^ PRINCETON, N. J. 



Purchased by the Hammill Missionary Fund. 

DT 471 .W54 1866 >, 

Whiton, Samuel J. 
Glimpses of West Africa 



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Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive 
in 2015 



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GLIMPSES 

OF 

West Africa. 

WITH 

SKETCHES OF MISSIONARY LABOR. 

REV. SAMUEL J. WHITON. 




AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 

150 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 



Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year ISSS, by 
THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 
la the Clerk's Office of the District Coai-t of tlie District of Massacliujct 



P 11 E F A C E . 



The larger j)ortion of the following pages was 
written cluriiig odd moments, snatched from the 
])ressing cares and labors of a missionary life in 
West Africa. The remainder has been prepared 
since failing health compelled my return to Amer- 
ica. 

This little volume does not profess to be an ex- 
haustive "or scientific treatise on West Afiica, but 
merel}' to gWc a few glimpses of that strange, wild 
land, and its degraded inhabitants, — such as I have 
been able to gather during my missionary residence 
;;ud travels there. 

These chapters rcla!:e mostly to the country and 
tribes in the vicinity of the Mexdi ]Missiox, be- 
tween six and eight degrees north latitude. Other 
parts of the coast differ, ^^erhaps, in some respects, 
though the general features are much the same. 

If these pages shall arouse in any heart a deeper 
interest in Africa and the missionary "work there, 
the autlior will feel that he has not labored in vain. 

S. J. AV. 

AVestfobd, Cosn. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTEE I. 
The Country page 5 

CHAPTER II. 
Climate, Fevers, Tornadoes 14 

CHAPTEE III. 
Productions, Travelling, Canoes — 30 

CHAPTEE IV. 

Towns, Houses, Manufactures- 58 

CHAPTEE V. 

The People, Dress, Language, Food 75 

CHAPTEE VI. 
Habits, Superstition 94 

CHAPTEE VII. 
Witchcraft, the Furrow, Cries, etc. 112 

CHAPTEE VIII. 

Government, Palavers, War, Slavery 123 

CHAPTEE IX. 
The Work of Missions 132 

CHAPTEE X. 

Wayside Teachings 139 

CHAPTEE XI. 
Sabbath Labors 149 

CHAPTEE XII. 
A Missionary Tour - 161 

CHAPTEE XIII. 
Sierra Leone 181 



GLIMPSES OP WEST AFEICA. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE COUNTRY. 

Ex\JlS ago, in a brown school-house, thou- 
sands of miles distant among New Eng- 
land hills, I well remember how we used 
to gaze at the map of Africa, and what a 
mystery seemed to surround it. Here and there 
along the coast, rivers and towns were marked 
down, but the interior was one vast blank. A 
vail of impenetrable darkness concealed it, and 
the few remarks that were given only made it 
appear wilder and moi'e mysterious. Asia and 
the islands of the sea were looked at in a dif- 
ferent light, for much more was known con- 
cerning them. Since then, great progress ias 
been made in the exploration of Africa. Liv- 

5 



6 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



iugstoue has penetrated the jungles and kraals 
of the south ; Krapf and Burton and Spoke 
have journeyed far inland from the cast ; Barth 
and Gerard, from the north, have visited and 
explored countries before unknown ; and other 
venturesome travelers have passed through re- 
gions rich and beautiful as Eden, and teeming 
with inhabitants. But there are yet immense 
stretches of country where the foot of white 
man never trod. Africa is still a wild, myste- 
rious land. Its lofty mountains rise in silent 
grandeur, seen only by the dusky heathen. Its 
silvery lakes repose in beauty, disturbed by 
naught save the light canoe. Its majestic riv- 
ers roll down luxuriant valleys, where no sound 
is heard but the wild song or fierce war-cry of 
untamed men. Its crowded towns and villages 
are the scenes of many horrid customs and 
cruelties. The tropic sun looks down upon a 
region where nature spreads her rarest beau- 
ties ; but over all, like a pall of death, rests tlio 
cloud of heathenism. 

No country in the world affords a grander 
field for missionary enterprise tiian Africa. It 



THE couxmr. 



7 



stretches through seveuty-ouo degrees of loagl- 
tude, and scveuty-two of hxtit-ude. Its popu- 
lation is estimated to be two liuudrcd millions, 
but very few of whom can be called even nom- 
inal Christians. Nearly all ar i heathens or Mo- 
hammedans. It is ^truc that great difficulties 
lie in the way of christianizing Africa. An 
enfeebling climate, wild beasts and wilder men, 
toils, sufferings, privations, disappointments, 
and deatii itself, — these the missionary must 
expect to meet. But God's commands are im- 
perative. " Go ye into all the world, and 
preach the gospel to every creature." He did 
not say, Go to the pleasantest spot you can find, 
go where it is very healthy, — ah, no! "The 
soul that sinneth, it shall die," was as surely 
spoken of the benighted millions of Africa as 
f those of more salubrious climes. These mil- 
foils must not be left to perisli in darkness. 
Africa viust he redeemed, though thousands shall 
fall in tlie holy work. The sweet story of the 
cross must be repeated from hill-top to hill-top, 
and from valley to valley, till her sons and 
daughters shall sit at Jesus' feet, clothed and 



8 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AEItlCA. 



in their right mind. Paul faced perils un- 
numbered, shrank not from death itself, gloried 
in his crosses, and was willing to become all 
things to all men that he might save some ; and 
so should the church of to-day lay its all at the 
Saviour's feet, and, asking not why or where- 
fore, go forward in the simple path of duty. 

The very name of West Africa carries an 
indefinable feeling of half-dread to many a 
heart. So much has been said of its deadly 
climate, and so many have early fallen on the 
coast, that some good men have been ready to 
advise the abandonment of the field, and the 
concentration of forces in a more favored spot. 
The country is doubtless unhealthy, and of 
many an ardent young missionary it might be 
truly written, — 

" He, the young and strong, who clierished 
Noble longings for the strife. 
By the waysiJe fell and perished. 
On the threshold march of life." 

But it should be remembered that not one has 
fallen in vain. Being dead, they yet speak. 
Prom their lonely graves beneath the palm and 



THE COUNTRY. 



9 



cocoa go forth potent voices, speaking of a life 
of toil and suffering, and an early death in a 
foreign land, for what ? — for the privilege of 
telling of Clirist to those who sit in darkness 
and the sliadow of death. The eye of Him who 
notes even a falling sparrow never overlooks the 
herald of the cross. And besides, the unhealthi- 
ncss of the coast is often exaggerated. Many are 
able to live and labor here for years. It is with 
the hope of awakening in some heart a deeper 
interest in West Africa and its perishing thou- 
sands, that these few sketches of the country 
and people are written. 

Bishop Heber, in that beautiful hymn that 
has become the rallying cry of missions, sings 
of the land, — 

" 'Wbei-e Afric's sunny fountains 
Roll down their golden sand." 

West Africa is truly a sunny land, and na- 
ture has done much to make it lovely to the 
eye. To the traveler, approaching the coast 
after tossing for weeks or months on the bois- 



10 



CLIMPSES OF WKST AFRICA. 



torous ocean, it seems almost a paradise. Here 
and there the mountains jut boldly down to the 
shore, covered with the wealth of tropic vcge- 
latio:i ; and anon there is a level line of coast, 
oa which the graceful palms stand like senti- 
nels against a background of softly-tinted slcy, 
while the blue hills rise dimly in the distance. 
The quaint villages, v/ith their brown walls and 
thatched roofs, repose amid groves of orange 
and cocoa, surrounded by little patches of cul- 
tivated ground. Now and then green iilanda 
lie like gems in the smooth sea. Gorgeous 
flowers, of all the hues of the rainbow, bloom 
on tiie hill-sides and in the valleys. And over 
all rests the full, rich light of the tropic sun, 
making cverj^thing seem yet more beautiful. 
No wonder that the new-comer, standing on the 
deck of an in-bound vessel, and gazing on all 
this loveliness, feels his heart glow with rap- 
ture. 

"West African scenery, as a general rule, looks 
best at a distance. Wlien the traveler walks 
among the hills g,nd valleys that looked so fairy- 
like from the sea, he finds a dense growth of 



THE couxtht. 



11 



bushes, and tall, rank grass and weeds, tlirongli 
which it is often difficult to force his way, and 
which hides tlie prospect beyond. Poisonous 
snakes crawl through the jungles. Some of the 
gayest flowers have no fragrance. At places, 
the air is laden with miasma. But uotvrith- 
standing this, there is much to charm the senses. 
Tlic idea suggested to the mind is that nature 
has been prodigal of her gifts, everything is so 
rich, so gorgeous, so abundant : — 

" A world of wonder, where creation seems 
No more the works of Nature, but her dreams; 
Great, wild and beautiful, bej'ond control, 
She reigns in all the freedom of her soul. 
Where none can check her bounty when she showers 
O'er the gay wilderness her fruits and flowers." 

Much of the country bordering on the sea is 
low and swampy. Tlie banks of the rivers, 
near their mouths, are lined with the man- 
groves, which vary in size from a bush to trees 
a foot and a half in diameter. Tlio roots 
branch out several feet from the surface of the 
earth, and, interlacing with each other, form an 
impenetrable net-work. The mangroves are 



12 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

uevei* found beyond the reach of salt water. 
Some of the land is so low as to be overflowed 
during the rains, and other parts arc elevated 
and capable of cultivation through the whole 
year. Native villages are scattered all over the 
lowlands, and a few foreign traders have estab- 
lished themselves in the healthier localities. A 
few miles from the sea, the country is more 
broken and hilly, and the scenery more varied. 
There are vast forests of lofty trees, so dense 
that the missionary can walk through them at 
noon-day without feeling the heat of the vertical 
sun. Clear sparkling brooks go rippling along 
their pebbly beds, furnishing delicious drink 
for the weary traveler. The towns are largci* 
and better built, and the people more intelli- 
gent. A trip among the hills is full of inter- 
est and adventure, and gives one an insight 
into African life that could not be gained by 
a residence of years on the coast. 

West Africa is rich in large rivers, v.'hicli 
di-ain the vast interior regions ; but scarcely 
one has been explored to its source. They are 
thickly lined with populous towns, and the 



THE COUXTJIY. 



13 



scenery is often enchanting. Giant cotton-trees 
tower towards the sky, the palm, cocoa and oi- 
angc arc abundant, and flowering vines and 
shrubs line the banks. As the missionary 
journeys up and down these rivers, telling of 
Jesus in town and village, scarcely a sign of civ- 
ilization meets his eye. The light log canoe 
of the native skims over the smooth water, and 
sometimes the heavier boat of a trader, laden 
"with palm-oil or rice, glides slowly along, pro- 
pelled by half-naked oarsmen. Amid all the 
beauties of the scenery, however, there is al- 
ways enough of heathenism visible to sadden 
the heart. 



CHAPTER II. 



CLIMATE — FEVERS — TORNADOES. 

EST Africa is a land of everlasting sum- 
mer. The forests never lose their roLes 
g'^cen. The flowers arc forever bud- 
ding and blooming. No cold winds ever 
sweep over its hills and valleys. The torrid 
sun, day by day and year after year, pours down 
its fierce rays, except when obscured by clouds. 
The heat is often very intense, the mercury 
rising above ninety degrees in tlie coolest part 
of the house. It seldom falls below seventy- 
five degrees ; thus making the temperature quite 
even. There is usually a light breeze, which 
tempers the heat of the sun. The nights are 
sometimes so warm, and mosquitoes so abun- 
dant, that it is difficult to sleep. It is danger- 
ous for foreigners to expose themselves to a 




CUM All:, rriKus, ron.\Ai)0::s. 



].') 



nooii-uay sun without some protection from its 
rays ; but the natives will work all day with 
uncovered heads, or sleep out of doors, with the 
utmost impunity. The want of cold water is 
severely felt by those coming from higher lati- 
tudes. Often, wdien the fever has been burn- 
ing in my veins, have I felt that I would give 
almost anything for a cup of water from the 
mossy well of the old New England homestead. 
Much of the water on the West African coast 
is impure, and has an unpleasant taste, though 
there are some clear, sparkling springs. 

Every one notices the absence of twilight in 
Africa. Those beautiful, dreamy hours of more 
northern lands are unknown here. When the 
sun sets the night shadov/s gather thickly and 
rapidly, and soon there is no sign of day in the 
west. But the nights are often extremely 
beautiful. The air is soft and mild, and the 
moon shines with a fuller, richer light than at 
home. The following extracts from my journal 
will show, more clearly perhaps than I other- 
wise can, the beauty of these nights : — 

" Last evening as I stood at our wharf, lis- 



IG GLIMI'SES OF ll'ESr AFPICA. 

toning to the sound of distant oars, it scorned 
that never before had I seen anything so strange- 
ly lovely. Above stretched the heavens, un- 
commonly blue and clear, and dotted with 
sparkling stars. The tropic moon thrcv/ a 
flood of magic light on the green islands and 
palm-lined shore ; the river lay before me blue 
and motionless, save as its faint ripples broke 
on tho white sand at my feet ; the heavy thun- 
der of the breakers at Sea Bar, ten miles dis- 
tant, came to my ear, mingled with wild 
snatches of song from a heathen village near 
by. How true are those lines by Bishop He- 
ber : — 

' Every prospect pleases, 
And only man is vile.' " 

" Friday morning, at two o'clock, we left 
Good Hope for Avery station. It was clear 
and still, and the moon shone brightly as 
we gave tho parting hand to our friends and 
glided out on the smooth waters of the Sherbro. 
The sky was a deep bluo, with white, fleecy 
clouds floating through it. No sound broke the 
silence save the low voices of our men and tho 



CLIMATE. FEVEllS, TOIWADOES. 



17 



measured dip of their oars, which sparkled in 
the moonliglit as they rose and fell. The day 
broke gloriously just after we entered the Bar- 
groo river : — first a faint tinge of light under- 
ncatli the morning star ; then a few crimson 
streaks creeping up the eastern sky ; next a 
blending of the softest, most wondrous hues 
stretching well-nigh to the zenith ; and fmally 
the majestic king of day riding up the heavens 
from behind the far-off hills, and reflecting his 
beams in the calm river along which we were 
gliding." 

Some regard the night air of Africa as almost 
fatal to foreigners, but I doubt whether the 
opinion is correct. I have journeyed and slept 
in open boats on the rivers of this coast at all 
hours of the night, and was never conscious of 
any ill effects from the exposure. We always 
aim, however, to keep at a distance from the 
miasma-breeding lowlands. 

There are hut two seasons in West Africa,- — 
the " dries " and the "rains." They each last for 
about six months. At the beginning and end 
tbcy are so blended together that it is difficult 



J8 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



to fix upon a dividing point. The rainy sea- 
son begins dnring the spring months, and the 
dry season in autnmn, though on different parts 
of the coast the time varies widely ; and even 
in tlie' same place, like northern winters, it is 
sometimes earlier and sometimes later. The 
rains commence at the south, and pass up the 
coast. During their prevalence vegetation 
thrives luxuriantly. The forests are covered 
•with the densest foliage. Grass, weeds and 
bushes become rank and tall. Leaves sprout out 
as if by magic, and grow with astonishing ra- 
pidity. Each particle of soil is covered with a 
mantle of living green, and it requires much 
labor to keep foot-paths cleared. The swamps 
and lowlands are flooded vath water, but the 
highlands are so porous that walking is tolera- 
ble immediately after the most violent showers. 

The quantity of rain which falls is immense, 
sometimes averaging more than an inch a day 
for three successive months. It falls, too, with 
a rapidity exceeding the storms of the United 
States. The rains, however, are not so constant 
as many are led to believe. Sometimes they 



CLIMATE, FEVEIIS, TOnXADOES. 



19 



couliiuic for a Tvcck with but little cessation, 
and again there are intervals of bright, beautiful 
weather, lasting for several days. The pleasant 
days of the rainy season are more lovely than 
those of the " dries." The sky is of a darker 
blue, and the air clcai'er and cooler ; and na- 
ture seems to be more wildly bountiful in her 
gifts of foliage, flowers, fruits and siuilight, than 
ever. 

Occasional showers occur during the dry sea- 
son, though sometimes for weeks together not a 
drop of rain falls. Towards its close the grass 
becomes dry, and the leaves of some trees grow 
faded and yellow ; the horizon and distant hills 
are half obscured by a soft haze, and an air of 
dreamy voluj)tuousncss reigns around. Tha 
constant heat of the vertical sun is very oppres- 
sive, and brings on a feeling of languor and 
weariness. Houses crack, and everything be- 
comes so parched that the first showers are 
hailed with joy. The dry season is the most 
favorable for missionary tours through the coun- 
try, for during the rains the paths are often 
flooded, and the traveler is liable to a drenching 



20 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

at any moment. The hottest weather is at the 
close of the " dries," when sometimes the at- 
mosphere is so oppressive that the slightest 
exertion bathes one in perspiration. At the 
commencement of the dry season a periodical 
wind, called the harmattan, prevails on a part 
of the coast. It is strongest in the early part 
of the day, and frequently subsides in the after- 
noon, when a sea-breeze springs up. This wind 
blows from the north-east, and is regarded as 
unhealthy by the older foreign residents on the 
coast, who often suffer much from fever during 
its prevalence. It is so cool as to be very pleas- 
ant to those who have lately come from colder 
climes, and does not affect them unfavorably. 
The natives complain of cold when it blows 
strongly. The harmattan has peculiar drying 
properties, and gives a parched, cracking sen- 
sation to the skin, which at other times is moist 
with perspiration. During its prevalence, a 
fine, red dust gathers on leaves, clothes, and 
houses ; sometimes hardly visible, and at others 
plainly seen. The theories accounting for tliis 
are various. One is, that the fine dust origi- 



CLIilATE, FEVEHS, TORNADOES. 21 

nally comos from the great desert of Sahara, 
which lies iu the direction from which the wind 
blows. The air is very thick and hazy at this 
season, and it is impossible to sec but a short 
distance. Ships approaching the coast are sub- 
ject to much danger on this account. 

At the beginning and end of the rainy season 
West Africa is visited by violent tornadoes. 
They come from the mountains to the east, and 
pass seaward. Vessels near the coast are occa- 
sionally wrecked by them. They often rise 
suddenly, and rage with great fury, and are a 
source of much terror to timid people. The 
following extract from my journal of a coast 
voyage will give some idea of the character of 
these storms on the water : — 

" As I went upon deck Tuesday morning, I 
was rejoiced to find the sails full, and felt that 
buoyancy of spirits which is always produced 
by a fresh breeze after a calm. I noticed, how- 
ever, low down in the northern sky, dark, heavy 
masses of cloud. The wind continued to fresh- 
en, and the white foam-caps grew thicker and 
thicker on the water. We went to breakfast in 



22 



GLIMPSES Oh' WEST AFUICA. 



excellent spirits, hoping for a favorable bj-eezo 
tliroiigli the day ; but on returning to the deck 
wo found the dark cloud had rapidly risen, and 
betokened a squall. Swiftly and more swiftly 
the heavy mass mounted the northern heavens, 
until its ragged edges almost reached the ze- 
nith. Our captain, usually so much at ease, 
now stood on the quarter-deck, anxiously watch- 
ing the rising storm. He had at first been de- 
ceived as to its magnitude, as, unlike most tor- 
nadoes, it was unaccompanied by thunder ; but 
now, as a deep green tinge began to show itself 
in the lower cloud, the order was given to take 
in sail. The sea grew black as ink, dotted here 
and there with spots of snowy foam. As far 
out as the eye could reach, a long line of vapor 
could be seen, rolling down over the dark wa- 
ters. Nearer and nearer it came, like a mighty 
bank of snow gliding over the inky sea. It 
was a moment of suspense. If the tornado 
struck us under full sail, it would capsize the 
vessel, and we were lost. " Hard up ! hard 
up ! " roared the captain to our helmsman, and 
the vessel quickly turned its back to the coming 



CLIMATE, FEVERS, TORKADOES. 



23 



gale, and flew through the boilhig waters. 
" All hands on dock ! " " Take in overytliing ! " 
— and the stentorian voice rang loud above the 
roar of wind and waves. For a moment all 
was confusion. The loud-toned commands for 
furling the different sails, and the ready re- 
sponse of " Aye, aye, sir ! " in swift succession ; 
the rattling of ropes and creaking of timbex's ; 
the heavy tramp of the sailors as they abso- 
lutely rushed from one rope to another, would 
have made the coldest heart beat with excite- 
ment. And now the storm was upon us. The 
wind blew with terrific fury, but the rain fell 
in such torrents as to prevent tlie sea from ris- 
ing to any great hight. As I looked from the 
cabin whidow it was a vast, boiling mass of 
green and white ; but our sails were mostly 
furled, and we rode safely through it. The 
gust was soon over, the breeze died away, and 
again we were on the swells in the heat of a 
tropic calm. "We escaped with the loss of a 
part of our main-royal and top-gallant sails." 

On land, of course, the aspect of the tornadoes 
is different. Hero are two hasty sketches : — 



24 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



" Wednesday, as I was calling on the lieatlicu 
people, I heard low mutterings of tluxnder far 
to the cast among the hills. Looking in that 
direction, I saw a small arch of black cloud, 
and underneath a greenish-white tinge. It was 
rising swiftly toward the zenith, and I hurried 
homeward. Hardly five minutes had passed 
before the whole eastern sky was vailed, and a 
gloom like night rested around iis. All was 
silent, oppressive, breathless. Scarcely a ripple 
disturbed tlie glassy smoothness of the river. 
Nature seemed suddenly paralyzed, waiting for 
some awful outburst. Fii'st came a light puff 
of air, then another, and another, stronger 
and yet stronger. Curling waves swept along 
the inky river, the tree-tops swayed wildly, and 
the little islands a half-mile avv^ay were vailed 
with storm-clouds. Doors and windows Avere 
hastily closed, and the tornado burst upon us 
in all its fury. Tlic scene was awfully grand. 
Nature was holding a carnival of vfildness. 
Fierce gusts of wind raged and roared among 
the trees, stripping tliem of branches, scattering 
rubbish in every direction, and shaking the 



CLIMATE, FEVERS, TOIUVADOES. 



25 



house with tlicir power. The rain fell in slieets, 
wliirling and flying hither and thither, and del- 
xiging the earth. Flashes of lightning followed 
each other in quick succession, and now and 
then above the roar of the tempest we could 
hear the loud roll of the thunder. The storm 
lasted nearly an hour, and then came a calm. 
The next day marks of the tornado could be 
seen everyv/here. Houses were partially un- 
I'oofed, and trees prostrated." 

" On Sunday afternoon a fearful tornado 
swept up from the south. The morning had 
been hot and bright, and the air close and sti- 
fling. About three P. M. we heard thunder mut- 
tering in the distance, and in a few minutes 
the hurricane was upon us. It was awfully 
wild, fully coming up to those descriptions that 
are sometimes regarded as fabulous. The rain 
fell in masses ; the wind whirled and raged 
with terrific violence, tearing large branches 
from trees, unroofing houses, and carrying ev- 
erything before it ; the lurid lightning flaslied 
incessantly, and the thunder roared and crashed 
and rattled in one continuous peal. A dark- 



2G 



GLIMI'SKS OF WEST AFRICA. 



ness liko night settled round, and the noise of 
tlie elements was deafening. It lasted an lionr, 
sometimes partly dying away, and again renew- 
ing its violence. Tlie quantity of rain whicli 
fell must have heen enormous. The wind tore 
off the iron roofing of the mission-house like 
paper. In tlie country villages around, much 
-damage was done. Many houses were unroofed, 
and some torn down, and numerous trees were 
prostrated." 

The most lovely weather often succeeds these 
torrid storms. The sky is a dark, rich blue, 
with silvery clouds floating here and there. 
The sunlight dances and glimmers on the grace- 
ful groves of palm and cocoa. The giant cot- 
ton-tree puts on a fresher green, and its smooth 
leaves glisten in the light. Gorgeous flowers 
bloom on every side, and the breeze is fragrant 
with tlic breath of orange-blossoms. All is 
quiet, calm, beautiful, almost fairy-like, — a 
perfect contrast to the fierce strife of the preced- 
ing day. 

Gales of wind are not experienced on this 
coast, but during the rainy season the wind 



CLIMATE, FEVEJiS, TORNADOES. 



27 



sometimes blows strongly from the south, hi 
the dry season, northerly winds prevail. 

West Africa has been called " the white 
man's grave," on account of the large number 
of foreigners who have died here. Fever and 
dysentery are the two great scourges of the cli- 
mate. All Avho come must expect to go through 
a season of acclimation ; but many become so 
habituated to the country as to live here in tol- 
erable health for years. There are those who 
have resided on the coast for twenty or thirty 
years, and bid fair to live for as many more. 
Others are compelled to leave at once or die. 
So much has been written of the deadly nature 
of the climate, that many come with a morbid 
fear, which greatly tends to shorten their lives. 
Some, if attacked with the dreaded " fever," 
become so frightened as to give up all hope of 
life, and of course they die ; for the mind ex- 

- erts a wonderful influence over the body in this 
disease. A cheerful, hopeful spirit is absolutely 
uidispen sable in African fever. Care and pru- 
dence will do much towards the preservation of 

^ life, and yet those who are the most tremblingly 



28 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



careful and over-cautious arc usually the first 
to fall. The missionary, from the nature of his 
work, is obliged to pass through many expo- 
sures ; and he will find that a firm, childlike 
faith in such promised as are contained in the 
ninety-first Psalm, together with a quiet pi"u- 
dence, will be far better than over-anxiety and 
extraordinary measures. The young missionary 
is often sorely perplexed by the advice of his 
friends. One says, " You must do this, but you 
must not do that ; " another says, " You must 
do that, but not this." And nearly all unite in 
believing that in either case he will be qiiite 
sure to die. We say. Expect to live; make 
yourself as familiar with the country as possi- 
ble ; and then use your own common-sense, 
with a humble trust in God. 

The African fever bears a strong resemblance 
to the " fever and ague " of the Western States 
of America. Aching limbs, a general feeling 
of lassitude, and a restlessness of mind which 
makes it impossible to remain in one position 
for any leiigth of time, are certain signs of its 
approach. A chill, more or less violent, usually 



CLIMATE, FEVERS. TOIiNADOES. 29 

succeeds, followed by high fever. As the fever 
passes off, profuse perspiration sets in, and the 
sufferer feels easier. The fever is often accom- 
panied Avitli violent pains, and lasts from a few 
hours to two or three days. A second, third, 
and fourth attack follow the first in quick suc- 
cession, unless powerful remedies are applied. 
Quinine is generally regarded as the best rem- 
edy, and sometimes requires to be administered 
m very large doses. If taken in season it will 
often prevent the attack. 

The missionary must expect to suffer more or 
less from this fever; and sometimes, when work 
presses upon him, he will be compelled to leave 
all, and lie on a bed of sickness. But there will 
be many hours of joyful labor for his Master, 
richly repaying him for all his weariness and 
pains. 



CHAPTER III. 



PRODUCTIONS — TRAVELING. 

' HE productions of "West Africa are niimer- 
^ _^ ous. Tho soil is usually rich, and if fully 
^ developed would yield an almost unlim- 
ited amount of produce. No winter re- 
tards tho growth of vegetation, and there may 
be a constant succession of crops during tho 
whole year. Perhaps no country in the world 
is more prolific. But its resources are so un- 
developed that years must pass by before the 
world will really know what West Africa can 
produce. 

The native methods of farming are very sim- 
ple and imperfect. The wants of the African 
in his heathen state are so few, and nature goes 
so far towards supplying them, that he has but 
little motive for exertion. The same spot of 

30 



rnODUCTIONS, tra veling. 



31 



grouiul is cultivated only a year at a time, and 
tlicii loft to grow up to " bush." Each town or 
village has its farm, soiuotinics quite extensive, 
where the people raise their rice, cassada, sweet 
potatoes, and other food. The farms are often 
situated a long distance from the town. The 
land is first cleared up with hatchets and cut- 
lasses, and afterwards burned over. Almost the 
only implement used in planting is a small hoe 
two or three inches in diameter. With this the 
ground is dug over, and the seed covered. A 
few rude buildings ai^e usually erected near 
by, called " farm-houses ; " and during the sea- 
son of planting and harvesting, many of the 
people remain at the farm for days and weeks, 
so that the towns are nearly deserted. Others 
go in the morning and return at night. 

Sometimes at sunrise a curious procession 
may be seen passing towards the farm. A few 
men go straggling along, much at leisure ; 
naked children with large baskets on their 
heads, and women, some with infants strapped 
on their backs, and some bearing heavy bur- 
dens, follow ; and all haA^e a wild, heathen look. 



32 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



At night they return, perhaps chanting somo 
rude melody, and bringing baskets of rice and 
sweet potatoes, and hampers of cassada. 

Rico may be called the bread of West Africa. 
It is raised in larger quantities than any other 
article, and is often exchanged by the country 
people for cloths and other manufactures of 
civilized lands. It is sown at the commence- 
ment of the rains, and ripens at the close. A 
single farm among the hills often covers forty 
or fifty acres. The rice-planting is very labo- 
rious, as the seed must all be dug in with the 
small native hoe ; and after the new rice forms 
a constant watch must be kept, or the rice-birds 
wiil devour it. Cliildren frequently do the 
watching, and the traveler passing up the rivers 
sees them here and there, like statues of ebony, 
standing on a rock or stump among the rice. 
Tlie hai-vesting is also laborious. The heads 
arc clipped from the stalk, and the rice after- 
wards beaten out on the ground. After this it 
requires to be separated from the hull by pound- 
ing in a mortar. 

Sweet potatoes are abundant, and will ri])eii 



PPiODUCTIOiVS, TUAVICLIifG. 



33 



at all seasons of the year. Indian corn flour- 
ishes everywlicro, but is seldom raised in large 
quantities, though from some parts of the 
coast it is exported. A small grain called 
pota is cultivated, and sometimes eaten in the 
place of rice ; also the bene-secd, which pro- 
duces a kind of oil, and is used by the natives 
in their sauce ; and the guinea corn, or " koos- 
koos." Ground-nuts are produced in large 
quantities, and exported by cargoes to foreign 
countries. They grow luxuriantly, the tops 
resembling rank clover, and the nuts forming 
in the ground. They are much used as food. 

English and American garden vegetables are 
unknown among the natives, but are cultivated 
with some success by foreign residents. Efforts 
have been made to introduce Irish potatoes, but 
those raised have been few and imperfect. 

The arrow-root flourishes well, and might be 
produced in unlimited quantities. The ginger 
of this coast is of a superior quality. Cassada 
is largely cultivated in all the native farms, 
and is eaten raw, roasted, and boiled. It grows 
to be a large bush, and is propagated by plant- 



34 



GLIMPSES OF WICST AFniCA. 



iug pieces of tlio woody stem in tlio eartli. The 
root is the portion used for food, and it is highly 
prized by the people. 

The coco and the yam are two other esculent 
roots, largely produced in West Africa. The 
former is the best substitute for Irish potatoes. 
The latter is coarse, dry, and insipid. The 
vine of the yam bears a strong resemblance to 
polc-bcans. Sugar-cane grows well on the 
coast. It is raised by the natives for eating in 
small quantities, but the process of sugar- 
making is unknown to them. In Liberia con- 
siderable sugar is raanvifactured by the colo- 
nists for export, and many mills have been estab- 
lished. The indigo plant gi'ows in abundance 
all over the country, but not much effort has 
been made to prepare it for exportation. Pep- 
per and coffee can be produced to almost any 
amount. The latter is now largely cultivated 
on some parts of the coast. Cotton has long 
been raised by the natives, and used by them 
in the manufacture of cloths. The Egyptian 
and sea-island varieties have lately been intro- 
duced, and have flourished to some extent. 



rnOD UCTIONS, tra veling. 



35 



The experiments have not been fully tested. 
The native cotton is of a fine texture, and can 
be obtained in large amounts. 

j\Iany of the productions of West Africa are 
as yet undeveloped, but vast sources of wealth 
will doubtless be found in those in the future. 
There are many fibrous plants, and gums and 
minerals now almost iiuknown, which will am- 
ply repay tlio efforts of science and skill to 
bring them into use. The African fruits are 
almndant and luscioiis, but unsatisfying to 
the foreigner, who longs for his native aj)plc, 
peach, and pear. The orange is one of the most 
common and delicious fruits of Africa. It 
grows almost everywhere, and a bushel can 
often be purchased for an article worth a few 
cents. Some trees produce two regular crops 
a year, and some have a constant succession of 
flowers and fruit. There is a large, sour or- 
ange, imfit for eating, which is used for mar- 
malade. Many of the oranges are superior in 
flavor to the finest found in American markets. 
The trees are often large and graceful. 

The lime is abundant, and largely used by 



36 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFIUCA. 



the natives with their food. " Lime-clriiik " is 
a cooling and healthful beverage for foreigners. 
There are various kinds of plums, sweet and 
sour, but they are not generally palatable. A 
kind of wild fig is also found upon large trees. 
Several varieties of cherries are gathered in the 
forests, but they are almost wholly unlike the 
cherries of America. 

The bread-fruit grows luxuriantly in this 
country, though it is not found in a wild state. 
The tree is graceful and beautiful, and the fruit 
when cooked quite palatable, but it bears but 
little resemblance to bread. The bread-nut 
exactly resembles the bread-fruit outwardly, 
but the rind contains several small nuts, which, 
when roasted, are eaten. 

The mango is another delicious fruit. The 
trees are beautifully shaped, and covered with 
the densest foliage, affording a cool shade. The 
fruit grows in large clusters, and slightly re- 
sembles the peach. The gxiava is also much 
valued. It is of the size of a small apple, and 
excellent for eating or for jelly. The paw-paw 
is a singular fruit somewhat resembling a musk- 



-rr.onucTioNs, TitAVELmG. 



37 



niulon. The tree is small, with a tuft of loaves 
at the top and no branches, and the fr;ut grows 
in clusters on the trunk. The sour and sweet 
sop are indescribable fruits, much liked by some, 
but seldom by the new-comer. The cashew is 
another suigular production, — half mit and 
half fruit. The pulpy portion is eaten, and the 
nut at the end forms the seed. 

The pine-apple grows everywhere, and is 
large and delicious ; the plants are sometimes 
two feet or more in hight. The plantain and 
banana are found near almost every village, 
and the site of an old town can often bo known 
by the little orchard of bananas remaining. 
The plants look very beautiful when growing 
in large numbers, with their immense leaves 
glistening in the simlight, and their large clus- 
ters of fruit. The tamarind grows in a vfild 
state, and is also cultivated. The cocoa-nut is 
plentiful, and the trees at a distance can scarcely 
be distinguished from the palm. They are 
sometimes found in largo groves, and are a 
beautiful feature in the landscape. There are 
many varieties of iiuts;-— among those most 



33 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AEHICA. 



prized by tlio natives are tlio kolers. These 
possess a stimulating property, and are chewed 
by boatmen to keep tliemselves awake during 
t'nc night hours. They are often used as gifts 
by the people, the present of a kolcr being con- 
sidered a pledge of friendship. 

Among the trees of Africa, the palm stands 
first. It gives a pleasing, oriental aspect to the 
fchore, wlien seen from the sea ; and in jour- 
neying up the rivers, a palm-grove, standing 
against a sunlit, tropical sky, forms a picture of 
exquisite beauty. The trees sometimes rise to 
the hight of sixty or seventy feet. The leaves 
make an excellent thatch for buildings, and the 
fiber is used for lines and fish-nets. The nuts 
yield two kinds of oil, which form an important 
part of the exports of the country. Cargo after 
cargo is shipped every year by the traders, who 
have established factories along the coast. The 
natives have devised a singular way of climbing 
the palm-tree to obtain the nuts. They fasten 
a hoop around the tree and themselves, against 
which they loan ; then give a spring upwards, 
then another, and when they arrive at the top 



mODUCTlOXS, TUA VELIN^O. 



39 



they cut tlic buuch of nuts from the trunk, and 
let it fall to the ground. Palm wine is obtained 
by tapping the tree near the top. It is much 
prized by the people. A sort of cabbage grows 
from the trunk at the point where the leaves 
sprout out. When boiled it affords excellent 
food. 

The bamboo can hardly be called a tree, yet 
it is a very important plant. Its leaves closely 
resemble the palm, and form the chief roofing 
of houses in West Africa. Tlic camwood is 
found along the coast in considerable quantities. 
There arc also many varieties of forest trees, 
affording excellent timber. 

The descriptions of farming at the beginning 
of this chapter relate, of course, to the native 
modes. On many parts of the coast, where 
civilization has obtained a footing, farms are 
cultivated in a far better manner. But the 
work of introducing improvements goes forward 
slowly, and agriculture is, in general, in a very 
backward state. 

Of the animals of West Africa, tlie leopard is 
one of tlie jnost troublesome. It roams through 



40 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFIllCA. 



tlie bush everywhere, and at night prowls 
about towns and viHages. Children are fre- 
quently killed by it, and grown people some- 
times attacked. In the interior, the sheep and 
goats belonging to a town are herded within 
the walls at night to protect them from the 
leopards. The skins of this animal are used for 
hangings on the walls of kings' houses, and to 
cover native stools. 

The elephant is found in many parts of the 
hill-country, and is eagerly hunted by the na- 
tives for its ivory. These hunts are intensely 
exciting, and dangerous. It would be almoiit 
impossible for a white man to participate in 
them, so dense is the jungle through wliich the 
huge beast plunges. Tigers are said to abound 
in some parts, and lions were formerly found in 
the mountains of Sierra Leone, Porciipines 
are numerous, and often do miich daiiiage in 
the farms and among the fowls. 

Monkeys are common all along the coast ; 
and the traveler, passing up and down the riv- 
ers, hears them chattering in the forests, and 
sees them leap from branch to branch. They 



rnODUCTIONS, travetang. 



41 



ai'o often caught, tamed, and carried to foreign 
countries. The chimpanzee, which strongly re- 
sembles a human being, is also found in the 
forests ; and the ourang-outang is sometimes 
seen. 

There arc but few cattle on the immediate 
coast, but they abound towards the interior. 
Sheep and goats are very numerous, also fowls. 
The African sheep closely resembles the Ameri- 
can, except that it has no wool, and is covered 
with fine, smooth hair. Several kinds of deer, 
and many other animals, larger and smaller, 
are found on the coast. 

The birds of West Africa have often a most 
gorgeous plumage, but their songs are not so 
sweet as those of more temperate regions. 
Among them are the rice-bird, crane, pelican, 
crow, hawk, vulture, eagle, and pigeon. Many 
varieties of fish are found in the waters. Sharks 
are so numerous that bathing and swimming 
are dangerous, and not unfrequently the na- 
tives are killed by them. Alligators are often 
seen gliding along near the surface of the water, 
or sunning themselves on the banks. Tlio 



42 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



hippopotamus, or rivor-ccw, is a native of tlio 
coxiutiy ; and its hoarse bellowings are heard 
during the night hours by the traveler as he 
lies in his little boat. 

The insects and reptiles of West Africa are a 
terror to many foreigners. They are very nu- 
merous, often troublesome, and sometimes dan- 
gerous. Africa may well be called the land of 
ants. These little insects are of all shapes 
and colors. They go everywhere. They enter 
our houses, and glide over the table-cloth as we 
sit at dinner. They pass up and down the 
walls, cross the mat-covered floors in continual 
processions day and night, and crawl over our 
portfolios as we write. Our paths are lined with 
them, whenever we walk out of doors ; and the 
rock or log on which we seat ourselves to rest 
is sure to have an abundant supply. 

The drivers are a curious species of African 
ants. They are medium sized, but very fero- 
cious. They travel in a long, close line, about 
half an inch wide. These processions often 
cross and re-cross a path many times, and as 
they move swiftly forward over the same spot 



pnonccTioxs, rnAVF.LiXG. 



43 



lioiu* after liour, their numbers must bo im- 
mense. If anything disturbs their line of march, 
they rush out in every direction witli amazing 
swiftness to attack the intruder. V»liatever 
comes in their way is eagerly devoured. Bugs, 
worms, serpents, and even goats and sheep if 
taken in an unsuspecting moment, arc instant- 
ly covered with myriad swarms, and struggle 
in vain to escape. Even the huge elephant and 
boa-constrictor arc said to have sometimes fal- 
len a prey to the innumerable legions of thes3 
tiny animals. An experienced eye is almost 
certain to detect the long black line of drivers 
Avinding across the path ; but if in a thoiight- 
Icss moment the traveler's foot is placod iipon 
it, a scene at once painful and ludicrous fol- 
lows. In an instant his body is covered from 
head to foot, and a hundred sharp fangs pierce 
his flesh, causing involuntary screams, jumps, 
and most undignified antics, that draw roars of 
laughter from the most sympathizing looker-on. 
But all is in vain. Xo relief can be found by 
the victim, whose excited imagination fancies a 
Imndred bites for one, till he retires by himself, 



44 



GLIMPSES OF WnST AFUICA. 



and jjicks off the clinging drivers one by one. 
Sometimes tlicy enter houses, and effect a good 
purpose by clearing them of roaches, hugs, and 
smaller ants. 

The bug-a-bug is another -wonderful and 
troublesome ant found in West Africa. It does 
much damage to the wood-work of houses, not 
unfrequently destroying it altogether. The nar 
tive houses last but a few years on account of 
the depredations of these ants, and great care 
lias to be exercised in the mission-houses to keep 
them out. They form a little arch of mud along 
the walls and floors, underneath which they 
come and go, preying upon the wood. Some- 
times they enter a post from the earth, and de- 
vour all the inner portion, while the outside 
seems as solid as ever, till suddenly it falls. 
Like the drivers, they are small, but their name 
is legion. 

The bug-a-bugs show a wonderful industry in 
building their houses, which are called " bug-a- 
bug hills." These hills are numerous almost 
everywl>cro ; sometimes an acre of land will 
contain a score of them. They vary much in 



rnoDUcTioss, traveling. 



45 



size and shape. Some are fourteen feet high, 
twenty or thirty in circumference at the base, 
and have many little spires and pinnacles. 
They are built of a brown clay, quite hard, and 
often present a really beautiful appearance. 
The building of these solid hills by such tiny 
insects is a wonder next to the formation of 
coral islands. Each hill has its " queen," — a 
bug-like animal, two or three inches in length. 
At certain seasons of the year winged bug-a- 
bugs issue in immense numbers from small 
holes in the ground, but after a few hours' ex- 
posure to the air the wings fall off. At this 
time they are gathered by the natives in large 
quantities, parched, and eaten as food. They 
are regarded as very delicious. 

The serpents of this country are of all sizes, 
from the minutest to the huge boa-constrictor. 
Some are harmless, and the bite of others is 
deadly. They abound in all the fields and for- 
ests, yet very seldom is any one injured by 
them. The natives go everywhere barefooted, 
but are rarely bitten, and I never heard of a 
case that resulted fatally. Scorpions are ofteu 



4G 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



found in houses, and among books and cloth- 
ing ; centipedes arc also numerous. But these 
poisonous creatures give the foreign resident 
far less trouble than the swarms of mosquitoes 
which gather round at nightfall. Along the 
rivers and lowlands they are sometimes almost 
unendurable, and all efforts to exclude them 
prove fruitless. There are many other insects 
and reptiles, large and small, which would afford 
the student of nature a wide field of explora- 
tion. 

The modes of traveling la this country are 
few and simple. They may almost be reduced 
to two, boating and walking, though palanquins, 
sedan-chairs and hammocks are used in many 
places by foreigners, and in three or four of the 
most civilized towns there arc a few liorsos. 
The swinging palanquin, borne by two carriers, 
is an easy mode of journeying in the mountain 
districts ; but it is not usually available. A 
sort of hammock, suspended from two poles, 
which are borne on the shoulders of four na- 
tives, is often used ; but there are many p-aths 



rnoDucTioNs, traveling. 



47 



so narrow and ovcrlmng with buslics that walk- 
ing is the only method of passing over them. 

The term road in Africa moans simply a foot- 
path ; there is nothing in this country similar 
to the wide cari'iage-roads of America and Eng- 
land. Even in the partly civilized towns, the 
streets consist of a wide walk in the center, 
somewhat resembling an American sidewalk 
except that it is unpavcd, and on either hand is 
a grass-covered space. The native roads, which 
lead from town to town, are the narrowest and 
most crooked of foot-paths. They arc often 
completely overhung and crowded with bushes, 
which sweep the traveler on either side as ho 
passes. They wind round and round, making 
the sharpest of angles, and as new paths occa- 
sionally branch out just when one has lost all 
idea of the points of compass, a guide is abso- 
lutely necessary. 

The missionary sometimes journeys over these 
paths, in order to visit towns which are not ac- 
cessible by boats. Such trips are weaiying, 
but at first full of interest and novelty. Havijig 
made your baggage as light as possible, remem- 



48 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFIUCA. 



beriiig to supply yourself with a little food, you 
secure six or eight men and set forward. The 
guide leads the way, and the rest follow in sin- 
gle file. One man carries a small basket, or 
" bly," as the African calls it, containing your 
provisions, on his head ; another balances your 
valise in the same manner ; another carries 
your shawl and pillow ; a fourth has a glass 
lantern in his hand ; and the others are laden 
with various small articles. You spread your 
umbrella to keep off the fierce rays of a torrid 
sun, but soon you enter the " bush," and find- 
ing it a burden, you close and hand it to one of 
the men. You feel in fme spirits, and pi-ess 
forward rapidly. The forest is very dense, and 
the air seems refreshing. Now and then you 
catch sight of your shawl and pillow disappear- 
ing round some sharp angle, or hear the shrill 
cry of the guide in advance, and the answering 
echo from the rear. Sometimes you walk along 
a soft leaf-covered path, and anon stumble over 
tangled roots and loose stones. One moment 
you almost lose trace of the path, and are com- 
pelled to force your way through what seems 



ritODUCTIONS, TRAVELING. 49 

ail impenetrable jungle ; the next you clanibor 
up the branches of a huge tree which has fallen 
across the way, and walk along the trunk for 
thirty or forty feet. Shady as is the road, the 
perspiration rolls down your face ; and when 
you reach a mountain stream, rippling over its 
rocky bed, you are glad to stop and drink fi'om 
the tin cup that you did not forget to put in 
the " bly." Presently you cross a deep gorge 
on a log, and climb a steep, rocky hill. By 
and by you come to a swamp, where the path 
is wet and miry. One of your sturdiest men 
comes to the rescue, takes you on his back, 
and trotting slowly through the mud, deposits 
you dry-shod on the opposite shore. Thus yoii 
journey hour after hour, sometimes passing 
through an open field where the sun's rays are 
intensely hot. At length you approach rice 
and cassada patches, and meet natives more 
freqiiently, — sure signs that a town is near. 
You send a small present to the king, and he 
provides a house for you to rest in, after which, 
perhaps, you preach to the people, who gather 
to heni\ of Christ and him crucified. 
4 



50 



GLlMJ':ii:S OF WEST AFItlCA. 



A white man, in these trips, is an ohject of 
the greatest curiosity to the people. The few 
natives whom lie meets by the way stare eagerly, 
and sometimes at first sight spring back in ter- 
ror. Crowds gather round him as he enters a 
town, and frequently almost the entire popula- 
tion follows him as he leaves. These escorts 
are often attended with the most extravagant 
noises and shouts, running and jumping. I 
hardly ever walked in an interior town without 
a curious group following my steps, and watch- 
ing every motion. If I seated myself for a mo- 
ment in a " barre," they would pause, chatter 
away in their native tongue, and laugh, doubt- 
less busy with their comments on the queer 
dress and manners of the white man. The 
children, especially, are terrified at a white face. 
They will gather in groups at a safe distance, 
and peer round some corner with gaping mouths 
and wide-open eyes ; but the slightest demon- 
stration of approach, or even a stcad}^ gs^ze, is 
enough to send them away screaming with 
fright. I have often been amused, while rest- 
ing in these towns, to see the parents bring 



rnoDUCTioxs, travulixg. 



51 



their " piccaninnies" towards mc ; tlic moment 
they canght my eye the invariable scream burirt 
forth, which was the signal for a general shout 
of laughter from the gathered crowd. 

The natives travel with great ease over these 
rough paths, often walking twenty-five miles a 
day for many days in succession. Tliough al- 
ways barefooted, their feet seldom become trav- 
el-worn. They do not usually carry heavy bur- 
dens, but if necessary they show a surprising 
power of endurance. I once had a sheep pre- 
sented mo by the kmg of a large walled town 
in the interior, and, as it could not be made to 
walk, the king's son carried it on his back a 
distance of thirty miles over a rough path in a 
single day ! The kings, like their subjects, 
must walk, for the natives have no mode of 
riding except in canoes. 

The most common way of traveling near the 
coast is in boats and canoes. In many places, 
one can hardly visit the neai'est villages without 
a short trip on the water. The numerous riv- 
ers and winding creeks greatly facilitate this 
mode of journeying. The missionary often goes 



52 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



liuiidreds of miles in his open boat, protected 
from sun and storm only by an awning. Some- 
times the boat is his home for many days to- 
getlicr, and he must learn to make himself com- 
fortable in a small space. Boat traveling has 
its jileasurcs, and, particularly in the rainy sea- 
son, its manifold discomforts. Tlic experienced 
resident on the coast becomes so accustomed to 
cramped quarters, occasional drenchings, and 
eating and sleeping under difficulties, that he 
scarcely minds them ; but the new-comer finds 
that the reality of the thing rather outbalances 
the romance. 

You arrive on the coast, perhaps, at the hight 
of " the rains," and find a journey of one or two 
hundred miles before you in an open boat. The 
romance of adventure is not yet dissipated, and 
you are rather pleased with the prospect. You 
find yourself in a small cabin, some six feet by 
four, formed by an awning, with side and end 
curtains. Several mattresses, blankets, and pil- 
lows, somewhat the worse for dampness and mil- 
dew, are placed on the seats ; and the spaco 
which you -lo not occupy is piled with trunks, 



rnoDucTioNS, traveling. 



53 



valises, boxes, and baskets. Soon it begins to 
rain ; and tlie awning, that was supposed to bo 
water-proof, is found sadly wanting in that re- 
spect. You move this way and that, and draw 
yourself into the smallest possible dimensions ; 
but the little streams come thicker and faster, 
until yourself and baggage are thoroughly dam|> 
ened, not to say wet. The ocean grows rough, 
and the boat begins to toss about like a leaf. 
The waves break over the bow, and you hear 
them roar on the rocky beach. Your baggaga 
tumbles about, and the basket containing the 
crockery and provisions comes down with a 
crash. Meantime, the rain continues to fall in 
torrents ; and, half sea-sick, and more than half 
wet, you feel decidedly uncomfortable, and think 
that it is pleasanter to read about such things 
than to pass through them. 

By and by it becomes smoother, and you pre 
pare for dinner. Your boatmen cook some rico 
and meat, and you draw forth a little bread, 
butter, and jelly from the canteen ; and, with- 
out a table, the boat rocking, and the rain still 
falling, you eat as best you may. Night conies, 



54 



GLIMPSES OP WEST AFRICA. 



dark and wet, and, wrapping yourself in a sliawl, 
you lie down to sleep. Thus you journey, per- 
haps, for several days, with occasional cessation 
of- rain, and bursts of sunshine. 

During the dry season, these boat-trips are 
far pleasanter. You sit hour after hour on the 
cushioned seat, gazing on the soft, hazy shore, 
with its palm-groves and queer-looking towns ; 
or you lie at full length, in a dreamy half-sleep, 
listening to the dip of the oars and the chants 
of the men. If you have not forgotten a book 
or pamphlet, you may spend many a delightful 
hour in reading. At night, when the stars come 
out, and the tropical moon floods sea and shore 
with its full, soft light, you enjoy such a scene 
of magic beauty as could be found nowhere else. 

The preparations for a long journey in a boat 
require much care, and some experience. Ev- 
erything must be seen to by your own cyo, or 
the men Avill be almost certain to neglect it. 
You have oven to watch the boatmen, or tliey 
will contrive to be absent at the precise moment 
you wish to start. Then you must see that they 
are supplied with rice, water, and sait, and that 



rnoDUCTfoxs, tua velixg. 



tlic boat is proporly rigged. Next, you an-ay 
yourself in your oldest clothes ; and, having 
talceu a goodly supply of blankets, pillows, and 
shawls, not forgetting the canteen of provisions 
and tlic water-jugs, you arc ready to start, which 
you do after several " palavers " and unneccs- 
saiy delays among the men. If your course is 
up some river, perhaps you stop at a native tov/n 
to spend the night. Tlic king provides you a 
house ; and, spreading your shawl on a mat on 
the mud floor, you sleep very comfortably, con- 
sidering the heathen songs and shouts, that 
continue till a late hour. In the morning, whesi 
you wake, you find the glassless window crowded 
with black faces, all eager to see the white man 
or woman. You arc anxious to start forward 
early, but your boatmen have all mysteriously 
disappeared. You feel a little like scolding, 
but conclude to make the best of it. After a 
delay of an hour or two, and simdry tiresome 
walks, you succeed in getting 3-our men together, 
and proceed on the journey. 

Canoes arc universally used by the natives for 
journeying by water, and are often employed 



56 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



for carrying produce. Some of them arc very 
large, and, with an awning at the stern, afford 
comfortable quarters for any one. Most of the 
native canoes are lioUowed out of a single log, 
and vary in size according to the tree from which 
tliey are cut. Some are only ten feet in length, 
by one \\\ width, and others are thirty or forty 
feet long, and tliree or four wide. The natives, 
especially a tribe called Kroomen, manage these 
frail ca:noes with great skill. They ventiire far 
out at sea, even when the water is rough. Al- 
most the first sight that greets the passenger on 
an inward-bound vessel is a fleet of these trough 
like conveyances putting off from the shore. 
At first they seem mere specks, rising on the 
crest of a wave, and sinking from sight behind 
the next. As they approach, the half-naked 
occupants strain every nerve at tlic paddles, in 
an effort to outstrip their nciglibors ; and tlie 
race often becomes exciting. If an overturn 
happens it matters little, for the Kroomen are 
as much at home in tlie water as on land, and 
will swim about, and right their canoes with 
ease. 



rnoDUCTiOKs, traveli^'g. 



57 



111 traveling up the rivers, log caiioos are seeu 
loaded with produce and passengers ; but acci- 
dents rarely happen. By night, a " tom-tom," 
a sort of drum, is generally beaten, which, blend- 
ing with the chant of the men, makes a mourn- 
ful music, as it sounds out on the night air. 
These canoes present a pretty appearance as 
they glide swiftly to and fro over the waters. 



CHAPTER IV. 



TOWNS — HOUSES — MANUFACTURES. 

"WELL remember how cviriously I gazed 



first saw tliem from the deck of an Eng- 
^ Hsh steamer. They are in perfect con- 
trast to the neat, white A'illages of America, yet 
they arc not altogether destitute of a sort of 
beauty of their own. Seen from the sea, they 
harmonize well Avith the tropical landscape. 
The small, round housed, with their roofs of 
thatch, clustered amid groves of orange or 
palm, and surrounded widi a Avcalth of foliage, 
charm the eye of the ocean-tossed wanderer as 
he approaches the green shores. Sometimes 
the houses are scattered along a liill-sidc, half 
vailed with a soft haze ; and again they are 
crowded together in some small opening in I ho 
bush. 




towns of the African coast, when I 



58 



7'Oir-V/?, HOUSES, MAXUFACrUItES. 



A nearer view detracts somewhat from the 
picturesque aspect of these towns ; yet even 
tlien the smooth, mud walls, and neat pointed 
roofs, look really pretty. Many of them on the 
immediate coast, especially i:i the vicinity of 
mission stations, show some marks of civiliza- 
tion. The houses are not crowded so close to 
each other, and often there is space for a little 
garden-patch, and a cluster of bananas and fruit 
trees. Sometimes there is a faint attempt at 
regularity in the streets ; but more commonly 
the houses are scattered about promiscuously, 
while narrow foot-paths wind among them. 

Many of the native towns are walled, or bar- 
ricaded, to protect them from the attacks of 
neighboring tribes. Some of these defenses 
are quite ingeniously constructed, and, though 
they would offer but little resista'aco to Ameri- 
can weapons of war, they prove formidable here. 
In some cases, the outer barricade consists sim- 
ply of largo round sticks, ten or twelve feet 
long, set in the earth close to each other, and 
firmly bound together. Inside of this is a space 
some five feet wide, which in case of an attack 



60 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



is occupied by tlio soldiers, who thrust their 
muskets between the sticks and fire upon tlio 
enemy. The inner wall is solid, being thickly 
coated with mud on either side. The infirm 
and the children take refuge within, where, un- 
less the place is captured, they are safe. Other 
towns have externally a solid wall, inside of 
which is a space of perhaps fifteen feet, filled 
with sharp sticks pointing in every direction, so 
that if an enemy scales the wall and falls, he 
will be impaled and killed. Still further in is 
a second barricade of sticks. Not unfreq\iently 
a deep ditch surrounds the outer wall. There 
arc usually several watch-towers, rising above 
the highest barricade, in which sentinels are 
stationed with muskets to look out for an ap- 
proaching foe, and alarm the people in case of 
danger. The entrances to the town are closed 
by solid double doors of wood, which at niglit 
arc securely barred. The stranger in eiitcring 
must pass through the outer gateway, then 
along a narrow passage, often so low that he is 
obliged to stoop, and finally through a second 
gateway. Several " war-men," armed with cub- 



TOWNS, HOUSES, MANUFACTUIiES. 61 

lasses and guns, arc generally seen about the 
gates, even during the day. 

The interior of a walled town is a novel sight. 
There is no sign of streets, but the houses are 
huddled so close together that their thatched 
roofs often touch each other. Tlie ground not 
occupied by buildings is smooth and hard, and 
scarcely a spire of grass or a weed can be seen. 
It is swept each morning by the people, and the 
litter of the previous day removed, so that a 
neat appearance is presented. A stranger will 
be very likely to lose his way as he wanders 
among the houses, coming now into a small, 
open court, then winding through narrow pas- 
sages between two mud walls. Here he sees a 
kitchen, in which the women are cooking rice 
and fish, or tending their naked " piccanin- 
nies," and there another, its exact counterpart. 
Women arc coming and going, bearing on their 
heads bmidles of sticks and blies of fruit. Men 
are lounging about in the sun, or lying in their 
swinging hammocks. Some of the people are 
weaving mats and baskets ; others are spinnhig 
yarn from the native cotton. 



I 



62 GLIMrSES OF WEST AFIilCA. 

A large town lias usually several unwalled 
villages under its protection, whose inhabitants, 
if war comes, flee to it for safety. The size of 
towns, of course, varies widely. Very few have 
more than fifteen hundred or two thousand 
people, and many do not approach these num- 
bers. Villages are often found with only half 
a dozen houses. Their site is commonly marked 
by one or two giant cotton-trees, which affoixl 
a cooling shade. 

The majority of African houses are built in a 
circular form, and are very small, — only twelve 
or fifteen feet in diameter. The dwellings of 
the chiefs, however, and of some of the leading 
men, are oblong, and much larger. They have 
a sort of mud-plastered piazza on one side, 
where visitors are invited to sit, and where the 
chief spends much of his time, stretched at full 
length in a ham-mock. The construction is 
very simple. A spot is first selected, and cleared 
of imderbrush. A light frame is then put up, 
consisting of sticks set in the ground close to 
each other, with slender poles for rafters. 
The sticks are fastened together by tying them 



TOWNS, HOUSES, MANUFACTUliES. G3 

with a kind of vine wliicli is tiscd for roi)C. 
The walls arc next inwoven with small sticks, 
and afterwards thickly coated on both sides with 
mud. Tliis soon hardens, and forms a smooth 
fairfacc, sometimes brown, and sometimes tinted 
v.'ith yellow. The pointed roof is neatly cov- 
ered with palm or bamboo thatch, and the floor 
made of a kind of mud which soon becomes 
smooth and solid. A rude partition generally 
divides the house into two rooms. A low aper- 
ture is left for the doorway, and perhaps there 
is one small opening to admit the light. The 
interior is quite dark, and the people spend 
most of their time in the open air. Fires, if 
required, are built in the center of the room, 
the smoke being left to find its way out as it 
can. The ends of several long sticks are placed 
together, and as they burn off, the brands are 
pushed up, and the fire thus kept burning 
through the whole night. The smoke is trying 
to the eyes of a traveler, but it serves to keep 
off the swarms of mosquitoes. 

In the better class of houses, the window ap- 
ertures are closed at night by wooden shutters, 



64 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



and a frame-work covered with matting placed 
at the doorway. The walls are Imng with pret- 
tily figured mats and leopard skins. Some- 
times the outside of the house is adorned with 
a few rude pictures in red and black, and a lit- 
tle attempt at embossing in the mud-work. 

Nearly every town has its " kitchens," which 
arc built much like the houses, except that 
they are open on one or two sides. Here the 
women do much of their cooking, and a group 
of idlers lounge about, chatting or sleeping. A 
tub or large bowl of water stands in one part 
of the kitchen, with a gourd-shell "calabash" 
for a drinking-vessel ; and a pot of rice is boil- 
ing over a fire in another part. 

The public building of the town is called a 
" barre," and answers nearly the same purpose 
as a court-house. It has a mud floor, thatched 
roof, and a few rude seats. Some barrcs are 
open on one side, some on all four ; others 
are circular in form. Those of the leading 
kings arc constructed with great care, and look 
very prettily. Here the prince, as occasion re- 
quires, sits in state and listens to the palavers " 



TOWNS, HOUSES. MAXUFACTUnES. 



G5 



or disagreements of his people, and decides 
them. The missionary, too, often avails him- 
self of the barre, where more or less people are 
usually congregated, to repeat the story of the 
cross. 

It has been said that an African village, seen 
in the distance, bears a strong resemblance to 
a collection of weather-beaten hay-stacks ; and 
perhaps this homely comparison will give a bet- 
tor idea of its general appearance than any 
other. The circular houses, with their pointed 
roofs of thatch crowned with top-knots, cer- 
tainly suggest such an idea to a new-comer. 
In passing walled towns, you see nothing but 
the high barricade, and a mass of thatched roofs 
seeming to touch each other everywhere. 

The sites of the African towns are constantly 
changing. Where there is now a large, flour- 
isliing town, in a few years there may be noth- 
ing but a mass of ruins, rapidly growing up to 
bush. The construction of houses is so light, 
and the depredations of insects so great, that 
they last but a short time ; besides, the habits 
of the people are migratory. The numberless 
5 



GG GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

wars of the country, too, destroy many towns, 
and there seems to be a feeling prevalent which 
prevents a king from building a new town on 
the site of one thus destroyed. 

The houses of foreign residents on the coast, 
and of the wealthier class of civilized natives, 
are commonly constructed of wood or stone, 
and are two stories high. The lower is used 
for a store-room, and the family live in the up- 
per part, which is cooler and far more healthy, 
especially during the rains, when everything 
near the ground is moldy and wet. An airy 
piazza runs across one or two sides of the 
house, affording an admirable resting-place when 
one is hot and tired. These residences arc 
often richly furnished, and present a striking 
contrast to the mud huts that surround them 
Rich hangings, sofas and chairs, and costly or- 
naments, adorn the rooms, and one almost for" 
gets for the moment that he is in a heathen 
land. The mission-houses are plain, but com- 
fortable, though the pioneer of a station must 
suffer many privations before he can be pro- 
vided with such a home as his health requires. 



TOWXS, HOUSES, M.lNUFACTUllES. 



67 



Tlio native huts arc universally known as " coun- 
try houses." 

The nutivo manufactures of "West Africa are 
few and simple. Tlic heathen, accustomed to 
a wild, savage life, and living in a hot climate, 
have but few wants which bounteous nature 
does not supply, and there is but little incentive 
to industrious effort. They show much native 
skill, however, in the articles which they man- 
ufacture. Among the most important of these 
are the " country cloths," made from cotton 
that grows on the coast. Considering the rude 
implements for preparing it, this cloth is of a 
superior quality. The spinning apparatus con- 
sists of a short, spindle-shaped piece of wood, 
having a small weight at the end, through which 
the point projects. The heavy end is placed on 
a smooth, solid surface, and the cotton attached 
to the spindle, which is set in motion by the 
hand. Tlie spindle is upright when in motion, 
and falls when it stops, so that an unpracticed 
workman would make poor progress ; but the 
native vromen arc very expert in managing it. 
The whole affair is scarcely more than eight 



G8 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

inches in length. It might be supposed that 
the thread thus spnn would be poor and uneven, 
but on the contrary it is quite smooth. 

When a sufficient quantity of this thread has 
been prepared, it is stretched from stick to stick, 
until a warp of appropriate width, and many 
yards in length, is formed. This is placed in a 
rude loom, and inwoven with similar thread. 
The cloth as woven is only six inches wide, but 
the strips are afterwards sewed together. The 
loom, in principle, resembles the old-fashioned 
hand-loom ; but it has no frame, and is so small 
that it may be rolled up and carried by a little 
child with ease. 

Some " country cloths " are white, some 
striped and checked, and others have beauti- 
fully ornamented and fringed borders. The 
women show much ingenuity in mingling differ- 
ent colors in warp and filling. These cloths 
are made in large quantities towards the inte- 
rior, from whence they are brought to the 
coast, and sold to traders. They form a large 
part of the clothing of the people. When fine 
and soft, they make handsome table-cloths. 



Tojyys, HOUSES, manufactures. C9 

The country blacksmith is another important 
maiuifactnrer. In some places iron ore is 
found in abundance ; and when so, it is gath- 
ered, placed in a clay pot, and melted. The 
bellows for fanning the flame is a curious con- 
trivance. It consists of a block of wood with 
two perpendicular openings, which communi- 
cate with a sort of horizontal pipe. A piece of 
goat-skin is fastened over these cavities. A 
small hole is left at the top, by which the air 
enters. The operator puts his hand over the 
hole, and presses down the skin, thus forcing 
the air through the pipe upon the flame. As 
he lifts his hand the air again enters the cavity ; 
and so, alternately rising and falling, this sim- 
ple contrivance effects the same purpose as a 
more pretentious bellows. The forge is a rude 
fragment of iron, or a stone. Some blacksmiths 
are quite skillful in the manufacture of hatch- 
ets, cutlasses, spears, hoes, and other imple- 
ments. The native iron is said to be of a su- 
perior quality, and knives are sometimes made 
from it with so keen an edge as to be used for 
shaving the hair. 



70 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



Another common article of manufacture 13 
the " country mats." They are made from the 
bamboo, which is cut when quite small, peeled, 
dried, and afterwards woven. Some of these 
mats are quite large, and make an excellent 
covering for floors in a hot climate. Thoy are 
woven in different colors and patterns, many of 
which arc really beautiful. The people use 
them for a variety of purposes, such as tables, 
seats, and beds. If a stranger visits them, a 
mat is spread on the mud floor, and a dish of 
rice and fish set upon it for him to eat. If a 
"palaver" is held, or a missionary preaches, 
they sit on their mats to listen. If they wish 
to sleep, they wrap a country cloth about them, 
and stretch themselves on a mat. 

A variety of " blies," or baskets, are also 
made from the bamboo. Some arc large, and 
will hold two or three bushels, but more gener 
ally they arc of a convenient size for carrying 
on the head. Some are very small, and fanci- 
fully woven in different colors. Beautiful ta- 
ble-mats are manufactured from the same sub- 
stance, also the common country hammock. 



TOirXS, HOUSES, MAX [/FACT UPiES. 71 

A light, gvaceful stool, of singular construction, 
and usually covered with matting or leopard 
skin, is made by the natives. Of the log canoes 
dug fi-om the trunks of trees, I have before 
spoken. The process is a very laborious one, 
but it is performed with much skill. 

Towards the close of the dry season, when 
the swamps are nearly drained of water, large 
quantities of salt are manufactui^ed on the 
marshy portions of the coast. I can not bet- 
ter describe the process than by transcribing 
from my journal the record of a visit to one 
of these manufactories : — 

Leaving the barre, where I had been en- 
gaged in teaching a group of heathen, I set 
out on a visit to the native salt-works. Ac- 
companied by the chiefs son, I walked along 
the winding paths past clusters of mud-walled, 
palm-thatched houses, and groups of half-naked 
people. The tropic sun was still high in the 
heavens, but an umbrella tempered his fierce 
rays. As we left the town, our path lay through 
a dense bush. 

" A short walk brought us to the first salt- 



72 GLLVrSES OF WEST AFniCA. 

pond, — a large, level space, at present desti- 
tute of water. This space is overflowed by the 
sea at flood tide, and at the ebb the water re- 
tires, leaving the ground strongly impregnated 
with salt. Crystals of the pure mineral were 
glistening in the sunshine as we passed along. 
A woman, with a strip of cloth about her waist, 
was busily engaged in scraping up the surface- 
earth into small heaps, which are afterwards 
carried in baskets to the manufactory. 

" Just beyond the pond we came upon the salt- 
works. Here were long rows of strainers, used 
for separating the salt from the dirt. They are 
funnel-shaped, some three feet in diameter at 
the top and tapering rapidly to a point, composed 
of a frame-work of sticks, covered with palm 
leaves, and plastered on the inside with mud. 
Tliese strainers are suspended over long wooden 
troughs, and filled with salt earth scraped from 
the pond. Water is then poured on, which 
drains slowly through, dissolving and carrying 
with it the salt. 

"Near by stood the boiling-house, — a long, 
low frame-work of poles, covered with palm 



TOiryS, HOUSES, maxufactuuks. 



73 



thatch, and liaving mats hung before the door- 
ways to keep out the wind. Within was a row 
of large, shallow pans, supported by a sort of 
Avliito bricks of native manufacture. Hot fires 
were glowing underneath, rapidly evaporating 
the water, and leaving pure, beautiful salt. As 
I stepped into the boiling-house for a moment, 
the intense heat made me gasp for breath, and 
I could scarcely understand how those poor peo- 
ple could endure it day after day. 

" Much of the salt thus manufactured is sold 
to the interior tribes for country cloths, rice, 
and palm-oil. Nearly all the work is done by 
women and children. Tlie wives of the old 
chief of Bonthe were toiling in the manufactory 
which we visited. Of course the surroundings 
were strange and heathenish, but after all there 
was nuich native skill shown in the arrange- 
ments." 

The ingenuity of the people is shown in the 
manufacture of a variety of little articles. On 
some parts of the coast beautiful car and finger 
rings are made from native gold. Finger rings 
are also carved from the palm nut, and large 



74 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



rings for the wrist are made from the hoof of 
the elephant. The " gree-grees," " medicines," 
and charms, so universally worn, are made l)y 
particular individuals, upon whom the common 
people look with a sort of fear. It is said that 
a rude kind of musket is manufactured by tlie 
tribes towards the interior. The children who 
have been gathered from heathen homes into 
mission schools show a remarkable talent for 
imitation, and are able, with a little practice, 
to construct facsimiles of almost any article 
which they see. The faculty of originality docs 
not seem to be so fully developed, though it is 
not entirely wanting. African manufactures 
arc few and simple, but not to be despised. 



CHAPTER Y. 



THE PEOPLE — DRESS — LANGUAGE — FOOD. 

P?;ENTURIES of heathenism have left sad 
P marks on the people of West Africa. This 



is a trite saying, but it contains more trutli 



than most readers would imagine. Tlie 
churclies at home are accustomed to tliink of 
heathen countries as regions of darkness, but 
they do not fully understand the dcjith of this 
darkness. In order to have a true idea of the 
blight and mildew that rests on everything ; to 
see the terrible dwai'fmg and crushing power of 
superstition and ignorance ; to fathom the fear- 
ful depths to which human beings, unl)lessed by 
the gospel of Christ, can descend, — one must 
himself stand on heathen shores. He must see 
the people in their homes. He must live among 
them. He must see with his own eyes, day 




76 



GL/VrSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



after day, the disgusting sights that abound. 
He must witness theii* superstitious ceremonies. 
He must learn from personal experience their 
deceit and dishonesty. He must strive to make 
known the gospel to those who have no spiritual 
ideas. And if, in doing this, he does not gain 
a new and clearer insight into heathen degrada- 
tion, it will be strange indeed. 

No pen, however gifted, can sketch a perfectly 
life-like picture of the people of this country. 
There are many little things which baffle descrip- 
tion ; things that must be seen to be understood. 
There can be no comparison with home scenes, 
for everything here is in perfect contrast with 
them ; almost as widely different as if it were 
of another world. And beside, though the mis- 
sionary mingles with the natives daily, and sees 
their superstitious customs, yet even he finds it 
difficult to ascertain the mental ideas, the heart- 
beliefs, that give rise to these practices. It is 
easy to glance at the outside surface, but next 
to impossible to probe the dark mind of a be- 
wildered heathen, who himself, perhaps, has no 
clear understanding of the customs that he 



THE PEOVLE, DRESS, LANGUAGE, FOOD. 77 

Lliiull}' follows. Yet the pen is not powerless ; 
and plain, homely sketches of the people aftd 
their habits will help to give a glimpse of the 
condition of West Africa. 

The stranger, visiting this country, is struck 
•with the endless variety of costumes, as well as 
by the lack of all costume. Probably there is 
no other land in the world where dress differs 
so widely, or is worn in more ludicrous ways. 
There are certain styles peculiar to the country, 
but they are by no means universally followed. 
Fashion allows every one to dress just as ho 
pleases. Everything which can by any possibil- 
ity be construed as clothing, is made to answer 
the purpose, and is worn just as fancy dictates. 

Only a little covering is required in so warm 
a climate, and but little is worn. A single gar- 
ment often comprises the whole stock. The na- 
tive country cloth forms the chief portion of it. 
This varies in size, but is ordmarily about two 
and a half yards long, by one and a half wide^ 
The men wrap it gracefully around the body, 
one end falling over the left arm, which keeps 
it in place, while the right shoulder and arm 



78 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



aro bare. "When worn in this way it readies 
nearly to the ankles, and makes a decent cover- 
ing. Sometimes the men wear nothing but a 
narrow strip of cloth about the loins. A sort 
of shirt, or flowing robe, fashioned from country 
cloths, is quite common. When the pattern of 
the cloth is pretty, and, as is frequently the 
case, it is ornamented in the rude native style, 
it forms a pleasing though grotesque costume. 
The Mohammedans, or " murray-men," usually 
wear along flowing robe, somewhat ornamented. 

The dress of the native women consists merely 
of a country cloth tied around the waist, and 
reaching nearly to the feet. The whole iipper 
part of the body is left naked. On the coast, 
where foreign goods can be obtained, a piece 
of calico or blue baft is sometimes substituted 
for native cloth. Among some tribes, girls who 
are not married wear nothing but two or three 
strings of beads, or a narrow strip of cloth. 
Children of both sexes are destitute of any 
clothing. 

African women have their own ideas of beau- 
ty, and, like their civilized sisters, some of them 



THE PEOrLE, DUESS, LJXGUAGE, FOOD. 70 



spend a good deal of time at the toilet. In 
walking through a village, one often sees them 
engaged in painting tlicir faces. They use a 
white, chalky substance, reduced to the thick- 
ness of cream. Some cover their faces with a 
smooth, even coat, and others draw fanciful 
figures on the jet-black skin. I have often seen 
mothers ornamenting their children in this way. 
They first wash them from head to foot, and then 
cover their skin with the cosmetic. The chil- 
dren are highly delighted with the operation, 
but present a queer appearance when it is fin- 
ished, with their black, woolly hair, rolling 
white eyes, and shining teeth. A mother who 
is particularly fond of her child seeks to load it 
with ornaments. Little bands, called " medi- 
cines," are tied around its ankles and wrists ; 
gree-grees, and strings of shells^ bits of money, 
and little bells, — everything, in short, bright or 
gay, that the mother's ingenuity can pick up, 
are hung around its neck and body. Often have 
I seen a heathen mother's face light up with a 
smile of pride as she watched her painted little 



80 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



one go toddling along with its load of " medi- 
cines," jingling bells, and rattling shells. 

The modes of wearing the hair vary widely. 
Sometimes it is left in its natural state, but 
commonly the women spend much time in ar- 
ranging it. It is worn in braids, and in long 
curls, done in a variety of fanciful styles, point- 
ing in every direction. The heads of the chil- 
dren are frequently shaved. Sometimes the 
top of a man's head is bare, while a ring of hair 
is left just above the neck ; others have a tuft 
of hair on the crown, and the rest closely shaved. 
Turbans, fashioned from gay-colored handker- 
chiefs, are very popular among the women, 
whenever they can be obtained. Even those 
who arc civilized often attend chapel wearing 
one of these head-dresses, on the top of which 
is mounted a man's common straw or wool hat. 
The heathen women towards the interior usually 
have no head-dresses, though the aged sometimes 
use a small country cloth for that purpose. The 
men will go without any covering for their heads 
in the hottest mid-day sun ; but dui-ing the rainy 
season, or at night, they arc exceedingly fond 



THE PEOPLE, DRESS, LAXnUACE, FOOD. 81 

of bluG and rod woolen caps. They show but 
little foresight ; if tliey happen to have two or 
three hats, perhaps they will wear them all at 
once, and afterwards be obliged to go without 
any. 

The native African is extremely fond of orna- 
ments, and the more he can obtain, the better 
satisfied he seems. These ornaments are of 
home manufacture, and often give a wild, sav- 
age look to the wearer. His arm is adorned 
with half a dozen large rings, made of some 
horny substance, perhaps the hoof of an ele- 
phant, and dotted with little bits of silver or 
shining steel. About his ankles are tied small 
scraps, called " medicines." An almost endless 
variety of rude chains and gree-grccs hang from 
his neck. The leading "war-men" generally 
carry swords or spears, to distinguish them from 
others. Many of the women wear gold ear- 
rings. In short, there is no end to the fantastic 
decorations of the people. 

Sandals are worn in West Africa to some ex- 
tent. One variety is called the " rainy season 

boot." It is made of wood, with four small 
6 



82 



CLIMPSKS OF JTEST AFRICA. 



supports on the bottom, two or three inches in 
length, by moans of which the foot is kept from 
tlio ground. Others are made of leather. Tlio 
Avcaring of sandals is confined mostly to the 
Mohammedans. The majority of the people 
perform even their longest journeys barefooted. 

The grotesque ideas of dross which prevail 
show themselves in many different ways, im- 
possible to describe, but ridiculous in the ex- 
treme. Articles of English wear, when they 
can be obtained, are so mixed up with the na- 
tive costume, or worn in such a ludicrous man- 
ner, as to provoke laughter. A large boy, per- 
haps, goes strutting round, arrayed simply in a 
black frock coat. A little child comes toddling 
after, entirely naked, except that a large straw 
hat is perched on his head. A heathen king, 
not long since, presided over a great " palaver," 
wearing an old red military coat with brass 
buttons', and a black beaver hat on his head ; 
otlicrwise, he was entirely naked. 

The wealthier class of civilized natives dress 
in American style, and indeed nearly all tlie 
men. Some of the women wear a loose, flowin<r 



THE PEOPLE, DRESS, LANGUAGE, FOOD. 83 



gown, called a " coverslat," which, with tho 
prettily tied turban, forms a neat dress, well 
adapted to the climate. A simple sliirt is the 
ordinary dross of school-children. In walking 
through the larger semi-civilized towns, a 
strange sight greets the eye, — a mixture of 
many costumes, mingling in one general stream 
of pedestrians. Here goes a lady in silks and 
muslin, and there another wrapped only in a 
country cloth. Yonder is a sea-captain with his 
broad-brimmed hat, and following him a tall 
Mohammedan in a flowing robe. Now we see 
a Christian with his Bible, and then a heathen 
with his gree-gree. Here is a child in full Eng- 
lish dress, and there another entirely destitute 
of clothing. And so the motley throngs come 
and go, showing that the waves of civilization 
are steadily rolling in iipon the country, and 
beating back heathen customs. 

One of tho first lessons a missionary is re- 
quired to teach the natives here is to dress. 
The heat of the climate, and the natural indo- 
lence of the people, both unite to keep them in 
the old ways. Their aml)ition must bs awak- 



84 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



encd, even at the risk of its being carried too 
far. There is a tendency among many who have 
bscn surroimded by civilized influences to throw 
off their clothing as soon as those influences 
arc withdrawn. It is a sore trial to the mission- 
ary to sec those who once were neatly dressed, 
relapsing into the habits of the heathen in this 
respect. Nor is cai'clessness about dress the 
only thing that pains his heart. Native con- 
verts arc prone to fall in with many of the hea- 
then customs and foolish ways. Instead of 
maintaining a higher level, and drawing the 
people Tip to them, it is too often the case that 
they descend to the people. This, doubtless, is 
the natural result of centuries of heathenism. 
That strength of mind, energy, and ambition, 
which mark the inhabitants of enlightened 
lands, is not theirs ; and even though the love 
of God dwells in their hearts, they can not in 
one or two generations rise entirely above those 
degrading influences. But there is improve- 
ment in this respect. Step by step, the long- 
degraded sons and daughters of Africa are ris- 
ing in the scale of civilization and Christianity. 



THE PEOPLE, DllESS, LANGUAGE, FOOD. 85 



The largo number of languages spoken in 
West Africa tends to embarrass tlic missionary 
in his labors. If there was one language com- 
mon to the wliolc coast, or even were there but 
a few large tribes speaking different dialects, it 
would be comparatively easy to give the people 
the gospel in their own tongue. But this is not 
the case. An almost unlimited number of petty 
tribes have each their own barbarous, unwritten 
language. To translate the Bible into all of 
these, or to become so familiar with them as to 
bo able to preach in them, seems from experi- 
ence to be hopeless. True, much has boon 
done, and portions of the Bible have been i)rinted 
in some twenty of the languages of tho coast. 
Tliese, however, are but a small part of the vdiolo 
number. In the single city of Freetown, Si- 
erra Leone, it is estimated that thirty different 
tongues are spoken. Wherever civilization and 
Christianity take root, the Englisli language 
makes rapid advance ; in fact, the native dia- 
lects, like the heathen customs, soem to die 
away at their approach. In many instances the 
books tliat have been published ia the native 



8G 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



tongues lie idle, while those in English ai'C ea- 
gerly received. There are many reasons for 
this. One is, the people can not read at all till 
they are taught, and they can learn to read in 
English about as easily as in their own lan- 
guage. 

Another reason is, the facility with which 
the African acquires a new language. He has 
a remarkable talent in this direction, and his 
wild, vagrant life, wandering from one tribe to 
another, and mingling almost daily with those 
who speak a different tongue from his own, tends 
to develop it. It is no uncommon thing for 
half-naked boatmen, who can not read a letter, 
to be able to speak five or six languages flu- 
ently. Father Johnson, an aged interpreter in 
the Mendi Mission, a native of the Kissy coun- 
try far interior, is acquainted with fifteen differ- 
ent dialects, — among them English, Spanish, 
and Portuguese, — yet he can not read a word. 
Persons who are entirely ignorant of English, 
coming amid the influences of civilization, learn 
it in an astonishingly short time. 

Doubtless there are some exceptions to these 



THE PEOPLE, DRESS, LANCUAUE, FOOD. 87 



observations. Whenever circumstances permit, 
as among large tribes, it is desirable that the 
gospel should be published and taught in the 
native tongue ; but among most of the petty 
coast tribes, I am fully convinced that English 
will be the language, as Clu-istianity advances. 
It is too often the case that a missionary, after 
spending two or three years in the country, 
and laborhig earnestly to reduce some barbarous 
language to writing, is compelled by sickness to 
go home. Very frequently he never returns, 
and so his efforts are almost lost. Had the 
same amount of energy and toil been expended 
in sjireading the knowledge of English, much 
more might have been accomplished. True, it 
is a pleasant sound to the churches at home to 
hear that the gospel has been translated into 
tlie dialect of some heathen tribe on the dark 
coast of ^^'est Africa ; but sometimes these home 
reports wear a gilded covering, which the mis- 
sionary on the ground can not see. Not long 
since, the committee of a missionary society re- 
ported to the churches that " the Word of Life 
was given to the people in their own language ; " 



88 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFmCA. 



while the real truth of the matter was, that, 
though portions of the New Testament had been 
translated and printed, the books lay stacked 
in the mission-house, scarcely one in circula- 
tion, and no desire manifested for them. The 
reason was, that all who could read preferred 
English. It is often difficult to get those who 
understand both English and native to read the 
latter. As I have said, there are exceptions ; 
but as a general rule there are greater obstacles 
in the way of translating in West Africa than 
in most heathen countries. Of course, among 
all tribes. Christian natives can proclaim the 
gospel in their respective tongues. 

The educated natives of this country speak 
English correctly, but those whose knowledge is 
limited often talk very brokenly. Indeed, to a 
stranger, when he first lands on these shores, it 
almost seems like a strange tongue, and he is 
disgusted with the outlandish mutilations. Thi^ 
dialect at Sierra Leone is known by foreigners 
as " Sierra Leone English," and it violates every 
principle of grammar and sense. It is impossi- 
ble to give a true idea of it on paper, for the 



THE PEOPLE, nUESS, LANGUAGE, FOOD. 89 



tones of voice and odd gosturcs form a promi- 
nent part. The word " sabby " is on every- 
body's lips, and means nearly the same as xm- 
derstand. If anything is not fully comjjre- 
hended the reply is, " Daddy, me no sabby." If 
there is any dispute, it is a " palaver ; " if very 
violent, " a big palaver." If anybody has bft, 
the expression is, " He done gone." The Avord 
" live " is applied to all inanimate objects ; thus 
of a capo or mountain it is said, "He live doro." 
If a person is particularly happy, he is " glad 
too much." And so, in an almost endless va- 
riety of ways, the language is tortured, till you 
can scarcely recognize your mother tongue. At 
first you are shocked ; afterwards rejoiced to 
have even such a way to reach the minds and 
hearts of the people. 

This broken English is more comprehensive 
in explaining spiritual ideas than most of the 
native languages. Some of these are sadly lack- 
ing in this respect. Nearly all of them, how- 
ever, have a word for " the Great Spirit," or 
God. In Sherbro, he is called HobiitolcG ; in 
Mendi, Ngiiwaw ; in Vey, Kanabar ; in Timminy, 



90 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFIIICA. 

Ki'oomassa; in Kissy, Melikii. Iii the Moudi 
language thero is no word for " repent," and 
the people seem to have no understanding of 
the idea suggested by it. As a sample of "West 
African languages, I copy the following trans- 
lation of the Lord's Prayer in Shcrbro, whicli is 
spoken by a tribe living on the coast between 
seven and eight degrees, north latitude : — 

SELLEY BA HIH JISU3 KRAIST LEH. 

Bii hih wunnch aiyenntokrai kol, ilil moa reh 
che shcmbeh. Beyl'i moa reh leh boon. Ja leh 
moa reh che hahh'neh lehhli reh iitok, ke:i lioa 
Ich aiyenntokrai ko'l eh. N'ka hih nanda 
njehmah hih, palli. N'mai reh bon hih len, 
ken'nyeh yi maia abonkoa hih leneh. N'ma 
hih reh yok ki nghel, kc n'koslii h'ih jii leh woai. 
Halyeh Beyli leh leh liah moa eh, fossa reh, ni" 
gbeng dch, hal chung nenen gba. Amen. 

Arabic is spoken to a considerable exte;it 
among the tribes a little back from the coast. 
Some are able to write it, and many to read it. 
The Vey language, spoken by the Gallinas p(!0- 
ple, i? also written. 



THE PEOPLE, DPESS, LANGUAGE, FOOD. 91 



The food of the people is simple. Rice is the 
" staff of life ; " and without it there would soon 
be a famine. It forms a part, and the chief 
part, of every meal, when it can be obtained, 
which is almost always the case. Sometimes it 
is eaten alone, but fish and palm-oil are the two 
favorite accompaniments. If an African is well 
supplied with rice and fish, ho can fare £ump- 
taously every day. Cassada, sweet potatoes, 
coco, and a variety of vegetables and fruits, are 
also used as food, but they all occupy a subordi- 
nate place to rice. The cassada root is often 
beaten into flour, and then made into small 
round balls, called " foo-foo," which arc highly 
prized. " Palaver sauce," made of a variety of 
herbs stewed in palm-oil, is one of the dainties 
of the country. So is the species of ant known 
as the " bug-a-bug," which is eagerly gathered, 
fried, and eaten. Cooked cats are said to be 
regarded as great delicacies. Lizards, snakes, 
and worms arc sometimes used as food ; and 
soups seasoned with certain bugs are i;i high 
repute. Much that is disgusting to civilized 
eyes in the way of food is constaiitly mot with. 



02 



CLTMPSJiS OF WEST AFRICA. 



Tlio time of eating is very irregular. Tlie 
people commonly have but two meals in a day ; 
the first about noon, and the last in the evening. 
It is an African's delight to cat a hearty meal 
just before going to sleep. If necessary, he can 
go without food for a long time, but afterwards 
he will be sure to make up the fidl quantity by 
inordinate stuffing. A quart of rice is the ordi- 
nary allowance for a day ; and sometimes a man 
will save it all for the evening meal. 

The modes of eating are primitive in the ex- 
treme. The table and chairs are the ground ; 
the table-cloth, if any, a mat ; the dishes, an iron 
pot, and perhaps a tin cup or " calabash ; " the 
knives and forks, the fingers. It is a novel 
sight, at first, to witness the native meals. You 
are walking through a village, perhaps, and sud- 
denly come upon a group of people squatting 
on the ground in a circle. Some are wrapped 
in country cloths ; some have chalk-marked 
faces, and some are loaded with gree-grees. In 
the center of the circle stands an old iron pot, 
full of rice, which has just been boiled over a 
fire now smoldering near by. A few dried fish 



THE PEOPLE, DRESS, LANGUAGE, FOOD. 93 



lie ill a pan, and a gourd-shell calabash is filled 
■with water for drinking. One after another, the 
people thrust their hands into the pot, and bring 
forth a handful of rice, which they squeeze 
together, and then stuff into their mouths. 
Now and then they pick off a piece of fish, or 
take a drink of water from the calabash. Mean- 
time, they chatter away in their native tongue, 
and indulge in outbursts of merriment. Each 
one is anxious to get his share, and so the con- 
tents of the pot disappear with astonishing ra- 
pidity. 

But, rude as is their mode of living, the 
native Africans are very hospitable. A stranger 
is generously lodged and supplied with food. 
If a man be extremely poor, he would consider 
it utterly beneath him to refuse to divide his 
rice and fish with a suffering brother. Some 
dwellers in Christian America might learn a 
lesson in this respect from the untutored hea- 
then of West Africa. 



CHAPTER VI. 



HABITS — SUPERSTITION. 

' HE people of West Africa, like the inhabit- 
ants of every heathen country, have many 
^ habits peculiar to themselves ; but I can 
hope only to give glimpses of a few of them. 
Some have been noticed in preceding chapters. 

In many respects, their faults and foibles are 
similar to those of other heathen. The mis- 
sionary's heart is often pained by the lying and 
dishonesty which he can not but discover. So 
great is the debasing power of heathenism, that 
even among those who give evidence of a change 
of heart it is difficult to instill those high-toned 
principles of truth and honor which ouglit to 
prevail. They can hardly believe that little 
evasions of truth and little acts of dishonesty 
arc sins. Habit, like a chain, binds them to 
94 



ii.i rt I rs. s urr.ns ri r/oy. 



do 



many practices over which wo arc compelled 
to cast the mantle of charity, while at the samo 
time wo seek to uproot them. Many converts, 
however, are bright examples of the religion of 
Jesus. 

One marked feature in the character of this 
people is their great dread of reporting the mis- 
deeds of others. They are by no means " tell- 
tales." If some wrong has been committed, 
and you seek to discover the perpetrator, it will 
sometimes require your utmost ingenuity. You 
may ask half a dozen, but, with the most inno- 
cent-looking faces, they will utterly deny all 
knowledge of the matter, while at the same 
time, perhaps, you are certain that they know 
all about it. This feeling may be partly ac- 
counted for from a fear that the reported party 
will revenge himself upon them, as this is a 
common custom. Sometimes the revenge is 
murder. 

Foreigners are generally treated with kind- 
ness ; but if they arouse the enmity of the 
people the retribution is terrible. The follow- 
ing true story will illustrate something of the 



9G GLLVrSEH OF WEST AFniCA. 

customs of tho heathen, and also show the won- 
derful workings of Providence in raising up a 
missionary of the cross : — 

Several years ago, one of the trading vessels 
which come from England to this coast chanced 
to stop at Taboo, a native town in the southern 
part of the present republic of Liberia. The 
captain wished to obtain a supply of palm-oil in 
exchange for cloths and other articles which he 
had brought from England. The oil was not 
ready for shipment, but a bargain being made 
with the chiefs that it should be delivered at a 
certain time, he very unwisely left with them a 
quantity of goods in payment. The steward, 
named Toomcy, knowing the character of the 
natives, remonstrated against such a course, 
and prophesied trouble as the result ; but his 
suggestions were not heeded. 

Having made his arrangements, the captain 
proceeded down the coast, and at the appointed 
time returned to Taboo for his oil. But, as 
might have been expected, no oil was to be ob- 
tained. He cruised about for some days, and 
at length, becoming convinced that the natives 



HABITS SUPERSTITWy. 



97 



did not intend to fulfill their agreement, he de- 
vised a ])lan to compel them to do so. Ho en- 
ticed a few of the chief men on board his ves- 
sel, where he kept them as prisoners. This, of 
course, greatly incensed the tribe, and they be- 
gan plotting for revenge. One day, as the cap- 
tain stood on deck, he saw a large number of 
canoes putting off from the shore. They seemed 
to contain vessels of palm-oil, and he supposed 
that the agreement was about to be fulfilled. 
The people brought with them a sheep and rice 
for a feast, and were readily allowed to come on 
board ; but no sooner did they gain tlic deck 
than a fearful scene of butchery commenced. 
Tlic captain and all the crew, v\'ith the excep- 
tion of the steward, were murdered. Toomey 
had fled to the hold, and hid himself under 
some loose articles that were lying there. 
Search was made for him, and several times 
tilings were pxdlcd from beneath and above him, 
but he remained undiscovered. At length mos' 
of the attacking party returned to the town, 
leaving a few to watch the ship. The steward, 
meantime, was in great agony of mind, and had 
7 



08 



GLIMI'.^ES OF WEST AFRICA. 



resolved to throw himself overboard to escape 
a more terrible fate ; but before he could carry 
his resolution into effect, he was found by the 
gv.ard. It seems that Toomey had previously 
showed them some kindnesses, and instead of 
killing him at once, they concluded to leave him 
for future disposal. So he was Imrried into a 
canoe, with but little clothing, and taken on 
shore. The sun was intensely hot, and he was 
suffering from a high fever, and on reaching 
the town he asked for a drink of water, which 
was given him. 

The chief men were soon called together to 
decide his fate. It is a law of the tribe that the 
life of those who eat and drink with them shall 
be held sacred. Some were for instant death ; 
others said that as he had drunk water in their 
houses, he could not be killed ; and so his life 
was spared. This poor Irish lad, who at that 
time did not even know the alphabet, was after- 
wards educated by the American Episcopal 
Mission at Cape Palmas, and is now the Rev. 
Thomas Toomey, an efficient missionary of the 
cross among the very people who were once al- 



jiAnirs, suPEnsTiTioy. 



99 



most his murderers. Truly, the ways of God 
arc mysterious, and he makes the wrath of man 
to praise him. 

Other instances of revenge might be related, 
but this is sufficient to show that although the 
people are kind and hospitable to strangers, 
their enmity if provoked is terrible. 

The etiquette of the country requires stran- 
gers who visit a town to call on the king or 
chief, and make him some present. If this is 
done, the king feels bound to respect their rights 
while in his territory. If anything is stolen 
from them a " palaver " will bo held, and the 
thief if possible discovered and punished. He 
also supplios them with a house, and sometimes 
with food. But if they neglect to bestow a 
present, the king is not responsible for anything 
that may befall them. These presents consist 
of various articles, such as cloth, cotton hand- 
kerchiefs, mirrors, fish-hooks, knives, and thread. 
As a consequence of this custom, travelers in 
the interior are obliged to carry with them a 
supply of these articles, to win the protection of 
the chiefs. A present costing fifty cents is gen- 



100 



GLIMI'SES OF WEST AFPdCA. 



erally sufficient, unless some special favor is to 
be asked ; but tlie more you give tbe more re- 
spect will be shown you. Foreign traders, wlio 
wish to deal with the people in palm-oil and 
the native products, are very lavish with their 
presents, especially rum. But the kings un- 
derstand their real character, and have not one 
half of the confidence in them that they have in 
the missionary, though his present may be much 
smaller. 

When any special favor is desired, such as 
the grant of a piece of land for a trading facto- 
ry or mission-house, the custom of the country 
requires tlie purchaser to " make cananory ; " 
that is, the neighboring chiefs are called to- 
gether in council, valuable presents are given 
them, the matter is discussed with much cere- 
mony, and the conditions of the grant decided 
upon. Sometimes a full deed of the ground is 
given for a certain sum of money ; at others, a 
yearly rent is agreed upon. 

Tliis money is usually reckoned by the " bar," 
which is equal to sixty American cents, and is 
paid in articles similar to those used for pres- 



JTABrrS, SUPEPiSTITIOy. 



101 



cuts. Gold and silver form no part of the nativo 
currency, but cloth, tobacco, rum, and all arti- 
cles of trade, are known by the general name 
of " money." On some parts of the coast 
strings of a peculiar kind of shells, called " cow- 
ries," are used for money, but they form a very 
bulky currency, since it takes large numbers to 
equal the value of a penny. 

If agreements are entered into with the na- 
tives, they always wish a copy of them, written 
on paper, which they call " book." This "book," 
signed by both parties, is carefully preserved, 
and often shown to strangers. In the native 
vocabulary, everything written or printed is 
known by the general name of " book." If a 
letter is brought you, they say, " Massa, I done 
bring you book ; " if they wish to learn to read, 
it is, Please, sir, I want to learn book." 

Trading is a favorite occupation of the people, 
and is often carried so far as to prove a curse 
to the country. On the partly civilized portions 
of the coast there are immense numbers of jiotty 
traders, who will spend the whole day in efforts 
to obtain a few coppers in exchange for some 



102 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFItlCA. 

worthless article. Agriculture suffers as a 
consequence, and many grovel in tlie deepest 
poverty, who might bo independent farmers. 
The country people are quite skillful in trade, 
and unless one is acquainted with the worth of 
things, he will be likely to be cheated. The 
most extravagant prices are asked for arti- 
cles, — ten or twelve times as much as the seller 
expects to obtain. The missionary is obliged 
to trade with them, and his patience is often 
severely taxed in concluding a bargain. 

It is difficult to get a clear idea of the religious 
belief of the natives of this country ; indeed, it 
may be said that they have no clear ideas of the 
subject themselves. They offer their little sac- 
rifices, and perform their ceremonies, more 
blindly than the heathen in many other parts 
of the world. They seem to adhere to their 
" customs" simply because it is the fashion of 
their country, and not from a clear understand- 
ing of the object. Superstition reigns over 
them, and shapes their actions. Tlicy grope 
blindly in its mazes, degraded, crushed, bewil- 
dered. 



HABITS, SUPERSTITIOX. 



103 



The worship of idols of wood and stouc is 
not common on the immediate coast, tliough it 
prevails to some extent. The remains of sev- 
eral stone idols were fonnd a few years ago at 
Mo Tappan, one of the stations of the Mendi 
Mission, exhibiting various forms of disease in 
the human body. It is supposed that they were 
worshiped by persons afflicted with such dis- 
eases. I have sometimes thought that tliis field 
would bo more hopeful if idol-worship prevailed, 
for then the people would see more clearly the 
importance of being faithful in some religion. 
But though they do not bow down to wood and 
stone, they are still none the less heathen. Yf e 
sec their superstition in a hundred forms. 
They believe in a multitude of " spirits," to 
whom they offer sacrifices for the purpose of 
appeasing their wrath or obtaining some favor. 
Tliese spirits are supposed to reside in tlie trees, 
rocks, mountains, rivers, and bug-a-bug hills, 
and to have different kinds of power. The offer- 
ings consist of I'ice, palm-oil, cloth, tin cups, or 
almost any article which the person has. If 
these sacrifices chance to be eaten by animals, 



104 



GLLMPSES OF WEST AFrdCA. 



or removed for any cause, it is thought that tho 
spirit has accepted them. The cvtrious bug-a- 
bug hills, before described, seem to be favor- 
ite residences of the spirits ; and in traveling 
through tlie country it is very common to see a 
piece of cloth or a tin cup lying upon them. 

Many of the people have a great fear of these 
spirits. Near one of the American mission 
stations of this coast there stands a large cot- 
ton-tree, "which the neighboring heathen ima- 
gine to be the abode of one of them. Its pecu- 
liar care is supposed to be to keep watch over 
the mission-house and protect it. They believe 
that if anything is stolen, the spirit will pun- 
ish the thief. As a consequence of this super- 
stition, mission property is safe ; and on one 
occasion some articles which were stolen were 
returned, so great was the fear of the spirit's 
displeasure. 

While journeying up the rivers, I once passed 
a mountain which is said to be tho residence of 
a great war-spirit, called Kasilon. Warriors 
about to undertake an expedition against an 
adjoining tribe often make a pilgrimage to this 



JUillTS, SUPERSTITIOJff. 



105 



mouutaia. and profess to hold communion with 
the spirit, after which thej regard themselves 
as invincible. It is supposed, however, that 
those who talk with Kasilon, thougli they may 
gather strength for a time, can not live long. 

Our old interpreter tells me the following 
story of superstition among the Kissy people, 
who live towards the interior. In one part of 
their country there is a small mountain, whei'e 
they believe a spirit dwells, who seems from the 
story to hold the " horn of plenty." No one 
cultivates the mountain land, yet there is said 
to bo a never-failing supply of corn, coco, 
yams, plantain, oranges, potatoes, and every 
kind of food, including meat. The spirit rules 
over all, and deals it out with a bountiful liand 
on certain conditions. If a person wishes for" 
oranges, for instance, he may go to the moun- 
tain and gatlier basket after basket till ho is sat- 
isfied ; but if he chance to touch tlie coco or 
yam, the spirit gets angry, and gives him a se- 
vere flogging. So, if he wishes yams, he may 
gather any quantity of them, l)ut must not 
touch anything else. Only one thing can be 



lOG GLIMPSES OF WEST AFIUCA. 

taken at a time, but that may bo had in abun- 
dance. On the bank of a small stream which 
flows down the mountain there is an immense 
rock, which is worshiped by the people. Cows 
are sometimes killed and offered in sacrifice to 
it. The old man who related this story to me 
is a Christian, yet such is the power of heathen 
habits that he seemed half inclined to believe 
in this wonderful spirit of the mountain. 

It is a common custom in West Africa to of- 
fer sacrifices to the dead. In some places, if a 
king or noted man dies, a number of slaves are 
at once killed, so that, as they say, he may be 
supplied with servants in the other world. The 
people seem to have no idea of the nature of 
spirits, but think that they eat and drink like 
mortal beings. Friends will lay rice and palm- 
oil on the graves of the dead, saying, " They 
are hungry, and we must feed them ;" and it 
is difficult to make them believe that the spirits 
do not really eat those articles. A native mis- 
sionary was once journeying up one of the riv- 
ers of the coast, and being kindly treated by a 
man at one of the towns at which ho stopped, 



luniTS, suPEnsTiTioy. 



107 



he presented him with a small tin cup. The 
missionary continued his journey, and in re- 
turning called at the same town. What was 
his siirprise to find that the man had laid the 
new cup on his father's grave as a sacrifice, and 
was again using an old, leaky " calabash " to 
di'ink from. The missionary remonstrated, and 
told him that he did not give him the cup for 
any such purpose, but in vaiu ; the only reply 
was, " My father needs it more than I, and he 
shall have it." It was all superstition ; yet 
this poor heathen man, in his blindness and 
degradation, exhibited a filial affection, and a 
devotion to what he believed was right, that 
would put to shame many a professing Chris- 
tian. 

Although the worship of graven images does 
not prevail to any great extent on the immedi- 
ate coast, still the people arc idolaters. Almost 
every heathen village has its " idol houses," 
sometimes called " country-fashion houses " or 
" devil houses." Sacrifices are offv3rcd and a 
certain degree of worship paid to them. No 
idol, in the common acceptation of the word, 



108 



GLnrrsES of west Africa. 



however, is to be seen. These houses arc com- 
monly built iu a circular form, some two or 
three feet iu hight, and one and a half in di- 
ameter, and covered with a little pointed roof 
of thatch. Underneath this, on the ground, 
are laid a variety of small articles, such as 
sticks, shells, pieces of broken crockery, spires 
from bug-a-bug hills, and bits of cloth. I in- 
cline to the belief that these articles are not 
themselves worshiped, but that they are re- 
garded as sacred offerings to some spirit who is 
supposed to liave his residence in the idol house. 
Be that as it may, the articles seen are "^ory in- 
significant. I have never noticed among them 
any unbroken pieces of crockery, but invaria- 
bly worthless remnants. The people seem to 
think that the wrath of spirits or idols, what- 
ever they are, is easily appeased. In walk- 
ing through a village, you will often see these 
idol houses standing near the residences of the 
principal men. Sometimes they are built 
around a bug-a-bug hill, in the outskirts of the 
town. 

In some towns there are also heathen altars, 



HABITS, SUPEJtSTITION. 



109 



intended for the offering of sacrifices. Their 
construction is very simple. Four sticks of 
wood arc hiid on the ground, so as to enclose a 
space of a few square feet. Tiiis is slightly ele- 
vated above the surrounding earth, and the 
offerings are laid npon it. I well remember 
preaching in a heathen town towards the inte- 
rior, with one of these altars in full sight, and 
but a few feet from where I stood. Indeed, the 
missionary has frequent occasion to use the pre- 
cise language of Paul in his sermon on Mars 
Hill, which so plainly describes the state of the 
heathen here. " In all things " they " are too 
superstitious," and they worship they know not 
what. 

" Gree-grees," charms, and " medicines" are 
universally worn by the people of "West Africa, 
and the people's faith in them is very great. 
The infant, almost as soon as born, is loaded 
with them, and the old man tottering towards 
the grave trusts in them. They are made in 
different forms, and worn for a variety of pur- 
poses. A common form of the gree-gree con- 
sists of a string of leather or palm fiber, from. 



110 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



which is suspended a small, flat package, either 
oblong or square, containing the charm. This 
kind of grce-grce is usually worn around the 
neck. Other " medicines " arc worn on the 
arms, the wrists, the waist, the ankles and feet, 
the cars, and sometimes tied to a corner of the 
clothing. Tlicre is a class of persons known as 
gree-gree makers, who are supposed to have su- 
pernatural powers. If a person desires a charm, 
he applies to a gree-gree man, telling him the 
pui-pose for which he wishes it, and the article 
is duly manufactured. One kind of " medicine" 
is supposed to protect the wearer from the as- 
saults of enemies ; another, to deliver him from 
danger when journeying by water ; another, to 
make him a rapid walker if traveling by land ; 
another, to prevent serpents from biting him; 
others, to keep off various diseases ; and still 
others answer a great variety of objects. If a 
house is to be plundered, " medicine " is put 
upon it which is believed to have the power of 
causing the inmates to fall into so deep a sleep 
as not to be awakened by the thieves. If a 
man wishes to revenge himself upon his enemy, 



HABITS, SUPEnSTITlOX. 



Ill 



he repeats a form of words each day over a 
grec-grca obtained for the purpose, with the be- 
lief that it will cause him to sicken and die. 
So _great is the power of superstition that if a 
gree-gree is tied about a fruit tree, the people 
will not dare to toiich the fruit ; or if " medi- 
cine " is placed in the farm, the yams, corn and 
potatoes are comparatively safe. Among many 
of the heathen the gree-gree seems to be the 
universal remedy for and defense against the 
ills of life. The missionary, in combating 
these varied forms of superstition, feels ready 
to exclaim, — 

" Who, but thou, Almighty Spirit, 
Can the heathen world reclaim ? 
Men may preach, but till thou favor 
Heathens will be still the same."' 



CHAPTER VII. 



WITCHCRAFT — THE FURROW — CRIES. 

E naturally expect a superstitious peoplo 
to be firm believers iu witchcraft. This 
t^,9'i?' certainly true of the natives of West 
Africa. A belief in witches underlies the 
whole structure of society, and leads to many 
revolting customs and deeds of cruelty. Even 
those who have become christianized can hardly 
dispel from their minds the lingering relics of 
this superstition ; but among the heatlicn it is 
seen in all its sickening and terrible aspects. 
Many human lives are yearly sacrificed to it, 
the poor victims often undergoing the most 
cruel tortures that heathen minds can devise, 
before death comes to their relief. 

"Witchcraft is supposed to be the cause of al- 
most everything bad. If a person is caught by 

112 




WITCIICItAFT, THE rUItnOW, CRIES. 113 

a shark or an alligator, killed by a lcoi)arcl, or 
meets with any accident, it is attributed to a 
witch, and efforts are at once made to discover 
the guilty party. The proceedings to effect this 
object doubtless vary in different places. Among 
the Slicrbro people it is accomplished through 
*' country-fashion men," who pretend to a su- 
pernatural power and wisdom, which enable 
them to point out a witch. 

The " country-fashion man" first proceeds to 
the town where supposed witchcraft has been 
practised, informs the king of his object, and 
promises certainly to detect the culprit. The 
king pledges him a certain amount of money 
in case he succeeds. A large fire is then built 
in the town, and the people siimmoned to sit 
around it. The occasion is made as imposing 
as possible. The " country-fashion man " as- 
sumes an air of great wisdom, and goes through 
with a variety of incantations and strange cere- 
monies, so as to awe the people. He holds in 
his hand a gree-gree, in the shape of a rod, which 
he flourishes wildly during the ceremony. Sud- 
denly he strikes one of the group with this gree- 
8 



114 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICJ. 

grcc rod, the touch of wliicli is an accusation 
of witchcraft, and tlien goes on with his wild 
performance, till he is satisfied that no more 
witches remain. 

Next comes the trial, which is conducted with 
more ceremony than the accusation. The mode 
commonly adopted is known as the " sassy-iuood 
trial.''' The country-fashion man goes to a sas- 
sy-wood tree, plunges a needle and knife into 
the trunk, and addresses it something as fol- 
lows : "0 tree, I beseech you to decide truly 
whether or not the person about to be tried is 
guilty." He next cuts off a quantity of bark, 
beats it to a fine pulp in a mortar, and makes a 
sort of tea from it. No other individual is al- 
lowed to touch the bark during its preparation, 
lest he should take from it its supposed power. 
A kind of scaffold is now built, and the accused 
placed upon it in a standing posture. The peo- 
ple sit upon the ground around the scaffold in 
large numbers, every eye fixed on the victhn. 
The operator dips up a calabash of tea, and ad- 
ministers it ; then, after a pause, anotlicr, and 
another. If the accused does not vomit the tea, 



wiTciicnAFT, Till!: runnow, cjues. 



115 



ho is cloemcd guilty, and piiuislicd by d^ath. 
If, however, lie vomits freely, lie is taken from 
the scaffold and placed on country cloths ; but 
if ho now chances to throw np bloody matter, he 
is still regarded as guilty ; if not, he is set at 
liberty. 

The modes of inflicting the death-punishment 
are various. Sometimes, after waiting a suf- 
ficient time for the sassy-wood to operate, the 
people commence beating the victim with sticks 
and stones, and continue it till he is dead. In 
other cases he is roasted alive, undergoing the 
most exquisite tortures, till death comes to his 
relief. A few years ago, in a village near one 
of the stations of the Mendi Mission, three 
women who had been found guilty of witch- 
craft were punished by burning. Crotches were 
driven into the ground, and sticks laid across 
them. The victims were stretched upon these 
fticks and bound, with their backs downward. 
Slow fires were kept burning underneath, and 
the women left to their fate. Rumors of their 
awful position reached the mission, and one of 
the missionaries hastened to their rescue. They 



116 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



were brought away, but two of them died in a 
few days. In this same village a young girl was 
once convicted of witchcraft, and sentenced to 
die. She was tied to a stake at low water, so 
that as the tide rose it would overwhelm and 
drown her. By some means she got loose, and 
returned to the town ; she was then taken to an 
adjoining island, stabbed, and her body thrown 
into the river. This record of cruelties prac- 
tised in one small village is but a sample of 
those carried on throughout a vast extent of 
country. 

The people, of course, have many strange 
ideas concerning the so-called witches. Some 
of the Sherhro tribe believe the following curious 
story : The witch is said to have a large six- 
oared canoe, which ho securely anchors, not on 
the surface of the water, hut at the bottom. He 
then assumes the shape of an alligator, and 
swims about in search of prey. If he catches a 
man, woman, or child, he descends to the canoe 
anchored at the bottom of the river, and loaves 
liis victim there. He next spends several days 
ia swimming about in his alligator disguise, 



WITCIICUAFT, THE pvitnow, cniES. 117 



passing near all tlic ncigliboriiig towns, and lis- 
tening at each to hear what the people say. If 
he hears nothing said about tlic person who has 
been caught, he will return to the witch-canoe 
and devour him ; but if he sees that the people 
"make palaver" and talk of the sassy-wood 
trial, he will bring the victim back unharmed. 
A multitude of similar stories, as wild as they 
are inconsistent, are repeated among the peo- 
ple, and believed to a greater or less extent. 

West Africa, though a heathen land, has its 
secret societies. One of the most powerful of 
these is denominated the " Furrow," and exerts 
a wonderful influence over the people. Its 
members consist of men only, and each one is 
bound by a solemn oath not to reveal anything 
concerning its secret ceremonies. Death would 
doubtless be the penalty for a violation of this 
oath, which is so strictly kept that those who 
are not members can never obtain a full knowl- 
edge of the proceedings. 

The sessions of the purrow are usually held 
hi a large forest, or " bush," as it would be de- 
nominated in Africa, at some distance from any 



118 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



town or village. The same spot is kept foi- iliis 
purpose from year to year, and is regarded as 
sacred by tlio people. Outsiders are rigidly 
excluded from the vicinity ; and if, during a 
session of the purrow, a woman chances to ap- 
proach the bush, the penalty is death. Nearly 
all the kings of the country belong to the soci- 
ety, and none of them dare dispute its edicts. 

There is one chief " devil " in the purrow, 
called " Tassaw," who acts as a sort of modera- 
tor. All, even the kings, fear him, and doubt- 
less many regard him as a supernatural being. 
There arc also several minor " devils," all of 
whom are men dressed in hideous costume. 
The Tassaw wears an immense gree-grce on 
his head, composed of human skulls, bones, &c. 
His body is covei*ed with platted bamboo fiber, 
and a net-work of bones from human skeletons. 
His face is rubbed with the ashes of a human 
being, and he inspires great terror among the 
superstitious people. 

There is a secret society also among tlio 
women, called the " Boondoo," which aiiswcrs 
much the same purpose among them as the 



WITCHCRAFT, TlJE runuow, cniEH. 119 



purrow among tlie men. Its secrets, strange 
to say, arc kept as profoundly. 

" Cries " for the dead are very common 
among the licatlien of West Africa. The mis- 
sionary, as lie enters a town, often hears wild 
moans and wailings issuing from some one of 
the little mud huts. Friends gather round the 
corpse, and give vent to their grief in loud 
lamentations. Sometimes they utter expres- 
sions of regret for the departed, and praise 
his virtues. One moment the cries rise loud, 
harsh and discordant, and the next they sink to 
the softest and most plaintive moans. Occa- 
donally, the mourners tear their hair, cut their 
llcsh, and toss about in a frightful manner. 
The length of the cry depends on various cir- 
cumstances ; for a powerful king it might last 
a year ; for a common person, only a week, in 
both cases being continued at intervals. Hired 
mourners arc sometimes employed to cry for 
the dead, in which case they feign the deepest 
grief, and carry on their operations in the most 
extravagant manner. At the burial, the cries 
are often heart-rending. 



120 



GLIMPSES OF IVEST AFRICA. 



Polygamy is generally practiced among tliis 
people ; in fact, almost every heathen man who 
is able has a plurality of wives. A man's 
property is often measured by the number of 
them which he possesses. The women are pur- 
chased from their parents or friends for a small 
sum, sometimes not more than three or four 
dollars. They are not themselves consulted in 
the matter, but when bargained for, willing or 
unwilling, must go. Prince Mannah, a noted 
Gallinas king, living a few miles from the Men- 
di Mission, is said to have a thousand wives. 
Some of them he does not even know by siglit. 
In a civilized country the cost of supporting so 
many would forbid the custom, if tlierc Avere 
no otlacr reasons ; but here the tables arc turned, 
and tli» wives support their husband. They 
perform the drudgery, while their lord sits at 
ease in his hammock, and issues his orders. 

A curious custom prevails among some of the 
West African tribes in regard to the wdves of a 
dead king. During the days of mourning they 
are closely watched, and not suffered to go out 
alone ; but on the morning on which the cry is 



WITCIICIiAFT, THE PUliUOW, CltlES. 121 



ended, tlicy arc all taken to the river to bathe. 
Those who wish to secure them as wives follow, 
and at a point higher up the river throv/ short 
sticks into the water, which float down to the 
women. If a woman chooses to accept the pro- 
posal of marriage, she picks up the stick ; if 
not, she allows it to float by. 

Poisoning is a common mode of revenge in 
Africa. Tlie people are very superstitious in 
regard to it, believing that their enemies are 
possessed of various subtile poisons, which re- 
main for a long time iii the system, but finally 
kill. Those who prepare food for the kings 
and chiefs are required to taste of every dish, 
as a sort of pledge that no poison has been 
mixed with it. But notwithstanding all pre- 
cautions, many lives are doubtless taken every 
year by these means. 

The Mohammedan religion prevails to some 
extent iu West Africa, and portions of the Ko- 
ran are in circulation. The Mohammedans are 
generally possessed of superior minds, but prac- 
tice ^reat impositions on the heathen. Some 
can read and write Arabic with much facility, 



122 



CLmrSES OF )fEST AFniCA. 



and a few schools are established in the larger 
towns. They arc much more difficult to rcacli 
with the gospel than the purely heathen. The 
common people purchase from them grcc-grees 
and charms, and sometimes regard them with a 
sort of reverence because they are "book" or 
" murray men." 



CHAPTER VIII. 



GOVERNMENT — PALAVERS — WAR — SLAVERY. 

HE centuries of darkness that have rolled 
over Africa have left upon it indelible 
?^ marks. Its skies are as smilino; as ever, 
"° its breezes as odorous, its flowers as gor- 
geous, its fruits as luscioiis, and its vegetation 
as luxuriant; but the blight and mildew of 
those dark ages rest heavily over the people. 
Like all heathen nations, they are blinded and 
ignorant, warped by superstition, and swayed by 
fear and passion. They exhibit much natural 
talent, which if developed and guided might 
make them a great power in the world. Even 
in their degraded state, there are many in- 
stances of native nobleness and commanding 
strength of mind that can not but inspire re- 
spect from all. 

123 




121 



GI.niPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



Those traits of character are all seen in the 
government of the country. Some kings and 
chiefs rule with a dignified bearing and firm 
hand, really striving to do good to their sub- 
jects ; but, inwoven with the good, there is 
much of superstition and cruelty. The large 
number of petty tribes on the West African 
coast renders any general form of government 
impossible, though there is considerable simi- 
larity in the regulations enforced. The pur- 
row is the source of many general laws, which 
the kings are bound to respect ; otherwise war 
is made upon them. With this exception, each 
king is independent, and can manage his own 
towns and villages as he chooses. The people 
usually show much respect to their kings, and 
obey them with alacrity. 

If any disagreement is to be settled, a " pa- 
laver" is called. These palavers are usually 
held in tlie barre, or court-house, of the town, 
and the king of the place presides at them. 
Quite a number of people often assemble to lis- 
ten. The parties bring forward their witnesses 
and present their pleas, and the king with liis 



COVEnmiENT, PALAVERS, WAR, SLAVERY. 125 



counselors sits in state, hearing the case, and 
finally dcGidcs as is deemed just. The palavers 
arc conducted Avith much dignity and ceremony. 
Some of the speeches are really eloquent, at 
least so far as the outside appearance goes. I 
have sat in a palaver-house in African wilds, 
listening to the speakers as they pou.red forth a 
torrent of words in their native tongue, till my 
heart has been fairly thrilled. I knew not what 
they were saying, but the commanding figure, 
the erect and manly bearing, the graceful, 
speaking gestures, the face lit up with the in- 
spiration of the moment, and the softly-modu- 
lated voice, made an impression scarcely inferior 
to that of the popular orators of civilized lands. 
The decisions of the palaver are not always 
what they should- be, for heathen superstitions 
and cruelties are mixed up with every form of 
justice. Often the palavers are brouglit to the 
missionary for decision, and much of his pre- 
cious time and strength is taken up in listening, 
through an interpreter, to the various state- 
ments. In such cases, his verdict is cheerfully 
accepted by both parties as finaL 



126 



GLIMVSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



Unadjusted palavers between different tribes 
often load to those petty wars which are always 
prevailing to a greater or less extent on this 
joast. The cause of war is commonly some 
trifling matter, scarcely worth noticing at all, 
which is dwelt upon and magnified, till the 
king and people are roused to the requisite 
pitch for an attack. Indeed, many kings seem 
to delight in war, for the sake of the spoils and 
prisoners which they hope to capture. 

The forces employed are usually quite small, 
perhaps two or thi-ee hundred on a side. They 
are armed with old-fashioned miiskets, swords 
of native manufacture, and some other weapons. 
Some towns are defended with small cannon, 
obtained from traders. Tlie attacking party 
approach a town witli a stealthy, cat-like tread, 
skulking among bushes and hiding behind trees, 
so as to surprise the people if possible. Strate- 
getic movements are much more popular with 
African soldiers than a hand-to-hand conflict ; 
but wlien necessary they fight with a desperate 
bravery. The swift movements and sudden at- 
tacks of African war-parties are svirprising. At 



coveh^'mlxt, palavers, wah, slaveuy. 127 



sunset a villago reposes in quiet beauty amid 
its groves of graceful palms and bending cocoas. 
The log canoe of the rude fisherman glides 
peacefully homeward over the river. The peo- 
j)le gather in barre and kitchen for their eve- 
ning chat. Not the faintest signs of an ap- 
proaching enemy are discernible on land or 
water. Darkness comes on, and suddenly at 
the midnight hour the fierce war-cry of a foe 
is heard. The thatched huts are ablaze. The 
terrified inhabitants, not prepared to resist, fly 
for their lives. Many are taken prisoners, 
plunder is secured, and then the enemy departs 
as suddenly as he came. The morning sun 
shines on blackened ruins and deserted homes, 
where but yesterday the simple round of hea- 
then life went on in fancied security. 

One object of these wars is to obtain slaves ; 
nearly all the prisoners captured being re- 
garded as such. But slavery in "West Africa is 
very different from the bondage practiced by 
some civilized nations. The master and slave 
are of the same color, though usually of differ- 
ent tribes. They are both ignorant and super- 



128 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFFdCA. 



stitioiis, and arc regarded as more nearly equals 
in their privileges than ths masters and slaves 
of America. One might pass through towns 
where there are hundreds of slaves, and yet 
never suspect that the institution existed there 
at all. The usual title of the slaveholder is 
" father," and his treatment of his slaves gene- 
rally warrants this name. Slaves are allowed 
to acquire property of their own, and if they are 
diligent and faithful they may become the rich- 
est men in the country. They often own slaves 
themselves, who are sent out to work for the 
masters in their stead. Many sad wrongs, how- 
ever, spring out of the institution in this modi- 
fied state, and as civilization and Christianity 
advance it gradually fades away. 

Many of the slaves of this country are stolen 
from their parents while young. A mother, for 
instance, sends her child to a spring for water, 
and he never returns. The woods may echo to 
her anguished cries, but he comes not. Kid- 
nappers were lurking in the bush, and sud- 
denly they pounced upon their prey, and bore 
him off. Others are stolen while going on some 



GOVERyMENT, PALAVEIIS, If.lll, SLAVERY. 129 

errand, or playing about the village. Men arc 
oftsu prowling about in the dense bush which 
surrounds the native towns, watching for their 
victims. Father Johnson, the old interpreter 
of the Meudi Mission, was stolen from his na- 
tive country, far interior, by these kidnappers. 
Ho was then some eight years of age, and had 
been sent by his mother to a town at some dis- 
tance to visit his older brother. While passing 
the bush, three men suddenly pounced upon 
him, and bore him off. Tliey traveled by night, 
and hid in the bush during the day, until at 
length they reached the Gallinas country, and 
the victim was sold as a slave. Father John- 
son has never seen his parents or relatives since. 
Often the child is so young when stolen that 
ho has no remembrance of his country or peo- 
ple. The method of obtaining slaves, and the 
mode of treating them, vary somewhat among 
different tribes. On the east of Calabar, hun- 
dreds of miles below Sierra Leone, lies the coun- 
try of the Fellatalis, one of the southern prov- 
inces of Luccatoo. The inhabitants are de- 
scribed as fierce men, who ride on horseback. 



130 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

Tliey are Moliammcdans, and by their con- 
quests reduce many to slavery, and sell them to 
other tribes. In some places there are laws, 
the breaking of which is punished by slavery. 
Sometimes, if a person is accused of witchcraft, 
and successfully passes the sassy-wood ordeal, 
his accuser is sold as a slave. Among some 
tribes, if a man owes more than ho is able to 
pay, he is sold to make up the balance. A 
missionary at Calabar relates the following 
story of a device that is practiced for obtaining 
slaves : — 

" The Ibo tribe believe in a being whom they 
call Tslmku, and whose shrine is at Aro, a town 
lying west of this, in the Delta. People go thith- 
er from surrounding tribes to consult this ora- 
cle, and it is held in high repute. The pilgrim 
carries his present with him. The place where 
the priests meet him is said to be outside of the 
town of Aro, where thei-e is a house built over 
a small stream. If the })reseut is deemed satis- 
factory, the pilgrim is sent back with his answer. 
But many never return from that house. It is 
believed that Tshuku has devoured them. In 



GOVEHMIEXT, PALAVERS, WAIt, SLAVERY. 131 



order to give color to this deception, a red dye, 
or perhaps at times real human blood, is spilled 
in the stream, and is seen by those outside." 

The foroi"-!! slave-trade is still carried on to 
some extent from West Africa, though the 
number of slaves exported has greatly dimin- 
ished during the past few years. The Sherbro 
country, in the vicinity of the Mendi Mission, 
was formerly a great resort of slave-ships, and 
many are the dark tales of blood and crime re- 
lated concerning them. The numerous rivers 
and mangrove islands afforded them great op- 
portunities to carry on the wicked traffic with 
compai'ativc safety. It is impossible to conceive 
the fearful deeds of cruelty and the sickening 
horrors that attended it. If the secret history 
of the foreign slave-trade from West Africa 
could be written, it would fill volumes with the 
most thrilling pictures of human agony and 
woe, exceeding in strangeness and mystery the 
wildest dreams that ever entered the head of a 
novelist. God be praised that those dark days 
of terror are so fast passing away. 



CHAPTER IX. 



THE WORK OP MISSIONS. 

VER since our Saviour's last command, 
"Go yo into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature," his church has 
been engaged, to a greater or less extent, 
in the work of missions. The story of salvation 
through Christ, which was then known only in 
the region immediately surrounding Jerusalem, 
has been spread far and wide. Heathen Europe 
heard the sound and awoke to life. It crossed 
the Atlantic with the Pilgrims, and Christian 
America to-day testifies to its wondrous power. 
Great things have been accomplished, too, in 
these later times by the spread of the gospel 
through the instrumentality of missions. Mis- 
sionaries have been sent forth into many of the 
dark places of the earth. With a silent, patient 
heroism, daunted not by the prospect of danger, 

132 




THE WOTIK OF MISSIOA'S. 



133 



or even of death, they have sundered the ties 
that bound them to friends and native land, and 
buried themselves in foreign wilds, surrounded 
only by untamed men. They have trod the 
burning sands of Africa, and journeyed ovar 
its sluggish, death-breeding rivers. They have 
penetrated its jungles and visited its kraals. 
They have braved the fierce cold and eternal 
snows of Greenland. They have visited the 
crowded cities and villages of India. They 
have combated the false beliefs of many an 
Asiatic nation. They have gone to ,the most 
lonely islands of the ocean. And everywhere 
they have told the same sweet story of redeem- 
ing love, and besought the heathen to accept of 
Christ. And not only have men done this, but 
gentle woman, tenderly nurtured, and surround- 
ed by the luxuries of a civilized land, has joy- 
fully forsaken all, and borne a noble part in the 
blessed work. 

The results of the missionary work are al- 
ready grand and glorious. Tlie wilderness and 
the desert are budding and blossoming. Many 
ialos of the sea have become christianized, and 



134 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFniCA. 

dark corners of tlie eartli lit up with the rays 
of the Sun of Righteousness. Souls are rejoic- 
ing in glory to-day who have been saved through 
this instrumentality. No tongue can fully ut- 
ter, and no pen fully describe, the wonderful 
results which, through God's blessing, have fol- 
lowed the labors of his servants in foreign lands. 
Even in West Africa, though the deadly climate 
necessitates a frequent change of laborers, much 
progress has been made. There is a line of 
missions extending for thousands of miles along 
the coast, while here and there stations have 
been planted in the interior. From these the 
gospel light is constantly radiating ; and wher- 
ever it is shed, the superstitions and ceremonies 
of heathenism are fast passing away. Already 
there are many thousands of native converts, 
and from among them some educated pastors 
and teachers are employed in the regular mis- 
sion work. 

From day to day the progress is scarcely dis- 
cernible, but glancing back over a series of 
years, it becomes very apparent. The work 
does go forward, thougli to mortal eyes the ad- 



THE WOUK OF MISSIONS. 



13y 



vauce may seem very slow. Missionary life iii 
West Africa is not without its shady side. Op- 
pressed with the languor peculiar to a tropical 
climate, enfeebled by the ever-recurring fever, 
with his nervous system unstrung, and a crowd 
of duties constantly calling for attention, the 
missionary's heart sometimes sinks within him. 
As he loolcs over the field, where for months 
and years he has toiled, and sees so little fruit, 
he is ready to exclaim, " "What good have I 
accomplished by all these labors ? " That de- 
lightful vail of romance, which, perchance, sur- 
rounded the foreign missionary work when he 
looked at it from his old New England home, 
has long ago departed. It is a stern, matter-of- 
fact reality now, yet the work itself is far more 
dear than ever. Those fancy pictures, which 
the good folks at home so delight to draw, of a 
missionary sitting all day under a branching 
tree, with a group of eager, earnest learners 
about him, are not always realized. He must 
sometimes gather the naked, filthy children, and 
wash and clothe them. He must seek out the 
people in their dark, damp huts, and converse 



136 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

with them there. He must gaze ou dis-gaisting 
objects every day, and feel his soul pained by 
heathen habits. He must repeat over and over 
the simplest truths of the gospel, and then some- 
times fail of making them plain to the darkened 
mind. But the joys of the work far outbalance 
the petty trials and discouragements. The mis- 
sionary realizes that 

" The lonely heart that leans on God 
Is happy anywhere ; " 

and, though conscious of his own weakness, he 
is strong in the Lord. He knows that he is 
entirely dependent on the Holy Spirit ; but he 
knows, too, that that Spirit has been promised 
him. Turning over the pages of my missionary 
journal, I find many a record speaking of these 
things : — 

Dec. 5. — God fulfills to us his precious prom- 
ise, that whosoever forsaketh houses or lauds, 
or father or mother, for Jesus' sake, shall re- 
ceive a hundred fold more in this life. " Lo, I 
am Avith you always ! " has been blissfully veri- 
fied in our experience. Trials, to be sure, have 
pressed upon us, and we have been ofttimes in 



THE ]rORK OF Missioys. 



137 



great perplexity, scarcely knowing whicli way 
to turn ; yet over and through all has gleamed 
the sunshine of God's face and the smile of his 
love. We expect these trials, for Jesus said 
that the " hundred fold " would be accompanied 
" with persecutions " here, but sweet, very sweet, 
are the anticipations of " everlasting life " be- 
yond. 

Doubtless, many who seem to listen gladly 
soon forget our words ; bu.t we trust that God 
opens the hearts of some to receive permanent 
good. It is ours to sow the seed wherever we 
can, God's to give the increase ; and we have 
no right to believe that any labor for Jesus will 
be utterly in vain. The harvest may be long 
delayed, and the reapers few and unworthy ; but 
never was there a word spoken nor suffering 
patiently endured for Christ's sake in vain. 
Often in our work, as we long and pray for the 
delaying harvest, we feel ready to exclaim, — 

" Full well I know I have more tai-es than wheat, — 

Brambles and flowers, dry sticks, and withered leaves ; 

■\Vhercfore I blush and weep, and at thy feet 

I kneel down reverently and repeat, 
" Master, behold my sheaves. 



13S GLIMPSES or WEST AFUICA. 

I know these blossoms, clustering heavily. 
With evening dew upon their folded leaves. 

Can claim no value or utility ; 
Yet well I know thy patient love perceives 

Not what I did, but what I strove to do. 

And, though the full, ripe ears be sadly few, 
Thou wilt accept my sheaves." 

Many faithful missionaries have been called 
to seal their testimony for Jesus with their lives 
on heathen ground. Their burial-places are 
consecrated spots, rendered for ever sacred by 
the dust of fallen laborers. The West African 
coast is lined with these sad memorials. Some 
had but just been permitted to lift the banner 
of the cross ere they fell in death. But not 
one has fallen in vain. Silent voices come 
forth from their grass-grown graves, speaking 
of a high and lofty faith, a noble zeal, a wil- 
lingness to die if need be, only that they might 
have the sweet privilege of pointing heathen to 
the cross of Christ. Parents, and brothers, 
and sisters, may have wept bitterly over the 
loved ones early called, and almost felt that the 
sacrifice for Africa's redemption was too great ; 
but our dear heavenly Father saw it all, and 
will overrule it to the glory of his kingdom. 



CHAPTER X. 



WAYSIDE TEACHINGS. 

-UCH of the labor of missionaries may 
Cl^iL well be denominated u-ariside feachinq. 
c^^a) Wherever a group of listeners can be 
found or gathered, there an opportunity 
is offered of doing good, and the faithful mis- 
sionary will be ready to embrace it. I extract 
the following notes from my journal : — 

Dec. 21. — God commands us to ijo to every 
creature with the offer of salvation, and if we 
can not find them elscwliere we must visit them 
at their homes. Let me picture one of these 
visits. — It is towards evening, and putting my 
small Testament in my pocket, I start on my 
walk. Passing through our pleasant yard and 
out at the gateway, I find myself in one of the 
main roads of tlie region. Americans would 

139 



140 



GLIMPSES OF JVEST AFniCA. 



call it a more foot-path, but in this wagonless 
country it is all the road we have. On one side 
is the Slierbro river, some five miles in width, 
and dotted with numerous mangrove islands, 
and on the other the lime-hedge that bounds 
our mission grounds. People are constantly 
coming and going along the path. Here is a 
tall Mohammedan, wearing a flowing white 
cloth reaching from his shoulders to the ground, 
and adorned with rings of ivory and gold about 
his wrists and arms. He wears a country gree- 
gree rovmd his neck, which is supposed to keep 
off evil spirits. He is followed by some women, 
with their faces curiously marked with white 
chalk. Yonder, on the river-bank, is a group 
of naked boys and girls. Others, quecrly 
dressed, are passing by. "Walking a little dis- 
tance along this path, I turn up a shady lane, 
and soon reach the native village of Gondamar, 
Tlic houses are small, with mud walls and 
thatched roofs, and are scattered promiscuously 
about. Near one of the houses a small girl is 
beating rice in a mortar, and several women 
stand around her. I pass up to them, and 



WAYSIDE TEACHmCS. 



141 



speak ill English. They all laugh aloud, and 
shake their heads. They are Sherbro people, 
and can understand nothing that I say. Soon 
another woman comes up, and says a few words 
in broken English. I talk with her a while 
about Jesus, invite her to come to the chapel on 
Sunday, and then pass on. 

I next stop at the door of a country house. It 
looks dark inside. There is no floor but the 
bare earth, and only two rooms. A fire is 
burning in the middle of one room, and over it 
a pot of rice is suspended. A man comes for- 
ward and meets me. He talks English quite 
fluently, and I can speak to him with much 
more ease about his soul. As I leave, he thanks 
me for what I have said. Next I visit the chief 
of the town. He brings a low stool, and places 
it outside the door for me to sit upon ; and as I 
converse with him about the Bible, and read 
from it some passages, a group gathers round 
us. Leaving the chief's house, I stop at other 
huts, or say a few words to those whom I meet. 
Near the farther end of the village, I find an 
old woman who lived in Sierra Leone, and at- 



142 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



tended chapel there years ago. She "welcomes 
me gladly, and I read a chapter from the Tes- 
tament as I sit hy her mud house. A half-dozen 
others crouch on the ground around me, gazing 
earnestly into my face. So I pass from house 
to house, trying to point souls to Jesus, until 
the evening shadows begin to fall, when I turn 
homewards. 

Pec. 23. — Monday evening I took another 
"wayside walk" to a heathen village. James, 
one of our mission boys, went with me to inter- 
pret. "We found two or three men standing 
near one of the houses, and I commenced 
talking with them about God. Soon, nearly a 
dozen, attracted by our conversation, gathered 
around to hear. Some of them were Moham- 
medans, or " murray-men," as they are called, 
from the interior, and could read Arabic. After 
conversing with these for a while, we called at 
the doors of several houses, and tarried for a 
few moments to speak of Jesus : and so, walk- 
ing from place to place, and carrying the good 
tidings, we reached some whom we could not 
otherwise have gained access to. In one part 



WAYSIDE TEACHINGS. 



143 



of the village wo found some country people, 
who said thoy had never h.eard a missionary 
talk about God ; and calling James to interpret, 
I spent ton minutes, as long a time as they 
would attentively listen at once, in repeating 
the story of the cross. They gave good atten- 
tion to the word spoken. As the twilight shad- 
ows gathered, we returned to the mission- 
house. 

June 17. — Shall I give you a little sketch of 
mission life to-day ? It may afford a glimpse 
of one of the many features of our work. 

It is a clear, hot morning, and the tropical 
sun is already high in the heavens. As usual, 
I am to spend two or three hours with a group 
of learners in the barre at Bonthe, a native 
town three-fourths of a mile distant. The path 
by land is so wet and miry that I am obliged to 
go on the water. Passing down to our little 
wharf, I step into my log canoe. I sit on a 
stool near the prow, and a man at the stern 
paddles. The canoe is some twelve feet long, 
and one and a half wide, hollowed out of a sin- 
gle log. As we glide along, it sways this way 



]4 J: GLr.UPSSS OF WEST AFHICA. 

and that, the upper edge often nearly even with 
the water. A frightened person would be sure 
to upset it, and as the river is full of sharks and 
alligators, that might prove no light matter. 
On one side is the island shore, with its small 
brown huts and a few palms rising against the 
sunlit sky ; on the other is the broad Sherbro 
river, with canoes of all sizes and shapes, filled 
with dusky, half-naked people, gliding in every 
direction. Naked children play along the beach, 
and men and women, with a strip of cloth wound 
arouiul their waists, walk to and fro, or lounge 
in tlie sun. The faces and bodies of many of 
the women are grotesquely marked with white 
chalk. Twenty minutes' paddling brings me to 
Bonthe. A short walk over a strip of burning 
sand and along the winding paths of the town, 
and I find myself in the chief's yard, bounded on 
three sides by the barre, kitchen, and house, and 
on the fourth by a rude fence. Tiie children 
crowd round me as I enter, and three or four 
little hands are placed in mine at once, with a 
broken " Mornin', sir ! " from a score of voices. 
At first they were frightened at the sight of a 



JFA YSWE TEACUmCS. 



145 



wliito mail, but now they are very familiar. 
Many understood no Euglisli when they came, 
but they soon learn to talk. It requires conside- 
rable planning to gather the children, and some- 
times a little force. I see a boy, for instance, 
playing about the town, and send a couple of 
the older children to invite him to the barre. 
He is frightened at the bare idea, and runs off 
screaming. They pursue, and after a short 
chase come back panting with the boy in their 
arms. He screams and kicks furiously, but 
one holds him while the other puts on a shirt, 
and they bear him in triumph to the barre. I 
lay my hand on his head and speak gently, and 
he is soothed ; and in a few days, perhaps, he 
becomes a quiet, constant learner. 

The barre has a thatched roof, mud floor, 
and mud walls on three sides, the fourth 
being open. Eude seats are ranged around 
the walls, on which the learners sit, and a table 
and chair are provided for me. At a stroke of 
the bell I read a few verses from the Bible, and 
we kneel in prayer. Then follows the patience- 
trying work of teaching the elements of read- 

lO 



1 IG CLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

ing and spelling to a groxip of heathen. Print- 
ed tablets hang on the walls, and as the class 
gather around them, eager and attentive, the 
scene is interesting. Some have already learned 
to read short sentences, and repeat easy verses 
from the Scriptures. As I tell them about God, 
their eyes open with wonder. A few can not 
yet understand my English words. When the 
little ones, so lately in heathenism, recite such 
lines as, " Suffer little children to come unto 
me," " Now I lay me down to sleep," &c., my 
heart overflows with thanksgiving. There are 
often several grown men who come to be taught, 
so that the classes as they stand before the tab- 
lets vary from the full-sized man to the toddling 
child. 

The group in the barre is a never-ceasing ob- 
ject of curiosity to those without. A mucli 
frequented path leads past the building, and the 
passers-by often stop and watch us eagerly, chat 
in their native tongue, and laugh. Some conio 
within the yard, and, hiding themselves behind 
a mud wall, peer round the corner with gaping 
mouth and wide-open eyes. The kitchen oppo- 



ir.l VSIDE TEACUINGS. 



147 



site is full of loungers. A heathen woman 
brings a tub of water, sets it down in front of 
the barrc, and proceeds to wash her children, 
the little sufibrei's meanwhile screaming at the 
top of their voices. Having done this, she 
stripes their shinuig black faces and bodies 
with white chalk, adorns them with rings, gree- 
grees, and little tinkling bells, and sends them 
off to play. Another woman brings her crying 
children, and seats herself on the edge of the 
barre. A tall Mohammedan from the interior, 
adorned with unnumbered rings, " medicines," 
and charms, pauses and sits down. Three or 
four others join the group, and all watch us as 
though it were a show. 

But listen to that noise. A " boondoo " pro- 
cession is passing. It consists of a dozen women, 
who keep up a constant song or chant. Some- 
times they walk along, singing, clapping their 
hands, and shaking a gourd covered with loose 
beads ; sometimes they go on a sort of half-run, 
giving now and then a deafening shout. They 
are dressed in cloths wound round their bodies, 
and adorned with heathen ornaments. 



118 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



Amid such scenes the hours pass, and at the 
close we kneel and repeat together the Lord's 
Prayer, which many have learned. The children 
crowd round mc with smiling faces, and a dozen 
hands are held out at once, while " Good-by, 
sir ! " echoes from every side. A few follow me 
to the wharf, and watch me as I glide homeward 
iii my light canoe. 



CHAPTER XL 



SABBATH LABORS. 



I EC. 21. — Yesterday, after the morning 
service in the chapel, I went to a little vil- 
lage a half-mile distant to preach. Horace 
accompanied me. We walked along a nar- 
row path tlirougli a mangrove swamp, Avhich is 
overflowed at high tide. The water was low as 
we passed, and by jumping across an occasional 
pool we succeeded in reaching the village. 
There were not more than ten houses in the 
place, and the people did not understand Eng- 
lish. We could not find a tree large enough 
to hold the meeting under it, and so the people 
gathered in the shade of one of the mud-walled 
huts. We began with singing, and then Hor- 
ace read the seventh chapter of Matthew in 
Sherbro, and I offered prayer through an in- 

149 



150 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFPJCA. 

torpreter. Next I spoke for a short time about 
Christ and our need of salvation, in as simple 
language as possible, stopping every few words 
to have it interpreted. Horace, who is a mem- 
ber of our mission church, followed with a 
few remarks, and we closed with prayer. The 
people listened with attention, saying that no 
one else had ever preached there. Our audi- 
ence comprised a dozen adults and several chil- 
dren, yet these were nearly all the inhabitants. 

Leaving this small village, we walked along 
a shady path to Bonthc, a large town, many of 
whose people speak English. The meetings 
are held in a barre, near the center of the place. 
A good-sized audience assembled, to whom we 
spoke from the words, " And ye will not come 
unto me that ye might have life." Opposite 
the barre is the kitchen of the town, and du- 
ring the services I noticed several country 
women engaged in their work. A short recess 
followed the preaching, and then a Sabbath 
school was held. It was nearly night when tlie 
school closed, and the tide was up so that wo 



SAIID.lT/r LABOUS. 



could not walk home. The chief, however, 
kindly sent iis in a log canoe. 

Dec. 25. — Last Sabbath I gathered about 
Uiirty people in Bro. Jewett's school-room. 1 
took James for an interpreter. Hardly one of 
my audience attends the chapel services, as they 
do not 'understand English. I hoped to get a 
dozen together, and was agreeably disappointed 
to see so many. Mr. Jewett and James went 
about to their houses, and sent them in one by 
one. Some, as they came to the door, woidd 
stop and hesitate, as though afraid to enter ; 
but as I pointed them to a seat, they would 
come in half bont, with a gliding, frightened 
motion. As I stood iip to address that little, 
strange-looking company of heathen in the mud- 
walled school-liouse, I felt very deeply my need 
of strength from above. Our services were 
much as iisual. More than ever do I perceive 
that it is not by might, nor by power, Init by 
the Iloly Spirit, that souls are led to Jesus. 

A week ago I preached at Bendoo, a thriving 
village some live miles away. A boat was sent 
Ibr mo in the morning, and after an hour's ride, 



152 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFPdCA. 

getting aground several times on the sand-ljaiiks, 
we reached the landing. I was warmly wel- 
comed by several of the people at the beach. 
An audience of a hundred and twenty-nine as- 
sembled in the chapel, which is commodious, 
with rude seats, mud walls, thatched roof, and 
sand floor. Through the open windows came 
the breath of the tropics, and the noon-day sun- 
shine rested on the luxuriant vegetation of this 
land of fruits and flowers. Everything was 
hushed and quiet, and as I looked on the neatly- 
dressed congregation before me, my heart over- 
flowed with thanksgiving that I had been per- 
mitted to witness such a sight on Africa's shores. 

Jan. 23. — Last Sabbath was a beautiful day, 
with a fine breeze. About nine I started for 
Keilah, distant some four miles. It was very 
pleasant sailing over the sparkling river that 
quiet morning, and I thanked God that I was 
tlius permitted to go from place to place, bear- 
ing the glad tidings of salvation to those who 
sit in darkness. I was welcomed by the chief, 
who soon called his people together. I stood 
in tlie piazza of his country house, but most of 



SABBATH LABORS. 



153 



the congregation were sitting on tlie ground 
under a large mango tree. They gazed ear- 
nestly into my face as I spoke awhile of Christ 
and tlieir need of salvation. I promised to 
meet them again in two weeks, and, bidding 
them good-by, returned to Good Hope. Aftar 
a half hour's rest and a lunch, I started for 
Bonthe. A goodly number were gathered in 
the barrc. I had preached in the same place 
the Sabbath before, and now one man came to 
mc wishing to be married to the woman with 
whom he had lived for some time, saying that 
he had been thinking about death, and he want^ 
ed to break off his sins. It was cheering to see 
that the truth had made some impression upon 
him. It was near night when I returned home, 
much wearied, but happy. These little gather- 
ings in heathen towns and villages are very 
pleasant to the missionary. I shall not soon 
forget the Sabbaths spent under the mango 
tree or in the barre. 

Feb. 1. — Leaving Keilah, we crossed over to 
Dumbuco, a village that was plundered a year 
ago by a war-party from the interior. It is dif- 



151 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFPJCA. 



ficult to get there at low tide, a wide strip of 
swamp intervening between the river-side and 
the town. A narrow, winding ciianncl has been 
dug through it, which is filled with water when 
the tide is up. "We passed up this channel, the 
boat sometimes touching one side and some- 
times the other. A few men stood watching us 
as we landed. I inquired for the chief, but he 
was not at home. A young man, however, con- 
ducted mo to the house of the chiefs mother, 
an old woman, vdio was lying sick in a small 
country house. She spoke broken English, and 
seemed pleased when I told her that I had come 
to talk about God. She called the people into 
her little house, and Horace interpreted for me 
as I tried to tell that group of heathen the story 
of the cross. The country house where we held 
the meeting was very rude and small. My com- 
panion and I sat on a rough box. Some of tlie 
heathen women seemed afraid to enter, ]iut they 
finally ventured to come and crouch on the l)ar{l 
nuid floor, and lean against the clay-plastered 
wall. It was a strange but interesting scene as 
I stood up {o preach in that rude luit, with tho 



SABDATII LABORS. 



interpreter at my side. As we commenced the 
meeting there was some talking and noise, but 
t)>e people soon became silent, and listened at- 
tentively. The chief's mother thanked us re- 
peatedly for coming. We left with those feelings 
that tlie missionary among the heathen knows 
so well from experience when he has been try- 
ing in weakness and imperfection to sow the 
gospel seed. 

Ang. 8. — Yesterday was the holy Sabbath. 
It dawned 

"With breath all incense, 
And with cheek all bloom." 

After the long weeks of constant, heavy rains, 
it seemed very delightful to see such a beautiful 
morning. The sky was a soft, deep blue ; the 
sunshine rested on the shining leaves of the 
trees ; the river lay bright and still, just rippled 
by the light, cooling breeze ; and the sweet song 
of birds came in through the open windows. 
The ride to York Island in the little blue boat, 
my " Sabbath home," was delightful ; and all 
tlie way my soul welled up in a hymn of praise 
to God for the beauties that were visible. On- 



15G , GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

ward Avc sped, now dashing across a wide strip 
of blue, sparkling water, now creeping close 
along the shore of a mangrove island, to avoid 
the furious tide ; now gliding over huslicd wa- 
ters, and now gently rocked by shining wavelets ; 
overhead the most entrancing of tropical skies, 
dotted with floating clouds of fleecy white ; the 
distant horizon tinted with violet and azure ; 
on, meeting now and then a log canoe, witli its 
half-naked paddlers ; on, past the queer little 
town of Yellebanah, sleeping in the rich sun- 
light ; round " the point," and then, borne 
by the swift tide, quickly wo reach the land- 
ing-place. The brown mud houses, with their 
thatched roofs, clustered beneath the giant cot- 
ton-trees and groves of cocoa, look very prettily. 
The little bell was already ringing as I stepped 
upon the beach, and soon a goodly congregatio'.i 
had gathered in the spacious, airy coimtry house 
where our meetings are held. I spoke from the 
first and second verses of the one hundred and 
thirty-ninth Psalm. The groups seated around 
me listened with attention. I was cheered by 
the cordial welcome which I received, after be- 



SABBATH LABOnS. 



157 



ing detained from them for two weeks by sick- 
ness. 

From York Isiand to Bontlie I had another 
refreshing hour on the water. As we rounded 
the last mangrove island and came in sight of 
the long shore, the scene was striking. The 
horizon was clear, and here and there rose state- 
ly palms and giant cotton-trees. Seven villages 
were in sight ; and as we passed along, now and 
then a boat or canoe could bo seen gliding over 
the shining river. Far to the south-east, vailed 
with the lightest of haze, lay the shore of the 
continent. My audience was attentive, but not 
large, and the Sabbath school was deeply inter- 
esting. 

In the beautiful moonlight eve we had ;i sol- 
emn meeting in the chapel. Oh that God's 
Spirit might be abundantly poured out upon 
us ! 

Oct. 18. — The absence of our small boat pre- 
vented my usual Sabbath preaching tour, but the 
day was not without its labors. Immediately 
after breakfast I went with my interpreter to a 
heathen village near by, hoping to bo able to 



158 



GLIMPSES 01'' WEST AFIUCA. 



tell of Jesus to some who do not understand 
English. AVe found a group of people in one 
of the yards, seated together in a favorable po- 
sition. Among them Avero several strangers 
from Gallinas, who had never before heard the 
word. I told them it was God's day, and we 
had come to talk to them about him. They 
thanked me, and said they would listen. One 
intelligent-looking woman, who seemed to be a 
sort of leader, did most of the talking. She 
wore an abundance of gree-grees on her neck 
and wrists. I related in simple words the story 
of God's love for us, and my young man inter- 
preted. As I ended I invited them to ask any 
questions about the subject which they might 
wish. The head woman said that they had 
heard my word ; it was true ; they thanked me 
for it ; they would remember it when they went 
home, and would try to obey God's teachings, 
and pray to him, I asked her why she wore 
gree-grees. 

" They keep my life in me," she answered. 
I told her of the folly of such a trust, and that 
they did not help her at all. I asked lier if she 



SADBATII LAUOnS. 



159 



Bxipposcd that if she were drowning in the river 
tlie grce-grees could save her. 

" Yes," she quickly replied. 

" But I am alive," said I, " and do not wear 
grce-grees ; and so are many other people." 

" But you are ditferent from xis ; if I was in 
America I would take them olf, but here I do 
not dare to," she answered. "A mnrray-man 
gave them to me, and I have worn them ever 
since I was a little girl." 

I told her that God was angry with us if we 
trusted in anything but him. 

" You are different from us," she said ; " you 
arc white and we are black." 

" But God says that he has made of one 
blood all nations that dwell on the earth, and 
he will jjunish black and white alike for tlieir 
sins." 

She made no reply, and I continued : " You 
say that you believe there is but one God ; that 
is true ; so there can be but one way to serve 
him, and go where he dwells ; and if we trust 
in gree-greos, we do not walk in that way." 

Wo continued our conversation for some 



ICO 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



tiino tlirougli the interpreter. She clung to 
her gree-grees, though she could give no reasou 
v/hy they should help her. She gave evidence 
of possessing a good mind, but it was crushed 
and blighted by heathenism and its supersti- 
tions. As I left, she said, " I thank you for 
what you have told me ; may God grant us both 
long life." Oh tliat the seed sown in her heart 
on that Sabbath morning may bear fruit to eter- 
nal life ! 

Returning from Gondamar, I attended the 
morning services at the chapel. At half-past 
three came the Sabbath school. The attend- 
ance was good, and the hoiir passed pleasantly, 
closing by singing, " I have a Father in the 
promised land." Tlie evening was clear and 
calm, with a full moon. I preached to a large 
audience from the words, " Jesus Christ, the 
same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever." 



CHAPTER XII. 



A MISSIONARY TOUR. 

PRIL 25. — Having a favorable opportu- 
nity, and feeling the need of a change, I 
left home on Tuesday morning for a short 
trip towards the interior of the country. 
The little blue boat, my Sabbath home, was 
rigged and manned, and we started about half- 
past ten. The day was one of the brightest 
and most beautiful that the tropics afford, and 
the ride for the first few hours was delightful ; 
but while crossing the bar at the moutli of the 
Bargroo, the water became frightfully roiigh. 
A strong wind blew from the sea, and the waves 
rolled like ocean-billows. It seemed as though 
our little boat would be overwhelmed, bu.t it 
rode gracefully over the towering waves, thoiigh 
the spray and bill(^ws broke over its side till we 



1C2 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFItlCA. 

became tlioroughly drenched. Soon the water 
became smoother, and following the wuiduigs 
of the Bargi'oo and the crooked Mahno, wo 
reached Avery station about five P. M. Bro. 
Jcwett gave me a cordial w^elcome, and we 
spent a pleasant evening in social converse and 
prayer. 

Bro. Jewett kindly offered to accompany me 
on my journey to King Sissiwuru's town ; and 
having made the needful arrangements, we left 
early on Wednesday morning. One of the 
king's sons was at Mahno, and we secured him 
as a guide. We returned to the mouth of the 
Mahno, and then entered the comparatively 
unknown Bargroo. The weather was bright 
and beautiful, the air soft and warm. We 
had a double object in the trip, — to tell the 
story of redeeming love in town and village, 
and to see and explore new regions. 

We soon reached Yoggeh, a pleasant little 
town, situated in a palm-grove, on the left bank 
of the Bargroo. We landed at a large timber- 
factory near by, and walked to the old town 
of Yoggeh, passing several, " country-fashion 



A MISSIONARY TOUR. 



163 



liouscR," built over portions of bug-a-bug liills. 
The Iniul is elevated, the air fresh, the water 
cool, and many villages are seen a little back 
from tlio river. The groves of graceful palms 
diversified the appearance of the country. 

Before ten wo reached Kcrrehhoo, a line- 
looking town on a bluff, with a back-ground of 
tropical foliage ; but wo had no time to call. 
Boyond Kerrchhoo the Bargroo grows narrower, 
and both banks are lined with large, tall man- 
groves, and hills and forests a little way back. 
TliO bright sunlight, a fresh breeze, and an easy, 
swift boat, made the voyage delightful. 

Just beyond Kerrehhoo, we passed Mahno 
Mountain, a high elevation, partly covered with 
trees. This mountain is regarded as a kind of 
sacred place by the people, the residence of tlio 
great spirit Kasilon, before spoken of. At noon 
we passed Tassaw, a large town on the left bank 
of the stream. The people came in throngs to 
the river-side, to watch us as we passed. The 
country in the vicinity is hilly and rocky, and 
the river winding. Some two miles above Tas- 
saw we left the Bargroo, and entered Mosandy 



IGi GLIMVSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

Creok, a small river whose general course i3 
from the north-east. A short distance from the 
river-side there are beautiful groves of palm, 
and hills covered with forests. A half-hour 
further brought us to the town of Mosandy, 
situated on a slight elevation amid clusters of 
palms. Here, too, the people came flocking to 
the river-bank, but we could not stop. I no- 
ticed several little " country-fashion houses " 
perched on a high bank under the trees. 

About 2 p. M. we arrived at Gondamar, be- 
yond which we could not pass in our boat, on 
account of rocks. Taking a present in my 
hand, I called on Boondookeh, the king, and 
asked permission to leave the boat in his care. 
He consented, and all the portable articles were 
brought up, and shown to him, separately, so 
that nothing might be lost ; they were then 
carefully packed away in his house. "We knew 
that he would regard his promise as sacred, and 
that our things would be as safe as if defended 
by an armed guard. Without resting, we started 
forward on foot, intending to stop at the first 
town and cook our food. Our path lay through 



A MissioyAnr tour. 



1G5 



ail open field, dotted with palms, while hills 
could b3 seen rising in the distance. A short 
walk brought us to Mo Bak, a new town, be- 
longing to Sissiwuru. "While the men wore 
cooking, Bar Bak, the king, called some of his 
licoijle together, and we preached to them 
tlu'ough an interpreter. They spread their 
mats on the ground at our feet, and sat down, 
gazing earnestly at us, as we told them of God 
and the Saviour, occasionally clapping their 
hands, or making some exclamation of approval. 
After talking a while, we invited them to ask 
us any questions that they might wish to on 
the subject. In the course of my remarks, I 
had tried to show them the importance of pray- 
ing to the great God who made xis, instead of 
offering sacrifice to spirits, worshiping bug-a- 
bug hills and gree-grees ; and now they eagerly 
inquired, " How can we pray so that God can 
hear us ? " I tried to explain, and they seemed 
to comprehend. Bro. Jewett talked to them for 
some time with great plainness and earnestness, 
to which they listened with deep attention. 
Wc then joined in a short, simple prayer, whicU 



ICG 



GLIMPSES Oi'' WEST AFniCA. 



was iutcrprctccl into Sherbro. At tlie close, I 
told tliom that I hoped they would not forget 
th3 words we had spoken to them when we were 
far away, and never shall I forget the remark- 
ablo answer I received. It came from a hea- 
tlicu woman, ignorant of a word of English, 
who probably had never before heard of the 
Saviour from the lips of any one. She said, 
" Suppose you take a cassada-stick, cut it in 
two, a!id plant the pieces in the ground ; soon 
it v>^ill sprout and grow.* So it will be with the 
word you drop in our hearts to-day ; it can not 
die, but when you are far away it will spring 
up and grow." Oh, how that answer, coming 
from such a source, tlirilled my soul, and re- 
buked my lack of faith ! It was perfectly in ac- 
cordance with the teachings of God's word, ar.d 
no divine could have expressed it more forci- 
bly. 

We left Mo Bak about four o'clock in the af- 
ternoon. The nearest town on our route was 

* Referring to the mode of propagating the cassada in iVfrica. 
When planted it seems a di'y stick, but it soon grows to a large, 
fioarishing busli. 



A MISSION'AnY TOUn. 



1G7 



more than twenty miles distant, and our path 
lay through a dense forest, infested with tigers, 
leopards, and elephants ; hut I felt that my 
time was so limited that I could not afford to 
delay until morning. Our party consisted of 
eight, — the son of King Sissiwuru for a guide, 
Bro. Jewctt and myself, and five men to carry 
our liglit luggage. We started forward at a 
swift pace, and soon plunged into a thick, heavy 
forest. Tiie road was a mere narrow foot-path, 
very crooked and rough, and we "were often 
compelled to creep through the dense bush 
around some fallen tree, or crawl over the trunk 
for twenty or tlurty feet. At first our company 
was somewhat scattered, and the path was so 
winding that we frequently lost sight of cacli 
other. Tlie men in advance occasionally gave 
a shrill cry, which was answered by those hi 
the rear ; and now and then, as I strode swiftly 
onward, I caught sight of some one flying past 
a corner just befoi'e me. Towards sunset we 
reached a clear mountain stream, dashing over 
the rocks, and stopped a moment to quench 
our thirst with tlie cool, sparkliiig water. Again 



108 



CLlilPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



wc pressed rapidly on, wishing to get as far as 
possible before darkness should set in. The 
country was hilly and rocky, the forest trees 
large and lofty, with a thick growtli of under- 
bi-ush. Night soon overtook us in the midst of 
the forest, many miles from the nearest town. 
The sky was beautifully clear, and the moon 
nearly full, but the spreading brandies of tlie 
forest trees formed such an impenetrable arch 
that only now and then did a single ray of the 
soft moonlight pierce through, and rest like 
silver on tlie green shrubs by our path. We 
were compelled to moderate our pace a little, 
and wallv as close to each other as possible, the 
guide carefully leading the way. Sometimes 
the path conducted us through a valley shrouded 
in almost total darkness, and we had to exer- 
cise the utmost caution to prevent falling over 
loose roots and stones. We knew that v/ild 
beasts roamed thi'ough the forest seckhig for 
prey, but owv faculties, both of body and mind, 
were so taxed in making our way through the 
bush, that we had no time to fear, or scarcely 
to tliiuk of them. Our guide was faithful, and, 



.4 MfSSIOX.inY TOUR. 



IG'J 



heathen man though he was, quite "won my 
heart by his kindness. At every rough spot or 
difficult place he would stop, hold out his hand, 
and lead me gently over it. Often, during that 
uight walk, I thought of the cheering answer of 
the poor heathen woman at Mo Bak, and my 
heart was encouraged. 

Hour after hour we pressed forward in silenco, 
and towards midnight reached a little clearing, 
in which stood the town of Mo Cassy. The peo- 
ple were still up, and crowded round us as we 
entered. I carried a present to the king, and 
told him we wished to rest in his town that 
uight, and he at once provided us with a house. 
As we were reclining on mats in the rude piaz- 
za, I noticed that the people still lingered about 
in groups, conversing in their language, or watch- 
ing us ; so I sent word to the king that if he 
would call theiu together we would talk " God- 
word." They soon gathered to the number of 
seventy or eighty, and spreading their mats on 
the white sand in front of our mud-walled hut, 
they sat down to listen. The scene was strange 
and interesting. The hour was midnight ; the 



170 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFPJCA. 



place, a rude town iu tlio midst of an African 
forest ; the hearers, a group of lieatben sitting 
on mats at our feet ; and over all rested the 
rich, soft light of a tropical moon. Though 
weary with our long night's walk, we rejoiced at 
the opportunity of repeating in their eavs the 
story of redeeming love. The interpreter was 
not very skillful, but the people seemed to un- 
derstand most that we said, and asked several 
questions. Perhaps none present had ever be- 
fore heard about God from the lips of a mis- 
sionary. 

We were objects of much curiosity to the 
people. They were specially pleased with my 
watch and the glass lantern. At first, if the 
lantern chanced to be moved towards them, 
they sprang suddenly back, but soon lost their 
fear. We slept soundly that night on mats 
spread on the mud floor, very grateful to our 
kind heavenly Father for the manifold mercies 
of that eventful day and evening. 

Early the next morning we again started for- 
ward. Near the town wo passed some graves, 
on wliich a tin cup and a few other small ard- 



A MJsswyAnr touu. 



171 



clcs had boon laid as sacrifices to the spirits of 
the dead. The country grew more hilly and 
rocky as we advanced, and occasionally we had 
to climb a steep ascent, or cross a deep gorga 
on a narrow tree-trunk. A rapid walk of a:i 
hour and a half brought us to the large rice 
farms of Sissiwuru. Some single fields consist- 
ed of thirty or forty acres. The trees and bush 
had been cut and set on fii'C, but large black- 
ened trunks and limbs were lying in every di- 
rection, so that our passage Avas rendered difii- 
cult. A little beyond these fields Ave came to 
Wallah, the capital of King Sissiwuru's country. 
We passed in through the double gates, and 
were at once conducted to the royal house, 
where the king, surrounded by his chief coun- 
selors, was sitting in state to receive us. Yv"e 
were shown into the house that Itad been pre- 
pared for us, a messenger having been dispatched 
in advance to inform the king of our coming. 
Mats were spread on the smooth clay floor, 
and a dish of rice and fish set before us. Wo 
did it full justice, and after having shaken hands 
with a large luimber of people, a couch of mats 



172 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



and country cloths was prepared, and we were 
invited to lie down and rest. Tlie royal house 
which Sissiwuru set apart for me (probably be- 
cause, being white, I was a greater curiosity 
than Bro. Jewett), was really a neat building. 
Like all African houses, it was constructed of 
clayey mud, but the walls were hard, smooth, 
and almost white. They were adorned on the 
outside with various rudely sketched figures, 
and on the inside hung with handsome mats 
and leopard-skins. The floor was smooth and 
solid. Bro. Jewett's house, a little way off. 
v/as also well furnished. 

After resting myself, tlie window and door 
meanwhile thronged with a curious group watch- 
ing my every motion, I selected a few presents 
and carried them to the king. Sissiwuru is a 
tall, dignified man, with a massive frame and 
majestic appearance. He was dressed in a flow- 
ing robe, somewhat ornamented, reaching a lit- 
tle below his knees ; his feet were bare ; a white 
sash was tied around his head, and in his hand 
he held a sort of scepter. He is the richest and 
most powerful king in the whole region, and 



A MISSlOjUAIir Toun. 



173 



has four oi' five walled towns, beside large num- 
bers of villages. Sissiwuru has been a noted 
warrior, and has achieved many victories over 
neighboring tribes ; but now he expressed a de- 
sire to live in peace with all. He is quite aged, 
but seems to have lost none of his native vigor 
and energy. 

In company with his son, I passed around 
the town, and outside the gates. "Wallah is 
very strongly fortified for an African town. 
The houses are necessarily very near each other, 
the thatched roofs often touching ; and as there 
are no streets, a stranger will be quite likely to 
lose his way. Most of the houses are neat and 
substantial, and look really pretty, with their 
smooth, brown walls and covering of thatch. 
Many kitchens and barres, opening on one and 
sometimes all four sides, are scattered throiigh 
the town, and in them the people often gather 
for conversation. The king's barre is the most 
beautiful country building that I have seen in 
Africa. It is circular in form, and the smooth 
thatched roof runs to a point, which is sur. 
mounted by a small cupola, and a figure of a 



174 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

bird carved in wood. Two or tlirce steps lead 
up to the smooth floor. Four wooden pillars 
support tlic roof. A smooth wall rises round 
the elevated floor to the hight of some two feet, 
and, though composed of a kind of mud, it ap- 
pears as hard and smooth as freestone. Two 
miniature cannon, perfectly formed from the 
same substance, are placed on the wall at the 
two entrances ; and on one side is a sort of 
carved chair, also of mud. A large hammock 
is suspended in one part of the barre, in which 
the king spends much of his time, surrounded 
by fifteen or twenty of his chief men, who lie 
on leopard-skins, or sit on the low, polished wall. 
Most of them are armed with long, keen swords 
of native manufacture. 

I spent some time in this barre during the 
day conversing with the king ; and the novelty 
of a white face always drew a crowd together. 
A laugh was often raised by the sudden screams 
of terror from the smaller children whenever I 
chanced to approach them. Doubtless, many 
of the people had never before seen a white 
man. If we walked through the town, a group 



A MISSIONARY TOUR. 



175 



of twenty or thirty wd'O sure to follow, watch- 
ing every motion ; and whichever way I turned 
I was certain to meet staring eyes. 

Outside the walls of the town, the forest is 
cleared for some distance, so that no enemy can 
creep up unseen. Large numbers of African 
sheep, and a few cows, feed here during the 
day, but are driven within the walls at night. 
The Mahno river passes near Wallah, hut dur- 
ing the dry season it is a mere brooklet. Its 
bed is filled with immense rocks. The country 
in the vicinity is hilly and stony, and the trees 
very large and lofty. The soil is rich, produc- 
ing luxuriant crops with but little labor. The 
air is pure, the water cleas, and the region alto- 
gether a delightful one. A chain of mountains, 
covered with heavy forests, lies to the north- 
west of Wallah. They are called by the natives 
tlie Koler Mountains, and are infested with 
tigers. Elephants are abundant in those for- 
ests, and arc often killed. Some of Sissiwuru's 
people were on an elephant-hunt while we were 
there. Several large walled towns, and many 
villages, are situated within a few hours' walk 



17G 



GJAMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



of Wallah ; but our time was too limited to 
permit us to visit them. 

After a pleasant day in the place, wo asked 
permission to preach, and the king promised to 
call tlie people together in the evening, when 
they came in from their farms. At twilight 
the town began to be thronged. Kitchen and 
barre were filled with talkative groups, passing 
to and fro. An hour after dark a messenger 
went around calling to the people to assemble 
in the name of the king. Bro. Jewett and my- 
self had been sitting together, conversing and 
reading, and as we stepped out into the open 
space between the royal barre and the king's 
house, a sight met my eyes which I shall never 
forget. Barre, piazza, and country house were 
full, and tier upon tier of people were sitting 
on the white sand at our feet, forming a complete 
circle. Every eye was bent upon me. Over- 
head, in the tropical sky, rode the full moon, 
shedding its soft light on the scene, and a few 
stars looked faintly down. Standing in the 
midst of this interesting congregation, I told 
them in simple words about God and Chiist. 



A mssiONAnr Toun. 



177 



All interpretei' stood at my side, and rendered 
what I said into Sherbro. Another, with a 
commanding figure and a powerful voice, tliat 
could be lieard far away, took the words from 
him and turned them into Mendi, so tliat all 
might understand. The people listened atten- 
tively, now and then making some sign of appro- 
bation. Bro. Jewett followed with some excel- 
lent remarks, and some questions were asked 
by the people. We closed with a short prayer, 
which also went through two interpreters. In 
the course of the prayer I remembered the king 
particularly, and at the close of every petition 
relating to liim the people on all sides clapped 
tlieir hands enthusiastically. This showed us 
that they loved tlieir king, and understood, too, 
wliat we were saying. After the prayer, they 
soon scattered through the town, discussing 
among themselves what they had just lieard. 
From a partial count, we judged that more than 
three hundred were present. 

Early the next morning, we made prepara- 
tions to return. Sissiwuru sent us a present 
of a slieep and fowls, and expressed much anx- 

12 



178 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AEJUCA. 



iety to have a school established in his town. 
Our procession, as it issued from the gates of 
Wallah and wound along the narrow path, num- 
hored some thirty. Several of the king's sons 
and war-men, armed with swords, accompanied 
ns as an escort. About a mile from the place, 
most of them bade us good-bj and returned, 
thougli a few continued with us through the 
day. We pressed rapidly on over the rough, 
winding path, reaching Mo Gassy about ten, 
A. M. Wc merely paused to get a drink of wa- 
ter, and bid Karfungbu, the king, good-by, and 
then continued our journey. Hardly a ray of 
the noonday sun pierced through the overhang- 
ing branches of the trees, but still the air was 
very hot. Hour after hour passed, and we con- 
tinued our rapid pace, till I felt like sinking to 
the earth with fatigue. 

Towards night we reached Gondamar, where 
we had left our boat, having walked thirty miles 
over a rough path without stopping. Wc were 
just in season to obtain shelter from a lieavy 
tornado. While the men were cooking, we 
threw ourselves on some mats in the king's 



A M!ssioif.iRY roun. 



179 



house to rest. Every article that we had Ijffc 
in Booiidookeh's care was safe. The tornado 
was soon over, and the setting sun came out in 
all its glory hehiud a grove of palms. The king 
summoned his people, and while the men were 
rigging the hoat we preached in tlie barre to an 
attentive audience of eighty. They said that 
they believed the word we spoke was true, and 
they would try to pray to God, and had some 
questions to ask about him. They seemed to 
receive the gospel with gladness ; oh that those 
few words might be blessed to their salvation ! 
A few feet from where I stood was a sort of al- 
tar, on which sacrifices are offered to spirits. 

Bidding Boondookeh good-by, we hastened to 
the boat, nearly the whole town following ns. 
Soon we were gliding swiftly down Mosandy 
Creek in the beautiful moonliglit. After the 
weary walk of the day, we were well prepared 
to enjoy the quiet scene. It was really lovely 
Avhen wo entered the Bargroo. . Above us 
stretched the clear, blue heavens ; far to the 
south glowed the mild Southern Cross, and low 
iu the northern sky wo could just distinguish 



180 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



the north star. The ascending moon flooded 
the river with silvery light, save where the bor- 
dering mangroves cast a dark, weird shade. 
Now and then we passed a picturesque town on 
tlic river bank. It was almost midnight when 
we reached Avery. The next day I returned to 
Good Hope, feeling that truly God had fulfilled 
to me those sweet promises recorded in the 
ninety-first Psalm. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



SIEHRA LEONE. 

HE English colony of Sierra Leone is somO' 
times called " the stronghold of missions " 
?^ on the coast of West Africa. And per- 
haps it deserves that name, for it is indeed 
a bright spot, from whence good influences are 
being diffused among the surrounding tribes. 
In many respects it is far inferior to Liberia, 
yet as a missionary center it may be regarded 
as fully its equal. 

The colony was established about a century 
ago, and occupies a peninsula containing some 
three hundred square miles. This peninsula is 
situated in latitude 8° 30' N., and is Iwunded 
on one side by the Sierra Leone River, and on 
the other by the Atlantic Ocean. Its scenery is 
said to he finer than that of any other point on 

181 




182 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



til 8 western coast of Africa. No traveler, ap- 
proacliing its harbor after a weary sca-voyagc, 
can remain an indifferent spectator of the scene 
that rises before his eyes. At first tlie moun- 
tains loom up faint and blue, lying cloud-like 
in the far horizon ; but, as he nears the coast, 
each peak gradually assumes its own peculiar 
shape, and, crowned with a wealth of foliage, 
towers against a back-ground of dreamy tropical 
sky. A few green open slopes and cultivated 
patches, with here and there a pretty village 
perched on the hill-side, vary the prospect ; while 
on a narrow plain, between the foot of the moun- 
tain and the Sierra Leone River, lies Freetown, 
the chief city, and capital of the colony. A few 
vessels are anchored iu the harbor, and opposite 
the town, across the bay-like moutli of the river, 
the eye discovers the low, level Buliom shore, 
stretching away in the distance. Over all rests 
that soft haze which is peculiar to the tropics, 
hiding every harsh outline and uncouth feature, 
and causing the whole view to seem almost like 
the scenery of a fairy tale. The graceful palms, 
that stand like sentinels along the beach, tlicir 



SIKnn.i LEOXE. 



183 



lo'.ig plumes bonding idly in the air ; the bcau- 
liliil cocoa-nut, with its clusters of fruit sur 
rounding the parent stem ; the luxuriant or- 
chards of l)anana and plantain, loaded with huge 
bunches of ripening fruit, and the long, broad 
leaves shining in the sunlight ; the pyramidal 
broad-fruit, the fragrant orange, the blossoming 
lime-hedge, with numerous otiier foreign-look- 
ing trees, shrubs, and flowering vines, all con- 
spire to rivet the gazo of the looker-on, and fill 
him with admiration. 

In a commercial point of view. Sierra Leone 
is a place of some importance. Vessels from 
all parts of tlic world frequent its harbor, bring- 
ing tho merchandise of other countries in ex- 
change for palm-oil, hides, ground-nuts, &c., 
which are procured up the rivers, and brought 
down by native traders in rude canoes. Several 
foreign traders liave established themselves in 
the colony, and are doing a thriving business in 
this trade ; but a lai'go part of the business of 
Sierra Leone is transacted through the native 
merchants. Some of these exhibit a good deal 
of sagacity, and have acquired considerable 



184 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 

wealth. Many of tliem have had to sti'ugglo 
with great difficulties, and by their perseverance 
have overcome obstacles at which even £ome 
New England boys would have been daunted. 
The history of many a Sierra Leone man effect- 
ually shows that the African is possessed of 
more native ability than many have been wont 
to believe. One of the leading merchants whom 
I met there was stolen when a child from the 
far interior. Fortunately, the vessel in which 
he was confined was captured by the English 
fleet, and he was liberated at Freetown. But 
he was a poor boy, alone among strangers, and 
surrounded by heathen influences. He strug- 
gled on amid many trials and disappointments, 
and now he owns a store in Freetown which 
would be no disgrace to an American city ; and, 
what is better, he is an active Christian man. 
Other cases, as marked as this, might be nar- 
rated, and, if the history were fully given, it 
would certainly contain many touching inci- 
dents and strange, wild adventures, as well as 
forcibly illustrate the power of well-directed ef- 
fort even in heathen Africa. 



SIERRA LEONE. 



185 



The population of Sierra Lconc is variously 
estimated. Its chief city, Freetown, is supposed 
to contain tliirty thousand inhabitants ; and per- 
haps there are as many more in the towns and 
villages scattered among the romantic hills and 
valleys of the colony. The population may he 
divided into three classes, — foreign residents, 
educated natives, and common people. There 
are also many subdivisions of the people depend- 
ing on the tribe or country from which they 
originally came. The foreign residents are few 
in number, and comprise missionaries, govern- 
ment officers, and traders. The missionaries 
are chiefly supported by the Established Clmrch, 
and Wesleyan Methodist, Societies of England, 
and, notwithstanding the idle tales of want of 
success, told by some travelers who have spent 
three or four days in the colony, and gone away 
laden with that superabundant wisdom which 
such temporary sojourns always beget, they are 
doing a most excellent work. It must bo con- 
fessed, however, that the influence of many of 
the traders and government officials is anything 
but favorable to the morals of the people. Tlie 



186 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA, 



second class, educated natives, comprise minis- 
ters, lawyers, physicians, editors, teachers, mer- 
chants, mechanics, and others who have enjoyed 
the advantages of schools. The attainments of 
some arc very limited, but a few would rank 
quite high as scholars. The educated class is 
increasing year by year, and it is hoped that 
they will soon outnumber the lower class, who 
now form the larger part of tlio population. 
Many of tlie latter profess Christianity, but tlioy 
mingle with their worship and belief many rel- 
ics of heathenism. Others still cling to their 
olden ways. 

A few of the early settlers of Sierra Leoiiq 
came from Nova Scotia, — free negroes, who had 
aided tlie British during the American Revolu- 
tionary war, and for whom they felt bound to 
provide ; but nearly all of the present inhab- 
itants are " liberated Africans " and their de- 
scendants. The term " liberated Africans " is 
applied to such as have been rescued from slavo- 
barracoons and slave-ships on the African coast. 
Sierra Leone, consequently, is almost entirely 
peopled by those who have been rescued from 



Si I EUR A LEONE. 



187 



the fearful doom of slavery, and have found 
here a refuge and a home. 

Freetown, the capital and chief tov/n of tlio 
colony, is a city of strange extremes. Civiliz.i- 
tion and barbarism meet in its streets and walic 
side by side. The contrasts are striking, and 
sometimes ludicrous. Hero goes an English 
lady, with rustling silks and spotless muslin ; 
and closely following is a poor heathen woman, 
half naked, with chalk-marked face and gro- 
tesquely-braided hair. Yonder is a Freiiclunan, 
attired in the latest Parisian styles ; and a few 
steps behind him a stately Mohammedan from 
the interior, his flowing robe reaching from his • 
shoulders nearly to the ground, and his arms 
and neck hung with an abundance of gree-grees. 
Market-women go chatting along the streets, 
balancing their "blies" of fruit and vegetables 
on tiieir heads ; and little children, destitute of 
any covering, toddle after them. Tiicrc is no 
roar of carriages, but the ever-passing throngs 
keep up a constant stream of talk, varied with 
frequent shrill exclamations and bursts of laugh- 
ter. This noise sometimes becomes almost deaf- 



188 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFniCA. 



eiiing, especially in the narrow streets, which 
are lined with shops, where excited crowds 
gather round the different stands, eagerly intent 
on driving a bargain. Many of tlie joeople, in 
their intercourse with each other, use the lan- 
guage of the tribe to which they belong ; and 
as there are representatives of sixty or seventy 
tribes in Freetown, as many different languages 
are spoken. Nearly all, however, speak a 
broken English, which furnishes a iiniversal 
medium of communication. 

The foreign residents and better class of na- 
tives live in frame or stone houses, often fur- 
0 nished luxuriantly with carpets, sofas, and other 
articles of furniture imported from Europe. 
The larger portion of the houses, however, are 
built in native style, and of course are very 
rude. 

Some extracts from my journal during a 
brief residence in Sierra Leone, though they 
may prove somewhat egotistic, will, perhaps, 
give a better picture of life there than any 
general remarks that I can make. The first 
extract will relate more particularly to a journey 



smnru leone. 



189 



from our mission to Freetown, a distance of 
about a luindred miles. 

Freetown, Aug. 29. — We were obliged to 
leave Good Hope for a short sojourn among the 
hills, on account of Mrs. Whiton's failing health. 
The morning was cloudy and wet, and as we 
bade good-by to the group gathered on the 
wharf, a strange feeling of sadness crept over 
us. We had ten oarsmen, a captain, and one 
of the mission girls. Our little " Olive Branch" 
was quite comfortable, with its rain-awning and 
mattress-cushioned seats, pillows, sliawls, &c. 
Mrs. W. lay weak and sick on one side, and I 
sat on the other, while trunks and boxes formed 
a barricade in front. At "the Point" we an- 
chored for half an hour for the men to eat 
breakfast, and then, as a breeze sprung up, we 
glided along the island shore, passing now and 
then a village reposing among palms and trop- 
ical trees. About two P. M. we passed Jenkins, 
where in 1816 Samuel J. Mills came to select 
a spot for the colonization of free colored peo- 
ple from the United States. The first ship-load 
was landed there, many of whom died in a few. 



190 GLIMPSES OF WEST AFItlCA. 

weoks from the fever, brought on by exposure 
and lack of coraforts. Several missionaries who 
accompanied them also sleep their last sleep 
near the white sand beach at Jenkins. Mourn- 
ful thoughts filled my mind as wo were passing, 
and I felt thankful to God that he had raised 
up men who were willing to toil, suffer, and die 
as pioneers in the great work of missions on 
this deadly coast. 

Soon after passing Jenkins a strong head 
wind set in, and as the tide was against us we 
were obliged to anchor. The rain fell in tor- 
rents, and the boat rocked so much that we all 
became sea-sick. As darkness shut down, the 
prospect seemed discouraging, for, though at 
this season we always look for southerly winds, 
tiie breeze continued t(5' blow strongly from the 
north. The rain found its Avay through the 
awning, and pattered down upon our blankets 
and mattresses. At ten in the night, when the 
tide turned, I roused the men, who were sleep- 
ing around a fire in the bow of the boat with a 
sail spread over them, and directed them to 
take the oars. They were reluctant to leave 



SIEP.nA LEONE. 



191 



their snuggery, but by moans of persuasion and 
coniniand 1 managed to get ten oars at work. 
If I chanced to sleep for an hour, the men were 
almost sure to stop pulling ; but by frequent 
shouts and persuasions we were able to get for- 
ward at tolerable speed. Morning found us in 
sight of Shingy, with no wind and a contrary 
tide. About ten we landed at the wharf. The 
water was quite rough, and as the men took us 
in their arms to carry us ashore they were 
obliged to run vip the beach to prevent our be- 
ing drenched by the next wave. We walked to 
the m.ission-house, now empty, and rested in 
the cool, airy sitting-room. Shingy is beaiiti- 
fuUy situated on a high point, and enjoys a fine 
sea breeze. The native town is some di.stance 
oiT, but quite large. In front you gaze over the 
boundless ocean, and in a clear day can see the 
Banana Islands and the mountains of Sierra 
Leone. 

About noon we started across Yawry Bay 
with a splendid breeze from tlie north-west. 
We found the water quite rough, but the 
" Olive Branch " bounded from wave to wave, 



192 GLIiirSES OF WEST AFIilCA. 

flinging the spray from her bow, and in threo 
hours we were at Kent. The view in crossing 
the bay was delightful. The sun shone brightly 
on the heaving waters ; the low, level coast 
back of the bay was visible now and then ; the 
lofty mountains of Sierra Leone rose grandly 
in front ; and the Banana Islands lay lilce green 
gems in the shining sea. As we glided swiftly 
along under full sail, we had a fine view of 
Kent, lying in quiet beauty on the hill-side. In 
passing the reef we came near going ashore 
through the carelessness of owv captain. The 
huge breakers tossed our boat like a dry leaf, 
but soon we rounded the point, and glided up 
to the beach between two rocky ledges. 

Next morning we continued our voyage. 
With a light breeze we crept along the coast, 
passing one after another the green mountains 
and peaceful villages. York is the largest town 
in the vicinity, and lies on the side of a high 
hill, presenting a beautiful appearance as the 
traveler passes in a boat. Tlie summits of 
some of the mountains were vailed in clouds, 
and occasionally a light shower passed along 



SIERRA LEONE. 



193 



their sides. The wind at length veered to the 
north, and our progress was slow. Just before 
dark wc passed False Cape. The tide was low, 
and the heavy ocean swells dashed in foaming 
fury against the huge black rocks that line the 
cape. As we were passing, the setting sun 
came out in glory, tinging the water and dis- 
tant hills with beauty. The night-shadows soon 
gathered around, and we rapidly neared Cape 
Sierra Leone. The light from the great lan- 
tern in tlie tower shone far out at sea, and faint 
glimmerings on the hills told us where the vil- 
lages were situated. About ten o'clock we 
landed at Eang Jimmy's wharf in Freetown, 
and passing up a flight of stone steps, we found 
ourselves in the midst of more civilization than 
we had seen for many long months. 

September 2. — Last Sunday morning dawned 
wet and rainy, but as the hour for service ap- 
proached, the sun came out, and made walking 
more tolerable. I fulfilled a preaching engage- 
ment at a Wesleyan church in Rawdon Street. 
Tlie chapel has a very humble exterior ; low, 
stone walls, and a roof of bamboo thatch. 
13 



194 



CLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



Within, it is plain, but spacious and comfort- 
able. We found only a small audience assem- 
bled, but others came in during prayers. The 
congregation were very attentive. One old 
woman I particularly noticed ; she sat in a cor- 
ner, the tears rolling down her checks, while 
now and then a smothered sob escaped her. 
Others seemed much affected, and I trust the 
Holy Spirit was present. I was deeply inter- 
ested with my morning experience in that 
humble thatched chapel. 

In the eve I spoke again in the Lady Hunt- 
ingdon Chapel. The rain was falling, but a 
goodly number gathered. This chapel is much 
more imposing in appearance than the Wcsley- 
an. Galleries extend across three sides, and 
the body of the church is somewhat ornamented. 
It was brilliantly lighted, and the music was 
both instrumental and vocal. 

On Saturday I enjoyed a pleasant walk to 
Fourah Bay, where a college for the education 
of native youths has been established by the 
English Church Missionary Society. I was cor- 
dially received by the President, and conducted 



sirnr.A leose. 



195 



over the building. Tlie piazzas and balls are 
large and airy ; the library cozy and American- 
like ; and the students' rooms reminded me of 
my own early school-days. The gromids arc 
pleasantly laid out, and a fine sea bi-eeze comes 
from the water. In the distance rise lofty moun- 
tains, dotted here and there with cvdtivated farms 
and villages : the beautiful city of Freetown is 
iu full view, while far away stretches the bound- 
less ocean ; and on the opposite side of the river 
lies the long, low BuUom shore. The road from 
Freetown to Fourah Bay is delightful. Fii-?t 
we pass down Kissy Road, the Broadway of the 
place, which is lined with shops full of gay-col- 
ored goods, cloths, beads, earthen ware, and 
an endless vai'iety of articles. Pedestrians, in 
every variety of dress that mauy-costumed 
Afi-ica can show, throng the street, or stand at 
the sho|>-doors, di-iving bargains with the sales- 
men. It is a strange, curious sight for foreign 
eyes to gaze upon. Leaving Kissy Road, we 
pass over a stone bridge, under which dashes a 
moimtain torrent, and then wind along a broad, 
smootli path, bordered with humble cottages. 



19G GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA 

Occasionally we catch a glimpse of the sea 
through the tree-branches, or of the farms on 
the hill-side. Much of the path is shaded by 
branching trees, which afford a cooling shade 
to the tired traveler. 

Even barbarous Africa is not destitute of ele- 
gant residences, as a day at the country-house 
of one of the native merchants has abundantly 
convinced me. It is beautifully located on the 
sea-shore. On one side rise the mountains of 
the interior, and on the other you have a view 
of the opposite shore and far-stretching ocean. 
Freetown and the shipping in the harbor are 
partly seen through the wealth of tropical foli- 
age. The house is commodious, and luxuriant- 
ly furnished. It stands on a bluff many feet 
above the river. Immense perpendicular walls 
of solid stone have been built to prevent the sea 
from encroaching upon the grounds, and a 
flight of eighty-one steps leads down to the wa- 
ter's side. As I wandered through the spacious 
saloons and elegant drawing-room, I could 
scarcely realize that I was in Africa. "We spent 



STEUHA LEOXE. 



197 



a pleasant clay, and in the evening attended a 
prayer-meeting. 

Last eve, towards sunset, I took a little walk 
among the hills. Passing along Rawdon Street, 
I found myself in a part of the t jwu that I had 
not before visited, and yet a most pleasant 
2)Iace. There was an abundance of shrubbery, 
and now and then a little rivulet dashing along 
over its stony bed. Narrow, shady lanes, Ihicd 
with bamboo cottages, branched out in every 
direction. Soon I i-eached the foot of the moun- 
tains, and the path grew very steep. It was 
warm, toilsome work to ascend, but occasionally 
I paused to catch a breath of cooling air, and 
enjoy a glimpse of the scenery below, which 
every moment grow more surpassingly lovely. 
The path became steeper and steeper, but the 
cool mountain air was invigorating. At length 
I left the Regent road, and turned up a narrow 
patli through a dense forest. The trees formed 
a green arch above, and the bed of the road was 
one mass of rock and loose stone. Sometimes 
the ascent was nearly perpendicular, and next 
I wound along the edge of a precipice. A half 



198 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFniCA. 



hour of vigorous "walking and scrambling 
brought me to the top of one of the lower 
mountains, on which stands tlie country-liouse 
of a native mercliant. The view from the sum- 
mit was grand and beautiful, — such as no pen 
can ever describe. Far, far below at my feet 
lay the city and harbor, forming a picture of 
strange loveliness. The houses seemed in min- 
iature, and as the eye wandered over them it 
could trace out the different streets and more 
prominent buildings. The pedestrians below 
looked like moving dolls. Far to the vfcstward 
lay tlie blue Atlantic, dotted here and there 
witli a snowy sail ; and to the right, like a sea 
of green, stretched the Bullom shore, vailed 
with a soft haze. The tall palms at the cape 
were plainly seen, and in the back-ground, one 
above another, rose the forest-clad mountains, 
till the eye rested on the vailed peak of " Sugar- 
loaf." I stood entranced by the sight, as the 
setting sun flooded the whole with a soft, rich 
light ; and then, gathering a handful of flowers, 
I prepared to descend. This was soon accom- 
plished, and as the evening shadows fell I 



SlEnUA LEONE. 



199 



threaded the quiet streets homeward, not only 
refreshed by the ramble, but with my spirit 
inwardly rejoicing over a new leaf in the won- 
drous book of nature that had just been spread 
before me. 

Saturday. — I enjoy very much the pleasant 
walks through the city and its suburbs. In 
Sherbro we have no i-oads, and the fine, smooth 
paths of Sierra Leone, though they would not 
be dignified by the name of roads in America, 
seem much like civilization. Yesterday after- 
noon I visited the cemetery back of Tower Hill, 
and spent an hour or two in rambling among 
the tombs. The sun was hot, but an umbrella 
tempered its rays, and an occasional rest under 
some tree vras grateful. A few convicts from 
the chain-gang were clearing the paths, but 
most of the enclosure was overgrown with rank 
grass and bushes, — indeed, in the rains it is 
almost impossible to keep the grounds in toler- 
able order. There are many monuments scat- 
tered about, often with no inscription. The 
chief features of interest to me, however, were 
the graves of missionaries, who are buried bore 



200 GLIMPSES OF WIST AFRICA. 



in large numbers. Some of the graves are un- 
marked, but the sleeping dust beneath is watched 
over by God, and at the resurrection of the 
just it shall arise clothed in immortality. Two 
members of our mission — the pioneer Ray- 
mond and Mr. Mair — rest there ; but no mon- 
ument marks the spot, and I was unable to 
find it. Tlieir record is in heaven. I noticed 
the graves of two English bishops, and of many 
Church, Wesleyan, and United Methodist mis- 
sionaries. Two large white marble slabs mark 
the resting-place of two young Americans, — 
one from Boston and one from New York. In 
one part of tlie ground, under a large tree, ai'e 
five monuments, side by side, wlicrc lie the 
bodies of five Roman Catholic missionaries, who 
came to the colony some years ago to establish 
their religion. They all fell victims to the cli- 
mate a few weeks after landing. Many regarded 
their sudden removal as a special providence to 
prevent the establishment of a false religion. 

Sept. 6. — As I was returning, the other day, 
from a visit at the Wesleyan mission-house, I 
paused for a few moments on a largo stone 



SlEltltA LEOKE. 



201 



bridge, and gazed up the narrow gorge towards 
the mountains. Far below dashed a pretty lit- 
tle stream, which is sometimes swollen to a 
mountain torrent. Some women and children 
"were standing among the rocks, washing clothes. 
Along the path on Avhich I stood was a constant 
procession of people, — many of them were re- 
turning to their homes in the villages from the 
mai^kct, and nearly all carried large blies on 
their heads. A portion of the town was in 
sight, and in the distance rose the mountains, 
their sides dotted with farms, presenting a most 
pleasing landscape. 

I walked slowly homeward, passing iip Kroo- 
town Road, which, like Kissy, is lined with 
shops full of gay cloths, trinkets, knives, scis- 
sors, and almost everything imaginable. The 
sun shone brightly, and all the streets were 
thronged with pedestrians, presenting a biisy 
scone. Many of the women wore flowing di'esses 
of bright calico of different colors, and gay tur- 
bans on their heads ; so that as you gazed down 
a long street the view was really brilliant. The 
passengers wore laughing and chattuig with 



202 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



each other, or driving bargains with the shop- 
keepers. 

Walking along the streets, I turned my steps 
toward the market. It was Saturday, the great 
market-day of the week, and the roar of voices 
as I approached was almost deafening. Out- 
side the walls was spread a great variety of veg- 
etables and fruits, which the owners were using 
every effort to dispose of. Passing up to the 
entrance, a most interesting sight met my eyes. 
The long building was crowded with people, 
and every stand seemed groaning beneath its 
load. Tlicre were heaps of fragrant oranges, 
and limes, and pine-apples ; bunches of golden 
bananas, and long green plantains ; cocoa-nuts, 
African pears, sour and sweet sop, sweet pota- 
toes, cucumbers, yams, cocoa, eggs, green corn, 
water-cresses, string-beans, caljbages, turnips, 
greens, tomatoes, etc. Some tables were filled 
with beads of brilliant colors, knives, and vari- 
ous knick-knacks; some with small loaves of 
bread. At one end of the market lay heaps of 
" foofoo," which is made of beaten cassada, 
rolled in balls. This is considered a groat del- 



SIERRA LEONE. 



203 



icacy by tlio natives, but would hardly tompt 
the appetite of a foreigner. But I was not per- 
mitted to make my survey in quiet. The a[)- 
pcarancc of a white face is always the signal for 
redoubled efforts on the part of the market- 
women to dispose of their articles. " Master!" 
" Master ! " " Master ! " came from every side, 
and samples of fruit and vegetables were thrust 
before mo. If I had been a stranger I might 
have lost my self-possession amid the confusion, 
but I had so often been in the same position, 
that I merely shook my head or uttered a quiet 
" No " to their importunities, and examined 
the tables at my leisure. 

Freetown, Sept. 15. — Last week "Wednesday 
morning we left on our intended trip to the 
mountains. At dawn it was quite rainy, but 
the blue sky soon appeared, and gave token of 
a favorable day. Our procession, as it left the 
yard and wound mountain-ward, was thus : first, 
Mrs. W. in a palanquin, with two faithful car- 
riers ; next myself, followed by our man John, 
balancing a tin trunk on his head ; and finally 
Ellen, one of the mission-girls. Soon we left 



204 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



tliG noisy streets and shady lanes of Freetown, 
and began to climb the steep mountain-paths. 
The scenery was very beautiful. One moment 
the eye rested on cloud-capped peaks, rocky 
gorges, roaring torrents, and steep precipices ; 
and the next on gently-sloping hill-sides and 
lovely sun-lit valleys. 

But it was not all romance, for climbing pre- 
cipitous mountain-paths under a torrid s;in is 
by no means play. Behold me, toiling up the 
rocks, an umbrella in one hand, and my hat, 
which I use as a fan, in the other, exclaiming 
one moment, "How beautiful!" and the next, 
" Oh how hot ! " As we ascended, the air grew 
purer and cooler, and the sun was obscured by 
clouds. Occasionally we sat down on some 
rock to rest, and let imagination have full play 
as we drank in the beauties of the scene. 

By and by we descended to the romantic lit- 
tle village of Gloucester. Its thatched houses 
arc perched on steep hill-sides and in narrow 
gorges, surrounded by cultivated patches. A 
pretty stream goes dashing over the rocks. As 
we crossed the stone bridge and wound up a 



SIERRA LEONE. 



205 



sliady path, I might almost have imagined my- 
self ill a New England forest road, had it not 
been for the broad leaves of the banana and 
plantain, and the groves of palm and cocoa 
that everywhere met the eye. 

Passing over another mountain, we came to 
Regent, a village containing some fifteen hun- 
dred inhabitants. It is built on both sides of 
a beautiful stream, and surrounded on every 
side by lofty mountains. The highest peak is 
Sugar-loaf, which is much of the time vailed 
in clouds. We were most cordially received by 
the native pastor, Rev. George Nicol, whose 
wife is a daughter of the celebrated Bishop 
Crowther, and a day in that romantic and beau- 
tiful village was full of interest. 

On Thursday we visited Charlotte, four miles 
further. The scenery, if possible, was still 
grander than that of the previous day. The 
paths were quite slippery from recent rains, and 
it required considerable exertion to maintain 
one's footing. "We passed the pretty village of 
Bathurst, following the course of a mountain 
stream, bordered with tropical foliage and gor- 



20G 



GLIMPSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



goous flowers. Two or three waterfalls were 
in sight among the hills. At Cliarlotte we 
found a large girls' school for liberated Afri- 
cans. The pujjils numbered upwards of a hun- 
dred, and are not only taught the common Eng- 
lish branches, but arc particularly instructed in 
industrial pursuits. Such a work requires much 
patience on the part of missionaries, but it is a 
blessed cause. 

We left Charlotte Friday noon on our return 
to town by way of Wilberforce. It was a briglit 
day, and most of the mountain-peaks were un- 
vailed. The path lay over high table-lands, 
and the vievys of land and sea were enchanting. 
Yf 0 rested at Wilberforce till nearly sundown. 
It is a pretty village on a mountain, in full view 
of Freetown and the harbor. Both the English 
Church and Wesleyans have mission stations 
here. We joined our good friend. Rev. Mr. 
Oaiger, in a pic-nic dinner and pleasant ramble 
over the town. In the cool of the evening the 
palanquin-carriers trotted swiftly homeward. 
As we left the quiet outskirts of the city and 
entered Krootown Road, the noise seemed deaf- 



SIEItRA LEONE. 



207 



eniiig. The street was thronged with pedestri- 
ans, talking, screaming, and laughing, and the 
carriers at almost every step were compelled to 
shout to them to clear the way. It was quite 
dark when we arrived, much pleased with our 
trip among the mountains. 

Sierra Leone is certainly a wonderful exam- 
ple of what can be accomplished through God's 
blessing on missionary labor. There arc nearly 
a hundred churches, and more than twenty 
thousand church-members, in the colony. Sab- 
bath and day schools are everywhere established ; 
also academies, female seminaries, and one coL 
lege. Colored policemen patrol the streets ; 
colored lawyers plead at the bar ; colored pas- 
tors preach to colored audiences ; and colored 
editors write for colored readers. 

The Sabbath is better observed in Sierra Le- 
one than in many American cities. The peo- 
ple are regular in their attendance at the house 
of God, and reverential in their deportment. 
Of course there is much wickedness, but still 
the changes there have been wonderful. Where 
once tlie cloud of heathenism brooded so lieav- 



208 



CLlMrSES OF WEST AFRICA. 



ily, tho Sabbath bell now sends forth its glad 
sound. Where the human victim lay bleeding 
on the altar, now ascends tho daily sacrifice of 
prayer and praise. And year by year this bles- 
sed light is spreading towards the tribes yet 
farther inland. 



THE END. 



I 



