A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER,

IN THE AUTUMN OF 1877.

BY THE

REV. HENRY JOHNSON.

Bibliotheek REDERL ZENDINGSHOGEnbsp;OEGSTGEEST.

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER,

IN THE AUTUMN OF 1877.

BY THE

REV. HENRY JOHNSON.

Honïion:

CHURCH MISSIONARY HOUSE, Salisbury Square, London.

The Rev. Henry Johnson is a Native African Clergyman, well-known in this country, who has laboured in both the Sierra Leone and Yoruba Missions. He is nownbsp;transferred to the Niger Mission, and has been appointednbsp;by Bishop Crowther to be Archdeacon of the Upper Niger,nbsp;with a view to his assisting the Bishop in the superintend-dence of the higher Stations on the river. The following isnbsp;a narrative of his first visit to the Mission in company with.nbsp;the Bishop.

It should be added that the Bishop has also appointed his son, the Rev. Dandeson C. Crowther, of Bonny, to benbsp;Archdeacon of the Lower Niger.

NOTE ON THE NIGER MISSION

OF THE

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

It was in 1830 that the traveller Lander descended the Niger in a canoe to its mouth, thus determining its outletnbsp;to the ocean. In 1832-3 the fust exploring party, undernbsp;-Mr. Mctiregor Laird, ascended the stream. In 1841, thenbsp;Government sent out the celebrated Niger Expedition,nbsp;with a view to the more effectual suppression of the slave-trade by establishing “ new commercial stations with thosenbsp;African chiefs within whose dominions the inland slave-trade was carried on, and the external slave-trade suppliednbsp;with natives.” In the hope that this expedition might opennbsp;the way for Missionary effort, the Church Missionarynbsp;Society obtained permission to send with it the Rev. J. F.nbsp;Schön and Mr. Samuel Crowther, the latter a Nativenbsp;teacher at Sierra Leone, formerly a liberated slave. Nonbsp;immediate results followed, but Mr. Schön was enabled tonbsp;collect materials for the closer study of Hausa, a widelynbsp;extended language on the upper Niger, into which he hasnbsp;since translated portions of the Scriptures, besides compilingnbsp;a dictionary, grammar, amp;c.

In 1854, a second expedition ascended the river, and was accompanied by Mr. Crowther, who in 1843 had beennbsp;ordained to the ministry of the Church of England bynbsp;Bishop Blomfield. He came back with the full convictionnbsp;that the time had come to begin a Mission on the river.nbsp;In September, 1856, the Church Missionary Society formallynbsp;resolved to undertake the work; in 1857 it was commenced,nbsp;Mr. Crowther being the Superintending Missionary; andnbsp;ever since it has been carried on by Native agency alone.

NOTE ON THE NIGER MISSION.

No less than fifty Christian Negroes have been engaged in the Mission in the course of the twenty years, of whomnbsp;seventeen have been ordained. Mr. Crowther himself wasnbsp;consecrated Missionary Bishop of the Niger Territory atnbsp;Canterbury Cathedral on June 29th, 1864.

The stations at present occupied are—in the Delta, Akassa, at the mouth of the Nun, the main channel of thenbsp;Niger, and the direct route to the interior; Brass, on Brassnbsp;River, one of the numerous lesser outlets ; New Calabar;nbsp;and Bonny; the last named place being furthest east.nbsp;Ascending the river, we come to Osamare, about 120 milesnbsp;up, on the east or left bank ; Alenso, a little higher up onnbsp;the west bank ; Onitsha, 20 miles further, on the east sidenbsp;again; .lt;4rató, nearly opposite; and, at a distance of 230nbsp;miles from the sea, to Lokoja, which is on the west bank, atnbsp;the Confluence of the two great branches of the Niger, thenbsp;Kworra and the Binue (or Tshadda). Gbegbe, on the othernbsp;side of the Confluence, and Idda, lower down, were formerlynbsp;occupied, but had to be given up, owing to the hostility of thenbsp;chiefs. Ninety miles above the Confluence, on the Kworra, isnbsp;the highest station, Kipo Hill, opposite the ivory market townnbsp;of Egan. Rabba, yet 100 miles further, was occupied fornbsp;a short time in the early days of the Mission.

The statistical returns of the Mission for 1877 are as follows :—Native Clergy (including the Bishop), 11 ; Nativenbsp;Lay Teachers, 14; Native Christians, 601 ; Communicants,nbsp;201 ; Average Attendance on public worship, 1,257 ;nbsp;Scholars, 235. Baptisms in 1877—adults, 48, children 49.nbsp;In the number of Native Christians none are included fornbsp;Bonny, in consequence of the disturbed state of the Mission;nbsp;but the professed adherents there are above 300.

Besides the works in the Hatisa language already referred to, the Society’s Agents have prepared a Grammar, vocabulary, and translation of two Gospels, in the Nupe language,nbsp;spoken at Lokoja and up the Kworra; a Grammar, anbsp;Primer, and translations of parts of the New Testament andnbsp;Prayer Book, in Ibo, the language of the Delta and as far asnbsp;Onitsha ; and a Grammar, Primer, and various translations,nbsp;in Foiilah, which is widely spoken in West Central Africa.

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

BY THE REV. HENRY JOHNSON.

JT was in the early part of August last (1877) that I received a letter from Bishop Crowther, dated from Liverpool,nbsp;intimating to me the Committee’s wish that I should gonbsp;with him to the Niger this year. Not long after the receiptnbsp;of the letter, the Bishop himself arrived at Lagos.

Exactly a week after his arrival we got on board the “ Cameron,” and made for Bonny. This was on the 25thnbsp;of August.

I now proceed to describe the facts which came under my notice, and the varied impressions made upon my mind bynbsp;all I saw and heard in my recent trip. The inspection wasnbsp;begun at—

AKASSA—I can say, without hesitation, that I am thankful that this is not a specimen Station as regards progress,— the time and labour expended upon it being considered.nbsp;Had I seen no other Station, or if the rest had been more ornbsp;less like this, I should have been discouraged indeed. VVe

6 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

had ample time for inspecting it. When the Bishop, in consequence of Mr. John’s absence in Sierra Leone and England, and Mr. Paul’s removal to the newly formed Station atnbsp;Kipo Hill, found it necessary to provide for Lokoja, henbsp;transferred to it from Akassa Mr. Pythias Williams, anbsp;young an d energetic Teacher from Sierra Leone. In his stead,nbsp;a real “ son of the soil,” the first fruit of the Akasa Mission,nbsp;was left in charge. I was favourably impressed by Mr.nbsp;Apre’s manner. Born, and for the most part bred, in thenbsp;country, it is needless to say that he was at “ home” innbsp;the language, manners and customs of Akassa. He had thenbsp;privilege a few years ago of being taken to Lagos bynbsp;Bishop Crowther. This no doubt accounts for thenbsp;immense disparity that exists between him and those bynbsp;whom he is surrounded. As to the latter, I do not knownbsp;any people apparently more hopelessly degraded anywhere.nbsp;It is not unusual to see the women paddling away a goodnbsp;canoe’s-load of wood, while the men are sitting at home,nbsp;moping all the day long, not knowing what to do withnbsp;themselves. Their wants are most easily satisfied :—palmnbsp;nuts, plaintains, snails, cassada roots, and palm wine formnbsp;the staple articles of food; but biscuits, pork, and saltnbsp;beef are much prized and enjoyed whenever they cannbsp;be obtained by begging from the shipping. At thisnbsp;season of the year, when the river gains upon all thenbsp;low-lands, the majority of the people are in the habit ofnbsp;betaking themselves to their farms on the opposite side of thenbsp;river,—access to which can only be gained by small bridlepaths. Their migratory habits make it difficult to get atnbsp;them; but Mr. Apre said that he occasionally followednbsp;after them in order to speak to them the Word of God.

I was told by the Bishop that all the people on the Delta are for the most part of the same character as the Akassans.

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In point of time, this Station is the oldest; but for any good result that has flowed from it, it may be considered thenbsp;very last. It might seem no loss whatever to abandon itnbsp;altogether, and direct our energies elsewhere; but the verynbsp;existence amongst them at the present moment of a youngnbsp;man—one of their own kith and kin—of whom somethingnbsp;(however little) has been made, is proof conclusive that the-whole tribe has not yet degenerated to a condition impossiblenbsp;of improvement. It is not necessary, in order to continuenbsp;there, to maintain a large establishment.

All the trading Companies on the River Niger have their depots atAkassa,and three Branch Steamers, belonging to thenbsp;West African Steam Ship Company and British and Africannbsp;Navigation Company respectively, call here from time tonbsp;time for the purpose of receiving cargo ; so there is everynbsp;appearance of commercial activity for at least four monthsnbsp;in the year. As it is not a producing country, and olfersnbsp;nothing for sale, Akassa will continue to be a place ofnbsp;some kind of importance only so long as it is considerednbsp;convenient for discharging the trade from the upper watersnbsp;of the Niger.

On the 31st of August, we weighed anchor and began the ascent of the river. All the day long, and in fact throughout the entire passage, it was necessary to keep a sharpnbsp;look out, in order to avoid the partially-covered banks,nbsp;snags, and other things by which the navigation is renderednbsp;extremely difficult. We safely cast anchor at 6.30 p.m.nbsp;without coming into collision with any of the usualnbsp;impediments to progress. The next day (September ist),nbsp;we passed what are generally termed the “ hostile villages,”nbsp;but no attempt was made to molest us; on the contrary, allnbsp;rushed down to the edge of the water—men, women, andnbsp;children—to gaze and wonder at the large new steamer.

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We saw some of the villages that were destroyed by the men-of-war¹ : the inhabitants had returned and were againnbsp;putting up their huts. To some good people at a distancenbsp;it might seem a very cruel thing to display the deadlynbsp;weapons of modern warfare against “naked savages,” whonbsp;act, as they often do, from lack of better knowledge. I cannbsp;¦sympathise with that view because I have long entertainednbsp;it; but I confess I am becoming a convert to the opinionnbsp;that at times it is absolutely necessary to compel thesenbsp;lawless, turbulent people to keep the peace. I was told bynbsp;the British Consul of the Bights, that the Senior Navalnbsp;Officer commanding the late Expedition,—a man of humanenbsp;feelings—was exceedingly reluctant to open fire on thosenbsp;on shore. “ Poor people ! they know no better,”—thatnbsp;was his constant rejoinder to those who urged the argumentnbsp;of force.¹ But the natives misconstrued this leniency, andnbsp;imagined that it proceeded from fear of them ; and so theynbsp;were emboldened to fire upon the fleet whilst steamingnbsp;down the river, on seeing which, the Officer was obliged tonbsp;give the order to turn round and punish the villagers in thenbsp;only way that was convincing to them. Year after yearnbsp;there is constant opposition from this poor deluded people.nbsp;Their grievance is that by the Steamers going to the uppernbsp;waters, their trade is depressed. They would rather thatnbsp;all remain below, and depend upon them for whatever theynbsp;could bring down in their canoes.

The Niger is truly a noble river, and in many parts it reminded me of the Boom river in Sherbro. The facts Inbsp;have ascertained in regard to the Niger, for example, as to

1

This was in June, 1876. Two trading steamers had been attacked by the Natives, and the offending villages were destroyed by Commodorenbsp;Hewett. (See Church Missionary Intelligencer, Nov., 1876, p. 699.)

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;9

strength and speed of the current, the depth of water at the height of the season, and so forth, correspond almostnbsp;exactly with the actual facts about the Boom. The widthnbsp;of both seems identical, as also the imposing scenery innbsp;many parts ; and it is notorious that hostilities on the partnbsp;of the natives are constant at Sherbro, and are but too oftennbsp;the cause of stagnation in trade. The Boom penetratesnbsp;far inland, and rich countries line its banks. The dangerousnbsp;rapids which bar successful navigation can be easily got ridnbsp;of by a little effort and skill; and protection to life andnbsp;property being secured to merchants and traders by thenbsp;Government, Sierra Leone would enjoy a healthy commercialnbsp;life of a permanent character. But I am digressing fromnbsp;my subject.

No high land is to be seen from the Nun all the way up to Onitsha. The people living on the Delta are oftennbsp;hard put to, when the river is high, to find a dry place tonbsp;set their foot on. It is said that not a year passes butnbsp;several houses are swept away by the current,—the rivernbsp;gaining rapidly upon the land. I myself saw no end ofnbsp;rickety, half-tumbled down huts as we went past. At twonbsp;of our Stations the Agents frequently had to paddle aboutnbsp;to go for whatever they needed. Last year the Bishop tooknbsp;the Agent at Alenso to see the king of that place. Theynbsp;were obliged to go in a canoe right up to His Majesty’snbsp;door. So at Osamare, about a fortnight ago, we had to benbsp;paddled from Mr. During’s house to the Church. Butnbsp;every one seemed as happy as possible, and did not muchnbsp;mind what to others would have been a serious and fatalnbsp;inconvenience. Like amphibious animals, they enjoy waternbsp;as well as land; and I do not believe they have evernbsp;suffered from attacks of ague,—the plague, in this country,nbsp;to people of a different education.

lo A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

I cannot see how the natives of this section of the country will be evangelised, unless by a system of dry-seasonnbsp;itinerancy. It is not possible to build regular Missionnbsp;houses, as the soil is so very swampy. It would be well tonbsp;attempt to visit them occasionally, whenever it is practicablenbsp;to do so. There would no doubt be great difficulty at first,nbsp;for the natives, as a rule, are wild, suspicious, and grasping.nbsp;They might interpose all sorts of obstacles with a view tonbsp;exact large presents, as they do from the Traders. I amnbsp;even prepared to allow that they might carry opposition tonbsp;the length of inflicting personal violence, if they were surenbsp;of escaping with impunity. But as the knowledge gainsnbsp;ground that our object is simply to do them good, and asnbsp;they become better acquainted with our conversation andnbsp;manner of life, I am persuaded that it will be easy to find anbsp;way into their hearts. The right men being obtained fornbsp;such an enterprise, the force of personal character mightnbsp;possibly rob the undertaking of one half its apparentlynbsp;hazardous nature.

OSAMARE.—It was on Sunday evening, September 2nd, that we first landed at Osamare. On our return we arrivednbsp;there on the 27th October, and left again on the followingnbsp;day. The Rev. Mr. During is stationed here, andnbsp;maintains his post with a hearty good will. He is a magnanbsp;pars of all that has happened here since the place becamenbsp;a Mission Station. Of a loving, yielding disposition, nonenbsp;is more suited to cope with the wild spirits about him. Innbsp;a way which few can rival, he is exerting a very greatnbsp;influence among the people. Formerly human sacrificesnbsp;used to be most frequent; but they are now kept withinnbsp;bounds, and I believe will before very long become a thingnbsp;of the past. As soon as he hears an inkling of such a thing

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER. n

going on, Mr. During would go to the place of sacrifice and plead until he prevailed to rescue the devoted person.nbsp;I saw one who was thus snatched from the jaws of death—nbsp;a poor emaciated creature. The sacrificing of old womennbsp;was once a very common practice. The number of thosenbsp;rescued by Mr. During, at various times, exceeds ten; andnbsp;from the circumstance of his interesting himself so much onnbsp;their behalf, he has been nicknamed “ the life of oldnbsp;women.” He has also distinguished himself by acting thenbsp;part of mediator between hostile parties. The followingnbsp;story will convey to you more accurately than any labourednbsp;description the characteristics of the man. A civil war wasnbsp;about to take place on a certain occasion, the two partiesnbsp;being headed by the sons of opposing Chiefs. Guns werenbsp;loaded, swords were whetted, and war drums werenbsp;sounding furiously, when Mr. During was hurried to thenbsp;scene. The manner in which he succeeded to prevent thenbsp;war taking place is well worth the consideration of—Inbsp;was going to say ambassadors, diplomatists, and Foreignnbsp;Secretaries. He went to the spot, where preparations were allnbsp;but completed, and having a large hand-Dell concealed beneath his coat, he pulled it out and began to ring it violently,nbsp;walking about the crowd and pushing away here and therenbsp;those who seemed particularly excited and determined.nbsp;He kept shouting, with laconic brevity—“ Don’t fight: don’tnbsp;fight: make peace : war ruins country ; war brings misery :nbsp;disperse: go home.” He continued ringing, like annbsp;auctioneer’s man, till his arm ached, and he shoutednbsp;himself hoarse. He was rewarded for his pains, for thenbsp;people dispersed without firing a single shot. But Inbsp;am not so sure that this experiment would succeednbsp;twice. Perhaps the very simplicity and novelty of thenbsp;thing confounded the superstitious people, and acted upon

12 nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

them like a potent spell. Any way, the desired end was attained, and many afterwards repaired to the Missionnbsp;House to thank the Missionary for his timely and successfulnbsp;interference to prevent bloodshed, and all other evilsnbsp;attendant upon civil wars. Gradually and surely Christianitynbsp;is exerting its influence upon the people—the leaven of it isnbsp;permeating all classes of society; and one result has beennbsp;the abolition of many of the cruel customs which werenbsp;formerly observed. For example—there was a time, notnbsp;long gone by, when it was believed as an article of a creednbsp;^ to be a sin to speak to old women. Young people wouldnbsp;never go near them; they would never light from their fires;nbsp;but now the case is quite otherwise, they may be seennbsp;conversing familiarly with the old without any fear of beingnbsp;detected in an unlawful act.

But there is a great deal yet to be done before superstition is completely rooted out of the country. A circumstancenbsp;took place a short time ago, which I must relate, to shownbsp;how easy it is to impose upon the credulity of the people.nbsp;Alligators infest the rivers and creeks which run throughnbsp;the town, and they have been destroying human lives to annbsp;extent hitherto unknown ; and so the people resolved to donbsp;something to check this serious calamity. They had recoursenbsp;to a medicine-man, who declared that his powerful charmsnbsp;could drive the pests clean away. A public subscriptionnbsp;was set on foot, to which all gave most cheerfully andnbsp;according to their ability. The medicine-man came, andnbsp;was received with loud rejoicings, and hospitably entertained. He went to whatever house he would, and beforenbsp;he left, was bountifully loaded with presents and all kindsnbsp;of favours. Now, what was the remedy proposed? Nonbsp;“M.D.” can guess it. It was this—he ordered guanas,nbsp;lizards, snails, mashed yams, rats of different species, palm

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

oil, white ant heaps, and other things to he well pounded together and thrown into the river ! The impostor was toonbsp;wise to wait to see the effect of his strange specific, for henbsp;knew what it was worth. The alligators have sincenbsp;destroyed some cows which attempted to cross the river, andnbsp;have, not yet dined again on human flesh, simply because nonbsp;one has ventured into the deep parts of the water as heretofore. It is really wonderful what people, unenlightened bynbsp;the Gospel, would believe. They often seem, in matters ofnbsp;vital importance, to take leave of their senses, and hold fornbsp;truth that which is most palpably false.

It is yet a day of small things at Osumare; but the seed that is being sown promises an abundant crop.

ALENSO was the next place we visited. It is only recently taken up. We had but two hours at our disposal;nbsp;but it was sufficient to see what there was to be seen. Thenbsp;Mission House had formerly been a Factory, and, likenbsp;similar places intended for the safe preservation of goods, itnbsp;was raised a good height above the rainy season floods.nbsp;The roof was ceiled and covered with corrugated iron sheets,nbsp;and to all appearances it seemed to me a nice, compact,nbsp;convenient dwelling-house. Adjoiningitis a room of moderatenbsp;extent where the services and schools are held.

Being so lately taken up, there is nothing striking at Alenso to call for any observations from me ; but I trust we maynbsp;look forward with confidence to the success of the plansnbsp;already in operation.

The women struck one as being particularly industrious, as I saw them with heavy burdens moving here and there,nbsp;and in canoes paddling to and from their respective farms.nbsp;The men wore the same vacant expression and lazy sluggishnbsp;appearance peculiar to their confrères lower down the river.nbsp;Leaving Alenso, a short run brought us to

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

ONITSHA, in many respects the most important Station on the Niger.

fi Whether as regards religious or mercantile affairs, it may be looked upon as flourishing. To a newly arrived person,nbsp;whose vision is not jaundiced by prejudice, it is calculated tonbsp;give a good impression—one that cannot but be enhancednbsp;by contrast with the disheartening features apparent everywhere in the lower Stations. As the steamer came up,nbsp;dense crowds assembled to welcome its arrival, and amongstnbsp;them a large sprinkling of Sierra Leone people.

Onitsha has existed as a Mission Station for twenty years, and was, I believe, the first of all others planted on thenbsp;banks of the Niger. We had to walk somewhat over a milenbsp;to see the Mission House, through a dense luxuriant vegetation. It is a gradual ascent from the river, and pursuingnbsp;the road in a certain direction you may come to an elevatednbsp;spot from which you can enjoy a splendid view of country—nbsp;the winding river giving to the scene a beauty which cannbsp;rarely be surpassed. The Mission House occupies anbsp;ground that must ensure salubrity, and from all accounts,nbsp;good health is generally enjoyed by the Agents there.nbsp;If the natives could only be got over their superstitiousnbsp;prejudice against cutting down the groves and bushes bynbsp;which the town is overrun, Onitsha would be a lovelynbsp;and desirable place; but, unfortunately, their strength isnbsp;devoured by the canker of inbred laziness, so that they cannbsp;do nothing for the benefit of themselves or their country.

Going and returning, we spent in all about three weeks in the town, and the Bishop had ample time to meet the Agentsnbsp;in a body as well as singly, for the transaction of business.nbsp;Alenso and Asaba being close by, the Agents of thosenbsp;places came over, and they, with those of this Station, formednbsp;a goodly band.

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The Mission House stands conspicuous within a mighty enclosure, called here a compound, and comprising the residences of the ordained Missionary, the Catechist andnbsp;Schoolmaster. In another end of the town a small Stationnbsp;has been formed, and a small Chapel built. We visited itnbsp;on Sunday, the 14th, and the Bishop preached to a smallnbsp;congregation. The resident Missionary seemed to be annbsp;energetic young man. He courageously maintains hisnbsp;ground on a spot which is rather a bed of thorns than ofnbsp;roses. I was very much pleased to find that he had beennbsp;. paying good attention to the work of translating portions ofnbsp;the Bible ; but more of this anon.

I must say a few words about what may be termed the Mother-Church of Onitsha. The building was plannednbsp;originally after a style and manner altogether out of proportion with the exigencies of time and place ; but thenbsp;conception could not be carried out, money being wanting.

The “ living stones ” of this Church gave us, I am happy to say, greater pleasure.

The two Sundays we spent at Onitsha hlled my soul with joy, and strengthened my faith in the future of this Station.nbsp;They were indeed “times of refreshing.” On Saturday,nbsp;October r3th, I witnessed a sight, the occasion being thenbsp;annual appearance of the King, which made me feel as ifnbsp;the labour of twenty years had been expended in vain.nbsp;I shall refer at length to this incident below. On thenbsp;Sunday following, when I saw over 200 converts in thenbsp;Church, decently apparelled, and joining in the servicesnbsp;with all the outward marks of devotion, I felt great relief,nbsp;and my spirits rose high. It was gratifying to see the youngnbsp;men who had left School, and were pursuing handicraftnbsp;trades, come to Church with their books, and take theirnbsp;part in the responses, just as in other Christian places of

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worship. Prayers were said partly in English and partly in the vernacular, as all have not yet been translated into thenbsp;latter. It only requires a little more effort in this direction,nbsp;and then worship can be carried on in that perfect uniformnbsp;style in which it is- done in the Yoruba Mission. On thenbsp;second Sunday I preached in the morning, when there was anbsp;very good congregation, consisting almost entirely of thenbsp;natives of the country. I was glad of this latter feature,nbsp;because I felt that the Teachers had those on whom theynbsp;could always depend.

The natives compose the real congregation. In estimating the number of attendants in any Station, it is usually my practice to overlook the strangers and temporarynbsp;residents, for they only come for an object, and when thatnbsp;object is gained, they soon “take wings, and fly away.”nbsp;The correctness of pursuing this plan in making annbsp;estimate was tested on the two Sundays we spent here.nbsp;The first one being very fine, there was a large attendancenbsp;of mercantile agents, traders, clerks, and so forth, but thenbsp;second being rather wet, only a few of them put in annbsp;appearance, and that not until the service was nearly over ;nbsp;but the natives mustered in force, and there were but fewnbsp;absentees.

One could not help observing how strong the English ^ element is at Onitsha. A day was appointed by the Bishopnbsp;for an Examination of the School children, and most ofnbsp;the members of the Mission were present. The subjectsnbsp;comprised English History, Geography, Grammar, Arithmetic, amp;c. The Examiners questioned in English, and thenbsp;children replied in the same language. I was pleased withnbsp;the progress which they seemed to have made. The seniornbsp;pupil would do remarkably well, if he could be taken overnbsp;to Lagos or Sierra Leone for further instruction; but the

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Bishop remarked that he could not do it with safety, owing to the foolish customs that prevail among the people. Younbsp;will hardly believe it, but the fact is true, that should thenbsp;boy die while at a distance from home, his relatives wouldnbsp;demand him back, or else life must go for life. Unless anbsp;hand, or head, or any portion of the body can be produced innbsp;proof of death having really taken place, the natives wouldnbsp;seize the child of any Sierra Leone or Lagos resident, andnbsp;let its life atone for the loss of that of their own. Theynbsp;make no allowance for accidents, or what is called the actnbsp;of God. The doctrine that “ whom God loves dies young,”nbsp;is utterly repudiated here. And yet, strange to say, they donbsp;not permit people to live to extreme old age among them.nbsp;When it is thought time for anyone to die, and he is slownbsp;to take his departure, a story is soon trumped up about hisnbsp;being guilty of witchcraft. Evidence or no evidence, suchnbsp;an one is forced to drink poison, or ruthlessly clubbed tonbsp;death. Onitsha would have made much greater strides innbsp;gt; civilization than it has done, had it not been for the manynbsp;silly customs and superstitions so tenaciously clung to bynbsp;the people.

But I must not lose the thread of my remarks on the English element prevailing here. To people who know nonbsp;language but the English, it might be delightful to hearnbsp;parts of the Service read in correct style in that language,nbsp;and hymns sung just as in English Churches. You maynbsp;hear hymns from Kemble’s Selection, wedded to tunesnbsp;from “ Ancient and Modern,” any day at Onitsha.nbsp;Acting-Consul Tait, who was present at Church on Sunday,nbsp;October 14th, expressed his astonishment at hearing suchnbsp;good singing. The praise thus bestowed was deserved ;nbsp;but I hope we shall bear in mind the fact that the Christianity of Onitsha will grow weak and sickly, and that it

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will be devoid of all inherent vitality, if English be allowed to supersede the native tongue. By all means let thenbsp;English language be taught at Onitsha, but only as annbsp;extra accomplishment.

I was glad to see that one or two of the Agents possessing some qualifications for the task are carrying on the translation of the Psalms. At a Meeting convened for thenbsp;purpose of looking into what had been done, the Bishopnbsp;offered a few practical suggestions, which were intelligentlynbsp;received. A Comparative Dictionary is being compiled, ofnbsp;the various dialects of the Ibo spoken in the country,nbsp;and I believe that, if completed, it will be a useful volume.nbsp;The Rev. S. Perry, of the lyawo Station, may yet turnnbsp;out a useful and valuable Translator, as he seemed tonbsp;possess the faculty of recognizing fine shades of meaningnbsp;in words of apparently similar import.

Speaking generally, I would express it as my humble opinion, that there is a great deal that is encouraging in thenbsp;spiritual work now going on in this place, and that one maynbsp;well thank God for it, and take courage.

But my notice of Onitsha will not be complete if I omit to mention what I saw of native life, under the most favourable conditions. The 13th of October was the daynbsp;appointed for the annual custom of the King appearing innbsp;public. (It must be known that the rule is that Royalty isnbsp;always to be shut up at home, and not to be frequentlynbsp;gazed upon by vulgar eyes.) The Consul expressed hisnbsp;desire to see the ceremony, and all of us being of the samenbsp;mind, four o’clock in the afternoon was fixed upon for thenbsp;procession of our party. It was a gala day at Onitsha. Fromnbsp;¦early dawn we heard cannons booming, and hand-gunsnbsp;rattling. There was a good deal of drumming, fifing,nbsp;dancing, and every conceivable token of joy. The hour

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came, and with it the Consul, riding on a horse. There was quite a sensation caused by the unconscious beast.nbsp;Crowds were soon attracted, whilst one called to another tonbsp;“come and see a man on the top of a cow.” It is notnbsp;often that a real live horse is seen at Oriitsha, and very likelynbsp;many among the assembled group that day never saw onenbsp;in their life—to say nothing of a white man on the top of it.nbsp;It was difficult to say which attracted the greater notice—nbsp;the horse, or the ceremony of the day. Chairs were carriednbsp;from the Mission House by boys, for our accommodation gt;nbsp;as His Majesty does not undertake to treat his visitors tonbsp;the luxury of seats. The crowd gathered thicker andnbsp;thicker as we advanced, until, on. arriving at a large opennbsp;space where multitudes had been in waiting, all, ofnbsp;every age, and of both sexes, put forth a fiendish yellnbsp;of delight, and so closely hemmed in the Consul, as tonbsp;completely prevent his progress. Knives and swords werenbsp;flashing in the sun, and guns were fired over our heads.nbsp;I was unused to ;such sights, and therefore I may benbsp;pardoned for saying that I entertained rather mixednbsp;apprehensions of what might happen. I was told it wasnbsp;the peculiar way the people had of testifying their pleasure ;nbsp;true, it was z/crj peculiar. The Consul was obliged tonbsp;dismount, and in the midst of that surging, seething mass,nbsp;we forced our way as best we could to the King’s quarters.

His Majesty was sitting before the entrance to his courtyard, surrounded by his trusty servants. Having saluted him, and congratulated him on the event of the day, wenbsp;were asked to sit down and look at a dance. We put ournbsp;chairs as far back as the grounds permitted. A ring wasnbsp;formed, and the dance commenced. I regret to say that itnbsp;beats me to describe accurately what it looked like j nor cannbsp;I give you an idea of the intensity of the din caused by the

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musical instruments which, accompanied the saltatory exercises. In due course the King stepped forward to takenbsp;his part. He was bound by the law of the country tonbsp;dance on this festive occasion. He is a man of about fortynbsp;years of age, of good height, and rather agreeable innbsp;countenance. His head was- adorned with feathers, stucknbsp;through his hair. In one hand was held a long black cow’snbsp;tail, and in the other a kind of short sabre. The movementnbsp;was very quick, and he went on shuffling with his feet untilnbsp;he was bathed in perspiration. I will not venture to saynbsp;how many cases of gin were broached that day, but I cannbsp;positively assert that there were very few who looked sobernbsp;among those who danced with the King, and filled hisnbsp;courtyard. To end the story. The play was continued untilnbsp;it began to be dusk, when the King retired to his apartment,nbsp;to which the Consul and the rest of us wereinvited. Thenbsp;King expressed his great pleasure at seeing the Consul, andnbsp;apologized for not being able to give us more of his time,nbsp;on account of the many congratulatory visits which werenbsp;paid by his people. After this interview we had to undergonbsp;a second operation of fighting our way through the nudenbsp;citizens and denizens, in order to get home before thenbsp;tornado, which threatened ominously, should blow. Fornbsp;the greater part of the night I could not shake off thenbsp;word “ Pandemonium ” from my thoughts; it appeared asnbsp;if all the inhabitants of the lower regions had come out tonbsp;hold their court for a few hours in the very heart of Onitsha.nbsp;Christian teachers have indeed a work before them: andnbsp;unless they are assisted from above, it is vain to expect thatnbsp;of themselves they can curb the wild spirits, whose performances I witnessed this day.

On Monday, 15th October, we accompanied the Consul once more to the palace to witness the signing of a Treaty

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between Her Majesty’s Government on the one hand, and the King and Chiefs of Onitsha on the other. The Consulnbsp;was resplendent in his official dress, and being attended bynbsp;the Bishop, the entire body of the Mission Agents, andnbsp;representatives of the three mercantile houses here, there wasnbsp;hardly anything wanting to give due importance to thenbsp;occasion. We had not long been seated when the jinglingnbsp;of a bell announced His Majesty’s approach. He came andnbsp;threw himself down on his seat with an air of nonchalance,nbsp;adjusted the scanty piece of cloth around his person, lookednbsp;about defiantly as who should say am I not a mightynbsp;potentate, and then nodded salutation to his visitors. Thisnbsp;done, the senior Chief present rose up, and standing beforenbsp;the King, offered the usual obeisance in the name of all thenbsp;subjects. He performed all sorts of strange gymnastics,nbsp;shaking his fist the while at the King. I was rather confounded by this threatening attitude assumed by one of thenbsp;King’s principal subjects, but it was soon explained to menbsp;that shaking the fist at anyone was a mode of salutationnbsp;implying—‘ I hope you are as strong as my fist and arm. ’nbsp;On resuming his seat, the Chiefs of secondary rank camenbsp;forward and performed. Then followed troops of young mennbsp;who prostrated, touching the earth two or three times withnbsp;their foreheads, and retreated. Last of all came the childrennbsp;turning somersaults, and making other ridiculous antics, tonbsp;our intense amusement.

All this occupied but a few minutes, and then, all being seated, and silence having been proclaimed, the palavernbsp;began. The Consul read, and the Rev. W. Romainenbsp;interpreted, clause by clause of the Treaty. It was curiousnbsp;to see how “vested interests” were jealously guardednbsp;by even these simple-minded natives. Every clause wasnbsp;turned and twisted about and nibbled at before it was

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reluctantly agreed to. The very first was opposed by the King. It provided that the King and Chiefs shall under-. take to do away with human sacrifices. (That abominablenbsp;custom, alas ! is being carried on, and the victims are infantsnbsp;of tender age, and grown up people of every age, beingnbsp;slaves.) He would not have the clause insisted upon—saidnbsp;that it was a thing done by his command only, and not bynbsp;the people indiscriminately; that he was not prepared tonbsp;cede his just rights by agreeing to that first provision, andnbsp;so forth. Every time he spoke he turned round and lookednbsp;at the Chiefs and common people, like one looking fornbsp;approval. He knew what he was about; he knew that hisnbsp;people would take him severely to task if he ventured to donbsp;away with any customs to which ages of use had given a sortnbsp;of prescriptive right. The Consul, however, made him understand that he was not expected to abolish the custom all atnbsp;once, but that he was simply to undertake to do away withnbsp;it gradually. Then he ungraciously acquiesced, reserving tonbsp;, himself his meaning of the word “gradually.”

„ There was a clause providing that whenever a robbery is committed in any of the factories, and complaints arenbsp;brought to the King, he shall take steps to detect andnbsp;punish the crime, and restore the stolen property. Of coursenbsp;no one had the hardihood to oppose that clause openly, butnbsp;some well-known tactics were resorted to, with a view tonbsp;divert attention from the subject. I never saw such anbsp;childish simplicity.- The clause being read, the senior Chiefnbsp;came forward, saluted, and insisted upon being heardnbsp;before the King could say “ yes ” or “ no.” He began bynbsp;thanking the Consul for all that he had done, and thennbsp;begged for assistance in guns, powder, and rockets, againstnbsp;their enemies in the interior, of whom they were in perpetualnbsp;dread. It took some time to convince the old trickster that

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his request was out of time, and that his speech was wholly irrelevant to the subject then in hand. He only retirednbsp;when he saw that all were against him. The secret of hisnbsp;untimely interruption was owing, as I understood afterwards,nbsp;to the fact that his son was the most expert thief in the land,nbsp;and therefore his affectionate parent felt a personal concernnbsp;in the matter, and thought that by introducing an entirely newnbsp;subject, the robbery clause of the Treaty would be forgottennbsp;altogether. Poor innocent! The little scheme havingnbsp;collapsed, he went away crest-fallen, and the clause was atnbsp;length added to the Treaty without opposition.

Another paragraph stipulated that the lauds now occupied by the C. M. Society, and commercial firms, respectively,nbsp;shall be considered as belonging to them so long as. theynbsp;remain in the country; and that Missionaries shall benbsp;exempt from giving annual dashes or presents, as merchantsnbsp;do. All being agreed to, then came the work of signingnbsp;the Treaty. With the greatest difficulty could the Kingnbsp;and Chiefs present be brought to touch the pen. Theynbsp;attached to the act some superstition or other, and werenbsp;afraid of some awful consequences which nobody, themselves included, knew of. After much pulling and hauling,nbsp;the documents were duly signed ; one was left with thenbsp;King, and the other taken away by the Consul. Presentsnbsp;after their liking were presented to the authorities, andnbsp;then each one tried to find his way home as best he couldnbsp;in a very dark night, and under high bushes.

I have dwelt sufficiently long on Onitsha and its affairs ; I pass on to the upper Stations visited by us.

LOKOJA.—We left for Lokoja on September 5th, and when we returned to it on October 7th, we spent aboutnbsp;four days there. Before arriving we passed several towns and

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villages of importance, among which were Idda, with its bold red cliffs, and Gbegbe, formerly occupied, but since abandoned. You will remember the story about Idda, and alsonbsp;the circumstance which led to its being given up.¹ Thenbsp;natives of both places are now begging the Bishop to returnnbsp;to them. Captain Brown, late of the W. A. Company,nbsp;a European gentleman, who visited Idda not long ago, toldnbsp;us that he saw the Mission House in a very good state ofnbsp;preservation. Under the conviction that the Missionariesnbsp;will surely return, the people have kept the mud boor constantly polished, and the entire building was being lookednbsp;after. He said that the fruit trees were bearing profusely,nbsp;and that everything appeared as though the premises hadnbsp;not been left a single day. Now, when it is rememberednbsp;that ten years have elapsed since the Missionaries removednbsp;from that place, the facts thus communicated to us arenbsp;are something more than interesting. The people ofnbsp;Gbegbe are no less importunate in their demands fornbsp;our return; but, unfortunately, neither they nor thenbsp;Iddans would give a sufiScient or reliable guarantee thatnbsp;we shall not again be molested or driven out of thenbsp;country. It is open to question whether self-interest benbsp;not the ruling motive for this urgent plea for our return;nbsp;for the truth is that, some way or other, the natives look uponnbsp;trade as following in the wake of Missions; and theynbsp;believe that should we come back, factories will again benbsp;established, and all their former privileges and advantagesnbsp;will also follow. One can hardly expect a purely disinterested motive as a ruling principle in ignorant heathens ;

1

In 1867, the chief of a village near Idda forcibly detained Bishop Crowther, and demanded 1,000 for his ransom. The Bishop escaped ;nbsp;but as the Atta (king) of Idda refused to promise protection to thenbsp;agents, the Station was given up.

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but I trust they will continue to urge our return, and that the Providence of God will soon open a way for it.

On Thursday, September 6th, at 4 p.m., we arrived at the important Station of Lokoja, beautifully situated at thenbsp;confluence of the Niger and Binue rivers. As at othernbsp;places, the news of the arrival of a steamer soon broughtnbsp;half of the population down to the water’s edge, the colournbsp;and variety of whose costumes gave just grounds for manynbsp;critical remarks. I was struck, at the very first view, with thenbsp;difference between the people of this place and those in thenbsp;lower part of the river. The former have attained to anbsp;4 degree of civilisation which contrasts very favourably withnbsp;the almost total absence of it among the latter. Nudenbsp;bodies are here the exception, and not the rule. A glance,nbsp;too, was sufficient to show that Mahommedanism held sway.nbsp;Flowing tobes and turbaned heads issued from everynbsp;quarter. But let me crave pardon to say that to nicknamenbsp;the inhabitants as “the Great Unsoaped,” would do themnbsp;no injustice whatever. The tobes were red with the dirtnbsp;and dust of years. It is said that from the time when theynbsp;are put on, new, to the time when they become so threadbare as to be unfit for any further use, they are never dippednbsp;in water. The smell of musk (with which these tobesnbsp;are besmeared), is agreeable to their olfactory nerves, andnbsp;they are afraid lest the superstition of washing might deprivenbsp;them of that delicious odour ! The Koran speaks of a rivernbsp;in Paradise (Salsabeel), being perfumed with the smell ofnbsp;musk; no wonder then that “ the Faithful ” in this part ofnbsp;the world are so fond of that particular odour.

Mr. and Mrs. John had been labouring here for twelve years, and were just returning from their first visit to theirnbsp;friends at Sierra Leone, after their first absence from thenbsp;Station, Mr. John having been summoned to England to

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assist in the Hausa translation work. The welcome which they received from the people was most gratifyingnbsp;to behold. There was intense joy when it was perceivednbsp;that they were among the passengers. Some waved theirnbsp;handkerchiefs and others their hands. Their landing wasnbsp;waited for with impatience, and no sooner was that donenbsp;than they were surrounded on all sides and most cordiallynbsp;saluted. Few things are more refreshing than the sight ofnbsp;an affectionate people grouping round their beloved Pastor.nbsp;I wanted no other proof to convince me that Mr. John’snbsp;labours have, been acceptable at Lokoja, than thenbsp;spontaneous outburst of welcome which I saw greeted himnbsp;and his on their return to the scene of their labours.

This is a Station of no small importance. As a base of operations its position is such as enhances its valuenbsp;enormously. No trading or exploring party can overlooknbsp;the advantages of Lokoja, as affording all the requisites ofnbsp;a convenient starting, point. It is on account of itsnbsp;importance, I suppose, that the Agents, both industrial andnbsp;evangelistic, are so many,—some waiting here for anynbsp;providential openings that the Lord may be pleased tonbsp;point out to us.

We spent a Sunday here on our return from the upper countries, and the Bishop preached in the morning, and Inbsp;in the afternoon. As compared with Onitsha, the numbernbsp;of converts is small; but I am neither surprised nornbsp;disappointed, knowing how difficult it is for Christianity tonbsp;make way in a country that is professedly Mahommedan.nbsp;There is a small Chapel, built expressly for the Bununbsp;people. The Bishop preached there to a very attentivenbsp;congregation. I could not visit it, as I was then engagednbsp;in the principal Church.

Mr. P. Williams, whom I mentioned before as having

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been brought to this Station from Akassa, on the removal of Mr. Paul to Kipo Hill, in the absence of Mr. John, hasnbsp;made during the year one or two important Missionarynbsp;journeys, particulars of which he has given to Bishopnbsp;Crovvther. He took the Binue branch of the river, andnbsp;went as far as the town of Yimaha, whose King earnestlynbsp;entreated him to come and settle there as a Christiannbsp;Teacher. From all I have heard, that town seems to be anbsp;key to important countries in a direction that is not yetnbsp;explored.

About a month ago a German savant came out for the express object of exploring the river (Binue); but I regretnbsp;to say that he was obliged to return through a severe attacknbsp;of dysentry. He was ordered to Lagos, where medicalnbsp;aid could be easily procured, and much anxiety was felt fornbsp;him. I have .not heard any thing of him since. Dr. Baikienbsp;and Mr. (now Bishop) Crowther ascended the river innbsp;1854, for upwards of 300 miles, but were obliged to returnnbsp;without solving the problem of its rise. In a book recentlynbsp;published on this part of Africa, the writer, after balancing anbsp;series of probabilities, gave it as his opinion that the Binue willnbsp;be found to have issued from the same neighbourhood withnbsp;the Congo. If only this supposition could be established bynbsp;actual experiment! it will then be clearly seen how desirablenbsp;it is for us to push forward to the great Lakes, and connectnbsp;our Mission with that which is now penetrating from thenbsp;East. Any way, we should not be slow in responding tonbsp;the call of such places as Yimaha. That the King of thatnbsp;place, unlike that of Idda, is not actuated by sordid motivesnbsp;in his request for Missionaries, is evident from the fact thatnbsp;trading factories are already established in his country.nbsp;The other journey made by Mr. Williams, was to Ipara,nbsp;far away over the mountain that flanks the town of Lokoja.

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He took, from choice, a long round-about route, which gave him a good general idea of the country, and thenbsp;opportunity of speaking the word of God as he went. Henbsp;was every where well received. As his report, or thenbsp;substance of it, will be sent to you by the Bishop, I neednbsp;not say anything more. The report contains the clearestnbsp;evidence of the intense desire of the inland people to hearnbsp;the Gospel of the grace of God.

Having spent four days at Lokoja, I had sufficient time to form an idea of the proficiency of the Mahommedansnbsp;there in Arabic. The result of my enquiries was that^theirnbsp;knowledge of Arabic was ridiculously meagre. If I exceptnbsp;one of the priests, I did not come across a single person withnbsp;any decent idea of reading. The priest I have alluded to hasnbsp;compiled a history of the Nupe Country, in Arabic, part ofnbsp;which he gave to the Bishop. I have not yet seen thenbsp;copy; when I do I shall try to make it out to see whethernbsp;it be of any literary value. There was a man with whom Inbsp;spoke Arabic, but he hailed from Waday, and his was anbsp;vulgar dialect spoken quite independently of Grammar.nbsp;However, I was able to make out his meaning. The fewnbsp;who attempted to read out of my Koran managed butnbsp;indifferently. Unless I made the beginning, they could notnbsp;open any where and go on by themselves. They professednbsp;to be unused to a printed copy, and said that their lack ofnbsp;fluency arose from the fact that mine was so. This was butnbsp;a lame excuse, for as a rule they recite the Koran memoriter,nbsp;and, therefore, if they had ever learnt it, it would have madenbsp;no difference to them whether a copy was manuscript ornbsp;printed. But I am bound to say on their behalf that thenbsp;Lokojans make no sort of pretension to book learning.nbsp;Their Mahommedanism is of a blind, imitative kind. Fromnbsp;what I could gather, many of them are convinced of the

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superior excellence of the Christian faith, but for the sake of worldly advantages, and with a view to stand well withnbsp;the masters of the country, they don the Moslem garb. Itnbsp;is a pleasing fact that many of them come to Church asnbsp;visitors.

Besides being situated at the junction of two rivers, Lokoja is also a confluence of languages. The Hausa,nbsp;Nupe, Bunu, Igara, and Igbira languages may be heardnbsp;any day in the streets. It is impossible to estimatenbsp;the amount of good which might be done by a strong bandnbsp;of devoted energetic Missionaries located in that place.nbsp;The town is the common resort of strangers from thenbsp;interior, and, through the blessing of God, such personsnbsp;might return to their country with the blessed seed ofnbsp;Gospel truth sown in their hearts. The result of twelvenbsp;years of labour may seem somewhat disappointing; but nonbsp;one can doubt that there is a bright future in store for thisnbsp;important Station.

Our next Station is Kipo Hill, on the left or east bank of the river, opposite to

EGAN—the great ivory market town, distant from Lokoja about ninety miles. In going up we could not donbsp;the whole distance in a day, owing to the strength of thenbsp;current; but on our return we glided smoothly down innbsp;seven-and-a-half hours. The country through which wenbsp;passed was beautifully diversified. The scenery in manynbsp;parts was bold, and rich table-lands extended as far as thenbsp;naked eye could discern. All the way from the Nun there isnbsp;nowhere a larger population. The houses at Egan are builtnbsp;with conical tops, and so near each other as to make younbsp;think, when at a distance, that there is no space betweennbsp;them. The number of inhabitants (exclusive of strangers)

I

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is variously estimated at from 8 to 10,000. As applied to Egan, that saying is true—“ distance lends enchantment tonbsp;view.” No one could look at the factories, with theirnbsp;galvanized iron sheet coverings—the steamers moorednbsp;beside the house of each firm,—and the river and creeksnbsp;covered with a countless number of canoes plying aboutnbsp;with articles of merchandise, or conveying passengers fromnbsp;one section of the island to the other, without congratulatingnbsp;himself that he was approaching a town with a higher typenbsp;^¦ of civilisation than he had yet met with since leaving thenbsp;Coast.

But, alas ! cultivating a closer acquaintance with Egan, you are reminded of another proverb, equally true—nbsp;“all that glitters is not gold.” There are no streets, butnbsp;narrow crooked lanes, some leading no where. Walkingnbsp;out with the Bishop on one occasion, we took by mistakenbsp;a wrong turning, and not until we were on the point ofnbsp;invading the sanctity of a private dwelling house, didnbsp;we know that we had left the right track. Refuse ofnbsp;all kinds is shot into the streets. Can you wonder,nbsp;then, that all the senses are offended at once whenevernbsp;you would take your walks abroad? It is wonderfulnbsp;that people could live and thrive in this fetid atmosphere ;nbsp;but such is the nature of habit, that after residing herenbsp;for a certain period of time, even those who werenbsp;originally born and bred in the purest atmosphere seemnbsp;utterly insensible of the malarious poison which floats aboutnbsp;them continually. I used to think that houses could hardlynbsp;be built ^more close to each other than they are in certainnbsp;. quarters of Lagos ; but the architects of Egan are far morenbsp;skilful and more economical of space. I believe that it isnbsp;possible to traverse the town by leaping from one house-topnbsp;to the other, but for the shape of the roofs. These are the

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physical drawbacks : but the merchant can risk anything— life itself—to make money. And he does make money atnbsp;Egan. The mercantile houses here make together severalnbsp;thousands of pounds annually, by their trade in ivory andnbsp;shea-butter. Who can say that that is not worth a consideration ? And it seems that the trade is capable of unlimitednbsp;development. Whereas at the beginning only five casks ofnbsp;shea-butter could be had at this market {teste Bishopnbsp;Crowther), now one Company alone can easily securenbsp;between 300 and 400 casks. Ivory traders have come fromnbsp;Adamawa and other places on the banks of the Binue.nbsp;Really, no one can tell what amount of trade will be carriednbsp;on when that river shall have been thrown open to thenbsp;commercial world.

While at Kipo Hill, I had the opportunity of making more than a merely distant acquaintance with Egan. Onnbsp;one occasion I crossed over to it for Divine Service.nbsp;The crews of three ships, besides Agents and othernbsp;servants on shore, composed the congregation, which was sonbsp;large that there was not sufficient accommodation for allnbsp;who would come. The Service was held on board thenbsp;“ Victoria.” The Rev. C. Paul read the prayers andnbsp;I preached. We were all plainly visible to the natives onnbsp;shore, who assembled in overwhelming numbers to see usnbsp;go through our religious exercises. The scene was annbsp;impressive one to them. I am quite sure that the moral effectnbsp;• must have been good,when they saw men like the Consul, andnbsp;the Captains of two of the ships, joining with us publicly innbsp;worshipping God. It must have been evident to them thatnbsp;our religion was not a mere device of the Missionaries, butnbsp;the acknowledged need of all of every race,—of merchantsnbsp;as well as high government officials. Mr. Paul remarkednbsp;to me, that formerly it was thought by the people that we

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were infidels, and that we only refrained from work from habit, and not because it was a day to be devoted to meditation and prayer. Their notions have undergone a modification since they found out that we could, and that we donbsp;worship God in a regular formal way. The idea ofnbsp;separating one day of the week as a day of rest from allnbsp;worldly employment, strikes the natives as being verynbsp;excellent, and though under no pressing obligation to do so,nbsp;they hasten to adopt it. Hence you will find, just as I did,nbsp;that the Mahommedan town of Egan is as quiet on Sundaysnbsp;as in most Christian countries. Business is for the mostnbsp;part suspended, and the huriy and bustle observable onnbsp;other days of the week is checked into order and stillnessnbsp;when Sunday comes round. Friday, the day of Assembly,nbsp;is less scrupulously observed than the Christian Sabbath.nbsp;Merchants and other business people scarcely know hownbsp;much indirect good they may be the means of doing, bynbsp;being consistent in their observance of the Sabbath, especiallynbsp;when they are amongst heathen and Mahommedans. Letnbsp;them not fail to recognize the sacred obligation of that day,nbsp;and one serious impediment in the way of the successfulnbsp;preaching of the Gospel to our benighted brethren will havenbsp;been removed.

KIPO HILL is our furthest Station up the River, and was granted to Bishop Crowther quite recently by thenbsp;King of Bida, after repeated importunities. Its elevationnbsp;causes it to be distinctly visible from a great distance.nbsp;We arrived here on the 8th September, and continued offnbsp;and on until the 6th October. Kipo is most pleasantlynbsp;situated. Only two years ago it was overrun with longnbsp;grass and thickets; but now it has become a desirablenbsp;habitation. Its elevation, and the fact of there being

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no villages at the back, ensure for it a pure atmosphere, and nothing hinders it from being made an excellent sanitarium. Over and over did I test its superiority over othernbsp;parts of the river as a place of residence. Egan enjoys thenbsp;unenviable reputation of being as hot as an oven. Scarcelynbsp;a whiff of air blows to cool your panting breath. But justnbsp;when you are so tormented with heat, go across to Kipo,nbsp;and you will there enjoy the delicious breeze that perpetuallynbsp;blows over it from the hills. The native village, from whichnbsp;the Hill derived its name, is about a quarter of a mile onnbsp;the east of it, and the market town of Kasa is a milenbsp;beyond that; so that we are almost, but not quitenbsp;solitary. But this is a wonderful country for villagesnbsp;and towns springing up with the rapidity of mushrooms. Since our occupation of Kipo Hill, the localnbsp;governor of Egan has made a most extensive farm on ournbsp;left, stocked with maize and other marketable products. Itnbsp;took the Bishop, Mr. Paul, and myself about half-an-hournbsp;to get from one end of the farm to the other; and I wasnbsp;told that before long we shall have large and flourishingnbsp;villages beside us. The truth is, that the people long fornbsp;protection, which, tinder the present system, they do notnbsp;enjoy; and they are gradually strengthening themselves innbsp;the belief that their safety largely depends upon theirnbsp;making themselves our friends and neighbours.

An interesting and pertinent illustration of this is to be found in the following story. I must premise that the wholenbsp;of the Nupe Country is considered as the personal propertynbsp;of the King, who is himself subject to the Sultan of Gondo.nbsp;The latter monarch, though politically independent of thenbsp;Sultan of Sokoto, yet yields him precedence, and offersnbsp;annual presents to him as the elder brother. It is thenbsp;custom to assign districts and provinces as mensal lands for

c

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the support of each of the children of the Sultans; and these Princes appoint officers over their possessions tonbsp;gather the taxes. Some of the officers are a rapacious set,nbsp;who grind down the people by exacting nearly as much againnbsp;as the princes may have chosen to impose. Wherever theirnbsp;Highnesses pass, they take away from the inhabitants theirnbsp;hard-earned property, so that their progress through anynbsp;district very much resembles the ruin caused by a plaguenbsp;of locusts. On such occasions they would never limitnbsp;themselves to the lands regularly made over to them, butnbsp;would settle down upon any that lie in their route, andnbsp;make the most exorbitant requisitions. Once, news camenbsp;that a son of one of the Sultans was going to Lokoja vianbsp;Kipo. The villagers in the neighbourhood were frightenednbsp;out of their wits. Some left their houses entirely and wentnbsp;to stay in the bush until this tyranny were overpast. Thenbsp;majority, however, brought their beds, cooking utensils,nbsp;cowries, and all their belongings to our Mission House fornbsp;safety,, and filled the parlour, bedrooms, piazzas, and garretnbsp;with their worldly goods and chattels. Mr. Paul was awaynbsp;from home, but had left word that the Prince should notnbsp;be 'allowed to enter the house, but that his wife was to sendnbsp;him handfuls of kola nuts, the usual token of welcome andnbsp;goodwill. In due time the Prince came, and Mrs. Paulnbsp;faithfully observed her husband’s directions. He was toonbsp;polite to take advantage of the absence of the master of thenbsp;house to force himself in, and so, after gazing about a fewnbsp;minutes and expressing his admiration of the house, henbsp;took his departure. The next thing heard of him was, thatnbsp;he had plundered a distant town of all the sheep, fowls,nbsp;goats, and corn, and compelled the unfortunate inhabitantsnbsp;to provide ever so many bags of cowries.

It is needless to say that the villagers to whom our

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premises proved such a refuge in a time of distress were profuse in their thanks, and when I saw them last theynbsp;were all settled at their homes in peace. When the man,nbsp;who is the governor of the villages, and who had beennbsp;absent with the King on a war expedition, heard of thenbsp;conduct of the An-nasaras (as we are commonly called) tonbsp;his people, he was full of joy, and is said to have remarkednbsp;that he never expected it of us,—and that those whom atnbsp;first they were not pleased to see in their country hadnbsp;turned out their best friends. I need not say that I wasnbsp;glad of the observation. Little incidents of this kind willnbsp;help to clear the confused vision of the people as to ournbsp;real character. By being punctual in observing the dutiesnbsp;of reciprocity and benevolence,—obligations which arenbsp;scarcely recognized by others in their dealings with them,—nbsp;we shall find a key to their hearts. Practically, thesenbsp;natives are hostile to us on account of our creed ; we need,nbsp;therefore, to be cautious and circumspect in our movements.nbsp;Having already obtained a footing, it will be difficult tonbsp;turn us out: we may, therefore, safely strengthen our holdnbsp;by buildings, and other evidences of a full possession. Therenbsp;being no large towns in the immediate vicinity of Kipo Hill,nbsp;is by no means a permanent drawback to its utility. I havenbsp;already stated my grounds for believing that in a short time itnbsp;will be the centre of flourishing towns and villages around it.nbsp;Besides, our aggressive movements require that we shouldnbsp;have such a place as this for a rendezvous. Evangelisticnbsp;tours can issue from it to Egan and other large towns onnbsp;the Kwotra branch, and return to it after a few weeks ornbsp;months, both for the purpose of enjoying a needful rest, andnbsp;of maturing fresh plans of attack on the strongholds of Satan.

Everything about Kipo has a commencing appearance. While we were there, the Bishop pointed out a very eligible

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plot of land, which will serve for the purposes of an Industrial Institution. It was being rapidly cleared whennbsp;we left, and a list of plants to be cultivated was given tonbsp;Mr. Paul, the Missionary in charge of the Station. I looknbsp;forward with a very sanguine hope to the future usefulnessnbsp;of this advanced post in our Mission.

BIDA, the present Capital of the Nupe Country, and residence of the King Umoru, was the utmost limit of ournbsp;northward journey.

Mr. J. Crowther, second son of the Bishop, and Agent General of the West African Company (Limited) very kindlynbsp;allowed us a passage in his steam launch to Wunangi, wherenbsp;we disembarked, and took the land journey to Bida.

We were detained at the former place, first by the lateness of our arrival there, and then by frequent andnbsp;heavy showers of rain. A messenger was despatched tonbsp;announce to the King our near approach to the capital, andnbsp;to request him to send horses for our party. That samenbsp;evening he forwarded to us a kettle of kola nuts as a tokennbsp;of welcome, and horses to convey us to Bida. But itnbsp;was impossible for us to set out that night, and, as I havenbsp;said, the next day was a rainy one. Evidently the Kingnbsp;did not rhink the rain a sufficient reason for our remainingnbsp;so long behind, for he sent horseman after horseman tonbsp;meet us; who, seeing nothing of us, came on to Wunangi.nbsp;Our number gradually increased, so that when we set outnbsp;we formed a cavalcade of 14 horsemen, accompanied by anbsp;large band of footmen. One of the messengers informednbsp;us that the King could not sleep all night, from the excitement occasioned by our arrival.

The road to Bida is by no means a bad one. Minus a little depression in one or two places, it is generally level.

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and a good tramway might be laid to the Capital from Wunangi, to facilitate the carriage of produce. We passednbsp;through fields of guinea corn. The land is rich, and thenbsp;eye could wander freely over a vast sweep of country untilnbsp;it rested upon rising hills at the distant horizon. The pedometer registered 8^ miles, and this distance we cleared innbsp;two hours. But for the wretched country saddle put uponnbsp;my horse, I should have enjoyed the ride both ways. As itnbsp;was, it was like doing penance, sitting upon that hard hornynbsp;substance, and no wonder that I felt the effects of the ride anbsp;long time afterwards.

We rode straight on to the King’s, accompanied by the Ndeji (lit. father of the country)—an officer that may benbsp;regarded as Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor rollednbsp;into one. We found the King sitting among his Chiefs,nbsp;Captains, and people of distinction, anxiously awaiting ournbsp;arrival. The welcome he gave to the Bishop and his son,nbsp;with whom he had been long acquainted, was extremelynbsp;hearty. Short of embracing them he showed a warmth andnbsp;genuineness of affection which was extraordinary, as comingnbsp;from one whose religion inculcates a by no means conciliatory spirit towards Christians. I was introduced, and thenbsp;King shook hands with me cordially, and then we werenbsp;ushered into the reception room. It was a large andnbsp;spacious rotunda, called in Nupe a Katamba, wherenbsp;business is usually transacted by the King. As soon as henbsp;was seated, he again saluted us, and expressed his greatnbsp;pleasure (which was very evident) at seeing us. Thoughnbsp;King Umoru could have conversed with us directly, yetnbsp;Court etiquette forbade his doing so. The Ndeji wasnbsp;commonly the medium of communication between him andnbsp;us. The Nupe, Hausa, Foulah, and Yoruba are equallynbsp;familiar to him, and he can express himself readily in each.

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He is a man somewhat above the middle stature, much inclined to obesity, of a very pleasing countenance, andnbsp;keen powers of observation. Unlike the former King (anbsp;description of whose acts puts one in mind so much of thatnbsp;infamous Pasha of Acre, surnamed A1 Jezzas, or the butcher),nbsp;Umoru is of a religious turn of mind, quiet in disposition,nbsp;and fonder of the arts of peace than those of war. Thenbsp;Bishop told him that good friends in England enquirednbsp;after ‘him, at which he was much pleased. We alludednbsp;cursorily to the Russo-Turkish war, and to the strongnbsp;hostile feelings at present existing between the two brothers,nbsp;Abeokuta and Ibadan.

The general reception over, we were conducted to our lodgings,—the Bishop and my self occupying one, and Mr.nbsp;Crowther and his assistant another. Before our arrival,nbsp;the King had caused a herd of bullocks to be driven to thenbsp;front of his palace, that he himself might have, he said,nbsp;the pleasure of pointing out the two which he hadnbsp;intended to give for our entertainment. Besides thenbsp;bullocks, the King sent us fowls, turkeys, yams, sheanbsp;butter, oil, mats, rice and other things, for our use whilenbsp;we remained his guests. Over and above all this,nbsp;every evening two large bowls of cooked provisions werenbsp;usually brought in. The quantity would have sufficed fornbsp;twenty-four persons, however hungry they might have been,nbsp;but we never could touch them owing to the peculiar mode thenbsp;Nupes have of preparing their dishes. No people are morenbsp;scrupulous in showing to strangers the rites of hospitality.nbsp;The house at our disposal was of similar constructionnbsp;to the King’s reception room, — only that it was ofnbsp;much smaller dimensions. A thoroughfare ran rightnbsp;through, and horse, sheep, and rude little urchins camenbsp;and went incessantly. After a little while it was found

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impossible for us to allow of such obtrusion into our privacy, and hence the Bishop requested the landlord to have thenbsp;animals taken elsewhere, and thus put a stop to the needlessnbsp;going to and fro of the children. The request was instantlynbsp;complied with, and we proceeded leisurely to arrangenbsp;everything to suit our convenience. We had hardly shakennbsp;down properly when an occurrence took place which set thenbsp;whole compound adjoining our lodging into a most franticnbsp;commotion. At first a subdued moan arrested my attention,nbsp;and I observed to the Bishop that something was wrongnbsp;with our neighbour's. I .had no sooner made the remarknbsp;than we were hastily called to the scene; and what wasnbsp;our astonishment to see our landlord, who, but a fewnbsp;minutes before, was arranging things for our comfort,nbsp;stretched helpless in the hands of his wives? He wasnbsp;suddenly seized with a fit of epilepsy. The Bishop orderednbsp;some hot water, took a piece of cloth and gave me another,nbsp;and we began to bathe the hands and feet of the patient, tonbsp;restore animation. In the mean time some one had gonenbsp;and prepared a drink of cayenne pepper, which was pourednbsp;down his throat, and the pungency of it made him turnnbsp;about a little. Still he was not restored to consciousness.nbsp;Not long after, a regular doctor came and took the case innbsp;hand. He went about it with the air of one who knew hisnbsp;business. When we next looked in, the sick man was sittingnbsp;up and expressing his thanks to those who had shown suchnbsp;anxiety on his behalf. His wives and children contributednbsp;not a little to increase the confusion that prevailed. Theynbsp;were uttering piercing shrieks and ejaculating prayers fornbsp;help to Mahommed. Had the man died, the weeping,nbsp;mourning and woe, could not have been more loudlynbsp;expressed. Poor souls ! no doubt they were being tormentednbsp;with apprehensions of what the future would bring to them

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should their worst fears be verified. But the Lord was merciful, and before many hours were over, their sorrownbsp;was succeeded by unbounded joy.

The day after our arrival was the time fixed for entering upon regular business. All the morning we waited innbsp;vain to be called. It was not until after 2 p.m., that is,nbsp;after the mid-day prayer, that a messenger came to say thatnbsp;we were wanted. Accompanied by the Ndeji we wentnbsp;direct to the reception room, where we met the King lookingnbsp;after trading affairs. Immediately all the men and womennbsp;present were ordered out of the room, and we were seated.nbsp;The usual preliminaries having been gone through, Mr.nbsp;J. Crowther began to address the King on the subject ofnbsp;trade, and after concluding, he produced a few pieces ofnbsp;cloth, extremely beautiful, which he offered to the King,nbsp;as the annual dash or present from the Firm which henbsp;represented. The cloth was very much admired. Itnbsp;was handled and viewed from different points, and therenbsp;was but one opinion entertained in regard to its wonderfulnbsp;texture. The King thanked him again and again, renewednbsp;his protestations of friendship, and expressed in hearty,nbsp;grateful terms his special obligations to Mr. Crowther fornbsp;certain help rendered him last year.

The Bishop followed, but before bringing out his presents, he introduced me in a formal speech, and told the King thenbsp;object of my visit to his country. He was informed that Inbsp;could read and speak the Arabic language,.—at which thenbsp;King was greatly surprised. When he was further told thatnbsp;in order to do this I was sent to the East, and that I visitednbsp;Egypt, and was two years in El Kuds (Jerusalem), morenbsp;surprise was expressed. But the climax was reached whennbsp;the Bishop said that I was a native of this part of Africa,nbsp;as my father came from Ilorin, where also my grandmother

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died last year. The King stared. It provoked a smile to see the marks of astonishment standing out in bold relief onnbsp;his ample brow. He seemed puzzled to understand whatnbsp;could have been my object in travelling so far to study thenbsp;Arabic, being a Christian. The Bishop gently insinuatednbsp;that it would be well if his co-religionists could try to makenbsp;themselves acquainted with our books, as we are trying tonbsp;learn theirs. He replied mechanically, “ Gaskia, gaskia,”nbsp;“true, true.” Seizing the opportunity I produced my copynbsp;of the Koran, which he took and examined. That it mightnbsp;serve my purpose, I had had it interleaved, and had madenbsp;my notes everywhere. The King wanted to know what mynbsp;writing meant, and I explained everything to him. Henbsp;requested the Bishop to stop his speech until he had sentnbsp;for a young man whom he attached to himself as being anbsp;good Arabic scholar. There being none to satisfy him atnbsp;Bida, he had requested his friend the Sultan of Kano tonbsp;send him this young man, who could always read Arabic tonbsp;and with him. He came, took up the copy of the Koran,nbsp;and read on without any hesitation. His reading was clear ;nbsp;his accents pure ; and intonation very pleasing. I complimented him with some Arabic phrases, and the King turnednbsp;round and asked in the same language whether I hadnbsp;understood the reading of his Chaplain; I replied in thenbsp;affirmative. He was very much pleased. As a specimennbsp;of my handwriting, I produced an extract from the Gospel ofnbsp;St. Luke, “ Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one Lord :nbsp;and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, amp;c.” The King readnbsp;the extract fluently and in a manner which convinced menbsp;that he understood its meaning. I was greatly impressednbsp;by what I perceived of his intellectual powers.

The Bishop then continued and ended his general remarks, and brought out one by one the presents which he had

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chosen for the King. A large arm-chair, made at Kipo Hill, by one of our carpenters, of the wood of the shea-butter tree, was the first present. The King had thoughtnbsp;that the chair was brought from England. He could hardlynbsp;credit the fact that it was made so very near his own door.nbsp;After that, half-a-dozen pieces of brick, burnt at the samenbsp;Kipo Hill, were also produced, and the Bishop tried tonbsp;show that it was possible for the King and his people to havenbsp;improved dwelling-houses if they wished, and also told himnbsp;that we should be quite ready to teach carpentry and brickmaking to any number of children that the King might sendnbsp;to our establishment. Before we left him he promised tonbsp;send three. The next thing brought out was a globe. Thenbsp;relative position of places was pointed out. Russia andnbsp;Turkey were shown, and the Bishop gave some informationnbsp;about fhe war between the two countries. The King saidnbsp;it was all true, and that it confirmed a report which he hadnbsp;received from the Sultan of Kano, who had heard particulars by the overland route. Last of all came twonbsp;splendid rolls of carpet, which exhausted the Bishop’s store.nbsp;I have no language to express the exquisite satisfactionnbsp;evinced by the King throughout the proceedings. Henbsp;listened intelligently to information, arid took in good partnbsp;whatever advices were given which were intended for thenbsp;good of his country. In this pleasant interview three hoursnbsp;sped away imperceptibly. But the interview was not carriednbsp;on with closed doors to the end. The most importantnbsp;things being said, those who had business with the Kingnbsp;were freely admitted. Some brought presents for thenbsp;entertainment of his strangers. Tributaries came with theirnbsp;accustomed offerings. Debtors brought payment for whatnbsp;was due, to each and all of whom the King gave audiencenbsp;while conversing with us. He transacts all business in

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propria persona, it matters not however humble; and he does all with ease and despatch.

I must now point out one or two dead flies in the ointment, that my account may not seem to have a partial and one-sided appearance. With all his enlightenment, thenbsp;King has not yet seen that it is for the advantage of hisnbsp;country that the cursed and degrading system of slaverynbsp;should be abolished; on the contrary, no one seems morenbsp;earnest in upholding the institution. While in the audiencenbsp;chamber, a poor man who could not pay a debt ofnbsp;2^ head cowries (5s.) offered instead a little slave boy. Thenbsp;King accepted the exchange with a smile. Himself pointednbsp;out to us a white horse for which he gave ten slaves, andnbsp;told us that that beauty and another, which I afterwardsnbsp;saw, were attended daily by fifty slave boys ! Slaves are anbsp;medium of exchange here like cowries. They are offerednbsp;for sale in the public markets daily. It is nauseating tonbsp;hear accounts of the miseries which these wretched beingsnbsp;suffer from the cruelties of their owners.

There was another thing which distressed me very much. The former King had a set of cannibals kept in the town,nbsp;who were used on special occasions as ministers of hisnbsp;vengeance. The present King retains them apparently fornbsp;the same reason. He told us that at a recent war in whichnbsp;he engaged by the special request of his suzerain ofnbsp;Gondo, he actually caught the King of the enemy withnbsp;his own hand. (By the way, this extraordinary feat hasnbsp;since raised him very high in the estimation of his subjectsnbsp;and near neighbours.) On the army returning home, thenbsp;King gave the unfortunate Chief to the head of the cannibals,nbsp;who with his companions devoured him greedily. We werenbsp;told that we might see the skull if we would, but none of usnbsp;showed any curiosity that way. Most sickening are the

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stories told of the habits of those wretched specimens of humanity—the cannibals. The Turkey buzzards, which arenbsp;so numerous at Bida, are not more fond of offal and carrionnbsp;than these human buzzards are of the flesh of incurables.nbsp;Lepers are not permitted by them to live ; like scavengersnbsp;they would pounce upon them and devour them with anbsp;gusto ! I was told that on one occasion they made anbsp;journey to Lokoja. No sooner did the news that they werenbsp;approaching become known than seventeen lepers crawlednbsp;away and effected their escape to the other side of the river,nbsp;and thus saved themselves from the horror of being killed andnbsp;eaten. While we were at Egan they got hold of an incurable,nbsp;and we could see them paddling away at a distance, and hearnbsp;them singing merrily and rejoicing at the prospect of thenbsp;good feed they were going to have. Why should I continuenbsp;any longer in this strain ? There is much to distress thenbsp;heart of a Christian man when he contemplates the darknbsp;deeds which are daily perpetrating in this dark corner ofnbsp;the earth.

I have dwelt long enough on Bida, and must therefore wind up my story. We had intended to have left the daynbsp;after the long interview with the King ; but he advised thenbsp;Bishop to delay a day longer, in order that we might takenbsp;occasion to visit four of the principal chiefs, who are allnbsp;nearly related to the late King Masaba. The day came,nbsp;and we went the round of the four authorities, who receivednbsp;us more or less cordially. When the time came for us tonbsp;depart, the King could not be seen early. It was not untilnbsp;lo o’clock that we were invited to the Palace. He had nonbsp;mind to let his guests go away so soon, and so he went onnbsp;spinning long yarns on the same topics, till we were fairlynbsp;wearied out. He offered to accompany us by the way, butnbsp;this offer the Bishop declined, as it would have involved

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further tedious delays. In fine, instead of getting to Wunangi at 9 or 10 a.m., as we had hoped to do, we didnbsp;not arrive there until 3 p.m., when it was j_altogether toonbsp;late to embark in the steam launch for Egan.

Bida is a very large town, but the population is rather sparse. It is not remarkable for its neat and well-keptnbsp;appearance, for grass grows everywhere, and large pits andnbsp;ditches are left uncovered. Not unfrequently, as I learnt,nbsp;fatal accidents have taken place, owing to this culpablenbsp;neglect of leaving the pits open. The blind, in their hastenbsp;to get out of the way of the tramping of horses, have oftennbsp;dropped in, and there ended their cares. The people allnbsp;seemed hard-worked, as in all countries where everythingnbsp;is performed by slaves. The state of things will not lastnbsp;long, let us hope. I look to Christianity and civilisation tonbsp;repair the broken fabric of society, and to impart theirnbsp;peculiar and special blessings to the thousands who arenbsp;thirsting after them.

Before we left, the Bishop prepared the King for a visit from the British Consul, who was said to be on his way tonbsp;Bida. On reaching Egan again, we found the Consul hadnbsp;already arrived there. He was the bearer of some costlynbsp;presents from the Home Government to the King, for thenbsp;protection which he had afforded to the lives and propertynbsp;of British subjects carrying on trade within his dominions.nbsp;There is nothing that the King prizes so much as friendshipnbsp;with the English. We are thankful for this disposition innbsp;him, and hope that nothing will happen to mar the goodnbsp;understanding at present existing. It is said that a gunboatnbsp;will ascend the river regularly every year, with a view tonbsp;keep it open for free navigation. Annual visits will alsonbsp;be paid by a Consul. Might not the Society use itsnbsp;influence to prevail upon the Government to re-establish

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a Consulate at Lokoja? I am of opinion that, considering the rapid growth of commerce, and the steady influx ofnbsp;British subjects in the river, such a step is more desirablenbsp;now than at any previous time. Six steamers are nownbsp;plying backwards and forwards every year. I understandnbsp;that two new Companies with two or three steamers willnbsp;open trade next year. The Binue will soon receive a duenbsp;share of attention. This being so, I conceive that Britishnbsp;interests here are of a substantial kind, and that they neednbsp;being well looked after.

One other evil the presence of a Consul will tend to eradicate. I am ashamed to say that many in the Nigernbsp;have grown so bold as to be carrying on the odious trafficnbsp;of slave dealing. Under cover of the word “ ransom,” theynbsp;unblushingly pursue that nefarious system from which theirnbsp;fathers and mothers, and in some cases themselves, hadnbsp;suffered so cruelly before they were providentially rescuednbsp;by British ships and landed at Sierra Leone. Their so.nbsp;called “ransomed” ones are by no means free to stop ornbsp;go as they please, but are treated not one whit differentnbsp;from domestic slaves—let me say like goods and chattels—nbsp;for when the whim takes possession of their owners theynbsp;would sell their victims as coolly as if they were bargainingnbsp;for palm oil or shea-butter. The Consul took away fromnbsp;Lokoja, and sent down for trial to Lagos, a Sierra Leonenbsp;young man who was said to have been deeply compromisednbsp;in that foul practice. He sent him down hand-cuffed, andnbsp;one of the victims of his unrighteous traffic was also sent asnbsp;an evidence against him. If he is convicted of the offence,nbsp;it is said that he will be safe for fourteen years’ imprisonment.nbsp;A striking example is wanted to frighten others, who arenbsp;equally guilty—perhaps more so. A few names of notoriousnbsp;offenders in this line were supplied to the Consul; but he;

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could not bring the parties to book, as those who knew were afraid of giving public evidence. That men whosenbsp;relations and friends have been rescued from the iron fangsnbsp;of that “ accursed thing ” should yet be found practisingnbsp;the same themselves, is one of those strange developmentsnbsp;which make one feel quite “ashamed of his own species.”

THE COAST STATIONS.

The inspection of the lower Stations of Brass, Bonny, and New Calabar, concluded our tour; and having madenbsp;brief observations upon each of them I shall close mynbsp;remarks on this interesting visit.

BRASS. —We arrived at Brass on the 31st of October. The hand of civilisation was plainly visible in the superiornbsp;buildings put up by the European merchants along thenbsp;river. The front view of our Station appeared, at a distance,nbsp;most charming, and I can testify that a nearer inspectionnbsp;did not deprive it of much of its real beauty. I was pleasednbsp;to see every thing trim and neat. A dense impenetrablenbsp;bush formed a pleasing background to this picture ofnbsp;neatness and order. I was greatly struck with the advancednbsp;character of everything about the Station, the comparativelynbsp;short time that has passed since work was commencednbsp;there being considered.

In the year 1867, Bishop Crowther met with King Ockiya at the Nun. The King hailed the “ God man,”nbsp;and begged of him to come to his country to establishnbsp;Schools, and do for his people what was being done fornbsp;Bonny. “Assuredly gathering that the Lord was callingnbsp;him ” to work in Brass, the Bishop hastened to that place,nbsp;where he was soon joined by the King. It did not occupy

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a long time in making arrangements and fixing upon a suitable site for the new Station; and the following yearnbsp;saw the work actually begun. The Lord greatly assistednbsp;His servants, so that in less than three years the work hadnbsp;assumed such a decidedly aggressive attitude as to alarmnbsp;the Juju priests, and make them tremble for their ownnbsp;reputation and their future means of subsistence. Aboutnbsp;this time a Chief was won over to the cause, and alsonbsp;several young men from the influential families in thenbsp;country; and when the priests saw that the interests of thenbsp;gods were being neglected, they felt that the strangenbsp;religion should be at once crushed. Smallpox havingnbsp;broken out in the year 1871, the cause was traced to thenbsp;introduction of the new religion into the country, and so anbsp;violent persecution was set on foot at the instance of thenbsp;crafty priests. The lives of the converts were exposed tonbsp;the utmost danger. The Chief above alluded to wasnbsp;obliged to run away stealthily from Brass town, leaving hisnbsp;family and property behind him, when he was apprised thatnbsp;a Council had been held to murder him. One of thenbsp;converts was tied so cruelly that the cord made a deepnbsp;indent into his flesh. In this manner he was dragged tonbsp;the place of sacrifice, and frightened with a drawn sword;nbsp;but his faith stood firm and unshaken, and his persecutorsnbsp;were foiled in their purpose to induce recantation. Powerlessnbsp;to stem the torrent of popular passions, the King couldnbsp;afford no protection to those w'hom he himself had invitednbsp;to the country; but, thank God ! he would not encouragenbsp;the persecuting zeal of his subjects. Feelings ran high, andnbsp;matters came to such a pass that the resident Teacher,nbsp;Mr. (now Rev.) T. Johnson, found it prudent to follow thenbsp;advice given to him to betake himself to the shipping fornbsp;a time; as his house was threatened to be burnt over him.

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and his life was otherwise in the greatest danger. But in the midst of all this excitement he did not cease to gonbsp;among the converts to encourage by his presence andnbsp;advice those whose faith was undergoing such a severenbsp;trial. At length the fiery storm blew over, but only tonbsp;revive in a fitful blaze in 1874. However, its force wasnbsp;spent, and it soon died out, and in all human probabilitynbsp;will never be revived again.

Now, what is the result of nine years of unremitting labour at Brass ? The Church has been enlarged once. Onnbsp;Sunday, November 4th, there were no less than 480 personsnbsp;present at the morning service (including six Europeans),nbsp;and in the evening, notwithstanding a drenching shower,nbsp;there were as many as 226. The next day being the firstnbsp;Monday in the month, the usual Prayer Meeting was held,nbsp;when the Church was nearly half filled. I had thought thatnbsp;being held at a busy time of the day, (10.30 a.m.), thenbsp;attendance at the Prayer Meeting would have been small;nbsp;but I was agreeably surprised to see a great many men andnbsp;women present. The King and some of his Chiefs residingnbsp;at the Village of Tuwon were present at both the-servicesnbsp;and the meeting. It was most edifying to see them, listeningnbsp;to the Gospel of our salvation. The next day, (November 6th)nbsp;saw the Church once more filled. A Confirmation Servicenbsp;was held, and the Bishop administered the holy rite tonbsp;fifty-eight persons. Those three days—Sunday, Monday,nbsp;and Tuesday—were among the happiest I spent in my tripnbsp;to the Niger Mission. In no other place did I observenbsp;such a striking exhibition of the mighty power of the Gospel.nbsp;I am sure that you will soon hear that the present Church,nbsp;though recently enlarged, is becoming too strait for thenbsp;worshippers. On the Sunday I have already referred to, itnbsp;was almost full to its utmost capacity.

D

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More good news. King Ockiya has now asked for a Teacher for Nembe, his capital, which is about thirty milesnbsp;from the Coast. Thus the work is gradually extending,nbsp;under the auspices of the King himself, and the influentialnbsp;men of the country. The influence of the'heathen priestsnbsp;has collapsed ignominiously. To show with what contemptnbsp;the gods are now treated, it will suffice to say that woodnbsp;is cut and carried away from the sacred grove, atnbsp;which formerly the people would not venture even tonbsp;look, on account of its reputed sanctity. Social customsnbsp;which offend against decency and morality are beingnbsp;abolished by the natives, of their own accord. Besides,nbsp;they are advancing as rapidly in material prosperitynbsp;as in their knowledge of Divine things. On Saturday,nbsp;the 3rd November, we, that is the Bishop, Rev. Thomasnbsp;Johnson, and myself, visited the village of Tuwon, about anbsp;mile distant from the Mission Compound. I could scarcelynbsp;believe what my eyes saw in the house of one of the Chiefs,nbsp;Samuel Sambo. Very few houses are better furnishednbsp;either at Sierra Leone or Lagos. The most cultivated tastenbsp;will admit the house to be a splendid one. Much moneynbsp;has been laid out in pictures, time-pieces, carpets, and everynbsp;luxury that may be considered indispensable in the residencenbsp;of a rich civilized gentleman. He has 300 dependents,nbsp;and through them is accumulating a great amount ofnbsp;substantial wealth. We were taken to every apartment innbsp;the house ; but there was one room, simply furnished, whichnbsp;gave me the most interest. There was a table, and a greatnbsp;number of forms. That was no other than the prayer room,nbsp;where, morning and evening, the good Chief assembles hisnbsp;vast household for their devotions. Nine short years agonbsp;this man was full of the superstition which reigned in thenbsp;country. I will not venture to say that, being of a tribe

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that practised cannibalism, he has never tasted human flesh. Nine years ago he venerated Juju superstition as devoutly asnbsp;did his meanest slave; but now, he is another man—anbsp;Christian,—and is emulating the practices of his brethrennbsp;in Christ throughout the world. Once, and that not longnbsp;ago, he was ignorant of the saving truths of Christianity,nbsp;and was as poor in worldly goods as in his spiritual health ;nbsp;but now his outward and inward conditions have alterednbsp;most materially. “ Verily, the Lord hath done great things,nbsp;whereof we rejoice.” I look forward, with an assurednbsp;hope, to the future, for still greater triumphs of the Gospelnbsp;among the tribes in this part of Africa. In countries likenbsp;Brass, you can readily understand that the slaves and lowernbsp;orders of the people dare not entertain an independentnbsp;opinion of their own, or if they do, to express it in the facenbsp;of opposition from the King and Chiefs. Exceptions therenbsp;may be, and often are; but, as a rule, slaves are timid innbsp;their disposition, every particle of manliness of spiritnbsp;having been squeezed out of them by their oppressivenbsp;masters. But these masters themselves having embracednbsp;the Gospel, and the fear of detection and consequentnbsp;punishment in the case of slaves doing the same havingnbsp;been removed, it requires no prophetic spirit to foretell thatnbsp;not many years hence multitudes will become faithfulnbsp;adherents of Christianity out of the surrounding tribes, andnbsp;that the Brass people will themselves become the heraldsnbsp;of the Gospel. It is no news to you that one of the Chiefsnbsp;has presented the Church with an oak pulpit of the value ofnbsp;^38,—that another gave a reading desk of the value ofnbsp;153. ; and that another has given two chairs for thenbsp;accommodation of those officiating within the Communionnbsp;rails, besides a sweet toned church bell.

The prosperity of this Station is not of a superficial or

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ephemeral character ; there is substance in it, and such as, with God’s blessing, will continually expand and becomenbsp;wide-spread. My heart has again and again ascended tonbsp;heaven, in gratitude to God, for the glorious results whichnbsp;have followed the establishment of the Station of Brass.

Having got into Brass river it was not easy to get out again. The steamers run irregularly. The business ofnbsp;inspection was over on the 6th of November, but we couldnbsp;not leave, much as we wished to, until the afternoon of thenbsp;14th. Bonny should have been our next stage, but thenbsp;Captain of the steamer in which we took passage shapednbsp;his course according to his chances of obtaining cargo innbsp;any particular place. He steered for Opobo, a town at thenbsp;mouth of one of the oil rivers. By the strange bunglingnbsp;of some one we were taken past the place in the night, andnbsp;it was not until the grey dawn of day revealed to us the outlines of the Cameroon mountains, that it was perceived thatnbsp;we had shot past the mark. The vessel Was immediately putnbsp;to the right about, and we came back, after three or fournbsp;hours, to Opobo. Here we stayed all day and all night, thenbsp;Captain looking up some palm oil. Tire next day henbsp;steered for New Calabar, and as that was one of thenbsp;remaining Stations to be visited, the Bishop concluded tonbsp;land and perform his business there at once, and reserve tonbsp;be last visited that which would have been the first, had allnbsp;other things been equal.

NEW CALABAR.—We arrived here at ii a.m. on Friday, the 17th November. The Station is built entirelynbsp;by itself, as the swampy nature of the soil prevented ournbsp;having a dry footing in the town, which is about nine milesnbsp;off by water. But as regards the natives, the distance isnbsp;by no means formidable, and does not act as a deterrent

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against their coming to us. As a matter of fact they make nothing of it, for they come nearly every day to the shipping,nbsp;which is hut half an hour from us.

Work was begun here only in 1874, and, therefore, there are not many of those peculiarly interesting details about itnbsp;which may be found in Brass.

The chief feature is the Boarding School, which has been established on the self-supporting principle. It has been innbsp;existence nearly three years, and very encouraging are thenbsp;results in that short space of time. Soon after our arrival,nbsp;the Bishop ordered letters to be sent to the town, invitingnbsp;the King and Chiefs to an examination of the School, onnbsp;Tuesday, the 20th. The letters were received, but theynbsp;were not opened. As soon as they learnt verbally from thenbsp;messenger that the Bishop had come, and that, accordingnbsp;to custom, an examination would take place, without sendingnbsp;a messenger to apprise us of their intention, on Monday wenbsp;saw them all coming in their gigs with streamers flying, andnbsp;their canoe-boys keeping time with their paddles to music ofnbsp;their own composing. When they arrived, they said thatnbsp;they had come to see the examination, and to have a goodnbsp;dinner after. There was no help for it, orders were givennbsp;that the children should be got ready, and at 11.30 o’clocknbsp;the examination was begun. King Amachree and eight ofnbsp;his Chiefs were present. I need not enter into the detailsnbsp;of this examination, which bore the same likeness with thosenbsp;of a similar kind which have been held elsewhere. I cannot,nbsp;however, refrain from expressing my profound astonishmentnbsp;at the progress made by the children. They were examinednbsp;in reading, writing, arithmetic, amp;c., and the result reflectednbsp;much credit on themselves and their teachers. The seniornbsp;boys were told to write letters on their slates, while thenbsp;other classes were being examined. It was amusing to hear

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how some of them expressed themselves. Some were very original. Others preached pointed sermons to the Chiefsnbsp;present, on the evil of worshipping the Juju, and refusing tonbsp;receive the Gospel. The Chiefs merely smiled, and saidnbsp;nothing.

There are 41 children, each of whom is supposed to be paid for by his guardian. Unfortunately, many of thesenbsp;guardians have been shockingly remiss in their duty, andnbsp;the Bishop found it necessary to expose them to the censurenbsp;of the rest. They had once complained that the fee of onenbsp;puncheon of palm oil (valued at J12 sterling) was toonbsp;much, trade being very dull; and so it was reduced to halfnbsp;a puncheon, ornbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;But notwithstanding this liberal

reduction, many of them had not paid for two years—the chief offender being King Amachree himself, who hadnbsp;recourse to many subterfuges in order to evade payment.nbsp;Being fairly caught now, he was ashamed of himself, andnbsp;there and then promised to pay his seven puncheons (thenbsp;remainder of his share of payment for the founding of thenbsp;Mission) the next day. He was wise. The Chiefs hadnbsp;determined to come down upon him for thus disgracing thenbsp;country by his conduct. The King having paid, it was easynbsp;to deal summarily with the ordinary delinquents. At anbsp;Council held three days after, a law was passed that thenbsp;24 puncheons due shall be paid within as many days. Thenbsp;penalty of non-payment was heavy ; the obstinate debtornbsp;was to be debarred from trade. His canoes were not to benbsp;permitted to go to the oil market, or come down to thenbsp;shipping, and himself was to be deprived of the privilege ofnbsp;taking breakfast on board with the Supercargoes. (Thenbsp;latter is considered a very severe punishment.) I am happynbsp;to say, that from letters since received by the Bishop fromnbsp;Mr. Carew, payment is being made as rapidly as possible.

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and in a short time I believe all will have paid theii?-dues.

Of the 41 children on the roll, only three are girls. The natives could not see the smallest necessity for educatingnbsp;girls. It will take some time before the notion which theynbsp;entertain on the subject is exploded. There was a Chief,nbsp;however, who promised in my presence to send a girl innbsp;place of a boy already in School on the ground that “ thenbsp;fee for a womati-hay was not so great as that for a man-ha^.''’nbsp;(They have no word for either “ girl ” or “ sister ” in theirnbsp;language, so that the expression above is a literal renderingnbsp;from his vernacular dialect.)

There was another thing I observed which looked very stupid and absurd. Not more than six or eight of thenbsp;children were free born. The Chiefs would send theirnbsp;slaves rather than their own children,—as if education werenbsp;such a degrading thing that none but slaves might partakenbsp;of its benefits. This used to be the case at Lagos formerly^nbsp;as Bishop Crowther says; it is only of late that thenbsp;absurdity, as well as mischief, of the notion has beennbsp;perceived, and heathen parents and guardians are nownbsp;regretting their past folly and ignorance.

The boys are being trained in correct style. The teachers are taking care that the inculcation of intellectual andnbsp;civilised habits shall not render them weak and useless.nbsp;They can cut down bushes, hoe the ground, and handlenbsp;their paddles with the same earnest purpose as they manifestnbsp;in their studies.

On Wednesday, the 21st November, we paid a visit to the supercargoes on the river, in seven hulks, and enjoyednbsp;a friendly interview with them. It is a pleasure to speaknbsp;of them as a very nice body of men, kind and liberal, andnbsp;not gifted with that narrowness of mind which is the fruitful

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-«ource of all kinds of prejudice. Their intercourse with the Rev. W. E. Carew, the Missionary in charge of the Newnbsp;Calabar Station, than whom none is more frank and straightforward in his manner, is of the most friendly character;nbsp;and, unless hindered by circumstances, they are alwaysnbsp;regular in attending the Sunday Services.

We spent a day at New Calabar town. Leaving the Mission House at 3.30 a.m. on Thursday, the 22nd, we-were carried on by the tide, and landed at 5.30 a.m. Chiefnbsp;West Indy, at whose house we lodged, is a man who affectsnbsp;the English style, both in his dress and in the furnishing ofnbsp;his house. His is such a house as I have described that ofnbsp;Sambo, of Brass, to be. Even the King does not boast ofnbsp;such a comfortable residence; and the best part of thenbsp;matter is that he did it all himself, with the aid of his boys,nbsp;and never employed a professional carpenter or builder.nbsp;Whenever Europeans go to the town. West Indy’s house isnbsp;always their place of common resort.

New Calabar is a most filthy place. It looks much like a fever-breeding den, with its surroundings of mangrove andnbsp;swamp. The streets are so covered with mud and waternbsp;that you do not know where to set your foot. They arenbsp;even narrower than those at Egan. Houses may be seennbsp;falling on their sides on either side of the road, and kissingnbsp;each other in the middle ; and if you must needs get to thenbsp;other side of the road, you have no alternative but to crawlnbsp;under as well as you can. The -premises of the King andnbsp;Chiefs are well filled up, dry, and comfortable; but they sonbsp;love their town that not pne of them cares to clean a yardnbsp;beyond his own door !nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;'

We were paddled to the town by sixteen of the boarders ; and as they all came from New Calabar, no sooner wasnbsp;permission granted to them, than they were scattered all

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over the place, enjoying themselves. Each one spoke of • going to see his “ father ” or his “ mother,” and they lookednbsp;quite pleased to have a few minutes at home. And I mustnbsp;say that, generally, their “ mothers ” received them kindly,nbsp;and treated them as if they had been their own children;nbsp;for they gave, them food to eat, and in going away loadednbsp;them with yams, corn, and other edibles.

I could not help being drawn out in soul towards these poor slave boys, who, in the spirit of true philosophy, havenbsp;fallen in with the conditions of the situation in which theynbsp;have found themselves, and made the best of them. Theirnbsp;real fathers and mothers have no doubt been killed in slavehunting wars, or sold elsewhere; and the children now callnbsp;“ mothers ” those who shaved their heads when they werenbsp;first brought down as slaves. I allow that their treatmentnbsp;is often good and gentle, but this is only during goodnbsp;behaviour. And what are they but slaves ? And who cannbsp;ever love a slave as he does his own child ? I learnt that,nbsp;should any of them commit an offence, he is immediatelynbsp;put in irons; and for the second offence, he is liable to benbsp;sold to the cannibal tribes, who make savoury dishes of him.nbsp;My language in speaking of slavery can never be apologetic,nbsp;let the form which it assumes be ever so mild. I have nonbsp;patience with those who, being themselves free, would scruplenbsp;not to hide the system under a heap of mitigating pleas, asnbsp;if it were not a thing which deserves reprobation and totalnbsp;execration. You will often hear,—“ Well, the masters arenbsp;kind and good to them, and value them highly,” amp;c. Notnbsp;a doubt of it. They take pleasure in them just as I do innbsp;my nice breed of poultry, or cattle, or any other thing fromnbsp;which I derive my wealth. No, liberty is the birthright ofnbsp;every man, and no treatment can reconcile me to the ideanbsp;of being deprived of my freedom. What is it that has

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degraded the people of Africa so that efforts to elevate them have beeti all but unavailing ? It is the state of servitudenbsp;in which they have been for three centuries. But I ferventlynbsp;trust the day of redemption draweth nigh.

To wind up my account of New Calabar. For an indefinite number of years past the natives have been in thenbsp;closest contact with Europeans ; first, during the slave tradenbsp;period, and then since legitimate commerce has supersedednbsp;it; but notwithstanding, they have professed and practisednbsp;Jujuism most zealously until now. They themselves havenbsp;openly confessed that their country is becoming different bynbsp;Missionaries living there. The leaven is working silently,nbsp;and faith in the gods is much shaken. We went to thenbsp;town on what is called a Calabar Sunday—(their weeknbsp;consists of eight days)—when nothing was done but eating,nbsp;drinking, dancing, and sacrificing to Juju. We called at thenbsp;grand Juju temple, and the Juju king, as well as its priest,nbsp;came to us. They looked confused as those Avho are caughtnbsp;perpetrating an unlawful act. A figure-head, dressed up,nbsp;answered for the deity. The Bishop asked them whethernbsp;they thought that the Liverpool merchants would havenbsp;permitted them to have that figure-head if it had really beennbsp;a god that could have done good to themselves ? Theynbsp;smiled and replied “ No !” There are a great many of whomnbsp;I heard, who though they have not yet openly professednbsp;themselves Christians, are yet so indifferent about theirnbsp;country’s gods that they are never to be found in a Jujunbsp;temple. All power belongs to God, -and I believe He isnbsp;quietly causing all things to conspire towards the universalnbsp;reception of the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christnbsp;by the heathen tribes in this part of Africa.

On the 24th (Saturday) we left for

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BONNY, where we arrived at lo o’clock in the forenoon. This was the last Station visited. The steamers which I saw lying inside of the river, and the many hulksnbsp;also, were evidences to me of the importance of Bonny asnbsp;a trading port. Large vessels can come in without difficulty,nbsp;as the mouth of the river is deep and more easy of navigation than either the Brass or New Calabar or Opobo rivers.

Bonny would have been one of the most flourishing of our Stations, if not the first of them all, but for the fierynbsp;persecution which has been raging these three years.¹ Instead

1

The Bonny Mission has a chequered history. It was founded in consequence of a letter from King Pepple (the present king’s father)»nbsp;who had visited England and embraced Christianity, to the Bishop ofnbsp;London, in 1864. Bishop Crowther forthwith visited the place, and innbsp;the following year a school was opened; the “Juju’’-worship rapidlynbsp;fell into disfavour, and in 1867 the lizard-gods were publiclynbsp;destroyed. Two churches were subsequently built, one for the nativenbsp;converts, and the other for the English-speaking (though mostlynbsp;coloured) traders and super-cargoes. The Juju priests, however, couldnbsp;not surrender their power without a struggle ; and in consequence of anbsp;crowded service at the native church on Christmas Day, 1873, theynbsp;persuaded the chiefs to issue a decree forbidding their slaves, fromnbsp;among whom the converts had mostly been made, to attend church.nbsp;For the last three years the persecution has been continued, notwithstanding the expostulations of the Bishop, and the friendliness of Kingnbsp;George Pepple, whose power is only nominal. One convert wasnbsp;cruelly murdered in November, 1875, and others were confined and halfnbsp;starved for many months. (See Church 'Missionary Gleaner, August,nbsp;1876, and July, 1877.) Another, as Mr. Johnson relates above, hasnbsp;recently been starved to death, and of this case the Rev. Dandesonnbsp;Crowther writes :—“ Another convert, I regret to say, has—as recentlynbsp;as the 25th of October—sealed the faith by being starved to death. Hisnbsp;name is Asenibiega (==‘ I cannot make any progress ’), belonging tonbsp;the same house and master as the late Joshua Hart. From the reliablenbsp;account that reached us, it is said that a sacrifice was made to propitiatenbsp;the gods on behalf of two canoes about to set out to the markets to

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of abating, the storm seems to be gathering force; but the edicts that have been issued this year have made thenbsp;prospect more gloomy than ever. At first, the unrelentingnbsp;persecutors were satisfied with merely imposing fines, ornbsp;imprisonment, or both ; but finding that these punishmentsnbsp;have failed of their intended effect, they threatened deathnbsp;to any convert that is seen going to Church. Spies are putnbsp;in different places to see who would dare to break the law.nbsp;But the poor converts often evade them successfully, fornbsp;they will leave home long before service time and hidenbsp;themselves in the bush. As the first bell rings the spy comesnbsp;and takes his position where he can see all the churchgoers. The second bell being rung, and the service havingnbsp;proceeded awhile, on seeing no convert, the spy returnsnbsp;home; then all those who have been hiding themselvesnbsp;will come forth and enter the church, perhaps while thenbsp;hymn before the sermon is being sung.

Quite recently, as Mr. Crowther told me, a convertèd slave was tied and sent to the plantations. The masternbsp;bring down oil. The convert was asked to partake of the sacrificesnbsp;cooked and shared among those who were to be the pullers in thenbsp;canoes. He took it, but would not eat, on the ground that he was anbsp;Christian. They persisted on his eating his portion, and refusing, wasnbsp;brought before his master the chief. On being asked why he wouldnbsp;not partake of the portion of sacrifice given him, the simple answer wasnbsp;given thus :—*My master, I am on God’s side ; therefore I cannot eatnbsp;things offered to idols. ’ This was enough. He was instantly orderednbsp;to be bound, and taken to the plantations called Minima, four milesnbsp;from Bonny, out of sight and hearing, and the keepers received strictnbsp;orders not to give him a morsel of food or a drop of water. This cruelnbsp;act was kept so secretly, that our first intimation of it was when thenbsp;death was heard of and reported to us, which took place six days afternbsp;the imprisonment. Thus another martyr at Bonny has been enrollednbsp;among the band of the noble army who are now praising God, in thenbsp;person of Asenibiega Hart.’’

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gave strict orders that not a morsel should be given him to eat. The order was but too faithfully obeyed, and the mannbsp;was starved to death, but so constant was his faith that upnbsp;to the very last he refused to eat the sacrifice offered tonbsp;Juju, and astonished all who went near him by his calmnessnbsp;and willingness to die.

Sometimes when their slaves are found to have imbibed the principles of the new religion, the Chiefs would sendnbsp;them right away into the interior of the oil markets, andnbsp;keep them there for several months together; but after anbsp;time report would come down that these slaves have beennbsp;holding meetings among themselves, and even getting thenbsp;natives to attend them. On Sunday, asth November, 1nbsp;saw, after the evening service, a young man who had beennbsp;kept in the plantations for twenty-one months—in chains fornbsp;the best part of that time. He was only permitted to comenbsp;down a day or two before, but on Sunday he braved allnbsp;chances of detection and came to church. Illustrativenbsp;anecdotes of unflinching courage under the severest trialsnbsp;for the sake of the religion of the Lord Jesus are numerous,nbsp;but I leave them to be related by the Agents who havenbsp;witnessed them.

For a long time now St. Stephen’s Church has been empty of the usual congregation, though last Christmasnbsp;over 300 members and adherents were present there. Butnbsp;in spite of their being defeated in every point but that ofnbsp;might, the Chiefs persist in their obstinate refusal to allownbsp;liberty of conscience. They would not rescind their cruelnbsp;edicts, and proclaim universal toleration—leaving it tonbsp;“ Baal ” to hold his own against Christianity, if he can. Innbsp;the case of the one Chief especially—^the severest of all—nbsp;more converts have been made from his house, and morenbsp;baptized, than from any other \ but he would not be con-

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vinced of the futility of all his efforts against our religion. I trust that the prayers of good Christians will be morenbsp;earnest than ever on behalf of the suffering converts ofnbsp;Bonny, that God would grant them relief from the oppression under which they are groaning, and that they may benbsp;permitted to serve their Heavenly Master without any letnbsp;or hindrance.

One good thing the Chiefs have done,—unintentionally, I am inclined to think, for they scarcely know the full consequence of the act,—they have willingly sent their childrennbsp;to school, and about forty of them are now under instruction.nbsp;The Boarding School here is being carried on on the samenbsp;principles as that of New Calabar, but with this strikingnbsp;difference, however—whereas at New Calabar the majoritynbsp;of the scholars are slaves, at Bonny they are all free-born.

Mr. Crowther officiates every Sunday morning at St. Clement’s, a pretty little Chapel built by and at the entirenbsp;expense of the Supercargoes. Both the Bishop and myselfnbsp;preached there on two successive Sundays to attentivenbsp;congregations.

On Tuesday, the 27th, a platform Meeting was held there, the first of the kind at Bonny, when the Bishop gavenbsp;a hasty sketch of the growth and progress of the Nigernbsp;Mission; and I followed with a lecture on Jerusalem.nbsp;About J 3 was collected after the Meeting, and all appearednbsp;perfectly delighted with its success. Nine Europeans werenbsp;present, the rest being natives of Bonny, Sierra Leone, Lagos,nbsp;amp;c. A School-room is being built adjoining the Chapel,nbsp;and a house for the accommodation of a Minister. Thenbsp;European gentlemen on the river would have their Krobnbsp;boys, and pantry boys, and others connected w'ith themnbsp;educated. The influence which these gentlemen arenbsp;exercising here has been of a most salutary kind. They

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have done much, directly and indirectly, to strengthen the hands of the Agents of the Mission, and their intercourse with them has been characterised by unvaryingnbsp;courtesy and kindness.

In striking contrast to them are the native Chiefs, who have been throwing all sorts of obstacles in our way.nbsp;Pampered and spoiled by being made too much of, theynbsp;have entirely forgotten themselves, and are behaving in anbsp;most swaggering manner. The Bishop went the round ofnbsp;all of them, in a complimentary visit, and then requestednbsp;that a day might be fixed when he could come and tellnbsp;them some news which he had brought from England, andnbsp;converse with them on matters affecting the welfare ofnbsp;themselves and their country. Two of them promised thatnbsp;such a Meeting should be arranged for either the nextnbsp;day or the day after. Well, I am sorry to say that thenbsp;Meeting never took place. The Chiefs, with one solitarynbsp;exception, betook themselves to their respective plantations, and avoided every opportunity of an interview withnbsp;the Bishop. We were at Bonny for a fortnight, but notnbsp;one of them came near the Mission, or sent a messagenbsp;of welcome. It is certainly a disappointment that peoplenbsp;who have enjoyed so many exceptional advantages shouldnbsp;have made such a base return. In no other place did I noticenbsp;so much shocking incivility on the part of native rulers. Inbsp;would charitably believe that, being conscious of the wrongsnbsp;which they have done, they were ashamed of themselves,nbsp;and therefore tried to avoid a Conference, where they wouldnbsp;surely have heard words of reproof most faithfully given.

As regards the material buildings, this seemed by far the best and most complete Station. The houses rest on ironnbsp;and solid brick pillars, and are covered with galvanizednbsp;iron sheets. I fervently trust that the time is not distant

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when, the ghost of persecution being laid, the Church will flourish vigorously, and give us more than double comfortnbsp;and encouragement for all the present sorrow and distressnbsp;caused by the great enemy of souls.

With the addition of a few general remarks, I shall bring my account to a close.

The short visit of three months which I have paid to the Niger has been very instructive and edifying to me, and hasnbsp;left on my mind a most favourable impression in regard tonbsp;the future. There may be, as I doubt not that there are, anbsp;few things requiring to be amended or improved upon. Itnbsp;would have been a most singular Mission—one of a kindnbsp;that has never been known since the Apostles first went outnbsp;to convert the world—if some drawbacks did not exist, tonbsp;prove the imperfection of the best of all human endeavours.nbsp;Cavillers who are disposed to exercise their ingenuity thatnbsp;way, can find ample scope to direct the shafts of adversenbsp;criticism against the character of both the Missionaries andnbsp;their work ; but I am firmly persuaded that every unbiassednbsp;mind will acknowledge that it is a matter no less of justicenbsp;than of charity to admit that the good which has beennbsp;effected in the Niger Mission, these twenty years, has by farnbsp;counterbalanced any drawbacks that may be found stillnbsp;adhering to the work. Whether at Brass, or at Onitsha, ornbsp;, at Lokoja, there are substantial evidences of real, solid worknbsp;having been done. Slowly, but surely, the few handsful ofnbsp;Missionaries are influencing the tribes among whom theynbsp;labour, and in many places the heathens themselves admit,nbsp;without a question, the change that has taken place sincenbsp;the entrance into their midst of the teachers of religion.

I feel particularly grateful and encouraged when I remember that those who have been instrumental innbsp;„effecting this change are my own countrymen. Some

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of them are almost without education; but God, who “is no respecter of persons,” accepts faithful service bynbsp;whomsoever it is performed.

Not the least interesting feature of the work which I have had the privilege to see and examine, is the tendency tonbsp;expansion observable everywhere in the upper and lowernbsp;Stations. From no less than seven different places (perhapsnbsp;more) carhe pressing invitations for Christian teachers. Inbsp;am sure that Bishop Crowther could find room to-day fornbsp;any number of good men and true that may be had. It isnbsp;much to be regretted that, from a variety of causes, thenbsp;services of many have been dispensed with. Men arenbsp;wanted indeed, but certainly not of the stamp of some ofnbsp;those who have gone, or been sent, about their business.

While we are lamenting the paucity of the existing staff, death has been thinning the ranks still more by the removalnbsp;of the oldest labourer. When we left Onitsha, on the 27 thnbsp;of October, the Rev. W. Romaine was suffering fromnbsp;diarrhoea, contracted from a patient whom he had beennbsp;attending. The disease had refused to yield to treatment,nbsp;and as it was thought that a change might prove beneficialnbsp;to him, he was removed to his brother’s house near thenbsp;river. Though much weakened by the wasting effects ofnbsp;the diarrhoea, yet there was nothing to indicate that thenbsp;patient was rapidly approaching dissolution. Just a fortnight after we had left, news came to say that his spirit hadnbsp;taken its flight. It was a great blow, and the more keenlynbsp;felt in that it was unexpected. We pray the Lord, to whomnbsp;belongs the work, to thrust forth qualified labourers to thenbsp;field already white unto harvest.

The time has no doubt come when, on account of its important and increasing developments, the work shouldnbsp;have constant and continuous supervision. From sheer

A JOURNEY UP THE NIGER.

necessity the Agents in some places in the Upper Niger had often to be left to themselves for something more thannbsp;eleven out of the twelve months in the year. Many a timenbsp;Evangelistic work was interrupted, and almost brought to anbsp;standstill, because there was no resident controlling authority to guide, and direct, and remove obstacles. So long asnbsp;the. Bishop was dependent upon the trading steamers for hisnbsp;movements, it was impossible for him to have ordered hisnbsp;visits otherwise than he has hitherto done. The newnbsp;Mission Steamer, which is being so anxiously expected, bynbsp;affording facilities for rapid locomotion, and being at thenbsp;service of the Leader of the Mission, will be of the greatestnbsp;service. It will enable the Bishop to regulate his stay atnbsp;the different Stations with due regard to the wants andnbsp;importance of each.

NOTE.

The steamer to which Mr. Johnson refers is the Henry Venn, which has lately been built by Messrs. Löbnitz and Co.,nbsp;of Renfrew, for the Niger Mission. Such a vessel is urgentlynbsp;needed, as Bishop Crowther has been much hampered innbsp;his movements on the river, and his plans for extension havenbsp;been greatly hindered, by his having to depend upon thenbsp;trading steamers, notwithstanding the personal courtesy ofnbsp;several of the owners and captains. The Henry Venn is anbsp;paddle steamer, schooner-rigged; measures 120 feet innbsp;length and 16 feet beam; draws about 3 feet 9 inches whennbsp;full, and will make ten knots an hour. She will be undernbsp;the general direction of Mr. J. H. Ashcroft, the Society’snbsp;experienced industrial Agent in West Africa.

It is hoped that the Henry Venn will bear a part, not only in direct Missionary work, but also in the explorationnbsp;of the little known eastern branch of the Niger, the Binue.nbsp;In 1854, Dr. Baikie and Mr. Crowther Inow' the Bishop),nbsp;ascended nearly 300 miles above the Confluence. But beyondnbsp;that point no traveller has yet penetrated, and almost thenbsp;last blank in the map of Africa has yet to be filled up.

“ ilet tije beautg of tije a-ocïi our ©oO 6e upon us ; anO establish Ebou tje tooife of oeir iianbs upon us;nbsp;gea, tbe bjorfe of our banbs e0ta6It0f) ®6ou tt.quot;—nbsp;Psalm xc. 17.

“ J^e sbaü babe bomtnton also from sea to sea, anb from ti)e riber unto ti)e enOs of tf)e earti).'’—Psalm

LXXII. 8.

JAMR.S SKARS AND SON, PRINTERS, II, CRANE COURT, FLEET STREKT, E.C.

o| the (Eltm|(|It ^i^siouarg

MONTHLY PERIODICALS.

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QUARTERLY PERIODICALS.

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BOOKS.

The Story of the Fnh-Kien Mission. By Eugene Stock. With 34 engravings, and a Map. Cloth, gilt, 4s. 6d.

The Story of the Cheh-Kiang Mission. By the Kev. A. E. Moule. Uniform with Story of the Fuh-Kien Mission. Illustrated, cloth, gilt, 3s.6d.

Day Spring in the Far West. Sketches of Mission Work in North West America. 24 illustrations, and a Map. Cloth, gilt, 4s. 6d.

The Victoria Ryanza, a Field for Missionary Enterprise.

By Edwakd Hutchinson, F.R.G.S., F.S. A 3rd Edition. Price 2s. 6d.

PAMPHLETS, SIXPENCE EACH.

The Victoria Nyanza Mission. A short history of the Mission to the present time, with copious extracts from the letters of the Missionaries, and a new Map.

A Plea for the Hill Tribes of India. A short account of the Sant^ls, Gónds, Kois, amp;c., and of the C. M. S. Missions among them. With Map.

A Jonmey up the Niger in the Antnmn of 1877. By the Rev. Henry Johnson, now Native Archdeacon of the Upper Niger. With Map.

The Development of Central Africa. A paper read before the African Section of the Society of Arts, by Edwaiid Hutchinson, F.R.G.S., F.S.A. Thisnbsp;paper received the Silver Medal of the Society of Arts for the Session 1876.

The Best Trade Route to the Lake Regions of Central Africa. A paper also read before the Society of Arts, by Edward Hutchinson, F.R.G.s. F.S.A.

ThB River Niger. A paper read before the Royal Geographical Society, and a brief account of Missionary Operations in the Niger Territory, by toenbsp;Right Rev. BISHOP CROWTHER.

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