he  will  not  be  back 
here  again  for  two  or  three  weeks,  and  then  he  will  come 
so  dirty,  having  worn  the  same  shirt  and  cloth  all  the  time 
he  has  been  gone.  He  is  such  an  interesting  little 
fellow — so  bright  and  sharp,  and  so  imitative.     He  has 


92  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

learned  the  alphabet  on  his  fingers,  and  one  can  readily 
make  him  understand  what  one  wants.  He  is  very 
affectionate.  I  have  undertaken,  also,  the  entire 
charge  of  another  little  one.  George  Harris,  our  native 
teacher,  across  the  river  at  Hoffman  Station,  has  a  little 
one  named  Virginia,  after  the  late  Mrs.  Hoffman  (whose 
memory  is  held  very  precious),  she  is  about  three  years 
and  a  half  old.  He  very  much  wishes  her  to  be  brought 
up  in  American  customs  and  habits — ^not  to  learn  the 
ways  of  the  little  heathen  children  among  whom  he 
lives.  So  Mr.  Hoffman  very  kindly  offered  to  give  her  her 
board  here  if  I  would  undertake  the  charge  of  her, 
which  I  willingly  consented  to  do,  as  I  love  children  very 
dearly.  So  my  family  is  growing — I  have  already  a 
little  boy  and  girl.  May  they  be  children  of  God.  I 
feel  that  it  is  a  fearful  responsibility. 

Communion  Sunday. — Neither  Mr.  Hoffman  nor  Miss 
Hogan  was  w^ell  enough  to  go  to  church.  I  was  the  only 
white  person  in  God's  house,  or  at  God's  table.  How 
much!  thought  of  home  to-day.  About  dusk  a  band  ot 
my  litlle  ones  came  up  to  my  room  for  me  to  talk  to  them, 
Sunday  evenings  I  have  all  the  children  who  do  not  go 
to  church,  in  the  school-room,  and  read  and  talk  to  them 
for  an  hour  or  so. 

Our  Household. — Mrs.  Harris  brought  over  little 
Virginia  to-day.  She  feels  badly  at  parting  with  the 
child.  Julia  is  to  wash  and  dress  her  for  me,  and 
have  her  to  sleep  with  her.  I  shall  teach  her  to  call 
Julia  aunt.      And  I  have  now  assumed  the  responsibiUty 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  93 

of  taking  charge  of  and  educating  her.  Mr.  Hoffman  is 
better  ;  he  is  out  of  his  room  and  with  us  again.  I  must 
tell  you  how  our  household  is  employed  :  Mr.  Hoffman's 
cares,  charges  and  duties  are  so  numerous  and  varied 
that  they  baffle  my  powers  of  description.  Miss  Hogan 
attends  to  the  house-keeping,  gives  orders  to  the  girls 
about  their  various  duties,  &c.,  when  they  are  not  with 
me  (for,  besides  the  washing  and  ironing  for  them- 
selves, they  keep  the  school-room,  and  all  their  own 
premises,  clean  and  neat)  ;  she  sees  to  the  clothes 
which  they  wear,  &c.,  and  I  look  after  the  sewing.  She 
attends  to  the  purchases  (no  small  item),  keeps  the  ac- 
counts of  the  Asylum,  cuts  out,  and  sees  that  the 
clothes  for  the  boys  at  Hoffman  and  Spring  Hill  stations 
are  kept  in  good  order ;  attends  to  the  giving  out  of  books, 
&c.,  for  the  different  boys'  schools  in  the  vicinity  ;  be- 
sides, she  attends  to  all  the  visiting  that  has  to  be  done  ; 
as  I  am  not  strong  enough  to  walk  but  very  little,  she 
must  do  that,  (a  very  important  part  of  mission  work  for 
both.)  When  I  have  not  strength  to  go  over  to  visit  the 
heathen  towns,  she  does.  My  own  duties  I  have  related. 
Then  we  have  twenty-six  girls  of  all  ages,  from  seventeen 
down  to  five.  I  have  told  you  their  employments.  Mr. 
J.  Thompson  boards  with  us.  He  is  studying  for  the  min- 
istry, and  helps  Mr.  Hoff'man  with  his  accounts,  which  are 
very  troublesome  and  voluminous,  every  tin  cup  or  pipe 
having  to  be  set  down.  The  accounts  here  have  to  be 
kept  for  eight  or  ten  different  stations,  and  the  Bishop,  or  in 
his  absence.  Miss  Williford,  has  as  many,  or  more,  to 
see  after  at  Cavalla.  It  is  a  very  laborious  work.  The 
missionary's  life  is  one  of  labor,  but  he  is  well  assured 
that  ''  a  rest  remaineth."  and  he  always  feels  ''  It  is 


94  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

better  to  wear  out  than  to  rust  out."  Then  Mr.  Thomp- 
son preaches  and  teaches  at  the  different  towns,  two  or 
three  times  a  week.  He  is  perfectly  famihar  with  the 
Grrebo  language.  He  holds  prayer  meetings.  Then  comes 
Matthew,  I  have  already  told  you  who  he  is.  Then  there 
is  Mrs.  Andrews,  she  is  general  housemaid  for  our  part  of 
the  building  ;  she  was  house-keeper  before  our  arrival. 
She  is  a  widow,  her  husband  was  killed  in  the  late  war 
between  the  colonists  and  the  natives.  Her  children, 
a  little  boy  and  girl,  live  here  at  Mr.  Hoffman's  expense. 
People  at  home,  when  they  pay  a  missionary's  salary, 
have  little  idea  how  many  are  supported  out  of  it. 
Then  there  is  old  Aunty  Dade,  our  cook,  who  does  the 
cooking  for  all  the  establishment,  and  is  '^  dimensibly" 
tormented  by  them  natives,  who  are  always  hanging 
about  her  kitchen,  and  will  wait  patiently  for  hours  in 
the  chance  of  obtaining  a  mouthful.  Then  comes  Eliza  ; 
she  used  to  be  a  scholar  in  the  Asylum,  but  now  is  a 
sort  of  matron,  and  helps  in  the  sewing,  under  Miss 
Hogan's  supervision.  Then  there  is  old  Mr.  Smith,  the 
gardener,  and  he  takes  care  of  Mr.  Hoffman's  horse. 
Virginia,  Dayo,  and  Wah  (when  he  is  here),  bring  up  the 
rear.  So  you  see  our  family.  May  they  all  be  one 
family  in  the  household  above. 

Food. — Only  two  months  to-day,  since  our  landing 
here.  I  can  hardly  realize  it,  so  much  has  happened  ; 
and  we  are  now  as  much  at  home  in  our  regular  duties, 
as  if  we  had  been  here  a  year.  My  little  Virginia  ap- 
pears to  be  very  docile  and  tractable,  but  very  timid. 
Mrs.  Andrews  came  to  me  to-day,  very  earnestly  praying 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  95 

me  to  take  her  little  girl ;  she  would  give  het  up  to  me 
entirely ;  if  I  would  only  take  her,  she  would  he  so 
thankful.  I  told  her  I  could  not,  T  had  quite  enough  on 
my  hands.  I  do  feel  very  thankful  to  succeed  in  gaining 
the  love  of  the  people  here.  May  my  every  efibrt  be  to 
promote  their  good.  My  health  now  is  very  good  ;  I 
have  an  excellent  appetite.  The  girls'  dining-room  is 
under  the  school-room — a  nice  large  room,  paved  with 
brick,  with  closets  at  either  end  for  the  dishes.  I 
will  give  you  their  bill  of  fare.  For  breakfast,  rice 
and  salt  fish.  For  dinner  :  rice,  fresh  fish,  (if  to  be  had), 
if  not,  salt  beef  or  pork,  with  (sometimes)  cassadas 
or  sweet  potatoes—occasionally,  chickens  or  palm-butter. 
At  tea,  rice  and  molasses.  On  Sunday  evening,  bread. 
Palm-butter  is  a  very  wrong  name  ;  it  gives  an  incorrect 
idea  of  this  article  of  food.  The  palm-nut,  as  it  is 
called,  has  a  hard,  meaty  substance  on  the  outside. 
These  nuts  are  boiled  for  some  time,  and  then  poured 
out  of  the  pot,  liquor  and  all,  into  a  large  mortar  ;  it  is 
pounded  for  som-e  time,  then  the  liquor  is  strained. 
"What  remains  is  thrown  away  as  refuse.  The  liquor  is 
about  the  consistency  of  arrow-root,  of  a  dark  yellow 
color  ;  this  is  highly  seasoned  with  the  native  peppers, 
and  is  again  boiled  over.  It  serves  as  a  soup,  and  is  a 
great  addition  to  the  rice,  particularly  if  it  has  a  bit  of 
fresh  meat  or  chicken  boiled  in  it — foreigners  become 
very  fond  of  it. 

My  Bible  class  interests  me  very  much ;  I  never  en- 
joyed that  part  of  God's  word  so. much  before.  A  large 
vessel  in  the  offing.  We  like  to  have  them  here  ;  it  re- 
minds one  of  home.    My  little  boy,  Dayo,  has  just  ar- 


96  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

rived.  I  ji^as  busy  making  a  dress  for  Virginia  ;  he 
wanted  to  know  what  it  was  ;  I  told  him,  and  told  him 
she  was  to  be  his  little  sister,  and  he  must  love  her  very 
much.  I  wish  I  could  find  time  to  write  in  the  day,  I 
am  always  so  tired  at  night,  but  it  must  be  then,  or 
never  ;  for  if  I  have  a  moment  in  the  day-time,  I  am  so 
subject  to  interruptions  that  it  is  impossible  to  write. 
The  lime-ade  is  very  refreshing,  for  our  drinking  water 
is  so  warm.  Fancy  water,  when  it  is  brought  directly 
from  the  spring,  having  to  be  put  into  earthen  jars, 
to  stand  some  hours  in  the  air  before  it  is  at  all  fit  to 
drink.  We  have  an  excellent  fruit  here,  called  the 
sour-sap  ;  it  is  quite  green,  as  large  as  a  very  small 
water-melon,  tapering  to  one  end,  more  in  the  form  ot 
a  pear.  This  is  cut  in  slices  ;  the  inside  is  about  the 
consistency  of  an  orange,  of  a  beautiful  pure  white, 
with  large,  black  seeds  interspersed.  It  can  be  eaten 
with  a  spoon,  or  a  fork  ;  being  so  juicy,  it  is  very  re- 
freshing. 

Two  English  vessels  lying  out  here.  The  captains 
have  been  up  to  see  us  and  brought  us  some  late  English 
papers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harris  have  both  been  very  ill 
indeed,  a  sort  of  cramp  colic  ;  they  were  taken  very  sud- 
denly, and,  for  a  few  hours,  we  much  feared  the  result. 
It  must  have  been  something  they  had  eaten.  They  would 
have  been  a  great  loss  to  the  mission,  but  '^  Grod  is 
good." 

Auntie  Dade. — It  has  been  a  very  wet  day,  and  hav- 
ing a  little  fever  again  I  have  had  to  lie  on  the  bed 
instead  of  going  to  church.     It  is  very  amusing  to  hear 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  97 

our  old  cook  talk,  she  uses  such  long  words.  She  is  a 
very  pious,  good  woman,  hut  talks  "  dimensibleP  While 
I  was  on  the  hed,  to-day,  she  came  in.  She  is  very  fond 
of  me.  She  began  talking  :  ''So,  Honey,  you'se  sick 
again  ;  I'se  sorry,  but  we  knowse  it's  the  portionable  lot 
of  all  mortalities.  What  does  that  most  magnificent 
Book  of  all  books  say  ?  that  man  is  born  to  troubles  as 
the  sparks  flies  up'ards ;  bu.t,  Honey,  I  wishes  all  sparks 
did  fly  up  ;  but  my  kitchen  smokes  so  dimensibly  that  the 
sparks  flies  out  oftena  than  they  flies  up  ;  my  old  eyes 
knows  it  'cause  they  feels  it.  But,  Honey,  you'se  tre- 
mensibly  hot,  your  fever  am  avaraging  ;  but  you'll  get 
well,  Honey,  just  demark  my  words."  Then,  with  a 
great  deal  of  gesture  and  many  flourishes  of  her  hands, 
''Honey,  you  was  to  come^here,  the  Almighty,  the 
Great  Lord,  sent  you.  A  bark  was  launched,  it  was 
loaded  with  a  most  profusely  precious  cargo,"  meaning 
the  missionaries  ;  "it  was  wafted  on  the  mighty  deep 
and  the  Great  Positionabler  placing  himself  at  the  helm 
guided  it  safe  to  the  great  land  of  darkness ;  and  now, 
my  baby,  do  you  think  he  is  going  to  let  any  one  on  'em 
die  ?  No,  I  tell  you  he  won't ;  and  now.  Honey,  when 
you  writes  home  to  your  mother,  just  you  tell  her  that 
there  is  an  old  lady  here,  in  this  dark  land,  in  the 
kitchen,  and  as  long  as  she  lives  your  mother's  baby  shall 
want  for  nothing,  that  she  can  do  for  her,  £;0  she  may 
make  her  mind  easy  on  that." 

This  afternoon  I  sent  for  Dayo  to  come  to  my  room. 
I  wanted  to  give  him  something.  He  did  not  know 
what  I  had  called  him  for,  so  the  moment  he  entered  the 
room  he  came  and  knelt  beside  me  and  put  up  his  hands 

5 


98  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

thinking  I  had  called  him  to  come  to  say  his  prayers  ; 
as  that  is,  generally,  the  first  thing  he  does  on  entering 
the  room.  Mr.  Hoffman  is  well  enough  to  preach  again 
to-day. 

Ocean  Eagle. — The  Ocean  Eagle  has  arrived  to-day 
with  the  Bishop  ;  he  is  much  better  for  the  voyage. 
Mr.  Wilson  does  not  seem  much  better.  He  expects, 
when  he  reaches  Monrovia,  to  find  that  business  con- 
nected with  the  mission  will  take  him  to  America.  Miss 
Coffman,  of  the  Corisco  Mission,  is  also  returning  for  her 
health.  Miss  "Williford  is  so  feeble  we  all  think  she 
ought  to  go,  too.  The  Bishop  has  gone  down  to  Cavalla 
to  see  if  she  will  go,  and  as  he  is  obliged  to  go  to  Mon- 
rovia, on  diocesan  duty,  for  a  month  or  six  weeks  ;  if 
Miss  Williford  leaves,  I  shall  have  to  go  to  Cavalla,  to  stay 
with  Miss  Ball,  till  the  Bishop  returns.  I  have  just  got 
into  mv  resfular  routine  of  duties  here  and  love  them. 
But  instahility  is  vvT:itten  on  all  earthly  things,  par- 
ticularly in  this  land,  and  we  must  be  ready  to  go  or 
stay,  as  duty  calls. 

News  from  Cavalla. — Miss  Williford  has  concluded, 
at  all  events,  to  go  to  Monrovia,  and  perhaps  to  America, 
so  I  must  prepare  to  return  with  Miss  Ball  to  Cavalla. 
She  will  be  up  with  all  the  rest,  as  we  are  going  to 
have  a  wedding  here  on  Thursday.  Friday  the  vessel 
sails.  Mr.  Hoffman  and  Miss  Hogan  are  to  be  married 
Thursday  afternoon.  The  ceremony  is  to  be  performed 
by  the  Bishop  in  our  little  church,  St.  Mark's.  Mr.  Wil- 
son appears  very  ill ;  I  cannot  bear  to  look  at  him. 


EVERY-DAY   LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  99 

We  received  a  note  before  breakfast  this  morning.  It 
was  from  the  Bishop  sending  for  the  doctor,  Miss  Willi- 
ford  having  been  taken  alarmingly  ill.  The  captain  says  he 
will  put  off  sailing  a  day  or  so  if  there  is  any  prospect 
of  its  benefiting  her.  None  of  the  people  here  have  the 
least  idea  of  the  wedding.  I  think  Mr.  Thompson 
begins  to  suspect,  as  I  asked  him  to-day  to  get  me,  to- 
morrow, all  the  flowers  he  could  muster.  He  looked 
hard  at  me  for  a  moment,  and  then  smiled  very  signif- 
icantly, and  said  he  would  do  it.  A  httle  fever  again 
to-day.     I  have  a  low  fever  on  me  almost  all  the  time. 


100  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


THE    WEDDING. 

A  NOTE  from  the  Bishop  this  morning.  Miss  Williford 
much  better  (inflammation  has  not  set  in  as  was  feared), 
so  he  will  be  here  this  afternoon.  I  have  been  very  busy 
to-day,  in  school  all  the  morning ;  then  I  went  to  adorn- 
ing the  parlor  with  flowers.  Mr.  Thompson  brought  me 
a  great  many,  and  Mr,  Harris  sent  me  a  large  basket 
full.  Notice  has  been  given  of  the  wedding,  so  that  all 
who  wish  to  see  their  pastor  married  may  be  present  at 
the  church.  I  made  a  wreath  of  geranium-leaves  and 
little  white  flowers  to  put  over  the  bride's  veil.  The 
Bishop  arrived  just  at  dinner-time.  He  came  on  horse- 
back. Miss  Ball  followed,  much  later,  in  a  hammock. 
Miss  Williford  is  so  much  better,  he  intends  to  go  on  to 
Monrovia,  but  she  will  not  attempt  a  voyage.  She  thinks 
she  shall  progress  better  under  the  doctor's  care.  It 
will  not  be  necessary  now  for  me  to  go  to  Cavalla.  I 
saw  that  all  the  girls  were  dressed  in  their  white  dresses. 
Pinned  a  bouquet  on  each  of  them.  Saw  that  the 
gentlemen  were  all  brushed  and  cologned,  and  by  that 
time  Miss  Ball  arrived  ;  we  were  all  waiting  for  her. 
We  then  proceeded  to  the  church.  It  was  very  full. 
After  the  ceremony,  we  all  returned  home  to  tea,  and 
passed  a  very  pleasant  evening. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  101 

The  Eagle  Sails. — The  captain  intended  to  weigh 
anchor  early  this  morning,  but  no  breeze  sprung  up  till 
toward  night.  Just  at  dinner-time  there  came  a  mes- 
senger, in  great  haste,  from  the  doctor,  begging  the 
Bishop  not  to  go  to  Monrovia,  as  Miss  Williford  is  much 
worse  again,  and  he  fears  she  will  not  live.  The  Bishop 
instantly  had  his  trunk  brought  on  shore,  for  it  was  on 
board  the  vessel,  and  he  started  directly,  on  horseback,  to 
Cavalla.  Miss  BaD  could  not  obtain  bearers.  She  feels  very 
much  troubled  that  she  cannot  get  them.  The  Ocean 
Eagle  got  off  this  evening.  We  went  down  with  them 
to  the  beach.  I  felt  very  badly  at  saying  good-bye.  Mr. 
Wilson  looks  very  ill,  and  he  has  been  so  kind  to  me.  I 
hope  w^hen  he  reaches  Monrovia  he  will  find  that  business 
calls  him  home.  I  think  he  needs  his  wife's  tender 
care. 

The  Lake. — Mr.  Hoffman  had  just  been  enabled  to 
en2:ag:e  four  bearers  for  Miss  Ball,  when  he  received  a 
note  from  the  Bishop.  Miss  Williford  is  slightly  better, 
but  wishes  me  to  go  down  there  with  Miss  Ball.  Mr. 
Hoffman  said  there  was  a  large  canoe  on  the  lake,  and 
if  we  would  go  by  that,  the  four  bearers  would  be  enough 
for  us  both,  as  the  lake  will  take  us  to  within  three 
miles  of  Cavalla,  and  two  men  each  could  carry  us  that 
distance.  So  we  determined  to  go  that  way.  We  had 
quite  a  large  canoe.  Now  fancy  us,  if  you  can,  sitting 
at  the  bottom,  being  paddled  along  by  six  of  the  natives. 
Our  umbrellas  forming  sort  of  sails.  The  shores  of  the 
lake  are  lined  with  mangrove  swamps.  The  mangrove 
is  a  specie  of  the  bannian,  which  throws  its  branches 


102  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

down,  and  they  taking  root  again,  form  many  natural 
artors.  This  is  one  cause  of  the  unhealthiness  of  the 
climate.  The  scenery  is  very  beautiful.  Every  few 
miles  we  came  upon  a  native  town.  Little  did  I  think 
once,  when  I  saw  pictures  of  such  scenes,  that  my  eyes 
would  ever  gaze  upon  them.  The  native  huts,  with 
little  children  running  round  ;  the  women  standing  out- 
side, beating  or  winnowing  their  rice  ;  others  in  canoes, 
unloading  them  of  the  wood  they  have  just  been  cutting 
(for  this  is  all  women's  work).  These  have  all  been 
faithfully  portrayed.  Miss  "Williford  was  much  pleased 
to  see  me.  While  Miss  Ball  is  in  school  she  needs  some 
one  near  her.  She  is  very  low.  The  doctor  will  still 
remain  for  some  days  in  the  house.  Hers  is  not  African 
fever,  but  a  complication  of  other  diseases  aggravated  by 
recent  fatigue  and  anxiety.  I  hope  I  may  be  able  to 
add  to  her  comfort.  I  left  Dayo  and  Virginia  in  Julia's 
care.  She  is  very  fond  of  them.  I  have  many  of  the 
colonists  come  to  me  to  take  their  children,  but  I  have  to 
decline  all  further  gifts.  I  was  very  much  pleased  at 
the  affection  displayed  by  the  girls  on  my  leaving  the 
Asylum,  though,  I  thought  it  probable,  I  should  be  ab- 
sent no  lonsrer  than  a  week.  While  we  w^ere  in  the 
canoe  we  had  a  heavy  shower,  but  our  umbrellas  effect- 
ually preserved  us,  shedding  the  rain  over  the  side  of  the 
canoe,  it  was  so  narrow. 

C AVALLA. — Miss  Williford  very  feeble  to-day.  It  seems 
to  be  a  comfort  to  her  to  have  me  with  her.  The  ser- 
vice on  Sunday  morning  is  entirely  in  Grebo.  It  is  held 
in  the  church,  though  the  building  is  not  yet  finished.    I 


A  Native  African  Village. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  103 

remained  with  Miss  Williford.  In  the  afternoon  Sunday- 
school  is  held  in  the  church.  I  had  Miss  Williford's  class 
in  the  parlor,  and  taught  them  there.  In  the  evening 
there  is  service  in  English  in  the  girls'  school-room. 
About  a  hundred  and  twenty  were  present.  There  were 
some  of  the  Christian  natives,  who  cannot  understand 
one  word  of  English,  and  yet  they  come  to  most  of  the 
services.  There  was  one  I  noticed,  a  woman,  who  can 
read  English  perfectly  ;  she  had  only  a  cloth  about  her  ; 
and  it  really  was  a  pleasant  sight  to  observe  how  well 
she  used  her  prayer-book,  and  joined  in  all  the  services, 
singing  the  praises  of  Emmanuel. 

Slight  improvement  in  our  patient  to-day  (patient,  in 
every  sense  of  the  word).  Miss  BaU  killed  a  small  scor- 
pion in  her  room.  Its  bite  is  not  much  more  venom- 
ous than  that  pf  a  wasp.  The  larger  species  is  much 
more  poisonous.  The  bats  fly  about  in  the  rooms  very 
much  in  the  evening,  after  the  lamps  are  lighted.  A 
boy  was  here,  with  a  very  nice-looking  monkey  for  sale. 
[  was  almost  tempted  to  purchase  it,  to  send  home,  but 
did  not  know  what  I  should  do  with  it  meanwhile. 

Miss  AVilliford  is  so  much  better,  I  shall  return  home  to- 
morrow, if  I  can  obtain  bearers.  How  good  is  God  to 
us  !  We  very  much  feared  we  should  lose  her.  Her  loss 
would  be  a  dreadful  blow  to  the  mission.  I  had  a  letter 
arrive,  by  the  way  of  England. 

It  being  Lent,  the  Bishop  has  service  and  a  sermon  in 
the  school-house  every  Wednesday  and  Friday  morning, 
at  seven  o'clock,  in  English ;  and  on  the  same  evenings, 
at  half-past  six,  the  service  in  English,  the  sermon  in 
Grebo — Mr.  Jones,  the  native  deacon,  alternating  with 


104  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

the  Bishop,  though  he  never  preaches  in  Enghsh ;  but  he 
reads  the  service  exceedingly  well.  He  has  taught  the 
scholars  here  to  sing  by  note,  and  they  chant  very 
sweetly.  I  could  not  but  think,  at  the  time,  how  much 
more  it  sounded  like  worshipping  and  praising  than  all 
the  theatrical  music  we  have  in  our  churches,  which  al- 
v/ays  seems  a  showing  off  of  the  singers,  instead  of  God's 
worship.  We  pray  to  Grod  ourselves,  and  surely  we 
ought,  also,  each  one  to  praise  Him,  I  never  heard  the 
responses  better,  in  any  church.  It  is  very  difficult  to 
obtain  bearers,  but  I  believe  the  Bishop  has  succeeded  in 
getting  some  for  to-morrow,  as  Miss  Williford  is  now  so 
much  better,  she  is  anxious,  as  well  as  me,  that  I  should 
be  back  at  my  work.  That  must  never  be  neglected, 
except  in  cases  of  absolute  necessity.  Mr.  Dorsen, 
one  of  our  colonist  teachers,  at  a  station  about  twenty 
miles  below,  came  in  to-night.  He  is  a  very  gentle- 
manly man.  The  Bishop's  home,  Cavalla,  is  a  perfect 
caravansary,  where  all  attached  in  any  way  to  the  mis- 
sion expect  to  find  a  home  and  a  welcome.  Mr.  Dorsen 
is  going  to  the  Cape  to-morrow,  so  I  shall  have  his  pro- 
tection. I  am  glad  of  it ;  I  do  not  like  travelling  alone. 
I  have  no  fear,  but  it  is  not  pleasant. 

They  are  so  exceedingly  kind  that  it  made  me  feel  a 
sort  of  regret  at  leaving :  but  Miss  Williford  having  im- 
proved so  much,  I  knew  duty  called  me  home.  Mr. 
Dorsen  came  with  me.  We  were  again  obliged  to  go 
on  the  lake,  but  this  time  we  had  but  a  small  canoe. 
The  leaks,  which  were  many,  were  stopped  with  rags, 
which,  not  proving  very  efficacious,  I  was  thoroughly 
wet  through.    Mr.  Dorsen  tried  his  best  to  get  a  dry  ca- 


EVERY-DA.Y    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  105 

noe,  and  make  me  comfortable ;  but  I  changed  my 
clothes  as  soon  as  I  arrived,  and  hope  I  shall  feel  no  ill 
effects.  I  received  a  very  warm  welcome  from  all  my 
dear  children,  and  likewise  from  my  friends  above  stairs. 
As  we  came  along,  we  saw  a  number  of  storks  and 
cranes,  standing,  motionless,  on  the  edge  of  the  lake.  They 
are  singular-looking  birds. 

Daily  Fare. — Back  to  my  school  duties  again.  You 
wish  to  know  our  daily  fare.  Well,  for  breakfast  we 
have  boiled  rice  (that  at  every  meal),  and  either  Indian 
meal,  rice,  or  wheat  bread,  always  hot  in  the  morning ; 
and  then  we  have  it  cold  at  tea-time.  You  know  it  will 
not  keep  long  in  this  climate.  The  rice  bread  is  very 
nice.  The  rice  is  pounded  into  very  fine  flour,  so  that  it 
resembles  our  ground  rice.  This,  with  salt  mackerel 
and  excellent  coffee,  forms  our  breakfast.  Our  dinner  : 
rice  and  palm-butter,  daily.  The  palm  butter  I  have  de- 
scribed. We  always  have  a  chicken  or  two  in  it.  Occa- 
sionally, too,  we  are  able  to  have  a  variety ;  sometimes 
roast  or  boiled  chickens ;  or,  once  in  a  great  while,  a  lit- 
tle fresh  fish ;  or,  in  a  very  great  while,  a  bit  of  fresh 
meat ;  but  this  is  very  seldom.  Then  we  have  ham,  and 
corned  beef,  and  pork,  from  America.  They  catch, 
sometimes,  a  species  of  oyster ;  it  is  good,  though  it  is 
much  larger  and  coarser  than  ours.  We  have  quite  a 
variety  of  vegetables :  sweet  potatoes,  very  good,  but 
quite  white  ;  eddo,  which,  when  mashed,  is  an  excellent 
substitute  for  Irish  potatoes  ;  cassada,  which  the  natives 
use  in  great  quantities.  This  is  a  long,  round  root, 
larger  than  the  largest  parsnip,  and  quite  white ;  but  its 

5* 


106 


INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


taste  is  very  like  a  tough  stringy  turnip.  The  natives 
eat  it  raw  a  good  deal.  Then  we  have  egg-plant,  plan- 
tains— a  species  of  banana,  which  is  either  roasted,  or  cut 
lengthwise,  and  fried.  Sometimes  bananas  are  cooked 
in  the  same  way.  Then  we  have  ochre,  cucumbers, 
stringed  beans,  tomatoes,  cabbage  (very  rarely  heads), 
lettuce,  radishes,  lima  beans,  squashes,  and  Indian  corn. 
None  of  these  come  to  the  perfection  they  do  at  home, 
but  still  they  are  good.  Thus  much  for  dinner.  For 
tea,  we  have  bread,  or  wheat  cakes,  molasses,  and  salt 
fish.  Such  is  our  ordinary  fare.  We  do  not  starve,  you 
may  depend.  Puddings,  pies,  or  cakes,  are  too  expen- 
sive, as  all  butter  and  sugar  come  from  America  ;  nev- 
ertheless, on  any  very  great  occasions,  we  can  have  them. 
Though  we  may  often  long  for  home  fare,  yet  we  make 
out  very  nicely,  and  our  friends  there  do  not  forget  us* 
They  often  refresh  our  memories,  and  appetites,  too,  by 
jars  of  canned  lobster,  or  oysters,  preserves,  pickles,  pre- 
pared mustard,  &o.,  &c ;  all  things  rather  expensive 
for  the  missionary's  pocket,  but  receiving  additional  rel- 
ish when  they  come  as  tributes  of  affection,  and  often  so 
reviving,  when  suffering  from  loss  of  appetite,  consequent 
on  fever. 

Most  of  the  people  lack  a  spirit  of  energy  and  ambi- 
tion. I  am  trying  to  inspire  my  girls  with  it,  and  give 
them  habits  of  industry.  I  want  the  girls  to  have  their 
time  every  moment  employed.  I  am  teaching  them 
knitting  and  crochet.  Miss  Williford  gave  me  four  little 
work-baskets,  for  my  four  elder  girls.  I  have  had  them 
in  my  room  to-day,  lining  them,  and  putting  needlebooks, 
pockets,  &c.,  in  them.     They  look  very  nice.     Saturday 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  107 

I  call  my  recreation  day  ;  "but  I  always  have  a  number 
of  the  girls  in  my  room,  teaching  them  various  kinds  of 
things.  This  is  voluntary  on  their  parts,  but  I  encour- 
age it  as  much  as  possible.  I  want  them  to  love  to  be 
industrious.  May  Grod  give  them  willing  hearts  to  learn. 
Miss  "Williford  is  well  enough  to  be  about  again. 

Baptism. — How  beautiful  are  our  church  services.  It 
seems  to  me  that  I  love  them  more  and  more.  May  their 
spnit  be  written  in  my  heart.  To-day  I  stood  around 
the  chancel,  one  of  a  group  of  sixteen,  consisting  of 
savage,  half-civilized,  civilized  and  enlightened  ;  four  to 
be  baptized,  the  rest  as  witnesses  and  sponsors.  The 
first  baptized  was  a  native  woman,  the  wife  of  a  Chris- 
tian— and  now  I  believe  a  sincere,  humble  Christian — 
and  her  little  boy,  a  child  of  three  years  old.  Her  hus- 
band stood  with  her,  as  witness,  and  as  sponsor  to  his 
child.  Another  was  a  boy,  about  fifteen,  from  Harris's 
school — and  my  little  boy,  Dayo^  now  Thomas.  The 
sponsors  and  witnesses  *were  composed  of  Mrs.  Hoffman, 
colonists,  native  Christians,  and  myself.  Truly,  ^'  I 
believe  in  the  Catholic  Church — one  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism,  one  Grod  and  Father  of  all."  I  never  fully 
realized  the  beauties  of  our  holy  religion — never  felt 
what  a  solemn,  aye,  an  awful  thing  it  is  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian, as  I  do  now.  Truly,  it  is  good  for  me  to  be  here. 
As  1  looked  at  the  group,  so  unlike  in  outward  appear- 
ance, I  wondered  with  which  of  that  party  would  ''  the 
high  and  lofty  One,  that  inhabiteth  eternity,"  most  delight 
\o  dwell.  G-od  only  knows  which  heart  was  the  fittest 
temple  of  the  Holy  Spirit.     My  constant  and  earnest 


108  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

prayer  is  for  more  humility.  I  never  before  noticed  how 
very  appropriate  the  Lord's  Prayer  is  in  the  baptismal 
service,  after  the  person  has  been  baptized,  when  we  all 
kneel  and  together  pray  to  "  Our  Father."  This  after- 
noon, Mr.  Hoffman  had  his  monthly  examination  of  the 
Sunday-school.  The  schools  from  Hoffman  station, 
Mount  Vaughan  and  Spring-Hill,  were  there.  The 
church  was  full,  and  it  was  so  pleasant  to  hear  the  full 
responses  to  all  the  questions  asked  on  the  Catechism 
and  Scripture  lessons.  I  never  heard  any  school — I  will 
not  make  one  exception — respond  more  fully,  freely  and 
perfectly.  How  much  will  those  in  Christian  countries 
have  to  answer  for,  if  they  neglect  their  precious  privileges. 
As  I  returned  home,  I  stood  for  an  instant  watching  the 
fearful  dashing  of  the  waves^ — how  they  raged  and 
foamed,  and  wreaked  their  fury  upon  the  rocks,  lift- 
ing their  crested  heads  on  high,  as  if  they  would  over- 
flow and  swallow  up  all  before  them.  But,  helpless  as 
man  is  to  stem  their  tide,  as  he  stands  and  gazes  at 
them,  he  knows  there  is  One  who  '^  holds  the  waves  in 
the  hollow  of  his  hand  ;"  and  who  says,  '^  thus  far  shalt 
thou  go,  and  no  farther,  and  here  shall  thy  proud 
waves  be  stayed."  Man  can  but  bow,  and  wonder,  and 
adore. 

Little  Thomas. — It  is  very  pleasant  to  me  to  hear 
the  name  Thomas,  night  and  morning,  when  the  roll  is 
called,  even  though  it  is  only  a  poor  little  black  boy 
that  answers  to  it.  I  think  I  shall  love  him  all  the 
better  for  his  name.  He  will  repeat  a  little  verse  now 
quite  nicely  in  the  mornings ;  I  select  very  short  ones 


EVERF-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  109 

for  him.  My  little  Virginia  is  very  timid  about  saying 
hers ;  she  is  a  dear  little  girl ;  I  have  a  few  toys  in  the 
corner  of  my  closet,  and  my  two  little  ones  play  quite 
nicely  together.  Thomas  does  not  mind  what  I  do  for 
Jenny  (as  we  call  her),  but  if  I  take  any  notice  of  any  of 
'  the  other  children,  he  becomes  quite  jealous  ;  they  seem 
to  grow  fond  of  each  other.  I  have  commenced  a  night 
school  for  adult  females ;  they  are  so  ignorant,  and  yet 
so  anxious  to  learn,  and  at  night  is  the  only  time  I  have  ; 
I  shall  hold  it  twice  a  week,  Mondays  and  Fridays  ;  my 
older  girls  will  assist  me  ;  and  if  I  can  once  get  it  thor- 
oughly established,  in  case  of  my  sickness  or  absence, 
they  might  be  enabled  to  continue  it.  I  have  plenty 
now  to  do,  though  all  are  earnestly  desirous  of  this 
school,  yet  they  fear  lest  I  may  tax  my  strength  too 
much  ;  but  I  hope  God  may  give  me  strength  for  it,  as 
it  is  so  much  needed. 

The  Hospital. — I  have  not  been  well  since  I  got  so 
wet  in  the  canoe,  but  I  hoped  it  would  pass  off.  Yester- 
day I  very  imprudently  went  to  church,  (w^e  have  ser- 
vice Monday  and  Tuesday  afternoons  through  Lent) 
though  feeling  very  unwell ;  I  had  not  felt  able  to  go  on 
Monday,  and  I  think  it  is  such  a  bad  example  to  stay 
away,  as  well  as  the  loss  to  ourselves,  when  we  can  pos- 
sibly go.  I  was  obliged,  however,  to  go  to  bed  directly. 
I  came  home  with  high  fever.  To-day  my  fever  is  very 
high,  but  I  have  attended  to  all  my  duties  ;  my  head  is 
very  bad  when  I  have  fever.  This  afternoon  Mr.  Hoffman 
sent  for  the  doctor,  and  quinine  is  the  order  of  the  day. 
Mr.  Hoffman  has  taken  the  little  house  next  door  to  us. 


110  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

and  has  put  his  old  gardener  and  his  wife  there  ;  he  in- 
tends for  it  to  form  the  nucleus  of  a  hospital ;  he  has 
strong  faith  that  one  will  be  established  here,  it  is  so 
much  needed.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
attended  to  the  removal  of  old  Father  Scotland,  and  he 
is  now  here  to  be  taken  care  of.  Mr,  Hoffman  supplies 
him  from  his  own  table,  and  maintains  him  at  his  own 
expense  ;  the  change  in  his  position  and  condition  is 
very  great;  the  poor  old  man  seems  very  comfortable 
now,  and  very  grateful.  My  room  looks  just  like  what 
I  have  always  pictured  a  missionary's  room  should  be  ; 
when  I  am  in  it,  there  are  several  little  ones  playing 
about  on  the  floor,  while  a  number  are  sitting  round  at 
different  employments  ;  they  must  always  be  busy  when 
they  come  into  my  room.  I  wage  inveterate  warfare 
with  idleness ;  even  the  smallest  child  must  be  playing 
busily.  What  English  my  two  little  ones  speak,  is  very 
correct. 

Went  into  school,  though  with  a  very  heavy  chill  on ; 
in  the  afternoon  my  fever  was  very  high,  and  it  was  my 
Bible  class ;  at  first  I  felt  disposed  to  give  it  up,  I  was 
so  ill,  but  many  of  them  had  walked  four  miles  to  at- 
tend, and  I  did  not  think  it  right  to  send  them  away. 
My  fever  excited  me,  and  I  believe  our  class  was  more 
interesting  than  usual.  When  I  returned  to  my  room,  I 
found  the  vessel  we  had  been  looking  for  so  long,  had 
arrived,  and  a  large  package  of  letters  and  papers  from 
home  awaited  me  ;  but  I  was  obliged,  spite  of  my  eager- 
ness, to  lay  them  aside  for  a  time — I  could  not  see  a 
line.  The  doctor  came  in  again ;  he  does  not  think  I 
will  have  a  severe  attack ;  but  persons  generally  have  a 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  11.1 

second  attack  in  about  a  month  or  six  weeks  after  the 
first;  it  sometimes  is  more  severe  than  the  first,  but 
after  that  is  safely  passed,  the  person  is  considered  acch- 
mated — as  far  as  the  white  man  ever  can  be  in  this 
chme — but  he  is  constantly  subject  to  low  intermittents, 
though  rarely  giving  up  to  them  till  his  strength  is  com- 
pletely exhausted,  then  he  is  obliged  to  seek  a  cooler 
country  for  a  time  to  revive  his  drooping  powers.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hoffman  both  very  unwell  to-day ;  we  are  con- 
stantly sick  and  well,  but  I  shall  not  speak  of  it  again, 
unless  when  any  one  of  us  is  completely  disabled  for 
the  time.  My  skin  is  now  quite  yellow — a  real  Af- 
rican 


112  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


TEST. 

To-day  Mr.  Hoffman  buried  a  native  Christian,  an  old 
man ;  he  has  for  years  been  persuaded  of  the  truth  of 
the  Grospel,  and  been  under  conviction,  but  it  was  a 
stumbling-block  to  him,  the  haying  to  give  up  his 
v^ives.  This  is  one  of  their  greatest  difficulties.  Like  the 
young  man  in  the  Grospel,  who  was  almost  a  Christian, 
but  who  went  away  sorrowful,  when  Christ  bid  him  give 
up  all,  and  follow  him.  The  wives  here  are  often  a 
man's  only  property,  and  it  is  like  giving  up  his  wealth 
to  part  with  ,them  ;  it  is  a  good  test  of  his  sincerity.  To 
the  women,  it  is  no  hardship  ;  there  is  no  love  ;  and  they 
become  the  property  of  another  member  of  the  family. 
This  old  man  some  weeks  since,  while  still  in  health 
and  strength,  gave  up  all  for  Christ. 

Love  Feast. — A  love  feast  to-night  at  Harris's ;  I 
wish  I  could  attend.  This  feast  is  held  the  night  before 
communion,  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  Christian  natives  : 
it  is  a  prayer-meeting,  after  which  a  frugal  meal  is  pre- 
pared, of  which  all  partake  together — the  missionary, 
and  generally  one  of  the  ladies  attend,  if  able.  Their 
ordinary  custom  in  eating  is  for  the  woman  to  prepare 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  113 

the  food,  and  then  taste  it  before  her  husband,  ^'to 
take  the  witch  off,"  or  to  show  it  is  not  poisoned,  A 
host  or  hostess  never  eat  with  their  guests,  but  after 
^'  taking  the  witch  off,"  they  leave  their  guests  alone  in 
the  hut,  and  then  themselves  eat  the  remains.  Now,  at 
the  love-feast,  after  a  blessing  has  been  asked,  all,  men 
and  women,  sit  down  and  eat  together,  to  show  they 
have  a  perfect  love  and  conJtidence  in  each  other.  ''  Per- 
fect love  casteth  out  all  fear."  I  was  much  pleased  to- 
day. I  expressed  a  wish  before  one  of  the  girls  for  a 
lime,  aad  before  night  I  had  dozens ;  they  grow  very 
plentifully,  and,  I  believe,  wild,  here ;  it  showed  such 
kind  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  children.  Had  the  girls, 
who  are  communicants,  up  into  my  room,  and  talked 
with  them  of  the  holy  feast  to-morrow ;  they  are  good 
girls,  I  believe. 

An  English  screw-propeller  anchored  off.  Some  of  the 
officers  came  to  the  Asylum,  but  I  was  in  school,  and 
did  not  see  them  ;  I  should  have  liked  to  obtain  some  in- 
formation from  them,  as  they  are  going  on  an  exploring 
expedition  up  the  Niger. 

The  Horse.' — Mr.  Hoffman's  horse  has  been  sick  ever 
since  we  have  been  here  ;  the  poor  thing  died  to-day ;  and 
as  the  natives  eat  every  kind  of  animal  food,  even  though 
dying  of  disease,  he  allowed  them  to  have  the  remains 
of  the  poor  horse,  as  they  would  have  thought  it  dread- 
fully cruel  of  him  if  he  had  not.  Not  knowing  this,  and 
hearing  a  great  '^  palaver,"  I  went  to  the  end  of  the 
piazza  to  see  what  was  the  matter — there,  on  the  rocks, 
where  the  waves  would  soon  wash  away  all  traces,  was 


114  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

a  large  native,  performing  the  part  of  butcher,  sur- 
rounded by  a  crowd,  all  fiercely  vociferating,  (in  their 
ordinary  conversation  they  talk  so  loud  and  hard,  you 
would  think  they  were  quarrelling,)  each  eager  to  get  a 
large  piece.  Just  as  I  looked  out,  one  man  was  stalking 
off,  in  triumph,  with  the  bleeding  leg  of  the  poor  beast. 
I  turned  away  with  disgust ;  it  was  a  sickening  sight. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoffman  went  to  Rocktown,  one  of  our 
stations,  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Toomy ;  they  stayed 
all  night,  but  on  the  way  they  w^ere  caught  in  a  thunder- 
storm, and  had  to  take  refuge  in  a  native  hut  for  sev- 
eral hours.  These  huts  are  very  unpleasant  to  be  in  for  any 
length  of  time,  as  they  always  keep  a  fire  burning  that 
makes  it  so  hot  you  are  soon  in  a  profuse  perspiration, 
and  then  the  smoke  makes  your  eyes  ache  badly. 
Father  Scotland  is  happy,  and  patient,  but  longing  to  be 
in  his  heavenly  home ;  he  loves  to  have  the  girls  go  in 
and  sing  for  him.  Oh,  for  a  hospital !  It  seems  to  be 
Mr.  Hoffman's  daily  cry  and  desire,  his  heart  is  so  large. 
There  is  a  poor  girl  dying  of  consumption  ;  he  would  much 
like  to  have  her  here,  but  this  little  house  can  but  ac- 
commodate one  patient  at  a  time.  Many  ships  passing 
to-day . 

Wah. — Little  Wa/i  is  here  again  ;  what  a  bright  little 
fellow  he  is !  I  wish  you  could  take  a  peep  at  me  in  my 
school-room,  surrounded  by  thirty  girls,  of  all  sizes  and 
complexions,  from  the  very  lightest  quadroon  to  the 
darkest  negro,  with  bright,  happy  countenances,  dili- 
gently studying  their  lessons — myself  seated  at  a  desk, 
on  a  slightly  elevated  platform.    At  my  feet,  at  one  side, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  115 

little  Jenny,  tired  of  playing  quietly  with  her  doll,  has 
laid  herself  down,  and  is  fast  asleep ;  on  the  other  side 
of  me  are  two  of  the  very  blackest  little  boys  you  ever 
saw,  Wah  and  Thomas,  talking  to  one  another  by  signs, 
occasionally  appealing  to  me  to  settle  their  little  differ- 
ences, looking  at  pictures,  or  plaiting  a  sort  of  flag. 
This  is  a  long  leaf,  that  can  be  split  and  plaited,  when 
it  is  made  into  baskets,  &c.  These  little  boys  would 
plait  with  twenty  strands,  holding  it  with  their  feet ; 
then  Wah  would  bring  me  a  slate,  and  I  set  him  a  copy, 
explaining  to  him  that  each  letter  meant  the  same  as 
the  one  he  knew  on  his  fingers.  At  length,  I  made  him 
understand  that  tlie  written  word  "  Thomas"  was  the 
same  as  he  spelt  on  his  fingers,  to  mean  the  name  of  my 
little  boy;  when  he  comprehended  this,  his  delight 
knew  no  bounds.  It  was  a  perfect  treat  to  see  his  ex- 
pressive countenance,  as  it  lighted  up  ;  and  his  efforts  to 
write  were  unwearied — he  succeeded  admirably.  We 
thought  old  Father  Scotland  would  be  gone  to-day.  As 
I  looked  upon  that  poor,  old  man,  I  thought  of  the 
mighty  change  to  him  from  his  helplessness  and  poverty  ; 
the  moment  his  ransomed  spirit  takes  its  flight,  from 
that  poor  pallet  he  will  pass  to  a  throne,  for  all  Christians 
are  to  be  "  kings  and  priests  unto  Grod  :"  and  they  are 
to  sit  down  with  Christ  on  His  throne,  even  as  he  has  over- 
come, and  has  sat  down  with  his  Father  on  His  throne. 

The  Boat. — By  the  "  Stevens,"  a  nice  row-boat  was 
sent  out  to  the  mission.  It  will  be  very  good,  when  the 
weather  is  favorable  for  carrying  stores,  &c.,  to  Cavalla, 
as  everything  is  obliged  to  be  landed  from  the  vessels 


116  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES'  OF 

here,  and  they  have  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  in  trans- 
porting the  articles.  John  "Wilson,  the  colonist  teach- 
er of  the  boys'  school  at  Cavalla,  came  up  with  the 
boat  to-day,  and  was  to  return  with  it  tliis  afternoon. 
The  Bishop  sent  me  a  kind  message,  that,  according  to 
homoeopathy,  the  medicine  which  makes  us  sick  should 
cure  us,  therefore,  as  it  was  my  journey  from  Cavalla 
had  made  me  unwell,  a  return  hither  would  perhaps 
cure  me  ;  and  as  the  boat  would  for  some  time  be  coming 
and  going,  I  had  better  take  advantage  of  it,  to  pay 
them  a  visit  for  a  day  or  two.  I  knew  he  did  not  ex- 
pect me  to  go  that  very  day,  but  as  it  was  Saturday, 
and  the  boat  would  return  on  Monday,  I  just  felt  as  if  I 
should  like  it,  so  off  I  started — and,  though  unexpected, 
I  knew  well  I  was  not  unwelcome.  Miss  Ball  looks 
very  white.  Miss  Williford  better  than  I  have  seen  her 
since  I  have  been  here. 

Attended  the  services  in  church  this  morning — all  in 
the  Grrebo  language^ — a  number  of  natives  present ;  they 
put  on  their  best  clothes  (made  a  little  larger  than  or- 
dinary) on  Sundays.  A  red  night-cap  is  a  favorite 
article  of  dress  with  the  old  men.  Taught  Miss  Ball's 
class  ii>  the  afternoon.  Many  children  from  the  town, 
who  are  not  in  the  day-school,  come  to  Sunday-school. 

Home  again  early  enough  to  begin  school.  We  had 
a  nice  awning  up  all  over  the  boat. 

The  Snake. — Murder  was  committed  last  night  in  our 
church  ;  Mr.  nor  Mrs.  Hoffman,  nor  myself,  were  present. 
It  seems  a  gentleman,  of  the  snake  species,  had  made 
his  way  into  the  chancel,  and  being  discovered  snugly 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  117 

coiled  up,  some  of  the  people  tried  to  dislodge  him  ;  but 
his  snakeship  did  not  like  to  leave  the  church,  and  so 
wriggled  himself  into  a  hole,  but  leaving  part  of  his 
tail  sticking  out.  One  of  the  men  seized  hold  of  his 
tail,  and  tied  it  tight  to  the  railing  of  the  chancel,  so 
that  it  could  not  get  away  ;  his  body  was  fast  wedged 
into  the  hole.  He  remained  thus  all  through  the  service, 
his  tail  sticking  up  about  two  feet.  Whether  Mr.  G-ibson 
or  the  snake  had  the  most  attention  of  the  audience,  I 
cannot  tell.  As  soon  as  the  congregation  was  dismissed, 
the  men  got  clubs,  and  finally  succeeded  in  Withdrawing 
the  gentleman  from  his  hole,  and  despatchilig  him.  It 
proved  to  be  a  young  boa-constrictor,  seven  and  a-half  feet 
long.  During  service,  he  was  making  ineffectual  struggles 
to  free  himself ;  if  he  had  done  so,  what  a  commotion 
there  would  have  been.  Mr.  Hoffman  has  had  Matha 
Owen,  the  poor  young  girl  who  is  dying  of  consumption, 
brought  to  the  Asylum.  Mrs.  Hoffman  has  had  a  room 
fitted  up  for  her,  up  stairs  ;  and  one  of  the  elder  girls 
has  offered  to  nurse,  and  take  care  of  her.  It  is  all  at 
Mr.  Hoffman's  expense.  Poor  girl !  she  is  near  her 
end.  While  her  poor  body  is  thus  cared  for,  may  her 
soul  be  led  to  Jesus.  We  are  all  trying  what  we  can  do 
towards  St.  Mark's  Hospital,  in  the  way  of  subscribing 
ourselves,  and  obtaining  donations  from  home.  You 
cannot  imagine  the  suffering  here.  I  would  say  to  all 
who  read  this,  "  the  smallest  donations  thankfully  re- 
ceived." Miss  Williford  received  some  time  ago  a 
Christmas-box  from  a  friend  at  home,  and  we  all  shared 
— ^raisins,  citron,  prunes,  figs,  pickles.  Many  thanks, 
kind   friend  ;    there   is   scarcely   one   in   the   mission, 


118  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

scholars  or  teachers,  but  has  reason  to  thank  you  for  your 
Christmas-box.  To  Poor  Matha  and  Father  Scotland 
the  prunes  were  very  grateful.  A  little  gift  sent  here, 
blesses  many. 

The  days  when  I  have  my  adult  school,  I  am  very 
wearied  ;  in  school  from  nine  in  the  morning  till  half- 
past  nine  at  night,  with  very  little  intermission  ;  but 
then  there  is  a  sweet  peace  in  the  heart,  when  we  feel 
that  we  have  earnestly  endeavored  to  fulfil  our  Saviour's 
injunction,  ''  to  do  to  others  as  you  would  have  them  do 
to  you." 

Saturday  Interruptions. — Saturday  is  the  only  time 
I  ever  have  to  do  any  sewing  for  myself,  I  have  had  a 
dress  about  four  weeks  trying  to  get  it  made  ;  to-day,  I 
determined  it  should  be  finished — but  patience  has  to  be 
exercised  here.  Sometimes,  when  I  feel  inclined  to  be  a 
little  impatient  at  all  these  interruptions,  I  pause  and 
think,  for  this  came  I  forth!  "Well,  to-day,  I  had  just 
reached  out  my  sewing,  and  sat  down,  when  poor  Mat- 
thew comes  to  me  crying  with  tooth-ache — talked,  aad 
comforted  him  a  little  bit — got  some  flannel,  and,  heat- 
ing some  vinegar  and  salt,  steeped  the  flannel  in  it,  and 
putting  it  to  his  face  he  was  soon  relieved,  and  fell  asleep. 
Then  my  little  Thomas  was  quite  ill  all  day,  lying  on 
the  floor  in  my  room ;  he  had  to  be  dosed,  and  attended 
to.  Then  two  of  the  older  girls  came  to  my  room  for 
me  to  show  them  how  to  finish  a  dress  for  old  Auntie 
Dade,  which  I  had  cut  and  fitted  for  her  ;  she  wanted  it 
for  to-morrow ;  it  is  love-feast  at  her  church,  (the  Metho- 
dist) so  I  had  just  to  set  to  and  help  them  finish  it 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  119 

for  her.  Then  Julia  came,  and  told  me  Paddock  wanted 
to  see  me.  He  is  a  very  nice  boy  ;  about  three  weeks 
ago  he  was  here,  and,  as  he  can  read  very  nicely,  I  gave 
him  a  book ;  he  had  come  to  thank  me,  and  to  bring 
me  a  dash  of  a  fowl.  He  spoke  very  prettily  to  me.  I 
was  just  seated  again  in  my  room,  when  Julia  brought 
me  a  little  note.  I  had  some  work  to  read  it ;  it  was 
from  a  native  Christian,  and  he  was  in  the  other  room 
waiting  to  see  me.  He  lives  at  the  same  station  as  Pad- 
dock does,  and  helps  to  teach  the  boys  there  ;  he  be- 
longed to  the  same  town  as  my  little  Thomas,  which  is 
directly  across  the  lake  from  the  mission  station,  at 
which  he  now  lives.  His  name  is  Proud  ;  he  is  a  very 
fine-looking  man,  though  disfigured  by  the  Kroo  mark. 
His  wife  is  a  Christian,  also ;  she  was  educated  at  the 
girls'  school  at  Cavalla.  He  has  a  little  infant,  his  first 
child,  and  he  wants  to  name  it  after  me,  so  he  wanted 
my  full  name,  and  he  wishes  me  to  be  sponsor.  He 
wants  me  very  much  to  go  and  see  her  dXHalf  Grawah^ 
five  miles  down  the  lake.  He  is  to  come  on  Monday 
afternoon  for  me,  and  bring  me  back  in  a  nice  large 
canoe.  I  asked  Thomas  if  he  would  like  to  go  with  me 
and  see  his  father  and  mother,  if  the  canoe  was  large 
enough ;  he  said  yes,  if  I  would  be  sure  to  bring  him 
back.  I  shall  take  Julia  with  me,  as  an  interpreter. 
A  week  or  so  ago,  Mr.  Hoffman  was  at  Half  Grawah^ 
preaching,  with  Proud  for  his  interpreter,  when,  passing 
one  of  the  native  huts,  he  heard  a  low,  plaintive  moaning  ; 
on  looking  round  he  saw,  under  the  eaves  of  the  hut, 
which  was  shut  up,  a  poor  little,  deformed  child,  in  the 
last  stages  of  emaciation.     It  had  the  head  of  a  child 


120  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

three  years  old,  while  its  limbs  were  those  of  an  infant 
of  a  few  weeks.  Two  women  were  standing  at  an  oppo- 
site hut,  laughing  at  the  wailing  of  the  poor  little  one  ; 
it  seemed  in  a  state  of  starvation,  gnawing  eagerly  a 
piece  of  raw  cassada,  which  his  little  feeble  hand  had 
hardly  strength  to  carry  to  his  mouth.  Mr.  Hoffman 
asked  the  women  about  it ;  they  seemed  to  look  upon 
the  sufferings  of  the  child  as  an  amusement.  They  told 
him  that  the  child  had  no  father  or  mother — ^his  father's 
sister  (his  aunt)  had  care  of  him,  but,  being  so  deformed, 
he  would  never  be  any  good  ;  she,  the  aunt,  had  now 
gone  away  to  the  bush  for  some  days,  .and  thinking  the 
child  would  be  dead  before  her  return,  she  had  shut  up 
her  hut,  and  left  him  outside  with  that  cassada  to  eat, 
knowing  if  he  died  while  she  was  gone,  the  neighbors 
would  bury  him.  The  poor  child  could  not  speak,  but 
his  low  wails  were  most  pitiable.  Mr.  Hoffman  told  the 
women  they  ought  to  take  him  into  their  hut,  and  take 
care  of  him.  They  turned  away  with  a  loud  laugh,  at 
the  absurdity  of  their  doing  anything  for  one  like  that, 
who  could  be  of  no  good.  Mr.  Hoffman  then  sent 
Proud  across  the  lake,  to  Spring  Hill  station,  to  get  a 
mat,  and  -lifting  the  child  tenderly  upon  it,  (for,  he  was 
so  emaciated,  the  least  touch  hurt  him)  they  carried 
him  across  to  Spring  Hill,  almost  fearing  he  would  die 
before  they  could  get  across  ;  there  they  put  him  in  the 
kitchen,  near  the  fire,  and  tried  to  do  everything  to 
make  him  comfortable.  He  cannot  live,  however,  but 
a  few  days.  I  asked  Paddock  about  him  to-day  ;  he 
says  he  is  a  little  better,  but  all  the  time  utters  that 
low,  moaning  cry,  that  is  so  painful  to  hear.    "What  is 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  121 

man  without  Grod?  Savage!  savage!  But,  to  go  on 
with  my  Saturday — ^it  was  now  dinner-time  ;  then  came 
Lavinia  to  her  studies,  then  to  see  old  Father  Scotland 
and  Poor  Matha,  and  so  ends  my  day.  My  poor  dress 
must  go  away  for  another  week. 

GrRAWAH.  — ^About  half-past  one,  when  school  was 
over,  Proud  came  for  me.  I  dressed  Thomas  up  in  his 
best,  (a  little  suit  I  had  made  for  Sundays)  a  white 
shirt  and  pantaloons,  and,  taking  Julia  along  with  me, 
we  started.  Proud  had  a  very  large  canoe,  with  boards 
put  in  the  bottom  to  keep  my  feet  from  getting  wet, 
and  a  little  native  chair  for  me  to  sit  in.  These  native 
chairs  stand  about  a  foot  from  the  ground,  and  really 
are  very  comfortable.  Proud  has  risen  to  the  dignity  of 
wearing  a  complete  suit  of  American  clothes — hat,  coat, 
pantaloons,  &o.  ;  and  no  gentleman  could  hav@  been 
more  polite  and  courteous  to  a  lady,  and  more  careful  of 
her  comfort,  than  Proud  was.  About  two  miles  up  the 
lake,  there  is  a  very  large  rock  that  stretches  directly 
across  the  beach,  from  the  ocean  to  the  lake  ;  this  is 
called  the  devil's  rook.  They  believe  a  great  devil,  or 
Ku,  lives  here,  and  none  of  them  dare  cross  it,  (which 
they  are  obliged  to  do  when  coming  from  Cape  Palmas 
by  land)  without  making  an  offering,  however  slight,  to 
the  Ku.  Poor  things  !  it  is  little  they  have  to  give — a 
pretty  shell,  a  few  grains  of  rice,  &o.  As  we  drew  near 
this  rook,  we  heard  the  most  strange,  unearthly  cries 
and  screams  ;  as  we  approached  nearer,  we  found  they 
proceeded  from  a  woman  ;  we  heard  them  a  long  dis- 
tance   before   we    saw  her.     She   was  in   the  water, 

6 


122  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

and  she  would  rush  frantically  from  the  water  into  the 
mango-swamp,  and  then  on  the  solid  ground — there 
she  would  fall  to  the  earth,  apparently  in  convulsions, 
foaming  at  the  mouth,  &c.  ;  then  the  same  things  would 
be  repeated,  with  such  wild  screams,  gestures  and  voci- 
ferations, I  thought  she  must  certainly  be  a  raving 
maniac.  A  man  was  standing  near,  not  touching  her  : 
he  was  her  husband  ;  he  was  only  watching  that  she  did 
herself  no  injury.  Upon  inquiring  of  Proud  what  was 
the  matter,  he  told  me,  ''  The  devil  (the  Ku)  hab  her; 
she  soon  come  be  great  devil  woman — look,  mammy, 
close  on  them  rock  live  big  devil ;  many  men  be  lie 
dead  there — plenty  devils  (Kwi)  there^ — (all  the  spirits  of 
the  departed  become  devils,  and  they  become  big  or  little 
devils,  according  to  their  position  in  this  world) — one 
devil  he  come  live  with  this  woman,  then  she  come  be 
wise  woman."  Upon  inquiry  afterwards  upon  this  sub- 
ject, I  found  that  among  the  G-reboes  there  are  some 
people,  both  men  and  women,  who  are  called  ''  Deya," 
or  devil  doctor.  These  profess  to  find  out  witches,  to  be 
enabled  to  foretell  the  future,  and,  in  fact,  to  perform 
all  the  charms  and  spells  such  people  ever  have  done  in 
all  parts  of  the  world.  Before  they  become  doctors, 
however,  they  have  to  go  through  a  long  preparation. 
They  first  become  suddenly  seized  with  the  idea  that 
they  are  possessed  by^a  devil,  that  they  cannot  get  rid  of 
him,  but  that  he  will  teach  and  enable  them  to  perform 
many  wonderful  things.  They  do  actually  appear  to 
have  the  symptoms  that  the  Evangelists  tell  us  were 
seen  in  those  possessed  by  devils  ;  they  go  into  violent 
convulsions,  wallowing  on  the  ground,  gnashing  their 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  123 

teeth — sometimes,  I  have  been  told,  falling  in  the  fire, 
and,  as  I  now  witnessed,  into  the  water.  When  in  their 
lucid  state,  they  will  go  to  a  devil  doctor  to  be  taught. 
They  have  to  separate  entirely  from  their  family  during 
this  time,  which  varies  from  one  to  three  years,  at  the 
teacher's  pleasure.  They  have  to  pass  through  a  num- 
ber of  strange  ceremonies,  but  at  length  their  instruction 
is  complete,  and  they  go  home,  and  can  set  up  in  busi- 
ness for  themselves,  where  they  are  held  in  great  re- 
spect.^' 

After  watching  this  poor  woman  awhile,  we  then  went 
on  to  Half-G-rawah,  my  little  boy's  home.  We  were 
taken  to  the  house  of  the  head-man,  (Thomas's  father). 
The  hut  was  very  large,  and  clean  ;  and  round  the  in- 
side were  as  many  as  fifty  plates  and  dishes,  hanging  by 
pegs,  stuck  in  to  the  side,  and  arranged  very  neatly.  At 
one  side  were  a  number  of  jars  and  pots,  made  of  the 
country  clay.  There  was  no  fire  in  it,  for  which  I  was 
very  thankful,  as  the  smoke  and  the  heat  are  dreadful. 
The  head-man  did  not  make  his  appearance ;  so,  after 
sitting  and  talking  with  Thomas's  mother,  and  others, 
for  a  while,  I  got  up  to  say  good-by.  They  said  no,  I 
must  not  say  good-by,  for  head-man  was  gone  to  get 
dinner  for  me,  and  he  would  be  very  much  offended  if  1 
did  not  come  back  and  eat  his  dinner.  So  I  said  I 
would  go  across  the  lake  to  Spring  Hill,  see  Proud's 
wife  and  child,  and  then  come  back. 

There  were  several  men  here  who  understood  English 

=*  Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  seen  a  very  full  account  of  these 
people  in  Mrs.  Scott's  "  Day-Dawn,"  to  which  I  refer  you. 


124  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

very  well,  and  I  had  good  interpreters  in  Julia  and 
Proud.  I  asked  Thomas  if  he  would  like  to  remain 
with  his  mother,  while  I  went  across  the  lake.  But,  no  ! 
he  was  too  much  afraid  that  I  would  go  away,  and 
leave  him.  I  had  given  him  some  tobacco  to  give  to 
both  his  mother  and  father  (all  smoke  here,  men  and 
women,  and  even  young  children,  Vv^hen  they  can  get  it ; 
you  cannot  give  a  more  acceptable  present  than  a  little 
tobacco)  as  a  dash  from  me,  and  some  beads  for  his 
little  sister — and  he  was  quite  delighted  at  having  these 
things  to  present.  He  was  quite  the  centre  of  attraction 
to  all  the  little  urchins  in  town ;  such  fine  clothes  had  never 
been  seen  on  any  little  boy  before.  At  Spring  Hill  the 
teachers  have  a  very  small  wooden  house  to  live  in,  like 
the  houses  in  the  Christian  village,  at  Cavalla — very 
coarse  tables  and  chairs,  but  still  infinitely  superi(5r  to 
everything  they  had  been  used  to  in  their  own  huts. 
You  remember  these  native  teachers  are,  all  of  them, 
those  that  have  formerly  been  themselves  educated  in  the 
schools.  All  the  garden,  round  the  house,  looked  in  very 
nice  order.  Many  young  fruit  and  coffee-trees  were 
flourishing,  as  yet  too  young  to  bear,  but  giving  promise 
of  future  harvests.  Proud's  wife  and  child,  and  all  the 
boys,  looked  well,  clean  and  happy.  We  went  into  the 
kitchen,  to  see  the  poor  little  creature  Mr.  Hoffman  had 
rescued  from  death  by  starvation ;  but,  just  as  he 
said,  it  is  impossible  to  do  justice  to  the  picture.  A 
child,  probably  between  three  and  four  years  old,  with 
head  the  size,  and  limbs  the  length,  of  a  child  of  that 
age,  but,  oh  !  so  fearfully  emaciated  and  attenuated.  His 
breast-bone  protruded  like  a  chicken's,  and  there  ap- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  125 

peared  to  be  nothing  but  the  thinnest  skin  over  that 
and  the  ribs.  His  back  was  the  shape  of  the  letter  S  ; 
but,  oh  !  his  eyes — shall  I  ever  forget  the  expression  of 
those  eyes !  Immense  eyes !  starvation,  misery,  and 
anguish,  were  written  there.  He  feels  a  little  better  to- 
day ;  the  food  he  has  had  the  past  few  days  has  given 
him  a  little  strength,  so  he  can  sit  up.  But  what  agony 
the  poor  child  must  have  suffered,  and  no  "  eye  to  pity, 
none  to  help."  He  moaned  so  pitifully,  it  made  the 
heart  ache  ;  he  does  not  attempt  to  speak,  but  all  that 
can  be  done  for  him,  is  being  done  now.  I  thought  of 
that  poor  little  creature  so  soon  to  be  laid  low  ;  and  then, 
that,  through  the  all-atoning  merits  of  the  gracious  Re- 
deemer, that  now  fearful-looking  object  would  be  beau- 
tiful, bright  and  all-glorious,  clothed  in  white, 

"  And  with  the  angels  stand, 

A  crown  upon  his  forehead, 
A  harp  within  his  hand  ; 

There,  right  before  his  Saviour, 
So  glorious  and  so  bright, 

He'd  wake  the  sweetest  music. 
And  praise  him  day  and  night." 

And,  as  I  turned  away,  I  thanked  my  Saviour  with 
a  grateful  heart,  that  ''  light  and  immortality  had  been 
brought  to  light  by  the  Gospel."  Paddock  seemed 
much  pleased  to  see  me,  and  promised  to  look  after  and 
tend  the  poor  little  boy.  I  gave  him  a  dash  of  tobacco, 
for  his  father.  AYe  then  re-crossed  the  lake,  to  Half- 
Grrawah.  We  first  went  into  the  hut  of  a  native 
Christian,  called  Johns  ;  he  has  lately  been  building 
himself  a  new  one.      It  is  very  nice  and  large — oblong, 


126  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

instead  of  round  ;  and  it  has  a  partition,  formed  of  mats 
(made  of  bamboo)  so  as  to  form  a  bed-room  ;  in  this  he 
has  a  very  decent  bedstead.  Everything  looks  neat  and 
comfortable.  His  wife  (of  course,  he  has  but  one)  is  a 
very  good-looking,  intelligent  young  woman.  After 
talking  with  them  awhile,  we  were  told  our  dinner  was 
ready.  I  did  not  go  to  it  with  a  very  vigorous  appetite, 
but  they  had  prepared  this  to  show  me  as  much  honor 
as  they  could  express,  and  I  would  not  refuse  and 
wound  their  feelings  on  any  account.  "We  were  con- 
ducted again  into  the  house  of  the  head-man  ;  there  a 
large  chest  was  set  out  in  the  middle  of  the  floor,  co- 
vered with  a  clean,  coarse,  tow-cloth.  At  opposite  sides 
of  this  impromptu  table,  country  chairs  were  placed  for 
Julia  and  myself,  and  a  log  of  wood  for  Thomas  to  sit 
on.  Three  little  dishes  were  turned  upside  down,  at  our 
places,  to  servo  for  plates — a  large  iron  spoon  for  each, 
w^ith  the  addition  of  a  fork  for  me.  Then  there  were 
two  covered  vegetable  dishes,  and- a  gravy  dish,  with 
cover  and  ladle.  Johns  and  his  brother  stood  by,  to  wait 
on  us.  They  were  Kroomen,  had  served  on  several  ves- 
sels on  the  coast,  and  were  quite  proud  of  their  know- 
ledge of  ''  'Merica  fashion."  On  another  box,  beside  us, 
was  a  pretty  little  pitcher  of  water,  and  some  glasses. 
Our  waiters  stood  quite  still,  with  folded  arms,  till  we 
had  asked  a  blessing — then  they  whipped  off  the  covers, 
with  a  great  flourish.  In  one  dish,  was  rice ;  in  the 
other,  the  fresh  fish  our  host  had  been  to  catch,  which 
had  been  cooked  in  the  palm-butter  that  was  in  the 
gravy-dish.  Julia  and  Thomas  enjoyed  their  dinner 
very  much ;  1  can  hardly  say  as  much,  though  I  did 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  127 

take  a  little  of  each,  out  of  compliment  to  my  host. 
He  never  made  his  appearance  till  we  had  finished  eat- 
ing ;  then,  whilst  Proud  and  Johns  were  eating  the  re- 
mainder, we  went  outside  and  talked  with  him. 

Johns'  brother.  Prince  William^  is  a  very  intelligent 
man.  He  has  been  to  sea  a  great  deal.  He  begged  and 
implored  me  to  take  his  child,  a  fine  little  girl  about  three 
years  old.  I  told  him  I  could  not ;  that  I  had  as  much 
as  I  could  do  now.  But  he  implored  very  earnestly 
''  That  J  would  take  her  and  make  her  a  Christian  child." 
How  hard  it  does  seem  to  be  obliged  to  deny  such  re- 
quests. They  think  I  love  children  (they  are  not  far 
wrong  there),  and  this  is  the  twelfth  child  I  have  had 
offered  to  me.  Thomas'  father  seemed  very  grateful. 
He  told  me,  ''  He  gave  me  his  boy,  as  long  he  live  ;  he 
be  my  child,  to  do  what  I  pleased  with  him,  and  he  hoped 
I  would  make  him  mind  me,  and  he  grow  up  to  be  good 
man."  As  we  returned  in  the  canoe,  we  saw  a  poor 
leper,  in  a  dreadful  condition,  bathing  :  dipping  himself 
up  and  down  in  the  water.  It  brought  to  mind  the 
Syrian  leper,  Naaman. 

Insects. — ^We  have  many  petty  annoyances  here  in 
the  way  of  insects.  In  the  first  place,  though  such  a 
thing  as  a  bedbug  is  unknown,  we  have  very  few 
flies  ;  you  will  hardly  see  one  in  a  week.  They  are 
great  rarities.  Then  we  have  a  few,  but  not  many, 
mosquitoes.  There  is  a  little  insect  that,  at  times,  is 
quite  troublesome,  called  the  tick.  It  buries  itself  in  the 
flesh  of  the  feet  and  legs.  It  festers  and  becomes  quite 
sore  for  several  days.     Then  we  have  centipedes   and 


128  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

scorpions.  We  do  not  see  them  so  often,  and  they  rare- 
ly injure  you  unless  you  happen  to  put  your  hand  on 
them,  or  something  of  that  kind.  The  cockroaches  are  a 
great  nuisance.  They  grow  very  large,  and  are  as  bad 
as  moths  for  eating  clothes,  particularly  anything  made  of 
silk.  But  the  greatest  pests  are  the  little  ants.  They  are 
about  the  size  of  the  little  red  ants  at  home,  and  they 
are  here  in  myriads.  Anything  to  eat,  or  drink,  even  a 
glass  of  water,  must  be  stood  in  a  dish  of  salt  water,  if 
you  do  not  wish  it  full  of  them.  They  are  perfect  scav- 
engers. Should  you  kill  a  roach  and  leave  it,  in  an  hour 
there  will  be  no  trace  of  it ;  they  will  have  carried  it 
off.  The  speed  with  which  they  collect  round  anything  is 
marvellous.  Rats  and  mice  we  have  also  in  any 
quantity.  I  caught  a  very  large  rat  in  my  room  last 
night 

Saturday  Evening. — Instead  of  reading  the  usual 
portion  of  Scripture  at  worship  on  Saturday  evening, 
Mr.  Hoffman  has  a  custom  of  asking  the  children  what 
has  happened  through  the  week,  and  then  of  deducing 
lessons  of  wisdom  from  these  occurrences.  Even  in  this 
small  place,  every  Saturday  evening,  there  has  been  one 
or  more  deaths  to  speak  of.  To  night  it  struck  me  this 
world  ought  not  to  be  called  the  "  land  of  the  living," 
but  the  land  of  the  dying.  It  is  the  other  world  that  is 
the  "  land  of  the  living."  Mr.  Hoffman  told  the  children 
that  they  had  been  speaking  to  him  of  death,  now  he 
would  speak  to  them  of  life — "  life  from  the  dead."  To- 
morrow, again,  we  are  going  to  have  two  natives  baptized, 
a  man  and  a  woman,  and  Mr.  Hoffman  feels  that  Christ 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA. 


129 


has,  indeed,  called  them  from  the  dead  and  given  them 
life.  How  delightfal  it  is  to  see  one  after  another  wak- 
ing from  ''  the  death  in  sin  to  a  life  in  holiness."  May- 
it  thus  prove  with  them. 

Sunday. — Again  the  beautiful  baptismal  service. 
May  it  ever  remind  us  how  it  represents  to  us  our  pro- 
fession, to  follow  the  example  of  our  blessed  Lord. 
Read  and  talked  to  Matha,  on  the  parable  of  the  mar- 
riage, explaining  to  her  the  wedding  garment  and  the 
freeness  of  its  gift.  Oh  !  that  each  Sunday  we  may 
travel  "  a  Sabbath  day's  journey"  toward  our  home. 

Wah. — My  adult  evening  class  has  increased  to  six- 
teen. Wah  has  been  in  the  school-room  all  the  evening. 
We  always  close  with  prayer.  When  we  were  about  to 
kneel,  he  rushed  across  the  room,  knelt  at  my  side,  and 
taking  hold  of  my  hand  placed  it  on  his  head,  and  held 
it  there  all  the  time  we  were  m  prayer,  at  the  same  time 
looking  up,  most  earnestly,  in  my  face.  I  do  not  know 
what  he  meant  by  the  action.  He  is  a  very  bright,  in- 
telligent child.  I  love  to  watch  him.  I  wish  I  could 
know  what  ideas  he  has  with  reg^ard  to  G-od. 


Sacerdillo. — Mr.  Hoffman  brought  in  a  large  fruit  last 
night  about  the  size  of  a  very  large  cantelope,  only  it  is 
egg-shaped  instead  of  round.  The  outside  is  a  beautiful 
fawm  color.  It  is  called  the  sacerdillo^  Upon  cutting 
it  open,  in  the  centre,  there  is  about  a  teacupful  of  pulpy 
substance,  with  seeds  in  it,  exactly  resembling  grapes 
with  the  skin  off — only  the  seeds  are  quite  soft.     This 

6* 


130  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

you  eat  with  a  spoon.  It  is  delicious.  The  remainder 
of  the  fruit,  cut  up  and  stewed,  makes  a  very  good  suh- 
stitute  for  apple  sauce,  only  it  is  rather  sweet.  It  grows 
on  a  vine,  which  clambers  up  very  tall  trees.  But,  like 
all  parasites,  it  materially  injures  that  which  maintains 
and  supports  it. 

Convocation. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoffman  are  gone  to  attend 
the  convocation,  at  Cavalla.  This  is  a  meeting  held  three 
times  a  year,  at  different  stations,  when  all  the  teachers 
and  ministers,  from  the  different  places,  that  can  possibly 
come,  are  present.  Reports  are  read,  speeches  made, 
and  all  business  for  the  mission  attended.  Exchanges 
or  removals,  decided  upon.  I  could  not  well  be  present. 
It  is  best  for  one  of  us  always  to  be  at  home. 

Good  Friday. — Good  Friday.  Mr.  Gibson  preached 
a  most  excellent  sermon,  from  the  words, "  He  bowed  His 
head  and  died."  It  was  really  a  beautiful  discourse. 
Would  that  every  heart  in  that  little  congregation  could 
respond  ''  the  Saviour  died  for  me."  Poor  Matha  is 
very  feeble.  She  coughs  and  expectorates  constantly, 
but  will  not  believe  she  is  near  death. 

Change. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoffman  did  not  reach  home 
till  quite  late.  They  brought  me  letters  from  the  Bishop 
and  Miss  Williford,  in  which  I  find  several  changes  have 
been  determined  upon  at  this  convocation.  Mr.  Gibson  is 
to  be  removed  to  Monrovia,  to  take  the  pastoral  charge 
of  the  church  there.  Mr.  Crummel,  also  a  colored  clergy- 
man, is  to  come  here,  to  assist  Mr.  Hoffman,  and  to  have 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  131 

charge  of  the  Boys'  High  School,  which  is  to  be  re- 
moved to  Mount  Yaughan.  And  Miss  Ball  and  myself 
are  to  change  places.  She  is  to  come  here  to  the  Asy- 
lum, and  I  go  to  Cavalla.  We  should  all  be  willing  to 
go,  or  stay,  wherever  we  can  accomplish  most  good,  and 
it  is  thought  best,  and  so  we  are  to  remove  next  week. 
"We  have  been  expecting  this  some  time. 

Easter  Sunday. — In  bed  all  day,  with  very  high 
fever,  but  could  rejoice  in  a  risen  Saviour. 

I  have  had  a  nice  little  note  to-day  from  Mr.  Wilson 
from  Monrovia.  He  is  still  very  unwell.  He  is  going  home 
to  America.  I  hope  his  health  may  be  improved  by  it. 
Last  evening  we  had  several  of  the  colonists  here  to  tea. 
We  had  a  very  pleasant  evening.  My  children  seem  to 
feel  very  badly  at  my  leaving  them.  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
leave  my  little  Virginia  here.  Miss  Ball  will  take  care 
of  her,  as  all  the  children  at  Cavalla  are  natives,  and  Mr. 
Harris  does  not  wish  her  to  mingle  with  them.  Little 
Thomas  I  shall  take  with  me,  and  let  him  go  into  the 
boys'  school  at  Cavalla. 

Travelling. — The  sea  has  been  so  rough,  for  some 
days,  that  the  boat  has  not  been  able  to  come  up  ;  so 
after  leaving  all  my  things  packed,  to  be  sent  when 
the  sea  is  calmer,  I  started  for  Cavalla  in  a  hammock, 
the  boy  the  Bishop  had  sent  up  going  along  to  take 
care  of  me. 

The  rolling  of  the  surf  to-night  was  most  truly  grand. 
As  the  waves  broke  upon 'the  rocks,  the  spray  would  be 
tossed  up  for  yards.  Truly,  it  seems  to  me.  Old  Ocean 
is  the  most  magnificent  creation  of  the  Almighty  hand. 


132  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

My  bearers  detained  me  very  long  on  the  road,  so  that 
it  was  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  ere  I  reached  my 
destination.  I  should  have  felt  quite  timid  if  the  Bishop's 
boy  had  not  been  with  me.  It  was  perfectly  dark,  and 
the  last  two  miles  of  our  road  lies  through  a  plain 
covered  with  grass  four  feet  high,  through  which  a  nar- 
row foot-path  has  been  trodden.  Thoughts  of  leopards, 
snakes,  &c.,  darted  across  my  imagination,  and  then  the 
strange,  wild  cries  of  the  night-birds  in  the  bushes,  made 
me  truly  realize  how  far  away  I  was  from  home,  and, 
to  complete  the  romance,  one  of  my  poor  bearers  slipt 
and  fell,  tumbling  me  to  the  ground  ;  fortunately,  we 
were  neither  of  us  much  hurt — -just  a  bruise  or  two. 
But  the  bright  smiles,  and  cheerful,  happy  faces  that 
soon  greeted  me,  made  amends  for  all  fatigue. 

To-morrow  I  shall  begin  my  work  among  the  natives. 
I  do  not  know  whether  I  shall  like  it  as  well  as  among 
the  colonists,  but  wherever  I  am,  I  hope  I  may  work 
for  God. 

Want. — Miss  Ball  went  to  the  Cape  to-day,  and  the 
Bishop  started  for  Monrovia.  He  probably  will  be  ab- 
sent two  months.  I  have  been  into  the  store-room  with 
Miss  Williford,  learning  the  place  where  everything 
is  kept — books,  material  for  wearing  apparel,  &c.  Then 
we  cut  and  basted  five  dresses  for  the  girls.  We  went 
into  the  native  town  to  visit  two  sick  women,  and  so 
passed  the  day. 

The  people  are  very  poor,  and  yet  very  generous, 
among  themselves  dividing  their  smallest  possessions. 
There  is  no  character  they  appear  so  much  to  despise  as 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  133 

a  stingy  one,  or,  as  they  call  it,  "  sl  close  hand."  And 
if  the  missionary  wishes  to  effect  any  good  among  them? 
he  must  show  his  kindness  by  frequent  little  dashes  ;  so 
I  have  supplied  myself  with  a  piece  of  dark  cotton 
cloth,  some  tobacco  and  pipes  for  this  purpose.  Poor 
creatures,  they  really  suffer  very  much.  A  little  thing 
makes  them  happy.  Since  the  war  last  year  there  has 
been  great  scarcity  of  food,  and  you  constantly  are  met 
by  beggars — placing  their  hand  on  their  stomachs,  they 
will  say,  "  Hunger  kills  me,"  or  "  Hunger  affects  me." 
Money,  money,  money,  how  much  are  we  often  tempted 
to  covet  it. 

My  little  Thomas  has  walked  down  to-day  from  the 
Cape.     It  is  a  long  walk  for  such  a  child. 

There  is  a  French  vessel  anchored  off  here  with  a 
great  deal  of  rum  on  board.  We  see  some  of  the  hor- 
rible effects  of  it.  It  is  so  very,  very  wicked  thus  to 
destroy  the  missionary's  labor  of  years. 

The  Well. — A  calm,  peaceful  Sabbath.  I  was 
awakened  in  the  morning  by  a  loud  chattering  and  jab- 
bering, and  looking  out  of  my  window,  a  perfect  east- 
ern picture  presented  itself.  Our  house  stands  on  the 
brow  of  a  small  hill,  completely  enveloped  in  cocoa-nut 
trees,  v/hich  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  scene.  Just 
at  the  foot  of  this  little  hill,  or  bank,  the  Bishop  has  had 
a  deep  well  dug,  the  water  of  which  is,  at  present,  raised 
up  by  means  of  a  windlass.  There  has  been  quite  a 
drought  for  some  time,  and  all  the  springs  in  the  neigh- 
borhood are  dry,  so  the  natives  from  the  towns  around 
come  to  our  well  for  water.     I  suppose  there  were  as 


134  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

many  as  fifty  or  sixty  round  the  well  in  every  conceiva- 
ble attitude,  all  waiting  with  their*  jars  to  he  filled, 
while  a  long  string  of  women,  with  their  jars  on  their 
heads,  were  coming  and  going.  It  really  was  a  very 
pretty  sight,  and  when  you  add  to  this,  the  rolling 
waves,  the  white  sandy  beach,  and  the  deep  rich  green 
of  the  grass  and  foliage,  you  may  imagine  quite  a  pic- 
ture. 

In  the  morning  Mr.  Jones  conducted  service,  in  Grebo, 
in  the  church.  I  had  two  classes  in  Sunday  School,  in 
the  afternoon  :  the  one  composed  of  colonists — our  house 
servants  ;  the  other,  the  married  women  from  the  native 
village  —  all  Christians,  educated  in  the  school  here. 
These  classes  I  am  to  have  charge  of.  After  Sunday 
School,  Harry,  a  colonist  carpenter  from  the  Cape,  who 
is  here  building  the  boys'  school-house,  came  to  my 
room  to  read  and  hear  God's  word  explained.  He  is 
over  fifty  years  of  age,  but  he  is  very  anxious  to  learn 
to  read  his  Bible  well.  At  present  he  has  to  spell  almost 
every  word. 

We  had  service  in  the  school-house  in  the  evening. 
Mr.  Jones  read  the  service  in  English,  but  preached  in 
Grebo.  After  our  return  to  the  parlor,  we  sang  some 
hymns,  and  so  closed  our  Sabbath. 

Visitors  —  There  having  been  so  little  water 
lately,  the  girls  are  obliged  to  take  their  clothes  some 
distance  off  to  a  running  stream,  to  wash  them.  So  on 
Monday  mornings,  for  the  present,  our  school  duties  are 
very  much  shortened.  From  four  to  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon   the  ladies  generally  sit  in  the  parlor,  to  re- 


EVERY-PAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  135 

ceive  all  the  natives  who  may  choose  to  come  ''  to  look 
them."  Formerly  they  used  to  be  coming  and  going  all 
day,  but  it  was  found  to  interrupt  the  time  so  much, 
that  the  ladies  determined  to  receive  no  visitors  in  the 
morning,  unless  it  were  sickness  or  some  case  of  urgent 
necessity,  but  always  some  of  them  to  be  in  the  parlor 
at  that  hour  of  the  afternoon,  except  Saturday  and  Sun- 
day. They  have  learnt  this  ;  so  always  in  the  afternoon 
we  have  quite  a  number  here,  and  they  expect  us  fre- 
quently to  dash  them.  Poor  things  !  they  having  noth- 
ing, literally  nothing,  themselves,  our  little  posses- 
sions to  them  appear  enormous.  We  went  this  after- 
noon into  the  Christian  village.  It  consists  of  those 
who  have  been  educated  in  the  schools,  and  have  married 
each  other.  Their  houses  all  look  very  neat  and  nice. 
In  the  evening,  Henry,  the  Bishop's  factotum,  came  to 
me.  He  is  to  come  an  hour  to  study  every  evening. 
There  is  never  any  lack  of  work  here. 


136  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


€hji^ttx  %tn 


BADE. 

I  FIND  I  get  along  better  with  the  native  children 
than  I  supposed  I  should  at  first.  This  afternoon  I  took 
one  of  the  older  girls  as  an  interpreter,  and  went  to 
town  to  visit  some  of  the  women.  One,  a  poor  old 
woman  named  Bade,  is  a  leper — every  joint  is  eaten  off 
both  hands  and  feet.  She  lives  in  a  very  little  hut,  but 
she  is  in  a  very  happy  frame  of  mind.  She  very  rarely 
can  get  out,  even  to  church,  but  she  is  a  sincere  Chris- 
tian, and  talks  to  all  her  friends  who  come  to  see  her 
about  God's  things.     It  is  very  pleasant  to  hear  her  talk. 

Miss  Williford  takes  charge  of  the  sewing-school  three 
times  a  week — a  great  relief  to  me. 

Witchcraft. — Every  little  while  something  occurs 
tx)  remind  us  we  are  in  the  midst  of  savages.  The 
last  day  or  two,  a  fine  large  vessel  has  been  beating  up 
and  down  the  coast,  in  our  sight.  To-day  she  came  to 
anchor  about  four  miles  off.  Kade  came  in  and  told  us 
a  sad  tale  about  her.  She  is  an  English  vessel — ^has 
been  down  the  coast,  and  now  was  on  her  return  home, 
fully  laden  with  corn,  wood,  and  palm  oil.  She  has  a 
good  many  Kroomen  on  board,  whom  some  months  ago 
she  took  from  Cape  Palmas  to  work  her  on  the  coast, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  137 

and  now  she  was  bringing  them  back  to  their  homes, 
before  she  proceeded  to  England.  Every  white  man  on 
board  of  her,  except  the  captain  and  steward,  are  dead. 
The  fever  has  carried  them  all  off.  The  captain  lies  very 
low,  and  is  perfectly  delirious,  and  the  steward  just 
able  to  crawl  about,  and  give  a  few  directions.  They 
have  met  with  so  many  disasters,  bad  winds,  and  such 
a  number  of  deaths,  that  the  Kroomen  came  to  the  con- 
clusion, that  there  must  be  '^  a  witch"  on  board.  They, 
therefore,  accused  one  of  their  number  of  witchcraft. 
So  they  took  him  and  tied  him  up  in  the  rigging,  giving 
him  neither  food  or  drink,  in  that  hot  sun.  Each  day 
they  beat  him  severely.  At  the  end  of  three  days  they 
let  him  down,  tied  a  rope  around  his  body,  and  flung 
him  over  into  the  sea^ — keeping  him  under  water  till  he 
was  almost  drowned.  This  they  repeated  three  times. 
They  then  again  tied  him  up  in  the  rigging  —  beat- 
ing and  starving  him  as  before— -but  in  two  days  after 
he  was  a  corpse.  They  then  flung  the  body  into  the 
sea,  exulting  that  another  witch  was  dead.  Thus  was 
this  poor  wretch  tortured  for  a  crime,  of  which  it  was 
utterly  impossible  he  could  be  guilty.  There  was  one 
far  greater,  far  mightier,  than  them  all,  but  whom  they 
knew  not.  He  it  is  that  holdeth  the  "  winds  in  his  fist, 
and  the  waves  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand."  The  victim 
w^as  the  uncle  of  one  of  our  school  boys — a  very  fine 
man. 

Does  it  not  seem  dreadful  to  know  of  such  things 
taking  place,  and,  yet,  to  be  utterly  powerless  to  prevent 
it  ?    We  shall  send  on  board,  to-morrow  morning,  to  see" 
if  we  can  do  anything  to  help  them.     Miss  Wilhford  has 


138  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

sent  information  to  the  Cape  to-night,  that  the  governor 
may  send  down  some  one  to  take  charge  of  the  vessel  up 
to  the  Cape.  The  Kroomen  on  board  know  the  coast, 
and  where  the  vessel  ought  to  go,  and  where  she  ought 
not,  but  they  do  not  understand  steering  her.  She  will 
have  to  lay  at  the  Cape,  either  till  the  captain  recovers 
and  can  get  men,  or  till  some  other  vessel  arrives,  to 
take  charge  of  her.  The  captain  will  be  there,  too,  under 
the  doctor's  care.  See  how  daily  we  have  to  feel  the 
need  of  a  hospital !  Mr.  Hoffman  came  down  this  even- 
ing. When  the  Bishop  is  away  he  often  comes  to  look 
after  us.  Two  of  the  girls  at  the  Asylum  wrote  me 
pretty  little  notes,  and  sent  me  a  quantity  of  shells  they 
had  all  been  picking  up  for  me.  Mr.  Dorsen  came  in 
this  eveninof  also.  He  broug^ht  me  a  beautiful  shell. 
One  of  my  school  girls,  also,  brought  me  two  nests  of  the 
rice  bird.  They  know  I  am  fond  of  collecting  such 
things.  These  nests  are  very  curiously  built  to  avoid 
snakes  and  monkeys,  who  are  very  fond  of  the  eggs  and 
young  birds. 

Saturday  Afternoon. — One  of  our  trusty  men  went 
on  board  the  vessel.  The  captain  was  able  to  speak  to 
him,  but  he  left  him,  as  he  said,  ''just  for  dead."  I 
always  go  into  the  g'irls'  dormitory  every  night,  to  see 
that  ihey  are  all  safe.  At  nine  o'clock  a  large  bell  rings, 
and  then  I  send  in  a  lantern  to  the  girls'  school-house,  to 
be  hung  up  in  the  passage,  in  the  dormitory,  between 
their  rooms.  At  ten  o'clock  I  go  in  myself,  see  that  they 
are  all  safely  there,  and  bring  away  the  lantern  ;  and 
on  Saturday  morning  every  place,  belonging  to  them,  is 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA,  139 

scrutbed.  So  I  look  after  it  to  see  that  it  is  done  prop- 
erly. Saturday  afternoons  we  always  go  to  town,  to 
visit  the  women.  Miss  Williford  goes,  with  an  interpre- 
ter, in  one  direction,  and  I,  with  mine,  in  another.  To 
every  one  we  meet,  we  always  bow  and  say,  "  S ancle 
diade,^^  Sunday  to-morrow.  The  children,  too,  are  all 
permitted  to  go  to  town,  but  all  commissioned  to  tell 
to  every  one  that  the  next  day  is  the  Sabbath — G-od's 
day.  We  also  have  a  certain  flag  waving  from  the 
mission  house,  called  the  Saturday  flag  ;  and  on  Sunday, 
there  is  another  waves  from  the  tower  of  the  church. 
Thus,  all  means  are  used  to  make  them  ''  remember 
the  Sabbath  day."  Harriet  Williams,  one  of  the  native 
Christian  women,  is  my  interpreter.  She  is  an  exceed- 
ingly intelligent  woman,  has  been  well  instructed,  and 
thoroughly  understands  the  teachings  of  the  Sacred 
Scriptures.  I  have  engaged  her  to  come  to  me,  three 
times  a  week,  to  teach  me  G-rebo.  Poor  old  Bade,  the 
leper,  is  very  feeble.  The  rats  trouble  her  greatly 
at  night.  The  disease  affects  every  joint,  and  that  ap- 
pears to  attract  these  animals,  and  she  is  never  without 
a  very  bad  sore  occasioned  by  their  bites.  I  have  sent 
her  an  old  dress.  I  hope  it  may  be  some  protection  to 
her.     She  speaks  very  joyfully  of  her  heavenly  home. 

Sunday. — It  is  Sunday.  After  church;  this  morning, 
a  number  of  my  little  girls  came  into  my  room  ;  and 
after  Sunday-school,  this  afternoon,  about  a  dozen  of  the 
elder  girls  came  up,  wanting  me  to  show  them  pictures 
and  talk  to  them  about  them.  While  conversing  with 
them,  as  they  all  sat  on  the  floor  around  me,  I  placed  my 


140  INCroENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

hand  on  the  shoulder  of  one  of  them,  and  said,  ^'  G-uds,  I  do 
hope  yon  will  soon  learn  to  love  me."  They  all  exclaim- 
ed immediately,  ^'We  do;  we  do  love  yon  this  time." 
And  I  believe  they  do.  They  all  look  so  pleased  when- 
ever they  see  me  ;  and  the  little  ones  ran  to  catch  hold 
of  my  hand.  I  am  very  glad  to  observe  this,  for  I 
always  feel  that  a  teacher  can  accomplish  comparative- 
ly nothing  without  having  a  hold  on  the  hearts  of  the 
pupils.  T  want  them  to  obey  me  from  love,  not  from 
fear.  Much  as  I  love  to  talk  to  them,  however,  I  shall 
be  obliged  to  tell  them  I  cannot  have  them  come  to  me 
on  Sunday.  I  must  have  a  little  time  to  myself  and  for 
rest.  But  it  is  very  hard  to  deny  knowledge  to  those  so 
eagerly  inquiring  after  it.  But  prudence,  prudence  ;  it  is 
a  very  hard  thing  for  an  impulsive  person  to  learn.  Some 
man  has  died  in  t3wa  this  afterno3:i.  They  have  been 
firing  guns,  as  their  custom  is,  all  the  evening.  We 
were  not  aware  that  any  one  was  sick.  Bat  it  is  fre- 
quently the  custom,  when  aay  one  is  ill,  to  hide  them 
away.  They  think  the  sickness  has  been  brought  on  by 
witchcraft,  and  so  the  person  is  concealed  that  the  witch 
may  not  be  able  to  exert  any  further  influence  over  him. 
Sometimes,  the  poor  sick  man  (or  woman)  is  hid  away 
by  his  mother  (they  have  m)re  confiJence  in  the 
mother  than  any  other  relation),  in  the  conical  roof; 
where,  to  add  to  his  disease,  he  is  almost  suffocated. 
Sometimes  he  is  carried  off  to  a  distance  ;  in  fact,  he  is 
hidden  anywhere  that  it  is  thought  the  supposed 
witch  will  not  guess  his  whereabouts.  Strange  it  is, 
that  these  poor  deluded  beings,  knowing  how  liable  they 
are,  at  any  moment,  to  be  accused  of  this  crime,  and  to 


eve;^y-day  life  in  africa.  141 

suffer  its  penalties,  yet,  whenever  they  have  a  severe 
quarrel  with  another,  will  be  sure  to  utter,  maliciously  : 
''  I'll  witch  you."  This  is  always  remembered,  and 
should  any  great  evil  happen  to  the  party,  even  twenty 
years  after,  the  person  who  has  uttered  those  ^vords  is 
sure  to  undergo  the  penalty. 

Wounds. — We  have  heard  nothing  more  about  the 
dead  man.  No  sassa-wood  ordeal  this  time.  I  have 
commenced  the  study  of  Grrebo.  I  fear  it  will  be  slow 
work,  however,  as  I  have  but  little  time  to  give  to  it.  If 
we  allowed  the  school  children  to  talk  to  us,  in  that  lan- 
guage, we  should  get  along  much  faster  ;  but,  though 
that  would  be  for  our  benefit,  it  certainly  would  not  be 
for  theirs  ;  it  is  much  more  important  that  they  should 
learn  English.  Our  life  here  is  pretty  uniform  ;  plenty 
to  do,  and,  I  hope  aad  trust,  willing  hearts  to  do  it. 
Each  hour  through  the  week  has  its  appointed  duty, 
that  we  nevei*  have  to  stop  and  think,  ^'  what  next." 
How  much  more  can  be  accomplished  where  there  is  a 
regular  system  !  This  place  would  not  do  for  very  fastid- 
ious ladies,  who  cannot  dress  a  v/ound,  and  whose  own 
feelings  are  so  sensitive  that  they  have  no  room  left  to 
feel  for  others.  I  used  to  feel  deadly  faint  and  sick  at 
the  sight  of  a  w^ound,  or  of  blood.  But  I  learnt  to  look  upon 
it  as  a  purely  selfish  feeling  ;  giving  way  to  our  own  weak- 
nesses, instead  of  throwing  them  off,  and  exerting  ourselves 
for  the  good  of  the  suflferer  ;  I  determined,  therefore,  if  pos- 
sible, to  conquer  this  morbid  sensitiveness,  and  I  have  pret- 
ty well  succeeded,  though  not  entirely,  as  I  could  wish,  yet 
sufficiently,  so  as  to  enable  me  to  render  assistance  in  suf- 
fering.    We  are  here  constantly  called  upon  to  adminis- 


142  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

ter  healing  balm  to  the  bodies,  as  well  as  the  souls,  cf 
these  benighted  ones.  They  think  the  white  man  can 
do  everything.  "  He  have  all  wisdom,"  and  they  place 
perfect  confidence  in  his  power.  Sometimes,  however, 
the  sights  are  disgusting,  and  we  turn  away  with  a 
sickening  feeling.  But,  then,  we  must  call  to  mind  Him 
who  "  went  about  healing  all  manner  of  sickness  and 
disease  among  the  people;"  and  we  must  remember 
how  loathsome  and  disgusting  our  leprous  souls  must  be 
in  His  eyes,  and  yet  the  Great  Physician  does  not  dis- 
dain, on  that  account,,  to  stretch  forth  His  hand  to  help 
us.  My  little  Thomas  has  contrived  to  cut  off  part  of 
his  toe,  and  I  have  had  a  very  sore  wound  to  dress ;  and 
this  morning  a  young  woman  came  to  me  from  the  town 
with  a  finger  almost  chopped  off;  all  the  bone  laid  bare 
— it  looked  dreadful.  We  have  found  the  most  effectual 
way  of  treating  these  flesh  wounds,  when  fresh  done,  is 
first  to  bathe  them  well  with  warm  water — so  as  to  be 
sure  that  all  the  parts  are  clean,  and  then  to  put  on  raw 
cotton  soaked  in  laudanum  ;  it  smarts  dreadfully  for  a 
few  seconds,  but  stops  the  bleeding,  and  heals  soon. 
This  is  bound  up  tight,  and  left  for  two  or  three  days,  so 
the  air  may  not  come  to  it,  then  it  is  carefully  washed 
and  cerate  put  to  it  each  day.     It  soon  is  quite  well. 

Sickness. — The  poor  girl  has  been  again  to  have  her 
hand  dressed  ;  it  looks  better.  She  seems  to  feel  quite 
grateful.  More  little  notes  from  the  girls  at  the  Asylum. 
It  is  very  pleasant  to  receive  them,  only  it  involves  the 
necessity  of  answering  them,  and  my  time !  my  time  ! 
the  days  are  not  half  long  enough  for  all  we  want  to  do. 


EVERY-DAV    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  143 

The  vessel  that  was  out  here  was  taken,  some  days  ago, 
to  Cape  Palmas.  Under  kind  care  and  treatment,  the 
captain  is  rapidly  recovering.  There  is  another  English 
vessel  just  put  in  there,  from  down  the  coast.  The 
captain  of  that  is  well,  but  he  has  lost  all  but  two  of  his 
men.  They  may  have  to  remain  there  some  time,  before 
they  can  pick  up  men  enough  from  other  vessels  to  take 
them  home.  It  is  very  sickly  this  season  down  the 
coast.  I  hope  G-od  will  preserve  our  missionary  friends 
there.  I  am  often  struck  with  the  absurd  reasoning  of 
worldly  men  ;  when  they  hear  of  the  death  of  a  mis- 
sionary, in  this  baneful  clime,  they  say  we  ought  to  take 
it  as  an  indication  that  God  does  not  mean  Africa  to  be 
Christianized  by  our  instrumentality,  and  that  it  is 
throwing  away  our  lives,  in  fact  tempting  Providence,  to 
go  there  ;  but  there  is  an  old  adage,  ^'  It  is  a  poor  rule 
that  won't  work  both  ways."  They  never  think,  how- 
ever, of  applying  it  in  this  way,  no  matter  how  many 
lives  are  lost  on  the  coast  in  pursuit  of  worldly  wealth — 
ah !  that  is  nothing — ^they  never  think  it  is  a  divine  in- 
dication that  they  must  give  up  all  commerce,  all  pur- 
suit of  wealth  here.  Now,  since  I  have  been  here,  in  a 
few  months — just  between  here  and  Lagos — seventeen 
seamen  have  perished  of  fever  ;  not  a  third  that  number 
of  missionaries  have  died  in  as  many  years.  Do  the 
owners  of  these  vessels  think  they  must  never  send  them 
forth  again  ?  Is  not  the  health  and  life  of  each  seaman 
as  dear  to  him  and  his  family,  as  the  missionary's  is  to 
him  ?  Is  not  the  fever  as  acute  suffering  to  the  one,  as 
to  the  other  ?  Is  the  poor,  (often)  ignorant,  debased 
and  vicious  seaman,  surer  that,  the  moment  he  dies, 


144  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

death  shall  be  swallowed  up  in  victory,  that  he  will 
enter  the  haven  of  eternal  rest,  where  all  tears  will  be 
wiped  from  every  eye  ?  These  flimsy  pretences  to  phi- 
lanthropy^ in  regard  to  the  welfare  of  the  missionary,  are 
too  often  made  to  conceal  the  entire  want  of  feeling.  These 
persons  are  generally  afraid  that  their  pockets  will  suffer, 
and,  therefore,  they  say  :  ''  Oh,  no!  we  won't  give  you 
anything — we  consider  it  wrong,  decidedly  wrong,  for 
missionaries  to  expose  themselves  to  the  perils  of  such  a 
clime."  Let  these  persons  carry  out  their  principles,  and, 
as  far  as  they  can,  prevent  all  commerce,  of  every  de- 
scription, with  such  a  clime,  and  so  prevent  the  sickness 
and  death  of  so  many  seamen  there ;  for  surely,  if  it  is 
not  worth  the  missionary's  while  to  peril  his  life,  that  he 
may  win  the  choicest  jewels  that  shall  shine  in  the 
Redeemer's  crown  to  all  eternity,  it  cannot  be  worth  the 
seaman's  while  to  peril  his,  for  a  little,  worthless  dross, 
that  will  perish  with  the  using. 

Moonlight. — Paddock  walked  up  to  see  me  to-day.  I 
like  him  very  much.  He  said  he  came  to  bring  me  a 
little  of  the  fruits  of  his  garden — a  few  egg-plants  and 
some  tomatoes.  They  grow  very  well  here,  but  very 
small.  I  felt  quite  pleased  with  this  little  attention 
from  him.  The  poor  little  diseased  child  is  dead  ;  he 
was  very  decently  buried.  He  is  now  safe  at  home  !- — 
safe  at  home !  He  had  none  here  on  earth,  but  he 
has  now  joined  the  happy  band,  to  be  forever  with 
the  Lord.  It  is  a  splendid  moonlight  night ;  the  effect, 
through  the  cocoa-nut  trees,  is  very  beautifal.  But,  oh, 
dear!   it   is  a  great  fall — after  your  ideas  have  been 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  145 

wrought  Tip  to  the  highest  pitch  of  sublimity,  by  the 
magnificence  of  the  moonlight  on  the  surrounding  scene, 
and  the  ever-rolling  surf — to  go  into  your  room,  and 
descend  to  the  most  unpleasant  task  of  hunting  cook- 
roaches.  I  do  not  know  why  it  is,  but  there  is  some- 
thing repulsive  and  disgusting  about  these  animals. 

Prayer. — Friday  afternoons  Miss  Williford  has  a 
prayer-meeting  for  the  Christian  women  of  the  village, 
and  the  older  school-girls,  who  are  members  of  the 
Church.  This  afternoon,  she  had  a  swelled  face,  so  I 
conducted  it  for  her.  She  always  calls  on  one  of  the 
women  to  pray  in  Grebo.  I  was  surprised  at  the  length 
of  the  prayer,  and  the  ease  and  fluency  with  which  it 
was  spoken. — '^  G-od  will  work,  and  who  shall  let." 

Lowliness. — The  girls  often  come  to  my  room,  when 
they  think  I  have  a  few  minutes  to  spare,  for  me  to  show 
them  how  to  do  somethings.  Some  of  them  are  trying  to 
make  patchwork.  In  oneVf'  the  huts  we  visited  to-day, 
there  was  quite  a  little  congregation  collected.  Harriet 
Williams  is  an  excellent  interpreter  ;  being  conversant 
with  Scripture,  she  can  explain  and  enforce  all  that  we 
say.  She  generally  carries  her  little  baby  with  her.  Chil- 
dren are  placed  in  saddles  on  the  back,  fastened  on 
with  straps  around  the  waist,  and  over  the  shoulder, 
leaving  both  arms  free.  When  we  go  to  town,  we 
always  put  on  the  commonest  clothes  we  can  wear ;  for 
going  into  the  smoky  huts,  and  then  sitting  on  a  small 
block  of  wood  on  the  ground,  does  not  tend  either  to 
cleanse  or  improve  your  clothing.     When  I  first  used  to 

7 


146  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

go  into  their  huts,  I  would  sit  down  on  the  chest,  which 
you  almost  always  find  in  them,  but  I  found  that  the 
smoke  almost  blinded  me ;  at  length,  I  tried  the  block 
of  wood  on  the  floor,  and  i  soon  found  that  in  this  case, 
as  in  most  others,  '^  with  the  lowly  is  wisdom."  When 
you  go  home,  you  must  be  careful,  also,  not  to  touch 
anything  till  you  have  given  your  hands  a  good  scrub- 
bing, as  the  hands  you  have  to  shake  are  not  always  in 
the  highest  state  of  cleanliness,  particularly  those  of  the 
children ;  and,  should  you  happen  to  be  a  favorite 
amongst  them  (children  are  good  physiognomists — they 
soon  know  who  loves  them),  numbers  of  these  will  follow 
you,  each  saying,  as  they  stick  out  a  dirty  hand,  ''  Tomo 
kwa" — touch  my  hand  ;  and  they  seem  quite  disap- 
pointed if  you  refuse. 

The  Bodia. — The  Greboeshave  a  number  of  customs, 
that  seem  to  me  as  if  they  had  a  Jewish  origin.  Each 
town  has  a  Bodia^,  or  high  priest,  who,  when  he  is  in- 
stalled into  this  office,  is  anointed,  as  is  also  his  house. 
He  is  the  principal  man  in  their  religious  cerem'onies  ;  he 
it  is  who  offers  the  sacrifices,  &c.  ;  but  his  office  is  very 
undesirable,  as  he  is  made  accountable  for  bad  weather, 
failure  of  the  crops,  and  a  variety  of  other  ills  that  may 
befall  the  people  ;  and  he  most  frequently  ends  his  days 
by  sassa-wood,  for  some  imaginary  misdemeanor.  This 
office  is  hereditary  in  certain  families,  though  not  to  the 
eldest  son.  Any  member  of  the  family  may  be  selected, 
on  the  death  of  the  old  Bodia,  to  fill  his  place,  and  he  is 

*  See  Mrs.  Scott's  "  Day  Dawn,"  for  full  account. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  147 

obliged  to  take  it  immediately;  the  position  must  not  be 
left  vacant  a  day.  Nya^  our  gardener,  was  the  son  of 
the  old  Bodia  ;  and,  when  his  father  died,  they  deter- 
mined to  make  him  Bodia  (he  was  not  then  a  Christian), 
but  he  ran  away  and  hid  himself,  to  escape  it — and,  as 
the  office  must  be  filled  directly,  they  were  obliged  to 
choose  another  member  of  the  family.  The  Bodia,  and 
his  head  wife,  never  work  on  a  farm ;  but  all  the  people 
must  pay  him  a  tithe  of  what  they  raise.  He  always 
carries  a  monkey  skin,  as  a  badge  of  office  ;  and  when 
he  sits  down,  it  must  always  be  on  this.  He  and  his 
head  wife  must  never,  at  one  time,  be  absent  from  the 
hut.  It  must  always  be  open,  and  one  or  other  of  them 
present.  The  fire  must  never  go  out  in  the  hut. 
They  have  no  idea  where  their  fire  first  came,  or  how  it 
was  obtained,  for  they  say  they  never  were  without  it. 
Shall  I  tell  you  of  one  visit  we  made  ?  We  went  into 
a  hut,  which  was  quite  large,  and  hung  round  with 
plenty  of  plates  and  dishes  ;  it  had  three  doors.  These 
doors  are  merely  pieces  of  the  wall  or  side  of  the  hut, 
that  can  be  removed  at  pleasure.  The  whole  of  the 
roof,  up  to  the  very  apex  of  the  cone,  was  piled  up  with 
wood,  arranged  very  neatly  on  a  frame,  made  for  the 
purpose.  There  was  a  bright  fire  blazing  in  the  little 
triangular  fire-place,  emitting  volumes  of  smoke.  As 
we  entered,  a  bright,  pleasant-looking  woman,  who  had 
been  peeling  cassadas,  with  a  troupe  of  little,  naked 
children  around  her,  arose,  and  came  forward  to  welcome 
us.  She  pushed  towards  each  of  us  a  log  to  sit  upon, 
and  then  seated  herself  beside  us — one  child  between 
her  knees,   another  beside  her,  and  all  listened  most 


148  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

attentively  to  the  Word  of  Life,  as  interpreted  by  Har- 
riet. At  the  other  door  of  the  house  a  woman  had  been 
standing,  beating  palm-nuts  in  a  mortar — (these  are  so 
large  that  the  women  always  stand,  when  employed 
about  this  work) — ^but  she,  too,  gradually  stopped  her 
w^ork,  and  drew  near  to  listen.  My  little  boy,  Thomas, 
is  sitting  at  my  feet ;  he  always  follows  me  everywhere, 
and  sits  very  quietly.  God  grant,  that  we  may  have 
faith  to  believe  that  the  Word  may  take  root,  ''  that  it 
shall  not  return  unto  him  void."  Can  you  picture  us? 
Would  that  I  could  not  only  show  you  the  scenes  these 
eyes  see,  but  that  I  could  fill  you  with  the  same  earnest 
longings,  the  same  intense  desires  for  the  temporal  and 
dternal  interests  of  these  poor  people,  then,  I  am  sure 
ihere  would  be  a  full  supply  of  laborers. 

Cannibals. — These  people  have  all  been  cannibals. 
There  is,  probably,  not  a  man,  thirty  years  of  age,  who 
has  not  feasted  on  human  flesh;  it  does  not  appear 
with  them  to  be  a  relish  for  this  kind  of  food,  but  it  is 
lone  to  show  the  greatest  contempt  and  derision  for  their 
enemies,  as  it  is  only  those  taken  in  battle  whom  they 
thus  devour.  Many  of  their  prisoners,  however,  are  pre- 
served as  slaves.  These,  in  general,  are  treated  well, 
and  are,  in  most  respects,  as  well  off,  as  any  other  mem- 
bers of  the  household.  But  I  have  heard  that  there  is  a 
tribe  of  savages,  about  eighty  miles  back  of  Monrovia, 
that  are  regular  cannibals,  not  merely  devouring  their 
enemies  taken  in  battle,  but  feeding  on  one  another. 
How  fearful  it  is  !  Miss  Williford  was  laughing  at  me 
to-night,  and  saying,  it  is  such  hungry  times  now  with 
these  poor  people,  that,  a  little  distance  back,  I  should 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    FN    AFRICA.  149 

stand  but  a  poor  chance,  as  I  appear  to  be  in  such  good 
condition.  I  have  no  ambition,  however,  to  run  any- 
such  risk. 

Atonement. — How  even  the  most  degraded  of  human 
beings  feel  their  guilt,  and  need  of  an  atonement. 
Among  this  people  they  have  a  custom,  before  going  to 
war,  for  the  whole  tribe,  consisting  sometimes  of  several 
towns,  to  meet  together,  and  confess  their  sins  to  one 
another — the  sins  or  offences  I  mean  that  they  have 
committed  the  one  against  the  other,  perhaps  some  deed 
committed  years  ago.  They  then  make  restitution,  and 
offer  a  sacrifice  to  the  kwi  (devils) ;  unless  they  do  this, 
they  think  they  will  not  prosper  in  battle. 

Self-Denial. — In  Christian  lands,  we  can  hardly 
imagine  the  strength  of  mind  and  the  grace  it  requires 
to  maintain  a  consistent  Christian  profession  among  the 
heathen.  Two  of  the  poor  Christians,  in  town,  were 
sorely  tempted  yesterday.  It  is  very  hungry  times  with 
them  now ;  and  the  continued  dry  weather  we  are 
having,  makes  them  fear  for  their  growing  crops.  A 
great  devil-doctor  has  been  summoned,  who,  after  various 
incantations,  has  ordered  three  bullocks  to  be  offered  to 
the  Kwi,  in  sacrifice.  Every  man  in  town  is  compelled 
to  pay  his  part  towards  this.  Christians  as  well  as 
others.  After  they  have  performed  many  ceremonies 
over  this  sacrifice,  it  is  divided,  and  a  portion  given  to 
each  family  to  eat.  These  Christians,  true  to  their  pro- 
fession, (though  suffering  a's  much  from  the  want  of 
food  as  others)  refused  to  take  their  share,  as  the  Bible 


150  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

expressly  forbids  us  to  eat  meat  offered  to  idols.  Was 
not  this  a  great  act  of  faith  and  love,  probably,  far  more 
acceptable  to  God  than  many  of  the  mighty  deeds  per- 
formed by  Christians  in  other  lands  ? — An  heroic  deed  of 
self-denial. 

The  Well. — To-day,  I  was  forcibly  reminded  of  the 
Scripture  account  of  the  strife  of  Abraham's  and  Lot's 
servants  about  the  water.  I  have  told  you  before  that, 
in  consequence  of  the  drought,  all  the  springs  are  drying 
up ;  and  the  people,  from  a  great  distance,  come  here  to 
the  well  to  obtain  water.  The  scene  is  certainly  very 
picturesque.  I  never  tire  gazing,  at  it.  The  well  is  of 
the  simplest  construction,  covered  by  a  flat  platform  of 
planks,  and  the  water  raised  by  turning  a  crank.  It  is 
dug  in  a  hollow — the  coarse  grass,  very  green  and  fresh, 
around  it,  and  completely  surrounded  by  cocoa-nut  and 
palm-trees,  with  their  beautiful  foliage,  forming  a  fine 
shade,  while  scores  of  women  are  continually  disputing 
and  contending  for  their  turn  to  draw.  Twice  to-day,Mis3 
Williford  has  been  obliged  to  go  out  and  settle  a  '^  pala- 
ver" about  the  well. 

Begging. — A  poor  colonist  woman  has  come  down 
from  the  Cape,  begging.  Last  week,  while  she  and  her 
child  were  away  gathering  palm-nuts,  her  house  took 
fire  ;  and  when  she  returned,"  she  found  it  burnt  to  the 
ground,  with  all  her  worldly  goods.  The  all  was  not 
much,  but  then  it  was  her  all — and  she  a  widow.  We 
have  such  constant  and  unceasing  demands  on  our 
charity — and  really  so  deserving  are  the  objects — that  it 


The  Fan  Palm  of  Cavalla,  W.  Af. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  151 

is  SO  hard  to  deny,  and  yet  so  hard  to  supply.  The 
missionary's  salary  is  small,  and  his  heart  often  large  ; 
but  if  we  cannot  do  much,  we  can  show  our  willingness 
by  our  mite. 

Daily  Duties. — I  gave  you  my  daily  routine  of  labor 
at  the  Cape.  I  will  tell  you  now  what  it  is  here.  I 
rise  at  six  o'clock,  and  read  till  half-past  seven ;  then  we 
have  prayers  for  the  family,  in  English.  Mr.  Jones  con- 
ducting prayers  with  the  children — a/Z,  boys  and  girls, 
(nearly  a  hundred)  meeting  in  the  girls'  school-house  at 
seven.  "We  breakfast  at  eight,  then  a  few  minutes  to 
study  Grebo.  A  little  before  nine,  I  go  into  the  girls' 
school-house,  up  into  the  dormitory,  and  all  around,  to 
see  that  everything  is  neat,  and  in  order.  From  nine 
till  half-past  one  in  school,  without  a  moment's  inter- 
mission. When  I  come  out  of  school,  I  always  find  either 
an  orange  or  some  other  refreshment  placed  in  my  room 
by  the  loving  hands  of  our  good  hostess.  Then  Julia 
and  Mary,  our  two  housemaids,  come  to  my  room  for 
instruction  in  reading  and  writing.  I  am  very  tired,  but 
this  is  the  only  time  I  can  give  them.  Two  afternoons 
in  the  wxek,  Miss  Williford  has  sewing-school.  I  take 
my  work  after  dinner,  go  into  the  parlor  to  receive  the 
native  visitors,  (who  are  numerous)  and  take  my  Grrebo 
books  to  try  and  study  a  little,  if  I  can.  The  other  three 
afternoons,  I  have  my  Grrebo  teacher,  and  Grebo  dic- 
tionary to  write.  The  Bishop,  three  afternoons  in  the 
week,  preaches  in  different  towns,  when  he  is  at  home. 
At  half-past  six  the  candles  are  lighted,  and  then  Henry 
James  comes  to  me,  till  tea-time.     After  tea,  prayers  ; 


152  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

by  this  time  it  is  eight  o'clock.  We  get  our  work,  and 
sit  down  together ;  presently,  Mr.  Bacon  will  come  to 
me  to  spell ;  and  Mrs.  Bristow,  our  cook,  to  Miss  Willi- 
ford.  There  is  another  half  hour.  Then,  there  is  al- 
ways some  interruptions  ;  some  of  the  girls  or  boys  have 
either  headache  or  toothache.  With  a  household  of  over 
a  hundred,  there  is  always  something  wanting.  It  is 
impossible  to  tell  the  multiplicity  of  things  to  look  after. 
We  settle  to  sewing  about  nine  o'clock.  At  ten,  we 
shut  up  the  house.  I  go  into  the  dormitory  to  look  after 
the  children.  On  returning  to  my  room,  I  write  for  an 
hour — journal,  letters,  &c.  My  bed  generally  receives 
a  pretty  wearied  body  ;  but  sleep  is  sweet.  Such  is  my 
daily  routine.  I  say  little  of  the  employments,  &c.,  of 
the  other  missionaries,  except  as  it  comes  in  connection 
with  my  own ;  but  every  one  of  us  has  every  moment 
employed,  only  I  am  writing  my  own  experiences.  A 
vessel  has  anchored  off  here,  to-day  ;  the  captain  sent 
us  some  late  papers.  It  is  very  rare  for  a  vessel  to 
lay  off  here,  except  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  Kroo- 
men,  as  the  coast  is  so  bad,  it  is  impossible  to  land  any 
goods. 

Surgery.  —  Miss  Williford  is  sorely  troubled  with 
boils  ;  she  could  not  go  to  town  to-day.  We  found 
Bade  very  sick  ;  if  it  were  not  for  the  mission,  she 
would  die  of  absolute  starvation.  The  rats  gnaw  at 
her,  even  through  her  dress.  In  passing  through  the 
town  I  heard  a  number  of  women's  voices,  uttering 
something  between  a  wail  and  a  song  ;  and,  directly,  we 
saw  a  number  of  women  and  children  collected  in  front 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  153 

of  a  hut  singing  (or  howling)  and  dancing.  A  woman 
had  just  been  buried,  and  thus  they  were  mourning  for 
her.  While  sitting  in  another  hut,  we  saw  a  number 
of  men  passing,  and,  among  them,  one  covered  with 
blood,  whom  the  others  appeared  to  be  helping.  Har- 
riet went  out,  and  in  a  few  minutes  returned,  and  asked 
me  to  go  w^ith  her.  In  the  enclosure  of  a  hut,  close  by, 
was  the  poor  man  I  had  just  seen  ;  he  appeared  to  be 
fearfully  injured  ;  he  was  uttering  a  low,  wailing  sound, 
was  sitting  on  a  stone,  and  looking  deadly  faint.  I 
called  for  some  water,  made  them  give  him  some  to 
drink,  and  bathe  his  face.  A  man,  standing  beside  him, 
was  shaving  his  head,  with  a  rough,  blunt  piece  of  iron, 
disclosing  four  fearful,  gaping  wounds,  any  one  of  which 
looked  as  if  it  might  have  killed  him.  He  had  another 
dreadful  wound,  directly  across  the  knee-pan.  His 
canoe  had  upset,  and  he  had  been  dashed  upon  some 
lagged  rocks.  He  was  a  Bushman  (a  m.an  from  in- 
land) ;  he  had  never  seen  a  white  lady  before.  I  hur- 
ried up  home,  prepared  clothes,  &c.,  and  came  back. 
Upon  washing  the  wounds,  I  had  to  remove  five  splin- 
ters of  bone.  I  bound  up  his  wounds,  and  told  him  to 
let  them  remain  so,  till  I  opened  them.  Poor  creatures ! 
in  suffering,  they  have  no  idea  of  tenderness  towards 
one  another.  It  really  was  dreadful  to  see  the  torture 
inflicted  on  him  by  the  way  in  which  his  head  was 
scraped. 

Heroism. — Miss  Williford  not  able  to  be  at  church  to- 
day. To  night  Mrs.  G-illet,  our  assistant  teacher,  had  a 
bad  sick  headache,  and  went  to  lay  down.     Just  as  the 

7* 


154 


INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


sermon  commenced,  however,  she  came  to  the  door,  and 
beckoned  to  me.  I  went  to  her,  and  found  that  one  ot 
our  little  girls,  about  ten  years  old,  had,  during  the  day, 
picked  up  a  needle,  and  had  stuck  it  in  the  front  of  her 
dress,  and  in  kneeling  down  to  prayers,  she  had  leaned 
against  it,  and  the  needle  had  run  into  her  breast,  and 
entirely  disappeared,  though  upon  pressing,  we  could 
see  about  where  the  head  was — it  had  gone  in,  point 
foremost.  I  took  her  immediately  into  my  room,  and 
made  a  slight  opening  with  a  needle,  but  could  do  no 
good — it  must  be  lanced.  She  bore  it  very  patiently. 
We  are  fearful  lest  it  should  have  touched  the  lungs,  as 
it  hurts  her  every  breath  she  draws.  Mrs.  Q-illet  will 
take  her  to  the  Cape,  early  to-morrow  morning,  to  the 
doctor. 

Mrs.  Grillet  has  come  back,  with  little  Sophia.  The 
doctor  has  probed,  but  though  he  once  saw  the  needle, 
he  could  not  get  hold  of  it.  He  has  put  on  her  a  plaster, 
and  hopes  that  it  will  work  out,  without  doing  her  any 
harm.  Mrs.  Grillet  wanted  to  leave  her,  for  a  day  or  two, 
at  the  asylum,  but  she  would  not  stay.  Think  of  the 
poor  child  having  endured  that  pain,  and  yet  walked 
twenty-two  miles  to-day. 

Poor  Matha  Owen  died  at  the  asylum  yesterday.  She 
sleeps  in  Jesus.     Her  end  was  peace. 

Sassa-wood. — Yesterday  afternoon  a  man  passed  in 
front  of  the  house,  dressed  up  very  fine — a  white  and 
red  cotton  umbrella,  (this,  in  their  estimation,  is  splen- 
did), carried  over  him  by  a  friend.  He  was  followed  by 
a  train  of  boys  and  women.     This  was  a  triumphal  pro- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  155 

cession — ^he  had  escaped  the  effects  of  the  Sassa-wood. 
In  town  they  are  having  a  "  grand  palaver"  about  the 
man  who  was  killed  on  board  the  ship,  that  I  spoke  of, 
(as  if  a  person  is  supposed  to  be  a  witch,  the  Sassa  or- 
deal is  the  only  lawful  way  of  trying  him),  and  now 
this  man  having  escaped,  they  will  try  others.  Last  night 
we  heard  a  great  ho\vling  and  screaming,  proceeding  from 
the  town,  and  we  found  it  was  the  lamentations  of  the 
friends  of  another  man,  whom  they  had  caught,  and  to 
whom  they  are  about  to  administer  it.  Though  many 
innocent  persons  suffer  by  this  poison,  yet  were  it  not 
for  the  fear  of  it,  there  would  be  no  end  to  the  fearful 
crimes  committed. 

I  often  feel — to  wonder  at  ourselves — the  perfect  free- 
dom from  fear  that  we  have — two  white  ladies  alone, 
without  any  gentlemen,  with  about  a  dozen  Christian 
men  near  us,  and  surrounded  by  a  hungry,  almost 
famishing  population  of  thousands  of  savages,  and  we 
known  by  them  to  have  in  our  possession  food  enough 
for  many  weeks  (till  we  get  supplies  again  from  Amer- 
ica) to  support  our  family  of  over  a  hundred.  Is  it  not 
a  wonder  that  they  do  not  break  in  and  steal  it  ?  But 
we  lay  down  and  sleep  in  perfect  peace  and  safety,  know- 
ing that  the  "  Watchman  of  Israel  never  slumbers  nor 
sleeps. 

Surgery. — To-day  I  have  been  quite  a  doctress. 
These  things  still  make  me  feel  a  little  faint  and  sick, 
but  I  battle  with  those  feelings.  First,  I  looked  a  little 
to  Miss  Williford's  boils  ;  but  Mary  is  very  good  ;  she 
attends  to  her  very  nicely.     Then  I  put  a  drawing  plas 


156  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

ter  on  Sophia,  and  after  it  had  drawn  awhile,  I  could 
see  the  needle  moving  about  under  the  flesh.  I  probed 
the  wound,  making  the  incision  a  little  deeper,  but  I 
could  not  get  hold  of  the  needle.  Then  the  poor  Bush- 
man that  was  injured  came.  I  intended  to  have 
gone  to  him,  but  he  came  up  into  the  school-room  to  me. 
I  had  hardly  thought  it  would  be  possible  for  him  to  live. 
Two  of  the  wounds  had  fractured  the  bone  of  the  skull. 
I  removed  several  more  small  splinters.  I  was  full 
two  hours  dressing  and  attending  to  his  wounds.  I  fear 
now  very  much  about  his  leg — just  on  the  knee-pan 
quite  a  large  piece  is  completely  gone.  He  is  a  wild 
Bushman — one  who  probably  would  not  have  hesitated 
to  make  a  good  meal  of  me,  if  he  had  found  me  back 
in  his  country.  He  speaks  but  very  little  Grrebo — the 
girls  can  scarcely  understand  him,  but  he  appears  very 
grateful. 

I  could  not  help  thinking  to-day,  how  the  precious 
Word  of  Grod  is  a  rule  and  guide  to  us  m  every  position 
in  which  we  may  be  placed.  I  had  a  number  of  the 
older  girls  in  the  room,  while  I  was  attending  to  the 
man,  as  I  wish  them  to  learn  how  to  do  these  things 
themselves.  When  attending  to  the  man's  knee,  of 
course  he  could  not  bend  it,  so  I  had  to  kneel  down  to 
dress  it,  at  which  all  the  girls  set  up  a  loud  scream 
of  laughter.  I  am  keenly  alive  to  ridicule,  even  from 
these  poor  people,  and  my  first  impulse  was  to  spring  up 
from  my  1  tumble  position,  feeling  that  it  was  a  "degrada- 
tion to  me,  far  beneath  my  dignity,  to  assume  such  a 
position  here,  when  the  remembrance  of  the  blessed 
Saviour's  words  and    example    checked  me,  when  he 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  157 

knelt  and  washed  his  disciples'  feet,  and  said  to  them, 
'^  If  I  then,  your  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed  your 
feet,  ye  ought  also  to  wash  one  anothers'  feet."  How 
hard  it  is  to  root  out  pride  from  the  human  heart.  After- 
wards I  opened  and  dressed  a  very  bad  boil  on  the  arm 
of  one  of  the  girls.  So  much  for  my  surgery.  I  am 
getting  along  bravely.  The  Bishop  is  very  good  with  all 
these  things,  when  he  is  at  home — ^he  is  quite  a  doctor. 

I  have  nailed  all  my  daguerreotypes  up  in  my  room. 
It  is  so  pleasant  to  feel  I  can  look  up.  and  see  my  friends 
without  having  to  hinder  my  time  in  going  to  open  them. 

Our  rains  have  commenced.  We  seldom  have  a  con- 
tinuously wet  day,  but  violent  storms  and  hurricanes 
come  on  without  a  moment's  notice.  It  is  this  that 
makes  navigation  on  the  coast  so  dangerous.  The  sea- 
man has  hardly  time  to  furl  his  sails. 

I  dressed  the  wounded  man  again.  Really,  I  am 
beginning  to  have  some  faith  in  my  own  skill  in  that 
line — all  the  w^ounds  in  the  head,  except  one,  from  which 
another  small  piece  of  bone  had  to  be  abstracted,  are 
fast  getting  well,  and  that  will  soon.  His  father  has 
sent  two  men  from  the  Bush  country  to  carry  him  home, 
but  he  thinks  he  will  be  able  to  get  along  himself,  though 
still  very  lame. 

Sick  Man. — In  one  of  the  huts,  in  town  to-day,  I 
found  a  young  man  evidently  in  the  last  stage  of  con- 
sumption. He  had  been  a  Krooman  and  could  speak  con- 
siderable English.  I  asked  him  ''  if  he  knew  anything 
of  Grod  and  Jesus  Christ."  He  said,  ''  Me  know  a  little 
what  Payne  (the  Bishop)  teach  me."     I  asked  him  if  he 


158  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

ever  prayed  to  God.  "  Not  now  ;  me  did  when  me  go 
to  school,  but  now  me  never  do ;  me  want  to  pray,  bat 
now  me  no  sabbp  how."  (Sabby  is  to  understand.) 
I  then  asked  him  when  he  went  to  school.  He  said, 
"  A  long  time  pass — much  time — me  no  sabby  how 
long,  but  me  only  go  five — six  weeks,  and  then  me  be 
bad  boy — me  run  away  ;  but  it  no  pass  me  what  him 
tell  to  me — it  here"  (pointing  to  his  head).  I  talked  to 
him  some  time,  and  when  I  went  away  I  told  him  not 
to  forget  to  pray.  He  said,  ^'Me  no  forget,  me  can't 
forget ;  Grod's  things  in  my  mind  all  the  time."  Do  not 
such  cases  make  us  take  courage  to  ''  cast  our  bread  upon 
the  waters,  knowing  we  shall  find  it  after  many  days." 

Cannibalism. — There  is  a  man  that  comes  here  to  the 
house  very  frequently.  I  have  had  an  intuitive  horror  of 
him,  though  I  heard  he  was  a  Christian.  Speaking  of 
him  to-day,  I  found  he  had  been  a  dreadful  man — a  great 
cannibal ;  and  he  confessed  that  his  great  delight  had 
been  in  tormenting  his  victim,  cutting  and  hacking  him 
to  pieces.  He  is  a  striking  example  of  the  power  of  Di- 
vine grace  upon  the  heart.  '^  The  lion  has  become  the 
lamb."  But  his  countenance  still  bears  the  marked 
characteristics  of  cruelty  and  barbarity,  though  subdued. 
He  has  a  dreadful  eye.  But  he  has  now  for  years  been 
a  consistent  Christian. 

We  heard  to-night  that  two  of  the  tribes  up  the  river 
are  at  war,  and  one  of  the  tribes  took  three  men  of  the 
others  prisoners.  They  were  immediately  killed  and 
eaten !  Hungry  times  here,  as  elsewhere,  are  quarrel- 
some times.  May  Grod  give  to  these  poor  people  the 
bread  of  life. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  159 

French  Emigrant  Vessel. — Mr.  Ashton  and  Mr. 
Cooper,  two  of  our  most  respectable  colonists,  came  down 
from  the  Cape.  Mr.  Cooper  has  just  been  giving  us  an 
account  that  he  had  from  the  captain  of  an  English 
steamer  that  is  at  the  Cape.  It  seems  a  company  of 
Frenchmen  have  pledged  themselves  to  furnish  laborers 
for  Guiana.  They  have  fitted  out  four  vessels,  which 
they  have  despatched  to  this  coast,  under  the  pretext  of 
hiring  laborers.  But  as  soon  as  the  poor  wretches  get 
on  board  the  vessel,  expecting  only  to  be  emigrants,  they 
find  they  are  slaves.  Well^  one  of  these  vessels  was  lying 
off  Cape  Mount,  the  most  northern  part  of  Liberia.  She 
had  her  full  complement  of  men  made  up  ;  the-  captain 
had  just  sent  his  last  gang,  consisting  of  about  thirty,  on 
board,  while  he  remained  on  shore  to  finish  his  business. 
But  when  this  last  set  reached  the  vessel,  (many  of  them 
stout,  hardy  Kroomen,  used  to  the  sea,)  they  found  that, 
instead  of  being  treated  as  emigrants,  they  were  to  be 
treated  as  slaves,  and  the  sailors  were  about  to  handcuff 
them.  This  did  not  suit  them  ;  they  knew  better.  So, 
immediately  they  all  fell  on  the  sailors,  and  killed  every 
white  man  on  board,  thirteen  in  number.  They  then 
went  down  into  the  hold,  and  found  a  quantity  of  poor 
creatures,  all  handcuffed,  and  stowed  away — regular 
slave-ship  fashion.  They  released  them  from  confine- 
ment, but  could  not  unmanacle  them.  When  the  cap- 
tain came  from  shore,  they  all  threatened  him  with  their 
guns  ;  and  having  no  arms,  and  not  one  white  man  left, 
he  was  obliged  to  hurry  back  to  land.  The  Kroomen  let 
out  the  sails,  and  put  out  to  sea,  but  had  no  idea  how  to 
steer.     After  beating  about  for  seven  days,  the  English 


160  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

mail  steamer  passed  near,  and  seeing  this  strange  vessel, 
with  no  colors,  and  apparently  none  but  blacks  on  board, 
they  determined  to  board  her.  At  first  the  blacks  were 
disposed  to  show  fight,  thinking  it  a  French  vessel ;  but 
as  soon  as  they  saw  the  English  colors  (G-od  bless  Eng- 
land for  it!)  they  quietly  submitted.  The  English  soon 
saw  that  in  all  her  outfit,  &o.,  she  was  neither  more  nor 
less  than  a  slaver.  The  steamer  took  her  in  tow,  sent 
on  shore  for  her  captain,  and,  as  a  prisoner,  brought  him 
to  Monrovia.  He  was  there  placed  in  prison,  to  be  tried  ; 
the  blacks  set  at  large,  each  one  going  on  shore  carry- 
ing his  handcuffs  in  his  hand,  from  which  he  could  not 
be  prevailed  to  part,  as  they  will  make  him  a  grand 
ornament.  Most  of  the  Kroomen  will  be  retained  as  wit- 
nesses, and  it  is  supposed  the  vessel  will  be  awarded  to 
them  as  a  prize. 

The  next  day  a  French  steamer  arrived  at  Monrovia, 
and  demanded  the  vessel,  the  captain  declaring  she  was 
an  emigrant  vessel,  not  a  slaver.  The  British  consul  re- 
fused ;  upon  which  the  Frenchman  said  he  would  fight, 
and  take  her  by  force.  But  just  then  an  English  man- 
of-war  appeared,  showing  her  teeth,  very  fortunately,  or, 
I  should  say,  providentially,  as  the  mail  steamer  was 
obliged  to  proceed.  Upon  this  the  Frenchman  drew  in 
his  horns.  Two  days  after  this,  an  American  man-of-war 
arrived;  upon  which  the  Englishman  left  the  vessel  in 
care  of  the  American,  while  he  came  down  to  Cape 
Palmas,  to  look  after  the  captain,  with  his  vessel,  who 
has  been  detained  here  so  long  by  sickness.  Surely  God 
will  bless  England,  and  make  her  a  blessing,  so  long  as 
she  advocates  the  cause  of  mercy.     Is  it  to  be  wondered 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  161 

at  that  the  natives  here  fear  and  hate  the  white  man, 
and  distrust  his  religion  ? 

Mr.  HofFraanj  we  have  heard^  has  been  ill  all  the  week, 
bat  is  a  little  better  to-day.  Miss  Ball's  health  still  re- 
mains miserable.  The  doctor  has  told  her  he  believes  she 
will  have  to  retm^n  and  remain  at  home.  Her  constitu- 
tion, he  says,  is  too  robust ;  the  fever  takes  too  firm  hold 
of  her.  I  hope  and  pray  it  may  not  be  so ;  we  need 
more  laborers,  not  fewer.  But  it  is  G-od's  work  ;  it  will 
go  on.  We  are  looking  daily  for  the  Bishop  now.  I 
hope  it  will  not  be  long  before  he  arrives.  I  am  very 
busy  making  my  scholars  review  their  lessons,  prepara- 
tory to  the  examination,  which  will  take  place  in  about 
a  month. 

Cruelty. — These  people  are  not  generally  a  cruel  peo- 
ple, even  when  they  are  cannibals.  They  generally  will 
despatch  their  prisoners  at  one  blow,  not  torture  them. 
Recently,  however,  a  man  went  up  the  river  from  our 
town,  to  trade.  He  \vas  seized  by  a  tribe,  with  whom 
the  Grreboes  are  at  enmity,  and  having  been  himself  al- 
ways a  very  cruel  man,  he  was  fearfully  tortured.  He 
was  bound  to  a  stake,  a  fire  being  kindled  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  him  ;  then,  with  long,  sharp-pointed  knives, 
slices  w^ere  cut  off*  his  body,  and  roasted  on  the  point  of 
the  knife,  and  then  held  up  and  eaten  in  derision  before 
his  eyes.  This  was  continued  slowly,  for  some  hours, 
till  finally  both  arms  and  legs  were  cut  off*,  before  he  ex- 
pired !  May  the  glad  tidings  of  '^  good  will  to  men" 
soon  spread  in  all  the  land. 

I  am  teaching  several  of  the  older  girls  different  kinds 


162  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

of  fancy-work.  Such  things  would  meet  with  a  ready 
sale  among  the  richer  inhabitants  of  the  colony,  and  may 
be  a  means  of  livelihood  to  them.  After  the  children 
have  been  brought  from  heathenism,  instructed  in  our 
schools,  and  civilized,  they  all  want  some  means  of  liv- 
ing. We  have  native  ministers,  teachers,  carpenters, 
farmers,  masons,  washwomen,  and  needlewomen,  and 
they  all  try  to  earn  a  respectable  living. 

Cold. — The  old  saying,  in  ridicule,  of  "  Red  flannel 
waistcoats  for  the  little  negroes  of  the  West  Indies,"  is 
not  really  so  much  of  a  burlesque.  This  rainy  weather 
they  suffer  with  cold,  and  nothing  is  more  acceptable  to 
them  than  a  piece  of  flannel.  We  are  having  new  shirts 
made  for  the  younger  boys,  of  red  flannel.  We  have 
just  heard  from  the  Bishop  ;  he  expects  to  be  home  in  a 
few  days.  There  is  a  probability  of  oar  welcoming  more 
laborers  here  in  the  fall.  God  grant  it.  We  need  them 
much.  Mr.  Hoffman  requires  relief ;  but  it  is  hard  to 
lay  by  with  so  much  to  be  done. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  163 


SASSA    ORDEAL. 

To-day  I  have  seen  the  first  death  by  sassa-wood. 
Last  week  a  number  of  Kroomen  came  home,  from  a 
long  voyage,  among  them  two  young  men,  belonging  to 
our  towns.  I  believe  I  told  you  that  we  were  directly  in 
the  midst  of  five  different  towns,  all  within  a  circuit  of 
half  a  mile.  These  contain,  all  together,  about  five  thous- 
and inhabitants.  These  two  young  men  belonged  to 
different  towns,  and,  on  their  voyage,  they  had  quarreled 
fiercely,  and  one  had  been  heard  to  say  he  would 
"  witch  the  other."  This  other  almost  immediately  fell, 
sick,  and  was  brought  home  very  ill.  His  friends 
directly,  of  course,  accused  his  companion  of  having 
witched  him.  And  here  was  shown  a  strong  proof  of  a 
mother's  love,  even  in  this  land.  Hearing  that  her  son 
was  accused  of  being  a  witch,  she  was  in  the  greatest 
agony.  He  was  her  only  child  ;  a  fine,  noble-looking 
young  man.  He  had  been  away  from  her  a  long  time, 
and  had  received  good  wages  for  his  services  ;  and 
though  these  wages  are  always  taken  by  the  headman 
of  the  family  (their  customs  being  truly  patriarchal),  and 
divided  among  all  the  members  of  the  family,  yet,  by 
far,  the  largest  portion  always  falls  to  the  share  of  him  who 
earns  it.     The  mother  was  looking  forward  to  spending 


164  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

many  happy  days  with  her  son  ;  for  if  there  is  a 
human  heing  a  man  loves  here,  it  is  his  mother.  Think, 
then,  what  her  anguish  must  be  at  such  an  accusation. 
She  went  off,  three  days  ago,  privately  into  the  woods  ;  ob- 
tained a  large  piece  of  sassa-wood,  came  home,  pounded  and 
prepared  it,  then  she  called  a  number  of  the  head- 
men and  others  of  the  townspeople,  to  see  her  drink  this, 
to  prove  that  her  son  was  no  witch.  She  drank  it  all, 
but  rejecting  it,  again  she  triumphed.  The  people,  how- 
ever, were  not  satisfied.  They  said  it  only  proved  that 
she  had  not  witched  the  sick  man,  but  it  did  not  prove 
that  her  son  had  not  done  so.  This  morning,  Sunday, 
they  seized  him  very  early,  and  administered  the  poison. 
We  knew  nothing  about  it,  till  a  little  while  before  ser- 
vice, we  heard  loud  yells,  shouts,  and  hootings,  mingled 
with  the  most  heart-rending  shrieks,  proceeding  from 
the  direction  of  the  town.  On  going  out  on  the  piazza, 
we  saw  a  great  crowd  issuing  from  the  town.  The  man 
was  dead.  They  had  a  rope  tied  round  his  feet,  and  so 
dragged  him,  several  hundred  yards,  on  the  beach — 
directly  in  front  of  the  mission  premises.  The  poor  moth- 
er followed  the  corpse,  uttering  the  wildest  screams,  and 
with  most  frantic  gestures;  The  rest  of  the  crowd, 
among  whom  were  scores  of  little  children,  thus  early 
taught  to  be  unfeeling  and  cruel,  were  hooting,  shouting, 
laughing,  and  pelting  the  corpse  with  stones,  and  what- 
ever missiles  came  to  hand.  After  awhile  the  crowd  be- 
gan to  retire,  leaving  the  poor  mother  almost  alone  in 
her  grief.  But  how  can  I  portray  to  you  the  extremity 
of  her  anguish.  To  me  it  was  heart-rending.  She 
dashed  herself  about,  in  the  sand,  seeming,  as  it  were,  to 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  165 

bite  the  very  earth  ;  throvv^ing  the  sand  over  herself,  as 
if  she  would  have  buried  herself  with  her  sorrows.  Then 
she  would  jump  suddenly  up,  and,  frantically,  embrace 
the  corpse,  pressing  it  tightly  to  her  ;  then  gently  laying 
it  back  on  the  sand,  she  would  fling  her  arms,  wildly, 
up  toward  heaven,  as  if  invoking  mercy  and  pity  from 
the  clouds.  Poor  thing !  she  had  no  God  to  invoke. 
Her  grief  was  hopeless  despair.  Her  loved  one  was 
gone  from  her  forever- — for,  in  the  spirit  land,  witches 
may  never  mingle  with  other  spirits.  They  have  a  sep- 
arate burial-place,  in  a  swampy  part  of  the  bush,  where 
the  body  is  just  thrown,  not  buried.  But  it  must  remain 
exposed,  on  the  beach,  till  the  family  has  found  a  bul- 
lock. This  is  first  offered,  in  sacrifice,  to  the  Kwi^  and 
then  divided  among  the  townspeople.  AVhile  w^e  were 
in  the  church,  from  whence  the  voice  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving  was  ascending,  from  native  lips,  to  the 
precious  Saviour,  we  still,  at  intervals,  heard  the  dis- 
tracting cries  of  the  poor  lone  one,  on  the  beach,  who  had 
no  Saviour.  How  my  heart  bled  for  her,  and  never  did 
my  prayers  ascend  more  fervently  for  this  benighted 
land  ;  and  I  felt,  how  gladly,  had  I  ten  lives,  I  would  lay 
them  down  to  aid  in  Africa's  regeneration.  What  are 
the  privations,  the  toils,  the  sickness,  we  endure  here,  in 
comparison  to  the  utter  despair  and  heart-rending  hope- 
lessness, from  which  it  is  our  aim  to  rescue  these  wretch- 
ed sufferers  ? 

Valentine. — It  is  Whit-Sunday.  Oh!  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  be  poured  out  abundantly  upon  us,  and  upon 
those  committed  to  our  care.     Mr.  Jones  being  ill  to-day, 


166  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

SO  we  had  the  services  conducted  by  Valentine,  one  of  our 
native  Christian  villagers.  He  never  was  in  school.  He 
was  converted  after  he  became  a  man,  and  then  he 
learned  to  read,  and  for  the  last  ten  years  he  has  been  a 
most  humble,  earnest,  devoted,  and  consistent  Christian. 
He  has  the  Kroo-mark  on  his  face,  but  the  ''  beauty  of 
holiness"  is  stamped  there,  too.  You  could  not  look  at 
that  man  without  feeling  that  he  was  a  Christian.  The 
Christians  all  work  here.  They  feel  that  when  they  are 
called  into  the  vineyard,  it  is  as  laborers.  Saturday  is  a 
general  holiday,  or  rest  day  ;  none  of  the  men  work. 
On  the  Sabbath  they  do — Sunday  work.  For  between 
our  services  they  scatter  about  into  all  the  towns,  for 
miles  distant,  to  carry  the  glad  tidings,  which  has  been 
made  known  to  them.  Valentine  is  one  of  the  most 
faithful  of  these. 

Wounds. — When  I  came  out  of  school  to-day,  I  felt 
very  bad.  I  had  just  flung  myself,  for  an  instant,  on  the 
bed,  when  I  heard  a  loud  knock  at  my  door  ;  on  opening 
it,  there  stood  a  fine  looking  native  I  had  never  seen  be- 
fore. He  exclaimed,  hurriedly,  "  Please,  sir — maarn, 
oh,  come !  here  be  a  boy — he  cut  him  hand  much,  plen- 
ty." I  went  out  and  found  a  fine  looking  young  girl, 
about  fourteen  (they  make  no  distinction  of  gendei 
in  talking,  always  addressing  a  lady  either  as  mammy 
or  as  sir-ma'am,  putting  both  together  as  one  word). 
She  had  cut  off  the  top  part  of  the  middle  finger  of  her 
left  hand.  She  must  have  had  a  very  sharp  instrument, 
for  it  had  cut  through  the  nail,  leaving  about  an  eighth  of 
it,  and  through  the  bone,  taking  the  niece  quite  off.     It 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  167 

was  cut  perfectly  clean  through  the  nail,  not  the  least 
jagged.  Poor  child  ;  she  did  not  utter  a  sound.  It  was 
bleeding  profusely.  The  powers  of  endurance  of  these  peo- 
ple are  very  strong.  The  man  was  very  gentle,  in 
assisting  me  to  dress  the  wound,  and  I  then  found 
she  was  his  wife.  "  "Why,"  I  said,  ''-  so  little."  "  Oh !" 
he  said,  ^'  he  be  much  good ;  he  grow  plenty  ;  me  take 
good  care  of  him  ;  me  tank  you  much,  plenty  ;  you 
make  he  finger  well."  They  think  the  Kobi,  foreigners, 
to  be  great  devil  men.  They  can  do  everything.  ''  They 
wisdom  plenty."  Mr.  Hoffman  came  down  to-day.  He 
looks  very  bad.  Miss  Ball  is  slightly  improving.  Our 
store  of  rice  is  almost  done,  and  there  is  very  little  to  be 
sold  at  the  Cape.  Miss  Williford  has  secured  all  she 
can.  It  is  a  great  anxiety  to  provide  for  so  many  mouths 
in  times  of  scarcity.  We  use  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  bush- 
els of  rice  a  week.  Well,  ''  our  Heavenly  Father  knoweth 
that  we  need  those  things,"  and  we  must  trust  that 
"  the  Lord  will  provide." 

Thomas. — The  mother  of  my  little  boy,  Thomas,  came, 
to-day,  to  see  him.  She  is  very  much  alarmed  about  him, 
as  there  is  a  deadly  hatred  between  the  Grraway  and  the 
Cavalla  people,  and  she  is  afraid  of  his  being  witched. 
That  belieLof  witchcraft  is  just  as  firmly  held  as  any  of 
our  doctrines  is  by  us.  I  consented  to  let  him  go  home 
for  a  visit.  I  shall  miss  him  much,  though.  Miss  Wil- 
liford tells  me  I  had  better  let  him  go  to  school,  either  at 
Spring  Hill  or  at  Hofi'man  station.  She  thinks  I  shall 
never  be  able  to  keep  him  here  now,  his  mother  has 
taken   that  notion ;  she  will  be   forever  fetching  him 


168 


INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


away.  In  that  case  I  had  better  let  him  go  to  one  of  the 
other  schools.  Two  of  the  girls,  about  seventeen  years 
of  age,  come  in  every  day  to  attend  to  my  room.  I  am 
trying  to  teach  them  to  be  neat.  Already  they  can 
make  my  bed,  and  sweep,  and  dust  very  well.  It  is  an 
additional  care  to  me,  but  they  are  good  girls.  They 
are  engaged  to  two  of  our  Christian  young  men,  and  I 
want  them  to  know  how  to  be  neat  about  a  house. 

The  Bishop's  Arrival. — This  morning,  early,  we  saw 
a  large  ship  off  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon.  I  told  Miss 
Williford  I  thought  it  looked  like  a  man-of-war,  and  I 
believed  the  Bishop  was  on  board  of  her.  .She  thought  it 
was  nonsense  ;  that  I  could  not  tell  a  man-of-war  from 
any  other  ship  at  that  distance  ;  and  that  if  it  was,  the 
Bishop  certainly  would  not  be  on  board  of  her.  I  thought 
no  more  about  it,  but  went  into  school.  Just  as  I  was 
about  to  close.  Miss  Williford  called  to  me  to  close 
school,  and  hurry  in  ;  that  the  Bishop,  with  four  other 
gentlemen,  were  here.  To  close  school  I  found  was  im- 
possible ;  the  announcement  of  the  Bishop  being  there, 
drove  every  other  thought  out  of  the  children's  heads  ; 
all  rushed  to  the  doors  and  windows,  to  obtain  a  glimpse 
of  him.  When  I  went  in,  I  found  the  Bishop,  Mr.  Wil- 
liams (a  Presbyterian  clergyman,  from  Monrovia,  the 
former  colleague  of  Mr.  Wilson),  and  three  of  the  officers 
from  on  board  the  ship.  It  was  the  United  States  ship 
"  Marion."  On  her  way  down  the  coast  she  had  stopped 
at  Monrovia,  and  finding  the  Bishop  and  Mr.  Williams 
waiting  to  come  on,  they  had  kindly  brought  them,  and 
landed  them  here.     They  had  come  from  the  ship  over 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  169 

five  miles  in  a  canoe.  The  officers  on  board  the  men-of- 
war,  both  English  and  American,  are  always  very  kind 
and  polite  to  missionaries.  Those  who  came  on  shore 
were  very  pleasant,  gentlemanly  men.  They  remained 
and  took  lunch  with  us.  One  of  them,  an  earnest  Chris- 
tian, on  taking  leave,  begged  to  be  remembered — where 
a  Christian  most  wishes  ever  to  be  remembered — at  the 
throne  of  grace.  AVe  watched  them  go  on  board,  and  then 
the  vessel  soon  disappeared  from  our  sight.  Mr.  Williams 
will  remain  some  little  time  with  us.  His  health  is  very 
poor.  The  change  may  benefit  him.  As  soon  as  he  is 
well  enough,  we  can  give  him  work  to  do.  Among  the 
missionaries  the  Church  of  G-od  is  one.  "Would  it  were 
more  so  at  home.  Mr.  Williams  was  telling  us  to-night, 
that  in  one  of  his  itinerating  excursions,  he  was  preach- 
ing in  a  native  hut,  at  night,  to  quite  a  large  congrega- 
tion. The  sole  light  they  had  was  the  only  kind  that 
is  ever  used  here  :  a  saucer  filled  with  palm-oil,  with  a 
piece  of  rag  lying  in  it  for  a  wick.  But  this  could  not 
be  persuaded  to  burn.  After  being  coaxed  by  one,  and 
then  another,  of  the  congregation,  it  went  entirely  out, 
and  they  were  left  in  total  darkness.  He,  however,  con- 
tinued his  sermon ;  but  he  said  it  seemed  so  strange  to 
be  looking  round  at  his  congregation  and  gesticulating 
all  in  the  dark.  But  he  was  holding  out  to  the  people 
the  lamp  of  life.  It  does  seem  to  me,  if  there  is  any  po- 
sition in  life  to  be  coveted,  with  all  its  denials,  its  suffer- 
ings, and  its  toils,  it  is  that  of  the  missionary. 

Mr.  Hoffman  came  down  to-night.  He  was  at  Grra- 
way,  preaching,  and  hearing  of  the  Bishop's  arrival, 
he  came  on.     We  have  had  the  house  thronged  with  na- 

8 


170  INCmii^iNTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

tives,  tooj  all  eager  to  welcome  home  their  dear  "  Payne." 
Mr.  HofTman  took  Mr. Williams  home  with  him,  to  spend 
a  week.  The  Bishop's  health  is  very  muah  improved. 
We  have  had  letters  from  home.  Truly,  ^^good  news 
from  a  far  comitry  is  like  rivers  of  water  to  the  thirsty 
soul."  Loving  friends  are  one  of  Grod's  best  gifts  to 
man. 

Communion. — Sunday — a  lovely  day  ;  a  true  Sabbath 
of  rest.  I  can  from  my  heart  say,  "  Thine  earthly  Sab- 
baths, Lord,  I  love."  The  Bishop  had  the  usual  services 
this  morning,  in  Grebo.  In  the  afternoon  we  had  com- 
munion. We  have  not  had  it  before  since  I  have  been 
at  Cavalla,  on  account  of  the  Bishop's  absence,  Mr.  Jones 
being  only  in  deaoon's  orders.  The  communion  service 
is  in  the  afternoon,  which  makes  it  just  the  hour  on 
which  it  is  celebrated,  on  the  same  day,  at  home — the 
first  Sunday  of  the  month.  It  is  very  pleasant  to  feel 
that  our  loved  ones,  far,  far  away,  are  at  the  same  time 
joining  with  us  in  ^'  keeping  the  feast."  May  it  not  be 
long  before  we  shall  know  that  all  we  love  are  "  com- 
passing Grod's  altar."  There  are  here  abou.t  ninety  na- 
tives, who  are  communicants.  They  come  from  the 
neighboring  towns.  Their  deportment  is  very  serious 
and  devotional.  The  Bishop  has  translated  the  commu- 
nion service  into  Grrebo,  but  it  is  not  yet  quite  ready  for 
use.  The  Bishop  made  an  address,  in  English,  which 
Mr.  Jones  translated  into  G-rebo  ;  and  never  did  the 
words  of  the  ninety-fifth  hymn  sound  so  appropriate  : 

"  And  are  we  now  brought  near  to  God, 
Who  once  at  distance  stood  ?" 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  l7l 

"What  intense  satisfaction  it  gave  to  look  at  that  con- 
gregation, from  among  the  heathen.  Pray  that  God 
may  pour  forth  His  spirit  here,  and  that  these  may  be 
*'  living  epistles  known  and  read  of  all  men."  How  con- 
stantly we  need  to  watch  against  the  devices  of  Satan, 
who  seeks  occasion  to  tempt  us  in  our  holiest  moments  ; 
how  we  need  to  have  every  thought  and  every  act 
washed  in  the  blood  of  atonement.  While  kneeling  at 
the  chancel,  to-day,  a  poor  old  native  woman  knelt 
beside  me,  and  the  thought  came  up  that,  probably,  in 
the  sight  of  our  heavenly  Father,  she  was  far  the  most 
acceptable,  as  she  had  certainly  made  far  better  use  of 
her  privileges  than  I  had  of  mine.  See  how  hard  it  is  to 
root  out  of  the  mind  the  idea  of  merit,  foro^ettino:  that  if 
we  both  had  on  the  wedding  garment,  faith  in  the  Re- 
deemer's righteousness,  ourselves  were  entirely  covered, 
and  w^e  were  accepted  through  him  alone.  After  service, 
I  was  in  my  room  with  Lucie  (one  of  our  elder  girls,  a 
communicant),  speaking  with  her  of  this  wedding  gar- 
ment, when  we  were  startled  by  loud  shrieks  and 
screams.  On  looking  out,  we  saw  a  woman  run- 
ning swiftly  along,  tossing  her  arras  about  in  the  wildest 
manner,  and  uttering  such  fearful  cries.  Upon  inquiry, 
we  found  that  two  of  her  children  were  just  dead — 
poisoned  !  Christians,  I  leave  it  with  you  to  say  who 
were  the  murderers.  An  American  vessel  was  here,  a 
few  weeks  since,  and  sold  to  these  natives  a  hogshead  of 
rum,  since  which  time  our  congregations  have  been  very 
much  smaller  ;  and  on  visiting  at  the  towns,  it  is  hard 
to  gain  attention  to  our  message.  Rum !  rum !  has  be- 
sotted the  minds  of  the  people.    ''  Shall  not  God  arise  to 


172  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

judgment  for  this  ?"  Oh !  it  is  a  fearful  crime,  for  so- 
ealled  Christians  to  hinder  thus  the  work  of  the  missionary. 
They  tell  us  here,  that  no  vessel  can  trade  on  the  coast 
to  advantage,  without  rum  ;  and  that  those  who  have  it 
make  rapid  fortunes.  Think  of  ship-owners  and  cap- 
tains confessing  boldly  such  deeds,  that  they  have  to 
debase  and  degrade  the  poor  natives,  to  intoxicate  them, 
before  they  can  cheat  them,  or  make  them  sell  their 
commodities  at  half  their  value.  The  little  vessel  we 
came  out  in,  carried  no  rum,  and  the  captain  was  told 
he  would  never  succeed.  So  far,  he  has  done  well.  Grod 
grant  him  success,  that  others  may  have  courage  to  fol- 
low in  the  same  path.  But  to  return  to  my  murdered 
children.  Their  m.other  and  father  had  a  rum-bottle, 
which  the  children  often  saw  them  partake  of,  and  ap- 
pear much  to  enjoy.  This  morning,  after  taking  some, 
they  put  the  bottle  away  in  the  chest,  but  forgot  to  lock 
it ;  they  then  went  off  to  their  farm,  leaving  these 
children  at  home.  They  got  at  the  bottle,  finished  its 
contents,  and,  on  the  parents'  return,  were  found  dead, 
with  the  bottle  beside  them^  This  may,  perhaps,  be  for 
the  good  of  the  community,  as  they  have  a  great  horror 
of  death.  They  would  never  believe  before,  that  rum  is 
a  poison  ;  now  they  will  see  its  poisonous  effects. 

Life. — This  country  teems  with  life  ;  almost  every 
night  we  have  fresh  swarms  of  some  new  species  of  in- 
sect, attracted  by  the  light.  The  little  red  ants  are  in 
myriads,  being  over  everything  ;  and  at  night,  we  have 
a  species  of  winged  ant,  that  is  very  annoying.  Then, 
our  spiders  are  immense.     I  have  seen  them  with  a  body 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  173 

as  large  as  a  twenty-five-cent  piece ;  they  are  very  ugly 
Then,  we  have  quantities  of  lizards,  of  all  sizes,  playing 
about.      Some  of  them  are  very  large,  of  a  most  beauti- 
fnl  blue  color,  excepting  the  head,  which  is  a  bright  red, 
giving  them  a  very  singular  appearance. 

Rum. — A  French  vessel  has  been  lying  out  here,  sel- 
ling rum,  for  some  days  past.  The  natives  have  been  in 
a  constant  state  of  excitement,  quarrels  and  "  palavers" 
going  on  all  the  time.  Grod  forgive  the  venders  of  this 
poison — our  poor  people !  wo  feel  so  sorry  for  them.  On 
this  subject,  we  can  have  little  influence  with  them, 
while  the  rum  lasts  ;  the  missionary  might  almost  as 
well  cease  preaching.  To-day,  the  captain  and  mate, 
and  four  of  his  men,  were  on  shore.  It  was  very  rough 
going  over  the  bar  ;  the  boat  was  upset,  and  the  mate 
and  two  of  the  seamen  were  drowned  ;  the  rest  swam  to 
the  vessel.  The  body  of  one  of  the  men  was  found  some 
little  distance  below  by  some  Kroomen.  They  took  him 
up,  and  buried  him  like  a  dog,  with  the  exception  ol 
just  firing  a  few  shots  over  his  grave. 

Missionary  Meeting. — We  have  a  missionary  meeting 
once  a  month,  when  the  Bishop  reads  to  us  any  intelli- 
gence received  from  other  parts  of  the  world.  To-night, 
he  read  to  us  a  short  account  of  the  glorious  work  going 
on  in  New-Zealand — ^'Nations  being  born  in  a  day." 
Then  Mr.  Williams  gave  us  a  beautiful  address  on 
Ezekiel's  vision.  I  cannot  help  constantly  admiring 
the  oneness  of  feeling  prevailing  here  in  the  different 
branches  of  the  vine.     Christ's  prayer  seems  answered, 


174  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

'^Oh  !  Father,  that  they  may  be  onC;  as  we  are  one." 
And  to  Christians  at  home,  missionaries  would  con- 
stantly present  the  request,  '^Brethren,  pray  for  us!" 
Yes,  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  uphold  them 
by  your  prayers ;  pray,  that  they  may  teach  Christ,  by 
their  holy  lives  as  well  as  by  their  doctrines,  and  that, 
from  their  conduct,  men  may  take  knowledge  of  them, 
that  they  have  been  with  Jesus.  Again,  I  would  urge, 
pray  for  them. 

Salt. — In  one  house,  to-day,  a  woman  was  putting 
up  a  large  quantity  of  coarse  salt,  obtained  from  the 
sea- water,  by  evaporation.  She  was  putting  it  up  in 
cocoanut  leaves,  then  to  be  hung  up  in  the  hut  to  dry. 
It  was  put  up  quite  prettily  ;  it  really  looked  very  orna- 
mental, now  while  the  leaves  are  green,  but  that  will 
only  be  for  a  day  or  two. 

The  people  are  very  fond  of  children,  never  hardly 
correcting  them  ;  they  let  them  do  precisely  as  they 
please,  unless  they  become  too  outrageous,  and  then 
their  punishment  is  most  barbarous  ;  they  will  put  red 
pepper  into  the  eyes  of  the  refractory  ones — you  may 
imagine  the  torture  ;  but,  strange  to  say,  after  they  get 
over  the  pain,  which  lasts  several  days,  it  does  not  injure 
their  sight,  as  one  would  suppose. 

Joy. — I  thank  Grod  for  his  boundless  love.  It  is  Sun- 
day. This  morning,  before  going  into  church,  we  were 
speaking  on  the  subject  of  Christian  assarance,  and  our 
constant  doubts  and  fears  ;  and,  calling  attention  to  the 
mighty  expanse  of  waters  spread  out  before  us,  it  was  re- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  175 

marked  that  the  ocean  could  as  easily  bear  up  the  most 
deeply-laden  and  the  largest  ship,  as  the  tiniest  little 
cork  that  floated  on  its  bosom  ;  and  so  the  ocean  of 
Christ's  fullness  can  as  easily  sustain  the  soul  that  is 
most  deeply-laden  with  guilt  and  iniquity,  as  it  can  that 
of  the  comparatively  innocent  babe.  Who  can  fathom 
the  unutterable  depths  of  the  Saviour's  love  ?  Mr. 
Williams  preached  for  us  a  sermon,  full  of  Christ,  Mr. 
Jones  interpreting  for  him.  During  the  morning,  after 
service,  Mary  Bowman,  one  of  the  girls  I  have  to  attend 
to  my  room,  came  to  me,  and,  with  her  book  in  her 
hand,  sat  down  at  my  feet.  At  first,  I  took  no  notice  of 
her,  as  I  was  busy  reading  ;  presently,  I  noticed  that 
her  heart  was  full ;  she  was  crying.  I  laid  my  hand 
on  her,  "  Mary,  my  child,  what  is  the  matter  ?  can  I  do 
anything  for  you  ?"  She  looked  up  at  me,  "  Talk  me, 
talk  me."  "  Well,  Marj^,  what  shall  I  talk  to  you 
about  ?  Shall  it  be  of  the  love  of  the  precious  Saviour  ? 
Shall  I  tell  you  of  the  solemn  vows  and  promises  that 
were  made  to-day  ?"  Two  of  the  boys  in  school  (the 
one,  nineteen,  the  other,  seventeen  years  of  age)  were 
baptized  to-day  ;  they  give  every  promise  of  being  use- 
ful, sincere  Christians.  I  talked  to  her  a  long  time, 
though  at  first  I  did  not  like  to  be  disturbed,  as  I  was 
much  interested  in  what  I  was  reading.  But  God's 
Word  says,  "  In  the  morning,  sow  thy  seed  :  and  at  eve, 
v/ithhold  not  thou  thine  hand,  for  thou  knowest  not 
which  shall  prosper,  this  or  that."  For  some  little  time, 
I  have  remarked  a  growing  seriousness  in  Mary,  and 
one  or  two  others,  and  great  attention  to  the  things  of 
Grod.     Those  girls  have  been  well  and  faithfully  taught 


176  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

for  years :  they  have  head  knowledge.  I  went  down 
to  dinner,  leaving  Mary  still  in  my  room  ;  on  returning, 
I  found  her  yet  there.  She  came  and  knelt  beside  me, 
exclaiming,  "  Oh,  I  want  to  be  a  Christian  !  I  want  to 
be  baptized!"  I  commenced  talking  to  her  on  the  great 
and  important  subject  of  baptism  ;  but  we  were  obliged 
to  hurry  off  to  Sunday-school.  There,  the  children 
were  addressed  on  the  necessity  of  a  change  of  heart, 
which  subject  was  very  simply,  yet  beautifully  illus- 
trated to  them.  After  school  was  over,  Mary  came 
again  to  my  room  ;  we  continued  talking  for  a  time,  when 
suddenly  she  seized  my  hand,  "  Miss  B.,  pray  a  me." 
"  What !  Mary,  shall  I  pray  for  you,  or  with  you  ?"  "  Yes ! 
yes  !"  and  she  got  up,  and  together  we  knelt  and  prayed 
for  that  new  heart,  those  precious  influences  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  of  which  she  had  been  hearing  in  Sunday-school. 
We  talked  and  prayed  together,  till  the  bell  rang  for 
evening  service.  She  asked  me  to  tell  the  Bishop  her 
earnest  desire  to  be  baptized,  to  confess  Christ  before 
men.  "  Truly,  the  wind  bloweth,  where  it  listeth  :  and 
thou  hearest  the  sound  thereof,  but  canst  not  tell  whence 
it  Cometh,  nor  whither  it  goeth,  so  is  every  one,  who  is 
born  of  the  Spirit."  In  the  evening,  we  heard  an  exquis- 
itely beautiful  sermon  from  the  words  :  ''  They  went, 
and  told  Jesus."  Oh,  what  a  friend  He  is  !  Afterward, 
we  talked  together  about  Mary.  Truly,  we  have  "  joys 
that  the  world  intermeddleth  not  therewith."  We  all 
believe  Mary  to  be  a  good  girl. 

More  Joy. — Another  joyful  scene  to-day.     After  din- 
ner, Mater  came  up  into  my  room,  and  told  me  that  she, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  177 

like  Mary,  was  minding  God's  things — that  she,  too, 
wished  to  be  taken  into  God's  house,  to  be  God's  child. 
I  had  a  long  and  delightful  talk  with  her,  in  her  broken 
English,  and  prayed  with  her.  She  told  me  that  Eliza- 
beth (another  of  the  elder  girls)  wished  to  come  and  talk 
with  me,  that  she,  likewise,  was  wishing  to  come  for- 
ward, and  confess  Christ.  Elizabeth  was  busy  this  af- 
ternoon, so  she  could  not  come  to  me.  I  intend  to  take 
those  three  girls  alone  in  the  afternoon,  and  try  and 
make  them  thoroughly  understand  the  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  a  Christian  profession,  before  they  make 
it.  But  I  really  must  try  and  take  a  little  more  rest. 
I  am  never  free  from  fever  three  days  at  a  time  ;  and 
for  several  weeks  I  have  been  so  ill,  I  could  hardly 
crawl  about — no  one  would  think  it,  though,  to  see  me  ; 
for,  having  a  constant  fever  flush,  I  always  look  well. 
On  talking  to  Miss  "Williford,  she  says  that  for  many 
months  there  has  been  a  growing  seriousness  and  in- 
terest in  the  religion  of  Christ  manifested  among  the 
older  girls.  God's  promise  is,  that  '^  His  Word  shall 
not  return  to  Him  void  ;"  and  the  precious  seed  has  been 
sown  diligently  here  —  one  faithful  missionary  after 
another,  planting  and  watering  ;  and,  though  much  has 
fallen  upon  thorny,  stony,  or  barren  soil,  some  has  fallen 
upon  good  ground,  and  gives  promise  of  a  future  harvest. 
Now,  the  tender  blade  is  beginning  to  appear  ;  bye-and- 
bye,  it  will  be  the  ear,  then,  the  full  corn  in  the  ear. 
Many  of  those  faithful  laborers  have  gone  to  their 
account.  They  sowed  in  faith  —  they  saw  not  tlie 
fruits  of  their  toil — but,  at  the  great  harvest  home,  who 
shall  tell  how  many  sheaves  of  bearded  grain,  bound  up 

8* 


178  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

in  the  bundle  of  life,  will  owe  their  existence  to  the 
seed  they  first  planted.  We  must  each  work  diligently, 
as  though  the  conversion  of  the  whole  heathen  world  de- 
pended upon  our  individual  efforts  ;  while,  at  the  same 
time,  we  must  feel  that  "  PauLmay  plant,  and  Apollos 
may  water,  but  it  is  Grod  only  that  giveth  the  increase." 
We  should  never  forget,  too,  that  He  does  give  the  in- 
crease always  to  faithful  planting  and  watering  ;  but 
'4f  it  tarry,  we  must  wait  for  it,  knowing  that,  in  His 
good  time,  it  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry."  Grod  give 
us  grace  faithfully  to  tend  and  nourish  this  precious 
seed  that  has  been  planted,  and,  by  Grod's  spirit,  appears 
now  to  be  shooting  forth.  Truly,  truly,  it  may  be  a 
'^fearful  thing  to  die  ;"  but  it  is  an  awful  thing  to 
live — ^to  live,  as  we  shall  wish  we  had,  when  we  come 
to  die,  improving,  to  the  utmost,  every  talent  committed 
to  us. 

Work. — Very  ill  to-day,  but  had  my  different  classes 
come  to  my  room  to  recite,  Miss  G-illot  taking  charge 
in  the  school-room.  She  is  very  faithful.  This  after- 
noon, when  in  bed,  Mary  came  and  peeped  into  my 
room  and  then  went  away,  without  speaking,  but,  in  a 
few  minutes,  she  returned  with  Meter  and  Elizabeth. 
They  came  in  and  sat  down.  ''  Please  talk  to  us — tell 
us  of  Jesus."  "  Oh  !  Mary,  my  child,  I  am  so  weary, 
and  my  head  pains  me  so  badly,  I  cannot  talk  to  you 
now."  I  saw  a  shade  of  disappointment  pass  over  their 
faces,  and  it  instantly  recalled  me.  What !  refuse  to 
tell  those  poor  perishing  heathens  of  Jesus ;  refuse  to 
point  them  to  the  Lamb  of  God  ;  refuse  to  give  to  their 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  179 

famishing  souls  the  Bread  of  Life,  which  they  were 
pleading  for ;  and  I  remembered,  "  Whatever  thy  hand 
findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy  might,  for  there  is  neither 
thought,  device,  nor  knowledge  in  the  grave,  whither  we 
hasten."  I  took  the  Prayer  Book,  and  commenced  talk- 
ing to  them  on  the  first  answer  in  the  Catechism,  "  in 
baptism  wherein  I  was  made  a  member  of  Christ,"  &c. 
I  tried  to  explain  it  to  them,  and  prayed  with  them.  My 
earnestness  in  talking  produced  a  profuse  perspiration, 
which  removed  my  headache,  so  that,  after  they  had  gone, 
I  got  up,  feeling  much  better.  Dear  girls,  may  Grod's 
Spirit  be  abundantly  poured  out  upon  them ;  may  He 
perfect  the  good  work  He  has  begun  in  them,  and  may 
they  be  as  lights  in  this  dark  land.  At  dark  Henry  and 
Mr.  Bacon  came  to  me  for  an  hour  and  a  half  So,  we 
cannot  really  afford  the  time  to  be  sick,  for,  if  we  are,  our 
duties  have  to  be  neglected,  no  one  being  possibly  able 
to  attend  to  their  own  and  ours,  too.  Our  time  is  very 
short,  and  much  to  be  done,  "  for  soon  the  night  cometh 
wherein  no  man  can  work."  I  thank  God  daily  for 
granting  me  the  precious  privilege  of  laboring  here. 

Illness. — A  week  in  bed.  I  ought  to  have  been 
there  before,  but  I  would  not  give  up.  I  battled  every 
inch  of  ground,  till  obliged  to  succumb.  And  now 
again,  with  my  array  of  calomel,  blue  pill,  castor-oil, 
quinine,  and  ale,  a  goodly  army,  I  am,  at  length,  coming 
off  victorious.  I  have  had  my  children  in  my  room,  to 
recite  to-day,  as  we  are  preparing  for  examination.  The 
Bishop  and  Mr.  Williams  have  been  away  attending  the 
examinations  at  Mount  Vaughan — the  Asylum.       The 


180  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

Bishop  came  home  to-day.  Om-  examination,  of  the  girls 
is  to  be  on  Tuesday ;  the  boys  on  Wednesday.  The 
house  is  always  full  at  these  times,  missionaries  and 
colonists  all  making  it  a  point  to  be  present.  So  it  was 
thought  to  be  a  good  time  for  the  wedding  to  take  place 
then,  when  all,  who  would  be  invited  to  it,  would  be 
present.  We  are  very  busy  preparing,  but  I  feel  very 
feeble.  I  fear  a  relapse,  and  that  would  not  be  pleasant 
just  now.  Lucie,  one  of  my  girls,  brought  me  a  large 
piece  of  the  sassa-bark.  I  should  like  very  much  to  have 
it  analyzed. 

The  Examination  and  Wedding. — I  have  talked  as 
much  as  I  could,  and  others  have,  with  the  three  girls. 
They  are  to  be  baptized  on  Wednesday  evening.  I  think 
they  are  fully  prepared,  as  far  as  man  can  see,  for  the 
celebration  of  that  sacrament.  Truly  the  light  shineth 
here  in  a  dark  place.  It  is  just  the  dawn,  but  ere  long 
it  will  usher  in  the  glorious  day.  Christ  will  have  the 
heathen  for  his  inheritance,  and  he  shall  reign  ''  from  the 
river  even  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

Our  winter  has  commenced.  The  salt  winds  blow, 
and  though  v/e  have  not  so  much  rain,  yet,  from 
now  (the  middle  of  June)  till  September  we 
scarcely  see  the  sun,  just  a  peep  now  and  then.  The 
atmosphere  is  cloudy  and  murky.  A  thick  dress,  with 
the  windows  closed,  is  quite  comfortable.  Our  friends 
arrived  to-night  in  preparation  for  the  wedding  and 
examination  to-morrow.  How  very  badly  Miss  Ball 
looks. 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  181 

My  Birthday. — Truly  I  can  say  ^'hitherto  the  Lord  hath 
helped  me."  I  have  ended  one  more  year  of  my  earthly 
pilgrimage.  I  hope  it  has  brought  me  one  year  nearer 
my  heavenly  home.  How  varied  has  been  my  experience 
the  past  year,  yet  I  think  I  have  realized  God's  prom- 
ise, ''  My  presence  shall  go  with  thee,  and  I  will  do  thee 
good."  I  have  dreaded  this  examination  so  much — the 
idea  of  having  to  appear  and  speak  before  so  many.  I 
know  it  is  done  in  our  schools  constantly,  at  home  ;  but 
to  me,  it  is  very  repugnant.  I  felt  very  like  a  criminal 
when  I  went  into  the  school-room.  It  was  full.  I  sup- 
pose all,  white  and  black,  must  have  numbered  over  a 
hundred  and  fifty,  and  I  had  to  sit  before  them  all,  to 
examine  my  scholars.  I  trembled,  and  my  voice  falter- 
ed so  much.  I  had  hard  work  to  proceed.  But  it  was 
over  at  last,  and  I  could  have  jumped,  and  danced,  and 
clapped  my  hands,  like  the  veriest  child.  I  was  so 
relieved.  By  the  way,  what  strange  ideas  some  people 
seem  to  entertain  of  what  a  missionary  is.  I  suppose 
they  imagine  them  with  constant  long  faces  and  gloomy 
aspects,  going  about  like  so  many  monks  or  nuns.  I 
just  received  a  letter  from  a  friend  at  home,  asking  me 
how  we  felt.  That  she  should  imagine  we  always  felt 
so  good,  just  as  people  do  on  Sundays.  Now^  I  suppose 
what  she  meant  was  that  we  always  feel  grave  and 
serious.  I  wish  she  could  take  a  peep  in  upon  us  some- 
times. We  have  enough;  ah! -quite  enough,  to  make 
us  thoughtful  and  very  sad,  but  just  for  that  very  reason 
we  feel  it  more  our  bounden  duty  to  ^'  cast  our  burdens 
all  on  Christ,"  and  in  our  daily  intercourse  with  one  an- 
other, even  when   suffering   severely  with  sickness,    to 


182  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

wear  a  smiling,  pleasant  face,  and  to  be  as  light-hearted 
and  cheerful  as  possible.  This  we  consider  a  positive 
duty  we  owe  to  each  other.  The  examination  was  over 
at  five  o'clock.  We  had  trimmed  everything. and  every 
place  with  flowers — "  Grod's  smiles,"  as  some  one  has 
beautifully  called  them.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  the 
church,  which  is  just  completed,  Mr.  Hoffman  per- 
forming for  the  Bishop  the  same  service  the  latter  did  for 
him  a  few  months  since.  Who  would  have  thought,  six 
months  ago,  to  see  Miss  Williford,  that  she  would  have  ever 
lived  to  be  a  bride  ?  God  bless  them  both,  and  make  them 
a  blessing  to  this  people.  Most  of  our  company  stayed  all 
night,  to  be  present  at  the  boys'  examination.  We  were 
obliged  to  make  up  any  quantity  of  extempore  beds.  A 
mission  house  should  be  elastic. 

Baptism. — I  was  too  tired  to  sleep  last  night.  To-day 
the  boys'  examination  has  been  held.  Some  of  them 
declaimed  very  well.  One  of  them  recited  a  speech  of 
Patrick  Henry's.  It  could  not  have  been  better.  I  took 
those  three  girls  av/ay,  for  awhile,  to  my  room.  We 
read  over  the  baptismal  service,  and  I  was  pleased  to  see 
they  had  been  studying  it,  and  had  made  themselves 
quite  familiar  with  it.  They  are  good  girls,  so  far  as 
man's  eye  can  see.  In  the  evening  they  were  baptized. 
Mrs.  Payne  and  myself  stood  as  their  witnesses.  That 
service  grows  in  beauty,  to  me,  every  time  I  see  it  It 
is  a  very  solemn  thing,  this  turning  from  heathenism  to 
Christianity.  May  Grod  give  them  grace  to  confess  him 
fearlessly  before  men.  The  church  is  just  finished.  The 
chancel  rails  and  pulpit  were  put  up  yesterday  morning. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  183 

Mr.  Hoffinan  preached  this  evening.     We  still  have  a 
house  full. 

Sassa. — A  sad  sight  this  morning  again.  Just  before 
breakfast  we  heard  a  loud  wailing  on  the  beach,  and  we 
soon  saw  a  corpse  dragged  out  and  cast  upon  the  sand. 
It  was  a  young  woman  this  time  to  whom  sassa-wood  had 
been  given.  She  died  almost  instantly  upon  swallowing 
it.  A  very  great  crowd  gathered  round  her,  but,  in  a  veiy 
short  time  the  bullock  was  provided,  and  the  corpse  was 
carried  away.  How  fearful  it  seems.  An  hour  ago  that 
poor  woman  was  in  the  enjoyment  of  full  health  and 
vigor,  and  now  her  lifeless  corpse  is  cast  out  unto  the 
swamp,  to  be  devoured  by  beasts  of  prey.  It  is  dreadful ! 
And  yet  when  you  talk  to  them  about  it  you  can  hardly 
tell  how  to  answer  them.  "  Mammy,  it  be  our  country 
fash.  S'pose  man  bad  your  country,  he  hate  noder  man, 
he  shoot  he  wid  a  gun,  or  he  stick  a  knife  in  he  ;  what 
you  do  wid  dat  man  s'pose  you  catch  he  ?  I  knows, 
mammy,  you  take  a  rope,  you  put  him  round  he  neck, 
and  tie  he  on  a  tree,  till  he  dies.  That  your  country 
fash,  mammy.  But  s'pose  we  countryman,  he  hate 
noder,  he  no  shoot — he  no  take  a  knife,  but  he  witch 
he  ;  we  no  hang  he  up,  but  we  give  he  g-zdu.  That  be 
our  country  fash." 

Our  friends  have  left  us  this  morning,  except  Miss  Ball 
(it  now  being  the  holidays  she  can  be  away  from  home) 
and  Mrs.  Williams.  I  have  had  some  very  interesting 
conversation  with  several  of  the  people  in  town.  There 
are  many  who  think  about  G-od's  things,  but  still  hold 
back  from  making  a  profession.     Can  we  wonder  at  it 


184  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

when  we  see  the  multitudes,  in  our  own  land,  that  do 
the  same  ?  cannot  give  up  all  for  Christ,  though  fully 
persuaded  that  they  ought. 

Thl:  Invitations. — Communion  service :  it  is  a  holy 
season.  Over  a  hundred  native  communicants  are  here. 
Five  communed  to-day,  for  the  first  time — the  two  boys 
and  the  three  girls,  from  our  schools.  They  have  now 
buckled  on  the  Christian  armor.  May  they  never  lay  it 
aside,  but  fight  manfully,  as  good  soldiers  of  the  Cross. 
May  their  course  be  ever  onward  and  upward.  The  cus- 
toms here  at  communion  season  remind  one  forcibly 
of  the  feast  in  the  Gospel.  In  that,  you  recollect,,  three 
invitations  are  given — the  last  when  supper  is  announced: 
''  Come,  for  all  things  are  ready."  With  us,  except  on 
Communion  Sunday,  we  always  have  Sundtxy -school  in 
the  afternoon ;  and  that  the  people  may  not  forget,  they 
receive  three  invitations.  The  first  is  given  the  Sunday 
previous.  On  Saturday,  we  and  ail  the  women  from  the 
Christian  village,  and  school  girls  and  boys  who  are 
members,  go  and  scatter  about  through  the  towns,  tell- 
ing them  of  the  feast  to-morrow,  and  talking  to  them  of 
it ;  and  again  (as  they  have  no  regard  for  time),  just  be- 
fore service,  some  of  the  girls  are  sent  to  the  Christian 
huts  in  each  town,  with  the  message,  "  Come,  for  all 
things  are  ready." 

This  morning,  the  fourth  of  July,  I  was  awakened  very 
early,  by  the  firing  of  guns.  I  suppose  there  is  noise 
enough  of  that  sort  at  home  to-day.  How  it  took  mo 
there.  The  rejoicing  here  was  occasioned  by  the  com- 
pletion of  a  new  town-house — a  large  square  house  in 


I 


« 


I 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  185 

the  centre  of  the  town,  Where  town  meetings  are  held, 
"  palavers  "  settled,  &c.,  &c.  All  the  men  have  to  help 
to  build  it,  therefore  it  is  a  matter  of  great  rejoicing 
when  it  is  finished,  particularly,  as  in  this  case,  when 
the  materials  of  which  it  is  constructed  have  to  be 
brought  from  the  woods,  at  some  distance.  Miss  Ball 
has  gone  home  to-day. 

DoDA-Lu. — Doda-lu  is  a  native  town,  about  tw^  dnd  a 
half  miles  distant  from  us,  where  the  Sishop  goes  to 
preach  every  Tuesday  afternooii.  To-day  he  wished  us 
to  go  with  him  ;  so  he  engaged  men  to  carry  Mrs.  Payne 
and  myself,  in  hammocks,  and  he  and  Mr.  Williams  took 
it  by  turns  to  ride  on  horseback.  We  had  a  most  de- 
lightful ride.  Doda-lu  is  very  prettily  situated,  on  the 
Cavalla  river.  Unlike  any  other  towns  I  have  seen,  it 
is  completely  environed  by  tre-es.  The  scenery  all  along 
the  road  is  very  lovely  ;  it  is  a  most  beautifully  undu- 
lating country.  The  Bishop  preached  in  front  of  one  of 
the  houses,  in  an  open  space,  under  the  shade  of  a  fine 
cotton-tree.  These  trees  grow  to  the  size  of  the  oak. 
They  brought  country  chairs  for  us  to  sit  upon,  while 
the  natives  themselves  sat  on  the  ground  around  us,  in  all 
imaginable  positions.  These  scenes  must  be  witnessed 
to  be  felt.  Never,  till  you  are  in  a  heathen  land,  do  you 
realize,  in  all  its  fullness,  the  ''beauty  of  the  G-ospel." 
Two  of  the  girls  walked  down  from  the  Asylum  this 
evening,  to  see  me.  They  thought  I  should  have  gone 
up  with  Miss  Ball,  to  spend  part  of  the  holidays  there. 
Finding  I  did  not,  they  came  to  see  me.  They  show 
strong  proofs  of  affection.  Mr.  T.  Thompson  also  came 
down,  for  a  day  or  two. 


186  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

This  afternoon  we  started  to  take  a  little  walk  on  the 
beach,  to  see  some  very  romantic  projecting  rocks  a  short 
distance  off.  In  passing  through  the  town,  we  came  upon 
the  ''  Palava  House, '^  recently  erected.  While  we  stood 
looking  at  it,  a  Krooman  came  up  and  commenced  a  con- 
versation, speaking  English  very  nicely.  Mr.  Wilson 
pointed  to  some  gree-grees,  or  fetishes  (a  large  stone 
hBci  two  or  three  bunches  of  chickens'  feathers),  in  front 
of  the  house.  The  man  said,  ''  Me  no  believe  in  gree- 
grees  ;  me  want  to  believe  in  Grod's  things."  In  a  few 
minutes  quite  a  congregation  had  collected  around  us. 
Mr.  Wilson  preached  Jesus  to  them — the  man  we  first 
met  being  a  very  good  interpreter.  We  then  went  on  to 
the  beach,  towards  the  native  grave-yard.  Just  before 
you  come  to  this,  however,  you  meet  King  IFz'a'^  grave. 
Here  there  is  a  native  hut  inside  a  large  enclosure,  beau- 
tifully shaded  by  trees.  King  Wia  is  buried  inside  the 
hut.  On  the  outside,  within  the  enclosure,  seats  are 
placed  for  the  spirit  to  rest  on  when  it  comes  to  visit  the 
grave.  King  Wia  was  a  very  good  native,  a  kind  friend 
to  the  missionaries,  and  one  ''almost  persuaded  to  be  a 
Christian."  There  is  a  stone,  with  an  inscription  to  this 
effect,  placed  there  by  the  missionaries.  The  hut  is  com- 
pletely filled  with  those  things  which  constituted  his 
wealth  when  on  earth.  But  every  pot,  or  pan,  is  broken 
(an  apt  emblem).  Pieces  of  rags,  &c.,  are  hung  all 
round,  as  gree-grees.  Poor  people  !  We  knelt  and 
prayed  beside  this  grave,  for  the  eternal  life,  the  resur- 
rection unto  life,  of  these  living  ones  around  us,  who  are 
still  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins.  We  then  passed  on  to- 
wards the  general  grave-yard.     It  is  an  enclosed  piece 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  187 

of  woods.  When  any  one  is  interredj  a  grave  is  dug 
a  few  inches  beneath  the  surface,  or  else  the  body- 
is  just  laid  on  the  ground,  and  an  old  canoe  inverted 
over  it.  In  the  trees  are  a  great  number  of  monkeys  ; 
and  though,  when  found  elsewhere,  they  are  killed,  and 
eaten,  without  scruple,  yet  these  no  one  dare  touch,  as 
it  is  supposed  they  may  be  the  habitation  of  the  spir- 
its of  the  departed.  The  doctrines  they  hold  are  very 
contradictory  ;  sometimes  they  assert  their  belief  in  one 
thing,  sometimes  in  another. 

Centipede. — This  evening,  while  sewing,  I  was  star- 
tled by  the  cat  jumping  suddenly  upon  me.  I  started 
up,  and  felt  a  little  frightened  to  see  a  centipede  drop 
from  my  dress.  He  was  despatched  very  quickly.  I 
felt  quite  thankful  to  pussy,  for  though  the  bite  is  not 
mortal,  or  very  rarely  so,  yet  it  is  very  poisonous,  and 
occasions  much  suffering. 

Sad  News. — "While  busy  m  my  room  this  morning 
(Saturday),  the  Bishop  came  to  tell  me  that  the  Stevens 
had  arrived,  and  there  were  lots  of  letters  for  me.  Down 
went  my  work  on  the  floor,  and  I  rushed  into  the  parlor, 
and  could  do  nothing  else  till  I  had  devoured  the  con- 
tents. My  father  very  ill — probably  already  gone  home. 
Thank  G-od  !  ''  a  rest  remaineth."  Mrs.  Payne  has  sad 
news  ;  the  death  of  a  dear  and  only  brother.  But  God 
gives  her  grace  to  feel  that  '*  the  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord 
hath  taken  away,"  and  she  can  bless  His  name.  The 
Bishop  has  also  received  the  intelligence  of  the  death  of 
a  brother  of  his.    '^  He  that  rideth  on  the  pale  horse  does 


188  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

not  confine  himself  to  one  country  or  clime  ;  his  name  is 
ubiquity P  Even  should  our  lives  be  spared  to  see  our 
own  land,  how  many  faces  shall  we  miss.  To-day,  when 
I  was  in  town,  in  two  of  the  houses,  I  met  a  number  of 
w41d  bushmen.  They  had  never  been  to  the  coast  be- 
fore. I  was  the  first  white  person  they  had  ever  feen. 
They  were  really  frightful-looking  creatures  ;  they  had 
added  to  their  natural  darkness  by  painting  themselves 
over  with  a  sort  of  lampblack.  Their  heads  are  always 
most  ridiculous  spectacles  ;  shaved  sometimes  in  one 
fashion,  sometimes  in  another  ;  sometimes  little  cu'cles 
or  oblongs  of  hair  left,  and  all  shaved  between.  You 
might  fancy  they  had  seen  a  prettily  laid-out  garden, 
the  hair  representing  the  beds,  and  the  shaved  parts  the 
paths  between.  At  other  times  one  half  of  the  head  is 
shaved  ;  on  the  other  half  the  hair  is  permitted  to  grow 
about  four  inches  long,  and  then  it  is  plaited  into  innu- 
merable tails,  that  stand  straight  up  and  out  from  the 
head.  It  will  take  their  wives  from  four  to  five  hours  to 
do  this  for  them.  I  talked  to  them,  through  my  inter- 
preter, for  some  time.  They  had  never  heard  of  Grod.  I 
told  them  of  man's  total  depravity,  of  God's  holiness,  of 
the  Saviour's  love,  and  begged  them  to  come  to  church 
to-morrow.  They  promised  me  they  would.  We  must 
constantly  sow  the  seed  ;  the  bread  cast  upon  the  waters 
may  be  found  after  many  days.  The  people  of  the  coast 
look  down  very  much  upon  the  bushmen,  considering 
them  as  vastly  inferior  to  themselves,  as  indeed,  in  many 
respects,  they  are.  Shaving  the  head,  among  the  Gre- 
boes,  is  a  sign  of  mourning  ;  and,  according  to  the  near- 
ness of  the  relationship,  the  head  is  more  or  less  shaven, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  189 

it  being  shaved  either  a  quarter,  the  half,  or  the  whole 
head. 

The  Kwl — The  bushmen  were  at  church  to-day.  The 
Bishop  preached  in  Grrebo.  After  which,  Mr.  Williams 
followed  in  an  address,  which  was  interpreted.  Both  the 
sermon  and  address  were  on  the  folly  of  idols  and  gree- 
grees,  and  the  nature  of  the  true  God.  This  people  have 
had  the  Grospel,  in  its  purity,  preached  to  them  for 
over  twenty  years  ;  and  now  G-od  appears  to  be  speak- 
ing to  them  by  His  providences.  Last  year,  without 
any  apparent  cause,  the  rice,  their  main  dependence  for 
food,  after  it  was  nicely  headed,  withered,  and  was  de- 
stroyed ;  and  now  the  same  thing  is  occurring.  It  has 
been  looking  beautiful,  already  headed,  but  it  is  now  all 
wilting  away.  It  is  believed  that  the  spirits  of  the  de- 
parted become  devils,  or  demons  (Kivi),  and  that  it  is 
they  who  inflict  the  evils  which  the  people  suffer  ;  they, 
therefore,  often  offer  sacrifices  (a  bullock,  goat,  or  chick- 
ens), to  propitiate  them.  Some  great  man  has  died,  not 
very  long  ago,  and,  for  some  supposed  offence,  they  think 
his  Kwi  is  angry  with  them  ;  so,  this  last  week,  they 
have  been  offering  sacrifices  to  him.  May  the  scales  of 
error  soon  fall  from  their  eyes. 

Time. — Mr.  Williams  has  left  us  in  the  Stevens.  He 
has  gone  back,  I  hope,  strengthened  for  fresh  labors.  I 
have  had  time  to  write  but  very  little  for  home.  I  have 
sent  home  my  watch,  by  Mr.  Johnston,  a  merchant  (col- 
ored), of  Monrovia.  It  is  a  very  singular  thing  that  no 
watches  will  keep  correct  time  here  ;  even  the  very  best 


190  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

chronometers  will  vary  somewhat  on  this  coast,  and  no 
two  watches  will  keep  time  together  ;  if  you  set  them 
alike  to-day,  they  will  not  remain  so  to-morrow.  About 
every  two  or  three  days  the  Bishop  sets  the  clock  in  the 
parlor  right,  by  the  sun,  and  we  keep  ours  by  that.  I 
cannot  understand  the  philosophy  of  this  thing.  My 
watch,  since  it  has  stopped,  has  been  a  great  loss  to  me, 
as  I  have  to  regulate  my  school  duties,  &c,,  by  it,  and 
it  may  be  many  months  ere  it  will  be  returned  to  me. 

The  Funeral. — I  have  just  returned  from  the  funeral 
of  a  little  child,  a  very  fine  little  boy,  the  son  of  one  of 
our  Christian  villagers.  He  was  about  three  years  old. 
The  father  is  a  carpenter ;  he  made  the  child's  coffin 
himself.  The  child  has  been  sick  for  two  or  three  days, 
but  did  not  seem  to  be  dangerously  ill.  He  died  about 
eight  o'clock  this  morning,  and  is  just  buried  now,  at 
eleven.  This  haste  seems  dreadful,  but  it  is  necessary. 
We  could  not  but  notice  the  blessed  effects  of  Christian- 
ity, if  it  were  only  the  mitigation  of  our  sufferings  in 
time  of  trouble.  All  the  relations,  of  both  parents,  are 
heathen ;  and  the  wild,  despairing  grief  of  the  grand- 
mother was  a  marked  contrast  to  the  deep  but  subdued 
sorrow  of  the  parents,  who  could  look  beyond  the  grave, 
to  the  ^'resurrection  and  the  life,"  and  feel  that  their 
child  "  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth."  Who  that  has  but 
one  spark  of  humanity  but  would  long  earnestly  that  all 
men  might  have  the  hope  of  the  Gospel.  How  much  of 
human  misery  does  it  soothe  and  relieve  !  The  Bishop 
had  the  service  in  the  house,  Mr.  Jones  interpreting  his 
address  into  Grrebo,  then  following  himself  in  a  short 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  191 

speech — many  of  the  natives  from  the  towns  being  pres- 
ent. We  then  went  to  the  grave-yard,  a  pretty  little 
spot,  under  the  trees  ;  only  three,  as  yet  (all  children), 
being  buried  there.  The  bell  was  solemnly  tolling  all 
the  time.  May  we  also  be  ready,  for  in  *'  such  an  hour 
as  we  think  not  the  Son  of  Man  cometh."  We  heard  to- 
night that  old  M'Lede  has  gone  home  to  her  rest. 

Ignorance. — I  felt  very  sorry  for  one  poor  woman  I 
met  in  town  to-day.  I  went  into  her  house,  and  began 
talking  to  her  about  her  children.  I  then  told  her  it 
would  be  Sunday  to-morrow,  asking  her  if  she  was  com- 
ing to  church,  and  telling  her  if  she  did  not  keep  God's 
Sabbath,  did  not  mind  G-od's  Word,  He  would  not  bless 
her  ;  and  I  begged  her  to  come  to  God's  house,  to  hear 
His  Word.  She  said,  ''  No,  she  would  not ;  that  some 
time  ago,  she  used  to  go  much  to  God's  house,  but  He 
had  not  blessed  her  ;  that  He  had  taken  away  two  or 
three  of  her  people,  and  she  would  not  go  to  His  house 
again."  Poor  woman !  how  sad  my  heart  felt  for  her. 
She  seemed  to  think  that  by  learning  the  way  to  eternal 
happiness,  by  hearing  the  good  news  of  salvation  pro- 
claimed to  a  poor,  lost,  perishing  sinner,  like  her,  she 
was,  as  it  were,  laying  God  under  an  obligation  to  her. 
I  fear,  alas !  that  such  ideas  are  not  confined  to  hea- 
thens. 

The  Accepted  Invitation. — I  was  reading  to-day  on 
the  subject  I  recently  spoke  of:  that  in  many  parts  of 
the  East  it  is  still  the  custom,  on  the  occasion  of  any 
great  feast,  to  send  the  invitation   many  days  before; 


192  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

then,  again,  the  day  before  the  feast,  to  remind  them  of 
it ;  and  again,  when  all  is  prepared  ;  and  it  is  a  great  in- 
dignity to  refuse  to  come,  after  all  this  trouble.  Now, 
we  do  hope,  with  these  guests,  who  come  here  to  the 
great  feast,  though  they  come  v/ith  little  outward  cloth- 
ing, yet  we  trust  they  are  clothed  with  the  ample  gar* 
ment  of  the  Redeemer's  righteousness,  and,  therefore, 
are  admitted  a!S  welcome  guests.  How  many  at  home 
have  had  the  invitation,  again  and  again,  and  have 
^'  made  light  of  it,"  and  gone  their  ways  ;  and  these,  from 
the  highways  and  hedges,  are  brought  to  the  feast  on 
earth,  and,  finally,  will  be  purified  and  happy  guests  at 
"  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb." 

Consumption. — How  time  flies !  So  many,  many 
things  I  had  set  myself  to  do  during  the  holidays,  and 
I  have  scarcely  performed  a  tithe  of  them ;  and  yet 
I  have  been  busy,  oh!  so  busy,  every  moment.  It  really 
would  not  do  for  us  to  have  too  much  sewing  for  our- 
selves to  do.  Copying  my  Grrebo  dictionary,  and  study- 
ing the  language,  take  every  moment  of  spare  time. 
School  has  begun  again.  The  children  are  all  very  glad 
at  the  commencement  of  the  holidays,  but  they  are  mucli 
more  so  at  their  termination.  Mrs.  Payne  received  a 
large  box  of  presents,  from  kind  friends  at  the  South.  It 
came  by  the  Stevens  ;  presents  for  herself  and  the  school. 
To-day  we  were  up  in  the  storeroom,  putting  away  some 
of  these  things,  when,  on  laying  a  piece  of  shirting  on 
the  table,  an  enormous  centipede  ran  out  of  it,  and  ran 
across  the  table.  It  was  the  largest  I  have  seen  yet,  and 
one  of  the  most  venomous  species ;  but  they  appear  to 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  193 

be  as  much  afraid  of  us  as  we  are  of  them.  They  sel- 
dom are  the  aggressors,  but  they  are  ugly  things.  I  was 
a  little  surprised  at  some  statistics  the  Bishop  was  men- 
tioning to-night ;  and  yet  there  was  no  reason  to  be  sur- 
prised, when  we  reflect  an  instant.  He  says  that  four 
fifths  of  the  children  here  die  in  infancy,  and  four  fifths 
of  those  who  attain  to  manhood  die  of  consumption. 
They  always  have  fires  in  their  huts,  even  in  the  hottest 
weather,  keeping  them  up  to  boiling  heat ;  and  now,  at 
this  season,  it  feels  quite  cool,  even  with  a  thick  merino 
dress  on.  And  they  will  constantly  go  in  and  out  from 
these  intensely  hot  huts,  into  the  cold  air  (that  even  we 
feel  cold),  with  nothing  but  a  little  cloth  around  the 
loins.  At  night,  after  sitting  round  the  fire,  in  a  steam- 
ing hut,  they  will  go  out  into  the  cold  air,  and  there 
take  a  hot  bath  (not  cold,  or  tepid,  but  hot),  and  then 
stand  for  some  time  in  the  cold,  damp,  heavy  dews.  Is 
it  a  wonder  they  have  fearful  coughs  and  consumption  ? 
They  are  very  cleanly  in  their  persons,  and  this  hot  bath 
must  be  taken  by  every  one  every  night. 

9 


194  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


CI]a|jtn   ®todft|. 


ULCERS. 


The  natives,  and  many  of  the  colonists  also,  are  troub- 
led with  the  most  frightful  ulcers.  They  are  most  fre- 
quently in  the  legs.  The  slightest  bruise  or  wound  will 
produce  them.  I  have  seen  them  with  holes  so  large  you 
might  lay  a  pigeon's  egg  in  them.  They  will  suffer  with 
them  for  months  or  years.  There  is  an  herb  grows  here, 
similar  to  the  plantain,  which  they  sometimes  apply  ; 
but  I  never  could  perceive  that  it  was  at  all  effica- 
cious. There  are  also  a  great  many  lepers ;  we  have 
several  constantly  coming  to  the  house.  This  disease  is 
hereditary,  but  not  infectious  ;  though  often,  if  the  leper 
should  come  between  you  and  the  air,  you  would  per- 
ceive a  very  strong,  heavy  odor.  They  will  frequently 
turn  white,  in  large  spots  or  blotches,  which  give  them 
a  very  disagreeable  appearance.  We  have,  however,  to 
overcome  any  fastidiousness  or  squeamishness  on  that 
point  very  soon,  though  some  of  the  sights  are  sicken- 
ing. But  then  we  must  remember  that  they  are  our 
brethren,  children  of  one  common  Father ;  and  we  must 
put  away  our  own  feelings,  that  we  may  be  enabled  to 
'^  pour  in  the  oil  and  wine  "  to  others'  wounds.  We  our- 
selves at  first  appear  very  disgusting  to  those  who  have 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  195 

never  seen  a  white  person  "before.  They  think  that  the 
reason  we  are  all  white  is  because  we  are  such  fearful 
lepers. 

Climate. — Another  large  centipede  killed  in  the  school- 
room to-day.  How  soon  we  learn  certain  habits.  I  never 
think  now  of  putting  on  my  clothes  without  giving  each 
article  a  good  shake,  to  be  sure  that  there  is  neither  cen- 
tipede, scorpion,  nor  spidea-,  concealed  there.  I  have 
bought  a  monkey  to-day.  Kade  is  going  to  take  care 
of  him,  and  train  him  for  me,  till  I  can  send  him  home. 
It  surely  must  be  far  more  healthy  in  the  interior  than 
it  is  here  on  the  coast,  for  every  animal  that  comes  from 
there  here  has  to  go  through  an  acclimation.  I  had  a 
beautiful  parrot  sent  me,  some  weeks  ago,  from  up  the 
river,  that  I  gave  to  Kade  to  train  and  take  care  of.  He 
understands  these  things.  But  the  poor  thing  died  a  few 
days  afterward.     I  hope  my  monkey  will  live. 

The  Bishop  brought  me  a  beautiful  little  bird  to-day* 
He  found  some  native  children  ill-treating  it,  and  they 
gave  it  to  him.  It  is  still  alive  ;  but  I  fear  it  will  not 
live  ;  it  seems  stunned.  I  have  placed  it  on  some  Cot- 
ton, in  a  box,  with  plenty  of  air,  food,  and  water.  I 
hope  it  will  recover,  for  it  is  a  beautiful  little  creature. 
It  is  about  the  size  of  a  sparrow.  Its  plumage  is  a  deep 
glossy  black,  like  the  richest  velvet,  except  the  breast, 
which  is  a  splendid  red.     The  bill  is  a  very  bright  blue. 

My  little  bird  died  in  the  night,  and  by  this  morning 
it  was  half  eaten  up  by  the  ants.  How  delightful  the 
accounts  we  have  from  home  of  the  revivals  and  prayer- 
meetings.    Oh !  that  God  would  also  pour  out  His  Spirit 


196  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

here,  that  '^  nations  may  be  born  m  a  day."  There  is 
going  to  be  much  hunger  here  again.  The  rice  has  been 
blighted  by  the  winds.  It  seems  as  if  Grod  intended 
to  show  the  people  that  ''  the  Lord  reigneth ;"  and  if 
they  will  not  hear  His  voice  when  He  speaks  to  them 
in  love  and  mercy,  he  will  make  them  feel  His  judg- 
ments. 

Company. — I  am  alone  in  my  room,  and  yet  I  have 
plenty  of  company.  What,  with  spiders,  cockroaches, 
scorpions,  ants,  rats,  and  occasionally  a  centipede  or 
young  lizard,  by  way  of  a  change,  I  have  visitors  enough. 
1  ought  to  be  lively.  I  have  been  trying  my  hand  in  the 
way  of  stuffing  and  preparing  birds  for  preservation,  but 
have  had  to  give  it  up  in  despair ;  I  cannot  accomplish 
it.  I  have  had  two  very  singular  birds'  nests  brought 
me,  from  two  hundred  miles  inland.  I  shall  send  them 
home. 

Strange  Ideas. — The  Bishop  has  been  away  for  sev- 
eral days.  He  came  home  last  evening.  He  had  vis- 
ited a  great  number  of  towns,  and  administered  the 
Communion  in  one.  All  the  towns  appear  to  be  in  a 
state  of  antagonism  ;  towns  not  farther  than  half  or  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  apart,  at  war  with  one  another.  Oh !  if  in- 
fidels could  only  see  the  world  as  it  is,  without  God,  they 
would  say,  ''  G-ive  me  Christianity,  if  only  for  this  life  !" 
One  woman  says  she  would  not  be  a  Christian,  because 
Christians  have  nothing  to  eat  when  they  are  dead. 
Another,  who  really  seemed  to  believe  all  the  doctrines, 
of  Christianity,   and    to   thoroughly  understand   them 


EVERY-DAY    EIFE    IN    AFRICA.  197 

would  not  be  a  Christian,  she  says,  "because  then  she 
would  not  be  buried  with,  and  in  the  spirit  land  wear,  all 
her  brass  armlets  and  anklets,  as  she  does  here.  Oh ! 
that  the  Spirit  of  Grod  may  breathe  on  these  dry  bones, 
that  they  may  live.  It  is,  indeed,  a  labor  of  faith  to 
teach  them.  I  found  a  dead  scorpion  in  my  bonnet-box. 
The  old  proverb  of  skinning  the  eels  is  very  good  here  : 
"  Nothing  when  you're  used  to  it."  Old  Dawba,  a  na- 
tive Christian  in  town,  is  very  ill.  Poor  man  !  I  am  so 
sorry  ;  we  all  think  so  much  of  him. 

Singing, — Sunday  mornings,  all  the  children  collect 
in  the  girls'  school-room  to  sing  hymns.  This  morning, 
I  thought  it  sounded  more  sweetly  than  usual.  My 
room  overlooks  the  school-room,  so  that  I  can  have  a 
constant  oversight  of  them,  and  hear  all  that  passes, 
though  the  buildings  are  separated.  They  were  singing 
''  Messiah  is  king  !  Messiah  is  king  ! "  "When  they 
came  to  that  line,  "  Tell  how  He  cometh  from  nation 
to  nation,"  such  a  thrill  of  delight  passed-through  me, 
that  I  was  one  of  those  privileged  to  spread  these  "  glad 
tidings  of  great  joy"  in  this  dark  land.  May  the  num- 
bers be  speedily  multiplied  of  those  who  shall,  from 
their  hearts,  join  in  hallelujahs  of  praise  to  the  great 
King.  One  of  our  lay  preachers — for  we  have  many 
that  circulate  on  a  Sunday  (this  being,  as  it  were,  the 
centre  from  which  the  rays  of  light  issue  in  all  direc- 
tions)-— found  the  people  in  the  town  to  which  he  went, 
giving  sassa  to  a  man.  He  had  not  much  of  a  congre- 
gation to  hear  his  message.  He  tried  to  stop  the  giving 
of  the  poison,   but  could  not  succeed.     When  he  left, 


198  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

however,  he  thought  the  man  was  likely  to  recover  from 
its  effects. 

Beauty. — How  truly  has  Tupper  said,  "  For  the  es- 
timates of  human  beauty,  dependent  on  times  and 
climes,  manifold  and  changeable,  are  multiplied ;" 
or,  to  come  down  to  the  common  proverb,  '*  Tastes 
differ."  I  saw  a  woman  to-day  with  the  half  of  her 
head  shaved,  leaving  quite  a  bushy  crop  on  the  other 
side ;  and  then  the  whole  head  was  dyed  with  a  species 
of  tan,  v/hich  made  it  a  perfect  brick  color.  She  herself 
was  jet  black.  It  looked  horrid,  and  yet  so  ridiculous. 
I  could  scarcely  keep  from  laughing  at  her ;  but  she 
thought  she  was  beautiful — "  she  fine  too  much." 

Sassa  Triumph. — "Whilst  in  school,  to-day,  we  heard 
considerable  shouting  and  singing.  It  was  a  woman, 
enjoy^ing  a  triumphal  procession,  after  having  escaped 
the  deadly  g'idu.  She  liad  on  quite  a  large  cloth,  for  a 
woman  ;  attached  to  the  bottom  of  this,  were  a  great 
number  of  little  bells,  a  very  favorite  ornament,  and  a 
good  article  of  trade.  She  was  loaded  with  heavy, 
brass  armlets,  and  anklets,  up  to  the  knees  and  elbows  ; 
these,  with  her  bells,  made  such  a  noise,  that  they  could 
be  heard  at  a  great  distance.  Her  head  was  dyed 
bright  red,  while,  with  a  species  of  clay,  her  face,  arms 
and  body,  were  marked  with  white  stripes.  She  went 
dancing  along  (the  dancing  consists  in  a  very  strange, 
vulgar  motion  of  the  body),  improvising  a  song,  in  her 
own  praise,  while  a  man  walked  beside  her,  holding 
over  her  head  a  red  and  white  cotton  umbrella.     At  a 


Portraits  of  Native  Africans  at  Cape  Palmas 


EVERY-PAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  199 

sassa  triumph,  is  the  only  time  at  which  a  woman  is  so 
honored  as  to  be  allowed  to  walk  beside  the  man  ;  at  all 
other  times,  she  must  walk  behind  him.  We  had 
heard  nothing  about  it ;  but  this  woman,  it  seems, 
had  the  sassa  administered  to  her  on  Sunday ;  she  re- 
covered, but  they  gave  it  to  her  again  yesterday,  when 
she  also  recovered,  and  now  she  is  having  a  grand 
triumph.  It  is  not  uncommon,  if  there  is  much  malig- 
nity felt  towards  the  supposed  criminal,  to  administer  the 
poison  two  or  three  times  before  they  will  consider  their 
innocence  to  be  proven.  A  man  has  been  known  to  die 
from  the  effects  of  the  fourth  dose.  They,  however, 
allow  two  or  three  days  to  intervene  between  the  recep- 
tion of  each  dose. 

Fish. — As  I  came  in  from  school,  I  saw  a  crowd  col- 
lected on  the  beach,  and,  looking  out  to  sea,  I  perceived 
about  a  dozen  canoes,  apparently  joined  together,  coming 
in  towards  shore,  at  a  very  slow  pace.  It  seems  they 
had  caught  an  immense  fish,  with  a  harpoon,  and  they 
wanted  to  bring  it  on  shore  alive,  but  they  could  not ; 
and,  at  length,  they  were  obliged  to  cut  it  up,  and  bring 
it  in  piecemeal.  It  was  a  perfect  God-send  to  the  town. 
It  was  so  large,  that  there  was  enough  for  a  good  meal 
for  every  one  in  town.  Such  a  thing  is  always  divided 
equally  among  all,  no  matter  who  catches  it,  it  is  con- 
sidered town  property.  They  sent  the  Bishop  quite  a 
large  piece,  and  it  w^as  pronounced  very  good.  The 
Bishop  said  it  was  a  very  singular  fish,  more  in  shape 
like  a  bird  ;  its  flappers,  or  fins,  being  immense,  and 
like  birds'  wings.  Fever  seems  on  the  increase  with  me 
again,  my  head  and  eyes  are  so  bad. 


200  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Fever — There  is  one  noun  that,  in  Africa,  we  can 
never  decline — fever  ;  and  yet,  as  a  verb,  we  have  to  go 
through  it,  in  all  its  moods  and  tenses.  A  boy,  from 
the  station  at  Nitie  Lu^  was  baptized  to-day,  the  first 
of  that  tribe — a  tribe  of  cannibals.  The  Bishop  was 
much  pleased  with  the  boy,  and  his  thorough  knowledge 
of  Scripture  doctrines  and  duties.  He  has  been  in- 
structed only  by  a  native  teacher. 

Had  to  give  up  to  my  bed  to-day.  Mrs.  Payne 
brought  me  a  bundle  of  letters  from  our  friends  at  Coris- 
co  and  Gaboon — all  well  ;  though  all  had  suffered 
slightly  with  fever,  none  had  been  severely  ill.  They 
are  very  pleasantly  situated,  and  take  great  delight  in 
their  work.  Fernando-Po  and  Corisco  both  belong  to 
Spain.  She  has  just  sent  to  Fernando-Po  a  new  governor, 
and  a  company  of  Jesuit  priests.  They  have  shut  up 
the  Protestant  schools,  and  forbidden  preaching  ;  and  it 
is  feared  they  will  do  the  same  at  Corisco.  They  have 
an  armed  vessel  with  them,  to  enforce  their  authority. 
"Well,  we  know  that  with  ''the  madness  of  men,"  as 
well  as  the  raging  of  the  sea,  there  is  one  who  says  : 
''  Thus  far  shalt  thou  go,  and  no  farther."  The  little 
vessel  which  brought  us  these  letters,  came  up  to  get 
Kroomen  ;  she  returns  to  Corisco.  The  captain  has  very 
kindly  offered  to  give  Mr.  Hoffman  and  Miss  Ball  a  free 
passage  down  the  coast.  They  both  remain  so  unwell, 
that  a  little  voyage  will,  probably,  be  of  great  service  to 
them.  They  sail  to-morrow.  I  hope  they  may  come 
back  well  and  strong.  Mr.  Gibson  has  gone  to  Mon- 
rovia. Mr.  Crummell  is  now,  with  his  family,  settled  at 
Mount  Yaughan ;  he  is  a  very  gentlemanly,  well-edu. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN   AFRICA.  201 

cated  man.  He  received  his  education  at  Cambridore, 
England.  He  is  to  take  charge  \vhile  Mr.  Hoffman  is 
away.  Poor  Mr.  Thompson !  he  is  so  anxious  to  enter 
the  ministry,  and  he  was  studying  so  hard  with  Mr. 
Crummell,  and  again  he  is  hindered.  He  must  take 
charge  of  the  school  at  the  Asylum  till  Miss  Ball  re- 
turns. Truly,  may  we  say,  "  here  we  have  no  continu- 
ing city."  "We  must  be  willing  to  be  removed,  or  to 
change  our  work  at  any  moment,  as  it  is  best  for  the 
cause  ;  and  if  we  constantly  put  up  that  prayer,  ''  Lord, 
what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  we  shall  do  it  cheer- 
fully and  willingly. 

The  children  of  the  schools  here  are  corresponding 
with  those  of  Monrovia.  I  think  it  will  be  instrumental 
in  doing  them  all  much  good.  For  several  days,  out  of 
school  hours,  I  have  had  a  *  number  of  the  girls  in  my 
room,  trying  to  write  letters  ;  it  must  be  entirely  their 
own  work,  only  I  tell  them  if  such  a  word  is  right  or 
not.  Whilst  they  are  doing  this,  I  am  trying  to  study 
G-rebo  ;  but  it  is  slow  work — quite  "  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge  under  difficulties." 

Harry  Bacon. — Oh  !  how  the  simple  faith  of  the  poor 
and  ignorant  often  puts  us  to  shame.  I  have  spoken  of 
Harry  Bacon,  the  colonist  carpenter,  who  is  working  on 
the  boys'  school-house  ;  he  comes  to  me  whenever  he 
can  to  have  a  spelling  or  reading  lesson.  I  was  speak- 
ing with  him,  to-day,  on  the  efficacy  of  prayer,  and  he 
said,  ''  Yes,  marm,  I  knows  it,  cause  I'se  'sperienced  it. 
Let  me  tell  you,  marm,  what  the  Lord  did  for  this  old 

nigger  once,  and  no  one  need  to  tell  to  me  that  He  don't 

9# 


202  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

hear  prayer — yes,  and  answer  it,  too.  I  used  to  live  in 
Greorgia,  and  I  had  a  proper,  good,  kind  master,  too, 
marm,  and  he  gave  me  a  good  trade.  When  I  grew  up 
I  was  a  pretty  smart  workman,  so  massa  he  let  me  hire 
my  time.  I  pay  in  his  han'  so  much  hard  cash  ebery 
week,  den  I  go  whar  I  like,  lib  whar  I  like.  Well, 
marm,  my  wife  she  b'long  to  anoder  massa,  but  most  de 
time  I  was  able  to  lib  with  her ;  and  sometime  I  able  to 
earn  more  money  den  I  gib  to  massa,  and  I  take  homo 
to  my  wife,  and  we  wery  happy."  He  then  went  on  to 
tell  me  his  story,  but  I  cannot  give  it  you  in  his  words. 
His  wife  and  himself  were  both  zealous,  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Church.  They  lived  very  com- 
fortably together,  till  their  eldest  child  was  fourteen  ; 
they  had  five.  At  this  time,  his  wife's  master  dying, 
left  her  and  her  children  free  at  the  end  of  a  year,  but 
they  were  all  to  be  sent  to  Liberia.  Harry  immediately 
wrote — I  mean,  had  a  letter  written  (he  could  neither 
read  nor  write)  telling  his  master  of  his  wife's  freedom, 
and  his  deep  attachment  to  her  and  her  children,  and 
imploring  him  to  set  a  price  on  him,  and  let  him  try  and 
obtain  that  money,  so  he  might  go  with  his  wife  and 
family.  His  master  sent  him  word,  that  he  would  not 
sell  him  at  any  price.  He  petitioned  a  second  and  a 
third  time,  to  no  purpose.  Well,  Harry,  with  the  light- 
hearted  thoughtlessness  of  his  race,  thinking  a  year  was 
a  long  way  off,  went  on  in  his  usual  way,  with  his  little 
spare  money  buying  little  comforts  for  his  wife  and 
children,  and  putting  off  the  evil  day.  At  length,  the 
time  arrived  for  them  to  sail.  He  was  allowed  to  go 
with  them  to  Savannah,  to  bid  them  good-bye.    They 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  203 

were  obliged  to  remain  at  Savannah  some  days,  to  wait 
for  the  vessel ;  and  there  he  was  compelled  to  leave 
them,  to  return  himself  to  a  factory,  where  he  was  then 
at  work,  thinking  he  had  bid  them  adieu  forever.  For 
two  or  three  days  he  could  neither  eat  nor  sleep,  devising 
ways  and  means  to  go  with  them ;  but  all  was  hopeless. 
At  length,  he  heard  that  for  some  reason  the  vessel  was 
not  to  sail  for  three  weeks.  He  now  again  sent  a  most 
imploring  letter  to  his  master,  who,  thinking  such  a 
thing  would  be  utterly  impossible,  returned  him  word 
that,  if  he  would  pay  him  a  thousand  dollars  before  the 
vessel  sailed,  he  should  go.  The  poor  man  was  almost 
in  despair.  Where  was  he  to  raise  a  thousand  dollars, 
in  a  little  over  two  weeks  ?  However,  he  sent  letters 
to  two  or  three  gentlemen,  for  whom  he  had  worked, 
and  to  one  northern  gentleman^  stating  his  case,  and 
praying  for  assistance.  That  night  he  felt  that  he 
had  done  all  he  could,  but  his  case  was  hopeless.  He 
lay  down  to  sleep,  with  all  his  fellow-^vorkmen — one  of 
them  had  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible  to  the  rest — ^soon 
all  were  asleep,  but  he  could  not  close  his  eyes ; 
"  and,"  to  give  his  own  words,  ''oh  !  marm,  de  blessed 
Jesus,  he  was  so  good  to  dis  poor,  miserable  sinner,  sud- 
denly dar  was  a  purty  light  in  do  room,  now  whar  it 
come  from  I  couldn't  just  see  ;  and  right  dar,  sitting 
close  aside  me,  was  a  mighty  fine  gentleman.  At  first 
I  thought  it  was  an  angel,  but  afterward  I  was  sure  it 
was  Jesus  himself  come  to  comfort  me.  He  had  a  lar^re 
book  open  on  his  knee  ;  He  put  his  hand  on  part  of  de 
book,  and  read  dese  words  :  "  Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in 
my  name,  I  will  gib  it  you."     I  started  up,  but  He  was 


204  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

gone.  Pse  sure  it  was  Jesus,  de  blessed  Jesus,  say  dem 
words.  No !  marm,  it  warn't  no  dream,  1  broad  wake 
as  I  is  dis  here  minute  ;  dem  folks  all  try  to  'suade  me 
it  was  a  dream,  but  I  knows  better — I  'spects  surely  it 
was  Jesus.  I  knows  I'se  on'y  a  poor  black  man,  but, 
marm,  He  cares  for  the  sparrows,  and  I  sure  He  cares 
for  me.  Well,  marm,  I  got  up  'rectly,  and  went  out 
into  de  woods ;  I  wanted  to  pray  big,  and  I  'fraid  I'd 
wake  up  dem  poor  fellows  as  was  tired  ;  so  I  goes  out 
into  de  woods,  and  I  did'nt  tink.  a  bit  'bout  de  snakes, 
or  de  panters,  or  any  of  dem  creatures — dey  didn't  come 
a  bit  into  my  mind.  I  knelt  down  dar  in  that  ar'  woods 
all  alone,  in .  de  dark,  and,  oh  !  how  I  prayed  Grod,  for 
Jesus'  sake,  not  to  let  my  wife  go  'way  widout  me. 
Well,  a'ter  praying  a  good  spell,  I  come  back  into  de 
house,  and  lay  down,  and  went  to  sleep.  The  nex'  day 
I  tell  to  de  men  all  roun'  I  was  going  with  my  wife ;  I 
sure  of  it,  for  Jesus  tell  me  so.  Some  of  dem  laugh  at 
me — some  say  :  '  Well,  Harry,  we  pray  for  you,  too.'  " 

Harry's  faith  did  not  waver,  as  day  after  day  passed, 
and  still  no  prospect  appeared  of  his  obtaining  any  funds 
— still,  to  all  his  companions'  questions,  and  doubting  re- 
marks, it  would  always  be,  ''  Yes  !  I  am  going ;  Jesus 
told  me  so."  He  heard  no  word  till  two  days  before  the 
vessel  sailed,  giving  him  just  time  to  reach  Savannah. 
Then  came  the  joyful  tidings,  "  You  are  free !"  The 
gentleman  to  whom  he  had  written,  had  interested  some 
northern  friends,  and  the  money  had  been  made  up  and 
paid.  He  reached  Savannah,  and  joined  his  wife  only 
one  hour  before  the  vessel  sailed.  ''  Yes,  marm,  God 
does  hear  prayers  ;  an'  bery,  bery  wicked  will  I  be,  if  I 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  205 

eber  doubt  Him."  He  and  his  family  are  doing  well, 
and  making  useful  members  of  the  community.  I  was 
attempting  to  teach  him  the  efficacy  of  prayer,  and  he 
taught  me  such  a  lesson  on  faith — simple  faith,  taking 
Grod  at  his  word — as  I  hope  I  may  never  forget.  What 
simple,  childlike  faith,  that  man  evinced.  He  believed 
Christ  said  it,  and  it  would  be  so.  Oh !  that  we  had 
more  of  it.  We  all  need  to  say:  '^Lord!  I  believe: 
help  thou  my  unbelief." 

Text. — I  mentioned,  some  time  ago,  that  it  is  the 
custom  at  morning  prayers  for  each  one  present  to  repeat 
a  verse  of  Scripture.  One  of  our  school-girls  is  of  a 
very  fierce,  fiery  disposition.  Yesterday  she  got  into  a 
desperate  quarrel  with  one  of  the  older  boys,  and,  out  of 
sight  of  the  house,  they  had  a  regular  pitched  battle,  in 
which  she  came  off  victorious.  This  morning,  when  it 
came  her  turn  to  recite — with  a  most  demure  counte- 
nance, and  a  loud  voice,  so  as  to  be  heard  by  all,  both 
boys  and  girls  —  she  repeated  these  words  from  the 
psalms  :  ''  Blessed  be  the  Lord,  my  Q-od,  which  teacheth 
my  hands  to  war,  and  my  fingers  to  fight."  Of  course, 
there  was  a  suppressed  titter  ran  round  the  room,  for  all 
had  heard  of  the  yesterday's  battle. 

Cape  Palmas. — I  believe  I  have  mentioned  that  we 
have  convocation  three  times  a  year  ;  the  ministers, 
teachers,  &c.,  as  many  as  practicable,  being  present, 
and  all  giving  in  their  reports  for  the  last  four  months. 
The  meeting  convenes  on  Friday  morning,  continuing 
through  Saturday,  and  all  remaining  to  commune  to- 


206     ,       INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

gether  on  Sunday.  They  are  very  interesting,  but  as 
yet  I  have  not  been  able  to  be  present  at  one.  It  is  to 
be  held  this  season  at  the  Cape.  Mrs.  Hoffman  has 
sent  me  a  very  kind  invitation  to  go  up  there  (she 
feels  very  lonely,  Mr.  Hoifman  and  Miss  Ball  both 
away),  but  I  have  had  so  mxUch  fever  lately,  that  I  do  not 
think  it  is  prudent  to  incur  the  fatigue.  I  do  not  want 
to  be  laid  aside  again,  even  for  a  week.  This  constant 
fever  is  so  debilitating,  we  need  to  be  very  careful  not  to 
Increase  it.  The  Bishop  intended  going  up  to  the  Cape 
to-day,  but  he  has  a  very  bad  boil  on  his  knee,  so  that 
he  cannot  possibly  put  his  foot  to  the  ground.  He, 
therefore,  cannot  go  to-morrow ;  perhaps  he  may  be  able 
to  go  on  Saturday,  but  there  is  not  much  appearance  of 
that  now. 

When  I  came  out  of  school,  to-day,  Mrs.  Payne  told 
me  that  if  I  felt  at  all  well  enough,  the  Bishop  wished 
me  to  go  up  to  the  Cape.  The  change  may  do  me  good. 
The  ''  Ocean  Eagle"  has  just  arrived,  and  will  stay  a 
week  there.  She  has  brought  out  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs 
Bushnell,  and  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McQueen,  of  the  Ga- 
boon and  Corisco  missions ;  and  the  Bishop  wishes  me  to 
go  and  welcome  them,  and  extend  to  them  his  and  Mrs. 
Payne's  most  cordial  invitations  to  make  us  a  visit. 
The  Bishop  cannot  possibly  go  himself ;  he  cannot  leave 
his  room.  He  is  really  very  ill.  We  fear  it  is  some- 
thing more  than  a  boil ;  he  suffers  very  much. 

New  Friends. — Early  in  the  morning  we  started  for 
the  Asylum.  I  took  Josephine  with  me,  (one  of  the 
scholars)  ;  she  is  a  fine  girl,  and  I  thought  it  would  be 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  207 

a  treat  to  her.  James  Barber,  our  printer  (a  colonist), 
asked  to  accompany  me,  to  take  care  of  me  ;  so  we  took 
some  breakfast,  and  started  very  early.  "We  reached  the 
Cape  about  eleven  o'clock;  but  before  I  got  out  of  the 
hammock,  there  was  such  a  scene  (I  had  not  been  to 
the  Cape  since  Miss  Ball  and  myself  had  exchanged 
some  months  before),  one  of  the  girls  spied  me,  and 
there  was  such  a  scream,  '^  Miss  B. — Miss  B.  has 
come !"  and  then  such  a  rush  as  there  was,  all  the 
children  (they  had  been  very  fond  of  me,  when  I  was 
their  teacher).  Auntie  Dade,  Eliza,  and  all  about  the 
premises  were  round  me,  dancing,  shouting,  screaming ; 
you  never  heard  such  a  noise.  They  are  very  demon- 
strative. Mrs.  HofFmaQ  came  running  down  to  see  what 
was  the  occasion  o-f  all  the  tumult,  and  found  I  was  the 
innocent  cause.  I  found  Mrs.  Bushnell  and  Mrs.  McQueen 
in  the  parlor  ;  the  gentlemen  soon  came  in,  and  we  had 
a  very  pleasant  day.  I  found  Mr.  Bushnell  had  been  kind 
enough  to  call  and  see  my  mother,  before  he  left  New- 
York,  thinking  it  would  give  me  pleasure  to  hear  from 
him  that  he  had  seen  her.  I  felt  very  thankful  to  him. 
Such  little  acts  of  kindness  do  not  cost  us  much  ;  but  how 
much  pleasure  they  afford.  Oh !  that  the  Saviour's  gold- 
en rule  could  be  more  indelibly  impressed  on  our  hearts. 
They  left  us  for  the  vessel,  about  five  o'clock.  They  de- 
cline making  us  a  visit  at  Cavalla,  as  they  do  not  wish 
to  sleep  on  shore — they  fear  it.  It  would  not  be  plea- 
sant to  have  the  fever,  shut  up  in  a  little  vessel ;  and 
one  night  on  shore  may  give  it. 

Mr.  Bushnell  is  to  preach  for  us  to-morrow.   There  was 
to  have  been  confirmation,  but  the  Bishop  is  unable  to 


208  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

come.  A  number  of  the  colonists  have  been  up  to  see 
and  welcome  me ;  some  of  my  Bible  and  adult  evening 
classes.  It  is  very  pleasant  to  feel  you  are  remembered 
with  affection.  I  met  Mr.  Crummell  for  the  first  time. 
I  am  very  much  pleased  with  him ;  he  is  a  gentleman, 
well  educated,  and  refined,  I  have  been  bitten  by  some- 
thing I  do  not  know  what,  but  the  part  is  very  much 
swelled  and  inflamed  ;  it  is  very  painful.  I  am  bathing 
it  with  arnica. 

Carriage. — Mr.  Marshall,  one  of  the  colonist  mer- 
chants here,  has  had  a  little  carriage  made  that  will  hold 
two  persons.  It  is  drawn  by  two  of  the  natives.  They 
are  trying  to  train  bullocks  to  use  in  it.  Mr.  Marshall 
said  he  was  sure  I  was  not  strong  enough  to  walk  to 
church  to-day,  so  he,  very  kindly,  sent  it  up  for  me. 
Mrs.  McQueen  rode  in  it  with  me.  I  never  can  get  over 
the  feeling  of  repugnance  I  have  at  these  poor  natives 
being  like  beasts  of  burden.  Mrs.  Hoffman  always  goes 
to  church  in  a  hammock.  Mr.  Crummell,  with  our 
friends  from  the  ship,  dined  here,  but  a  storm  coming 
up,  they  were  obliged  to  hurry  back  to  the  ship.  The 
captain  is  a  little  feverish.  He  very  much  dreads  having 
the  African  fever.  Before  our  friends  left  us  they  per- 
suaded me  not  to  go  home  to-morrow,  which  I  had 
intended  to  do,  but  to  stay  and  go  with  them  out  to 
Mount  Vaughan,  and  visit  Mr.  Crummell  and  his  school, 
which  I  consented  to  do,  as  I  have  never  been  there  yet. 

On  Board. — The  captain  came  and  told  us  none  of  his 
passengers  would  be  on  shore  to-day,  as  they  were  none  of 
them  very  well.    So  he  persuaded  us  to  go  on  board  and  see 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  209 

them.  We  did.  It  was  very  rough.  I  was  dreadfully 
sea-sick  all  day,  so  I  did  not  much  enjoy  my  visit.  I 
could  scarcely  hold  up  my  head  when  the  captain  put  us 
down  into  the  boat,  and  till  I  reached  the  shore,  I  was  so 
deadly  sick.  I  do  not  think  I  shall  pay  a  visit  on  board 
ship  again  in  a  hurry.  I  took  Josephine  with  me.  I 
wanted  her  to  see  the  inside  of  a  ship,  but,  poor  child, 
she  was  almost  as  bad  as  I  was.  Mrs.  Hoffman  was 
quite  well,  and  enjoyed  her  visit  very  much.  Perhaps 
this  sea-sickness  may  be  of  benefit  to  me.  My  foot  is 
still  very  much  swollen  and  painful.  I  cannot  think 
what  it  can  be  that  has  bitten  me  so.  I  have  seen  more 
of  Dr.  D'Lyon,  and  have  had  more  conversation  wdth 
him  now  than  I  have  ever  had  before.  He  is  a  young 
colonist  physician,  sent  out  by  the  Board  of  Missions  as 
a  physician  to  our  mission.  He  bids  fair  to  be  of  much 
use,  not  only  to  the  bodies  but  the  souls  of  his  patients. 
He  seems  an  earnest  Christian. 

Travelling. — How  different  travelling  is  here  to  what 
it  is  at  home.  I  am  only  fourteen  miles  from  my  Afri- 
can home,  but  cannot  get  there.  I  was  so  anxious  to  go 
to-day,  for  the  Bishop  is  really  very  ill.  He  sent  up  for 
the  doctor  to-day.  It  is  a  large  carbuncle  he  has,  and  he 
suffers  very  much  with  it.  He  must  have  it  lanced, 
and  I  hope  he  will  find  some  relief.  The  men  are  all 
away  cutting  rice,  and  I  cannot  obtain  any  bearers.  I 
hope  I  shall  have  better  success  to-morrow.  It  has  been 
so  very  rrugh  that  no  one,  but  the  captain,  has  ventured 
on  shore  from  the  ship. 


210  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

King  Weir. — This  morning  the  doctor  told  me  he  had 
received  another  note  from  the  Bishop,  and  he  had  been 
enabled  to  obtain  one  set  of  bearers,  and  as  the  Bishop's 
horse  was  here,  with  both  a  man's  saddle  and  a  side 
saddle,  I  could  go  either  way  I  liked.  I  preferred  the 
horse,  for  though  he  had  never  had  a  lady  on  his  back, 
yet  I  knew  him  to  be  a  quiet,  gentle  creature,  and  that 
it  would  be  impossible  for  him  to  run  far  on  the  heavy 
sands,  even  if  so  disposed.  After  prayers,  in  the  morning, 
the  girls  crowded  around  me,  begging  me  to  ask  permis- 
sion of  Mrs.  Hoffman  for  them  to  go  part  of  the  way,  on 
the  beach,  with  me.  I  obtained  the  desired  permission. 
They  thought  I  was  going  in  a  hammock,  but  when  they 
found  that  I  was  going  on  horseback  their  delight  knew 
no  bounds.  Mrs.  Hoffman  lent  me  an  old  skirt,  and,  she 
being  very  much  taller  than  me,  I  contrived  to  pin  it  on 
so  as  to  make  it  a  very  nice  riding  length.  Against  we 
arrived  on  the  beach  we  had  quite  a  procession  after  us  ; 
the  doctor  in  the  hammock,  and  myself  on  the  horse. 
When  we  arrived  at  the  Devil's  rock  (this  is  very  steep 
and  precipitous,  of  which  I  have  before  spoken),  I  was 
obliged  to  dismount,  and  my  horse  was  led  over  very 
carefully.  The  doctor  had  to  lead  him  over,  as  the 
natives  are  all  so  afraid  of  him,  none  but  the  school-boys 
daring  to  touch  him.  I  then  rode  on  a  little  in  advance 
of  the  doctor,  Josephine  walking  and  keeping  up  with 
me,  and  arrived  at  Graway  a  little  before  him.  The 
natives,  particularly  the  children,  exhibited,  on  my  ap- 
proach, the  most  ludicrous  spectacles  of  curiosity  and 
fear.  While  in  the  town,  I  was  waiting  till  the  doctor 
came  up  so  my  horse  might  have  water,  when  one  of  the 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  211 

natives  came  to  me  and  said,  ''  Mammy,  you  must  come 
off  him  horse,  and  come  in  house,  rest  yourself."     He 
spoke  very  good  English.     I   told  him  no  ;   it  was   too 
much  trouble  to  get  off  my  horse ;  I  would  rather  go  on. 
"  Yes,  mammy,  he  must  come  in;  my  father,  he  King 
Weir  ;  he  go  for  say  so."     Well,  I  was  afraid  of  vexing 
him,  as  he  is  a  very  fine  man  ;  the  king  of  all  these  towns  ; 
so  I  jumped  off  my  horse   and  went  in ;    one  of  the 
school-boys,  who  was  by,  taking  care  of  him.     I  was  all 
alone;  in  a  few   minutes,  however,  the  doctor  arrived, 
and  soon  we  had  plenty  of  company,  "  come  to  look  us," 
and  completely  filling  up  the  door- ways,  and  excluding 
every  breath  of  fresh  air.     I  must  describe  Weir  to  you. 
He  is  a  king  of  several  towns,  and  calls  himself  a  ''  prop- 
er gentleman."     He  is  a  tall,  thin  old  man  ;  wears  a  dirty 
red  flannel  night-cap  (of  these  they  are  very  proud),  and  a 
dirty  blue  double  gown.     This  is  not  his  ordinary  cos- 
tume, but  he  was  ''  dressed  up  plenty"  to  receive  us. 
The  house  in  which  we  were  is  his  company-house,  or 
drawing-room.     It  is  never  used  except  for  the  purpose 
of  receiving  and  entertaining  visiters.    There  is  never  any 
fire  or  smoking  allowed  in  it ;    and  everytliing  in  it  is  as 
neat  and  clean  as  wax.     I  was  quite  struck  with  its  ap- 
pearance.    There  were  a  great  number  of  boxes  and 
chests  arranged  around  the  sides  of  the  hut,  several  of  them 
piled  one  on  another  in  places,  to  serve  as  a  sort  of  table, 
and  covered  with  a  nice  white  cloth,  on  which  were  dis  • 
played,  and  arranged  with  very  good  taste,  glasses  and 
bottles  of  all  sorts  and  varieties,  colored  a"nd  white  gob- 
lets, tumblers,  and  wine  glasses.     Hanging  on  the  walls 
were  scores  of  pitchers  and  mugs,  plates  and  dishes,  all 


212  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

very  clean  ;  while  above  them  again  were  many  bright- 
colored  prints.  *'  Oh  !  his  house  was  proper  rich  house, 
and  he  was  proper  gentleman."  In  one  corner  of  the 
hut  was  a  low  wooden  bedstead,  on  it  was  a  pallet 
stuffed  with  plantain  leaves ;  and  thrown  over  it,  for  a 
quilt,  a  very  coarse,  white  country  cloth.  It  had  such 
an  air  of  cleanliness  and  comfort.  In  the  middle  of  the 
hut  stood  a  deal  table,  covered  with  a  clean  white  cloth. 
At  either  end  of  this  table  was  a  plate  turned  down,  a 
very  bright  and  clean  knife  and  fork,  and  a  very  hand- 
some goblet ;  a  decanter,  likewise,  filled  with  fresh  water, 
stood  on  the  table.  It  was  very  evident  they  knew  we 
were  coming,  and  preparations  had  been  made  for  our 
reception. 

The  ^'proper  gentleman"  soon  made  his  appearance, 
followed  by  a  number  of  other  men.     The  outside  of  the 
hut  was  fringed  with  children.     His  son,  the  young  man 
who  had  spoken  to  me  outside,  came  in  as  an  interpreter. 
We  told  the  king  that  we  were  in  a  great  hurry  ;  we 
could  not  stay,  as  we  wanted  to  get  home.     "  Oh !  we 
must  stay  ;  he  cook  some  chop  (food  of  any  kind)  for  us, 
and  we  must  stay,  eat  him.     Some  boy  he  come  along  in 
the  morning  and  tell  him  doctor-man  him  pass  with  mam- 
my by  and  by  ;  then  he  think  he  make  chop  for  mammy  ; 
mammy  must  go  for  stay  eat  hira."     There  was  no  help 
for  us,  so  we  waited  patiently  for  half  an  hour.     Then 
the   son  took  three  very  large  covered  vegetable  dishes, 
and  went  out  of  the  hut,  he  came  back  in  a  moment  or 
two  with  them  in  his  hand.     In  an  instant  the  hut  and 
its  surroundings  were  cleared,  as  if  by  magic,  of  all  its 
inmates,  buf  ourselves   and  the  son.     The  young  man 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  213 

invited  us  to  sit   down;   we  did  so,  and  he  stood,  with 
folded  arms  and  eyes  cast  down,  while  the  doctor  asked 
a  blessing,  he  then  whisked  off  the  covers  with  a  great 
flourish.     There  was  rice  in  one  dish,  palm  butter  in 
another,  in  the  third  a  very  fine  chicken,  which  had  been 
codked  in  the  palm  butter.     We  tasted  and  it  appeared 
very  good,  and  after  sitting  a  few  moments  we  got  up  to 
go,  but  we  found  our  host's  hospitality  was  not  ended. 
The  doctor's  bearers  were  called  to  eat  what  we  had  not. 
The  rice  was  put  in  a  large  wash-bowl,  a  great  quantity 
added  to  it,  and  the  palm  butter  v/els  poured    over  it. 
This  was  set  down  on  the  ground,  the  chicken  placed 
beside  it,  and  the  four  men  sat  on   the  ground  around 
them,  then,  with' a  big  spoon,  they  each  helped  them- 
selves out  of  the  dishes,  and  in  a  few  minutes  they  were 
cleared.     We  then  were  allowed  to  proceed  on  our  jour- 
ney.    The  spoons  were  used  in  compliment  to  our  pres- 
ence.    The  usual  method  being  for  each  one  to  put  his 
hand'in  the  dish,  gather  up  a  handful,  and,  after  squeez- 
ing it  together,  w^ith  a  sudden  jerk  to  toss  it  into  his 
mouth,  when  he  appears  to   swallow  it  without   biting. 
We  found  the  Bishop  still  very  unwell ;  he  cannot  sit  up 
yet.     The  doctor  has  lanced  the  carbuncle  a  second  time. 
I  hope  he  will  be  able  to  obtain  some  rest  to-night.     But, 
oh  !  dear,  such  a  greeting  as  I  had  when  I  went  into  the 
girls'  school-house.     I  thought  they  would  have  torn  my 
clothes  to  pieces  in  their  enthusiasm ;    each  one  trying 
to  get  my  hand  first,  and  to  shake  hardest.     It  is  very 
pleasant  to  feel  you  have  the  love  of  these  poor  heathens. 
May  G-od  give  us  grace  to  lead  them  to  Him,  to  show  them 
the  love  of  the  precious  Saviour.     And  now  I  am  back 


214  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

there,  in  my  own  room.     Truly,  I  feel  it  is  "  domum,  do^ 
mum^  dolce  domumP 

Lucia. — ^Would  that  I  had  Dickens'  powers  of  de- 
scription, "but  I  have  not,  so  you  must  he  content  with 
the  best  I  can  do. 

Lucia  went  with  me  to  town,  as  my  interpreter,  to- 
day. Well,  hut  first  let  me  describe  Lucia,  I  have 
spoken  of  her  several  times,  and  she  is  one  of  those  on 
whom  I  place  a  high  estimation.  Lucia  Byrd  is  one  of 
the  girls  in  our  first  class.  She  is  a  large,  stout  girl — 
a  member  of  the  Church,  and,  I  think,  a  sincere  Chris- 
tian. She  must  be  about  eighteen  years  old.  She  is  a 
very  retiring,  difiident  girl,  and  you  must  take  pains  and 
wait  patiently  for  awhile  before  you  understand  Lucia's 
character — but  when  you  do  know  it,  you  find  it  some- 
thing worth  knowing.  She  is  a  girl  of  sterling  integ- 
rity. She  was  brought  to  school  a  little  child — but  she 
has  never  been  known  to  tell  a  lie.  Yoli  can  always 
depend  upon  her  word,  and  trust  her  implicitly.  Before 
you  know  her  she  seems  to  be  very  cold  and  stern,  but 
she  has  a  warm,  loving,  grateful,  and  affectionate  heart. 
Once  gain  Lucia's  love,  and  you  can  do  anything  with 
her — but  you  must  understand  her  to  do  this.  A  short 
time  since  Mrs.  Payne  had  a  box  sent  to  her  from  Sa- 
vannah, and  in  it  there  was  a  very  pretty  bright  pink 
dress  for  Lucia,  sent  to  her  by  the  lady  who  supports  her 
here  in  the  school.  Her  name  was  on  it,  and  the  name 
of  the  lady  who  sent  it.  AVe  called  Lucia  into  the  house 
and  gave  the  dress  to  her.  To  see  her  face  was  a  per- 
fect treat.     I  think  the  lady  would  have  felt  herself 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  215 

well  repaid  could  she  have  seen  it.  It  brightened  all 
over — there  was  no  need  for  her  to  say  how  thankful  she 
was — ^her  face  told  it.  She  looked  at  the  dress,  turned 
it  over,  the  tears  came  iilto  her  eyes,  and  at  length, 
almost  choking,  she  turned  to  Mrs.  Payne,  '^  Thank  you, 
thank  you  ;  I'm  too  good  for  it."  (She  meant,  it  is  too 
good  for  me.)  I  wish,  occasionally,  friends  in  America 
would  send  a  little  present  to  each  one  by  name,  it  elicits 
so  much  gratitude  to  think  they  are  personally  remem- 
bered. 

Lucia  is  a  beautiful  sewer.  You  could  not  desire  any- 
thing to  be  done  more  neatly  than  Lucia  does  it.  She 
often  earns  a  few  shillings  by  sewing,  out  of  school  hours, 
making  cloths  for  the  natives,  &c. ;  these  pay  her  in  to- 
bacco, cloth,  &c.,  which  is  the  same  here  as  money.  In 
all  her  studies  she  does  well,  and  anything  that  she  does 
not  understand,  she  will  not  rest  till  she  comes  to  her 
teacher  to  have  it  explained.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  teach 
her.  She  has  no  father — he  died  about  six  months  ago. 
Her  mother  has  been  accused  of  being  a  witch,  and  has 
run  away  to  escape  the  Gidu. 

To-day,  as  Lucia  entered  a  hut,  I  paused  for  an  instant 
at  the  door,  exclaiming,  '*  Oh,  Macbeth  !"  The  woman 
to  whom  this  hut  belongs  is  noted  for  her  untidiness.  In 
the  centre  of  the  floor  is  the  fire-place,  which,  I  think  I 
told  you  before,  is  formed  of  three  circular  uprights 
made  of  mortar,  about  six  inches  in  diameter.  Between 
these,  on  the  ground,  the  fire  is  made.  On  this  fire  was 
a  large  black  pot,  and  around  it  sat  three  withered  crones, 
wrinkled  and  haggard — two  with  their  heads  shaved,  and 
the  third  with  her  hair  plaited  in  little  tails,  standing  out 


216  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

all  over  her  her  head,  looking  exactly  like  the  picture  of 
Bellona,  in  our  old  school  books.  A  very  little  imagina- 
tion might  make  you  take  them  for  small  snakes.  She 
v^as  leaning  over  a  little,  peering  into  the  pot.  The 
other  two  were  sitting  on  the  ground — their  knees  drawn 
up  close  to  their  bodies — a  favorite  position  ;  their  hands 
and  chins  resting  on  their  knees.  These  were  rocking 
themselves  back  and  forth,  making  a  low  moaning  sound. 
The  whole  upper  part  of  the  hut  was  filled  with  a  dense 
smoke — it  was  only  those  portions  near  the  ground  that 
were  visible.  Near  one  of  the  crones  lay  a  child,  in  the 
most  crumpled  up  form  you  can  imagine  ;  from  its  po- 
sition you  would  have  supposed  it  must  be  a  corpse  just 
cast  down,  and  might  imagine  the  unseen  arms  to  form 
part  of  the  ingredients  of  the  pot.  Scattered  about  in 
every  direction  were  a  number  of  little  bowls,  pots  and 
pans,  all  black.  The  country  manufactures,  baskets, 
bowls,  pans,  &c.,  are  all  black.  In  front  of  one  of  the 
women  was  a  small  wooden  bowl,  and  she  had  yet  the 
pounder  between  her  hands  which  she  had  been  using. 
Altogether,  it  was  the  most  w^eird  looking  scene  I  ever 
witnessed.  They  did  not  rise  to  greet  me,  but  held  out 
their  hands  as  if  pleased  to  see  me.  Then,  in  a  low  do- 
lorious  voice,  one  of  them  began  telling  a  long  story  to 
Lucia.  At  length  Lucia  rose  in  a  hurry,  without  wait- 
ing for  me  to  say  anything  to  them.  So  I  went  to  the 
one  that  appeared  in  the  most  trouble,  and  showed  her, 
by  my  manner,  that  I  felt  sorry  for  her.  I  then  pointed 
upward,  and  told  them  to  ''  Bede  Nyesoa''  (pray  to  God), 
and  left  them.  I  could  not  persuade  Lucia  to  tell  me  what 
was  the  matter.     She  very  often  seems  ashamed  to  have 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  217 

US  know  the  strange  things  that  go  on  among  her  people. 
I  wish  she  were  not  quite  so  reserved. 

Another  house  I  went  to,  the  woman  told  me  that 
they^  meaning  some  of  tjie  missionaries,  "  used  to  give 
her  tobacco,  but  now  she  been  to  church  three,  four 
Sunday,  and  she  have  no  tobacco  give  ;  she  no  go  again." 
I  told  her  if  that  was  all  she  went  to  church  for  she  had 
better  stay  away — tobacco  was  never  given  her  for  that. 
Mrs.  Payne,  on  her  rounds,  found  a  woman  who  said 
she  would  not  come  to  church  to-morrow.  She  is  tak- 
ing sassa-wood.  Often,  if  they  are  accused  of  witch- 
craft, even  if  no  action  is  taken  against  them,  rather 
than  suffer  under  the  imputation,  they  will  take  it  at 
home  themselves.  But  when  they  do  this  they  have  to 
take  it  three  times,  if  they  live — two  or  three  days  in- 
tervening between  each  dose — during  which  time  they 
do  not  go  out. 

Yesterday  there  was  a  great  noise  in  town — beating  of 
drums,  dancing,  shouting,  &c.  They  were  making  a 
grand  gree-gree  for  good  luck.  Their  rice  is  very  poor,  and 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  sickness  and  death  among  them. 
All  the  devil  doctors,  from  a  long  distance  round,  were 
present. 

The  Bishop  is  much  better ;  able  to  move  about  his 
room  again. 

Reveries. — ''  Lord  increase  our  faith."  Sometimes 
the  deep  ignorance,  darkness,  and  degradation  of  the 
people,  seems  to  have  a  most  saddening  and  depressing 
effect  on  the  spirits. 

It  has  been  a  very  cloudy  day  to-day.     This  evening, 

10 


218  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

about  sunset,  I  sat  looking  out  upon  the  mighty  waters, 
when  the  clouds  thickened  and  deepened  very  fast ;  a 
heavy  squall  was  coming  up.  One  cloud  was  very  thick 
and  heavy,  and  seemed  almost  to  touch  the  waves,  which 
roiled  in  wild  confusion,  dashing  and  breaking  on  the 
rocks,  and  on  each  other,  in  their  mad  fury.  The  scene 
appeared  to  me  so  much  to  resemble  the  moral  or  spirit- 
ual condition  of  the  people- — in  wild  confusion  dashing 
on  the  rocks  of  superstition,  destroying  and  being  de- 
stroyed ;  their  gree-grees  and  sassa  destroying  both  soul 
and  body,  while  a  heavy  cloud  of  gross  ignorance  broods 
over  their  minds.  Yet  while  I  sat  sadly  gazing  at  it, 
gradually  the  scene  began  to  change  ;  it  was  slow,  oh  ! 
so  slow ;  but  from  the  train  my  thoughts  had  taken,  you 
cannot  imagine  with  what  intense  interest  I  watched 
it.  At  first  there  appeared  the  faintest  streak  of  light 
on  that  heavy  cloud,  and  as  it  slowly  increased,  the  cloud 
became  gradually  lifted  up  and  rolled  back,  till  at  length 
the  intense  blackness  remained  only  on  the  edge  of  the 
horizon.  And  where  the  first  faint  light  had  appeared 
it  gradually  brightened,  and  brightened,  till  just  in  that 
little  spot  the  cloud  rolled  away  for  an  instant,  and  the 
moon  appeared,  struggling  feebly  with  the  surrounding 
darkness,  and  apparently  vainly  endeavoring  to  make  her 
light  visible.  For  a  time  there  seemed  a  great  struggle 
which  would  gain  the  victory,  darkness  or  light.  For  a 
time  the  thick  clouds  would  roll  over  the  moon,  and  it 
would  seem,  as  if  her  light  was  entirely  put  out — that 
the  darkness  w^as  too  thick  for  her  to  penetrate  ;  but 
gradually  you  would  see  those  clouds  become  less  and 
less,  till  there  would  only  light  fleecy  ones  pass  over  her. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA,  219 

For,  though  they  appeared  dense  and  heavy  at  a  distance, 
as  they  approached  nearer  and  nearer  to  her,  they  be- 
came brighter  and  lighter.  At  length  she  had  formed 
a  bright  little  spot  around  her,  while  the  rays  issuing  from 
that  spot  spread  in  every  direction,  and  her  gentle  beams 
had  subdued,  in  some  measure,  the  tumult  of  the  waves. 
Yet  still  she  shone  with  a  very  pale  and  feeble  light ; 
she  was  not  half  full,  and  therefore,  was  not  turned  en- 
tirely, but  only  partially  toward  the  sun,  and  so  she  but 
feebly  reflected  his  rays.  I  kept  gazing  with  eager, 
anxious  eyes  on  this  scene,  for  I  had  in  my  own  mind 
personified  it.  The  moon  was  the  Church  of  Grod,  strug- 
gling through  clouds  of  affliction,  darkness,  doubts, 
ignorance,  and  superstition,  to  shed  a  few  rays  of  light 
on  benio^hted  Africa.  And  often  when  that  lisrht  has 
been  dimmed,  obscured,  or  apparently  put  out,  it  ap- 
pears again,  gradually  piercing  and  dissipating  the  dark- 
ness, reflecting  the  rays  of  the  ''  Sun  of  righteousness." 
Her  light  is  so  feeble  and  dim,  because  she  only  so  par- 
tially reflects  his  beams — she  is  not  turned  wholly  unto 
Him. 

After  service,  when  we  came  out  of  church,  the  moon 
was  sailing  calmly  and  peacefully  in  the  heavens — not 
a  cloud  to  be  seen.  It  seemed  to  me  a  very  pale,  but  a 
very  holy  and  pure  light.  So  may  it  be  with  the 
''  Church  of  the  living  Grod."  May  her  light  gently  but 
surely  dissipate  the  clouds  of  darkness,  vice  and  super- 
stition ;  and  however  pale,  and  weak,  and  feeble  her 
radiance,  yet  may  it  all  be  reflected  from  the  "  Sun  of 
righteousness,"  and  may  she  daily  and  hourly  turn  more 
and  more  toward  Him,  so  that  she  may  be  constantly  on 


220  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

the  increase,  till  her  light  shall  irradiate,  not  only  this 
continent,  but  all  the  dark  places  of  the  earth. 

Stores  from  Home. — My  hox  has  arrived.  Many 
thanks,  kind  friends  ;  many  little  kind  rememhrances 
from  one  and  another.  You  cannot  imagine  how  good 
anything  from  home  tastes — and  as  to  the  pickles,  I  will 
only  say  you  would  have  had  your  pay  for  them  could 
you  see  us  enjoy  them.  Though  we  can  learn  to  take 
with  a  thankful  heart  such  things  as  we  can  ordinarily 
obtain  here,  yet  we  can  enjoy  creature  comforts  when 
we  get  them  as  well  as  any  one.  We  do  not,  any  of  us, 
belong  to  the  school  of  stoics. 

The  Bishop  came  out  into  the  parlor  to-day.  It  is  so 
pleasant  to  see  him  about  again.  We  are  a  small  family 
—we  cannot  spare  one.  Mr.  Payne  is  sick  to-night, 
however,  with  fever.  So  we  play  a  perpetual  game  of 
see-saw — -one  up,  the  other  down. 

Transmigration.  — -  These  people  have  a  strangely 
mingled  creed.  They  believe  somewhat  in  the  transmi- 
gration of  souls,  and  that  the  spirits  of  the  departed  like 
to  hover  round  their  former  haunts.  Therefore,  though 
they  do  not  hesitate  to  kill  every  species  of  animals  out- 
side the  town,  they  will  kill  none  in  town,  for  fear  it 
might  be  a  spirit  who  would  harm  them.  I  cannot 
understand  what  difference  being  inside  or  outside  of 
the  town,  can  make,  but  I  suppose  they  do.  The  Bishop 
heard  a  man  addressing  a  Guano  (a  large  species  of 
lizard,  quite  savage)  that  was  lying  along  his  fence  :  "  I 
pray  you  go  away;   please  let  me  pray  you  go  from 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  221 

here."  He  would  not  touch  it,  though  he  wanted  it 
gone.  The  spirit,  he  thought,  knew  what  he  said,  hence 
his  poHteness. 

EuMORS.— We  are  growing  very  short  of  rice — if  we 
do  not  have  supphes  soon  from  somewhere  we  shall  be 
badly  off.  So  many  children,  and  nothing  to  give  them 
to  eat ;  but  we  must  have  faith.  ''  The  Lord  will  pro- 
vide." Mrs.  Payne  down  with  the  fever  again,  and  I 
am  troubled  with  boils. 

I  believe  I  told  you  that  in  the  war  two  years  ago,  be- 
tween the  natives  and  the  colonists,  at  Cape  Palmas,  the 
colonists  burnt  the  native  towns,  and  made  them  move 
across  to  the  other  side  of  the  river.  They  never  have 
liked  it  there,  and  though  they  have  JDuilt  some  new 
towns,  they  have  never  seemed  settled,  but  always  say 
they  are  coming  back.  "We  hear  a  rumor  to-night  (hoAV 
true  it  is  we  do  not  know)  that  the  natives  have  declared 
war  with  the  colonists.  Poor  Mrs.  Hoffman  will  be  in  a 
great  fright  if  it  is  so  ;  but  she  need  not  fear,  they  would 
not  touch  anything  belonging  to  the  mission  ;  ''  The  Lord 
our  God  is  with  us." 

Mrs.  Payne  and  myself  constant  chills  and  fever 
again.  This  it  is  that  breaks  down  the  constitution. 
Chills  and  fever  all  the  time,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
no  frost  to  break  it  up.  ^ 

All  quiet  at  the  Cape.  Strange  it  is  how  our  feelings 
change.  I  used  to  think  that  it  would  be  impossible  for. 
me  to  sleep  in  a  room  in  which  I  knew  any  one  had 
breathed  their  last.  There  is  not,  however,  a  bedroom 
in  the  mission  in  which  the  last  enemy  has  not  appeared. 


222  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

But,  thanks  be  to  Grod,  robbed  of  his  sting,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  it  has  only  been  to  open  the  por- 
tals of  everlasting  day.  I  never  think  of  those  that  have 
left  us  with  the  feelings  I  used  to  fancy  I  should  asso- 
ciate v^ith  the  place  of  their  departure,  but  I  rather 
think  of  each  room  as  the  gate  of  heaven.  May  the 
place  of  my  departure,  wherever  it  may  be,  be  such  to 
me.  '^Living  or  dying,  may  I  be  the  Lord's."  Oh! 
here  in  Africa,  if  in  any  place,  we  ought  to  try  to  re- 
alize that  "  to  live  is  Christ's  and  to  die  is  gain." 

Music. — Yesterday  (Sunday)  I  was  very  ill  all  day. 
Calomel  again — it  seems  to  be  the  only  remedy.  Mrs. 
Payne  ill  also,  so  they  had  no  ladies  at  table.  (I 
believe  I  have  forgotten  to  mention  that  Mr.  J.  "Wilson, 
our  teacher  in  the  boys'  school,  and  Mr.  J.  Barber,  our 
printer,  both  colonist  young  men,  take  their  meals  with 
us).  The  Bishop  sent  us  word,  however,  that  he  was  so 
well  he  was  eating  enough  for  us  all. 

Last  evening,  while  lying  in  bed,  I  was  listening  to 
nature's  melody.  The  humming  of  the  insects,  grass- 
hoppers, katydids,  and  others,  such  as  we  have  not  at 
home  ;  the  soft  low  sighing  of  the  cocoanut  trees ;  the 
shrill  yet  melodious  notes  of  the  night  birds,  and  the  deep 
low  base  of  old  ocean's  ceaseless  roar.  It  was  music, 
sweet  music,  arising  to  the  "  Giver  of  good."  And  then 
I  thought  of  the  heathen  towns  around  whence  no  sweet 
melody  arises ;  no  hearts  are  tuned  to  sing  His  praise, 
''  Only  man  is  vile,"  and  a  sadness  was  fast  creeping 
over  my  spirit,  when  suddenly  from  the  school-house, 
which  is  just  at  the  end  of  my  piazza,  and  where  even- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  223 

ing  service  is  held,  burst  forth  in  triumphal  tones,  as  it 
seemed  to  me,  from  sometime  heathen  lips,  the  glad 
song  of  praise,  "  It  is  a  good  thing  to  give  thanks  unto 
the  Lord."  Oh  !  how  instantly  it  changed  the  current 
of  my  thoughts,  from  sadness  and  despondency  at  the 
great  work  to  be  done,  to  joy  and  gratitude  for  what  Grod 
has  already  wrought  here. 

Mrs.  Payne  has  just  received  another  box.  Her  friends 
are  very  kind.  These  people  live  in  a  constant  state 
of  fear,  the  one  idea  of  witchcraft  forever  haunting 
them — either  the  dread  of  being  witched  by  others, 
or  being  so  accused  themselves.  They  believe  that 
each  one  possesses  the  power,  but  it  is  only  a  few  that 
use  it,  and  they  are  only  accused  of  being  witches  when 
it  is  supposed  they  use  the  power  they  possess.  Even 
long  after  they  become  Christians  they  have  a  secret 
dread  of  this.     It  is  one  of  the  hard  things  to  root  out. 

A  Pleasant  Day. — I  have  had  a  very  pleasant  day 
in  school  to-day,  but  to  explain  it  I  must  go  back.  Mr. 
Hoffman,  once  a  month,  has  all  the  Sunday-schools  from 
different  stations  in  his  vicinity  meet  at  St.  Mark's  church. 
He  catechises  them,  talks  to  them,  etc.,  and  recently  they 
have  all  formed  into  little  missionary  classes,  like  ours  at 
home,  and  they  bring  in  their  contributions  once  a  month. 
When  Mr.  Williams  was  here  he  was  very  much  pleased 
with  the  plan.  Before  he  went  away  he  begged  the 
children  at  the  Cape,  and  those  here,  to  write  to  his  chil- 
dren, at  Monrovia.  He  thought  it  would  do  them  good  to 
correspond.  But  I  must  tell  you  who  I  mean  by  his 
children.     Every  Sunday,  after  afternoon  service,  when 


224  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OP 

he  goes  home  to  his  house,  all  the  children,  big  and  little, 
of  every  class  and  denomination,  that  choose  to  collect, 
come  to  his  room.     He  talks  to  them,  prays  with  them, 
and  they  sing  together,  and  they  have  a  very  pleasant 
meeting,  for  he  loves  children,  and  loves  to  "  feed  Christ's 
lambs,"  and  they  love  him  very  much,   and  gather   in 
crowds  into  his  room,  to  be  fed  with  the  sincere  milk  of 
the  Word.     These  are  his  children,  with  whom  ours  are 
to  correspond.     There  were  a  number  of  letters  written 
from  our  cliildren  and  from  those  at  the  Asylum.     Last 
night  we  received  an  answer  from  him  and  from  several  of 
his  children.    This  morning  I  took  his  letter  with  me  into 
the  school-room^ — the  children  had  become  very  fond  of 
him  while  he  was  here — and  read  it  to  them,  Mrs.  Gril- 
let  interpreting.     When  I  want  all  the  little  ones  to 
know  what  I  say,  I  am  obliged  to  have  her-  interpret  for 
me.     He  spoke  of  his  children  having  formed  themselves 
into  little  missionary  classes,  and  the  pleasurable  feeling 
it  had  excited  among  them.     I  had  to  stop  and  explain 
it  all  to  our  children,  and  immediately  there  was  such  a 
burst  of  enthusiasm.     They  must  try  and  do  the  same ; 
they  must  try  and  give  something  for  their  little  hea- 
then brothers  and  sisters.     Some  of  the  elder  girls  can, 
occasionally,  earn  a  trifle   by  their  needle.     They  are 
good  sewers,  and  in  whatever  way  they  can  they  will 
try  and  give  their  mite  to  send  the  good  news  farther. 
It  will  be  but  a  mite^  indeed,  that  can  be  given,  but  it 
is  the  heart  God  looks  at.     So  we  formed  the  school  into 
one  class,  the  ''  Anna  Payne  Class,"  and  we  shall  have 
our  box  to  begin  on  Monday  next.     I  have  told  the 
children  that  if  either  of  them  put  tobacco,  or  pipes,  or 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  225 

whatever  they  may  receive  as  money,  in  the  box,  I  will 
take  it  out  and  put  money  in  its  place.  May  Grod  bless 
oar  feeble  effort.  Every  cent  put  into  that  box  will  be 
hardly  earned. 

Dawba. — ^We  have  had  a  very  painful  oocurrence  to- 
day. Dawbaj  one  of  the  Christian  natives,  of  whom  we 
all  thought  so  highly  (he  seemed  to  be  so  deeply  interested 
in  all  religious  things),  has  been  proved  to  be  a  thief.  He 
had  stolen  a  sheep,  and  some  of  it  was  found  in  his 
house.  We  all  feel  so  sorry ;  we  thought  him  such 
a  good  man.  He  is  very  poor  and  sickly.  I  do  not  know 
how  he  will  pay  for  it.  May  Grod  give  him  true  repent- 
ance. 

The  ''  palava"  is  entirely  settled  at  the  Cape.  No 
thoughts  of  war.  They  have  banished  old  Dawba  from 
town.  It  seems  he  is  an  inveterate  thief,  and  all  the 
time  he  has  been  making  a  profession  of  religion  he  has 
been  carrying  on  his  thievish  propensities.  What  a  bitter 
disappointment  it  is  to  the  missionary  to  see  such  a  case 
of  hypocrisy,  and  yet  they,  like  other  ministers  of  the 
G-ospel,  must  expect  some  such  trials  always.  In  all 
places  the  evil  one  is  busy  at  work  ''  sowing  tares  among 
the  wheat." 

10* 


226  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 


ENTHUSIASM. 

I NEVEH  earnestly  desired  the  gift  of  writing,  I  mean  both 
the  mechanical  and  mental  powers,  but  more  particularly 
the  latter,  as  I  have  done  since  I  have  been  in  Africa. 
Oh !  that  my  pen  could  be  formed  and  tempered  in  the 
*'  fire  of  the  altar."  That  it  had  a  point  which  would 
write  on  the  hardest  heart.  But  I  must  remember  "  the 
race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong." 
I  have  heard  it  said  that  if  we  only  feel  earnestly  in  our 
own  hearts,  in  any  cause  we  are  pleading,  we  shall  make 
others  feel  it  too.  And  yet  how  strange,  in  the  cause  of 
religion,  enthusiasm  is  pronounced  fanaticism  ;  aye,  often 
even  by  professors  of  religion  themselves.  We  must  be 
moderate,  calm,  and  cool.  The  man  who  sees  his 
neighbor's  house  in  flames,  and  his  wife  and  children 
perishing,  would  rush  eagerly  to  the  rescue,  but  the 
Christian,  who  sees  thousands  about  ''to  dwell  with  ever- 
lasting burning,"  must  stand  calmly  by.  His  fellow 
Christians,  as  well  as  others,  telling  him  it  is  not  his 
duty  to  expose  himself  to  injury.  He  who  should  see  a 
blind  man  walking  on  the  edo-e  of  a  precipice,  liable,  at 
any  moment,  to  fall  and  be  dashed  to  pieces,  and  did  not 
hasten  to  his  rescue,  even  though  at  some  risk  to  him- 
self, would  be  thought  a  weak  cowai;^,  worthy  only  of 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  227 

our  contempt ;  yet,  he  who  runs  a  slight  risk  to  his 
own  health  and  personal  comfort,  in  seeking  to  save 
many  from  the  "  gulf  of  fearful  perdition,"  is  a  fanatic. 
Would  that  men  would  have  a  little  more  honesty,  and 
call  things  by  their  right  names.  Is  that  sailor  a  fanatic 
who,  obedient  to  his  captain's  command,  in  momentary 
peril  of  his  life,  hastens  aloft,  amid  the  howling  storm 
and  tempest,  to  use  measures  to  save  the  ship  from 
being  dashed  upon  the  rocks  ?  Yet,  he  is  such  who 
ventures  his  all  to  save  others  from  eternal  shipwreck. 
It  is  not  fanaticism  for  a  man  to  set  before  him  one 
earthly  object  of  ambition,  whether  it  be  wealth,  fame, 
knowledge,  or  any  other  earthly  goods,  and  to  pursue 
this  one  object  with  all  his  powers.  Oh,  no  !  this  is  all 
lawful,  and  right,  and  even  praiseworthy.  But  let  their 
one  end  and  aim  be  the  adding  new  subjects  to  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom ;  the  seeking  and  finding  precious 
jewels,  to  shine  for  ever  and  ever  ;  the  desire  to  cany 
forward  the  triumphs  of  the  cross  ;  to  add  fresh  laurels 
to  the  Saviour's  crown  ;  to  diffuse  knowledge  in  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth  ;  those  who  do  this  are  fanatics.  May 
we  pray  to  God,  earnestly,  for  more  of  these  fanatics  to 
come  forth  to  Africa. 

This  morning,  instead  of  our  usual  prayers,  we  were 
all  collected  in  the  church,  to  attend  the  baptism  of  an- 
other of  our  older  boys.  He  has  only  been  in  the  school 
about  a  year.  He  is  eighteen  years  old.  The  Bishop  is 
very  particular  in  watching  the  conduct,  and  duly  ex- 
amining the  knowledge  of  those  who  make  a  profession, 
before  he  allows  them  to  come  forward.  It  is  the  young 
— those  who  are  trained  in  our  schools,  who  for  years 


228  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

have  been  under  Christian  teaching  and  example — it  is 
they  must  be  the  hope  of  Africa  ;  for  those  who  become 
Christians  after  they  are  advanced  in  Ufe,  it  is  such  a 
constant  struggle,  with  the  wickedness  around  and  with- 
in them.  Life-long  habits  of  sin  and  guilt  to  be  con- 
tinually fought  against,  with,  by  no  means  a  full,  strong, 
and  clear  notion  of  the  holiness  and  purity  of  the  religion 
of  Jesus.  It  is  to  our  schools  we  must  look  ;  it  is  those 
who  have  been  educated  there  that  we  must  send  forth 
as  teachers  and  preachers  ;  and  yet  think,  with  their 
Bibles  in  their  hands,  of  their  Saviour's  last  command  (in 
the  strong,  imperative  mood) :  ''  Go  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  Grospel."  Hundreds  and  hundreds  of 
young  men  in  America,  professing  to  be  followers  of 
Christ,  can  read  again  and  again  that  passage,  "  Go,^^ 
and  yet  not  see  that  the  Saviour  addresses  them.  No 
young  man,  outside  of  the  ministry,  seems  to  think  for 
an  instant  it  is  his  duty  to  give  up  worldly  gain  and 
worldly  profit,  to  obey  Jesus'  command  to  ^'  Geo,  and 
teach  all  nations."  Not  one  can  hear  the  Saviour's  in- 
junction to  the  young  man  in  the  Grospel  addressed  to 
himself :  "  Gro,  sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  come  follow 
me."  We  want  teachers,  as  well  as  pastors.  Are 
there  none,  not  one,  of  our  professing  Christian  young 
men,  who  can  give  up  all  worldly  aggrandizement,  that 
they  may  obtain  a  crown,  adorned  with  many  jewels, 
gathered  from  Afric's  burning  sands  ?  Our  pastors  have 
now  more  than  they  can  do  ;  they  have  vowed  solemnly 
to  devote  themselves  to  the  work  of  preaching.  Oh ! 
that  they  may  have  their  hands  held  up.  Oh  !  that  the 
Spirit  of  God,  which  has  been  so  abundantly  poured 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  229 

forth  on  our  land,  may  awaken  many  to  come  forth  to 
assist  the  pastor  in  "  feeding  the  lambs  of  the  flock." 
May  that  message  sound  in  many  hearts  :  "  Go,  ye." 
Oh  !  that  Zion  would  awake,  and  put  on  all  her  strength 
for  the  conflict,  that  her  young  men  may  come  forth  as 
an  army,  glorious  with  banners. 

Letters. — I  must  give  you  some  account  of  a  gift 
we  have  received,  at  Christmas-time,  by  the  "  Stevens." 
Miss  Williford  received  a  few  Testaments  from  a  little 
child  in  Philadelphia.  No  name  was  given,  with  the 
wish  that  they  should  be  given  to  some  of  the  children 
here.  As  they  had  just  received  a  little  Christmas 
token  each,  Miss  Williford  thought  she  would  not  give 
them  to  the  children  then,  but  reserve  them  for  a  short 
time.  When  the  ''  Stevens"  came  out  this  last  time, 
she  brought  a  few  more  Testaments,  and  a  number  of 
other  pretty  little  books,  with  this  note  : 

Philadelphia,  March  8,  1858. 

My  dear    LITTLE    CHILDREN  : 

I  heard  that  a  vessel  was  going  to  sail  for  Africa,  and 
have  been  saving  some  money,  with  which  I  determined 
to  buy  some  books  to  send  you.  My  little  sister  thought 
that  she  would  like  to  give  some  of  her  money  to  buy  a 
few  little  books,  to  send  you.  She  is  nearly  four  years 
old.  We  have  a  map  of  the  African  mission,  which  has 
a  map  of  the  Grebo  country,  and  a  great  many  pictures  ; 
and,  when  I  look  up  at  it,  I  often  think  of  you,  and  love 
you  very  much.  The  books  that  were  sent  to  you,  about 
January,  1857,  were  bought  from  the  money  saved  by  a 


230  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

little  boy — who  had  died  just  before,  ''*who  always 
showed  great  love  for  the  heathen."  I  want  to  speak 
about  him  ;  he  was  my  dear  little  brother  ;  and  if  you  re- 
member getting  them,  I  wish  you  would  let  me  know, 
through  the  ^'  Carrier  Dove,"  which  I  take. 
I  remain,  ever  your  little  friend, 

Johnny  R . 

I  took  the  little  books  and  the  letter  into  the  school- 
room, I  read  it,   talked  to  the  children  a  good  while 
about  it,  and  had  the  note,  and  what  I  said,  interpreted 
to  them  for  me,  by  Mrs.  Grillet  (my  assistant  in  school), 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  did  not  sufficiently  under- 
stand English.     [  wanted  them  thoroughly  to  appreciate 
the  self-denial  that  is  practised  very  often  by  our  little 
darlings  at  home,  who  have  been  taught  that  most  beau- 
tiful law  of  love  :  "  My  neighbor  is  everybody — all  my 
fellow-creatures."    The  children,  even  the  very  smallest, 
listened  with  great  interest.     It  would  have  given  you 
great  pleasure,  if  you  could  have  looked  in  upon  us  ; 
and  when  I  called  the  six  elder  girls,  and  gave  them  the 
books  that  had  been  purchased  by  the  money  of  the  little 
departed  one  (and  that  perhaps  he  was  permitted  to  know 
that  now  they  were  receiving  his  dying  gift),  there  were 
tears  in  the  eyes  of  all ;  and  some  were  sobbing.     They 
will  value  those  books,  not  only  as  being  the  precious 
Book  of  God,  but  as  having  other  sacred  associations 
attached  to  them.     I  think,  if  little  Johnny  could  have 
been  there,  he  would  have  been  quite  sure  his  brother's 
gifts,  at  all  events,  were  appreciated.     The  older  girls 
always  see  the   "  Carrier  Dove,"  and  they  thought  they 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  231 

would  like  to  thank  Johnny  themselves ;  so  I  let  two  of 
them  write.  One  has  never  attempted  to  write  before ; 
the  other  has  written  once  or  twice  to  her  friends  here. 
These  letters  I  shall  send  to  the  "  Carrier  Dove."^  I 
would  say  these  notes  are  entirely  their  own,  only  they 
sat  by  my  side,  and  would  ask  me  if  each  word  was 
right,  as  they  wrote.     This  is  one  answer. 

My  LITTLE  Friend: 

"We  all  feel  very  much  pleasure  for  your  little  Testa- 
ments, which  you  sent  us.  We  thank  you  very  much, 
and  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kindness  to- 
wards us.  Again  and  again,  more  thankful  to  our 
heavenly  Father,  who  had  put  it  into  your  heart  to  be- 
stow on  us  such  nice  books.  I  think  we  must  have 
kind  friends  in  America  ;  they  often  send  us  nice  little 
presents ;  we  thank  them  in  our  hearts  very  much,  though 
we  know  not  how  to  tell  it  you  in  English  words,  but 
our  hearts  feel  it.  We  know,  for  our  teachers  have  told 
us,  that  many  little  children  in  America  save  their  pen- 
nies, that  are  given  them  to  buy  candies  and  play-things, 
and  send  them  to  us.  We  cannot  pay  them,  but  Grod 
can.    I  hope  Grod  will  ever  bless  you. 

Your  true  friend, 

Lucia  Byrd. 

This  is  the  other  letter  that  was  written  in  answer  : 

My  dear  little  Friend  : 

I  know  that  you  love  me,  and  I  love  you,  too.    When 
I  see  your  little  books,  which  you  sent  unto  us,  then  I 

*  They  have  since  been  printed. 


232  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

know  you  love  me ;  for  when  we  love  any  one^  we  like 
to  think  of  them,  to  please  them,  and  to  do  them  good. 
One  of  my  companions  has  written  you  a  letter,  but  I 
thought  you  would  like  to  know  that  there  is  more  than 
one  of  us  who  lived  once  without  God,  are  thankful  that 
we  have  kind  friends,  who  come  here  to  teach  us  about 
our  Saviour,  and  that  we  have  more  kind  friends  in 
America  who  love  us,  and  think  of  us,  and  pray  to  God 
for  us.  May  Grod,  my  Father,  and  your  Father,  ever 
bless  you.    So  prays  your  thankful  friend, 

Josephine  Williford. 

Josephine. — Suppose  I  tell  j^ou  something  about  the 
last  writer,  and  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  speak  of 
her.  She  is  a  good,  dear  little  girl,  about  fourteen,  and 
has  a  very  pleasant  face  and  form.  She  is  very  dark, 
but  not  black ;  and  has  a  very  bright,  sweet  smile. 
She  is  a  member  of  the  Church,  and  strives  earnestly  to 
walk  answerable  to  her  Christian  calling.  She  is  a 
very  studious  child,  of  bright  intellect ;  and,  though  the 
youngest,  stands  first  in  her  class.  In  school,  she  never 
has  to  be  spoken  to  for  laughing,  playing  or  talking. 
She  is  an  excellent  sewer,  is  very  neat  and  clean  in  her 
person,  and  very  particular  about  her  clothes,  that  they 
should  fit  neatly,  &c.  ;  for,  while  we  endeavor  to  dis- 
courage anything  like  pride  or  vanity  in  dress,  at  the 
same  time  w^e  feel  that  a  proper  regard  to  their  appear- 
ance, is  necessary  to  inculcate  self-respect.  They  are, 
therefore,  never  allowed  to  make  their  appearance  in  the 
school-room  with  soiled  or  torn  dresses,  unwashed  faces 
or  hands,  or  uncombed  hair.  Josephine  will  make  a 
fine  woman,  if  God  spares  her  life. 


lliflMi'ill!!' 


! 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  233 

The  Gtarden  Gtraves. — ^We  have  a  beautiful  garden. 
The  Bishop  is  very  fond  of  flowers.  The  first  thing  in 
the  morning  he  plucks  a  tiny  boquet  for  Mrs.  Payne 
and  myself,  which  we  wear  through  the  day.  This  is 
to  show  he  has  no  ''  palaver"  with  us.  Every  species  of 
flowers,  that  can  be  raised  here,  are  cultivated.  The 
children  need  to  have  their  tastes  elevated,  and  their 
love  of  the  beautiful  encouraged.  .But  there  is  one  spot 
that  I  love  best  in  the  garden.  In  one  corner,  under  the 
shade  of  some  lofty  trees,  are  the  graves  of  the  mis- 
sionaries. The  coral  plant,  and  the  beautiful  mimosa, 
grow  in  rich  luxuriance  around.  Mrs.  Payne's  grave  is 
the  last  that  has  been  added  to  those  already  here.  The 
low  moaning  of  the  trees,  and  the  constant  murmur  of 
the  waves,  sing  their  unceasing  requiem  over  those 
graves.  Here  their  ashes  shall  peacefully  repose,  till 
the  trump  on  the  resurrection  morn  shall  call  them 
forth,  to  greet,  oh !  with  what  joy,  the  many  who, 
through  their  instrumentality,  (perhaps,  for  many  gene- 
rations) have  been  brought  home  to  G-od  ;  and  then  they, 
as  having  ''turned  many  to  righteousness,"  shall  shine 
as  the  stars,  for  ever  and  ever. 

There's  a  sacred  spot,  near  the  ocean's  strand, 
Safe  guarded  and  held  by  a  Mighty  hand, 
Where,  in  calm  repose,  lay  a  noble  band, 

Asleep  in  Jesns. 

Forth,  far  from  their  own  native  land,  they  came. 
To  teach  to  the  heathen  that  precious  Name 
That  they  love  so  well ;  to  ignite  the  flame 

Of  love  to  Jesus. 


234  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

And  here  they  are  laid  ;  the  ocean's  loud  roar 
Their  requiem  sings,  but  disturbs  them  no  more. 
Yes,  sweetly  they  rest ;  their  labor  is  o'er, 

At  home,  with  Jesus. 

Close  in  our  view  do  their  loved  forms  lie  ; 
To  them  it  was  glory — 'twas  bliss — to  die  ! 
Man  may  forget  them  ;  their  record's  on  high, 

Inscribed  by  Jesus. 

And  w^hen  the  archangel's  lajpt  trump  shall  sound, 
To  wake  from  the  dead  the  sleepers  around. 
Who,  through  them,  with  joy  everlastingly  crowned, 

Sing  praise  to  Jesus. 

Joyfully,  then,  their  voices  they'll  raise. 
All  joining  the  song  of  exulting  praise. 
To  Him  they  all  worship  ;  "  The  Ancient  of  Days," 

Redeemed  by  Jesus, 

The  Missionary  Box. — "We  commenced  with  our  mis- 
sionary box  to-day,  and  had  fifty  cents  put  in — more,  a 
great  deal,  than  I  had  expected  ;  for  you  know  that  there 
are  but  very  few  of  these  children  that  ever  have  a  cent, 
and  when  they  do,  it  is  very  hardly  earned.  We  also 
determined  on  something  else  to-day.  Every  Tuesday 
afternoon  (it  is  the  only  one  that  either  the  girls  or  my- 
self can  possibly  spare),  we  are  going  to  collect  all,  both 
girls  and  boys,  that  will  come  from  town,  and  see  what 
we  can  do  in  the  way  of  instructing  them.  It  will  be 
but  little,  of  course,  in  such  a  short  time,  but  still  it  will 
be  something.  I  am  to  be  superintendent,  the  elder  girls 
assisting  me.  Thus  I  want  to  teach  them  to  become 
missionaries  in  turn.  They  are  all  willing  to  try  to  do 
what  they  can. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  235 

The  G-irls'  School. — The  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Payne  are 
gone  to  the  Cape  to-day,  so  I  am  ''  all  alone  in  my 
glory."  We  commenced  our  school,  within  a  school,  to- 
day. We  had  forty-seven  little  heathen,  only  one  of 
whom  had  even  the  vestige  of  a  rag  on.  They  are  of  all 
ages,  from  four  to  fourteen.  I  have  twelve  teachers,  each 
industrious  and  earnest  in  their  work.  Each  one  had 
been  to  town,  and  collec^d  her  own  class,  most  of  them 
children  in  some  way  related  to  her.  Our  children,  as 
soon  as  they  know  their  Saviour,  seem  so  anxious  to 
teach  Him  to  others ;  even  the  little  things,  five  or  six 
years  old,  when  they  go  to  town,  among  their  compan- 
ions, wnll  repeat  to  them  their  little  hymns  and  texts, 
and  tell  them  God  made  them,  and  Jesus,  the  Son  of 
God,  came  into  the  world  and  died  for  them,  to  save 
them  from  being  punished,  I  had  told  my  teachers  that 
there  was  one  thing  I  must  insist  upon — that  the  chil- 
dren all  had  clean  faces  and  hands.  I  went  into  the 
school-room  about  three  o'clock,  and  there  were  about 
twenty  little  urchins  sitting  quite  demurely  ;  but  when 
I  went  toward  the  back  door,  there  was  a  most  amusing 
sight.  There  stood  a  very  large  wash-tub,  and  between 
one  and  two  dozen  little  specimens  of  humanity,  each 
one  w^aiting  for  his  or  her  turn  to  be — well,  it  did  not 
seem  like  washed  ;  it  was  more  like  rasping.  This  pro- 
cess was  superintended  by  two  of  our  young  ladies,  real 
go-ahead  youngsters,  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  who 
felt  themselves  exceedingly  large  in  the  momentary 
power  they  possessed.  They  enjoyed  it  vastly,  and  the 
children  submitted  to  it  with  all  imaginable  patience. 
Poor  little  ones  !  God  grant  that  they  may  be  washed  in 


236  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


the  fountain  open  for  sin  and  uncleanness.  After  ap- 
pointing them  their  separate  places,  I  called  one  of  the 
older  girls  beside  me,  as  an  interpreter,  and  made  her 
tell  them  that  there  was  one  Grod,  who  made  them  all  and 
took  care  of  them  all,  and  that  they  must  pray  to  Him. 
She  then  taught  them  a  few  words  of  prayer,  making 
them  all  repeat  it  till  they  knew  it.  This,  she  told  them, 
they  were  to  say  night  and  morning.  I  then  told  them 
a  little  story,  which  much  pleased  them.  Then,  distrib- 
uting primers  to  the  teachers,  there  was  soon  a  perfect 
bedlam — so  many  voices  repeating,  in  the  highest  ca- 
dences, A,  B,  C,  &c.  Before  closing,  I  made  them  all 
learn  the  first  verse  of  ^' Happy  Land,"  which  the 
Bishop  has  translated  into  the  Grebo  language.  But 
when  they  attempted  to  sing  it,  it  was  truly  ludicrous. 
They  soon  got  the  tune,  but  as  to  the  time,  it  was  no- 
where. I  talked  to  them  again,  and  then  dismissed 
them,  with  a  short  prayer.     So  our  school  has  begun. 

Patience. — It  is  very  difficult  to  get  any  work  done 
here.  The  natives  have  no  idea  of  the  value  of  time. 
"We  have  to  learn  patience.  Mr.  Dorsen  is  here  again. 
This  is  the  third  time  he  has  been  up  to  try  and  get  men 
to  carry  down  plank  for  the  repairing  of  his  house  (about 
twenty  miles  off  his  station  is),  but  again  he  is  disap- 
pointed. Last  night  a  number  of  men  promised  him  to 
go  ;  this  morning  they  refuse.  Several  ''devil  doctors" 
are  in  town,  and  to-day  they  are  going  to  make  a  big 
gree-gree,  and  offer  sacrifices  to  the  devil.  All,  there- 
fore, are  forbidden  to  go  to  sea,  to  fish,  to  go  out  of 
town,  or  to  do  any  kind  of  work.     So  Mr.  Dorsen  has  had 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  237 

to  go  home,  disappointed  again.  The  Bishop  and  Mrs. 
Payne  have  come  home  to-day.  He  has  preached  at  eight 
different  places  in  the  three  days.  In  town,  to-day,  I 
felt  almost  disposed  to  be  angry  at  the  hardness  and  de- 
pravity of  the  human  heart.  It  is  slow  work,  the  work 
of  faith — teaching  these  people.  Oh  !  for  more  of  the 
Spirit's  influences.  I  often  come  home,  thanking  God, 
^'"Who  hath  made  me  to  differ."  It  seems  almost  im- 
possible to  believe  that  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  were  ever 
so  far  sunk  in  barbarism. 

Superstition. — I  was  asking  the  Bishop  to-night  what 
the  sacrifice  to  the  devil  was  for  yesterday.  He  said, 
*'  The  people  believe  the  spirits  of  the  departed  (the  Kwi) 
keep  watch  about  the  town,  and  when  the  people  do  any- 
thing they  do  not  like,  they  send  trouble  upon  them. 
Now,  at  this  time,  their  rice  is  very  bad,  and  they  can 
catch  no  fish.  So  a  demon  doctor  told  them  that  the 
spirit  of  one  of  the  head-men,  who  died  about  six  months 
ago,  was  angry  with  them,  because  there  are  so  many 
witches  and  bad  people  about  town.  So  they  must  sac- 
rifice to  appease  him."  Poor  people!  whom  ''  the  devil 
leads  captive  at  his  will." 

We  just  hear  that  an  English  cruiser  has  laken  a  so- 
called  French  emigrant  ship,  but  in  reality  a  slaver,  and 
has  carried  her  into  Sierra  Leone.  "We  had  our  afternoon 
school  to-day,  and,  upon  questioning  the  children,  I  was 
surprised  to  find  how  much  they  remembered  of  what 
they  had  been  taught  last  week. 

Cape  Palmas — Mrs,  Hoffman  not  at  all  well.     She 


238  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

fears  she  is  going  to  have  the  fever  ;  and  as  Mr.  Hoff- 
man and  Miss  Ball  are  still  away,  I  started  off  very  early 
this  morning,  to  be  with  her  in  case  of  her  being  ill.  I, 
however,  found  her  much  better  than  I  expected.  I 
shall  remain  a  day  or  two.  The  Bishop  came  up  with 
me,  stopping  on  the  way  to  preach  at  two  towns.  "We 
had  heard  that  the  American  frigate  Dale  was  anchored 
off  the  Cape  ;  and  as  the  Bishop  was  well  acquainted 
with,  and  had  received  many  little  acts  of  kindness  from, 
the  captain  and  officers,  he  came  up  purposely  to  see 
them  ;  but  just  as  we  arrived,  we  saw  the  vessel  start 
off,  under  full  sail.  The  Bishop  returned  home  again 
this  afternoon.  I  fear  the  journey  has  done  me  no  good, 
as  my  fever  is  very  high  again. 

Mount  Yaughan. — Feeling  better  again  to-day,  I  ac- 
cepted Mr.  Marshall's  kind  offer  of  his  little  carriage  to 
take  me  to  Mount  Yaughan.  Mr.  J.  Thompson  (a  colo- 
nist) went  with  me.  We  had  three  native  men,  two  to 
draw  and  one  to  push  us,  and  we  went  along  very  nicely. 
Mount  Yaughan  is  about  three  miles  from  the  Cape.  A 
very  good  road  has  been  formed  between  the  two  places, 
lined  on  either  side,  for  some  distance,  with  very  beau- 
tiful trees — palm  and  others.  The  situation  of  the  mis- 
sion-house is  very  fine,  on  the  summit  of  a  high  hill, 
which  slopes  down  to  the  road,  the  slope  completely  cov- 
ered with  young  coffee  and  orange  trees.  All  the  trees 
and  shrubbery  were  destroyed  during  the  late  war,  as 
well  as  the  buildings,  so  that  these  are  quite  young.  The 
house  is  a  fine  large  one ;  it  has  a  very  extensive  view, 
and,  indeed,  it  is  altogether  a  lovely  spot.     The  mission 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  239 

stations,  so  far  as  I  have  yet  seen,  are  all  of  them  se- 
lected with  great  regard  to  beauty  of  locality.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Crummell  were  quite  pleased  to  see  us.  We 
only  had  time  to  make  a  short  call,  but  we  enjoyed  it 
much. 

Home. — Finding  Mrs.  Hoffman  so  much  better  than  I 
had  expected,  there  was  no  need  to  be  absent  from  my 
work,  so  I  am  home  again.  It  really  is  worth  going 
away,  for  the  sake  of  the  welcome  on  our  return.  Mrs. 
Hoffman  has  had  a  letter  from  Mr.  Hoffman.  The  ves- 
sel they  are  in  would  not  stop  with  them  at  the  Cape,  so 
they  are  on  their  way  to  Monrovia,  and  will  have  to  re- 
main there  till  some  vessel  is  coming  down  the  coast. 
They  are  both  (Miss  Ball  and  Mr.  Hoffman)  much  bene- 
fitted by  the  voyage. 

Cruelty. — Last  Wednesday,  before  I  left  home,  Be- 
dell, one  of  our  native  teachers,  from  Rocktown,  was 
here  to  tea.  He  told  us  that  the  Sunday  previous  a  lit- 
tle child  of  three  years  old  had  been  missed,  and  the  peo- 
ple were  afraid  that  he  was  witched.  Yesterday  we 
heard  that  a  witch  man  had  carried  him  away,  and 
buried  him.  The  poor  little  child  has  been  found,  hav- 
ing evidently  been  buried  alive.  You  see  a  witch  is  re- 
ally another  name  for  foe,  or  enemy.  As  yet  they  have 
not  discovered  who  did  it.  On  Saturday,  Doctor  D'Lyon, 
with  Mr.  Thompson,  were  visiting  a  heathen  town,  near 
the  Cape,  when  they  called  the  Doctor  to  a  woman  who 
had  just  fallen  down  dead,  with  apoplexy.  She  was 
busy  about  her  work,  when  she  suddenly  dropped  dead. 


240 


INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


Of  course,  the  people  supposed  she  was  witched ;  and 
when  her  friends  began  to  weep  and  mourn,  they  were 
shut  up  in  a  hut,  it  being  believed  that  some  of  her  own 
near  relatives  had  done  it.  The  Doctor  explained  to 
them  the  nature  of  the  disease,  and  told  them  that  many- 
died  of  it  in  our  country  :  but  they  turned  a  deaf  ear  to 
all  he  had  to  say,  and  probably  several  will  pass  through 
the  sassa  ordeal  for  this. 

A  poor  woman,  living  in  Fishtown,  had  an  only  child, 
whom  she  loved  very  dearly.  Last  week  it  was  taken 
ill,  and  died.  She  was  instantly  accused  of  witching  it, 
and  the  heart-broken  mother  was  condemned  to  death. 
Surely  these  people  live  all  their  time  in  bondage,  being 
subject  to  the  fear  of  death.  None  are,  for  an  instant, 
safe. 

Crazy  Man. — We  heard  rather  a  singular  incident 
while  we  were  stopping  to  rest  at  Grraway.  King  "Wier 
(I  find  he  is  Paddock's  father),  at  whose  house  we  were, 
told  us  that  there  is  a  crazy  man  in  his  town  ;  and  this 
crazy  man  came  to  him  the  other  day,  and  said  to  him  : 
^'  I  see  the  spirit  of  your  father  ;  I  see  the  spirits  of  your 
brothers.  They  come  to  me ;  they  say  you  go  for  see 
King  "Wier.  You  tell  him,  we  say  he  must  mind  God's 
things  ;  they  be  true  things.  You  must  do  good  fashion  ; 
you  must  leave  country  fashion.  You  must  keep  the 
Sunday — you  must  make  your  people  keep  the  Sunday 
— so  you  no  come  to  hell.  We  be  in  hell.  You  no  come 
there."  This  has  alarmed  Wier  very  much,  and  he  says 
he  means  to  make  his  people  keep  Sunday.  He  seems 
to  feel  very  serious  about  it.   What  if  G-od  has  employed 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  241 

,the  instrumentality  of  a  crazy  heathen  man  to  effect  this 
great  object  (the  observance  of  the  Sabbath),  that  the 
missionary  has  so  long  been  endeavoring  to  accomplish  ? 
This  crazy  man  never  himself  believed  in  the  Grospel, 
though  he  has  frequently  heard  it  preached. 

"  By  weakest  instruments,  and  most  -unlikely  means, 
Full  oft  are  great  events  produced." 

Nya. — There  is  a  poor  young  man  in  town,  a  Chris- 
tian, named  Nye,  who  has  had  a  dreadful  leg  for  a  long 
time.  At  length,  the  Bishop  persuaded  him  to  have  it 
amputated.  Dr.  Fletcher^^  came  down  from  the  Cape 
to-day,  to  assist  Dr.  D'Lyon.  They  gave  the  man  ether, 
and  he  was  utterly  unconscious  till  the  limb  was  off. 
They  say  '•'  kobi"  (foreigners)  are  great  devil-men — they 
can  do  evervthins^.  The  astonishment  at  the  effect  of 
the  ether  is  boundless.     ■____ 

Beauty. — They  have  a  legend  among  the  people,  that 
when  Grod  first  made  man,  He  made  the  black  man  and 
the  white  man.  The  black  was  the  oldest  brother ;  and 
Nye-soa  (G-od)  came  and  asked  him  which  he  would  like 
— a  beautiful  country,  and  a  beautiful  person,  or  great 
powers  of  mind  ;  he  choose  the  beauty  of  peison  and 
country.  Nye-soa  then  asked  the  youngest  brother,  the 
white  man,  the  same  question.  He  choose  mental' 
powers  ;  that's  the  reason  why  the  black  man  is  so 
handsome,  and  the  white  man  know  so  much.  But  the 
first  sight  of  us,  thinking  we  must  be  fearful  lepers,  is, 
probably,  very  disgusting  to  them.    "When  the  ''  Stevens" 

*  Dr.  Fletclier,  a  colored  physician,  formerly  the  only  one  here. 

11 


242  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

came  out,  she  had  one  or  two  sick  with  the  measles  on 
board  ;  it  is  a  very  bad  kind,  followed,  in  every  case,  by 
severe  dysentery.  It  has  spread  rapidly  all  over  the 
country,  and  has  been  very  fatal.  We  have  several  down 
with  it  in  the  school ;  we  shall  be  greatly  blessed  if  we 
lose  none  of  our  number.  At  home,  before  leaving,  I 
often  heard  people  speak  of  the  condition  of  the  heathen, 
that  they  might  be  saved  without  the  G-ospel,  "  they 
being  a  law  to  themselves.^'  I  used  to  be  of  that  opinion. 
But,  oh !  it  only  needs  you  to  be  amongst  them  to  see 
how  utterly  neglected  is  that  law  of  conscience  which 
they  do  possess.  It  does  not  do  for  us  to  limit  the  bound- 
lessness of  infinite  love,  or  the  world-wide  efficacy  of  the 
Redeemer's  blood  ;  but  it  would  seem  to  us  that,  could 
they  reach  heaven,  in  their  present  condition,  it  would 
be  no  heaven  to  them  ;  the  purity  and  holiness  required 
there  would  be  misery  to  them  ;  and,  we  know,  as  they 
die,  so  they  remain.  Oh !  the  millions  that  are  going 
down  to  eternal  death.  May  our  earnest  daily  prayer  be, 
*'  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  take  these  kingdoms  for  thine  own." 

Marriage. — I  must  tell  you  something  with  regard  to 
the  marriage  customs  here.  I  have  told  you  that  their 
customs  are  somewhat  patriarchal,  the  headman  of 
each  family  having  perfect  right  not  only  over  the  pro- 
perty, but  even  over  the  persons  of  each  member  of 
the  family.  This,  probably,  is  a  great  drawback  to 
their  national  energy  and  prosperity,  as  no  man  can 
really  call  the  things  he  possesses  his  own.  For  instance, 
if  a  member  of  the  family  dies  by  the  sassa  ordeal,  the 
body  is  thrown  upon  the  beach,  and  not  allowed  to  be 


EVERY-DAY   LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  243 

removed  till  a  bullock  is  provided  by  the  headman  of 
the  family,  as  a  sacrifice  to  the  Kwi.     If  the  departed 
himself  does  not  possess  one,  it   must  be  obtained  oi 
some  other  member  of  the  family.     In  oases  of  accusa- 
tion of  theft,  or  other  crimes,  though  the  sassa  is  not 
given,  the  bullock,  for  sacrifice,  must  be.     Should  there 
be  no  bullocks  in  the  family,  the  next  available  property 
is  a  young  girl,  the  nearest  relative  to  the  criminal  that 
remains  unsold.     She  is  offered,  then,  to  any  man  that 
will  pay  the  price  of  a  wife.     This  always  includes  a 
bullock,  with  some  few  other   articles,   amounting  in 
value  to  about  twenty-five  dollars.     She  then  becomes 
the  property  of  the  purchaser,  and  he  may  either  take 
her  immediately  to  live  with,  and  assist  his  mother,  or 
one  of  his  other  wives ;  or  he  may  leave  her  with  her 
mother  till  she  is  of  a  marriageable  age,  which,  with 
them,  is  about  fifteen.     He  then  builds  a  new  hut  for 
her,  beside  those  of  his  other  wives,  and  takes  her  home, 
and  she  takes  her  position  with  the  rest.     Where  girls 
are  not  sold  like  this,  to  settle  a    ''  palaver,"   they  are 
generally  purchased  by  some  man,  who   may  take  a 
fancy  to  them.     In  this  case,  the  man  is  expected  often 
to  make  little  dashes  to  the  mother  of  the  child.     Thus 
it  is,  you  seldom  see  a  girl  over  eight  years  that  is  not 
already  sold.     There  is  no  affection.     The  female  part  of 
the  population  are  only  so  much  property.     A  man's 
v/ealth  is  estimated  by  the  number  of  his  wives ;  and, 
strange  to  say,  the  women  themselves  feel  it  to  be  a  dis- 
grace, and  do  not  like  to  acknowledge  themselves  to  be 
the  only  one.     On  a  man's  death,  his  wives,  with  his 
other  property,  become  the  possessions  of  his  nearest  male 


244  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

relations.  The  greatest  disgrace  that  can  happen  to  a 
woman  is  to  remain  unmarried.  When  the  Bishop  first 
commenced  the  girls'  school  here,  he  took  what  children 
were  permitted  to  come  to  him.  But  he  soon  found  that 
this  would  never  do  ;  they  all  had  husbands,  who,  at  any 
time  they  chose,  could  come  and  take  them  away. 
Thus,  when  the  poor  girls  had  become  partially  civilized, 
and  partially  Christianized,  they  would  be  dragged  back 
into  deep  degradation,  rendering  their  education  not  only 
useless,  but  injurious  to  themselves.  He,  therefore,  de- 
termined to  pay  the  purchase-money  for  each  child  that 
should  hereafter  be  brought  into  the  school ;  and  then 
neither  the  parents,  nor  any  one  else,  would  have  the 
slightest  control  over  her  in  future.  But  should  she  be  a 
bad  child,  and  run  away  from  the  school,  and  remain 
away,  the  parents  are  obliged  to  refund  her  purchase- 
money,  as  they  have  to  do  in  the  case  of  a  runaway 
wife.  When  the  girl  enters  the  school,  however,  the 
parents  always  beg  that  she  may  be  married,  to  avoid 
the  disgrace  attached  to  a  single  woman.  Our  children 
are  never  influenced  ;  they  are  allowed  to  make  their  own 
selection  ;  and  it  seldom  happens  that  a  girl  remains 
disengaged  over  fourteen.  Ours  being  the  only  girls' 
school,  and  there  being  several  boys'  schools — and  the 
civilized  and  Christianized  boys  wishing  to  obtain  such 
wives — our  girls  are  generally  in  great  demand.  I  have 
just  received  a  letter  from  Mr.  Ogden,  in  which  he  gives 
me  the  account  of  the  price  paid  for  a  Benga  wife.  He 
is  at  Corisco,  much  farther  to  the  south  than  we  are. 
There,  a  man  will  have  fifty  or  sixty  wives.  Among  the 
Grreboes,  they  do  not  often  have  more  than  six  or  seven. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  245 

Now,  to  tell  you  what  is  the  price  of  a  Benga  girl :  20 
small  bars  of  iron,  1  gun,  1  brass  kettle,  1  coat,  1  shirt, 
1  chair,  1  hat,  2  caps,  1  cutlass,  4  knives,  1  umbrella, 
1  chest,  4  wash-basins,  6  plates,  4  empty  bottles,  1  keg 
of  powder,  1  iron  pot,  1  brass  pan,  10  brass  rods,  10 
pieces  of  cloth,  5  mugs,  1  small  looking-glass,  1  jug, 
4  pins,  5  needles,  5  fish  -hooks,  2  razors,  2  pairs  of 
scissors,  8  bunches  of  small  beads,  2  pairs  of  ear-rings, 
1  pocket-handkerchief,  3  padlocks  and  keys,  4  pipes,  10 
heads  of  tobacco,  1  piece  of  cloth  for  her  mother,  1  silk 
handkerchief,  1  small  bell,  1  tumbler.  This  is  the  usual 
price.  You  see  a  Benga  wife  is  much  more  expensive 
than  a  G-rebo,  and  there  they  understand  better  the 
uses  of  articles  of  civilization. 

Amusements. — We  have  twenty  on  the  sick-list,  but 
they  are  doing  pretty  well.  The  doctor  came  down  to- 
day. He  has  amputated  the  hand  of  a  poor  woman  ; 
she  has  suffered  dreadfully  with  it.  He  is  likely  to  have 
plenty  of  practice. 

I  will  give  you  a  sample  of  our  evening's  amusements. 
By  the  time  tea  and  prayers  are  over  it  is  generally  ten 
minutes  past  eight.  Then  Mrs.  Payne  and  myself  reach 
out  our  sewing — the  only  time  we  really  give  to  it.  The 
Bishop  sits  in  his  library,  off  the  parlor — every  one  hav- 
ing to  pass  through  it  to  go  to  him.  He  sits  there  mak- 
ing up  accounts,  writing  orders,  and  attending  to  wants, 
these  last  not  few  or  far  between.  Grenerally  Mrs. 
Payne  and  myself  attend  to  any  that  may  come  re- 
quiring our  assistance,  as  they  may  happen  to  apply  to 
one  or  the  other  of  us.     But  I  never  noticed  how  many 


246  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

such  applications  there  are,  till  last  night.  Mrs.  Payne 
had  a  nnmher  of  business  letters  to  write  to  the  Cape 
that  must  go  ojff  this  morning.  You  can  form  no  idea 
of  the  amount  of  such  work  that  has  to  be  done  here ; 
providing  supplies,  &c.,  for  all  the  other  stations  round 
us.  So  as  Mrs.  Payne  had  so  much  of  that  work  to  do, 
I  agreed  to  attend  to  every  petitioner  that  should  come. 
Well,  I  was  scarcely  seated  when  in  came  a  native  man, 
with  a  large  piece  of  flesh  completely  torn  out  of  his 
leg.  That  had  to  be  dressed  and  attended  to.  Of  course, 
after  every  such  thing  the  hands  require  ablution.  After 
He  was  gone  Valentine  came  in  for  some  medicine  for 
the  baby.  Then  comes  one  of  the  girls  who  has  lost 
her  mat  that  she  sleeps  on.  This  has  to  be  inquired 
into,  and  orders  given  for  another  to  be  provided.  Next 
follows  one  of  the  school-boys  who  has  cut  his  toe  badly 
with  a  rock — that  must  be  dressed.  Then  three  of  the 
girls  come  in,  one  after  the  other,  for  a  dose  of  camphor. 
I  find  a  few  drops  of  this  an  excellent  medicine  here. 
Then  four  of  the  little  boys  begging  for  pins,  and  a  man 
from  town  begging  for  a  little  molasses  for  his  sick  wife. 
Then  Harry  Bacon  to  say  his  spelling  lesson.  And  lastly 
Mrs.  Bristow,  our  cook.  Mrs.  Payne  always  hears  her 
a  reading  lesson  in  the  Bible,  and  explains  it  to  her,  in 
the  evening ;  but  to-night,  on  account  of  Mrs.  Payne's 
letters,  I  do  it — but  I  have  been  obliged  to  keep  her  wait- 
ing a  long  while.  So  passes  the  evening.  Where  is  our 
sewing  ?  Usually  we  do  not  notice  these  interruptions  so 
much  when  both  are  on  hand  to  do  that  which  may  be 
required.  How  do  you  like  our  evening's  amusement  ? 
This  is  a  fair  sample. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  24T 

Sickness. — So  many  down  with  the  measles — the 
school-room  looks  quite  desolate.  Many  who  have  friends 
in  town  have  gone  home  to  them  for  the  time.  They 
always  keep  fire  in  their  huts,  and  the  children  like  the 
heat  when  they  are  sick.  It  relieves  us  of  a  great 
charge — so  many  being  ill.  But  though  they  are  dying 
all  round  us,  none  belonging  to  the  mission  have  yet 
been  taken.  I  have  been  confined  to  my  room  again  for 
two  or  three  days.  I  find  I  do  not  regain  my  strength 
after  these  attacks  as  I  did  at  first.  But  I  can  have 
my  classes  come  to  my  room,  even  when  very  sick. 

Mr.  Hoffman  and  Miss  Ball  have  just  arrived  at  the 
Cape  in  a  little  coasting  vessel.  They  are  much  bene- 
fitted by  their  voyage. 

The  Earthquake. — Our  summer  has  commenced  in 
earnest — it  is  very  warm.  The  doctor  is  down  again  to 
look  after  his  patients.  (I  forgot  to  say,  the  doctor's 
home  is  at  the  Asylum.)  He  says  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoff- 
man are  coming  to-morrow  to  make  us  a  visit. 

We  had  an  amusing  little  incident  last  night.  I  had 
been  taking  opium,  and  it  made  my  head  very  stupid. 
In  the  middle  of  the  night  I  was  partially  aroused  by 
the  house  shaking  violently.  The  second  time  I  mut- 
tered to  myself  earthquake  ;  so  thq  same,  the  third  and 
fourth  time.  With  the  fifth  time  it  was  very  severe — 
xt  aroused  me  a  little  more,  and  a  picture  I  had  seen  of 
the  earthquake  at  Lisbon  came  up  distinctly  before  me, 
and  I  recollect  saying  to  myself,  ''  Oh,  it  will  not  hurt 
us  so  much,  as  our  house  is  all  of  wood,"  and  then  I 
knew  no  more  of  what  happened  till  this  morning.  What 


248  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

do  you  suppose  our  earthquake  was  ?     The  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Payne  had  been  very  much  frightened,  and  got  up 
to  see  what  was  the  matter.     It  was  the  poor  old  horse — 
he  had  been  tied  to  one  of  the  wooden  pillars,  on  which 
the  house  is  supported.     There  is  no  foundation  under 
the  ground — the  house  is  built  on  pillars  raised  above 
the  ground,  as  most  all  are.     "Well,  the  poor  horse  had 
fallen,  and  the  rope  was  twisted  round  him ;  and  there 
he  lay,  pulling  and  kicking  vigorously  at  the  post.     You 
may  imagine  our  house  is  not  the  most  splendid  man- 
sion in  the  world,  that  a  one-horse  power  can  have  the 
effect  of  an^arthquake  upon  it — for  I  was  not  the  only 
one  in  whose  brain  visions  of  such  a  disaster  had  their 
place.     But  there  is  nothing  like  opium  to  make  one 
philosophical.     The  Bishop  went  down  to  extricate  the 
animal  from  his  perilous  position,  for  he  had  nearly  hung 
himself.     The  poor  beast  lay  panting  and  groaning  as 
if  in  the  last  agonies.     As  he  could  not  make  the  horse 
get  up,  the  Bishop  thought  he  was  very  ill,  and  he  came 
up  directly  to  get  some  medicine  for  him.     He  mixed  a 
dose  of  castor-oil  and  something  else — I  forget  what — 
and  soap-suds,  and  he  found  it  to  be  a  most  effectual  ar- 
gument— ^the  moment  the  bottle,  with  its  contents,  was 
inside  the  animal's  mouth,  he  was  up  in  a  trice.     I  ex- 
pect, if  we  could  get  him  to  give  us  his  opinion  on  the 
subject,  he  would  be  a  decided  homoeopathist.  Allopathy 
does  not  suit  his  taste.     But  he  prefers  keeping  his  opin- 
ions to  himself.     I  hope,  however,  the  next  time  he  un- 
dertakes to  perform  feats  of  gymnastics  and  circus  tricks, 
such  as  climbing  a  pillar  or  drinking  out  of  a  bottle, 
he  will  have  a  waking,  not  a  slumbering  audience. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  249 

The  Comet. — I  have  been  very  ill  again  for  several 
days.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hoffman  have  been  here,  but  I  was 
only  able  to  leave  my  room  once  to  see  them.  While 
they  were  away  Mr.  Hoffman  and  Miss  Ball  visited  the 
German  Lutheran  Mission,  down  the  coast.  They  were 
delighted — but  they  have  written  the  account  of  this 
themselves. 

I  have  been  sitting  up  to-day,  and  this  evening  the 
Bishop  helped  me  out  to  take  a  look  at  the  comet.  It  is 
perfectly  splendid — fully  realizes  all  my  preconceived 
ideas  of  it.  I  have  never  seen  one  half  so  beautiful.  I  do 
not  know  whether  this  latitude  would  have  the  effect  of 
making  it  appear  more  plainly.  But  it  is  so  very  bril- 
liant, and  its  tail  so  long  and  bright. 

The  people  are  in  great  trouble  about  the  comet— -they 
say  it  always  portends  dire  misfortune. 

How  very  grateful  in  sickness  are  the  little  luxuries 
sent  us  by  loving  hands !  The  appetite  fails,  and  it  needs 
to  be  stimulated  to  enable  us  to  gain  our  strength.  Our 
friends  may  be  well  assured  their  kindnesses  are  always 
received  with  grateful  hearts. 

It  is  very  strange  where  these  people  have  obtained 
some  of  their  notions.  I  was  reading  to-day  of  God's 
anger  with  David  for  numbering  the  people — and  it 
is  very  singu  ar,  but  the  Greboes  will  not  number  their 
tribe,  or  town,  or  family — they  think  some  harm  will 
happen  to  them  if  they  do  so.  They  always,  likewise, 
have  a  great  aversion  to  having  children  twins  ;  for  they 
say  the  elder  will  always  have  to  serve  the  younger. 

The  measles  seems  like  a  pestilence ;  there  is  scarcely 

a  house,  either  in  the  native  towns,  or  in  the  colony,  but 

11# 


350  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

where  there  is  one  sick.  We  have  just  heard  that  Mr. 
GeofFry  Thompson,  the  "brother  of  Mr.  T.  Thompson,  at 
the  Asylum,  died  last  night  of  the  measles.  He  was  a 
very  fine  young  man,  a  teacher  in  Mr.  Hoffman's  Sun- 
day School.  He  has  left  a  young  wife  and  three  child- 
ren. 

We  hear  that  the  English  mail  steamers  are  going  to 
stop  at  the  Cape  every  month.  This,  it  is  hoped,  will 
give  an  impetus  to  trade,  and  materially  benefit  the 
place. 

G-ENERosiTY.— While  Mr.  Hoffman  was  at  Monrovia, 
they  had  a  missionary  meeting  of  all  denominations, 
Hitherto  there  has  been  a  great  deal  of  sectarianism 
among  the  colonists,  and  it  has  been  the  constant  effort 
of  the  missionaries  to  unite  them.  Mr.  Williams'  efibrts, 
for  this  effect,  have  been  indefatigable,  and,  at  length,  he 
has  got  all  the  children  of  the  different  schools,  to  unite 
to  endeavor  to  support  a  teacher  among  one  of  the  heath- 
en tribes,  about  fifty  miles  back  of  Monrovia.  Mr.  Hoff- 
man pledged  that  his  Sunday-school  should  send  them 
ten  dollars.  So,  as  soon  as  he  came  home,  he  told  his 
children  what  he  had  promised  for  them,  and  that  they 
must  go  to  work  now,  to  make  up  the  money.  So  the 
children  at  the  Asylum,  and  the  boys  at  the  Harris  Sta- 
tion have  gone  to  work  vigorously,  to  cultivate  vegeta- 
bles, that  they  may  sell  them,  to  put  the  money  in  the 
missionary  box.  I  went  into  the  school-room  and  began 
telling  the  children  about  what  all  the  others  were 
doing  for  the  spread  of  God's  word,  and,  suddenly  look- 
ing up,  I  perceived  that  a  number  of  the  girls  were  in 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  251 

tears.  Upon  inquiring  the  cause,  one  of  them  said, 
''  The  boys  and  others  can  work  and  get  money  to  give 
to  our  brothers  and  sisters,  who  know  not  Grod,  but  what 
can  we  do  ?  We  have  no  gardens,  we  no  work  and 
have  money."  "  AVell,  girls,"  I  said,  "  I  know  you  have 
very  little  time,  and  I  have  very  little,  but  we  will  see 
what  we  can  do.  Those  of  you  that  wish,  come  to  my 
room  on  Saturday  mornings,  and  I  will  find  you  the  ma- 
terials, and  teach  you,  and  you  shall  make  some  little 
specimens  of  fancy  work.  We  will  send  them  up  to 
Mr.  Marshall's  store,  at  the  Cape,  and  whatever  he  sells 
them  for,  you  can  have  to  put  into  the  missionary  box." 
This  was  gladly  acceded  to,  and  our  work  began. 
And  now,  while  we  are  upon  the  subject,  I  will  give  you 
one  of  the  results.  Lucie  worked  very  diligently,  and 
finished  a  very  pretty  bead  bag,  to  hang  against  the 
wall.  It  was  done  very  nicely.  It  was  sent  up  to  Mr. 
Marshall's  store  for  sale,  but  he  admired  it  so  much 
that  he  sent  it  on  to  Monrovia,  to  the  State  Fair  (an  in- 
stitution similar  to  ours),  which  was  being  held  there  at 
that  time.  After  exhibition  it  was  to  be  sold  for  the 
benefit  of  the  mission.  Well,  a  certificate  was  given, 
and  the  third  prize  granted  to  Lucie.  The  prize  was  a 
little  gold  dollar.  After  its  reception  I  took  the  certifi- 
cate and  the  dollar  into  the  school-house,  explaining  its 
meaning  and  why  it  was  awarded  to  her,  and  telling 
Lucie  to  keep  the  certificate  always,  as  it  would  be 
pleasant  for  her  to  see  in  future.  They  had  not  seen  a 
gold  dollar  before,  though  they  had  silver  pieces.  I  told 
them  its  value,  and  it  was  passed  round  for  all  to  examine. 
Upon  returning  to  my  room,  after  school,  and  opening 


252  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF' 

the  missionary  box,  I  found  there  the  little  gold  dollar, 
I  was  very  much  surprised,  and  thought  certainly  that 
Lucie  could  not  know  the  value  of  it,  as  it  was  more 
than  she  had  ever  had  in  her  life,  and  I  thought  it  would 
not  be  right  for  me  to  allow  her  to  give  it  without  being 
aware  of  the  amount  of  the  sacrifice  she  was  making. 
I,  therefore,  called  her  into  my  room,  and  said,  '^  Lucie, 
my  child,  do  you  know  the  value  of  this  piece  of  money  ? 
I  was  very  glad  to  see  you  had  given  it  for  God's  cause, 
but  before  I  consent  to  take  it  you  must  know  its  full 
value."  She  knew  the  value  of  a  shilling,  that  is,  how 
much  she  could  purchase  with  it,  so  I  laid  eight  shillings 
before  her,  and  told  her,  her  dollar  was  worth  those ; 
was  she  willing  to  give  it  all  ?  She  nodded  her  head. 
I  then  told  her  that  it  would  buy  her  just  such  a  dress  as 
the  one  that  had  been  recently  sent  her,  with  which  she 
was  so  much  pleased ;  or  it  would  buy  her  so  many 
bright  head-handkerchiefs  (of  which  they  are  very  fond), 
or  so  many  aprons.  To  all  this  she  shook  her  head.  At 
length  I  saw  poor  Lucie  was  full ;  she  was  almost  sob- 
bing, and  she  said,  '^  Missionaries  love  God,  and  love 
poor  men  much ;  they  leaves  their  country,  friends,  all 
their  fine  things,  to  come  to  teach  us  so  we  go  to 
heaven  ;  and  then  you  think  we  no  love  God  or  our  own 
people,  so  we  work  little,  little  bit  for  them."  This 
was  a  great  speech  for  Lucie,  she  is  so  reserved.  ''  Yes, 
Lucie,  I  am  glad  God  has  put  it  in  your  heart  to  love 
your  people,  and  gladly  will  I  take  your  gift ;  I  only 
wanted  to  be  sure  that  it  was  entirely  with  a  willing 
heart  it  was  done."  Christians,  let  each  one  of  us  pause 
and  ask  ourselves,  in  this  Christian  land,  have  any  of 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  253 

US  ever  known  such  an  instance  of  self-denial  for  God's 
cause  ?  Have  not  many,  w^ho  have  given  their  twenty, 
fifty,  or  a  hundred  dollars,  reason  to  blush  when  they 
think  of  this  one  dollar  ? 

I  was  telling  the  children  a  little  anecdote  I  recently 
heard,  that  I  think  it  would  do  us  all  good  to  remember. 
^'A  congregation  of  free  blacks,  in  one  of  the  West  Indies, 
hearing  that  their  brethren,  in  another  island,  were  ut- 
terly destitute  of  the  Grospel,  determined  to  try  and  do 
something  for  them.  They,  therefore,  called  a  meeting 
of  all  the  Church  members,  and  three  resolutions  were 
passed. 

ui  pifst. — That  every  one  should  gWe  something. 

'''  Second. — That  every  one  should  give  according  to 
his  means. 

'' '  Third. — That  all  should  give  willingly  and  cheer- 
fully.' 

"  A  secretary  was  appointed,  to  sit  at  a  table  to  write 
down  the  names  and  amounts  given.  After  several  had 
been  to  him,  one  very  poor  man  came  up  and  laid  down 
a  shilling,  twenty-five  cents  our  money.  The  secretary 
received  his  money  and  marked  down  his  name,  with  a 
'  T'ank  you,  broder.'  The  next  man  that  came  up 
was  known  to  be  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  amons:  them. 
Seeing  what  his  neighbor  had  given,  he,  likewise,  laid 
down  a  shilling.  The  secretary  took  it  up  and  returned 
it  to  him,  saying  :  '  Broder,  dat  be  'cording  to  de  furst 
resoblution,  which  say,  ebery  body  he  gib  something, 
but  it  is  not  'cording  to  de  second  resoblution,  which 
say,  ebery  body  gib  'cording  to  his  means ;  I  can't  take 
it,  broder — take  your  shilling.'  The  man  wont  back  to  his 


254  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

seat  with  his  shilling,  but,  after  a  little  time,  pride  over- 
coming covetousness,  he  again  went  up  to  the  secretary's 
table,  and  this  time  laid  down  a  pound,  about  five  dol- 
lars. The  secretary  looked  up  in  his  face,  and  again 
handed  him  back  his  money,  saying  :  '  Broder,  dat  be 
'cording  to  de  furst  and  second  resoblutions,  but  not 
'cording  to  the  tird,  him  say  all  must  be  given  willingly 
and  cheerfully.'  The  man  buttoned  up  his  pockets  and 
marched  back,  very  indignantly,  to  his  seat,  but  by  and 
by  a  better  spirit  took  possession  of  him,  and  again  he 
approached  the  secretary,  and  this  time  with  a  smiling, 
cheerful  countenance,  laid  down  his  pound.  This  time 
the  secretary  said  :  '  I  take  him  now,  broder,  cas'  dat  be 
'cording  to  de  furst,  and  de  second,  and  de  tird  resoblu- 
tions.' " 

This  is  the  doctrine  I  want  to  teach  the  children,  to 
give,  however  small  the  mite,  with  a  willing  heart. 
And  would  that  all  Christians  would  learn  and  practice 
"  the  three  resolutions."  There  is  an  English  vessel 
anchored  off  here  this  evening. 

Strange  Vessel. — This  morning  the  head-man  from 
town  came  in.  He  appears  to  be  very  suspicious  of  the- 
vessel  that  is  anchored  out  here.  He  says,  that  though 
she  carries  English  colors,  he  is  sure  she  is  no  English 
vessel,  but  he  is  persuaded  she  is  a  slave  vessel  from  al] 
he  saw  on  board.  They  want  Kroomen,  but  he  has  for- 
bidden any  men,  from  his  town,  to  ship  on  board  of  her. 
He  could  not  well  give  his  reasons,  but  he  feels  persuaded 
she  is  a  slaver. 

This  afternoon  Mrs.  Payne  and  myself  were  in  the 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  255 

parlor,  when  one  of  the  strangest  specimens  of  a  white 
man  presented  himself  at  the  door.  The  Bishop  was  away 
preaching  at  one  of  the  towns.  The  man,  therefore,  gave 
us  to  understand  that  he  was  the  captain,  but  not 
expecting  to  see  ladies  had  not  dressed  himself.  He 
was  without  shoes,  stockings,  or  coat.  He,  however, 
seated  himself,  and  commenced  a  conversation,  with  an 
air  of  perfect  nonchalance.  We  spoke  of  his  vessel,  and  said 
we  had  heard  that  it  was  not  an  English  vessel,  though 
sailing  under  EngUsh  colors.  ''  Oh  !  no,  ma'am  ;  she 
was  built  in  Nova  Scotia,  but  we  sailed  from  New- York. 
We  can  hire  Nova  Scotia  vessels  cheaper  than  we  can 
get  them  in  New- York."  ^' Yes,  but  you  sail  under 
English  colors."  ''  If  there  is  one  Englishman  on  board 
we  can  hoist  English  colors.  I  am  the  only  English- 
man." ^'Pardon  me,  but  I  know  the  English  tongue; 
I  do  not  think  you  are  one."  "  Well,  you  see,  ma'am, 
I  am  not  ;  I  was  born  in  New- York,  and  so  were  my 
parents,  but  I  have  been  to  Liverpool  several  times,  and 
so  I  swore  that  I  was  an  Englishman."  "  How  could 
you  do  such  a  thing  ?  "  "  Oh !  bless  your  heart,  ma'am, 
don't  you  know  a  Yankee  will  do  anything  for  money  ?" 
We  expressed  our  sorrow  at  hearing  such  language. 
He  then  went  on  abusing  the  English  for  daring  to  have 
the  right  of  search,  and  said  that  one  vessel  belonging 
to  his  owners,  a  firm  in  New- York,  had  just  been  seized 
and  carried  to  Sierra  Leone,  and  that  another  had  just 
got  into  a  muss  with  a  British  cruiser.  He  stated,  too, 
that  he  was  going  directly  down  the  coast  where  eight 
thousand  dollars  worth  of  goods,  we  much  suspected 
human   chattels,  was  waiting  for  him.     Of  course,  all 


256  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

this  tended  to  excite  our  suspicions  still  more.  I  sup- 
pose he  thought  we  were  so  far  out  of  the  world  that 
we  could  not  harm  him.  After  awhile  he  went  away 
to  trade  with  the  natives,  giving  them  rum  and 
tobacco  in  exchange  for  palm-oil.  The  effects  of  his 
visit  were  soon  visible.  One  of  the  finest  young  men  in 
town  was  so  drunk  he  was  like  a  crazy  man. 

In  the  evening,  when  the  Bishop  Vv^as  at  home,  he  came 
again.  We  had  found  out  then  that  he  was  only  one 
of  the  hands  on  board ;  the  captain  being  a  Portuguese, 
and  all  the  rest  either  Spanish  or  Portuguese.  The 
Bishop  asked  him  :  "  How  it  was  that  he  had  imposed 
upon  the  ladies,  passing  himself  off  for  the  captain  ?" 
He  answered,  with  the  coolest  impudence  :  "  Bless  your 
heart,  sir,  why  I  pass  off  for  anything  or  everything." 
Such  are  the  men  that  come  forth  from  a  Christian 
country  to  these  poor  heathens.  Oh  !  say  not  that  the 
missionary  ought  not  to  come  forth  ;  rather  ought  he 
''  not  to  count  his  life  dear  unto  himself." 

If  this  vessel  is  such  as  we  suspect,  we  can  only  pray 
that  Grod  will  frustrate  the  machinations  of  the  wicked. 
"When  the  vessel  set  sail  she  hoisted  the  American  flag. 
A  little  farther  down  the  coast  she  had  the  Spanish  flag 
up.  And  again  still  later  she  was  seen  under  Portuguese 
colors.  There  surely  must  be  something  wrong  to  need 
this. 

Musjc. — Our  music  to-night.  How  much  I  should 
have  liked  some  of  our  good  people,  at  home,  to  have 
heard  it.  Those,  I  mean,  who  are  so  fond  of  Sunday 
opera  music  ;  the  hearing  one  or  two  person  take  Grod's 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  257 

name  in  vain  in  his  own  house  ;  making  his  house  a 
house  of  merchandise,  (not  to  show  off  their  cattle  for 
price,  but  their  vocal  powers).  Many,  I  believe,  that 
are  true  Christians,  have  not  thought  what  a  crying  sin 
it  is.  But  how  I  wished  that  they  could  have  been 
with  us  at  our  service  to-night.  I  do  think  that  they 
would  have  felt  that  they  would  rather  praise  God 
themselves  than  hire  others  to  do  it  for  them.  Our 
evening  congregation  numbers  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty.  Mr.  Jones,  our  native  deacon,  understands  the 
science  of  music,  and  he  takes  pains  to  teach  it  to  all  in 
the  schools.  To-night,  when  the  Bishop,  gave  out  the 
thirty -ninth  psalm,  Mr.  Jones  struck  up  a  most  exultant 
jubilant  tune,  and  I  do  not  think  there  was  a  single 
voice  mute.  They  sang  with  the  voice  and  the  under- 
standing also  ;  apparently  '^  singing,  and  making  mel- 
ody, in  their  hearts,  unto  the  Lord."  Only  think 
what  supreme  absurdity  it  would  have  been  for  us  to 
have  had  one  or  two  high-flying  singers  stand  up  there 
to-night  and  sing  not  with,  but  for  those  poor  ransomed 
heathens,  these  words  : 

"  Oh  !  'twas    a  joyful  sound  to  hear 
Our  tribes  devoutly  say, 
Up,  Israel,  to  the  temple  haste, 
And  keep  your  festal  day." 

Our  music  was  truly  sublime.  It  carried  the  heart 
with  it.  I  do  believe  that  church  music,  as  we  have  it 
at  the  present  day,  is  a  device  of  the  arch  enemy,  and  a 
very  effectual  one,  too,  of  abstracting  directly  the  good 
seed  that  may  have  just  been  sown.  Perhaps  I  speak 
strongly,  but  I  feel  strongly  on  this  subject.     I  know  it 


258  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

is  doing  so  much  harm.  I  fear  if  our  Saviour  were  to 
come  to  many  of  our  temples  now,  many  would  be 
scourged  thence,  to  whom  he  would  say,  '^  Make  not 
my  Father's  house  a  house  of  merchandise."  Show  not 
off  your  wares  here — ''carry  these  things  hence."  If 
ever  we  reach  Heaven,  I  do  not  think  that  we  shall  wish 
to  hand  our  golden  harps  to  others  that  they,  for  us,  may 
make  melody  before  God,  or  that  we  shall  wish  others 
to  sing  for  us  the  new  song,  "  To  Him  who  hath  bought 
us  with  his  own  blood,  and  made  us  kings  and  priests 
unto  God,"  &c.  Our  services  to-night  would  have 
touched  the  heart  of  any  one  coming  from  our  own  more 
favored  land.  Here,  surrounded  on  every  side  by  the 
depths  of  heathen  darkness,  is  a  little  band  come  forth 
from  that  darkness  into  marvellous  light.  At  night  none 
of  the  town's  people  come,  as  our  services  are  all  in  En- 
glish. Only  those  attend  attached  to  the  Station,  num- 
bering about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  As  each  one  comes 
in,  he  or  she,  kneels,  not  sits,  reverently  for  a  few 
minutes  in  private  prayer.  In  the  united  prayers  and 
all  the  responses,  not  a  voice  appears  silent ;  all  seem,  at 
least  outwardly,  engaged  in  solemn  worship.  I  suppose 
this  struck  me  more  to-night  than  usual,  as  the  Bishop's 
text  was,  ''  Worship  God  in  the  beauty  of  holiness." 
And  certainly  if  the  spirit  as  well  as  the  letter  of  our 
services  is  carried  out,  it  is,  indeed,  the  ''  beauty  of  holi- 
ness." God  grant  that  we  may  all  learn  to  praise  him 
on  earth,  so  that  when  wo  shall  cease  to  praise  him  here 
we  may  help  to  swell  the  full  hallelujah  chorus  above. 
Mr.  T.  Thompson  has  just  lost  a  sister  by  the  measles, 
and  is  himself  very  ill  with  it.     He  feels  sorely  God's 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  259 

afflicting  dispensation.  A  brother  and  a  sister  both 
taken  in  one  week.  Many  of  our  children  are  still  very 
ill,  but  we  have  yet  lost  none. 

Cares. — There  is  so  much  to  be  done  that  we  have  no 
time  for  selfishness.  We  must  forget  our  aches  and  pains 
and  weariness,  if  we  would  be  of  any  use.  The  Bishop 
and  Mrs.  Payne  are  hoping  to  return  home  in  two  or 
three  months.  They  both  need  it  much.  Since  school 
to-day  I  have  been  busy  cutting  out  shirts.  Hitherto,  Mrs. 
Payne  has  attended  to  all  in  the  sewing  department,  and 
I  suppose  one  of  our  new  sisters,  who  is  coming  here, 
will  superintend  that,  but  Mrs.  Payne  will  probably  not 
be  here  to  afford  her  the  benefit  of  her  experience.  I 
must  learn  all  about  it,  so  as  to  give  her  the  necessary 
information.  Or  it  may  be,  that  I  shall  have  to  take 
charge  of  it  myself.  At  all  events,  I  must  know  all  about 
it.  We  have  two  very  sick  children,  one  quite  a  little  one. 
We  much  fear  that  we  shall  lose  her.  Mrs.  Gillet  is  very 
good,  kind,  and  attentive  to  them.  Many  and  multifa- 
rious are  our  duties,  but  how  much  pleasure,  too,  in  feel- 
ing that  we  may,  perhaps,  be  able  to  remove  a  little  of 
he  load  of  misery,  both  temporal  and  spiritual,  from 
those  for  whom  Christ  died. 

The  Grreboes  have  a  very  pretty  expression  I  heard  to- 
day. When  any  one  is  angry,  using  strong  or  hasty 
words,  they  say  to  them,  ''  Wora,  woro  ni  na,"  "  Throw 
water  on  your  heart."  This  language  is  very  figur- 
ative. 

Superstition. — One  of  the  principal  men  in  town  is 
very  ill  with  measles.    Of  course,  they  say  he  is  witched. 


260  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Now,  to  be  effectual,  it  is  supposed  that  a  good  many  of 
the  witch's  incantations  must  be  performed  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  the  hut  where  the  person  whom  they  wish  to 
injure  is  living.  Therefore,  it  is  very  dangerous  for  any 
one  to  be  found  out  of  doors  at  night  alone.  This  also  is 
the  reason  why  they  try  to  hide  their  sick.  Last  night 
a  party  of  the  Sedibo  (soldiers)  went  out  in  the  night 
time  to  see  if  they  could  find  the  witch.  As  they  came 
near  the  sick  man's  house,  they  declared  that  they  saw 
a  man,  and  that,  as  they  approached,  he  instantly  chang- 
ed himself  into  a  cow  before  any  of  them  could  recog- 
nize him.  They  believe  that  witches  have  this  power; 
as  they  also  believe  in  the  transmigration  of  souls. 
Now,  they  will  go  to  the  devil-doctor  to  find  out  who  this 
man  is 

The  x\rmy. — Infant  baptism  this  morning  in  church. 
How  the  Bishop's  heart  must  glow  with  gratitude  to 
God !  It  was  a  child  of  one  of  the  villagers.  Father, 
mother,  and  sponsors  all  natives.  May  G-od's  work 
here  ''  go  forward."  Pray  for  us  that  the  Spirit  may  be 
poured  out  upon  us  without  measure  ;  upon  pastors, 
and  teachers,  and  people  ;  that  there  may  be  a  shaking 
among  the  dry  bones.  We  know  not  how  much  of  the 
present  success  may  be  attributed  to  the  prayers  of 
Christians  at  home.  You  cannot  think  how  trifling  and 
vain  appear  all  former  occupations  in  comparison  to  this. 
I  wonder  at  God's  great  goodness  to  me,  unworthy  as  I 
am,  that  I  am  permitted  to  labor  in  this  the  most 
noble,  the  most  glorious  cause,  the  world  ever  saw,  that 
of  raising    human    beings  from   the    lowest   depths    of 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  261 

miserVj  degradation,  and  vice  into  the  '^  glorious  liberty 
of  the  sons  of  Grod." 

I  often  look   at  our  kind,  gentle,  loving    Bishop,    and 
think  what  martial    hero  of  the  highest  renown   is  to 
compare  with  him.     For  more  than  twenty  years  he  has 
been  a  leader  in  the  advance  guard  of  the   army  of  the 
^'  King  of  kings."     Fighting   manfully  against  "  princi- 
palities and  powers,  against  spiritual  wickedness  in  high 
places."     Marching  steadily  onward,  and  invading  the 
enemy  in  the  heart  of  his  own  dominions  ;  never  being 
daunted  by  the  number  or  skill  of  his  adversaries     Often 
standing  almost  alone  in  the  battle  field,  and  this  not  for 
his  own  fame,  glory,  or  emolument,  but,  if  possible,  that 
he  may  wrest  from  the  enemy  some  precious  gems  that 
may  shine  forever  in  his  Saviour's  crown  ;  that  he  may 
gain  some  rich  spoils,  not  to  adorn  himself  withal^  but 
that  he   may    lay   them  as    trophies  at  the   Saviour's 
feet.     May  many  more  such  soldiers  of  the  Cross  soon 
join  him !     Each  hard-fought   battle  is  not  recorded  on 
earth,  but  the  '^  Captain  of  our  salvation"  knoweth  them 
that  are  his,  and  the  Saviour's  precious  promise  is,  ''  To 
him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit  with  me  in  my 
throne,  even  as  I  also  overcame  and   am  sat  down  with 
my  Father  in  his  throne. 

Letters. — News  from  home ;  when  they  wrote,  the 
death  of  my  father  was  hourly  looked  for.  A  few  lines 
from  himself — the  last  he  wil  lever  write  on  earth.  Re- 
posing alone  on  the  love  of  Christ  and  the  atoning 
efficacy  of  the  Redeemer's  blood,  death  must  be  gain. 
I  feel  assured  he  is  safe  at  home.  Many,  many  kind 
tokens  again  from  loving  friends.     Thanks,  thanks  to 


262  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

all — nowhere  can  gifts  be  more  thankfully  welcomed 
and  appreciated. 

Fish. — The  Bishop  was  telling  us  to-night  of  a  very- 
pretty  little  custom  here.  The  first  fish  that  are  caught 
in  the  fishing  season,  they  bring  all  home  and  make 
soup.  Then  all  the  children  in  town  are  called  and  it 
is  all  given  to  them — no  one  else  tasting  it.  They  think 
that  being  generous,  especially  to  children,  will  bring 
them  good  luck.  The  same  thing  is  done  with  the  first 
fish  caught  in  a  new  canoe.  The  feast  is  for  those  who 
cannot  repay  them. 

Faith. — The  Bishop  has  started  with  one  or  two  work- 
men to-day  up  the  river  to  Nitie  Lu,  He  wants  the 
workmen  to  cut  timber  up  there  for  building  a  house  at 
the  station.  He  says  he  may  extend  his  journeyings 
back  a  little  farther  to  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon. 
May  God  preserve  him  and  bring  him  back  in  peace  and 
safety  to  us !  Dr.  D'Lyon  was  to  go  with  him,  but  he 
sent  word  this  morning  that  he  had  fever  and  could  not 
possibly  go.  It  is  up  among  the  "Webo  tribe,  where 
those  men  were  so  cruelly  murdered  and  eaten  a  short 
time  ago,  that  he  is  going. 

As  I  was  bidding  the  Bishop  good-bye  this  morning,  I 
asked  ''  if  he  was  going  alone  ?"  and  I  supposed  that  my 
manner  expressed  some  little  fear  and  sadness,  for  he 
turned  round  quickly  and  said,  '^  Sister  Harriet,  I  am 
going  in  my  Father's  country,  and  about  my  Father's 
work."  Oh,  what  a  different  tone  those  few  words  gave 
to  the  whole  tenor  of  my  feelings.  Would  that  T  had 
the  faith  that  he  and  his  dear  wife  have. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  263 

I  am  getting  very,  very  weak — the  fever  hangs  on  me 
so  long.  The  man  I  spoke  of  that  was  so  ill  with 
measles,  is  still  very  low.  To-day  they  have  accused 
two  of  his  wives  of  witching  him,  and  made  them  take 
the  sassa,  but  both  have  recovered  from  its  effects. 

The  Sabbath  Law. — A  very  pleasant  thing  has  oc- 
curred to-day .  The  villagers  have,  for  a  long  time,  been 
trying  to  persuade  the  towns  people  to  pass  a  law  pro- 
hibiting work  on  the  Sabbath.  The  Bishop,  though,  as 
you  may  suppose,  longing  earnestly  for  it,  has  forborne 
to  urge  the  matter  too  strenuously,  fearing  if  made  to 
please  him,  much  against  their  will,  it  would  only  be 
broken  continually,  and  that  would  be  worse  than  hav- 
ing no  such  law.  To-day  the  Christian  villagers  and 
towns  people  have  had  a  meeting,  and  the  law  has  been 
passed  almost  unanimously  by  the  Sedibo — these  are  the 
soldiers,  or  chief  part  of  the  citizens.  The  law  runs 
thus  :  ''No  person  is  to  work  on  Sunday.  If  they  go 
fishing  their  fish  is  to  be  taken  from  them ;  if  they  go 
to  the  bush,  their  wood,  or  whatever  else  they  may  bring 
home,  is  to  be  taken  from  them  and  carried  to  the  mis- 
sion house  for  the  use  of  the  children  there."  This  is  their 
own  law.  They  had  a  long  "  palaver,"  however,  before 
it  could  be  settled.  Kadi,  the  son  of  the  former  king, 
was  spokesman  for  the  villagers.  I  will  give  you  a 
specimen  of  the  discussion,  as  we  afterwards  heard  it : 

Towns77ien, — ''Well,  but  if  we  do  not  catch  fish  on 
Sunday,  or  go  bush,  what  will  we  do  to  cat  ?" 

Kadi. — "  The  Bishop  does  not  give  us  food,  all  us 


264  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF  ^ 

boys  in  village — we  no  work  Sunday,  yet  we  always 
have  food.     God  give  us  food  when  we  mind  his  day." 

Townsmen. — ^'  That  be  true  ;  you  boys  in  the  village 
catch  fish  plenty  ;  you  shoot  deer  plenty  ;  we  no  find 
them  ;  'spose  we  want  bit  meat,  we  come  you." 

Kadi, — ''Yes,  Grod  mind  us.  Now  this  sickness 
(measles)  come,  he  go  all  over  country.  You  make 
much  greegrees.  Keep  him  off  all  towns  ;  but  plenty 
people  and  children  die  all  towns.  All  children  have  it 
here  and  at  other  mission  stations  ;  big  people  have  it ; 
many  sick,  plenty,  we  afraid  they  die,  but  Grod  say 
no  !  he  take  care  of  them." 

And  by  Grod's  providence  it  is  so — not  one  attached 
to  the  mission  stations  have  died,  while  there  has  not 
been  a  town  without  some  deaths  from  it.  Such  were 
some  of  KadVs  reasonings.  May  we  not  trust  that  Grod's 
spirit  is  among  us  ? 

Letters. — I  mentioned,  some  time  ago,  that  the  chil- 
dren of  our  mission  and  those  of  Mr.  "Williams'  Sunday 
School,  corresponded.  I  will  give  you  the  exact  copy  of 
a  letter,  written  by  one  of  our  boys  at  this  time  to 
Monrovia. 

Dear  Brethren  and  Sisters  in  the  Lord  : 

Having  an  opportunity  I  drop  you  a  few  lines  to  in- 
form you  of  my  health  which  is  quite  well  at  present, 
and  I  hope  that  these  few  lines  may  find  you  all  in 
joying  the  best  of  health.  Dear  friends  I  have  never 
seen  your  face  but  I  love  you  in  my  heart.  And  I  have 
seen  your  teacher  and  I  was  much  pleased  to  see  your 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  265 

teacher  visited  us.  I  been  with  him  from  (he  meant  to) 
neiborhood  countrys  which  are  about  some  miles  each 
from  cavalla  where  we  made  our  settlement.  I  was 
interpreter,  and  Bishop  Payne  was  with  us.  I  de- 
lighted much  in  his  preaching  he  is  good  preacher  of 
Christ's  crucifixion.  My  dear  friends  I  will  make  ap- 
pendage of  few  words  before  I  make  the  conclusion  of 
my  letter.  I  will  tell  you  something  about  the  country 
people  how  they  acted  on  sunday,  and  how  they  make 
agreement  of  keeping  the  sabbath.  Now  they  make 
agreement  to  keep  the  sunday  and  they  are  trying  now 
to  keep  the  Lord's  holy  day.  I  must  ask  you  did  they 
are  able  to  keep  the  sabbath  for  themself  without  some 
one  helping  them.  No  Sir  they  are  not  able.  What  we 
must  do  before  they  are  able  to  keep  the  Sabbath.  We 
must  pray  to  Grod  to  sent  his  Holy  Spirit  on  them  that 
they  may  know  that  there  is  a  Grod  in  earth  and  who 
made  heaven  and  earth  and  all  things.  I  am  very  glad 
to  say  that  you  must  pray  for  us,  and  we  will  pray  for 
you.  '  I  complete  to  talk  you  about  cavalla,  and  I  am 
very  glad  to  tell  you  something  about  Grraway  people 
which  is  some  miles  from  cavalla.  The  towns  are  on  the 
beach  I  and  Mr.  John  Wilson  going  there  every  Sunday. 
They  are  not  like  cavalla  people.  They  did'nt  care  fore 
Sunday  we  must  pray  for  these  people  that  Grod  may 
sent  his  Holy  Spirit  among  them  that  they  may  know 
the  G-od  of  Jacob.  Let  us  fight  under  the  banner  of 
Christ  and  let  us  put  our  whole  trust  in  christ  because 
he  is  our  leader.  Bishop  Payne  and  his  wife  are  well 
but  Miss  Brittan  is  not  well.  I  have  much  to  say  but 
time  permitted  me  not.  Please  excuse  my  last  writing. 
Yes,  friend,         E.  J.  P.  Messenger. 


266  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

This  is  one  of  our  older  boys — he  is  an  excellent  in- 
terpreter. I  have  so  many  letters  before  me  that  my  only 
difficulty  is  in  selecting  from  among  them.  I  will  give 
one  other  now — at  another  time,  perhaps,  I  may  give 
you  more. 

Hoffman  Station,  Cape  Palmas. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Sir  : 

It  affords  me  more  gratitude  to  present  you  an  in- 
formation of  our  Sunday  School  opened  in  at  St.  James' 
Church  in  Hoffman  Station.  This  school  contains  about 
fifty  boys  and  twenty-five  girls  under  the  care  of  Mrs. 
Harris.  The  former  is  conducted  by  Rev.  C.  C.  Hoff- 
man, Mr.  Harris,  and  the  eldest  boys  at  the  Station 
Myself  have  a  class  in  this  school  contains  of  about 
twenty-five  boys  from  the  towns,  as  attendance  of  the 
school.  We  who  are  the  eldest  boys  have  formed  our- 
selves a  classes  call  William  A.  Muglenburg's  missionary 
Society.  This  class  is  teaching  by  S.  B.  D'Lyon,  M.  D., 
after  recite  our  class  before  Dr.  hears  our  own  lesson. 
The  demeanours  and  behaviours  of  these  pupils  are  more 
encouragement  to  us  and  we  hope  something  will  come 
out  of  this  undertaking.  Though  we  are  small  in  num- 
ber, yet  we  hope  that  G-od  will  do  whatever  he  pleases.. 
For  there  is  no  restraint  to  the  Lord  to  save  by  many  or 
by  few,  and  again  have  not  I  commanded  thee  ?  Be 
strong  and  of  a  good  courage.  Be  not  afraid,  neither  be 
dismayed :  For  the  Lord  thy  G-od  is  with  thee  witherso- 
ever thou  goest.  Therefore  the  followers  and  the  la- 
bourers of  Christ  cannot  be  afraid  to  do  good,  and  to  de- 
liver the  souls  from  darkness  to  the  glbrious  light  of  Re- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  267 

deemer.  My  God  raise  up  more  labourers  to  carry  this 
light  among  the  dark  places,  to  disperse  darkness  and 
dispell  the  devil  from  this  land  by  the  name  of  our  high 
Priest  Jesus  Christ.  My  Q-od  grant  that  we  shall  take 
a  possession  at  last.  My  kind  regards  to  you  and  to 
children  I  remain  yours  unworthy  servant 

S.  W.  Seton. 
Rev.  E.  T.  Williams 

These  letters  surely  show  "  what  spirit  they  are  of." 

Harriett. — I  want  to  tell  you  something  about  Har- 
riett Vaughan,  one  of  my  girls.  She  is  about  the  same 
age  as  Lucie,  and  in  their  studies  they  are  just  on  a  par. 
She  is  very  black,  and  not  as  pleasant  looking  as  many  of 
the  others.  Yet  I  have  a  strong  partiality  for  Harriett.  She 
is  a  member  of  the  church,  but,  poor  girl,  she  suffers 
much  from  her  own  temper.  She  is  very  impulsive 
and  very  passionate,  and  so  often  sins  in  that  way.  And 
then  she  really  suffers  for  it,  for  she  is  so  sorry  and  bit- 
terly repents  before  Grod  her  sinfulness. 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  clanship  here,  and  almost  al- 
ways an  enmity  existing  between  the  different  tribes, 
•which  constantly  vents  itself  in  spiteful  words,  and 
petty,  malicious  acts.  Harriett  belongs  to  a  different 
tribe  to  the  most  of  the  girls,  and  they  are  continually 
teasing  her.  Harriett  seldom  shows  any  temper  to  her 
teachers.  With  her  is  exemplified  the  truth  of  those 
words  of  Scripture,  ''  A  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath." 
Whatever  storm  she  may  be  in — and  she  is  a  perfect 
tornado — if  I  go  fo  her,  lay  my  hand  on  her  arm,  and 


268  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

quietly  utter  her  name,  she  is  still  in  a  moment.  Were 
I  to  speak  loud  and  cross  to  her,  it  would  only  make  her 
more  angry  still.  I  have  never  known  her  to  disobey 
me  in  the  least.  She  is  exceedingly  affectionate ;  and, 
though  so  passionate,  she  would  not  really  do  an  unkind 
thing,  or  hurt  any  one,  if  she  could  help  it.  She  is  en- 
gaged to  one  of  our  Christian  young  men,  named  Seton, 
from  Hoffman  Station.  You  see  our  girls  are  happier  in 
that  respect,  than  any  of  the  others  in  this  country. 
They  are  not  sold  for  wives  to  any  man  who  wants  them  ; 
but  they  can  choose  their  own  husbands.  These  hus- 
bands are  Christians,  who  have  no  other  wives.  So  you 
see  it  is  very  important  that  our  girls  should  be  well 
taught  the  truth  of  Grod's  word,  so  that  they  may  assist 
their  husbands.  Now,  I  want  to  tell  you  something 
that  happened  in  school.  On  going  into  the  school-room, 
after  the  bell  had  rung,  all  the  girls  were  in  their 
places,  but  Harriett  was  standing  up  vociferating  and 
gesticulating  wildly  and  fiercely,  whilst  many  of  the 
others  were  laughing,  sneeringly  or  mockingly,  at  her. 
Of  course,  on  my  appearance  the  tumult  subsided  ;  but 
during  the  opening  exercises  of  the  school,  she  would 
constantly  turn  round  from  one  to  another  of  the  girls, 
muttering  between  her  teeth,  and  with  the  expression  of 
the  fiercest  rage.  I  took  no  notice  till  after  the  first 
class  had  finished  their  Bible  lesson,  then,  when  the 
others  retired,  I  bade  Harriett  remain,  as  I  wished  to 
speak  with  her,  and  the  following  conversation  took 
place  :  ''  Harriett,  my  child,  what  is  the  matter  ?"  ''  No- 
thing, ma'am."  "  Oh,  yes  !  there  is  something  the  mat- 
ter—are you  sick?"     ^^No,  ma'am."      ^' But  I  think 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  269 

you  are."  Harriettj  looking  up  with  surprise,  ''  Oh,  no, 
ma'am,  indeed  I  am  not !"  "  But  I  know  you  are,  my 
child  ;  you  have  the  worst  kind  of  sickness,  a  disease  in 
your  heart — sin,  you  know,  is  the  disease  of  the  soul — 
have  you  not  that  to-day,  Harriett  ?"  She  hung  her 
head,  but  made  no  reply.  Our  conversation  was  all  in 
a  low  voice,  so  no  one  else  heard  us.  ''  Can  you  not  tell 
me  what  is  the  matter  ?"  No  reply.  ''  My  child,  I  know 
not  who  was  in  fault  in  the  commencement  of  this  trou- 
ble ;  I  only  know  that  whoever  else  has  done  wrong, 
Harriett  has.  She  professes  to  be  a  follower  of  the  meek 
and  lowly  Jesus.  Has  she  acted  like  such  ?  I  cannot 
look  into  your  heart,  and  see  what  is  the  matter;  but 
there  is  One  that  is  looking  at  it  this  moment.  G-o  to 
Him,  Harriett,  ^'  go  and  tell  Jesus."  He,  you  know,  is  the 
great  physician.  If  you  are  wounded  by  the  unkindness 
of  others,  tell  Him  :  He  can  comfort  you,  and  can  give 
you  the  heart  to  bless,  and  not  to  curse,  your  enemies 
If  your  sickness  is  entirely  the  sin  of  your  own  heart, 
you  know  that  His  blood  is  the  fountain  open  for  sins 
and  uncleanness.  Gro  to  Him  at  once.  Ask  Him  to 
wash  you  in  that  fountain  ;  whatever  it  is,  whatever 
troubles,  you  just  tell  Him  at  once  ;  the  very  telling 
Him  will  relieve  you.  You  need  not  move  from  where 
you  stand,  only  lift  your  heart  to  Him.  He  is  looking 
with  a  loving,  pitying  eye  upon  you  now.  (A  pause  for  a 
moment.)  And  now,  Harriett,  I  tell  you  what  I  want  you 
to  do  for  me.  Mrs.  Grillet  is  not  well,  to-day  ;  she  can- 
not come  in  school.  I  want  you  to  take  her  place  for 
me,  and  teach  the  little  ones."  She  looked  up,  with  a 
start  of  astonishment.     On  account  of  her  hasty  temper, 


270  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

I  had  been  afraid  ever  to  trust  her  before  to  do  this.  I 
put  into  her  hand  Mrs.  G-illet's  rod,  which  she  occa- 
sionally used,  saying:  "  Take  this,  Harriett ;  you  must 
use  it,  if  you  are  obliged  to,  but  remember  those  chil- 
dren are  Jesus  Christ's  little  ones.  You  are  teaching 
them  for  Him."  She  took  Mrs.  G-illet's  place,  and  I 
watched  her  closely,  without  her  perceiving  it.  She  was 
as  gentle,  and  as  loving,  and  as  kind,  as  it  was  possible 
to  be.  After  school  was  over,  I  had  occasion  to  go  up 
into  the  girls'  dormitory.  On  passing  Harriett's  door,  I 
saw  it  was  closed  to.  I  gently  pushed  it  open,  as  we  al- 
ways want  there  to  be  a  free  current  of  air.  Harriett 
was  kneeling  at  her  chest,  her  hands  clasped,  4ier  face 
upturned,  the  tears  streaming  down,  and  her  whole  soul 
evidently  absorbed  in  earnest-  prayer.  She  did  not  see 
me,  and  I  quickly  closed  the  door  and  retired.  Does  not 
God  give  us  many  joys,  many  encouragements  in  our 
labor  ? 

•Penalty. — I  have  adopted  a  mode  of  punishment, 
which  answers  very  well.  Whipping  I  cannot  bear  ;  yet 
those  of  us,  who  would  be  wiser  than  Solomon,  too  often 
find  out  our  mistake — for  it  is  as  true  now  as  it  was  in 
his  day,  that  ''  foolishness  is  bound  up  in  the  heart  of  a 
child,"  and  some  means  must  be  taken  to  get  rid  of  it. 
So,  when  any  of  our  little  ones  have  quarrelled,  and 
come  to  blows,  whether  it  be  in  or  out  of  school,  I  tie 
the  one  hand  of  each  of  the  contending  parties  together, 
and  they  are  obliged  to  go  about  a  longer  or  a  shorter 
time  thus  linked  together,  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
offence.  I  find  this  a  far  more  effectual  punishment 
than  whipping. 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  271 

Justice. — A  short  time  ago,  one  Sunday  morning,  the 
Bishop  witnessed  quite  a  ludicrous  scene.  It  seems  that, 
for  a  week  or  so,  the  boys  had  constantly  missed  little 
articles,  more  particularly  food,  from  their  school-house, 
but  could  not  detect  the  thief.  This  morning  they  were 
all  in  the  girls'  school-house,  at  prayers,  when  one  of  the 
elder  boys,  not  feeling  very  well,  retired  to  his  own 
school-house.  There  he  caught  a  native  boy,  from  town, 
in  the  very  act  of  running  off  with  a  quantity  of  their 
rice  and  plantains,  that  were  to  serve  for  that  day's  din- 
ner. He  had  them  all  wrapped  up  in  a  cloth.  The 
schoolboy  seized  him,  and  held  him  fast  till  the  rest  of 
the  boys  returned,  after  prayers,  when  they  inflicted  a 
most  singular  punishment  upon  him.  The  Bishop,  after 
breakfast,  was  walking  in  the  garden,  plucking  some 
flowers,  when,  on  passing  the  boys'  school-house,  he 
heard  them  singing  a  tune  he  did  not  remember  to  have 
heard  before.  He  entered,  and  went  up  into  the  dormi- 
tory, where  a  singular  sight  presented  itself.  A  native 
boy,  about  fourteen  or  fifteen,  was  hanging  by  his  feet 
and  hands,  tied  to  a  beam  in  the  ceiling,  while  placed 
on  his  stomach  was  a  large  cloth,  tied  up,  filled  with  the 
things  he  had  stolen — rice,  plantains,  &o.  The  boys 
were  all  sitting  round,  singing  the  most  grave  and  sol- 
emn hymns,  with  faces  that  looked  as  if  they  were  at  a 
funeral.  Upon  learning  w^hat  was  the  matter,  and  that 
the  culprit  had  been  tied  up  in  that  painful  position  for 
over  two  hours,  the  Bishop  thought  the  demands  of  jus- 
tice were  fully  satisfied ;  he,  therefore,  bid  the  boys  un- 
tie him,  and  let  him  go.  At  the  same  time  he  did  not 
reprimand  them  for  executing  this  specimen  of  Lynch 


272  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

law,  as  the  boy  was  known  to  be  a  most  inveterate  thief, 
and  they  had  often  sulFered  from  his  depredations,  and  it 
was  but  right  that  he  should  pay  the  penalty  of  his  guilt. 
They  had  adopted  this  mode  of  procedure  in  preference 
to  whipping  him,  which  they  would  have  done  at  any 
other  time  ;  but  they  knew  that  on  Sunday  they  dare 
not  make  any  noise  on  the  mission  premises.  The  pun- 
ishment has  been  very  effectual ;  he  has  never  dared  to 
show  his  face  in  these  parts  since. 

Legends. — I  will  mention  here  one  or  two  legends  that 
I.  have  recently  heard.  I  wish  that  I  understood  the  lan- 
guage better,  so  that  I  could  hear  more  of  them.  One 
of  the  negro  legends  is  this  :  About  two  hundred  miles 
up  the  Cavalla  river,  there  is  a  dense  forest ;  the  trees 
and  underbrush  grow  very  thickly  everywhere  about  for 
miles,  except  in  one  spot,  where  there  is  a  space  of  about 
half  an  acre  in  circumference,  with  a  sort  of  pathway 
leading  to  the  river,  which  is  perfectly  bare  and  destitute 
of  either  trees  or  herbage,  and  nothing  will  ever  grow 
there.  It  presents  a  most  singular  appearance  among 
the  surrounding  luxuriant  verdure.  Well,  the  legend 
about  this  place  is,  that,  in  the  forests,  on  this  river, 
there  used  to  reside  an  immense  dragon,  that  would  rush 
out  and  devour  every  canoe,  with  its  contents,  that  at- 
tempted to  pass  down  the  river  ;  canoe  and  all  would  be 
swallowed  at  one  gulp.  For  many  years  the  people 
had  tried  every  means  to  destroy  him,  but  without  ef- 
fect. At  length  they  hit  upon  the  expedient  of  placing 
a  live  goat,  which,  by  its  bleating,  might  attract  the 
dragon's  attention,  in  a  canoe  full  of  red  hot  stones,  and 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  273 

send  it  floating  down  the  river.  As  soon  as  the  dragon 
heard  the  bleating  of  the  goat,  he  rushed  out,  and  swal- 
lowed the  goat,  canoe,  and  all.  But  though  he  could  di- 
gest both  canoe  and  goat,  the  red  hot  stones  were  more 
than  he  bargained  for.  With  most  fearful  roars,  he 
crawled  up  the  bank  of  the  river,  into  the  forest,  and  at 
length  laid  down  and  died.  But  the  ground  wherever 
he  crawled  was  so  injured  by  the  intense  heat,  and  the 
poisonous  saliva  and  melting  grease  that  flowed  from  the 
animal,  that  nothing  has  ever  grown  there  since.  Such  is 
one  of  their  stories.  Another  is  this  :  In  the  vicinity  of 
the  Congo  and  Loango  rivers,  the  G-orilla  monkey 
grows  to  an  immense  size.  The  natives  are  more  afraid 
of  it  than  of  any  other  animal.  It  sometimes  grows  to 
the  height  of  seven  feet,  and  is  very  strong  and  ferocious. 
On  the  Loango  river  they  show  the  site  of  a  large  town, 
which  has  been  entirely  destroyed,  and  left  in  utter  ruin. 
Thev  2:ive  this  account  of  its  destruction  :  A  man  and 
his  wife  went  out  one  day,  from  this  town,  to  work  in 
their  field.  The  woman  had  a  little  infant,  which  she 
laid  down  to  sleep  in  one  corner  of  the  field.  Presently 
the  child  began  to  cry  ;  the  mother  looked  up,  to  go  to  it, 
when  she  saw  a  large  female  Gorilla  rush  out  from  the 
w^ood,  seize  the  child,  and  begin  to  pet  and  fondle  it. 
The  woman  screamed  to  her  husband,  who  immediately 
took  up  his  gun  and  fired  at  the  monkey.  The  poor  ani- 
mal dropped  dead,  and  the  child  was  saved,  uninjured. 
But  the  deed  must  have  been  witnessed,  and  summary 
vengeance  was  executed.  That  night,  when  the  inhab- 
itants were  all  asleep  in  their  huts,  they  were  alarmed 
by  most  unearthly  yells  and  screeches.     A  whole  army 

2^ 


274  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

of  G-orillas  had  beset  the  town.  They  were  all  armed 
with  immense  clubs.  They  pulled  down  every  house, 
and  killed  more  than  half  the  inhabitants.  The  rest  es- 
caped to  the  different  towns  around,  and  they  never 
have  had  the  courage  to  return  and  attempt  to  rebuild 
the  town.  They  all  believe  that  monkeys  can  talk 
as  well  as  men ;  but  we  do  not  understand  their  lan- 
guage. 

The  Mermaid. — One  of  our  missionaries  says  that  he 
has  seen  an  animal  up  the  river,  which  he  thinks  was 
probably  the  original  of  the.  ancient  mermaid.  It  is  an 
animal  of  the  seal  species,  covered  with  fur,  and  though 
not  resembling  a  woman,  yet  the  head  and  breast  are  very 
similar  to  those  of  a  monkey.  On  the  head  the  hair  is  a 
little  longer  than  elsewhere.  It  is  a  warm-blooded  ani- 
mal, amphibious,  and  comes  on  the  shore  to  suckle  its 
young.  Its  arms  and .  hands  are  merely  elongated  fins, 
but  with  these  it  holds  its  young.  It  often  utters  a  cry, 
like  a  woman  in  trouble.  It  is  very  difficult  to  get  a 
correct  view  of  it,  as  it  is  very  shy,  and  dives  out  of 
sight  at  the  approach  of  any  one. 

The  Witch. — You  recollect  my  mentioning  a  man 
in  town  very  ill  with  measles,  and  that  they  had  given 
two  of  his  wives  sassa-wood.  He  still  continues  very 
ill.  He  is  a  relation  of  one  of  the  villagers,  Robinson  ; 
and  it  is  a  great  compliment  they  pay  to  Christianity, 
that  they  will  always  trust  a  relation,  when  they  are  ill, 
if  he  is  a  consistent  Christian,  when  they  are  afraid  of 
all   the   others.     So,    Kraio   still   continuing   ill,   they 


EYERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  275 

brought  him  up  to  Robinson's  house  last  Saturday.  They 
ail  say  he  is  witched,  and  every  one  is  on  the  look-out 
for  the  witch  or  witches.  The  power  of  imagination  is 
very  strong.  If  a  sick  person  thinks  himself  to  be 
witched,  and  the  witch  is  supposed  to  be  caught,  the 
sick  man  will  very  frequently  get  well.  Since  Kraw  has 
been  there,  Robinson's  fence  has  been  broken  down  ev- 
ery night,  although  each  day  he  has  mended  it  afresh. 
This  has  confirmed  their  idea,  that  some  species  of 
witchcraft  is  being  practised  against  him.  Last  night 
we  heard  a  gun  fire  close  beside  us.  Upon  inquiring 
the  cause,  we  found  that  Williams,  one  of  Robinson's 
neighbors,  had  gone  out  into  his  garden,  and  he  saw  a 
man  pulling  down  Robinson's  fence,  and  then  dancing 
and  cutting  up  all  sorts  of  antics  (part  of  their  supposed 
incantations).  Whether  they  have  any  such  power  as 
they  claim,  we  cannot  decide  ;  but  we  do  know  that  Sa- 
tan reigns  triumphant.  They  think  they  possess  the 
power>  The  desire  is  in  the  heart ;  murder  is  in  the 
thought  and  wish.  Williams,  when  he  saw  this  man, 
crept  back,  unperceived,  to  his  house,  seized  his  gun, 
came  out  again  quickly,  and  shot  at  him.  His  gun  mis- 
sing aim,  the  witch-man,  of  course,  fled.  But  the  sound 
of  the  gun  had  aroused  all  in  the  neighborhood,  and  vil- 
lagers and  schoolboys  w^ere  soon  in  pursuit.  They  could 
not  overtake  him,  however.  Immediately  a  town  meet- 
ing was  summoned,  at  which  all  adults,  male  and  fe- 
male, are  bound  to  appear  (you  see  they  have  some 
laws),  that  the  Sedibo  may  see  that  all  persons  belong- 
ing to  their  town  are  present.  One  man  and  one  woman 
were  absent — a  most  suspicious  thing,  none  daring  to  be 


276  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

out  at  night,  for  fear  of  being  accused.  A  meeting  was 
summoned  again  very  early  in  the  morning.  The  same 
man  was  absent,  but  the  woman  appeared.  The  wife 
of  the  missing  man  was  questioned,  and  it  was  found 
that  he  had  gone  out  a  short  time  before  the  gun  was 
fired,  and  had  not  been  seen  since.  The  woman  who 
was  absent  last  evening  was  then  summoned,  and  she 
stated  that  the  man  (she  is  not  his  wife)  came  to  her  hut 
(which  is  at  the  end  of  the  town)  last  evening,  and  he 
asked  her  to  come  to  him  in  a  little  time,  outside  the 
town,  and  bring  him  his  cloth,  which  he  left  in  her  care. 
It  is  one  of  the  necessary  parts  of  their  witchery  that 
their  cloths  shall  be  left  in  the  house,  and  their  incanta- 
tions must  be  performed  by  them  in  a  state  of  perfect 
nudity.  When  the  woman  heard  the  gun  fire,  she  ran 
to  meet  him  with  his  cloth ;  he  snatched  it  from  her,  and 
ran  away.  Such  is  her  story.  They  will  keep  her  se- 
curely, as  an  accomplice,  till  the  man  is  caught,  when 
both  will  suffer  the  gidu  ordeal.  Now  this  is  evidently 
a  case  of  malice  ;  there  is  no  doubt  of  the  wish  and  de- 
sire to  kill,  whether  there  is  the  power  or  not.  This 
morning,  when  I  went  into  the  school-room,  I  found  my 
little  girl  Josephine  crying  bitterly  (a  very  unusual 
thing  ;  you  rarely  see  one  of  the  children  cry).  I  asked 
her  the  reason,  but  could  obtain  no  reply  ;  she  only  con- 
tinued weeping.  After  the  opening  exercises,  she  came 
to  me,  and*  said  :  '^  Please  let  me  go  to  town  a  few  min- 
utes." '^  Why,  Josephine,  my  child,  you  know  it  is 
against  the  rules ;  and  for  you  to  ask  it,  I  am  surprised. 
But  what  is  it  for  ?"  There  was  a  fresh  burst  of  tears. 
^'  Oh  I  please,  please  let  me  go."     I  immediately  went 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  277 

to  Mrs.  Gillet,  to  see  if  she  could  tell  me  the  reason  of 
Josephine's  request.  She  told  me  that  ''  the  witch-man 
was  Josephine's  father,  and  she  w^as  in  such  anxiety  about 
him,  she  wanted  to  hear  if  he  had  been  caught."  Of 
course,  I  gave  instant  permission.  She  returned  in  about 
half  an  hour.  He  had  not  been  found.  Josephine  has 
no  mother,  and  her  father  she  is  very  fond  of.  He  is  a 
fine,  intelligent  man,  and  at  one  time  the  Bishop  sup- 
posed him  to  be  almost  a  Christian  ;  but,  alas  !  alas  !  for 
the  hardness  of  the  human  heart.  After  school  was  over, 
I  was  sitting  alone  in  my  room  ;  I  heard  a  gentle  tap  at 
the  door,  and  Josephine  came  in.  ^'  May  I  stay  here  a 
little  while  ?"  "  Yes."  She  took  a  little  bench  and 
placed  it  at  my  feet,  with  a  book  in  her  hand  ;  but  I 
soon  saw  she  was  not  reading  ;  the  tears  were  falling 
fast  upon  its  pages.  I  had  been  reading  ;  I  continued  to 
hold  my  book  in  my  hand,  thinking  what  I  should  say 
to  comfort  her.  You  cannot  think  how  we  learn  to  love 
— how  our  hearts  are  drawn  out  towards — these  ''  little 
ones"  of  Christ's  flock,  who  are  gathered  in  from  ^'the 
highways  and  hedges."  I  laid  my  hand  on  her  head. 
"  Josephine,  my  child,  I,  too,  have  lately  lost  a  father." 
She  looked  up  with  streaming  eyes.  "  Oh,  yes  !  but  he 
die  believing  G-od's  Word  ;  he  die  praying  to  Jesus  ; 
Grod  take  his  soul,  and,  no  matter  how  bad  he  been,  he 
Saviour  wash  him  in  His  blood — take  him  heaven.  But 
my  father,  he  know  G-od's  things,  but  he  no  mind  them. 
He  know  them  in  his  head,  but  he  no  mind  them  in  his 
heart ;  he  no  do  them.  He  take  sassa  ;  he  die  ;  he  no  go 
to  heaven."  Then,  after  a  little  pause,  she  begged  me 
to  pray  with  her,  that  her  father  might  not  die  by  the 


278  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

sassa-wood,  but  that  he  might  be  spared  a  while  longer, 
that  he  might  hear  Grod's  things  more,  and  have  time  to 
repent.  Poor  child  I  she  left  me  feeling  a  little  more 
comforted. 

Josephine's  father  has  escaped  to  another  town.  When 
once  there,  he  is  as  in  a  city  of  refuge.  He  cannot 
be  taken  thence  ;  but  if  found  outside  it,  he  will  be 
caught  immediately,  even  though  it  may  be  years  after 
the  supposed  offence.^  Most  always,  however,  rather 
than  endure  such  an  imputation,  they  will  probably 
take  the  poison — in  presence  of  a  few  witnesses — and  then 
they  may  return  to  the  town.  There  is  another  punish- 
ment here  for  lesser  crimes.  They  cause  the  culprit  to 
dip  his  or  her  hand  in  a  pot  of  boiling  palm-oil.  You 
will  see  quite  a  large  number  of  the  people  with  one 
hand  disfigured  by  this ;  for  after  it  gets  well,  it  leaves 
large  white  scars.  The  women  aje  generally  pretty  well 
treated,  the  men  being  afraid  of  them,  as  they  believe 
that  women  are  more  powerful  witches  than  men.  Oc- 
casionally, at  night,  however,  you  will  hear  fearful 
shrieks  and  the  sound  of  blows  ;  it  is  a  man  beating  his 
wife  ;  but  this  is  rare.  To-day  one  of  the  girls  brought 
me  a  very  large  handsome  beetle.  It  was  aiive.  She 
had  found  it  in  the  woods,  and  had  stuck  it  in  her  hair, 
to  bring  it  home  to  me,  its  claws  sticking  fast  in  her 
wool. 

Church. — To-day  (Sunday)  we  saw  the  effects  of  the 
law  that  has  been  passed  ;  the  church  was  full  to  over- 

*  He  afterward  returned  and  took  the  sassa  himself,  but  escaped  a 
fatal  result. 


EVERY-DAY   LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  279 

flowing.  It  was  a  very  orderly,  attentive  congregation. 
In  the  afternoon  there  were  over  four  hundred  little 
town  children  in  Sunday-school.  Our  children  had  to 
turn  teachers. 

When  we  come  out  of  church,  in  the  mornings,  I  al- 
ways go  into  the  girls'  school-house,  and  distribute  to 
them  their  Sunday-school  lesson  books,  and  books  to  read, 
and  often  stop  a  few  minutes  and  talk  to  them.  To- 
day I  was  speaking  to  them  of  the  delight  of  seeing  such 
a  full  church,  and  what  pleasure  it  must  have  given  to 
those  among  them  who  are  Christians,  to  see  their 
friends  coming  to  hear  about  G-od's  things.  While  I 
was  speaking  to  them,  one  of  the  girls  who  stood  beside 
me  w^hispered :  '^  May  we  sing?"  ''Oh,  yes,"  I  said. 
"  What  shall  we  sing  ?"  "  Praise  God,  from  whom  all 
blessings  flow."  And,  think  you,  was  not  that  one  lit- 
tle verse  of  praise  and  thanksgiving,  which  sounded  as 
though  it  came  from  overflowing  hearts,  issuing  forth 
from  sometime  heathen  lips,  as  welcome  incense  to  the 
ear  of  the  Almighty,  as  the  splendid  harmony  that  peals 
forth  from  the  fine-toned  organ  and  well-trained  choirs  of 
our  great  cities  ?  I  think  so.  Kraw  is  a  great  deal  bet- 
ter. Certainly,  imagination  has  had  a  great  deal  to  do 
in  his  case. 

Sickness. — I  have  had  constant  fever  for  weeks  ;  a  sort 
of  remittent,  no  chills  but  burning  fever  and  headache. 
I  have  not  the  slightest  appetite,  and  I  am  growing  daily 
more  weak.  Yet  I  do  not  give  up.  I  still  keep  about 
my  work.  Mrs.  Payne  fears  I  shall  become  utterly 
prostrated,  and  is  telling  me  if  I  do  not  soon  get  better 


280  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

T  must  take  a  short  voyage  on  the  coast.  I  hope  not ;  I 
cannot  endure  the  thought  of  leaving  my  work  for  a  day. 
We  are  begmning  to  think  about  the  examination  again. 

To-day  Laura  brought  me  her  Bible  and  told  me  she 
had  selected  the  chapter  she  wished  to  learn.  It  was 
Ezekiel's  vision  of  the  dry  bones.  Upon  questioning 
her,  to  see  whether  she  understood  it,  she  said  that  it 
seemed  to  her  as  if  her  people  are  the  dry  bones,  and  this 
Sunday  law  is  the  prophet  telling  them  to  stand  up,  and 
now  they  only  need  the  Spirit  to  blow  on  them  that  they 
may  live.  I  was  rather  surprised  at  this  in  Laura;  al- 
though she  is  a  member  of  the  church,  and,  I  think, 
tries  sincerely  to  do  right,  yet  she  is  very  thoughtless, 
and  loves  laughter  and  frolic  far  more  than  her  book. 
But  when  she  applies  she  can  do  very  nicely.  She  is 
very  dark,  really  black,  but  with  a  bright,  happy  expres- 
sion ;  always  cheerful  and  smiling.  Such  is  Laura 
G-ertrude  Benjamin.  I  give  these  little  notices  of  the 
different  girls,  as,  perhaps,  they  may  be  interesting  to 
those  (if  such  should  see  them)  who  take  an  individual 
interest  in  them  ;  our  children  being  named  and  sup- 
ported by  special  individuals  or  societies. 

The  doctor  is  down  again.  All  our  children  are  weJi 
now,  but  many  of  the  people  around  are  very  ill.  Mrs. 
Payne  sent  for  him  on  my  account,  but  I  hope  I  shall 
not  need  his  care  long.  It  is  so  pleasant  in  our  suffer- 
ings to  feel  that  all  are  meted  out  by  a  Father's  hand, 
and  none  are  sent  but  what  are  absolutely  necessary. 

When  Satan  tempts  my  tortured  niind, 

And  trials  thicken  fast, 
I  love  to  think  upon  that  night, 

On  earth  mj  Saviour's  last. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  2S1 

Oh  !  what  a  scene  of  gloom  was  that 

Which  burst  upon  his  soul ; 
Oh  !  what  a  tide  of  sorrows  then, 

Did  o'er  his  bosom  roll.  ^ 

In  that  dread  cup  of  wrath  he  drank, 

Was  mingled  every  woe  ; 
And  'twas  his  Father's  hand  that  struck 

The  most  afflicting  blow. 

But  owning  still  the  hand  divine 

Which  had  infused  the  cup, 
He  humbly  bowed  his  head  and  said 

"  Shall  I  not  drink  it  up  ?" 

'Twas  love  divine  inspired  his  heart, 

And  made  him  well  content ; 
Kor  death,  nor  hell  could  shake  that  love, 
Or  cause  it  to  relent. 

Oh !  may  that  love  inspire  me  too, 

'Tis  all  I  ask  below  ; 
Let  it  with  purer  fervor  still 

Daily  to  Jesus  glow. 

Then  painful  as  may  be  my  lot, 

My  happiness  shall  be 
To  drink  my  cup,  to  take  my  cross, 

"  My  Lord,  and  follow  thee." 


032  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 


^p|lu   |0ttrlnnl| 


MONROVIA. 


"Weeks  have  passed  since  I  have  written  in  my  jour- 
nal, and  again  I  have  to  render  great  thanks  to  my 
Heavenly  Father  for  restoring  me  to  a  certain  measure 
of  health  and  strength.  Mrs.  Payne's  threat  of  sending 
me  for  a  voyage  was  fulfilled  rather  quicker  than  either 
she  or  I  anticipated.  After  the  slow  fever  of  which  I 
was  complaining  has  lasted  for  some  time,  the  patient  will 
suddenly  run  completely  down.  I  was  really  very  ill  for 
weeks,  but  would  not  give  up,  though  using  every  remedy, 
as  I  expected  when  I  came  here,  to  labor  on  in  weariness, 
pain,  and  weakness.  But  without  my  knowledge  Mrs". 
Payne  had  sent  for  the  Doctor.  I  was  still  up  when  he 
came,  but  in  a  few  hours  was  taken  much  worse,  and  he 
and  Mrs.  Payne  thought  that  nothing  but  entire  rest  and 
utter  cessation  from  care  and  labor  would  do  me  any  good, 
and  also,  that  it  was  necessary  that,  for  some  time^I  should 
be  under  the  doctor's  constant  care.  So  they  determin- 
ed that  I  should  go  up  to  the  Asylum  for  a  time.  The 
doctor  sent  for  bearers,  hammock,  &c.,  and  waited 
over  a  day  that  he  might  go  with  me  to  take  care  of  me. 
I  was  really  very  ill.  For  a  week  after  reaching  the 
Cape,  I  was  very  low — just  a  low,  constant  fever  that 
they  could  not  break.  I  was  perfectly  helpless,  both  the 
doctors  attending  me.     At  length  it  was  decided  that 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA  283 

I  must  go  on  a  short  voyage,  it  was  the  only  thing  for 
me.  I  must  go  on  the  very  first  vessel  that  came  in, 
wherever  she  was  going.  Providentially,  as  it  seemed,  a 
little  vessel  came  in  that  night ;  she  was  going  in  two 
days  to  Monrovia. 

It  was  instantly  determined  that  I  must  go  in  her, 
particularly  as  Dr.  McGill,  of  Monrovia,  is  considered  ono 
of  the  best  physicians  in  Liberia.  Mrs.  Carrol,  my 
former  nurse,  and  who  has  been  nursing  me  now,  was 
to  go  with  me  to  take  care  of  me.  I  begged  and  im- 
plored at  first  not  to  be  sent  away,  but  at  length  I  felt 
that  it  was  my  duty  to  use  every  measure  for  my  res- 
toration ;  that  I  was  utterly  useless  at  present  with 
no  prospect  of  gaining.  The  doctors  also  told  me  that 
in  no  case  would  they  let  me  attempt  to  resume  my 
duties  till  after  the  holidays,  which  will  commence  in 
about  three  weeks.  So,  at  length,  I  agreed  to  go.  They 
sent,  in  great  haste,  to  Mrs.  Payne  for  some  clothes,  and 
the  next  day  we  were  on  board.  All  vessels  being 
obliged  to  anchor  some  distance  from  the  shore,  and  not 
being  well  enough  to  sit  up  in  the  boat,  I  was  carried 
in  my  hammock  into  the  boat,  and  in  that  lifted  on 
board  and  carried  to  my  berth.  The  doctor  and  Miss 
Ball  saw  me  there  and  then  left  me. 

So  now  fancy  me,  the  only  white  person  on  board  this 
little  vessel,  captain  and  sailors  all  colored.  Mr.  Ash  ton, 
the  teacher  of  one  of  our  stations,  a  colored  gentleman, 
came  up  also  with  us  for  the  benefit  of  his  health.  My 
poor  nurse  was  so  dreadfully  sea-sick  that  she  was  per- 
fectly helpless.  But  there  was  a  bright,  sharp  little  native 
boy  on  board,   who,  though  he  only  understood  a  few 


284  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

words  of  English,  waited  upon  me  very  well.  I  was 
carried  up  and  down  and  laid  upon  the  deck,  and  soon 
began  to  feel  the  reviving  effects  of  the  sea  air.  Grod  is 
very  good  to  us  ;  the  people  are  so  kind.  On  the  third 
day  out  my  fever  began  to  break.  I  was  too  ill  to  be 
the  least  sea-sick.  When  we  arrived  here  I  was  still 
very  weak.  We  came  directly  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Gribson's 
house  ;  he  is  now  settled  quite  comfortably  here.  They 
received  us  very  kindly  for  two  or  three  days  after  our 
arrival.  I  could  not  sit  up,  but  the  doctor  gave  me 
hopes  of  being  out  in  a  few  days.  Actee,  one  of  the 
ghls  from  the  Asylum  came  with  us,  thinking  the  change 
might  benefit  her.  She  is  suffering  from  a  disease  not 
unfrequent  here,  called  the  sleepy  disease.  We  much 
fear  for  poor  Actee.  I  was  recently  very  forcibly  struck 
with  the  beauty  of  that  passage,  "  He  shall  sit  as  a  puri- 
fier and  refiner  of  silver."  I  was  reading  that  the  ancient 
alchemist,  when  he  wished  to  obtain  a  metal  of  perfect 
purity,  would  place  it  in  his  crucible  over  an  intensely  hot 
fire  to  purge  away  the  dross,  and  according  to  the 
amount  of  dross,  or  worthless  matter,  and  the  purity  he 
required  in  the  metal,  so  it  must  be  subjected  again  and 
again  to  different  degrees  of  heat,  of  shorter  and  longer 
duration ;  he,  the  refiner,  sitting  and  constantly  watch- 
ing it,  bending  over  and  looking  into  it,  till  the  instant 
when  he  could  see  his  own  image  clearly  reflected 
therein.  Then  it  would  be  directly  removed  from  the 
purifying  heats,  as  needing  them  no  more.  And  is  it 
not  thus  that  Jesus,  the  G-reat  Refiner,  does  with  his 
people  ?  He  says  :  '^  I  will  purge  away  all  thy  dross 
and   take   away  all  thy  tin."     While  we    are    here    on 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  285 

earth  he  finds  it  necessary  to  place  us  often  in  the  fur- 
nace of  affliction,  but  he  himself  regulates  the  exact 
proportion  of  the  heat,  and  he  bends  constantly  over  us 
watching  to  see  that  we  more  and  more  nearly  reflect  his 
image.  May  all  his  professed  followers  grow  more  and 
more  into  his  likeness  ! 

Visitors. — Mrs.  Benson,  the  wife  of  the  President,  and 
some  of  the  other  ladies  have  been  to  see  me.  I  do  not 
know  how  long  I  shall  be  detained  here,  the  arrival  of 
vessels  is  so  uncertain.  My  present  business  is  to  seek  to 
regain  my  health.  I  may,  perhaps,  have  to  stay  till  the 
Stevens  arrives  ;  she  is  expected  in  three  or  four  weeks* 
She  brings  a  fresh  reinforcement  for  our  mission. 

Sunday-School  Celebration.  —  About  a  week  after 
my  arrival  at  Monrovia,  the  Sunday-schools  had  a  grand 
gala-day.  I  wrote  a  full  account  of  it  to  the  Sunday- 
school  I  love  ;  I  will,  therefore,  just  insert  the  letter. 

Monrovia,  December  8,  1858. 
My  dear  Children  : 

I  will  tell  you  soiTiething  very  pleasant — something 
that  has  made  my  heart  glad — and  I  wish  much  that  I 
could  impart  some  of  my  own  glad  feelings  to  many  of 
the  warm  hearts  and  true  friends  of  Africa,  who  live  in 
America.  I  can  but  very  poorly  express  what  I  wish, 
but  still  I  will  try  and  tell  you  something  about  the 
pleasant  scene  I  have  witnessed.  I  arrived  in  Monrovia 
in  time  +o  be  present  at  the   Sunday-school  celebration, 


286  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

which  after  this,  I  hope,  will  be  held  as  an  anniversary. 
Children,  I  have  been  at  many  a  Sunday-school  anni- 
versary at  home,  and  I  have  enjoyed  it  as  much  as  any 
child  of  you  all — for  I  think  there  is  no  more  pleasant 
sight  on  G-od's  beautiful  earth  than  children's  happy, 
smiling  faces — but  I  never  felt  at  one  of  our  anniversa- 
ries as  I  did  at  this.  It  was  not  calm  happiness  only, 
but  a  deep,  holy  joy,  which  every  Christian  who  looked 
upon  that  scene  must  have  experienced.  The  feeling 
that  the  time  was  fast  hastening  on  when  the  whole 
earth  shall  be  the  Lord's,  and  when 

"  The  King  who  reigns  on  Zion's  hill. 
Shall  all  the  world  command." 

The  school  belonging  to  the  Methodist  church  had 
held  anniversaries  before,  but  this  year  all  the  Sunday- 
schools  were  to  unite  together  to  form  one  band  ;  and,  as 
there  was  no  church  large  enough  to  hold  them  all,  they 
were  to  meet  in  the  government  square,  a  large  square 
just  opposite  the  President's  house.  It  was  a  bright, 
lovely  day  ;  the  sun  shining  gloriously.  It  had,  at  first, 
been  appointed  for  a  previous  day,  but  that  being  wet, 
it  was  deferred  till  Monday.  The  children  had  been 
very  much  disappointed ;  but  when  I  witnessed  the 
bright  sun  on  Monday,  and  knew  how  much  everything 
had  been  refreshed  by  the  clouds  and  showers  we  had 
received,  I  could  not  but  think  how  often  the  ''  Sun  of 
righteousness"  appears  more  glorious  and  beautiful  to 
the  Christian,  when  he  has  just  passed  through  the  cloud 
or  the  storm ;  and  I  could  not  but  pray  that  the  dark, 
thick  cloud,  which  had  so  long  enveloped  this  country, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA,  287 

might  soon  be  dispersed  by  the  rising  of  that  ^'sun" 
whose  beams  are  just  beginning  to  gild  its  horizon.  But 
I  must  go  on  with  my  story.  Near  the  centie  of  the 
square  are  several  large,  noble  trees,  that  form  a  delight- 
ful shade  ;  in  the  centre  of  these,  a  little  open  space  was 
left  for  planting  the  banners  ;  and,  around  that,  a  number 
of  mats  were  laid,  in  circles,  for  the  children  to  sit  on — 
outside  these,  again,  seats  were  placed  for  visitors,  with 
at  one  end  a  raised  platform  for  the  speakers.  "When  the 
church  bell  rung,  the  children  all  marched  from  their  dif- 
ferent schools  to  the  square,  and  were  ranged  in  the 
circles  according  to  their  numbers.  The  Presbyterian, 
being  the  smallest,  had  the  inner  circle,  with  a  banner 
bearing  the  words,  ''  He  shall  gather  them  in  His  arms." 
The  Episcopal  came  next  in  size  ;  they,  therefoie,  took 
the  next  circle.  The  motto  on  their  banner,  ''  One  Lord, 
one  faith,  one  baptism  ;  one  Grod  and  Father  of  all^ 
The  Baptist  came  next ;  their  motto,  ''  Suffer  little  chil- 
dren to  come  unto  me."  The  Methodist  took  the  largest 
circle  of  Christian  people;  their  motto,  ^'Feed  my 
lambs."  In  the  very  centre  of  the  circle  was  planted  a 
large  banner,  with  the  words,  ''  The  Simday-school 
Army."  Can  you  imagine  what  sweet,  pleasant  ideas 
this  suggested  ?  There  were  a  number  of  different  regi- 
ments, each  having  its  own  colors  and  its  own  officers  ; 
each  one  having  its  own  appointed  post  in  the  field,  there 
to  fight  manfully  ;  but  each  forming  a  part,  and  a  most 
essential  one,  of  the  '^  great  army;"  all  fighting  under 
the  one  great  banner,  and  being  marshalled  and  led  forth 
by  the  one  ''  Grreat  Captain  of  our  Salvation."  Was  it 
not  a  glorious  ''review  day  ?''     Here  was^  a  company  of 


288  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

over  four  hundred  children,  with  bright,  happy,  intelli- 
gent faces,  all  dressed  in  their  best,  looking  so  joyous  ; 
the  children  of  Christian  parents,  who,  from  infancy 
(most  of  them),  had  been  taught  to  know,  to  fear,  and 
to  love  their  God ;  to  read  His  Word  and  sing  His 
praises  ;  and  as  they  took  their  seats  beneath  the  shady 
trees,  you  could  not  but  feel  that  it  was  a  beautiful  pic- 
ture, and  that  the  eye  of  angels  might  look  with  delight 
on  such  a  scene,  and  say,  ''  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  But  stop !  What's  this  ?  What  makes  your 
heart  to  beat  so  violently,  your  temples  throb,  and  your 
whole  frame  to  be  convulsed  for  an  instant  with  deep 
emotion  ?  There  is  a  buzz,  a  stir,  among  the  children. 
Hush!  hush!  What  is  it  they  say  ?  ^' The  Congoes 
are  coming  !  the  Congoes  are  coming!"  Immediately  a 
long  file  of  men,  women  and  children,  headed  by  eight 
or  ten  Liberian  ladies,  enter  the  square  :  though  now  for 
some  time  under  Christian  care  and  treatment,  their 
hollow  eyes,  protruding  bones,  and  emaciated,  cadaverous 
appearance,  are  heart-sickening.  Is  there  aught  so  vile  as 
man  given  up  to  the  lust  of  gain  ?  Look  at  these  poor 
victims  of  the  love  of  gold.  Well  may  we  pray  to  be 
kept  from  covetousness.  I  thought  I  had  seen  specimens 
of  human  suffering  and  emaciation  before,  but  I  pray  my 
eyes  may  never  look  upon  a  sight  like  this  again,  and  if 
such  is  their  appearance  now,  w^hen  for  weeks  every- 
thing that  can  be,  has  been  done  for  their  relief,  what 
must  it  have  been  when  in  the  midst  of  their  sufferings  ? 
The  men  and  boys  were  all  dressed  in  check  shirts  and 
pantaloons,  with  straw  hats  ;  the  women  and  girls  in 
straw  bonnets  and  dresses  of  every  kind,  description  and 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  289 

style,  from  fringed  and  flounced  bareges  to  loose  gowns, 
second-hand  clothing  that  has  been  sent  out  to  them  by 
government  —  of  course,  there  is  not  the  slightest  ap- 
pearance of  a  fit  among  them.  Their  appearance  was 
very  grotesque,  but  the  consciousness  of  what  they  were, 
with  the  deep  pity  that  filled  every  breast,  instantly  sup- 
pressed the  mirth  that  their  appearance  might  other- 
wise have  excited.  They  had  also  each  been  furnished 
with  a  very  unnecessary  article,  in  a  pair  of  shoes  apiece. 
These,  also,  had  been  sent  out  to  them.  There  is  an 
old  and  very  ridiculous  proverb  "  Of  furnishing  a  side- 
pocket  to  a  toad,"  and,  really,  you  could  not  help  think- 
ing of  it  when  looking  at  them.  Those  who  did  wear 
their  shoes  could  hardly  walk  in  them,  but  the  most  of 
them  were  wiser,  carrying  their  shoes,  as  an  ornament, 
in  their  hands.  And  who  are  these  Congoes  ?  Ah,  dear 
children,  I  dare  say  you  all  can  tell.  You  must  all 
have  heard  of  that  company  of  poor  creatures  that  were 
torn  from  their  homes  and  huddled  together  on  the  deck 
of  the  ''  Putnam"  slave-ship— carried  across  the  Atlantic, 
away  from  friends,  and  country,  and  home,  to  be  sold 
into  life-long  slavery. 

Sickness,  disease  and  death,  were  busy  among  them. 
Still  the  man-stealer  felt  that  he  had  a  valuable  cargo. 
Think  of  it,  children,  calling  human  beings  a  cargo ! 
Yes,  he  had,  indeed,  a  valuable  cargo.  A  cargo  of 
immortal  souls  bound  for  eternity,  each  one  of  which 
was  worth  more  than  all  the  world.  But  it  was  not  in 
that  light  the  man-stealer  valued  them — no !  he  only 
looked  upon  them  as  so  many  working  machines. 

Pray  for  these  wicked  men,  children !    they  forget 

13 


290  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

what  God  says  in  the  twenty-first  chapter  of  Exodus  and 
the  sixteenth  verse,  "  He  that  stealeth  a  man  and  selleth 
him,  or  if  he  be  found  in  his  hand,  he  shall  surely  be 
put  to  death."  Pray  earnestly,  fervently,  for  them  ;  if 
ever  men  needed  the  prayers  of  Christians,  they  do,  that 
God  may  forgive  them ;  for  oh  !  their  sins  are  of  the 
blackest  dye.  But  Christ's  blood  can  wash  away  even 
their  sins.  "Well,  the  Putnam,  you  know,  was  seized  by 
one  of  our  men-of-war,  and  the  poor  Congoes,  those  who 
still  lived — many  had  died — were  released  and  placed  in 
safety  at  Savannah,  till  the  Niagara  was  made  ready  to 
bring  them  here.  This  was  a  far  more  noble  work  than 
the  Niagara's  late  glorious  achievement.  In  that  she  laid 
a  chain  by  which,  it  is  hoped,  man  may  communicate 
with  man,  and  which  will  greatly  increase  the  happiness  of 
the  world  at  large.  By  the  last  she  has  laid  one  line  of 
the  chain — the  other  end  we  hope  to  reach  to  heaven — by 
which  man  may  communicate  with  God,  and  by  which 
the  kingdom  and  dominion  of  the  "  Prince  of  Peace" 
may  be  greatly  enlarged,  for,  properly  instructed  here, 
these  poor  creatures  may,  at  some  future  time,  go  back 
to  carry  the  "  glad  tidings"  to  their  own  dark  land,  and 
thus  may  God  make  '^  the  wrath  of  man  to  praise  Him." 
We  have  these  poor  Congoes  here  now.  The  American 
government  will  provide  for  them  for  one  year,  and  many 
of  the  ladies  here  are  devoting  a  portion  of  their  time  to 
instruct  them.  At  the  end  of  that  year  what  is  to  be 
done  with  these  poor  Congoes  ?  The  people  here,  how- 
ever willing  they  might  be,  are  too  poor  to  maintain 
them.  They  are  now  among  Christians.  They  must 
be  taught  God's  Word.     Cannot  the  different  denomina- 


E VERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  291 

tions  of  our  several  missions  take  charge  of  these  poor, 
helpless  creatures,  far  away  from  home  and  friends  ?  It 
would  be  impossible  to  send  them  to  their  separate  homes, 
as  they  have  been  stolen  by  the  tribes  on  the  coast  to 
sell  to  the  white  man.  Their  homes  are,  many  of  them, 
far  inland  and  hundreds  of  miles  apart.  Therefore,  they 
must  find  a  new  home — ^and  shall  they  not  be  taught  of 
that  home  prepared  for  them  in  heaven  ?  The  Presby- 
terian mission  have  authorized  Mr.  Williams  to  take 
eight  of  them  into  their  mission  school.  Would  that 
some  at  home  would  undertake  to  support  eight  or  ten 
in  our  mission  schools.  Can  it  not  be  done  ?  It  was  our 
countrymen  tore  them  from  their  homes,  and,  therefore, 
our  country  owes  them  a  debt.  Perhaps  you  will  think 
how  much  I  beg.  Yes,  I  do  ;  but  I  want  to  tell  you  a 
fact  that  has  startled  me  very  much.  I  was  reading  a 
book,  lately  written  by  a  clergyman  in  New- Jersey, 
called  "  Primitive  Christianity  Reviewed,"  and  in  that 
I  saw  it  stated,  ''  that  the  poor  Hindoos  in  India,  gave 
more  each  year  for  the  support  of  the  temple  of  Kaloo^ 
one  of  their  idols,  than  is  given  by  all  the  Protestant 
churches  of  every  denomination  throughout  the  world, 
for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  Does  it  look  as  if  we  really 
believed  in  our  religion  and  obeyed  its  commands  as  they 
do  theirs  ?  What  luxury  do  we  deny  ourselves  to  send 
the  bread  of  life  to  those  perishing  with  hunger  ?  If 
the  rich  man  among  us  gives  his  fifty  or  a  hundred  dol- 
lars, he  thinks  he  has  done  a  great  deal,  forgetting  that 
the  first  Christians  gave  their  all,  and  he  thinks  it  is 
very  hard  to  be  called  upon  soon  again  to  give,  forgetting 
that  Grod's  mercies  are  renewed  to  us  each  day,  and  that 
we  should  offer  a  daily  oblation. 


292  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

But  oh  dear !  thinking  of  these  poor  Congoes,  I  have 
forgotten  all  about  the  anniversary  ;  where  was  I  ?  Let 
me  see,  they  v/ere  coming  in  with  their  teachers ;  those 
ladies  who  go  on  Sundays,  and  what  other  spare  time 
they  can  find,  to  teach  them.  They  carried  a  banner  with 
the  motto,  ''  All  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God." 
Then  followed  the  Kroomen  from  the  town  close  by  the 
landing;  their  motto,  '^  Ethiopia  shall  stretch  forth  her 
hands  unto  Grod."  Lastly  came  a  company  of  men,  wo- 
men, and  children  from  the  Vey  towns,  across  the  river, 
where  a  little  church  is  being  built,  their  motto,  "  Come 
over  and  help  us."  This  completed  the  different  regi- 
ments, or  companies  of  the  army  ;  was  it  not  a  noble  one, 
numbering  in  all,  eight  hundred  and  ninety-eight  ?  On 
the  platform  were  all  the  different  clergymen,  the  Presi- 
dent, Ex-President,  with  other  of  the  gentlemen  of  the 
colony.  There  were  likewise  present  the  captain,  sur- 
geon, and  lientenant  of  an  English  steam-frigate,  that 
had  just  anchored.  Then  commenced  the  exercises, 
opened  by  prayer,  then  an  excellent  address  by  the 
President,  speaking  in  strong  terms  of  the  duty  of  Afri- 
can Christians  to  the  heathen  around  them.  To  call  at- 
tention to  this  duty,  by  the  sight  of  these  poor  degraded 
ones,  was  the  very  object  had  in  view  in  getting  up  this 
celebration,  as  it  has  been  much  neglected  by  the  colo- 
nists. Then  the  children  sung  "  I  want  to  be  an  angel," 
then  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Henning,  the  Presbyterian 
minister.  Between  the  addresses  the  children  sang 
''  There  is  a  happy  land,"  "  Who  shall  sing  if  not  the 
children,"  and  "  The  Sunday  School  Army."  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Williams  gave  us  an  eloquent  address,  appealing 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  293 

most  powerfully  to  the  sympathies  of  all  present  in  be- 
half of  the  poor  Congoes.  He  then  spoke  to  the  children 
about  the  Station  that  they  as  a  body,  all  schools  com- 
bined, are  going  to  establish  among  the  heathen  up  the 
river,  and  he  asked  the  children,  ''  If  they  would  not  try 
and  begin  that  mission  on  the  first  of  January  1859  ?  " 
One  unanimous  Yes!  answered.  It  was  a  joyful  and  a 
joyous  shout,  and  appeared  to  come  from  the  heart,  I 
know  it  we7it  to  mine.  See,  children,  the  missionary 
spirit  is  at  work  here.  The  ''  glad  tidings "  is  being 
spread  farther  and  farther  ;  may  God  speed  it,  till  ''  all 
the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the  salvation  of  our  G-od.'' 
The  English  captain,  by  much  persuasion,  was  induced 
to  say  a  few  words  to  us ;  they  were  indeed  but  few, 
but  they  showed  how  much  the  scene  had  touched  his 
heart,  and  that  he  was  truly  a  Christian  man.  Rev.  Mr. 
Gibson  followed  with  a  very  pretty  little  address,  after 
which,  cakes  were  distributed  to  all.  Then  the  Baptist 
minister  made  a  short  speech  to  the  Congoes,  through  an 
interpreter.  He,  the  interpreter,  was  formerly  a  re-cap- 
tured slave,  but  he  has  been  living  here  many  years,  and 
is  now  a  Christian.  After  a  short  speech  to  the  Kroo 
and  the  Veys,  the  army  commenced  to  march  ;  it  was  all 
arranged  so  nicely,  there  was  no  confusion,  all  marched 
in  one  procession  through  the  town,  and  at  length,  as 
each  came  to  their  own  church,  the  divisions  filed  off  and 
were  dismissed.  So  ended  the  celebration,  but  not,  I 
hope,  its  effects.  It  was  gotten  up  with  earnest  prayer, 
that  it  might  bo  the  means  of  promoting  union  amongst 
the  different  denominations,  and  arousing  them  to  a  zeal- 
ous discharge  of  their  duty  to  the  heathen  amongst  them. 
We  were  glad  that  those  officers  of  Her  Majesty  were 


294  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

with  US,  it  was  their  first  landing  on  African  shores,  and 
it  could  not  fail  to  give  them  a  pleasant  impression,  and 
show  them  what  the  Missionary  of  the  cross  is  effecting. 
This  miion,  and  life,  seems  to  be  attributed  under  God, 
to  the  unwearied  efforts,  and  never  tiring  labors  of  this 
servant  of  Christ ;  his  name  is  never  mentioned  but  it 
calls  forth  loud  expressions  of  love  and  praise.  He  and 
Mr.  Wilson,  have  labored  here  for  years,  often  fainting 
but  not  discouraged,  though  their  work  seemed  fruitless, 
but  now,  God  grant  them  an  abundant  harvest,  and  that 
they  may  see  of  the  fruits  of  their  labors.  For  a  year 
Mr.  Williams  has  been  alone,  all  alone  in  his  work — may 
God  soon  send  him  faithful  fellow-laborers.  Mr.  Gibson 
has  recently  taken  up  his  abode  here,  and  they  labor 
heart  and  hand  amongst  the  poor  heathen.  Children, 
you  are  all  part  of  the  '*  Great  Army ;"  you  must  be  ac- 
tive, warlike  soldiers.  You  must  fight  manfally.  God 
give  you  grace  to  overcome  all  your  foes,  prays  your 
loving  fi'iend. 

I  forgot  to  tel]  you  one  important  little  item,  while 
the  children  were  eating  their  cakes,  a  collection  was  ta- 
ken up  tovv^ards  defraying  the  expenses  of  the  station 
to  be  established  up  the  river.  It  amounted  to  seven- 
teen dollars 

Patience. — I  have  had  some  very  pleasant  conver- 
sation with  Dr.  McGill.  He  was  formerly,  as  many 
others  of  the  more  respectable  part  of  the  community 
were,  an  ultra  abolitionist,  and  almost  hated  the  white 
man.  Can  you  wonder  ?  He  had  not  yet  learned  the 
blessed  law  of  love,  his  Saviour's  command  to  love  his 
enemies.    And  not  being  himself  a  Christian,  he  did  not 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  295 

wish  to  have  the  white  missionary  to  come  to  Liberia  ; 
he  thought  they  could  do  very  well  without  them,  and 
he  rather  opposed  than  aided  them  in  their  efforts  for 
the  public  good.  But  his  feelings  have  greatly  changed. 
By  their  earnest,  '^patient  continuance  in  well-doing," 
they  have  won  not  only  his  respect  and  esteem,  but  his 
love  and  gratitude.  He  feels  that  the  young  men  that 
have  been  educated  by  the  Presbyterian  missionaries  in 
the  Alexander  High  School  at  Monrovia  are  the  men, 
and  the  only  ones,  on  which  their  country  can  depend  for 
statesmen  and  for  men  of  intellect,  in  whatever  capacity 
they  may  be  needed.  And  all  are  w^aking  up  to  the 
truth  that  ''  knowledge  is  power."  He  spoke  in  the 
highest  terms  of  the  labors  of  the  Rev.  D.  A.Wilson  (whom 
1  have  just  mentioned)  before  his  wife's  health  com- 
pelled him  to  leave,  hoping  they  might  soon  return  to 
them.  And  also  his  praises  w^ere  freely  bestowed  upon 
the  only  white  missionary  now  amongst  them,  the  Rev. 
E.  T.  Williams,  Presbyterian.  He  confessed  how  he 
had  formerly  misjudged  them,  had  looked  upon  their 
every  act  w^ith  a  jaundiced  eye  ;  but  their  holy,  blame- 
less lives,  their  unwearied  patience,  under  ingratitude 
and  unkindness,  and  their  constant  labors,  had  forced  him 
to  love  them  in  spite  of  himself.  Grod  grant  that  '^  the 
love  of  Christ"  may  likewise  soon  ''  constrain  him"  to 
devote  himself  entirely  to  Him.  He  is  a  kind,  generous 
m.an,  and  even  when  most  opposed  to  the  missionaries 
coming  here,  has  personally  been  ever  ready  to  aid 
and  show  kindness  to  them.  But  coming  from  such  a 
source,  is  not  this  a  high  testimonial  to  Christian  worth  ? 
Mrs.  Wilson's  name  is  never  mentioned  here,  but  w^ith 
the  kindest  expressions  of  love.     Oh  !  that  all  who  bear 


296  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

the    Christian   name,    would    "  live   as   becometh  the 
G-ospel." 

Speeches. — This  day,  the  first  of  December,  is  the 
anniversary  of  a  great  battle,  fought  between  the  natives 
and  the  first  colonists  ;  they  celebrate  it  somewhat  as 
we  do  the  fourth  of  July.  The  people  all  meet  in  the 
Methodist  church,  it  being  the  largest.     We  went  over  , 

to  hear  the  orations.  I  never  heard  better.  Ex-President 
Roberts  gave  a  most  excellent  one.  In  it,  he  presented 
a  concise  history  of,  Liberia  to  the  present  time,  from  its 
first  founding.  And,  truly,  the  names  of  its  first  foun- 
ders deserve  to  be  remembered  ;  they  were  as  much 
martyrs  for  the  sacred  cause  of  liberty,  as  any  whose 
names  fame  has  made  known  to  the  world.  Aye  !  and 
more  so,  for  they  were  poor,  ignorant,  unlettered  men. 
But  they  were  men,  and  noble  ones,  too.  It  would  be  a 
good  lesson  for  all  who  despise  the  colored  race,  if  they 
could  but  visit  Africa.  They  would  learn  to  know 
themselves,  and  feel  humbled  before  God,  for  their  in- 
justice and  cruelty.  For  we  ought  to  feel  it;  we,  at 
the  North,  are  not  free  of  the  charge.  The  intelligent, 
educated,  colored  man,  feels  the  slight  and  contempt  of 
the  northerner,  more  than  the  slave  does  the  stripes  and 
chains  of  the  South.  We  are  apt  to  talk  about  their 
cruelty,  but  ah !  how  few  of  us  look  at  home  !  In  the 
evening,  we  went  to  what  they  call  the  Lyceum,  or 
Young  Men's  Debating  Society.  Rev.  Mr.  Gibson  and 
Mr.  Bliden  were  to  deliver  addresses  before  them.  The 
company  assembled  were  ladies  and  gentlemen,  if 
beautiful  dress,  elegant  manners,  and  truon^courte^y  and 
politeness,  form  ladies  and  gentlemen.     And  many  were 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  297 

there  white  as  myself,  and  who  could,  without  the 
slightest  suspicion,  have  passed  off  as  such.  Indeed, 
had  you  seen  them  anywhere  else,  you  would  never 
have  dreamed  that  they  were  aught  but  w^hite.  The  Pres- 
ident and  Ex-President  are  both  noble  looking  men.  Ex- 
President  Roberts  is  a  white  man,  with  very  light  hair, 
w^hich  curls  tightly  all  over  his  head  ;  this  is  the  only 
trace  of  his  origin.  I  took  him  for  the  captain  of  one 
of  the  vessels  lying  out  in  the  harbor.  The  present 
President  Benson  is  jet  black,  but  he  is  truly  a  noble 
looking  man.  The  addresses,  this  evening,  were  exceed- 
ingly good.  Grod  help  and  speed  Liberia,  and  the  Colo- 
nization Society,  to  which  they  all  appear  so  grateful. 

Uncle  Simon. — Now^  I  am  going  to  introduce  you  to 
one  of  the  finest  old  gentlemen,  and  one  of  the  best  Chris- 
tians, you  ever  knew  in  your  life.  His  real  name  is  Mr. 
Simon  Harrison,  but  I  always  heard  the  Bishop  and  every 
one  speak  of  him  as  Uncle  Simon,  and  by  that  name  he 
is  generally  known.  Now  just  think  of  Mrs.  Stowe's 
''  Uncle  Tom,"  much  better  educated,  polished,  and  re- 
fined, but  retaining  all  his  simplicity,  and  you  will  begin 
to  have  a  little  idea  of  Uncle  Simon.  But  I  will  begin 
at  the  beginning  with  his  history,  what  little'!  know  of  it. 
Uncle  Simon  was  a  slave  in  one  of  the  South w^estern 
States,  but  wdien  quite  a  young  man  he  became  pos- 
sessed of  that  true  ''  liberty  wherewith  Christ  makes  his 
children  free."  He  became  a  preacher  among  his  people. 
His  heart  was  so  full  of  love  that  he  w^as  compelled  to 

"  Tell  to  all  poor  sinners  round 
What  a  dear  Saviour  he  had  found." 

13* 


298  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

At   length  Uncle  Simon  was   sold — sold  to   an  Indian. 
Still  here  he  forgot  not  the   commands  of  the  Word  of 
Grod,  '^  Servants,  be  obedient  to  your  masters,  not  with 
eye  service,  as  men-pleasers,  but  in  singleness  of  heart 
as  unto  God.''     He  was  here   in   the   neighborhood  of  a 
mission  station,  and  in  a  little  time  Aunt  Mcey,  the 
cook  there,  became  his  wife.     Though  his  present  mas- 
ter was  a  poor  Indian,  he  was  a  kind,  good  master,  and 
at  his  death  he  left  Uncle  Simon  to  his  daughter,  stat- 
ing, as  he  had  served  him  so  faithfully,  he  felt  sure  he 
would  be  faithful  to  his   child,  but  with  the  injunction 
to  her  that  when  she  became  of  age  she  should  give  him 
his  freedom.     This  was  done.     Uncle  Simon  then,  with 
his  wife,  lived  for  a  time  at  the  mission  station,  among 
the   Cherokee  Indians,  they  having  to  provide  and  look 
after  the  meals  of  the  children.     At  all  the  mission  sta- 
tions it  is  necessary  to  have  some  responsible  person, 
who,  out  of  school  hours,  attends  to  the  personal  com- 
forts and  wants  of  the  children.     After  remaining  some 
years  at  this  station  the  missionaries  advised  him  that  it 
would  be  better  for  his  children  to  be  in  Liberia — he  has 
two  young  sons — so  about  four  years  ago  they  came  out 
here. 

The  Presbyterian  mission  has  bought  a  piece  of 
ground  about  twenty-five  miles  from  Monrovia,  up  the 
St.  Paul's  river,  quite  on  the  top  of  a  hill — a  most  lovely 
spot.  A  number  of  colonists  have  settled  in  this  vicinity. 
Here  they  have  put  up  a  tiny  little  church,  and  a  small 
house  for  Uncle  Simon.  This,  it  is  hoped,  will  form  the 
nucleus  of  a  large  mission  station.  Uncle  Simon  is  the 
catechist  or  pastor  of  the  church.     That  is,  he  performs 


I 


EVERV-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  299 

all  the  offices  of  a  minister,  except  administering  the 
sacraments.  He  has  never  been  ordained.  Hitherto 
they  have  only  had  a  day-school  held  in  the  church,  of 
which  a  young  man,  a  colonist,  of  the  name  of  Mel- 
ville, is  teacher.  Now  they  are  building  a  school-house 
(native  style)  ;  and  the  Congoes  Mr.  Williams  has  taken 
are  to  form  the  commencement  of  the  heathen  school. 
Mr.  Melville  is  to  be  the  instructor,  and  Uncle  Simon  and 
Aunt  Nicey  are  to  take  care  of  them.  G-od  grant  that 
from  this  little  mountain-house  streams  may  issue  forth 
that  shall  make  glad  the  City  of  our  God  ! 

Well,  Uncle  Simon,  hearing  that  I  was  here  ill,  came 
down  the   river,  and   before  he  savf  me  he  went  to  the 
doctor  and  told  him  he  thought  it  would  do  me  good  to 
be  up  at  his  house   for  a   little  time — that  as  Mr.  Wil- 
liams had  to  be  up  there  for  a  week  or  two  to  attend  to 
the  mission  business,  he  would  see  I  was  taken  care  of, 
and  they  could  make  room  for  me,  nurse  and  all.       The 
doctor  told  him  that  nothing  could  be  better  for  me — 
that  the  inland   mountain   air  would  be  a  far   greater 
change  than  that  on  the  coast,  only  he   must  take  very 
good  care  of  me.     This  the  old  gentleman  promised  to 
do,  and  then  came  to  me — ^liis  face  glowing  with  happi- 
ness and  benevolence.      I  loved  him  the  moment  I  saw 
him.     As  I  sat  looking  at,  and  talking  to  him,  I  could 
not    but   think  if   the  holiness    of    character    and    the 
partial  mxcasuro  of  the  graces  of  the  Spirit  that  is  pos- 
sessed by  Christians  here,  imparts  such  a  loveliness  and 
beauty  to  the  countenance  now,  what  will  it  be  when 
we  shall  '^  see  the  King  in  his  beauty,"  and  when  '*  we 
shall  be  like  him,  for  we  shall  see  him  as  he  is."  Oh  I  for 


300  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

the  transforming  power  of  divine  grace  !  Afterward  the 
doctor  advised  me  by  all  means  to  accept  his  invitation, 
thinking  it  would  do  me  much  good,  and  should  any  ves- 
sel come,  in  the  meantime,  going  to  Cape  Palmas,  he 
would  inform  me. 

In  speaking  of  Uncle  Simon,  the  doctor  said  :  ''Oh! 
Uncle  Simon's  word,  at  any  time,  is  as  good  as  a  bond." 
Would  that  all  Christians  acted  so,  that  all  men  might 
take  knowledge  of  them,  that  they  have  been  with  Jesus. 
We  shall  go  up  to  Uncle  Simon's  next  week. 

Company. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  G-ibson  and  myself  were  in- 
vited to  tea  at  Dr.  McGrill's  this  evening.  We  went  a 
little  after  seven,  and  one  after  another  the  ladies  and 
gentlemen  began  dropping  in,  till  there  were  about 
twenty-five  couples.  Among  these  were  the  President, 
the  ex-President,  and  their  wives,  with  other  dignitaries 
of  the  place.  I  had  a  very  agreeable  conversation  with 
both  the  above  named  gentlemen.  Mr.  Roberts  has  been 
a  great  deal  at  London,  at  St.  James'  Court,  and  has 
been  pronounced  a  fine  statesman.  The  rooms  in  the 
doctor's  house  are  very  large — a  very  handsome  saloon 
being  on  either  side  of  the  entrance  hall.  When  tea 
was  announced,  each  gentleman  conducted  his  lady  to 
her  place  ;  and  we  sat  down  to  an  elegantly  laid  table. 
The  company  was  of  every  shade  of  color,  from  white 
to  jet  black. 

Sunday. — Mr.  Gibson  preaches,  at  present,  in  the  little 
school-house  occupied  by  Miss  Williams  (our  colonist 
teacher  here).     It  is  in  a  very  dilapidated  condition,  but 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  301 

we  are  in  hopes  the  Stevens  will  bring  out  the  materials 
so  that  the  new  church  can  be  proceeded  with  vigor- 
ously. The  foundation  is  laid,  and  Mr.  G-ibson  is  very- 
energetic — he  will  hasten  matters  as  fast  as  practicable. 
May  God  grant  that  wherever  our  Church  is  planted,  it 
may  "  be  built  on  the  foundations  of  the  Apostles  and 
Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner- 
stone." I  am  still  very  weak — little  cessation  from  fever. 
I  admire  Mr.  Gibson's  character  more  and  more  each 
day.  He  is  a  devoted  Christian.  I  hope  he  will  be  the 
means  of  much  good. 

Uncle  Simon  came  down  the  river  after  us  to-day,  but 
as  the  Legislature  is  sitting  now,  and  the  President  is  to 
deliver  his  message  to-morrow,  we  wished  to  wait  to 
hear  it,  so  we  have  made  every  arrangement  to  go  on 
Thursday. 

St.  Paul's  River. — The  delivery  of  the  President's 
message  is  again  postponed.  We  wished  much  to  hear 
it,  but  as  every  arrangement  had  been  made  for  our  going 
up  the  river  to-day,  we  could  not  well  defer  it.  It  had 
been  very  wet  in  the  night,  so  we  hardly  thought  we 
should  be  able  to  go  to-day,  but  about  ten  o'clock  it 
ceased  to  rain,  and  as  everything  was  prepared,  we 
thought  it  best  to  proceed.  You  recollect  travelling 
here  is  not  like  at  home,  where  you  can  start  off  at  a 
moment's  notice. 

We  had  a  delightful  day.  It  did  not  rain  but  it  was  very 
cloudy — that  serving  only  to  render  it  the  more  pleasant. 
We  had  a  very  nice  row-boat  belonging  to  Dr.  McGill, 
with  an  awning  completely  covering  it.  We  had  six  oars- 


302  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

men,  and  our  company  consisted  of  Mr.  Williams  and  his 
little    colored   boy,  De-nnis,  a  Miss  Mallary,  the   colonist 
teacher  of  one  of  the  Presbyterian  Mission-schools,  at  a 
place  called    Clay  Ashland,  about  twelve   miles  up  the 
river,  my  nurse,  and  myself;  these  formed  the  passen- 
gers.    They  had   very    kindly    arranged    an    extempore 
bed  for  me,  with  pillows,  &c.,  so  I  could  lie  down  in  the 
boat.       Mrs.  Carrol,  my  nurse,  takes  good  care  of  me, 
too  ;  packing  and  unpacking,  and  taking  the  sole  charge 
of  everything  for  me.  I  am  in  a  fair  way  of  being  spoiled. 
How  apt  we   are  to   forget   the   countless    mercies,  and 
ever  to  remember  the  few  wants  !     "Would  that  we  more 
often  tried  to  "  count  up  our  mercies ;"  then  what  ascrip- 
tions of  gratitude  and  praise  should  we  not  constantly 
offer  to  the  "  Giver  of  good."     The   St.  Paul's  river  is 
very  beautiful.    After  leaving  Monrovia,  we  pass  through 
a  mango  swamp,  which  extends,  on  each  side,  for  several 
miles.    It  is  these  mango  swamps  that  create  the  malaria 
that  is  so  deleterious  to  the  health.     A  species  of  fly 
is  also  found  among  them  whose  bite  is  very  poisonous. 
But  in  passing  through  them  they  are  very  pretty.     The 
mango   is,  I  suppose,   a  species  of  the  banyan,   whose 
branches  falling  to  the  earth  take  root  and  then  spring 
up  again,  forming  almost  impenetrable  groves,  except 
for  wild  beasts.     You  can  imagine  snakes  and  alligators 
of  every  description  hid  in  these  coverts.     After  passing 
the  mangoes  the  scenery  becomes  very  varied.     "Vegeta- 
tion is  very  luxuriant.     Large  trees  of  every  kind  grow- 
ing close   together,   their  foliage  of  almost  every  hue, 
beautifully  contrasted    and    intermingled.     The   cotton 
tree,  which,  in   some   respects,  resembles  the  American 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  303 

elm  ;  its  wide  spreading  branches  high  in  the  air.  Then 
comes  the  bloody  dragon,  a  plant  that  grows  some  twen- 
ty or  more  feet  high,  with  a  thick  stalk,  and  leaves  some 
five  or  six  feet  in  length,  all  set  thick  with  sharp  prick- 
les, the  stalk  also  boing  so  covered.  It  bears  a  large 
frait,  not  good,  of  the  size  of  a  pineapple,  but  it  looks 
like  an  immense  thistle  head.  It  forms  an  impenetra- 
ble barrier  both  against  man  and  beast;  as  in  passing 
through  it,  where  it  grows  thickly,  anything  would  be 
torn  to  pieces.  It  grows,  however,  only  near  the  water 
side.  Then  there  is  the  rattan,  with  leaves  resembling 
a  large  species  of  fern,  which  pushes  its  slender  form  up 
to  fill  any  interstices  between  the  other  trees ;  and  fre- 
quently, towering  above  all  the  rest,  you  will  see  a  lofty 
palm,  its  naked  trunk  pushing  up  or  out  wherever  it  can 
find  room,  surmounted  by  its  beautiful  crown.  Besides 
these  there  are  infinite  variety  of  trees,  full  of  all-colored 
flowers,  the  names  of  which  I  have  not  yet  learned.  While 
pendant  from  each  and  every  one  of  these  are  many 
bpecies  of  wild  vines  ;  these  intermingling  in  graceful 
confusion  with  the  other  foliage,  gives  an  air  of  marvel- 
lous beauty  to  the  whole. 

Birds  of  splendid  plumage  are  here  and  there  discern- 
ed among  the  branches,  adding,  by  their  brilliancy,  to 
the  high  coloring  of  the  scene.  In  different  places  on 
the  river,  it  is  cleared  away.  You  then  see  little  cot- 
tages appearing,  surrounded  by  their  plantations  of 
cocoa-nuts,  bananas,  plaintains,  coffee,  cassada,  and 
sugar-cane.  On  one  of  the  plantations  they  have  a 
steam  sugar-mill  at  work.  We  stopped  to  obtain  some 
oi  the  expressed  juice  to  drink  ;  it  was  very  refreshing. 


304  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

About  tour  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  a  place 
in  the  river  where  there  are  many  rapids,  and,  except  in 
very  high  tide,  no  boat  can  ascend  higher.  In  high  tide 
they  can  go  up  as  far  as  Uncle  Simon's,  but  no  farther — 
even  canoes  find  it  difficult  to  ascend  much  higher, 
thouo:h  the  river  is  over  a  mile  wide  and  several  hundred 
miles  in  length,  yet  it  is  so  shallow.  We  stopped  at  a 
little  landing  belonging  to  a  Mr.  "Washington,  who  has  a 
very  nice  plantation  on  the  river,  and  we  sent  a  man  on 
in  a  canoe  to  see  if  the  tide  was  hi«^h  enousfh  that  we 
could  pass. 

While  the  man  was  gone,  Mr.  Washington  came  down 
to  the  boat,  bringing  us,  as  he  said,  a  little  lunch,  con- 
sisting of  some  beautiful  bread,  sardines,  and  bananas. 
It  was  very  kind  of  him. 

Uncle  Simon  had  seen  the  boat  coming  up  the  river, 
from  his  house,  which  is  on  the  top  of  a  high  hill,  and 
he  came  down  in  a  canoe  to  meet  us.  He  said  the 
water  was  high  enough,  that  we  could  get  up  to  the 
upper  landing,  where  he  had  a  hammock  in  readiness 
for  me,  as  it  is  a  mile  to  his  house,  up  a  very  steep  hill. 
He  has  a  nice  little  house,  but  our  rooms  are  only  sep- 
arated in  some  places  by  mats.  We  are  living  in  primi- 
tive style.  But  the  old  people  are  so  good  and  kind. 
Uncle  Simon  says  he  would  soon  make  me  well  and  strong 
if  I  was  livinof  with  him.  We  are  now  on  the  extreme 
edge  of  civilization,  no  house  or  civilized  man  between 
us  and  the  great  desert.  Here  a  heathen  school  is  to  be 
established,  which,  it  is  hoped,  will  send  forth  its  light 
in  all  directions.  May  those  words  soon  be  literally 
verified  :  '/  How  beautiful  upon  the  mountains  are  the  feet 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  305 

of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings,  that  publisheth  salva- 
tion." It  is  the  desire  to  draw  the  sons  of  the  chiefs, 
of  the  principal  tribes  around,  into  the  school,  that  so  its 
influence  may  be  extended.  Grod  prosper  this  under- 
takinsf. 

The  mountain  air  is  delis^htful  and  exhilaratino'.  This 
must  be  a  healthy  spot.  Uncle  Simon  is  praying  so 
earnestly  that  white  missionaries  may  be  sent  to  help 
him  here,  and  he  says  he  has  faith  to  believe  they  will 
come.  Oh  !  that  Grod  will  answer  his  prayer,  and  send 
many  laborers  into  this  field.  The  harvest  is  great,  but 
alas  !  how  few  are  the  laborers.  Uncle  Simon  is  so 
earnest,  simple  minded,  and  devoted. 

I  made  an  acquaintance  yesterday,  whose  intimacy, 
for  the  future,  I  should  wish  most  respectfully  to  decline. 
It  was  the  mango  fly.  I  had  been  warned  about  it, 
and  had  been  on  the  watch,  but  one  of  them  eluded  my 
vigilance.  I  was  bit  on  the  ancle.  I  had  hardly  noticed 
it  at  the  time,  but  it  is  very  painful  now,  being  much 
swollen  and  inflamed.  Aunt  Nicey  is  a  very  kind- 
hearted  old  lady,  and  as  to  Uncle  Simon  I  am  quite  in 
love  with  him.  How  true  it  is  that  the  Grospel  precept, 
^'  to  do  to  others  as  we  would  have  them  do  to  us," 
makes  the  most  polished  gentlemen.  We  come  to  this 
country  to  work,  and  whether  in  one  part  or  the  other, 
the  moment  our  health  permits,  we  must  work.  "  The 
field  is  the  world."  It  is  the  vacation  now,  so  a  band  of 
the  little  ones  come  to  me  from  some  of  the  houses 
around,  each  day  for  an  hour  or  two,  just  to  read  and 
talk  about  the  most  important  things  in  the  world.  How 
I  love  children  ;  how  much  they  teach  us ! 


306  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

We  had  a  beautiful  Sunday.  The  little  church  is 
directly  across  the  road.  It  was  pretty  well  filled  with 
colonists.  Strange  feelings  were  excited  in  worshipping 
in  this  little  mountain  church  on  the  extreme  edge  of 
civilization.  Oh  !  that  Zion  may  soon  ''  lengthen  her 
cords,  and  strengthen  her  stakes,"  and  "  cast  forth  her 
branches  like  Lebanon."  A  few  of  the  natives  from- one 
of  the  towns  in  the  neighborhood  (those  who  are  helping 
to  build  the  school-house)  came  in  after  church,  and  Mr. 
Williams  taught  them  for  an  hour  or  so  by  an  interpreter. 
When  the  missionaiy  comes  forth  here  it  is,  indeed,  like 
the  sower  going  forth  to  sow — the  seed  is  scattered  far 
and  wide — who  knoweth  the  result  ? 

Drivers. — Aunt  Nicey  called  me  out  this  morning  to 
see  a  line  of  the  drivers  making  their  way  along.  She 
was  fearing  and  yet  almost  hoping  that  they  would  take 
the  house  in  their  course,  for  though  sometimes,  for  two 
or  three  days,  your  are  obliged  to  give  the  house  com- 
pletely up  to  them,  yet  they  rid  it  so  entirely  of^all 
other  vermin  that  it  is  a  great  comfort,  and  as  soon  as 
ever  they  have  accomplished  this,  their  mission,  they  de- 
part. These  ants  are  of  a  shining-dark  brown  color, 
about  half  an  inch  long,  and  they  march  along  in  regular 
files  like  soldiers,  about  eight  or  ten  abreast.  About 
every  sixth  row  another  ant,  jet  black  and  a  third  as 
Ions:  ao'ain  as  the  others  marches  either  beside  them  or 
between  the  ranks,  like  a  captain.  He  never  marches 
with  the  others,  nor  two  of  these  together,  unless  they 
appear  to  be  consulting.  Well  might  Solomon  tell  us 
^'  to  go  to  the  ant  and  consider  her  ways  and  be  wise." 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  307 

When  they  come  to  any  impediment  in  their  course  the 
whole  army  halts,  and  a  number  of  these  large  black 
ants  collect  together  ds  if  in  consultation,  and  presently  a 
detachment  will  be  sent  off  in  a  different  direction  as  if 
to  explore.  You  may  stand  close  to  these  little  creatures 
and  watch  their  actions  for  hours,  if  you  do  not  disturb 
their  line,  but  tread  on  them  or  in  any  way  disturb  their 
line  of  march,  and  woe  betide  you  ;  they  swarm  upon 
you  in  a  moment  and  you  never  care  for  a  similar  greet- 
ing again.  I  have  been  told  that  their  manner  of  cross- 
ing a  little  rivulet  that  is  too  deep  for  them  to  wade,  is 
very  singular.  They  will  pause  on  its  edge,  and  after  a 
number  of  the  captains  have  apparently  consulted 
together,  three  or  four  of  them  will  place  themselves  side 
by  side,  standing  upright  on  their  hind  feet ;  others  will 
climb  upon  their  shoulders  and  lock  their  fore  feet  in 
the  fore  feet  of  the  first,  with  their  heads  placed  on  their 
heads.  A  third  set  now  climb  on  those,  locking  them- 
selves with  the  previous  ones,  these  will  throw  their 
bodies  out  horizontally,  their  middle  claws  entwining 
round  each  other ;  others  again  join  to  them  till  the  ob- 
stacle is  spanned.  Upon  this  natural  bridge  the  whole 
army  crosses  over.  When  the  bridge  breaks  up  a  num- 
ber of  its  component  parts  always  perish ;  a  few  thus 
sacrificing  themselves  for  the  good  of  the  whole.  I 
watched  these  little  creatures  for  a  length  of  time,  and 
could  only  think,  what  must  the  Infinite  be  ! 

A  Curiosity. — I  had  an  amusing  scene  this  morning. 
It  is  a  rare  thing  for  a  white  lady  to  be  seen  up  here.  I 
believe  never  more  than  one  or  two  have  ever  been  here ; 
therefore  one  is   quite  a  curiosity.     White  gentlemen 


308  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

have  been  much  more  frequent.     Well,  one  of  my  little 
colored  girls,  who  comes  to  read  to  me,  asked  me  this 
morning  to  please  to  let  her  brush  my  hair,  as  she  used  to 
do  for  her  ladies  at  home  in  America.     When  the  head 
aches  it  is  often   a  great  relief,  so   I  was  very  glad  to 
have  her  do  it.     We  went  and  sat  down  on  the  piazza, 
and  I  took  a  book  to  read  while  she  did  it  for  me.     But  in 
less  than  a  minute  I  had  a  dozen  or  more  natives  stand- 
ing around ,  with  eyes  and  mouth  wide  open  with  aston- 
ishment.    I  have  a  great  profusion  of  hair,  as  yet,  appar- 
ently uninjured  by  the  fever  ;  it  is  very  long  and  very 
thick  :  and  as  the  child  passed  the  comb  easily  through 
it  their  wonder  knew  no  bounds.     They  clapped  their 
hands,   laughed,   shouted,  and  called  to  all  who   w^ere 
near  to  come  and  see  this  marvellous  sight.     Then  one 
of  them,  the  head  man,  who  could  speak  English  a  little, 
said :  '^  Mammy,  may    I  touch   him  ?"       I   told   him, 
^'Yes."     He  came  upon  the  piazza  quite  near  me,  and 
then  put  out   his  hand  toward  my  hair    and    drew  it 
back  again  several  times,  like  a  child  in  approaching  the 
fire.     He  was  very  much  afraid  to  touch  it,  and  when 
he  did  at  last  venture  his  fears  did  not  seem  much  re- 
moved.     The    softness    of  the    hair,    with   its    smooth, 
shining  appearance,  made  him  think  of  snakes.     They 
could  not  tell  what  to   make  of  it.     It  was  really  an 
amusing  sight  to  see  them.     They  stood  watching  the 
whole    process    of  brushing,     combing,     braiding,    and 
putting  up  the  hair,  with  the  most  intense  satisfaction, 
and  then  asked  if  they  might  bring  their  wives  to  see  me. 

Poverty. — I  have  seen   something  to-day  that  made 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  309 

my  heart  achej  and  yet  it  should  lead  me  to  deeper  grat- 
itude to  my  Heavenly  Father,  for  all  his  gifts  to  me. 
The  poor  colonists  when  they  j&rst  come  out  here  suffer, 
oh,  so  much !  They  are  taken  care  of  and  provided  for 
for  the  first  six  months  after  their  arrival.  This  is  full  as 
much  as  the  Colonization  Society  can  afford  to  do. 
Then  they  must  take  care  of  themselves,  and  this  many 
of  them  have  not  the  slightest  idea  of  doing.  They  never 
have  been  used  to  thinking  for  themselves,  and  are  as 
helpless  as  children.  They  probably  have  no  money, 
and  very  little  furniture  or  clothes ;  and  many  of  these, 
perhaps,  have  been  brought  up  as  house  servants  on  a 
plantation — not  used  to  hard  labor  or  hardship.  To 
them  the  change  is  very  great.  They  suffer  much,  but 
their  children  will  reap  the  advantage.     Curtis  Wright,^ 

'^I  give  the  names  here,  as  1  think,  should  any  one  feel  disposed, 
when,  at  holidays  or  other  times,  from  the  abundance  with  which  God 
has  blessed  their  basket  and  store,  they  are  selecting  their  gifts  for  their 
own  little  ones,  to  spare  a  trifle  to  purchase  a  little  gift  for  those  who  can- 
not repay  them,  they  may  know  those  to  whom  the  yeriest  trifle  would 
be  highly  valuable.  There  are  eight  little  girls,  here  on  the  St.  Paul's 
river,  varying  in  age  from  ten  to  fifteen,  who  have  not  one  of  them  had 
a  new  dress  probably  for  years,  yet  they  are  always  neat,  clean,  and 
whole.  They  all  can  read  and  write  beautifully,  and  have  exceedingly 
polite  and  courteous  manners,  and  truly  Christian  parents,  yet  oh  !  the 
depths  of  poverty.  Two  of  these  Christian  parents  are  widows.  Are 
there  none  who,  by  occasional  little  gifts,  will  make  the  widow's  and  the 
orphan's  heart  to  sing  for  joy  ?  Any  trifle  sent  to  them  to  Uncle  Simon — 
to  the  care  of  the  Rev.  J.  L.  WUson,  Presbyterian  Mission  Rooms,  iN'ew- 
York — will  reach  them.  As  also  for  our  own  children,  anything  sent 
to  any  of  them,  by  name,  to  the  care  of  the  Rev.  S.  D.  Denison,  Bible 
House,  New- York,  they  will  obtain.  Think  of  it,  friends,  a  thousand 
gifts  to  the  children  at  your  home  will  not  call  forth  half  the  delight  that 
one,  particularly  if  sent  out  specially,  will  there.  You  may  never  have 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  it,  but  recollect  the  promise  of  Christ  to  those 
who  love  His  little  ones. 


310  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

one  ol  the  children  who  comes  to  read  to  me,  a  very 
pretty  light-colored  girl  of  about  fom'teen,  asked  me  to- 
day to  go  in  with  her  to  see  her  mother.  I  went  with 
her.  Her  mother  is  a  widow,  with  fom-  children  liv- 
ing home  with  her,  of  whom  Curtis  is  the  eldest.  She 
has  one  daughter  married,  but  able  only  very  slight- 
ly to  assist  her  mother.  They  are  all  very  light-colored 
and  very  pretty.  Mrs.  Wright's  house  is  a  small  log- 
hut,  the  logs  none  of  them  larger  than  a  child's  arm. 
These  are  placed  as  close  together  as  possible,  but  with 
nothing  to  fill  up  the  interstices  or  to  exclude  the  night 
air,  except  just  at  the  head  of  the  bed,  where  a  small 
piece  of  matting  is  hung  up  as  a  protection.  The  roof 
is  thatched,  and  projects  a  long  way  over  the  side,  so  as 
in  some  way  to  shield  the  side  from  the  rain.  There  is 
a  place  for  a  window  with  a  shutter,  but  no  windows 
here  ;  indeed  I  forgot  to  say  that  there  are  no  windows 
anywhere  in  Africa,  except  at  the  mission  houses  and  a 
few  of  the  more  wealthy  inhabitants,  and  most  of  the 
churches.  There  are  no  windows  at  Uncle  Simon's  or 
at  the  little  church,  only  places  for  them  and  shutters. 
They  are  too  great  luxuries. 

Mrs.  Wright's  furniture  is  not  very  costly,  consisting 
of  an  old  bedstead  with  a  patch-work  coverlet ;  one 
large  and  one  small  chest,  and  two  or  three  boards 
nailed  up  for  shelves  in  one  corner.  On  these  there  are 
a  Bible  and  two  or  three  school  books  belonging  to  the 
children  ;  one  plate,  cup,  and  knife,  and  a  small  pot. 
This,  with  a  little  tin  pail  (that  holds  about  a  quart,  with 
which  they  fetch  water  from  a  rivulet  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant,  down  a  steep  hill),  completes  the  fur- 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  311 

niture.  "When  we  went  in,  Mrs.  Wright  was  lying  on 
her  hard  pallet  reading  the  Word  of  Grod.  She  has 
had  a  dreadful  ulcer  in  her  leg  for  over  nine  months. 
She  has  been  trying  to  do  everything  for  it.  It  is  the 
most  fearful  looking  sore  you  ever  saw,  and  terribly 
painful.  She  would  be  able  to  do  some  sewing  if  she 
could  only  get  it  to  do,  but  the  people  are  too  poor  to 
have  anything  to  make.  Uncle  Simon  sends  her  her  daily 
food,  and  the  children  live  upon  what  they  can  cultivate 
themselves,  rice  and  cassadas  ;  and  yet  even  these  chil- 
dren occasionally  pufc  something  in  the  missionary  box, 
for  they  will  go  out  into  the  woods  and  get  peanuts,  and 
sometimes  they  can  send  them  to  Monrovia  and  get  a 
few  pence,  which  is  gladly  and  joyfully  put  in  the 
box.  What  sacrifices,  what  self-denials  do  we  make  at 
home  for  God's  cause  ?  What  lady  among  us  would 
ever  think  that  she  could  go  with  one  ring  the  less,  or 
one  flounce  the  less  to  her  dress,  or  what  man  will  go 
with  one  cigar  the  less,  that  so  the  Gospel  may  be  spread  ? 
And  yet  see  these  poor  children  ;  their  peanuts  would 
help  out  their  scanty  pittance  of  food,  but  they  are  freely 
given  that  the  "  Bread  of  Life"  may  be  carried  to  those 
'' perishing  for  lack  of  food."  Mrs.  Wright  spoke  with 
the  greatest  cheerfulness,  and  with  warm  expressions 
of  gratitude  and  thanksgiving  to  Grod  for  giving  her 
such  good  friends — not  a  single  murmur  or  complaint ; 
and  her  wants  and  sufferings  had  to  be  inquired  into 
for  you  to  know  them,  I  left  that  lowly  hut,  hav- 
ing learned  lessons  of  gratitude  to  G-od,  and  of  deep 
self-abasement  and  repentance  at  my  want  of  faith,  love, 
and  gratitude. 


312  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

The  Mite. — -In  giving  we  often  think  our  mite  is  so 
small  it  cannot  possibly  do  any  good,  but  you  know  the 
old  proverb : 

"  Mighty  oaks  from  little  acorns  grow." 

Now  think,  ten  little  pennies  will  buy  a  Testament. 
Now  just  count  and  see  how  many  leaves  there  are  in  a 
Testament,  and  see  how  many  of  those  leaves  one  penny 
wdll  buy.  Now  I  will  tell  you  what  one  of  these  leaves 
may  sometimes  be  worth :  worth !  why  more  than  all  the 
world,  for  is  not  one  soul  worth  more  than  all  the  world  ? 

I  heard  this  little  anecdote  related  by  a  mission- 
ary the  other  day :  A  large  caravan  was  travelling 
the  great  desert  in  the  northern  part  of  Africa,  and 
among  them  was  a  Christian  missionary.  He  did  not 
know  that  among  all  that  people  there  was  one  who  had 
ever  heard  of  Jesus.  One  evening,  when  about  to  rest 
for  the  night,  he  heard  a  great  bustle  in  the  back  part  of 
the  caravan ;  upon  asking  the  occasion  of  it  he  heard  that  a 
sick  man  had  fallen  off  his  camel  and  was  supposed  to  be 
dying.  He  immediately  went  to  the  poor  sick  man,  who 
was  lying  on  the  sand.  No  one  knew  who  he  was, 
therefore  nobody  took  any  notice  of  him,  or  did  anything 
for  him.  They  had  not  learned  that  their  ''neighbor  is 
everybody — all  their  fellow  creatures."  The  missionary 
found  he  was  dying  ;  he  raised  his  head,  bathed  it,  and 
gave  him  some  vv^ater  to  drink.  Then,  as  the  dying  man 
opened  his  eyes  for  a  moment,  the  missionary  said  to 
him,  in  the  Arabic  language  :  ''  Brother,  you  are 
dying  ;  have  you  any  hope?"  The  dying  man  clasped 
his  hands  and  exclaimed  :  "  None  but  Jesus — none  but 
Jesus."     The   missionary   said:  *' Thank  God;    where 


Only  one  leaf— its  worth.. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  313 

did  3''ou  hear  of  Him  ?"  '■'  Here,  here,  only  here — pre- 
cious Jesus,"  said  the  man.  He  then  pulled  out  of  his 
bosom  a  torn  and  soiled  leaf  of  the  Bible,  and  fell  back 
dead.  The  missionary  took  the  leaf  and  found  these 
words  marked,  ''  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave 
his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
might  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  The  dead 
man  was  taken  up  and  buried  in  the  sand.  No  one  knew 
anything  more  about  him.  But  he  is  known  m  Heaven  ; 
there  too  is  known  how  and  by  what  instrumentality  he 
obtained  that  little  leaf  that  told  him  of  Je^us.  How 
much  was  that  leaf  worth  ? 

The  Creek. — This  evening  we  took  a  walk  to  the 
creek,  it  is  a  very  beautiful  way  to  it.  You  have  to  go 
down  a  deep  narrow  pathway,  through  a  dense  forest, 
the  trees  towering  up  on  all  sides  to  the  height  of  eighty 
or  ninety  feet,  all  most  gracefully  festooned  with  wild 
vines.  The  trees  meet  above  the  rivulet  of  pure  limpid 
water  (the  best  and  coolest  I  have  tasted  in  Africa),  which 
flows  with  an  ever  murmuring  sound  ;  this,  with  the 
notes  of  the  strange  birds  and  insects,  fall  with  sweet 
melody  on  the  ear.  I  do  not  know  whether  the  scenes  are 
really  more  beautiful  here  than  at  home,  or  whether  it  is 
that  the  heart  is  in  different  tune,  but  certainly  they  have, 
at  times,  an  overpowering  effect.  Some  of  the  children 
went  down  with  us  to  the  water,  but,  for  a  few  minutes, 
we  stood  quiet  and  speechless.  We  then  spoke  of  the 
grandeur  of  that  scene  and  the  beauty  of  that  spot, 
where  the  white  man's  foot,  probably,  never  before  rest- 
ed— and  the  exquisite  glory  and  beauty  of  this  earth, 


314  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

when  the  Son  shall  claim  the  ^'heathen  for  his  inherit- 
ance and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  his  posses- 
sion." Then  in  the  depths  of  these  wilds,  which  had 
never  heard  the  Saviour's  name,  we  sang — 

"  From  all  that  dwell  below  the  skies, 
Let  the  Creator's  praise  arise,"  &c. 

And  then  was  poured  forth  a  most  earnest  prayer 
for  the  poor  heathen  around,  that  light  may  shine  in 
upon  their  darkness,  and  that  this  wilderness  and  solitary 
place  may  soon  '^  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose."  Truly 
it  was  a  magnificent  temple  of  nature's  own  erection  in 
which  we  were  worshiping 

Leopard. — This  morning  I  saw  a  native  boy,  about 
twelve  years  of  age,  who  had  some  dreadful  wounds  in 
his  side.  Last 'week,  he  laid  down  to  sleep,  in  a  field 
very  near  here,  when  a  leopard  sprung  upon  him,  seized 
him,  and  was  carrying  him  off*  when  his  cries  brought  a 
number  of  his  friends  to  his  rescue.  Poor  boy,  he  will 
carry  the  marks  of  the  teeth  and  the  claws  to  his  grave. 

Travel. — There  was  a  congregational  meeting  to-day, 
for  the  election  of  an  Elder  for  the  little  church.  We 
all  went  to  the  church,  and  I  could  not  but  observe,  how 
needful  it  is  to  have  "  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,"  com- 
bined with  ^^the  gentleness  of  the  dove,"  in  him  who 
has  to  preside  in  such  meetings ;  here,  particularly, 
where  there  is  very  great  jealousy,  in  many  of  the  colo- 
nists, of  white  influence.  Poor  people,  they  have  not, 
many  of  them,  the  least  power  to  rule  or  guide  them- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  315 

selves,  and  yet  disdain  to  be  guided,  even  for  their  own 
good,  by  the  whites.  This  afternoon  a  man  by  the  name 
of  Ash  came  in,  on  his  way  to  Monrovia.  He  has  just 
returned  from  an  exploring  expedition.  He,  with  a  Mr. 
Seymour  (both  colonists),  have  been  up  into  the  Mandin- 
go  country.  He  thinks  they  have  traced  the  river,  the 
St.  Pauls,  to  its  source,  and  he  believes,  allowing  for  its 
windings,  it  must  be  a  thousand  miles  in  length.  Its 
whole  length,  however,  is  like  our  Mohawk,  so  full  of 
rapids  that  it  is  not  navigable,  except  by  canoes,  and  in 
many  places  not  even  by  them ;  the  natives  frequently 
having  to  wade  and  carry  their  canoes.  Ash  seems  to 
be  a  ver}''  intelligent  man.  He  and  Seymour  were  sent  by 
the  Liberian  government,  who  paid  their  expenses,  as 
they  wish  to  open  a  communication  wath  the  interior 
tribes,  for  the  purpose  of  trade.  These  men  have  been 
absent  about  nine  months.  They  have  met  wdth  kind- 
ness in  every  instance  save  one,  and  that,  he  says,  was 
their  own  fault.  It  appears  it  is  the  custom  among 
these  natives,  if  any  stranger  is  received  kindly  among 
them,  when  he  wishes  to  proceed  farther,  for  the  king 
or  headman  to  give  him  guides,  and  a  sort  of  passport 
through  his  dominions,  to  the  king  of  the  next  tribe ; 
he  will  do  the  same,  and  so  you  can  travel  safely  from 
tribe  to  tribe.  The  king  of  the  tribe  with  whom  they 
were  staying  being  absent,  on  a  warlike  expedition,  and 
they  wishing  to  proceed,  they  left  his  dominions  without 
this  passport ;  in  consequence,  they  were  attacked,  robbed, 
wounded,  and  scarcely  escaped  with  their  lives.  Ash  was 
offered  as  a  slave,  his  value  set  at  the  rate  of  one  gun ; 
all  these  tribes  make  slaves  of  their  prisoners.    At  length, 


316  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

however,  he  escaped  and  reached  again  the  town  of  the 
friendly  chief  he  had  left.  It  does  seem  as  if  Grod  is 
opening  this  country  as  well  as  all  others,  for  Missionary 
enterprise.  Are  there  not  those  who  will  come,  and 
enter  in,  and  take  possession  ^'  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  ?" 
Ash  says,  that  the  natives,  up  there,  appear  to  be  ignorant 
of  the  value  of  ivory,  and  yet  that  there  is  some  there 
that  it  would  take  seven  or  eight  men  to  carry.  In 
many  other  respects  they  are  far  more  civilized  than 
those  on  the  coast;  their  religion  is  a  corrupt  sort  of 
Mahometanism.  The  most  of  them  can  read  and  write 
a  species  of  Arabic,  and  have  portions  of  the  Koran, 
Writing  paper  was  almost  worth  its  weight  in  gold. 
They  raise  cotton,  and  have  a  way  of  spinning,  weav- 
ing, and  dyeing  cloth.  Round  the  towns  they  have  pal- 
isades, or  mud  walls,  from  thirteen  to  fifteen  feet  high, 
and  eleven  or  twelve  feet  thick.  The  walls  of  their 
houses  are  made  of  mud,  the  floors  likewise,  and  at  one 
end  of  the  hut  a  narrow  ledge  of  mud  is  elevated  above 
the  rest  for  a  sleeping  place. 

Feasts. — We  have  been  visiting  some  of  the  poor 
people.  Most  of  their  houses  are  just  one  room,  they 
are  formed  of  very  small  logs,  set  upright,  quite  close 
together,  and  then  covered  inside  and  outside  by  a  spe- 
cies of  matting  which  they  make  here.  These  do  seem 
very  comfortless  to  me.  But  we  often  forget  that  what 
would  be  utterly  destitute  of  comfort  to  us,  from  the 
way  in  which  we  have  been  used  to  live,  is  almost  lux- 
ury to  others.  Grod  appoints  our  lot,  our  sorrows,  and 
our  joys  moxe  equally  than  in  our  shortsightedness  we 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  317 

are  apt  to  imagine.  When  Mr.  Williams  came  in  at 
dinner,  ^'  Oh,"  he  said,  "  I  have  something  to  tell  you, 
but  I  must  wait  till  you  have  dined."  I  wish  I  could 
give  you  his  graphic  description.  There  is  a  strange 
looking  little  native  boy,  that  comes  about  the  premises 
a  great  deal,  for  the  occasional  food  he  may  receive.  The 
child  gives  you  the  idea  of  deformity,  and  yet  you  can- 
not tell  w^hy.  He  has  staring  red  hair  ;  this,  on  one 
perfectly  black,  you  may  be  sure,  is  very  singular  in  its 
appearance,  but  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon.  Mr. 
Williams  was  out  looking  at  the  progress  of  the  building 
the  school  house,  when  he  saw  this  little  urchin  bending 
down  over  a  fire  made  in  the  ground,  apparently  very 
intent  on  something.  On  drawing  nearer  he  observed 
that  the  child  had  something  wrapped  up  very  carefully 
in  some  leaves  in  his  hand.  These,  which  looked  like 
long  white  worms  (a  species  of  which  they  use  for  food), 
he  was  turning  over  very  carefully  ;  selecting  the  fattest 
he  held  it  on  a  stick  in  the  fire,  till  it  was  partially  roast- 
ed, and  then  eating  it  with  great  gusto,  smacking  his 
lips,  and  apparently  taking  an  epicurean  enjoyment  in 
his  food.  The  process  was  repeated  again  and  again 
with  infinite  relish.  Upon  looking  a  little  closer,  to  ob- 
serve the  nature  of  the  animal,  Mr.  Williams  perceived 
that  it  was  not  a  worm,  but  the  entrails  of  the  chicken 
we  had  for  dinner,  which  the  child  was  eating  with 
so  much  relish.  I  am  afraid  our  chicken  would  not  have 
tasted  quite  so  nice  had  we  heard  this  before  dinner. 

The  native  women  have  a  custom  of  cramming  their 
children.  They  begin  when  their  infants  are  only  a  few 
days   old.      They  will  have  about  a  teacup  full  of  soft 


318 


INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 


boiled  rice,  and  holding  the  infant  on  their  lap,  with 
their  fingers  they  will  poke  the  rice  down  its  throat,  then 
with  the  hand  rub  the  throat  and  the  stomach  to  force 
the  rice  down — the  poor  child  crying  most  piteously  all 
the  time  ;  this  is  continued  till  the  whole  of  the  rice  has 
been  forced  down.  The  mother,  meanwhile  the  child  is 
crying,  smiles  and  looks  on  most  complacently,  think- 
ing she  is  doing  the  best  thing  for  her  child.  After  the 
stuffing  operation  is  completed,  the  child  is  rubbed  all 
over  with  palm  oil,  and  then  laid  down  for  an  hour  or 
two  before  the  fire.  You  must  suppose  the  child  who 
lives  through  this  ordeal  must  have  a  tough  constitution. 
They  are  very  good  children,  you  rarely  hear  one  cry  ex- 
cept when  undergoing  this  operation.  This  is  a  daily 
process. 

Last  night  I  was  awakened  by  hearing  quite  a  scuff- 
ling and  scrambling  in  my  room.  But  as  in  the  next 
room  to  mine,  which  is  only  separated  by  a  mat,  a  hen 
with  a  brood  of  young  chickens  rests  under  the  bed  for  fear 
of  snakes  out  of  doors,  I  just  thought,  perhaps  she  had 
mistaken  her  quarters,  and  found  her  way  into  my  room, 
so  I  quietly  went  to  sleep  again.  When  it  was  daylight 
I  called  to  my  nurse,  who  was  sleeping  on  a  sort  of  couch 
in  my  room,  to  look  on  the  floor  between  her  couch  and 
my  bed.  There  lay  the  cat,  very  quietly  purring  away, 
while  beside  her  lay  the  bloody  remains  of  a  snake,  which 
she  had  partly  devoured.  Whether  she  had  brought  it 
in  to  devour,  or  whether  it  had  found  its  own  way  in, 
and  she  had  killed  it  there,  I  know  not.  From  its  ap- 
pearance then  it  must  have  been  from  four  to  five  feet 
long,  about  as  large  round  as  a  child's  arm,  and  of  a 
beautiful  bright  blue  color.     Mrs.  Carrol,  in  great  horrcr, 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  319 

flung  it  away,  so  our  gentlemen  did  not  see  it  to  be  able 
to  recognize  the  species.  1  felt  very  timid  after  that, 
though  I  did  not  say  a  word,  as  when  we  are  placed  in 
such  circumstances,  it  is  our  duty  to  try  and  overcome 
our  fears,  and  not  to  torment  all  around  us  with  them, 
when  it  is  not  in  their  power  to  allay  them.  It  is  so 
sweet  always  to  feel,  in  every  circumstance,  that  there 
is  an  ''eye  that  never  slumbers  or  sleeps,"  constantly 
watching  over  us,  and  nothing  can  harm  us  but  by  His 
permission,  and  if  he  allows  it  we  know  it  is  for  our 
good,  and  with  his  protection 

'*  On  tlie  lion,  vainly  roaring, 

On  his  young,  our  foot  shall  tread, 
And  the  dragon's  den  exploring. 
We  shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head." 

Oh,  for  perfect  faith,  and  trust  in  our  Almighty  Father's 
love ! 

Pleasure. — On  Sunday  an  Elder  was  ordained,  and 
Uncle  Simon  preached  from  the  text,  "  He  was  made  a 
curse  for  us."  What  deep  earnest  love  he  has  for  his 
Redeemer.  He  has  not  had  much  of  man's  teaching  or 
learning,  not  much  of  worldly  knowledge,  but  he  has 
been  "  taught  of  Grod."  His  library  is  the  Bible,  and  he 
illustrates  and  explains  it  by  itself  beautifully.  He  has 
the  true  wisdom.  His  fervent,  earnest  prayers  always 
carry  you  to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  I  am  daily  learning 
lessons.     Oh,  may  they  be  remembered  ! 

The  air  is  very  balmy  and  refreshing  ;  it  must  be 
healthy.  I  have  not  had  a  touch  of  fever  since  I  have 
been  up  here,  but  still  I  am  very  far  from  strong.     T 


320  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

hope  my  voyage  down  the  coast  may  strengthen  me.  It 
will  be  rather  longer  than  it  was  coming  up,  as  the 
''  Stevens"  has  to  stop  and  land  passengers  and  freight 
at  several  places.  We  are  looking  for  her  now,  hourly  ; 
so  to-morrow  we  leave  here  for  Monrovia,  to  be  in  time 
to  welcome  our  new  friends.  We  are  looking  anxiously 
for  them.  There  is  to  be  a  meeting  of  Presbytery  at 
Sinou,  about  thirty  miles  above  Cape  Palmas,  so  a  num- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  clergymen  will  go  down  in  the 
''Stevens"  with  us.  This  afternoon  we  took  a  walk 
down  to  the  river.  There  are  several  large  rocks  out  in 
the  water,  under  the  shade  of  some  beautiful  mimosa 
trees,  which  tower  up  some  seventy  or  eighty  feet  above 
the  water.  We  went  out  and  sat  down  under  the  shade 
of  these  trees  on  the  rocks,  and  talked  of  the  wonderful 
works  of  God,  displayed  here  in  all  their  grandeur,  and 
then  of  loved  ones  at  home.  Poor  Mrs.  Carrol  (my  nurse), 
though,  was  in  momentary  dread  of  snakes ;  her  fears 
were  almost  ludicrous — mistaking  every  withered  branch 
or  pendent  vine,  for  the  object  of  her  terror.  Here  we 
had  quite  a  little  Bethel — reading  some  beautiful  selec- 
tions of  God's  Word  —  singing  those  precious  hymns, 
''  Guide  me,  oh  thou  great  Jehovah,"  and  ^'  How  firm  a 
foundation,"  and  praying  for  the  heathen  around  us, 
the  missionary  friends  coming  to  us,  and  for  all,  all  we 
loved  at  home.  Truly,  we  could  feel  that  our  God  was 
with  us — that  "  the  Almighty  dwell  eth,  not  in  temples 
made  with  human  hands,"  but  "  wherever  two  or  three 
are  gathered  together  in  his  name,  there  will  he  be  to 
bless  them."  In  travelling  through  this  wilderness  He 
often  gives  us  manna  to  eat,  and  refreshes  us  with  springs 
from  the  pure  river  of  the  water  of  life. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  331 

Aunt  Mcey  was  telling  me  that  there  used  to  be  great 
quantities  of  monkeys  about  here,  but  wherever  civil- 
ized man  takes  up  his  abode,  the  lower  animals  have  to 
give  place  before  him.  She  says,  that  some  time  ago 
she  saw  some  natives  catch  a  monkey,  and  while  it  was 
living,  put  it  on  the  fire  and  roast  it,  and  then  they  ate 
it,  skin,  entrails,  and  all.  She  said  the  moans  and  groans 
of  the  poor  little  animal  were  so  like  a  child  it  made  her 
sick.     "  The  tender  mercies  of  the  wicked  are  cruel." 

Monrovia. — We  came  down  the  river  to-day  in  Uncle 
Simon's  canoe.  It  is  a  very  large  one,  and  he  arranged 
it  quite  comfortably  for  us,  making  seats  and  backs  with 
boards,  and  putting  in  pillows.  A  heavy  thunder  storm 
came  up  while  we  were  on  the  water,  but  having  um- 
brellas we  did  not  get  much  wet.  A  clergyman's  office 
here  is  no  sinecure.  I  will  give  you  an  idea  of  some 
of  Mr.  G-ibson's  duties.  Every  third  Sunday  morning 
he  goes  across  the  river,  in  turn  with  others,  to  preach 
to  the  Kroo  and  Veys— this  is  at  seven  o'clock.  Then  he 
has  service  every  Sunday  in  the  morning  and  evening  at 
his  little  church,  or  rather  school-room,  here,  and  then 
he  has  Sunday  School  in  the  afternoon — this  he  is  obliged 
to  superintend.  He,  in  turn  with  the  others,  preaches 
Sunday  afternoons  to  the  Congoes.  Oftentimes,  on  the 
Sabbath,  besides  these  duties,  there  are  the  sick  or 
funeral^  to  attend,  so  that  frequently  he  has  barely  time 
to  catch  his  meals.  Through  the  week  he  has  an  even- 
ing service  and  an  afternoon  prayer  meeting,  besides 
preaching  twice  in  the  heathen  towns.  Then  he  has  to 
attend  to  the  building  of  the  church,  and  most  of  its 

14# 


322  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

secular  affairs.  I  have  just  mentioned  a  few  items.  You 
see  our  laborers  have  a  chance  "  to  wear  out"  here,  hut 
not  ''to  rust  out." 

I  have  made  a  few  calls  to-day.  I  am  very  much 
pleased  with  Mrs.  Benson,  the  President's  wife.  She  is 
a  quiet,  lady- like,  unassuming  woman. 

The  Stevens. — Early  this  morning  we  heard  that  the 
"  Stevens"  had  arrived,  bringing  a  noble  band  of  mis- 
sionaries. I  received  my  letters,  giving  me  confirmation 
of  my  father's  peaceful  death.  Safe  at  home,  safe  at 
home !     Christ  being  all. 

This  afternoon,  after  reading  my  letters,  our  new 
friends  came  to  see  me.  There  were  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stone,  of  the  Baptist  mission.  They  are  going  considerably 
farther  down  the  coast,  to  Abbeokuta,  The  Rev.  Mr.  Syes, 
of  the  Methodist  church  ;  he  was  formerly  out  here  for 
many  years.  He  has  now  been  sent  out  to  look  after 
these  Congoes,  see  what  is  to  be  done  with  them,  &c.  Miss 
Kilpatric,  also  of  the  Methodist  church,  is  come  out 
again  (she  had  to  return  home,  some  months  ago,  on 
account  of  her  health)  to  take  charge  of  her  school  up 
the  river,  where  she  has  labored  most  perseveringly,  the 
only  white  lady.  And  we  have  quite  a  reinforcement  for 
our  mission ;  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Rambo,  Messenger,  and 
Hubbard,  with  their  wives.  We  surel}^  have  cause  to 
''  thank  God  and  take  courage."  The  ''  Stevens"  brings 
a  number  of  passengers,  among  whom  is  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Burns  (colored)  who  has  just  been  to  America  to  receive 
ordination  as  a  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  church.  We  hear 
he  is  going  to  be  married  immediately  to  the  young  lady  who 
has  had  charge  of  Miss  Kilpatrio's  school,  in  her  absence. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  323 


It  will  probably  be  two  weeks,  or  more,  ere  the 
''  Stevens"  leaves  here,  as  she  has  much  freight  to  dis- 
charge. So  many  little  kind  mementoes  from  loving 
friends  !  oh,  for  grateful  hearts  ! 

Christmas  Day. — This  morning,  at  the  breakfast  table, 
a  little  package  was  laid  by  my  place ;  a  strange  boy  had 
brought  it,  but  no  one  knew  from  whence.  On  opening 
it  I  found  a  number  of  letters  and  a  beautiful  book  from 
a  dear  friend  at  home.  On  the  inside  she  wrote,  wish- 
ing me  a  happy  Christmas,  she  little  thought  I  should 
receive  it  Christmas  morning  ;  but  it  remains  a  mystery 
to  me  how  it  came,  for  all  from  the  ship  disclaim  any 
knowledge  of  it.  But  I  have  it,  many  thanks,  kind 
friend.  All  our  friends,  from  the  ship,  were  on  shore, 
and  after  service,  we  were  invited  to  different  places  to 
dine.  In  the  afternoon  we  all  met  at  Dr.  McG-ilPs  and 
went  in  a  body  to  the  National  Fair,  which  is  now  being 
held  in  what  is  called  the  Palm  palace,  a  building  con- 
structed in  the  G-overnment  square  for  the  purpose.  This 
is  the  second  fair,  only,  that  has  been  held,  and  it  is 
very  respectable.  There  are  samples  of  cotton,  sugar- 
cane, fruits,  vegetables,  and  flowers,  country  cloth,  and 
chairs,  looms,  tools,  &c.  There  is  one  very  beautiful 
wardrobe,  made  of  a  wood  they  call  bastard  mahogany. 
After  we  had  remained  here  till  we  were  tired,  we  ac- 
companied our  friends  to  the  boat.  Miss  Kilpatric  and 
Mr.  Syes  remain  in  Monrovia — she  returned  and  took 
tea  with  me 

Sunday. — Mr.  Messenger  preached  in  the  Presbyterian 


324  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

Church — Mr.  Rambo  preached  for  Mr.  G-ibson.  In  the 
afternoon  we  had  a  Missionary  *  meeting.  Mr.  Russell, 
an  Episcopal  clergyman  from  up  the  river,  gave  us  a 
very  interesting  account  of  the  work  amongst  the  na- 
tives there.  There  are  about  thirty  towns  in  his  vicinity, 
which  he  visits,  each  once  a  month,  preaching  in  all. 
In  most  of  these  they  have  built  a  little  hut,  which  they 
call  the  church,  for  him  to  preach  in  when  he  goes  there, 
and  they  all  of  them  are  crying  out  for  God  men  '^  to 
go  teach  them,"  that  they  "  want  to  leave  country  fash, 
and  to  do  God  fash,"  and  they  are  begging  earnestly  for 
teachers.  This  seems  to  be  the  cry  now  amongst  them 
all.  May  God  hasten  the  time  when  we  shall  say 
"  Great  is  the  multitude  of  preachers."  Miss  Kilpatrio 
is  going  up  to  her  school  to-mxorrow 

The  Congoes. — Some  of  our  friends,  from  the  vessel, 
come  on  shore  each  day  ;  I  enjoy  their  company  much 
"We  have  had  letters  from  Cavalla ;  both  the  Bishop  and 
Mrs.  Payne  very  unwellagain,  they  have  concluded  to  return 
to  America  by  the  Stevens.  It  v/ill  be  a  sore  trial  to  me, 
their  leaving,  but  they  need  the  change  much.  I  spoke 
of  Mr.  Syes,  the  colonization  agent,  he  came  out  now  in 
the  Stevens.  He  invited  us  all  (the  white  people)  to 
dine  with  him  to-day  at  his  boarding  house.  Mr.  Gib- 
son's house  being  near  the  boat  landing,  when  they  come 
on  shore,  all  collect  here.  About  eleven  o'clock  all  were 
assembled  and  we  went  up  to  his  house ;  wo  had  a  very 
pleasant  day,  but  I  fear  I  am  going  to  be  ill  again.  I 
have  a  great  deal  of  fever,  and  yet  am  so  weak.  After 
dinner  we  went  up  to  the  Receptacle  (the  place  provided 


« 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  325 

by  the  Colonization  Society  for  the  emigrants  on  their 
first  arrival),  where  the  poor  Congoes  are  lodged  ;  they 
were  eating  their  dinners — corned  beef  and  sweet  potatoes. 
The  poor  things  are  beginning  to  recover  somewhat  from 
the  effects  of  their  ill  usage,  though  still  they  look  de- 
plorably ;  they  have  all  now  nice  clothing  and  seem  quite 
happy.  Mr.  Rambo  addressed  them  through  an  inter- 
preter, and  Mr.  Hubbard  prayed  fervently  for  them. 
They  then  sang  for  us  one  of  their  native  songs,  one  man 
standing  up  and  leading  them,  and  as  they  sang,  he 
went  through  a  great  variety  of  most  graceful  manip- 
ulations, all  imitating  him,  and  as  the  gesture  was 
changed  the  note  was  changed.  There  was  not  much 
melody,  I  must  confess,  in  their  song,  but  the  time  was 
most  accurate,  and  would  have  done  good  to  the  heart 
of  a  music-master,  and  that  from  two  hundred  at  once. 
The  Congoes  are  young;  I  should  not  think  that  there  is 
one  among  them  over  thirty.  The  interpreter  is  a  re- 
captured Congo,  who  was  brought  here  about  fourteen 
years  ago  ;  he  is  now  a  Christian,  and,  to  his  great  joy, 
has  discovered  an  own  brother^  among  the  new  arrived. 
Oh  !  that  I  had  an  eloquent  pen  that  could  touch  the 
heart,  and  make  others  see  these  scenes  as  I  see  them. 
We  must  pray  that  friends  may  be  raised  up  for  these 
poor  friendless  ones — that  they  may  be  taught  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  only  true  friend 

The  G-ospel.— Mr.   Gibson  was  telling  us  to-night, 
that  when  the  Bishop  was  up  here,  some   time  ago,  he 

*  A  mother's  child.   Others  are  called  my  father's  son  or  daughter,  but 
a  mother's  child  is  a  brother  or  sister. 


326  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

preached  from  the  text,  '^  Woe  is  me  if  I  preach  not 
the  G-ospel."  He  was  heard  by  a  young  man  of  the  first 
standing,  and  good  education,  who  is  doing  an  excellent 
business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Church,  and  that 
sermon  made  him  feel  that  it  was  his  duty  to  give  up 
all,  to  preach  the  G-ospel  to  the  heathen.  He  has  been 
struggling  with  conviction,  all  his  family  opposing  him, 
but  now  he  has  determined  to  give  up  all  for  Christ,  and 
he  has  written  to  the  bishop,  to  know  what  course  he 
must  pursue  to  obtain  a  theological  education  and  pre- 
pare for  the  ministry.  Is  not  Grod  amongst  us  when  the 
Africans,  themselves,  are  waking  up  to  their  duty  to 
their  brethren,  and  devoting  themselves  to  the  work? 
Pray,  pray  for  the  Missions,  pray  earnestly  ;  we  know 
not  how  much  of  the  success  in  the  work  here,  is  in  an- 
swer to  the  faithful  prayers  of  those  at  home.  G-od  has 
promised  the  blessing — ''  Yet  for  all  these  things  will  I 
be  inquired  of  by  the  house  of  Israel,  saith  the  Lord." 

Sickness. — So  ther^  is  a  break,  in  my  journal,  of 
twelve  days  again.  Our  Heavenly  Father  constantly 
teaches  us  our  weakness  and  our  need,  of  daily  depend- 
ence upon  Him.  The  commencement  of  this  year  has 
been  ushered  in,  to  me,  on  a  bed  of  sickness,  pain,  and  lan- 
guishing— where  will  its  close  find  me  ?  Oh  !  for  growth 
in  grace  and  preparation  for  the  eternal  world.  In  read- 
ing the  account  of  the  building  of  Solomon's  temple, 
we  find  that  not  an  axe  or  a  hammer  was  hfted  up  upon 
the  temple  itself,  nor  the  sound  of  it  heard,  but  each 
separate  stone  was  cut,  and  carved,  and  wrought,  and 
polished,  beneath  in  the  earth,  ere  it  was  fit  to  take  its 


EVERY  DAY   LIFE    IN  AFRICA.  327 

place  in  that  sacred  pile ;  and  is  it  not  so  with  the 
heavenly  temple  ?  Must  not  each  living  stone  which  is 
to  occupy  a  place  in  that  holy  building,  be  cut  and  pol- 
ished, and  Vv^rought  into  fitness  and  meetness,  for  the 
position  it  is  there  to  occupy  ?  No  sound  of  the  work- 
men's tools  will  be  heard  there  ;  it  is  here,  on  earth,  that 
each  stone  is  to  be  prepared  for  its  future  place,  in  the 
''  building  of  G-od,  the  house  not  made  with  hands, 
eternal  in  the  heavens."  May  our  prayer  be,  not  that  we 
be  spared  the  process  of  preparation,  but  that  each  stroke 
may  only  render  us  more  beautiful  and  fit  us  the  sooner 
to  take  our  position  there. 

So  much  kindness  has  been  shown  me  in  my  sickness, 
oh  !  for  a  thankful  heart.  The  principal  people  of  Mon- 
rovia have  shown  every  kindness  and  attention  to  the 
Missionaries.  "VVe  have  all  been  invited  out  to  dine  every 
day,  and  though  I  could  not  accept  the  hospitalities,  the 
others  were  enabled  to  do  so.  On  New  Year's  day  there 
was  a  grand  pic-nic  given  to  the  united  Sunday  Schools, 
the  expenses  entirely  defrayed  by  one  or  two  gentlemen. 
It  was  held  on  a  lovely  spot,  near  the  point  of  the  cape. 
They  had  a  delightful  day.  To-day  we  were  invited  to 
the  President's ;  it  being  very  near,  I  was  enabled  to  go. 
We  sat  down  to  dinner,  about  forty  of  us  ;  everything 
was  in  excellent  style — a  very  fine  display  of  cut-glass, 
silver,  damask,  &c.,  and  a  very  pleasant  company.  Be- 
fore going  out  this  morning,  a  basket  was  brought  me  ; 
on  opening  it,  I  found  a  large,  beautiful,  iced  cake.  Miss 
Kilpatrio  had  sent  it  me  from  up  the  river.  Bishop 
Burns,  of  the  Methodist  Church,  was  married  yesterday, 
to  her  assistant  teacher.     She  has  been  busy  making 


328  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

cake  and  did  not  forget  us,  probably  thinking  it  would  be 
nice  on  board  ship  (we  leave  in  a  day  or  two).  ''  Little 
deeds  of  kindness,  little  acts  of  love,"  what  beautiful 
flowers  they  are,  springing  up  by  the  way  side. 

Friends. — ^We  dined  with  Bishop  Burns  and  his  bride 
to-day.  We  spent  a  pleasant  day,  and,  before  parting, 
had  a  delightful  prayer  meeting.  "When  I  reached  home 
I  found  Uncle  Simon  had  come  down  the  river,  expect- 
ing the  vessel  would  sail  to-morrow.  She  does  not, 
however,  till  Monday.  Aunt  Nicey  had  been  thinking 
of  something  to  send  me,  so  she  sent  me  a  pretty  little 
rice  bird,  but  it  looks  very  drooping  ;  I  fear  it  will  die. 
The  little  children  I  had  gathered  together  sent  me  many 
messages,  and  much  love,  and  wrote  me  three  or  four 
little  notes.  Dear  children,  I  may  never  see  them  again. 
Mr.  Syes  is  going  down  in  the  Stevens  with  us,  with 
about  eighty  of  the  Congoes.  These  he  is  going  to  dis- 
tribute at  different  points  down  the  coast  as  far  as  Cape 
Palmas.  I  feel  very  sad  to-day,  the  doctor  tells  me  he 
fears  that  I  shall  have  to  return  home  to  America.  This 
constant  fever  has  so  broken  me  down,  he  fears  I  can- 
not regain  strength  here.  My  voyage  back  to  Cavalla 
may,  perhaps,  strengthen  me.  It  would  indeed  be  a 
bitter  trial  to  leave  my  work  here — but  Grod  knows  best. 
Poor  Artec  does  not  seem  much  benefited  by  her  voy- 
age. The  doctor  fears  she  is  incurable.  It  is  a  stransfe 
disease,  this  sleepy  disease.  It  is  often  hereditary  ;  the 
person  suffers  no  pain,  but  constant  heaviness  and  stu- 
por. Eating,  drinking,  walking,  no  matter  what  they 
are  doing,  they  will  fall   asleep  ;  then  it  seems  as  if  the 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  329 

brain  gradually  softens  and  the  person  becomes  slightly 
deranged,  and  after  two  or  three  years  the  whole  frame  be- 
comes gradually  weakened  and  they  expire.  Artec  has 
troubled  us  so  much  by  her  strange  way  of  acting  lately, 
but  it  was  a  relief  when  the  doctor  told  us  it  was  her 
disease.  She  was  a  fine  girl ;  one  of  the  most  promising 
at  the  Asylum.  But  this  is  an  affliction  sent  from  the 
'^  All- wise." 

The  Stevens. — So  I  have  said  good-bye  to  my  kind 
friends  at  Monrovia.  When  saying  farewell  to  Ex-Pres- 
ident Roberts,  he  said  he  was  sure  they  would  soon  send 
me  to  America,  as  he  thought  I  was  not  fit  to  remain  in 
Africa  at  present.  I  laughingly  told  him  he  was  a 
^'bird  of  ill-omen"  and  he  must  not  croak  (I  little 
thought  he  would  be  so  true  a  prophet.)  The  Stevens  is 
a  very  fine  vessel  ;  she  is  very  much  crowded  with  pas- 
sengers. The  captain  told  us  to  be  on  board  to-night, 
but  we  are  not  to  sail  till  to-morrow.  The  Congoes  are 
not  on  board  yet.  How  it  troubles  me,  the  thought  of 
the  possibility  of  my  having  to  leave  my  work.  I  feel 
as  if  I  could  willingly  die  here,  if  such  is  Grod's  will,  but 
to  leave !  "Well,  we  know  "  the  Lord  doeth  as  he  will 
among  the  inhabitants  of  earth." 

"We  have  a  very  pleasant  company  on  board.  Quite  a 
band  of  ministers.  They  conduct  family  worship  in 
turns,  though  of  so  many  denominations,  there  is  never  a 
jarring  note.  All  are  "  one  in  Christ  Jesus."  Our  cap- 
tain seems  a  rough  old  customer. 

Bassa. — We  anchored  off*  Bassa.    Mr.  Rambo  went  im- 


330  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

mediately  on  shore  to  pack  his  furniture.  Before  his 
return  to  America,  this  used  to  be  his  station,  but  now 
he  is  to  remove  to  Rocktown,  so  he  wishes  to  remove  his 
furniture.  Mr.  T.  Thompson  has  been  ordained  and 
appointed  to  this  station. 

We  all  dined  on  shore  at  the  mission-house  to-day.  It 
is  a  very  pretty  house,  and  lovely  location ;  but  it  is  said 
to  be  very  unhealthy.  Here  in  the  garden,  entirely 
alone,  lies  the  grave  of  the  first  Mrs.  Rambo,  a  most 
lovely  women.  At  first  it  gave  me  a  very  sad  feeling 
to  view  that  lonely  grave,  but  in  an  instant  came  the 
remembrance  that  her  white-robed  spirit  had  joined  the 
countless  multitude  which  no  man  can  number,  bought 
by  the  precious  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

Some  native  women  came  round  us  at  the  house,  par- 
ticularly admiring  our  hair,  and  Mrs.  Rambo  kindly  let 
her's  down  that  they  might  have  the  satisfaction  of  ex- 
amining it.  Mr.  Williams  showed  them  his  watch,  with 
w^hich  they  were  much  delighted.  He  then  told  them  it 
was  like  a  man,  showing  them  the  works.  He  said 
while  those  works  were  good  the  face  was  all  right,  the 
hands  moved  right,  and  the  watch  told  the  truth,  but  if 
those  works  inside  were  bad  the  hands  did  not  move 
right,  and  the  watch  did  not  tell  the  truth  ;  so  if  a 
man's  heart  inside  him  was  good  his  hands  would  do 
good ;  he  would  act  right  and  his  mouth  would  speak 
right  and  true  things  ;  but  if  his  heart  was  wicked  and 
bad  he  would  say  and  do  all  bad  things.  He  also  told 
them  that  the  watch  sometimes  got  wrong,  out  of  repair — 
then  it  must  go  to  the  watchmaker's  to  be  made  right,  so 
our  hearts  get  wrong,  out  of  repair — then  we  must  take 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  331 

them  to  God  in  prayer  to  set  them  right.  He  told  them 
this  so  simply  and  easily,  that  they  seemed  to  understand 
and  appreciate  every  word.  The  gentlemen  had  ap- 
pointed service  in  the  afternoon,  but  as  it  was  a  two 
miles'  walk,  along  the  beach,  to  the  little  church,  none  of 
the  ladies  went ;  we,  therefore,  returned  early  on  board 
the  ship.  I  have  had  very  high  fever  again  for  the  past 
two  days. 

Since. — We  put  into  Since  this  morning.  All  our 
Presbyterian  brethren  are  gone  on  shore  to  attend  the 
conference.  The  Stevens  will  remain  here  two  or  three 
days ;  by  that  time  conference  will  be  over,  so  Mr. 
"Williams  and  Uncle  Simon  will  go  on  in  the  Stevens 
to  Cape  Palmas,  and  then  return  in  her.  She  wdll  be 
there  two  or  three  days.  Uncle  Simon  wants  to  visit 
some  of  our  native  schools  to  observe  the  management  of 
them. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rambo  and  myself  went  on  shore  this 
morning.  We  went  first  to  call  on  the  Rev.  Mr.  G-reen, 
the  Episcopal  clergyman,  and  his  wife.  He  has  a  very 
pretty  little  church,  in  the  Grothic  style ;  it  is  his  own  de- 
signing. We  went  in  to  see  it ;  from  there  we  went  to 
the  Presbyterian  church,  it  was  the  closing  of  the  con- 
ference. This  is  quite  a  large  building.  We  here 
heard  several  excellent  addresses,  and  then  went  to  dine 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Priest,  the  minister.  In  his  garden 
there  is  a  splendid  lemon  tree  that  covers  an  area  of 
over  thirty  feet,  and  it  produces  the  largest  lemons  I  ever 
saw.  We  left  Since  in  our  boat  about  four  o'clock,  and 
our  vessel  got  under  weigh  again  at  six. 


332  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 


HOME. 

We  anchored  off  Cape  Palmas  last  evening,  and  soon 
were  safe  at  the  Asylum,  and  I  am  sure  our  new  comers 
must  be  satisfied  with  their  reception.  The  Bishop  has 
come  up  to-day  to  welcome  all.  He,  with  all  the  rest, 
remained  ij)  transact  some  business  and  to  settle  the 
abodes  of  our  new  friends,  but  I  came  down  home .; 
Home !  how  pleasant  a  word  it  is.  Mrs.  Payne  was 
much  disappointed  at  my  appearance.  She  hoped  to  see 
me  looking  quite  well,  and  she  thinks  I  hardly  look  any 
better  than  when  I  went  away.  Mrs.  G-illet  and  all  the 
girls  came  to  meet  me,  some  distance  along  the  beach, 
but  it  growing  dark  before  I  arrived,  they  were  obliged  to 
return  home,  thinking  I  should  not  be  here  till  to-morrow. 
About  eight  o'clock  I  stepped  into  the  school-house,  and 
i  almost  thought  I  should  have  been  torn  to  pieces.  Only 
think  of  forty-two  girls  with  their  teacher  all  crowded 
round  you,  each  one  trying  to  give  you  the  first  hug. 
I  had  to  make  my  escape  very  quickly  again,  but  it  is 
pleasant  to  feel  you  possess  the  love  of  these  poor  chil- 
dren.    I  desire  to  thank  God  for  it. 

Mrs.  GriLLET. — I  have  not  described  her  to  you.  She 
is  a  tall,  large  woman,  very  dark,  but  with  a  very  good- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  333 

natured,  smiling,  pleasant  face.  She  was  brought  into  the 
school  many  years  ago,  a  little  naked  heathen  child  ;  as 
ignorant  and  degraded  as  any  among  them.  Now  she  is 
a  Christian  teacher,  in  every  way  thoroughly  well  suited 
to  the  position  she  fills.  She  teaches  and  explains  the 
Bible  well  to  the  children,  showing  them  clearly  the  way 
of  salvation  through  Christ.  She  is  kind  and  affectionate, 
while,  at  the  same  time,  she  maintains  good  discipline 
and  makes  the  children  obey  her.  She  has  a  nice  little 
bed-room  off  the  school-room,  fitted  up  very  neatly ; 
there  she  can  oversee  the  girls  at  all  times,  being  with 
them  night  and  day.  I  have  sometimes  gone  into  her 
room,  where  she  would  be  sitting,  neatly  dressed,  reading 
or  sewing,  and  her  own  mother  would  come  in  to  see 
her,  a  perfect  heathen,  wearing  only  a  little  cloth  (they 
do  not  like  to  wear  more  clothing,  many  of  them).  I 
think  how  painful  it  must  be  to  the  daughter  to  see  her 
own  dear  mother  still  so  far  away  from  the  true  G-od. 

Mrs.  G-illet  has  been  telling  me  that  during  the  holi- 
days she  has  been  up  to  visit  Brownell,  one  of  our 
native  teachers;  who,  with  his  wife,  is  up  at  Mtie  Lu, 
a  hundred  miles  up  the  Cavalla  river.  Here  he  has  a 
little  school,  which  has  been  established  about  a  year 
The  boys  in  this  school,  one  year  ago,  were  perfect 
heathens,  had  then  never  even  heard  the  name  of 
G-od.  Mrs.  G-illet  says  to  see  them  at  prayer  it  is  so 
pleasant.  They  all  kneel,  with  their  eyes  fixed 
on  their  teacher,  and  no  matter  what  happens  they 
never  look  away  from  him.  She  asked  one  of  these  little 
boys  how  it  was  when  there  was  any  strange  noise  out 
of  doors  that  he  did  not  turn  his  head  to  see.      He 


334  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF  ' 

answered,  ''  If  we  turn  our  heads  to  see,  then  our  ears 
wdll  follow  our  eyes,  and  our  hearts  will  follow  our  ears, 
and  God  says  we  must  pray  with  our  hearts."  May  we 
not  learn  lessons  from  poor  African  children  ?  Mrs. 
Grillet's  Piushand  was  a  very  fine  young  Christian  man, 
a  good  Krooman.  One  of  the  French  emigrant  vessels 
tempted  him  and  several  others  of  our  young  Christian 
men,  with  the  promise  of  high  wages  and  a  speedy 
return,  to  ship  on  board  of  her  about  four  years  ago.  The 
Bishop  strongly  advised  them  not,  telling  them  what  he 
believed  to  be  the  character  of  the  vessel.  The  tempta- 
tion, however,  was  too  strong,  they  thought  he  must  be 
mistaken.  They  went,  but  have  never  since  been  heard 
of.     I  fear  she  is  widowed  for  life. 

Ordination. — Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hubbard,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Messenger,  are  appointed  to  reside  at  Cavalla ;  Mr, 
and  Mrs.  Rambo  at  Rocktown.  The  Bishop  has  con- 
cluded not  to  return  by  the  Stevens,  but  to  go  by  the 
next  English  mail  steamer  ;  then,  he  will  be  able,  in  the 
meantime,  to  initiate  our  new  missionaries  a  little  in 
their  work.  This  is  an  arduous  post,  particularly  for 
new  comers.  May  they  have  grace  given  them,  and 
strength  according  to  their  day.  Mr.  Hubbard  was  or- 
dained on  Sunday.  Mr.  Rambo  came  down  to  be  pres- 
ent. May  he  be  a  faithful  soldier  of  the  cross.  The 
Stevens  has  left. 

The  Magic  Lantern. — I  forgot  to  mention  a  pleasant 
circumstance  that  occurred  a  little  while  ago.  Some 
kind  gentleman  has  sent  us  out  a  magic  lantern,  with 


EVERY-DAY   LIFE    IN   AFRICA.  335 

scripture  pictures  ;  and  Mr.  Hoffman  was  showing  it  to 
our  children,  any  of  the  natives  who  chose  to  come  in, 
and  explaining  it  to  them,  when  he  came  to  the  picture 
of  Christ  as  a  babe  at  Bethlehem  ;  whilst  explaining  this 
he  paused  for  a  moment,  when  instantly  a  number  of  the 
children  struck  up  singing  that  beautiful  hymn  : 

"  Salvation,  oh !  the  joyful  sound, 
Glad  tidings  to  our  ears." 

No  one  had  told  them  to  do  this  ;  it  seemed  as  if  it 
burst  forth  involuntarily  from  their  lips.  It  did  sound 
so  appropriate,  it  truly  was  singing  from  their  heart. 
May  this  word,  "  salvation,"  soon  be  glad  tidings  of  great 
joy  in  all  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

Illness. — Since  writing  last,  I  have  again  been  led  by 
my  Father's  hand  down  to  the  ''  border  land,"  and  for 
two  or  three  days  to  stand,  as  it  were,  on  the  very  edge ; 
but  ^'thanks  be  to  G-od,  who  giveth  us  the  victory 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,"  I  was  enabled  to  bow 
with  submission  to  his  wdll,  and  say,  ''  my  Father,  thy 
will  be  done."  In  health,  I  always  have  an  instinctive 
horror  of  death,  yet,  when  in  the  ''  dark  valley,"  the 
''  King  of  terrors"  loses  most  of  his  hideousness.  Now, 
when  doubts,  and  fears,  and  Satan's  legions  beset  me,  I 
could  put  them  to  flight  with  these  two  passages,  which 
never  left  my  mind.  ''  Simon,  Simon,  Satan  hath 
desired  to  have  thee,  that  he  might  sift  thee  as  wheat : 
*  but  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not ;"  and 
again,  "  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  us,"  and 
I  felt  it  to  be  impossible  for  His  prayers  to  fail.     But  it 


336  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

has  pleased  the  "  Lord  and  G-iver  of  life,"  again  to  raise 
me  up  from  what  all  thought  to  be  my  bed  of  death.  I 
am  just  able  to  sit  up.  The  Bishop  and  Mrs.  Payne  at 
first  spoke  of  my  returning  home  with  them  ;  but  now, 
it  is  hoped,  that  after  this  severe  illness,  the  worst  I 
have  had  in  Africa,  that,  perhaps,  I  may  be  better  than 
I  have  been  at  all.  If  it  is  God's  will,  I  hope  it  may  be 
so,  for  it  is  the  one  earnest  desire  of  my  heart  to  labor- 
for  Africa.  Mrs.  Hoffman  is  just  taken  with  fever  ;  as 
yet  it  is  slight ;  some  have  it  very  lightly,  we  hope  it 
may  be  so  with  her. 

Funeral. — Last  night  the  girls  had  a  visit  from  th(5 
drivers  in  their  school-house.  What  a  noise  and  hubbub 
there  was  ;  Mrs.  Gillet  had  to  desert  her  room,  and  give 
them  entire  possession  of  the  lower  story,  but  they  did 
not  go  up  stairs ;  this  morning  they  have  disappeared. 
Eliza  Hutchings,  the  wife  of  one  of  our  native  teachers, 
formerly  a  scholar  in  the  girls'  school,  came  to  the  village 
a  week  ago,  very  sick  of  dysentery,  a  very  prevalent  dis- 
ease now.  The  doctor  has  been  carefully  attending  her, 
but  she  died  last  evening.  Her  end  was  peace.  Last 
week,  this  time,  I  lay  very  low.  Why  was  I  spared  ? 
She  was  buried  this  morning  ;  she  was  placed  in  a  neat 
deal  coffin,  and  carried  into  the  church,  where  the  fune- 
ral service  was  performed.  It  was  very  sad  to  see  the 
poor  mother,  as  she  followed  the  coffin,  at  times  embra- 
cing it  with  frantic  cries  and  gestures.  She  is  a  heathen^ 
and  her  manner  was  in  striking  contrast  with  the  sub-  ^ 
dued  grief  of  the  Christian  relatives.     She  had  no  hope. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  337 

Departure. — The  evening  after  the  Bishop  and  his 
dear  wife  left  us,  I  again  had  a  severe  relapse,  probably 
owing  to  excitement  consequent  on  their  departure.  I 
had  promised  them,  ere  they  left,  that  should  I  be  ill 
again,  I  would  take  the  first  opportunity  to  return  to 
America  ;  as  if  I  could  not  labor,  I  should  only  be  an 
additional  burden.  All  our  new  missionaries  have  had 
occasional  attacks  of  fever,  though,  thanks  be  to  G-od, 
none  of  them  had  yet  been  dangerously  ill.  I  fear.I  was 
very  rebellious  to  Grod's  will.  I  was  not  willing  to  give 
up  my  loved  work  ;  I  felt  as  if  I  could  die,  if  it  were 
God's  will,  but  not  leave  there.  How  hard  we  often  find 
it  to  say  in  all  things,  ''  Thy  will  be  done!"  I  left 
Africa  in  the  next  English  steamer  after  the  Bishop  and 
his  wife,  hoping  that  we  should  take  them  up  at  Madeira, 
as  they  were  to  stay  there  for  a  month.  Here  is  an 
extract  from  my  journal,  written  out  at  sea  : — ''  Yes  !  I 
have  had  to  leave  Africa,  it  may  be  forever ;  at  times,  I 
hardly  think  I  shall  live  to  reach  home.  God  knows 
best,  but  ah !  it  was  a  sad  and  bitter  trial.  I  love  my 
work,  I  love  my  children,  and  they  love  me,  but  '  God's 
ways  are  not  as  our  ways.'  I  have  been  ill,  so  ill ;  high 
fever  every  day ;  but  every  alternate  day  the  pulse 
would  be  up  to  one  hundred  and  thirty,  accompanied  by 
four  or  five  hours'  vomiting  and  retching,  with  utter 
prostration  ;  each  of  those  days  we  all  thought  that 
death  would  take  place.  But  God  mercifully  spared  me  ; 
every  kindness  and  attention  v/as  shown  me  ;  all  that 
could  be,  was  done  for  me.  One  week  the  doctor  scarcely 
left  my  bedside ;  I  shall  ever  remember  with  gratitude 
his  kind   attentions.     My   poor   children   would   come 


338  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

quietly  into  the  room  without  making  a  sound,  and 
stand  looking  at  me,  with  such  sad  countenances,  some- 
times the  tears  stealing  silently  down  their  cheeks  ;  and 
if  I  would  give  them  anything  to  do,  they  seemed  so 
happy,  to  rub  my  feet  or  hands,  bathe  my  head,  or  fetch 
me  water.  Poor  children,  I  never  knew  how  much  they 
loved,  me  before.  Three  days,  when  I  was  very  ill,  Mrs. 
Grillet  stayed  in  my  room  all  day,  leaving  Lucie  in  charge 
of  the  school ;  and  as  for  poor  Lucie  herself,  every  mo- 
ment that  she  could  spare,  she  was  in  my  room.  The 
villagers,  men  and  women,  used  to  come  and  look  in 
every  day  at  the  door.  If  able,  I  would  speak  to  them  ; 
if  not,  they  would  just  look  at  me  sadly,  and  go  away. 
I  had  not  been  aware  that  they  had  so  much  affection  in 
their  nature.  But  it  is  not  often  that  it  has  such  an  op- 
portunity of  being  tested,  as  a  serious  illness  here  is  sel- 
dom of  long  duration.  At  length  I  told  Mr.  Hoffman 
that  I  would  leave  by  the  steamer  ;  it  had  been  a  bitter 
struggle  to  me  to  decide  on  this ;  but  he,  with  others, 
had  proved  to  me,  that  it  was  like  committing  suicide  to 
remain.  By  leaving,  there  was  only  the  shadow  of  a 
hope  that  I  might  recover,  but  if  I  remained,  it  was 
utterly  impossible.  The  doctor  took  me  up  from  Cavalla 
to  Cape  Palmas,  though  much  fearing  I  should  not  sur- 
vive the  journey.  Many  of  the  natives,  particularly  the 
Christians  from  the  towns,  came  to  4ook  me'  before  Heft; 
and  my  children  followed  me  for  miles.  May  God  bless 
them,  and  send  them  one  far  more  efficient  than  I  have 
been,  to  teach  them.  When  the  steamer  arrived,  I  was 
carried  on  board  in  my  hammock,  my  nurse  going  with 
me,  to  take  care  of  me.     Little,  I  believe,  |id  any  one 

I 
I 


EVERY-DAY  LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  339 

think  I  should  live  to  reach  the  shores  of  England  ;  and 
I  could  not  even  look  a  farewell  to  my  beloved  African 
home.  Two  days  before  I  came  on  board  my  fever  was 
broken,  and  the  sea  breeze  immediately  began  to  revive 
me  ;  in  a  few  days  I  could  leave  my  close  state-room, 
and  lie  on  a  couch  in  the  saloon,  or  be  taken  for  a  few 
minutes  on  deck.  I  was  obliged  to  send  my  nurse  on 
shore  at  Sierra  Leone,  to  return  by  the  first  opportunity  to 
Cavalla,  as  the  charges  are  so  high  on  these  vessels  that 
I  could  not  bring  her  on,  and  my  strength  was  returning 
that  I  could  begin  to  help  myself.  To-day,  I  am  con- 
siderably better,  so  I  can  scribble  a  little  with  a  pencil, 
as  I  lie  on  the  sofa.  Every  alternate  day,  though,  my 
fever  is  still  very  high." 

Passengers. — The  steamer  is  a  fine  one,  but  our 
sleeping  accommodations  very  poor,  and  the  attendance 
miserable.  We  are  rather  crowded  and  have  a  medley 
set  on  board.  One  colored  girl,  who  is  very  rich  and 
very  homely — she  has  received  an  excellent  education  in 
England.  She  is  from  Fernando  Po.  Two  or  three  of 
the  gentlemen  on  board  pay  her  great  attention,  and  to 
see  the  airs  and  graces  and  the  spoilt  ways  and  ridiculous 
behaviour  of  the  young  lady,  is  at  once  sad,  yet  amus- 
ing. I  often  think  it  would  be  a  lesson  to  some  of  our 
flirts  if  they  could  see  themselves  thus  caricatured. 
Then  we  had  three  quadroons  on  board — they  went  on 
shore  at  Sierra  Leone.  They  were  very  beautiful  and 
graceful — just  enough  African  blood  in  them  to  give  a 
warm  glow  to  their  skins.  They  have  amused  them- 
selves sitting  on  deck,  drinking  champagne,  ale  and  port, 


340  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

till,  each  night,  they  were  completely  "  how  come  you 
so."  Then  we  have  a  sea  captain,  brought  on  board 
dying  ;  he  now  looks  somewhat  better  ;  there  are  hopes 
he  may  recover.  AVe  have  two  doctors,  one  from  the 
navy,  the  other  in  the  army,  neither  of  them  have 
been  here  a  year,  but  both  of  them  obliged  to  return 
from  ill  health.  Doctor  D'Lyon  placed  me  under  the 
care  of  the  army  doctor,  but  since  the  first  day  I  came 
on  board  he  has  been  so  drunk  all  the  time  that  he  has 
not  been  near  me.  The  other  has  prescribed  for  me. 
Then  we  have  quite  a  number  of  army  officers — all  going 
back  for  health.  One  has  his  wife  and  two  little  sickly 
children  with  him.  Then  there  are  three  Spanish 
gentlemen  from  Fernando  Po :  the  Spanish  consul, 
the  captain  of  the  frigate,  and  one  other.  They  have 
been  but  a  few  months  there,  but  appear  more  dead  than 
alive.  What  can  it  be  that  makes  this  climate  so  fatal 
to  the  Saxon  race  ?  We  have  one  American  gentleman, 
one  French  lady  with  her  child,  besides  many  others, 
colored  and  white. 

Sierra  Leone. — At  Sierra  Leone  the  harbor  is  very 
pretty^  and  presents  a  lively  appearance.  It  is  almost  a 
semicircle,  formed  by  high  hills,  or  rather  mountains,  at 
the  foot  of  which  lies  the  town.  The  streets  are  wide 
and  the  houses  look  like  good  ones,  but  for  the  deface- 
ment of  the  climate,  which  gives  them  all  such  an  old 
look,  but  the  cocoa-nut  trees  thickly  scattered  through  the 
town  have  a  fine  appearance.  The  mountains  in  the 
background  are  very  broken  and  picturesque,  but  almost 
entirely  barren.     The  government  house  and  barracks 


iJ.1li|!iV. 


i^ill 


; 

lill 


EVERY-BAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA. 


341 


are  situated  on  the  summit  of  one  of  these  hills  ;  they 
are  very  fine  buildings,  and  rising  behind  them  is  a  high 
hill,  the  only  one  covered  with  foliage.  Vessels  can  ap- 
proach the  shore  much  closer  here  than  at  any  port  in 
Liberia,  and  we  saw  as  many  as  fifty  lying  at  anchor  ; 
among  them  three  English  steam  frigates.  The  scene 
is  very  pretty — so  much  activity  and  bustle.  The  lighters 
plying  continually  between  the  vessels,  carrying  coal, 
produce,  &c.,  and  the  little  skiffs  with  their  gaily  dressed 
company,  combine  to  enliven  the  harbor.  Then  there 
are  several  varieties  of  gulls,  which  seem  contending  with 
the  fishermen  which  shall  have  the  largest  portion  of  the 
finny  tribes  with  which  these  waters  teem. 

We  lay  off"  here  three  days ;  one  of  those  days  I  was 
very  ill  indeed  ;  I  did  not  think  I  should  live  till  night, 
but  in  consequence  of  a  w^ater-pipe  having  burst,  my 
berth  was  flooded,  therefore  I  was  obliged  to  lie  on  a 
couch  in  the  saloon.  That  day  I  was  quite  heart  sick, 
almost  in  despair.  I  was  alone,  far  from  home  or  friends, 
death  staring  me  in  the  face,  and — what  had  never 
troubled  me  before — thoughts  of  a  watery  grave  haunted 
me,  with  the  thought  that  I  had  no  one  to  tell  to  those  I 
love,  how  1  had  departed.  I  felt  as  if  man  and  God  had 
forsaken  me.  But  that  evening  Grod  sent  a  ''  good  Sa- 
maritan" to  me.  An  English  missionary  of  the  Wes- 
leyan  Church  (I  know  not  his  name)  came  on  board  to 
see  a  sick  friend,  and,  seeing  me  look  so  ill,  he  inquired 
who  I  was,  and  came  and  sat  down  beside  me,  and  he 
did  not  leave  me  till  he  had  '^  poured  in  the  oil  and  wine 
into  my  wounds,"  and  till  he  had  carried  me,  in  spirit, 
to   my  Father's  house  —  had  shown  me  the  precious 


342  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OP 

'^  balm"  there,  and  left  me  in  charge  of  the  "  Grreat  Phy- 
sician." Oh,  for  more  of  that  Christian  love  to  go  about 
doing  good.  May  he  always  be  comforted  in  his  hom\s 
of  tribulation  by  the  ''  Grreat  Comforter." 

The  Q-ambia. — We  are  lying  in  the  Grambia  river, 
off  the  little  town  of  Bathurst.  We  anchored  here  yes- 
terday at  noon,  and  are  to  leave  at  two  o'clock  to-day. 
This  is  a  very  hot  place — low  and  sandy  ;  between  the 
streets  of  the  town  the  loose  sand  is  up  to  the  ancles. 
The  houses  here  are  not  so  defaced  as  elsewhere,  but  there 
are  very  few  trees.  Altogether,  it  appears  to  me,  it  is 
the  most  uninviting  place  I  have  seen  on  the  coast.  The 
natives  are  Mahometans — much  more  civilized  than  else- 
where. They  are  tall,  well-made  men,  and  their  loose, 
flowing  robes  and  Turkish  caps,  mostly  white,  give  them 
a  graceful  and  even  majestic  appearance.  They  remind 
you  of  the  Moors  in  their  palmiest  days.  The  women's 
clothing  is  of  every  color  of  the  rainbow.  Here,  at  the 
Grambia,  is  a  species  of  monkey  called  the  dog  monkey. 
It  is  about  two  feet  high.  Its  nose  very  much  resembles 
that  of  a  dog,  and  it  barks  just  like  one.  They  are  very 
savage — if  a  man,  when  out  alone,  should  fire  at  one  of 
these  monkeys,  he  would  never  escape  alive,  as  they 
always  go  in  troops,  and  if  one  is  injured  they  all  im- 
mediately try  to  revenge  him,  and  one  man  alone  has  no 
chance  with  them — they  will  bite  him  to  death. 

Mr.  Ward,  the  American  gentleman  on  board,  has  been 
very  kind  to  me.  He  has  brought  me  some  tamarinds 
and  oranges  from  shore — they  are  very  grateful  in  fever. 
Ho  came  on  shore   and  up  to  the  Asylum  at  Cape 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  343 

Palmas,  and  went  on  board  the  steamer  in  the  same  boat 
with  me.  He  has  told  me  since,  that  he  did  not  think 
it  possible  I  could  live  to  reach  the  vessel.  He  has  been 
travelling  for  five  years.  He  is  excellent  company,  quiet, 
gentlemanly,  and  full  of  information.  He  was  speaking 
to  me  of  the  natives  farther  down  the  coast,  where  he  has 
been.  At  Fernando  Po,  he  says,  they  are  the  most  de- 
based and  degraded  set  of  beings  he  ever  saw,  and  not 
even  social  in  then  habits.  They  cb  not  congregate  in 
towns,  but  they  place  their  huts  in  the  woods  far  apart 
from  each  other,  and,  unlike  the  rest  of  the  people  on  the 
coast,  they  are  not  polygamists. 

The  Juju. — On  a  small  island,  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Niger,  the  people  have  some  strange  customs.  They 
have  a  large  town  of  about  three  thousand  inhabit- 
ants ;  their  huts  are  built  within  mud  walls,  with  the 
streets  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles.  At  every 
corner  there-  is  a  creature  stuck  up,  like  our  scarecrows 
in  America,  with  a  gourd  for  a  head,  and  dressed  up  with 
cloths,  shells,  beads,  &c.  This  thing  is  called  Juju^  and 
whatever  is  devoted  to  it  is  also  jifju  (sacred.)  Thus  the 
little  animal  called  the  Iguana,  a  species  of  lizard, 
which  elsewhere  is  eaten,  here  is  allowed  to  increase  and 
run  all  over  the  island.  At  one  end  of  the  town  there 
is  a  temple  dedicated  to  the  Juju.  It  is  higher  than 
most  of  the  other  houses,  with  an  arched  doorway,  the 
sides  and  arch  of  which  are  foVmed  of  human  skulls. 
Inside  the  hut,  at  one  end,  is  a  sort  of  sacred  altar,  like 
the  Roman  Catholic  altar,  that,  with  an  arched  recess 
behind,  is  formed  of  children's  skulls,  the  east  side  and 


344  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

floor  being  the  skulls  of  adults.  In  the  eye  sockets  of 
each  a  square  piece  of  board  is  inserted,  first  painted  red, 
and  then  an  eye  painted  on  it.  Outside  the  door  is 
a  post  to  which  prisoners  are  tied,  and  beaten  to  death 
with  clubs,  and  then  their  skulls,  after  being  dried  and 
bleached,  are  used  for  replacing  any  that  may  have  be- 
come cracked  or  otherwise  injured.  There  are  three 
priests  whose  business  is  to  put  prisoners  to  death,  to 
take  care  of  the  temple,  and  attend  to  the  dressing  of 
the  Jujus,  It  is  also  their  business  to  look  out  for  and 
seize  anything  persons  may  possess  that  is  juju.  For 
instance,  any  piece  of  cotton  cloth  with  a  distinct  pat- 
tern, such  as  a  leaf  or  flower,  is  juju.  Any  bottle  with 
a  label  on  it  is  juju,  though  the  same  bottle  without  the 
label  is  not  so.  The  priests  seize  all  such  things,  and 
stow  them  away  in  chests  for  the  Jujus^  use — dressing 
them  and  such  like. 

Cruelties. — On  other  portions  of  the  coast,  their 
customs  are  more  cruel  about  witchcraft  than  among 
the  Grreboes.  Any  one,  once  accused  of  witchcraft,  is 
burnt  most  cruelly.  In  some  places  a  slow  fire  is  made, 
and  four  posts  sunk  in  the  ground,  at  certain  distances, 
the  ^person  tied  hands  and  feet  to  these  posts,  and  sus- 
pended over  the  fire,  thus  being  slowly  burnt;  some- 
times they  are  left  to  die  there  ;  at  other  times  they  are 
taken  down  before  death,  cast  into  the  bush,  and  left  to 
perish  miserably.  No  one  must  pity  a  witch.  Some- 
times they  torture  them  a  different  fashion  :  they  are 
fastened  down  so  that  they  cannot  move,  and  then  red 
hot  coals  are  placed  in  different  parts  upon  the  body,  and 
left  to  eat  in.     But  such  details  are  sickening. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA  345 

Drunkenness. — We  had  quite  an  excitement  last  night. 
Our  army  doctor  has  been  intoxicated  all  the  time,  since 
the  first  day  I  came  on  "board  ;  sometimes  he  becomes 
very  uproarious.  The  captain  has  tried  to  stop  his  drink, 
but  without  effect,  for  if  he  is  not  allowed  to  have  a 
bottle  of  his  own,  he  will  take  that  belonging  to  others. 
On  Sunday,  he  had  delirium  tremens,  and  they  locl$:ed 
him  in  his  state-room,  with  a  man  to  watch  him. 
He  was  tolerably  quiet ;  but  last  evening  he  was  dread- 
ful ;  his  room  is  very  near  the  one  which  I  occupy,  and 
all  the  evening  he  was  shouting  and  hallooing  for 
brandy,  which  they  would  not  give  him  ;  at  length  they 
forced  him  into  his  state-room,  and  set  two  men  to 
watch  him.  The  captain  and  the  naval  surgeon  had  been 
on  shore^  all  the  evening,  and  had  only  been  onboard  ten 
minutes,  when  loud  cries  came  from  the  doctor's  state- 
room, ''  I  am  murdered,  I  am  murdered,  my  throat  is 
cut."  The  men  who  were  with  him  were  very  much 
frightened,  and  called  for  assistance.  He  would  not  stay 
in  his  berth  ;  and  though  they  had  been  watching  him 
closely,  yet,  with  a  madman's  cunning,  ho  had  contrived 
to  pull  off  his  belt,  and  with  the  buckle  dash  to  pieces 
the  looking-glass  ;  he  instantly  seized  a  large  jagged 
piece  of  this,  and  cut  his  throat.  He  had  severed  an 
artery,  and  if  the  other  surgeon  had  not  been  on  board, 
he  must  have  bled  to  death  in  a  few  minutes.  As  it 
was,  they  said  it  seemed  almost  impossible  that  any  man 
could  live,  after  losing  so  much  blood  ;  and  yet,  during 
the  whole  of  the  rest  of  the  night,  he  was  raving  fear- 
fully, at  times  shouting  so  loud  as  to  be  heard  all  over 
the  ship.  He  is  a  little  quieter  to-day,  but  has  to  be 
*  At  Bathurst  on  the  Gambia. 


346  INCIDENTS  AND  SCENES  OF 

constantly  watched.  It  is  a  terrible  wound  he  has  given 
himself,  this  cut  with  a  jagged  piece  of  glass.  Compare 
that  man  with  the  poor  heathen  we  have  left,  and  which 
is  the  most  degraded  ?  In  looking  round  this  saloon,  one 
would  no  longer  wonder  at  the  difficulty  the  missionary  of 
the  Cross  finds  in  persuading  the  poor  heathen  to  embrace 
Christianity,  when  these,  and  such  as  these,  are  what  he 
hears  called  Christians.  And  these  here  are  not  what 
would  be  called  the  low^  common  people,  but  such  as 
call  themselves,  and  would  be  entitled,  gentlemen.  In 
all  my  life  I  have  never  heard  so  much  profanity,  as  I 
have  these  few  days  on  board.  It  makes  me  shudder  to 
hear  them  talk ;  may  G-od  give  them  "  better  minds." 
The  day  I  first  came  on  board,  the  doctor  was  somewhat 
sober,  and  he  came  to  me  in  a  very  gentlemanly  man- 
ner, prescribing  for  me,  and  promising  faithfully  to  at- 
tend me.  (He  has  not  been  in  a  condition  to  speak  to 
me  since  that  day.)  Then  he  sat  down  and  talked  with 
me  ;  and  my  being,  so  ill,  I  suppose,  made  him  introduce 
the  subject  of  death,  and  religion.  He  sat  talking  with 
me  for  an  hour  or  more,  deploring  his  dreadful  habits,  his 
sinfulness,  and  wishing,  apparently  sincerely,  that  he 
could  break  away  from  them,  could  become  better,  could 
be  a  Christian ;  he  had  evidently  been  rightly  brought 
up,  and  knew  his  duty.  At  the  same  time,  he  declared 
he  knew  it  was  impossible  for  one  so  vile  as  he,  to  break 
away  from  his  sins,  or  to  receive  pardon.  I  talked  very 
seriously  to  him,  pointing  him  to  the  Saviour  of  sinners : 
the  blood  of  the  Atonement  shed  even  for  him  ;  I  spoke 
very  earnestly,  I  know,  for  I  felt  so.  When  himself,  he 
was  a  fine,  gentlemanly,  young  man,  only  about  eight- 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  347 

and-twenty,  having  left  a  young  wife  at  home  in  Eng- 
land, to  whom  he  was  now  going.  I  felt  great  pity  for 
him.  I  afterward  thought,  I  dare  say  he  went  away 
and  ridiculed  all  I  had  been  saying  to  him  ;  but  at  any 
rate,  I  felt  that  I  had  done  right  to  try,  and  point  him  to 
the  Saviour.  Last  night,  after  he  had  cut  his  throat,  he 
was  raving,  poor  creature,  for  them  to  *'  go  and  fetch  the 
missionary  lady,  that  she  might  come  and  pray  with 
him,  and  tell  him  of  Jesus."  They  could  scarcely 
pacify  him  without  doing  it.  Ah  !  man  may  forget  Grod 
for  years,  but  there  will  come  a  time  when  he  will  wish 
he  had  in  him  a  friend,  when  no  earthly  arm  can  aid 
him.  May  this  be  a  lesson  to  the  poor  doctor,  he  will 
never  forget.  I  saw  in  a  book,  the  other  day,  the  motto 
of  some  German  Missionary  Society.  I  wish  to  make 
it  mine.  It  had  the  device  of  a  bullock,  standing  be- 
tv/een  a  plough  and  an  altar,  with  these  words,  "  Ready 
for  either."  Either  for  work  or  death,  as  the  master  saw 
fit.  And  yet,  if  he  chooses  that  it  should  be  neither, 
but  appoints  unto  us  ''  waiting  work,"  that  is  the  hardest 
of  all,  yet  we  must  pray  for  submission,  and  to  do  even 
that  cheerfully. 

TfiNERiFFE. — Early  yesterday  morning  we  came  with- 
in sight  of  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe.  I  did  not  see  it  then, 
however.  About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  anchored 
oft' the  town  or  city,  in  the  bay.  As  we  approached  the 
island,  the  scenery  was  very  beautiful.  The  Canaries 
on  either  side  of  us,  rising  like  giant  mountains  out  of 
the  sea  ;  these,  with  those  of  Teneriffe,  appearing  in  many 
places  far  above  the  clouds.     The  Peak,  itself,  had  only 


348  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

been  visible  for  a  few  minutes  in  the  morning,  after  that, 
the  clouds  completely  hid  it  from  sight.  As  you  ap- 
proach Teneriffe,  it  looks  like  a  long,  irregular,  chain  of 
mountains ;  a  lower  range  rising  within  the  higher ; 
and  again,  a  third  within  that.  There  did  not  appear 
to  be  many  trees,  but  the  whole  of  the  mountains,  as  far 
as  we  could  see,  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  top  of  the 
cones,  were  all  terraced.  We  were  quite  a  distance  from 
the  shore  till  we  came  near  the  town,  running  along  hori- 
zontally with  the  island,  but  still  we  were  near  enough 
to  discern  this  ;  as,  also,  the  numberless  pretty  little 
villages  scattered  along  the  sides,  and  in  the  valleys,  and 
slopes  of  the  mountains,  from  the  very  shore  up  to  the 
highest  points.  The  houses  are  all  either  built  of  white 
stone,  or  painted  white,  which  makes  them  everywhere 
distinctly  visible,  against  their  greenback-ground.  The 
town  is  beautifully  situated ;  it  is  near  the  northern  end 
of  the  island,  where  the  shore  takes  a  curve,  forming  a 
pretty  little  bay.  In  the  back-ground  rises  the  lofty 
Peak,  its  summit  lost  in  the  clouds  ;  while  to  the  north 
of  the  town,  are  innumerable  sugar-loaf  cones  coming 
close  to  the  water's  edge,  and  rising,  some  higher,  some 
lower ;  the  lowest  elevated  some  eight  or  nine  hundred  feet 
above  the  sea  ;  and  the  valleys  or  depressions  between 
the  cones,  sinking  to  the  level  of  the  town,  all  of  them 
covered  with  terrace-s.  The  town,  itself,  is  built  on  a 
wide,  extended  plain,  which  seems  made  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  and  the  houses  being  all  white,  it  has  a  very  pretty, 
clean  appearance  from  a  distance.  There  are  no  trees  in 
the  town,  and  being  built  so  on  a  level,  it  was  impossible 
to  observe  how  the  houses   were  constructed,  though 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA. 


849 


here  and  there  we  could  see  the  handsome  dome  of  a 
cathedral,  rising  above  the  surrounding  buildings.  The 
sound  of  the  convent  bells,  echoed  back  by  the  hills, 
was  exquisite  melody.  I  should  have  liked  to  see 
more  of  the  place,  but  it  was  impossible,  even  had  I  felt 
strong  enough  to  go  on  shore.  Some  of  our  passengers 
will  long  have  occasion  to  remember  Teneriffe.  It  seems 
at  the  time  we  left  Sierra  Leone,  the  small-pox  was  very 
prevalent  among  the  natives  in  that  vicinity.  When  we 
were  in  the  Gambia,  we  heard  that  this  report  had 
reached  Teneriffe,  and,  consequently,  all  vessels  coming 
from  there  were  put  into  quarantine ;  we,  however,  were 
hoping  that  this  was  not  so.  "When  we  arrived  at  Ten- 
eriffe, the  health  officer  who  came  alongside,  said  that 
no  one  could  go  on  shore,  w^ithout  first  going  to  the  Laza- 
retto (the  very  name  has  horrors  connected  with  it), 
which  is  the  same  as  our  quarantine  hospital,  for  fifteen 
days.  It  was  in  vain  for  the  captain  to  assure  him  we 
had  no  such  sickness  on  board ;  he  would  not  come  and 
examine  for  himself;  and  a  letter  the  captain  wanted  to 
send  to  the  G-overnor,  was  received  at  the  end  of  long 
sticks,  and  deposited  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  Well, 
after  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  the  boat  going  back 
and  forth  many  times,  it  was  at  length  agreed  by  the 
Governor,  that  the  passengers  who  wanted  to  land  there, 
might  be  let  off  with  five  days  in  the  Lazaretto.  How 
sorry  I  felt  for  them.  There  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burton, 
teachers  in  the  Baptist  mission  school  in  Sherbro  Island, 
come  to  Teneriffe,  to  remain  there  for  a  month,  to  regain 
their  health,  and  then  to  return  to  their  work.  Mr.  Ward, 
the  American,  who  wished  so  much  to  ascend  the  Peak, 


350  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

and  yet  had  to  leave  for  Havana  in  fifteen  days.  A 
little  Frenchman,  and  the  three  Spaniards,  one  of  v\^hom 
has  been  very  ill,  and  is  only  just  getting  about  again. 
All  these,  with  their  luggage,  had  to  be  put  into  the  little 
boat  at  midnight,  and  taken  off  to  the  Lazaretto.  This 
is  a  large  building  situated  far  off,  at  one  end  of  the 
tov^n,  close  to  the  water's  edge.  The  exactions  there 
are  exorbitant,  and  the  regulations  dreadful.  It  is  a 
filthy  hole,  with  only  one  room,  which,  when  there  are 
females  there,  is  separated  by  a  curtain.  Here  they 
have  all  to  eat,  drink,  and  sleep.  The  only  article  of 
furniture  provided,  is  an  iron  bedstead  for  each  person  ;  if 
they  wish  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  bed,  pillows,  blankets, 
&o.,  each  article  has  to  be  separately  paid  for.  Each 
person  has  to  pay  two  dollars  a  day  for  food,  whatever 
the  keepers  may  choose  to  provide ;  and  in  this  case,  the 
boatmen  who  row  them  ashore,  are  to  be  shut  up  with 
them  for  fear  of  contagion,  and  the  passengers  have  not 
only  to  pay  their  expenses  at  the  Lazaretto,  but  also  the 
five  days'  hire  of  each  boatman.  Pretty  expensive  trav- 
elling. It  is  a  shameful  imposition,  but  they  cannot 
help  themselves.  I  feel  very  sorry  for  them.  The 
Spaniards  are  raving  about  it,  though  it  is  their  own 
government. 

"We  left  Teneriffe  at  one  Vclock  at  night.  The  next 
morning  we  had  an  excellent  view  of  the  Peak  ;  we  must 
have  been  full  sixty  miles  off,  but  there  it  was,  tower- 
ing far  above  the  clouds,  covered  with  snow,  some  dis- 
tance down  from  the  summit,  glistening  in  the  sun,  the 
clouds  appearing  more  than  half  way  down  its  sides. 
The  Captain  is  somewhat  apprehensive  of  the  same  quar- 
antine at  Madeira. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA.  351 

Madeira. — We  arrived  at  Madeira  about  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  All  the  passengers  had  been  for  hours  on 
deck  to  view  the  scenery,  which  is  grand,  and  to  breathe 
the  balmy  fragrance  of  the  air.  The  island  consists  of 
a  high  mountain  chain,  terraced,  and  like  TenerifFe, 
sprinkled  from  base  to  summit  with  pretty  villages.  The 
houses  being  ail  white,  show  well  from  a  distance.  When 
the  ship  anchored  we  all  v/atched  anxiously  to  see  if  we 
should  be  quarantined,  but  not  a  word  of  the  kind  was 
mentioned.  We  were  much  amused  for  some  time  watch- 
ing a  singular  proceeding.  The  boys  and  men  here  are 
expert  swimmers  and  divers ;  as  soon  as  a  vessel  anchors  a 
little  boat,  pulled  by  two  boys  about  twelve  years  of  age, 
comes  along  side  ;  one  of  the  boys  manages  the  boat, 
the  other  dives  over  the  side  of  it  for  small  coin  which  is 
thrown  into  the  water  by  the  passengers  on  the  vessel. 
They  are  most  expert,  no  matter  how  small  the  coin, 
they  never  fail  to  get  it,  and  they  will  come  up  holding 
it  above  water  to  show  you  they  have  succeeded.  Once 
or  twice  I  was  quite  frightened  at  the  length  of  time 
they  would  be  under  the  water. 

I  sat  watching  the  boats,  hoping  to  see  the  Bishop 
come  on  board,  when  a  strange  gentleman  came  up  and 
addressed  me.  He  told  me  he  was  the  host  of  the  house 
where  the  Bishop  was  staying  ;  he  came  on  board  to 
secure  a  stateroom  for  him  and  Mrs.  Payne,  and  he  had 
requested  him  to  inquire  if  I  was  on  board,  as  when  he 
left  Africa  he  feared  I  should  be  obliged  soon  to  follow. 
He  requested  the  gentleman,  if  I  should  be  on  board, 
and  be  at  all  able,  to  bring  me  on  shore.  Though  very 
weak,  I  determined  to  venture  to  go  on  shore.      The 


352  INCIDENTS    AND    SCENES    OF 

beach,  for  some  distance  up,  is  formed  of  loose  cobble- 
stones, very  bad  for  the  feet.  The  streets  are  not  much 
better.  They  are  very  narrow,  no  side-v^alks,  and  they 
are  all  paved  v^ith  cobble-stones  set  edgewise,  which 
hurt  the  feet  badly,  but  then  they  have  the  advantage 
of  keeping  the  feet  dry,  as  the  water  runs  down  between 
them.  Their  conveyances  are  very  easy  carriages  set 
upon  runners,  drawn  by  two  bullocks.  It  was  quite  a 
matter  of  wonder  to  me  how  easily  and  quickly  these 
vehicles  glide  along  over  the  stones,  with  four  passengers 
inside.  Invalids  go  out  in  hammocks^  but  to  those  who 
are  well  enough,  horseback  riding  is  far  the  pleasantest. 
The  horses  are  as  sure-footed  as  mules,  and  are  well 
trained  for  travelling  through  the  gorges  and  ravines  of 
the  mountains,  where  a  pedestrian  would  scarcely  dare 
to  trust  himself.  The  owner  of  the  horse  always  goes 
with  him,  hanging  on  to  his  tail,  and  in  this  way  he  will 
keep  up  with  him  for  a  whole  day.  The  scenery  is  very 
wild  and  grand.  There  is  a  Romish  Church  called  the 
Mountain  church,  at  the  very  summit  of  the  mountain. 
It  is  an  almost  perpendicular  road  up  to  it,  through  one 
of  the  gorges.  You  are  carried  up  in  a  hammock,  but 
come  down  in  a  sort  of  basket-sled,  a  boy  standing  on  it 
behind,  to  guide  you.  The  Bishop  says  he  came  down 
in  that,  a  distance  of  a  mile  and  three  quarters,  in  nine 
minutes.  After  it  is  once  started  it  comes  down  by  its 
own  weight.  The  houses  I  cannot  describe  ;  they  were 
of  all  sorts,  shapes,  and  sizes,  with  sometimes  a  tower 
jutting  out  here  and  an  angle  there.  The  house  of  Mr. 
Mills,  where  the  Bishop  has  been  boarding,  is  a  fine, 
handsome  one,  in  the  English  style.  The  view  from 
the  top  of  this  house  is  fine  beyond  description. 


EVERY-DAY    LIFE    IN    AFRICA. 


353 


Here  I  met  my  dearly  loved  and  kind  friends,  who 
were  sorry  yet  glad  to  see  me,  and  with  them  again  that 
night  set  sail.  Under  their  kind  care  and  protection  I 
safely  reached  my  friends  in  England,  with  the  fervent 
hope  and  prayer  that  if  it  please  our  Heavenly  Father  to 
restore  my  health,  I  may  again  go  forth  to  labor  for 
Africa,  but  if  not  permitted  to  do  that,  wherever  I  may 
be  I  hope  to  labor  for  her. 

Reader,  have  I  roused  one  feeling  of  interest,  one  hope, 
one  prayer,  for  Africa's  redemption,  one  desire  to  devote 
a  little  time,  a  little  means,  for  her  and  her  children's 
good  ?  If  so,  my  aim  is  accomplished  :  and  let  me  once 
more  press  upon  you  the  duty  of  earnest  prayer  for  her, 
her  children,  and  her  teachers,  then  soon  will  she  "  Arise 
and  shine." 


THE     END 


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