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 165 J East Main Street 
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 •■r 
 
 SAMUEL CliOWTHER 
 
 Cl;c Slave i5oj> wf;o kcame 
 BISHOP OF THE NIGER 
 
 BY 
 
 JESSE PAGE 
 
 Author of "Bishop Patteson, the Mar.vr of Melanesia. 
 
 -^ 
 
 From out the darkness gleamed a single star. 
 And lo ! the tempest driven hailed its light ; 
 So from the gloom of Afric, shone afar 
 The witness of the Lord, a blessed sight 
 Which many grateful saw, and kneeling there 
 Heard first the tidings of Salvation near. 
 
 -*- 
 
 W. L. CARRIE, 
 
 stationed, 
 London, Obt, 
 
 ARCHER G. WATSON, Manager, 
 TORONTO UiLl.ARD TRACT DEPOSITORY, 
 
 Corner Yonge and Tkmperance Streets, 
 Toronto, Ontario. 
 
UNIFORM WITH "SAMUEL CROWTHER," 
 
 Croio/i Svo., \G0 /a^i-s. Fully lUustmkii. Cloth extra. 
 Thomas J. Comber, Missionary Pioneer to tlie Congo. l?y Rev. 
 
 J. n. MvHKs, Association Secretary, U.ipiist Missionary .Society. 
 
 Griffith John, Founder of the Hanltow Mission, Central China. 
 
 By William Rohson, of the London Missionary .Society. 
 
 Bishop Pat'ceson, the Martyr of Melanesia. Hy Jhssk Pack. 
 Robert Morrison, the Pioneer of Chinese Missions. Hy Wm. j. 
 
 TowNSENi), General Secretary of tlie Methodist New Connexion 
 Missionary Society. Aullior of " Tlie Great Schoolmen of the 
 Middle Ages." 
 
 William Carey, the Shoemaker who became the Father and 
 Founder of Modern Missions. Uy Rev. J. 15. Mvkks, Associa- 
 tion Secretary, iiaptist Missionary Society. 
 
 Robert Moffat, the Missionary Hero of Kuruman. By David j. 
 
 Deank, Author of "Martin Luther, the Reformer," "John WiclinTe, 
 the Morning Star of the Reformation," etc. 
 
 James Chalmers, Missionary and Explorer of Rarotonga and 
 
 New Guinea. By William Ronso.v, of the London Missionary 
 Society. 
 
pfjbfacje;. 
 
 » > « — 
 
 riliii': name of Crowther is a liouseliokl word in the 
 J- record of missionary enterprise. The fact of his 
 being the first native Bishop of Africa, ^he pathetic 
 incidents of his early Hfe, and the gracious success 
 which has crowned his efforts on the banks o! the 
 Niger, have all combined to make an impress upon 
 the memory and heart of Christian people in England 
 which will not grow shghter with the passage of the 
 years. Many whose eyes look upon these pages will 
 remember the striking effect of the black Bishop's 
 first appearance on our platforms, and will recall the 
 more frequent occasions wh^m in the pulpits of our 
 churches he has pleaded the cause of the work to 
 which he has devoted his energies and life. 
 
 But hke all men of real character, to understand 
 and appreciate Crowther you must personally know 
 him. Few men have a more interesting and impressive 
 individuality. 
 
VI 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 I shall never forget the rush of feeling which I ex- 
 perienced when in his little room at Salisbury Square 
 I had first the privilege of seeing the subject of this 
 biography face to face. In our many subsequent in- 
 terviews this sense of heartfelt veneration increased 
 more and more, and I recall gratefully the hours of 
 patient and invaluable attention which he gave to the 
 proof sheets of this work, as, word for word, I read 
 them to him. From time to time he would arrest 
 the reading co correct a date or even the spelling of 
 a native name, and oftener with emotion to linger on 
 the old scenes and explain more fully the incidents of 
 his career as they pasj in review. One of the 
 characteristics of Bishop Orowther is a strong disap- 
 probation of " the praise of men," and he recognised 
 with evident pleasure that these pages aimed rather 
 to glorify God than to magnify man. 
 
 The work on the Niger, with which his name will be 
 for ever identified, is throughout a remarkable evidence 
 of the advantage of employing native agency, if only 
 to save a needless sacrifice of European lives, and at 
 the same time exhibits what the Gospel can do, and is 
 doing, when confronted with heathenism on the one 
 hand and a debased form of Mohammedanism on the 
 other. Of course the reader will not imagine that 
 there have been no failures, no disappointments and 
 breakdowns. In common with mission work every- 
 where, there have been discouragements on the Niger 
 to try the faith and patience of the workers. But the 
 pennon of the Cross borne aloft is still advancing, and 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Vll 
 
 victory is sure to those who in His name endure to 
 the end. 
 
 At a time like the present, when the horrors of 
 slavery are being once more forced home upon the 
 English conscience, it is earnestly hoped that these 
 pages may do something to awaken sympathy for the 
 sufferings of those in direst bondage. Crowther, let 
 it be remembered, was once a slave, and he is keenly 
 sensitive to the woes and wretchedness of his unhappy 
 brethren in Africa. Had it fallen within the province 
 of this book, much, very much more, might have been 
 said about slavery,— it has been indeed difficult to 
 repress a reference to the horrible tidings of deeds 
 done in Africa which week after week shock even the 
 most prosaic of us by their vileness. The knocks at 
 the door of the English heart, once so lightly moved, 
 are many to-day Cardinal Lavigerie, Lieutenant 
 Wissman, and others, speak of that which they have 
 seen until our hearts are faint with the sickening re- 
 cital, and last not least. Commander Cameron in a 
 recent article says, " The time has now come when 
 we can no longer plead ignorance ; from missionaries 
 of every branch of the Catholic Church of Christ we 
 hear of the sufferings of the negro. Those who 
 would raise the. native races, and abolish slavery by 
 the introduction of the arts of peace and the extension 
 of legitimate commerce, have been attacked by the 
 slave dealers, and a gentleman holding the position 
 of British Consul has been stripped of his clothes, 
 and iiouted and jeered at by the traders in human 
 
 » 
 
Vlll 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 ! I 
 
 flesh." Then he closes with a declaration which does 
 honour to his spirit, " I am ready to act up to what I 
 write, and would freely give my life in the cause of 
 freedom, and will gladly co-operate in any possible 
 manner, either here or in Africa, with those who, I 
 trust, will resolve that this disgrace to humanity shall 
 no longer exist." 
 
 The observations of Bishop Crowther on that other 
 curse of Africa, Mohammedanism, in these pages, will 
 well repay the reader's consideration. Few men have 
 had a closer experience of the real teaching and 
 practice of Islam than he, and even his charitable 
 mind cannot credit it with the philosophic sweetness 
 and light with which it is the fashion in some quarters 
 to invest the religion of the false prophet. It must 
 not be forgotten that this religion is that of the 
 slave driver and slave killer throughout the Dark 
 Continent. 
 
 It only remains for me to acknowledge with thanks 
 the great courtesy I have received from the Church 
 Missionary Society, in having placed at my disposal 
 the journals and other literary material out of which 
 this work has been constructed. Without this invalu- 
 able assistance at Salisbury Square these pages could 
 not have been written. 
 
 Jesse Page. 
 
 Ill 
 
lich does 
 
 what I 
 cause of 
 possible 
 ) who, I 
 ity shall 
 
 at other 
 gas, will 
 en have 
 ng and 
 aritable 
 i^eetness 
 [uarters 
 ;t must 
 of the 
 3 Dark 
 
 thanks 
 Ohurch 
 isposal 
 
 1 which 
 invalu- 
 3 could 
 
 AGE. 
 
 ^'^'"''''^^^J ^^^^cA^u^,^ ^^,,_^^^^ 1,^^ 
 tr, ^^ - i-.n^{i^^, ^,/^^^^ /c,a'^ ■ . l^^^>^- 
 
 <2'<:^<'- /5**- 
 
 
 Vt.'Ot^'if^Jlyy. , 
 
 :a 
 
God speed thee! 
 7 hough weary weight of years be thine. 
 Strong is thine heart, while rays Divine 
 upon thy pathway ever shine. 
 
 God speed thee! 
 To the sad sinner's heart of pain. 
 To the poor slave in Satan's chain ; 
 Tell Christ hath died and risen again. 
 
 God speed thee! 
 He knozas their suffering and their fears, 
 He hears their sighing, counts their tears, 
 For Afric's children Jesus cares. 
 
 God speed thee! 
 Strengthen thine hand to battle on. 
 Brave to contend, till from the Throne, 
 Falls on thine ear the glad " IVcll done." 
 
 God speed thee! 
 Thy day of work will soon be o'er. 
 Then comes the eve of rest, and sure 
 The dawn of life for evermore. 
 
 en 
 
 VI 
 
 VII 
 
 u 
 
■■ssti. 
 
 GOMT£N"tS. 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 I. The Home-Land of the Slave 
 n. A CnrLDHooD of Slavery 
 HI. On the Threshold of thk Work 
 IV. The Niger first Explorkd 
 V. A Sorrowful Return 
 VI. An Unexpected and Happv Mhetjno 
 VII. Another Brave and Better Voyaoe 
 viii. A Voyage and a Wreck . 
 IX. An Enforced Halt— Onitsha 
 
 TAGE 
 
 13 
 
 22 
 
 33 
 
 43 
 
 54 
 
 63 
 
 74 
 
 85 
 
 96 
 
'(( 
 
 II 
 
 xu 
 
 CHAP. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 X. The Boy becomks thk Bishop 
 XI. Bonny a Bethel 
 xii. The FiiuiTAOE of the Sekd 
 
 ^hc ])CGph that luathcii 
 in iarlnuss \\n\3t seen 
 It great light : thcij that 
 tiluell in the tanb of the 
 ohalioU) of beath, \\\fon 
 them hath the tight 
 ehin^b. 
 
 Isaiah ix. 2. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 . 109 
 . 12(5 
 . 140 
 
 B 
 
 b 
 
 -«-'-*' *^' 
 
I'AGE 
 
 109 
 12G 
 140 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 ■ -~:*^.'>TfJi^*-^ 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Home-Land of the Slave. 
 
 -^• 
 
 "From Orei'iilaiiil's icy mountains, 
 
 From India's coral strand, 
 Where Afric's sunny fountains 
 
 Roll down their golden sand ; 
 From many an anciant rivor, 
 
 From many a palmy phiin 
 They call us to deliver 
 
 Their land from error's chain." 
 
 -Hi:ni:R. 
 
 ■•^- 
 
 FOR centuries the history of Africa has beCii the 
 mystery and sorrow of the world. Up to a time 
 still fresh in the memory of our grandfathers the .nap 
 of the Dark Continent, dark in more senses than one, 
 gave little trouble to the schoolboy, being simply an 
 irregular coast-line enclosing wide spaces in blank, 
 trespassed upon by lines of almost guess-work 
 boundaries, and in the middle thereof sundry high 
 places denoted by the romantic title of the Mountains 
 of the Moon. 
 
14 
 
 IMIp 
 
 SAMUEL OROWTHER, 
 
 youngest. Amul the sands of its northern deserts «-o 
 tnrn up the relics of a civilization which astonthed 
 
 not whether our ne.t step will revlTrth "L ZJZl 
 We of a day when the world was in its early nrh' 
 and awaken the echoes of a past unknown ^ ^^^ 
 If It were the purpose of the present work to revive 
 the memories of Africn's r<.m^t„ i ■ '" ""^o 
 when ito ru ■ .• remote glories, especially 
 
 when ts Christian martyrs and teachers swelled the 
 ■0 of the early Church, much might be o d of 
 en lulling interest; but we have in 'these pit to 
 tell the story of our own time. And vet th»Y» 
 
 he"*r:? ""■ '™'"''' ™ ™™"Va- :r:;- 
 
 tne giowth of our acquaintance with the Dark r„n 
 tment during the last two or three centurie! 
 I seems remarkable that for so many years the 
 aders ^rf,o were the only European vis^to ™ to rt 
 shores should have remained contented will, 
 -o„ edge of the very fringe of tha v^ t"Ind m'kin.' 
 few .f any efforts to penetrate into the intel F» 
 discovery of the coast-line credit must be g^en 
 
 Cape Verd Sierra LeonTth: C^'o ^d^^: t^' 
 round eastward up as far as Cape Guardafuf ' ' 
 
 1 was two hundred years later that the Dutch 
 Bett led in the southern districts, where stm fhlh 
 nationality makes itself known Ind felt N A 
 seems to have been added to Z ^or- f ' ' f ""« 
 about Africa until comparlTy ^nf ut^L: 
 
 
st antl tliG 
 deserts we 
 istonished 
 Ige of the 
 A weird 
 we know 
 I shadowy 
 y spring, 
 
 to revive 
 Jspecially 
 elled the 
 told of 
 pages to 
 le better 
 back at 
 irk Con- 
 
 ^ars the 
 s to its 
 with a 
 making 
 1-. For 
 jiven to 
 fteenth 
 slands, 
 pe, and 
 
 Dutch 
 1 their 
 othing 
 Qation 
 
 when 
 
 
 TffE HOMF-I,ANI> (»F TriH SI.AVi:. 
 
 15 
 
 our own countrymen began to search for the source of 
 the Nile. Neither the philosopher's stone nor the North 
 Pole can boast of more ardent and spirited discoverers 
 than those brave explorers, who under privations and 
 perils sought the secret spot where the bubbling wateis 
 of the Nile first rushed forth amid tangled grasses and 
 fronded palms on their way to the sea. Bruce traced 
 the Blue Nile along its devious course at the end of the 
 ast century; but it was only a little more than 
 twenty.five years ago that Speke on his second journey 
 sent home the message, "The Nile is settled," as 
 (^rant and he stood on the shores of that ma-nifi- 
 cent inland lake, the Victoria Nyanza, from which 
 mighty source the ancient river of Egypt evidently 
 
 Before then, however, other rivers had been traced 
 a the price of precious lives, notably the Niger 
 which Mungo Park sighted in 1796, and afterwards' 
 Denham Clapperton, Laing and Lander ; the Congo 
 where Tuckey died in 1830, and the Zambesi, it 
 whose banks David Livingstone, in 1854, made his 
 b ave and pa lent way while traversing the Continent, 
 liut mthese later days the - eye to business " motive 
 has quickened intei^st and exploration, and European 
 
 man's land.''''''^ "'^ ^'' '"'^''''"*' "^ ^^'' ^^^'^ 
 
 rSJ *^' P^^l'^"' ^^ ^^«o^^ enough to awaken our pity 
 rather han our admiration. If they are accounted 
 
 cots tlr'^' •^'' '' '' '^^^"^^ ^^ ''^^^ 
 condi ion there is no necessity to put forth ener^v 
 
 visits r- ^ ^^^^-^-^^-^ -- ' vho has rece" tf; 
 usitcd them, assures us that when an opportunity 
 presents itself they can work as hard L'd morl 
 
Ifi 
 
 SAMUKL C'KOWTllKlt. 
 
 [ 
 
 fl 
 
 '11^ 
 
 pationlly than others. Then- intellectual capacity, 
 and painstaking studies, the subsequent pages of 
 this book will verify in the life of one of Africa's 
 worthiest sons. 
 
 Many have treated the black man as having no 
 mind, and more have virtually denied him a soul. 
 That he has both, however, is the growing conviction 
 of the Christian Church to-day, and she is anxious 
 to vindicate her responsibility in support of this. The 
 spiritual condition of the Africans is curious and 
 distressing. Taking the population to bo about two 
 hundred millions, qnite three-fourths of them are 
 utter heathen, living in the densest darkness of 
 superstition and sin. The immense majority of the 
 other fourth are followers of the false prophet, and 
 the spiritual conquest of Africa by the green flag of 
 Mohammed is still actively pressed to-day. 
 
 There are a few Jews living on the shores of the 
 blue Mediterranean Sea, and of course Christianity 
 is not without its witnesses. Also, besides the 
 Eoman Catholics and Protestants, there are the 
 Copts and Abyssinians. But, speaking generally, 
 the natives of Africa profess two religions, one of 
 Mohammed, the False Prophet, and the other of the 
 Devil in multiplication. Of the former we shall have 
 something to say in the later pages of this work, for 
 it is the key to much of the misery of this sad land. 
 But even in those districts where Mohammedanism has 
 got the firmest hold, it has not superseded, but rather 
 grafted itself upon the superstitious demon worship 
 of the natives everywhere. 
 
 In a fearfnlly real sense, to the African "the things 
 which are seen are temporal, and the things which 
 
 I 
 
'S 
 
 THE HOME- LAND OF THE SLAVE. 
 
 17 
 
 capacity, 
 pages of 
 f Africa's 
 
 aving IK) 
 1 a Hoiil. 
 onvictioii 
 i anxious 
 liis. The 
 ions and 
 -bout two 
 hem are 
 kness of 
 ty of the 
 liet, and 
 n flag of 
 
 !S of the 
 ■istianity 
 ides the 
 are the 
 enerally, 
 , one of 
 r of the 
 all have 
 ^ork, for 
 ad land, 
 lism has 
 it rather 
 worship 
 
 e things 
 5s which 
 
 are not scon arc eternal." His terror is the environ- 
 ment of evil spirits, peopling the air, hiding in the 
 trees, whispering in the wavelets of the stream, seated 
 on ^he crest of every hill, and lurking in the rank 
 grasses of ^lic plain. From this ubiquitous company 
 of devils the poor negro can never hope to be free. 
 
 Wo have only then to add, that these satanic 
 agencies are all credited with a vindictive hatred to 
 the human race, to complete the picture of unspeak- 
 able and oppressive horror which crouches like a 
 nightmare upon the hearts of the African people. In 
 their wretched dread they are for ever making friends 
 with these demons, propitiating them not unfre- 
 qucntly with the sacrifice of human life. 
 
 No wonder, then, that witchcraft is everywhere, and 
 that the medicine man, like the Komish prelate of the 
 Middle Ages, can strike a terrified submission even 
 into the heart of kings. Tetzel with his indulgence 
 business never did so well as they ; to make a charm 
 nothing comes amiss — a stone, a bit of bone or filthy 
 rag, a shell, a leaf, an animal or a piece of it, any of 
 these will do as a fetish, with power to exorcise the 
 evil spirit. The priest's hand, true of superstition 
 everywhere, has in Africa its black grasp on the 
 substance of the poor. 
 
 Here, too, is evidence of that declaration of Holy 
 Writ, that ** the dark places of the earth are full of 
 the habitations of cruelty." The ** customs " of the 
 country show an utter disregard of human life; and 
 in the western districts, with which these pages will 
 have more especially to do, it will be seen that a 
 wholesale slaughter often follows the death of a 
 king, in order that he may be suitably accompanied 
 
18 
 
 SAMUEL CIlOWTUmi. 
 
 to tlio lan.l of »htt<Iow,s. TI,o cruel ,„„l „itil„s« 
 cimnieter of imKHiiisin is hero fully rovealod 
 
 In one respect, at IcaBt, tl,e superstitious fear „f the 
 Ce r?" '" r" /»"'"•"'' ""• "Pon l.i» country 
 
 tu on m ca l.,l slucn-,,. I„ the more mention of 
 that word. wHh tl„, l.nowledge of what it „k™,s, one 
 eahses how weak at the strongest is language to ex 
 
 doscnhc thm ;"vful curse. There was a time when 
 t .0 hearts of the Knglish people were tlnilled a n 
 
 . nd we made perha,,s the costliest sacrilice in histor; 
 
 me to act. A hundred years ago our ships c„rri;i 
 
 then- share o 88,000, out of 7-1,000 slaves exported 
 
 ^">m>ally. and Granville .Sharp sent the Lord Cha^ 
 
 ce lor a cu tn>g from a newspaper, advertising tL 
 
 a e of a hlack gn-l, at a puhlichouse in the Strand ! 
 
 llieie IS no need to tell the story over ag-.hi. Wilher- 
 
 orce as wel as Wellington will be never forgotten, 
 
 or peace hath her victories as well as war." The 
 
 at,ent and prayerful agitation of years was crow-ned 
 
 by the passing o an Act of Parliament, which struck 
 
 capture^tlie slave dhows, and set the living freights 
 But while curtailed by our watchfulness of the coast 
 ashamed to say tlmves still, h, the hiterior of Africa. 
 
 ':ro '!;r:i!'''!L^ ?-''»- '1'-^ I''-- than 
 
 
 f 
 
 gOl( 
 
 One oi the first, best, and nobie.f n wmh Afi-i . 
 
J pitileHs 
 
 iar of the 
 I country 
 and that 
 nntion of 
 Mins, one 
 ge to ex- 
 e wanted 
 mo when 
 Hod and 
 
 matter, 
 1 history 
 lie hif,di 
 I r-arried 
 exported 
 d Chan- 
 ging the 
 Strand ! 
 Wilber- 
 rgotten, 
 ." The 
 ?rowned 
 I struck 
 
 Imme- 
 itera to 
 freights 
 
 e coast, 
 we are 
 Africa. 
 IS than 
 Afri it 
 
20 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 ever had, David Livingstone, telling his countrymen of 
 the desolating wrongs of the slave trade, besought them 
 to "heal this open sore of the world." And when 
 weary with his wanderings he laid himself down to die 
 on the grass at Ilala, he breathed his last, as he would 
 have wished, on the soil of the land for which he had 
 worked and prayed. And Gordon too, the fearless 
 Christian knight whose very name makes the heart 
 beat more quickly, all the world knows how in Lower 
 Egypt he drove back what seemed the irresistible 
 progress of Arab slave-trading ; and in his supreme 
 moment of victory and defeat he also poured out his 
 blood upon the desert sand of that Africa he loved so 
 well. 
 
 We have called it the home-land of the slave because 
 from its shores he is dragged a helpless and illtreated 
 exile. With all its pains and sorrows it is still his 
 home. To it in many a moment of lonely and distant 
 captivity he turns his thoughts again, and on the 
 threshold of another world his longings lie towards 
 Africa. Longfellow has beautifully expressed this in 
 his well-known poem, a few verses of which shall close 
 this chapter. 
 
 Beside the ungathcrerl rice he laj-, 
 
 His sickle in hi.s haud ; 
 His breast was bare, lii.s matted liair 
 
 Was buried in the sand, 
 Again in the mist and shadow of sleep 
 
 He saw Iiis native land. 
 
 Wide through the landscape of his dreams 
 
 The lordly Niger flowed, 
 Beneath tlie palm trees in the plain 
 
 Once more a king he strode. 
 And heard the tinkling caravans 
 
 Descend the mountain road. 
 
 mumtttummmimii 
 
THE HOME-LAND OF THE SLAVE. 
 
 He saw once more his dark-eyed queen 
 
 Among her children stand, 
 They clasped his neck, they kissed liia cheek. 
 
 They held him by the hand ! 
 A tear burst from the sleeper's lids, 
 
 And fell into the sand. 
 
 21 
 
 The forest with their myriad tongues 
 
 Shouted of liberty ; 
 And the blast of the desert cried aloud. 
 
 With a voice so wild and free. 
 That he started in his sleep and smiled 
 
 At their tempestuous glee. 
 
 He did not feel the driver's whip 
 
 Nor the burning heat of day, 
 Fur death had illumined the land of sleep, 
 
 And his lifeless body lay 
 A worn out fetter which tlie soul 
 
 Had broken and thrown away. 
 

 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A Childhood of Slavery. 
 
 -*- 
 
 " Let tlie Indian, let the Negro, 
 l^et the rude barbarian see, 
 That Divine and glorious conquest 
 Once obtained on Calvary. 
 
 Let the Gospel 
 Loud resound from pole to pole."— Williams. 
 
 --*- 
 
 HAVING now glanced at Africa as a whole, we will 
 set our foot upon the banks of the lordly Niger, 
 which will be the scene of the wonderful story of 
 God's providence and grace which this volume seeks 
 to tell. This river, second only in depth and import- 
 ance to the Nile, cannot boast of a like classic history; 
 but it is now full of memories of faithful work and 
 endeavour, none the less valuable or interesting that 
 they pertain to the present century. 
 
 All round the Dark Continent, with few breaks, is 
 an invisible rampart of pestilence, the fever boundary 
 which no European can attempt to pass without a 
 risk, and often a loss, of life. In some places, however, 
 the danger is deepest ; and because this is true of the 
 
A CHILDHOOD OF SLAVERY. 
 
 23 
 
 Gold Coast, it has been aptly and pathetically called 
 "the white man's grave." At this point the Niger 
 enters the sea, not with a broad expanse of rushing 
 water like most rivers, but spreading out into a 
 number of outlets as it slowly creeps through thickets 
 of mangrove trees, over stretches of poisonous slime 
 to the ocean. This forms the Niger delta, spreading 
 along the shore for over one hundred and twenty miles. 
 
 A French traveller, M. Adolphe Burdo, has vividly 
 described this terrible labyrinth of creeks, in which 
 utterly lost and disheartened his Kroomen despaired. 
 Again and again did they attempt some new passage, 
 pushing their way between the interlacing mangrove 
 branches along which the serpents crawled. A more 
 desolate region can hardly be imagined. 
 
 In its course of nearly two thousand miles this 
 river waters some of the most degraded and unhappy 
 districts of Africa. Between its western arm and the 
 sea-coast lies the country of the Yoruba people, natives 
 who have suffered more perhaps than other tribes 
 from the desolations and cruelties of the slave trade. 
 The people pride themselves on a remote ancestry, 
 and Captain Clapperton was informed, by a curious 
 geographical work he met with, written by a chief, 
 that the Yoruba nation "originated from the remnant 
 of the children of Canaan, who were of the tribe of 
 Nimrod." Whether this be founded on fact or not, 
 it is enough for us to know that out of this dark 
 region God caused a light to shine, and called forth 
 one who should become a shepherd to these souls. A 
 stream of life history starting from the humblest 
 source, and with these lowly beginnings, the career 
 of Bishop Crowther commenced to unfold. 
 
■ i 
 
 24 
 
 SAMUttf. GROWTH ER. 
 
 Early in the year'1821, in the midst of the Eyo or 
 Yoruba country, a devastating war was being waged. 
 The army of the Mohammedan Foulah tribe, swelled 
 by a miscellaneous crowd of escaped slaves and 
 man-stealers, ravaged the country to right and left. 
 Sweeping everything before them, they came at last 
 to Oshogun, a flourishing town mustering three 
 thousand fighting men. The ill-fated inhabitants 
 had no warning. In most of the huts the women were 
 peacefully preparing the morning meal, and the men 
 were either absent or had no time to seize their 
 , weapons. Fierce warriors surrounded the fence which 
 protected the town. A short, sharp struggle ensued ; 
 the six gates were broken through, and the victors 
 poured into the town. Here all was panic and 
 despair. Terrified women caught up their little ones, 
 and bidding the elder children to follow, tried to 
 escape in the bush. In many cases, however, they 
 fatally impeded themselves with baggage from their 
 huts. The Foulahs swiftly pursued them, flinging 
 lassoes over their heads and drawing them half- 
 choked back into their hands. 
 
 In one of the huts at this supreme moment rushed 
 again a father to beg his family to flee; and then, the 
 warning given, he hurried back to the front to die in 
 their defence. His wife, like the others, hastened to 
 the bush with her little niece and three children; 
 one an infant of ten months, and the eldest a boy of 
 twelve years and a half, who, child as he was, valiantly 
 seized his bow and arrows to protect them. This 
 little fellow was Adjai, the future Bishop of the Niger. 
 They too, however, in their turn, were captured, and, 
 tied together with ropes, were led out of the burning 
 
A CHILDHOOD OF SLAVERY. 
 
 25 
 
 town. As they passed along the bhxzing streets they 
 saw many wounded and dying men lying, where they 
 had been struck down, at their own doors. 
 
 After twenty miles' weary marching they reached a 
 town, and caught a glimpse of some of their relations in 
 
 ._?™'^*5is^'*Ki5^?^'- 
 
 M^^^''. 
 
 
 
 ^'N^^^^<»«\^.^jii^£,'JO .ST: — ~-v^ 
 FOULAII CAPTURING LITTLE AUJAI. 
 
 the same miserable plight. The usual barbarities of the 
 slave-march followed. The old and infirm, being no 
 longer able to respond to the whips of their captors, 
 were mercilessly killed, or loft, with less compassion, on 
 the wayside to die of hunger and exposure. At midnight 
 
r I 
 
 '■ i 
 
 III 
 
 26 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 they reached the town of Iseh-n, where to their great 
 relief, as the morning l)roke, they were freed from their 
 galling ro^jes and hurried in a hody into the presence of 
 the chief. He forthwith began to allot them as slaves 
 and spoil of war to his warriors. That is, one half 
 were claimed by the chief, and the other half by the 
 soldiers. Little Adjai and his sister became the 
 property of the chief; his mother, with her infant in 
 arms, was quickly transferred to other hands. This 
 was the first time the little lad had been separated 
 from his mother, and great of course was his grief. 
 
 The boy was exchanged for a horse, but the bargain 
 not being satisfactory, he was taken to the slave 
 market of Dah'-dah, where to his great delight he met 
 with his mother again, and for three months enjoyed 
 comparative liberty, having the precious privilege of 
 seeing his parent whenever he wished. But one sad 
 evening a man came and suddenly bound him, and 
 he was carried away on the march again. By his 
 side trudged another little boy, who had also been 
 torn from the arms of his mother, and cried bitterly. 
 They were dragged along for several days, one hand 
 being chained to their neck ; then Adjai was sold to a 
 Mohammedan woman, and with her travelled to the 
 Popo country, on the coast where the Portuguese came 
 to buy slaves. As he passed on his way, towns and 
 villages smoked in the ruin which the enemy had 
 wrought, and in some of the market-places five or six 
 heads were nailed to the large trees as a warning to 
 all who did not willingly submit. 
 
 Although his mistress was kind to her little captive 
 boy, a great dread seized upon his mind; and he 
 determined to destroy himself, sooner than be sold 
 
 f( 
 
 f \ 
 
 
 ( 
 
i he 
 
 sold 
 
28 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 I'' 
 
 into the hands of the white man. It seems very 
 shocking that the thought of suicide should gloom 
 the mind of one so young; but a merciful God, 
 who had marked him out as a chosen vessel in His 
 service, overruled and prevented the rash intention. 
 Though he tried to strangle himself with his waist- 
 band, his courage failed him when he held the noose 
 in his hand ; and it is remarkable that the thought 
 of using a knife, which was always ready at hand, 
 never occurred to his mind. 
 
 Before very long they approached the district where 
 the Portuguese would be prepared to treat for the 
 purchase of slaves, and here oefore he saw the dreaded 
 white men he was given a few sips of the white man's 
 evil spirit, a strong and unpurificd rum. Then, still 
 pinioned to prevent escape, the little slave boy was 
 brought to the edge of a river ; and as this was the 
 first time he had seen so much water, he was much 
 terrified thereat. So paralysed with fear was he that 
 he could not obey the command of his driver to enter 
 the stream to reach the boat, so he was lifted in bodily, 
 and hid himself among some corn bags in the bottom 
 of the canoe. The night came on, and through these 
 fearful hours poor little Adjai expected every minute 
 would be his last. Dreadful indeed was his terror at 
 the sound of the waves as they dashed against the 
 sides of the canoe. He had no more desire to end his 
 career, as he had purposed, by casting himself over- 
 board. 
 
 Having reached the other side of the river, he was, 
 with his fellow-slaves, allowed his liberty, for escape 
 was impossible. After landing he was then employed 
 as storekeeper at his master's house at Lagos. 
 
 I& 
 
A CHILDHOOD OF SLAVERY. 
 
 29 
 
 
 I 
 
 Then, for tliG first time, he encountered the white 
 man, a spectacle as curious and alarming to him as 
 the first impressions of a black man would l)o to a 
 European boy. This Portuguese, who eventually pur- 
 chased him, made a close examination of the points 
 of little Adjai, as he would of a horse, and then, 
 with a number of other unhappy captives, he was 
 attached by a padlock round his neck to a long chain, 
 very heavy and distressing to bear. Here thpy were 
 stowed in a barracoon, or slave hut, almost suffo- 
 cated with the heat, and on the slightest provocation 
 cruelly beaten with long whips. 
 
 Early one morning they were hurriedly placed on 
 board a slaver, one hundred and eighty seven in 
 number, packed in fearful contact in the hold, the 
 living and the dying and the dead. Sea-sickness, 
 hunger, thirst, and the blows of their inhuman 
 masters made these poor half-expiring wretches long 
 for the end. But just at this extremity of suffering 
 and helplessness came God's provided opportunity. 
 
 Two English men-of-war, cruising about the coast, 
 caught sight of the slave-ship and gave chase. A 
 brief resistance, and the sailors boarded her decks 
 and at once liberated her human cargo, transhipping 
 them to the men-of-war. The master and slave"^ 
 drivers were placed in irons, and the black men, 
 hardly yet realising that they were in the hands of 
 friends, stood on the British decks looking on with 
 astonishment, not unmingled with ' ir. 
 
 An amusing instance of their suspicious and ground- 
 less misgivings was that they mistook the sight of 
 a hog, partly cut up and hanging to the rigging, for 
 the body of one of their own fellows, wirich'the 
 
30 
 
 SAMUEL CllOWTHER. 
 
 ' iS: 
 
 English were going to cat. This idea was further 
 strengthened by tlie appearance of a number of 
 cannon balls, which they concluded must be the heads 
 of their unfortunate comrades. Soon, however, they 
 were relieved on this score, and showed in every way 
 they could the gratitude which was in tlieir liearts 
 for their liberation from such cruel bondage. 
 
 The two vessels, full of freed slaves, made for Sierra 
 Leone. One was wrecked in a storm, and lost all 
 hands, including one hundred and two slaves ; the 
 other, with Adjai on board, reached Bathurst in 
 safety. 
 
 Here is a wonderful indication of the working of 
 the Divine overruling of events. One of the vessels 
 which had captured the slaver wasH.M.S. Myrmidon, 
 and upon the deck, engaged in rescuing little Adjai 
 and his companions was a young ofticer, whoso 
 son years afterwards was the devoted and useful 
 Lieutenant Shergold Smith, the leader of the mis- 
 sionary enterprise on Lake Nyanza. 
 
 Shortly afterwards Adjai and the other slaves were 
 sent from Freetown, whither tbey had been taken, to 
 Bathurst, and returned for a tihort time in order to 
 give evidence against their former Portuguese owners ; 
 then, coming back, they were placed under wise and 
 kindly care. But it will be necessary, in order to 
 clearly understand why this provision was -Jready 
 made for the reception of these poor slaves, to retrace 
 a few steps of history. 
 
 The long struggle of twenty years to impress the 
 mind of England with the horrors and inhumanity of 
 the traffic in flesh and blood was becoming more and 
 more desperate. The famous decision of Lord Chief 
 
A CillLDHOoi) OK SLAVEUV, 
 
 81 
 
 Justice Mans/iuld had been delivered in ' Thir- 
 teen years later Thomas Clarkson drew public atten- 
 tion to the subject by his prize essay at Cambridge 
 University. Long before the passing of the Act, the 
 agitation in the interest of tlie slave was carried on 
 by the Abolition Society; and in 1787 Mr. Granville 
 Sharp took charge of 
 a crowd of four hun- 
 dred negroes, and 
 formed a settlement 
 for them on the West 
 Coast of Africa. This 
 projecting piece of 
 land, from its resem- 
 blance to a lion, re- 
 ceived the name of 
 Sierra Leone ; and 
 here, where slavery 
 had hitherto been 
 most prevalent, a co- 
 lony had been formed 
 under British protec- 
 tion as a rescue home 
 for liberated Africans. 
 But the congregation 
 
 of so many degraded "^"^^^^^M^^ 
 
 and lawless men soon 
 
 produced anarchy and trouble in the colony the 
 moral condition of the blacks was disgraceful, and 
 the prospects of the success of the enterprise seemed 
 very remote. However, what man cannot do God 
 
 will acoornnlich oi-i/l ,",, -tain ..•• 
 
 ^u-ii V , "-"^ iiiissionaries were sent 
 
 thither by the Church Missionary Society; and after 
 
32 
 
 SAMUKL CUOWTHKIl. 
 
 i 
 
 D I 
 
 much toil and coiiHtantly recurring deatliH of the de- 
 voted worlvcrs, the bloHHing of the Ahniglity was seen. 
 In 1822 the Lord Cliief Justice pubhcly stated tluit 
 in a popuhition of 10,000 there v.ore only six cases for 
 trial, and not one from any village under the super- 
 intendence of a village schoolmaster. This gratifying 
 fact was noted at the very time when the future 
 IMshop of the Niger, then a little liberated slave-boy, 
 had been landed at the place. 
 
 The climate was found to be most deadly for 
 Europeans, and during the first twenty years of the 
 ^lission fifty-three missionaries or their wives had 
 succumbed to the malaria. But as fast as gaps 
 were made in the army of brave hearts, others came 
 from England to fill their place; and so by con- 
 stantly renewhig the earnest helpers, the work was 
 graciously crowned with success. 
 
 Little Adjai exhibited a proficiency for study, and 
 under the care of the Mission schoolmaster made 
 good progress. We are told that when his first day 
 at school was over he hastened into the town and 
 begged a halfpenny from one of the negroes to buy 
 an alphabet card, all for himself. He became in time 
 a monitor, and received for that official position 
 sevenpence-halfpenny a month ; but, best of all, it 
 was here that the word of the Lord came unto the 
 little freed slave, and gave him a liberty from the 
 condemnation of sin which filled his heart with new 
 joy. He was baptis^ed on the 11th December, 1825, 
 by the Eev. J. Raben, taking the name of Samuel 
 Crowther, by which name we shall henceforth speak 
 of him as we pass along his interesting and useful 
 career. 
 
 11 
 
CHAPTER HI, 
 
 On the Threshold of the Work. 
 
 -«-- 
 
 " for a thousaml tongues to sing 
 My great Kofluenu'r'a prai.so, 
 Tho glories of my God and King, 
 The trium[>h.s of Hia grace. 
 
 " My gracious Master and my Qod, 
 Assist me to proclaim, 
 To Hi)read through al! the earth abroad, 
 The honours of Thy name."— Wesley. 
 
 -*-- 
 
 THE wonderful improvements which followed the 
 mtroduction of Christianity into the disorderly 
 colony of freed slaves at Sierra Leone was in no small 
 degree due to the earnest and practical efforts put 
 lorth m fmdmg something for their idle hands and 
 undisciplined brains to do. Trades were taught the 
 people ; and, generally speaking, notwithstanding the 
 common imputation that the negro is naturally a lazy 
 fellow these liberated slaves took to their handicrafts 
 
 i:'rol.....r J^xummona, who has so recently had an 
 opportunity from his own observation of the natives 
 
 D 
 
84 
 
 SAMUKL CROWTHEII. 
 
 11 f 
 I' 
 
 i ^ 
 
 ii; , .■ 
 
 of tropical Africa, that to blame tlio African for being 
 lazy is a misuse of words. " Ho does not need to 
 work ; with so bountiful a nature round him it would 
 be gratuitous to work. And his iiulolcnce, therefore, 
 as it is called, is jusi; as much a part of himself as his 
 Hat nose, and as little blameworthy as slowness is to 
 a tortoise. The fact is Africa is a nation of the un- 
 employed." AVhen we free liim from the forced 
 servitude of the slave-driver we must find him employ- 
 ment elsewhere, and with proper tact and encourage- 
 ment he will soon work away with a will. 
 
 Samuel Crowtluu-, settling down under such patient 
 training, was instructed in that branch of human 
 labour which will ever be surrounded with sacred 
 memories. As a carpenter he soon showed a pro- 
 ficiency in the use of the chisel and plane, and in 
 after years this ability to work for himself and for 
 others became exceedingly useful to him. But not 
 only were his hands employed, but his mind began 
 to drink with avidity from the stores of human 
 knowledge and education. Naturally studious and 
 mtellectual, the future Bishop yearned after more 
 light. 
 
 It is not difficult to imagine with what wild joy 
 he received the announcement that his kind friends, 
 Mr. and Mrs. I)avey, would take him with them on a 
 visit to England. This was in 182() ; and in due time 
 he caught the first glimpse of the white clift's of that 
 wonderful land about whose power and influence he 
 had already heard so much. The ship reached Ports- 
 mouth on the IGth August ; and shortly afterwards, 
 during his stay of three or four months in London, 
 young Adjai became a pupil in the parochial school at 
 
ON THK TJIHESJ10L1) OF THE WORK. 
 
 35 
 
 « 
 
 Islington. These schools still remain, overlooking the 
 leafy churchyard of the Chapel-of-Ease ; but in the 
 days when the youthful Crowther came to work for 
 the fh-st time by the side of English boys, Islington 
 was still a merrie village famous for its country walks 
 and new milk. Altogether he was not in England 
 more than a year, but doubtless he made good use of 
 liis eyes and cars in making acquaintance with 
 English life and manners. 
 
 Meanwhile the educational movement, inaugurated 
 by the Church Missionary Society at Sierra Leone, was 
 making good progress, and the Industrial Boarding 
 School had developed into its original plan of a real 
 Christian institution, the centre of a network of 
 capital schools in the districts around. Hence it was 
 proposed to utilise the place as a nursery for training 
 native teachers, and an excellent clergyman, the Eev. 
 C. L. E. Ilaensel, went out in February, 1827, to 
 superintend its establishment. This became in due 
 time Eourah Bay College ; and the first name of the 
 half-dozen native youths who are entered on its roll 
 cf students is that of Samuel Crowther. 
 
 As we have shown, the fatality of the climate to 
 Europeans gave urgency to this effort to train others, 
 who did not suffer from the same physical danger, to 
 labour in this field. It was high time that something 
 should be done. The Gold Coast had earned an awful 
 name, and again and again its fever-stricken shores 
 became whitened with the bones of the stranger. 
 " The churchyard at Kissy," writes Bishop Vidal years 
 afterwards, " with its multiplied memories of those 
 not lost but gone l)efore, is a silent but eloquent 
 witness to the kind of schoohng which the missionary 
 
 Vi 
 
! i- 
 
 1 1 
 
 
 1 ' 
 
 . , 
 
 u 
 
 
 i 
 
 \ 
 
 f 
 
 I 
 
 
 I 
 
 y 
 
 L 
 
 36 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 for Africa requires." Very graciously God blessed the 
 now venture, and it became a spiritual home from 
 which, from time to time, its sons sallied forth, full 
 of faith and zeal, to preach the unsearchable riches of 
 the Gospel to their brethren after the flesh. 
 
 Crowthcr made progress, and became an assistant 
 teacher in the College, and this mark of confidence and 
 respect was quite a turning point in his career. He 
 who was in the Providence of God to rise to such an 
 honourable position in the church, never forgot the 
 humility of those early days, and with gratitude he was 
 moved to say in a letter at this time, speaking of the 
 moment of his being carried into captivity : 
 
 •* From this period I must date the unhappy, but 
 which I am ever taught in other respects to call blessed, 
 day which I shall never forget in my life. I call it an 
 unhappy day, because it was the day on which I was 
 violently turned out of my father's house and separated 
 from my relatives, and in which I was made to 
 experience what is called to be in slavery. With 
 regard to its being called blessed, it was the day 
 which Providence had marked out for me to set out on 
 my journey from the land of heathenism, superstition 
 and vice, to a place where the Gospel is preached." 
 
 This thankfulness, which welled up from his liL.irt, 
 shaped itself into a determination, so far as God should 
 give him opportunity and ability, to work among his 
 own people, teaching them as he had been taught, and 
 leading them also to the Saviour who had manifested 
 Himself to him. 
 
 By his side, in those early and happy days at 
 Bathurst, a lit tie girl, taken like himself from the deck 
 of a slave ship, was taught with him in the same 
 
of the 
 
 ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE WORK. 87 
 
 house. They grew ip together, and in due time she 
 being a Christian, was baptized from her native name 
 Asano into the name of Susanna. They grew fond of 
 each other, and after a happy period of courtship, 
 which is the same sweet old story in Africa as 
 elsewhere, they were married. It was the beginning 
 
 if 
 
 THE COLLEGE, FOUKAIl BAY. 
 
 of a long and blissful union, in which God blessed 
 them with dutiful and useful children. One of them, 
 the Rev.Dandoson Coates Crowther,is now Archdeacon 
 of his father's diocese ; two others are doing well as 
 infiiicntial and godly laymen, and of his three 
 daughters two have been married to native clergy- 
 
\\ 
 
 88 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 ll I' 
 I' li' 
 
 i m 
 
 
 men, and are their faithful helpmeets in the service 
 of om* Lord. 
 
 In the year 1880 Crowther was appointed from the 
 College to the care of a school at Regent's Town, and 
 his wife was officially associated with him as school- 
 mistress. Two years after they were promoted to still 
 more important duties at Wellington ; and finally he 
 came back to the College on the installation of the 
 Rev. G. A. Kissling, who afterwards became Archdeacon 
 of New Zealand, as the new principal. Here for 
 some years was Crowther's sphere of work ; and it is 
 gratifying to notice, that several who came under his 
 training at this period were afterwards ordained and 
 appointed as government chaplains at important 
 stations on the coast. 
 
 In one respect Crowther has the same invaluable 
 gift as Patteson, a natural aptitude for languages; 
 and in his work at the College and elsewhere he 
 showed how great an advantage he possessed in 
 dealing with the chiefs and headmen of the district. 
 This marked him out for notice at a critical moment 
 which was approaching. 
 
 In the year 1841 the mind of England was greatly 
 excited with a proposal, set on foot by Her Majesty's 
 Government, to explore the river Niger. In a memo- 
 randum from Lord John Russell, then Colonial Secre- 
 tary, it was explained to the Lords of the Treasury that 
 such an expedition, suitably manned and equipped, 
 would open up a new field for British commerce, and 
 at the same time materially assist in putting down 
 that infamous system of slavery which the English 
 people so deplored. Prince Albert, then in the vigour 
 of young manhood, and zealous as he always was of 
 
ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE WOlUv. 
 
 39 
 
 good works, warmly espoused the idea, and the senti- 
 ment of the people was in its favour. It was pro 
 posed to give those in charge of the expedition, power, 
 in the Queen's name, to make contracts and enter 
 into agreements with the native chiefs in the direc- 
 tion of the abolition of the slave-trade, and the intro- 
 duction of commercial relations. They were also to 
 establish stations, under proper protection, where 
 factories might be built, and where the native might 
 be taught a better method of trading than that of 
 selling slaves. 
 
 The Committee of the Church Missionary Society 
 quickly perceived in this undertaking an opportunity 
 of exploring those undiscovered territories of the 
 Niger, with a view to bringing the blessings of the 
 Gospel to those poor benighted people. The Govern- 
 ment agreeing to this, two representatives of the 
 Society were appointed to accompany the expedition 
 — the Eev. James Frederick Schon and Mr. Samuel 
 Crowther. The former had, during his ten years at 
 Sierra Leone as a missionary, become an authority 
 upon the African people and their characteristics, 
 and of the latter little more need be said than that he 
 was burning to preach the Word of Life, at any sa- 
 crifice, among his own people in the far-off interior. 
 Happily the journals of these noble pioneers of 
 Christianity have been preserved, and we shall now 
 quote some of their own words therefrom, describing in 
 a most interesting manner the incidents of the voyage. 
 
 When the tidings came to Messrs. Schon and 
 Crowther that they were to accompany the expedi- 
 tion, they gladly prepared themselves for a step, 
 which was not unattended with prospects of danger 
 
f ^ 
 
 If I 
 
 nil 
 
 H 
 
 r ' 
 
 1 1 I : 
 
 I f 
 
 40 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTIIER. 
 
 to themselves. The jealousy and cruelty of hostile 
 trihes, and the risks to health which the fearful 
 climate of those regions involved, faced them as 
 they entered upon their task. But the prospect of 
 preaching the Gospel to those who had never heard 
 of the love of Christ was a sufficient incentive to put 
 aside all fears. In each case, too, a separation from 
 wife and home was naturally painful, but most bravely 
 was it borne. Mrs. Schon was only just recovering 
 from a serious illness, and it was not until he had 
 prayed long and earnestly for Divine help that her 
 husband ventured to break the news to her of his 
 immediate departure. 
 
 He tells us, " This being done, I approached the bed 
 of my afflicted partner, and made her acquainted 
 with the arrival of the vessels. She was not taken 
 by surprise, but, on the contrary, to my astonish- 
 ment, calmly replied, * Oh ! I can bear it. Never 
 mind me, I am only sorry that I cannot assist you 
 more in getting ready. Leave me, go on with your 
 business, God will take care of me.' To find her in such 
 a frame of mind was very cheering to me; I knew 
 well that flesh and blood could not have given it to 
 her, and that it was an answer to many prayers. I 
 learned to understand anew that it was the will of 
 God that I should engage in this important work. 
 Hitherto the Lord has removed all obstacles, and has 
 given me more than ordinary strength to prosecute 
 my prepai:ations for it. And although I more than 
 ever feel my unfitness, I am not dismayed. I can lay 
 hold on the precious promises of God, and will go on 
 my way rejoicing'." 
 . Such was the spirit of one of these noble men, and 
 
ON THE THRESHOLD OF THE WORK. 
 
 41 
 
 in such grand faith and self-forgetfiUness did his wife 
 bid him adieu. 
 
 With Crowther the parting was not less costly or 
 trying to human feeling. For many reasons he expe- 
 rienced much reluctance to leave Fourah Bay, his 
 College work, his home, and those dear to him. Not 
 a few tears were secretly shed during the packing of 
 his boxes ; but on the 1st July the Soudan sailed, 
 and he waved his last farewells to those on shore. 
 
 "To-day about 11 o'clock," he tells us, "the 
 Soudan got under way for the Niger, the highway 
 into the heart of Africa. She was soon followed by 
 the Wilherforcc, which took her in tow in order to 
 save fuel. When I looked back on the colony in which 
 I had spent nineteen years— the happiest part of my 
 life, because there 1 was made acquainted with the 
 saving knowledge of Jesus Christ— leaving my wife, 
 who was near her confinement, and four children 
 behind— I could not but feel pain and some anxiety 
 for a time at the separation. May the Lord, who has 
 been my guide from my youth up until now, keep them 
 and me, and make me neither barren nor unfruitful 
 in His service." 
 
 It was a sharp disappointment to Schon and 
 Crowther to find that they were not to travel to- 
 gether, the former being attached to the Wilherforcc, 
 especially as they were hoping to work conjointly in 
 their leisure in translating the Scriptures into the 
 languages of the inland tribes. But by this arrange- 
 ment we have now two distinct and most interesting 
 accounts of the expedition, the Wilherforcc exploring 
 the TsLadda, and the Soudan passing up the main 
 stream of the Niger. 
 
42 
 
 SAMUEI. CHOWTIIER. 
 
 Bearing no arms of war ; equipped for no devas- 
 tating conflict with the natives, but carrying a mes- 
 sage of peace and goodwill, these English vessels 
 steamed up the river. The brave men who stood 
 full of hope upon their decks little dreamt how 
 disastrous would prove their venture, and how the 
 return of their vessels would bring but a feeble 
 remnant back to their native land ! 
 
 
 
 is I I 
 
 i |: 
 
levas- 
 mes- 
 esscl8 
 stood 
 how 
 ,v the 
 feeble 
 
 
 ■!5i- '■>•*%*?;■; ,,=7r»?Sg^^g 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Niger first Explored. 
 — ^ — 
 
 " Rise, gracious God, and shine 
 
 In all Thy stivinL,' might ; 
 And prosper each design 
 
 To sprciid Thy glorious light. 
 Let healing streams of mercy flow, 
 
 That all the earth Thy truth may know."— Hl'HN. 
 
 ^ 
 
 AUGUST 20th, 1811. The Wilhcrforce and the 
 Soudaji (so runs Growther's journal) got under 
 way this mornmg in pursuit of the Albert, and in 
 about two hours we lost sight of the sea, and were 
 comjiletely surrounded by thick mangroves on both 
 sides of the creek. Apparent satisfaction was seen on 
 every countenance, that we had now commenced our 
 river navigation, although some could not help re- 
 marking that they were going to their graves. 
 
 "August 21. We were gradually introduced from 
 the mangroves into a forest of palm and bamboo trees, 
 embellished with large cotton trees of curious shapes, 
 interspersed among them on both sides of the river, 
 and of other lofty trees of beautiful foliage. All hands 
 
44 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 I I 
 
 it ,| 
 
 were invited on declv by thin new scenery, and the ilay 
 was spent with great interest at this novel appearance. 
 We passed on both sides of the river several plantations 
 of bananas, plantains, sugar-canes, cocoa or kalabe — 
 so-called by the Americans — and now and then some 
 huts with natives in them. 
 
 ** The natives were so timid that they several times 
 pulled their canoes ashore, and ran away into the bush, 
 where they hid themselves among t^ e grass, and 
 peeped at the steamers with fear and great astonish- 
 ment. We got opposite to a village containing about 
 seven or eight huts, where the inhabitants in very 
 great earnest armed themselves with sticks and 
 country billhooks, and ran along the bank to a 
 neighbouring village, to apprise the villagers of the 
 dreadful approach of our wonderful floating and self- 
 moving habitation. These villagers also followed the 
 example of their informers. Having armed themselves 
 in like manner, they betook themselves to the next 
 village to bring them the same tidings. When they 
 were encouraged to come on board, it was difdcult to find 
 persons brave enough to do so. Those who ventured 
 to come near took care not to go further from shore 
 than the distance of a Ita^p from their canoe, in case 
 there should be cause for it. 
 
 *' The Captain perceiving some of them inclined to 
 come off, stopped the engine, and persuaded them to 
 come near us. In the meantime he had come opposite 
 to a, larger village into which all the former villagers 
 had collected themselves. There was a httle boy who 
 acted as their interpreter because he understood two 
 English words, 'Yes' and ' Tabac,' which he hid 
 picked up at some place. They constantly told him 
 
 
THE NIGER FIRST EXPLORED. 
 
 46 
 
 something to tell us, but he could not say anything 
 elst! besides liis * yes ' and ' tabac.' 
 
 "After much hesitation a large canoe came off with 
 no less than forty- three persons in it. It was with 
 great difficulty that some of them were persuaded to 
 come on board. Their fear may be accOvUited for by 
 the slave-traders having often pursued their victims 
 through the mangrove swam^ My expectation was 
 greatly raised when I found among them a Yoruba boy 
 of about thirteen years of age, froni wliom I thouglit we 
 could get some information about these people ; but 
 the poor little fellow had almost lost his native lan- 
 guage, through his lonely situation among them. He 
 could not even understand me very well when I asked 
 him about his father and mother and his own town. 
 He must have travelled hundreds of miles before ho 
 got into this secret part of Africa. Here we were 
 overtaken by the.l//^t'r^ and Wilbcrforce, the latter took 
 another branch of the river this evening to prove its 
 course. The Albert and the Soudan dropped anchors 
 about ten miles from the branch taken by the Wilhc.r- 
 force, to sf ond the first Sabbath of our a:5cent up the 
 Niger. Plenty of cocoanut trees were seen in many of 
 the villages to-day. 
 
 " August 22, the Lord's Day. We are now below a 
 small village quietly enjoying the Christian Sabbath. 
 Not more than two furlongs from us are a people who 
 know no heaven, fear no hell, and who are strangers 
 from the covenant of promise, having no hope and 
 without God in the world. How inexcusable art thou, 
 man, who art living in a place where the gospel of 
 Christ is preached every Sabbath, yet who preferrest 
 to live in darkness, in ignorance of God, of Christ, and 
 
i() 
 
 SAMUKL rUOWTIIEn. 
 
 tl 11 
 
 ill! 
 
 4, + i 
 
 if i I 
 
 I i h 
 
 li I i 
 
 of tho state of tliino own houI, to being made wise unto 
 salvation by the saving knowledge of the gospel of 
 Jesus Christ. Take care lest theso people rise up in 
 judgment against thee, and condemn thee, because 
 thou rejectest the counsel of God against thyself. 
 
 " August 23. This morning, about half-past 5 o'clock, 
 we got undrr way, leaving the Alhcrt behind, as she 
 was waiting for the return of the Wllhcvforci-. Wo 
 continued to pass several huts and plantations of 
 sugar-canes, bananas, and plantains. Many natives 
 made their appearance, and came out to us in their 
 canoes; some being dressed in old soldiers' and 
 drummers' coats, having on old coimnon black hats. 
 You scarcely can imagine how they looked in these 
 dresses, having on neither sliirt nor trousers, with tho 
 exception of a piece of cloth or handkerchief around 
 their waists. As their coats were red and showy, 
 they took a very great pride in their whimsical dresses. 
 A blue flag, with fanciful figures of man, monkey, 
 bottle, etc., was tlying in one of their canoes. They 
 were not afraid of us, for they came of their own 
 accord, with their notes of recommendation from the 
 captains of former steamers. After wc had steamed 
 for about two hours we came to another large village, 
 from whence the natives soon came around us with 
 plenty of bananas and plantains. The people here 
 scarce want anytliing else in exchange for their fruits 
 beside rum, for which they constantly call out, 
 ' Vlolo, Vlolo ! ' at the same time applying their 
 hands to their mouths, intimating to us that they 
 wanted something to drink. But as Cai)tain Allen 
 would not countenance anything of tie kind, we could 
 buy very little of their things. 
 
 o 
 
 a 
 
 o 
 
 r 
 
 < 
 
 v. 
 
 > 
 
 a: 
 
 ■a 
 
I to 
 of 
 
 in 
 
 X'K. 
 
 Hi 
 
 ic 
 
 f 
 
 o 
 
 Uvcs 
 lioir 
 and 
 lilts, 
 liese 
 1 the 
 )uml 
 
 iC}'; 
 
 lio 
 
 ;n 
 
 th( 
 
 ith 
 
 its 
 
 ley 
 
 t-\. 
 

 
 f '. 
 
 48 
 
 SAMUEL CIIOWTHER. 
 
 "August 29, liord's Day. Lay at anchor yester- 
 day, a little above Ibo, to enjoy the Sabbath, an 
 emblem of the rest that remaineth for the people of 
 God." 
 
 Crowther then goes on to describe his visit to king 
 Obi, a potentate whose position and influence made the 
 incident of his coming in contact with the expedition 
 of much importance. A man of average size, with a 
 pleasant smile, dressed in calico trousers and coat, 
 and ornamented with huge strips of pipe coral, leopard's 
 teeth and brass buttons. In order that we may 
 better understand the king and his people we will 
 quote from the journal of Mr. Schon, who had specially 
 to arrange the slave treaty with him. 
 
 "King Obi sent one of his sons to welcome the 
 strangers. He was a very fine-looking young man, 
 about twenty years of age. Both himself and his 
 companions attended our morning devotions, after 
 which I told them what book it was of which I had 
 been reading a portion, and that I had come to this 
 country to tell the people what God had in it revealed 
 to us. They were surprised, and could not well 
 understand how it was possible that I should have no 
 other object in view. They are sensible of their 
 inferiority in every respect to white men, and can 
 therefore be easily led by them either to do evil or 
 good. 
 
 " When I told one this morning that the slave trade 
 was a bad thing, and that white people wished to put 
 an end to it altogether, he gave me an excellent 
 answer, ' Well, if white people give up buying, black 
 people will dvn up selling slaves.' He assured me, 
 too, that it had hitherto been his belief, that it was 
 
THE NIGER FIRST EXPLORED. 
 
 49 
 
 in 
 
 the will of God that black people should be slaves of 
 white people ! 
 
 " This afternoon I satisfied myself of the correctness 
 of various particulars which I had previously obtained 
 of the Ibo people respecting some of their superstitious 
 practices. It appears to be but too true that human 
 sacrifices are offered by them, and that in the most bar- 
 barous manner. The legs of the devoted victim are tied 
 together, and he is dragged from place to place till he 
 expires. The person who gave me this information 
 told me that one man had been dragged about for 
 nearly a whole day before his sufterings terminated in 
 death. The body is afterwards cast into the river. 
 Interment is always denied them, they must become 
 food for alligators or fishes. Sometimes people are 
 fastened to trees or to branches close to the river until 
 they are famished. 
 
 " Also if a child should happen to cut its top teeth 
 first the poor infant is likewise killed; it is considered 
 to indicate that the child, were it allowed to live, 
 would become a very bad person. To say to any 
 person, * You cut your top teeth first,' is, therefore, 
 as much as to say nothing good can be expected 
 from you ; you are born to do evil, it is impossible 
 
 for you to act otherwise 
 
 " The Ibos are in their way a religious people, the 
 word ' Tshuku,' God, is continually heard. Tshuku is 
 supposed to do everything. When a few bananas fell 
 out of the hands of one into the water, he comforted 
 himself by saying, ' God has done it.' 
 
 " Their notions of some of the attributes of the 
 Supreme Being are in many respects correct, and 
 their manner of expressing them striking. 'God 
 
50 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 mcade everything. He made both white and black/ 
 is continually on their lips. Some of their parables 
 are descriptive of the perfections of God, when they 
 say, for instance, that God has two eyes and two ears, 
 that the one is in heaven and the other on earth. I 
 suppose the conception that they have of God's 
 omniscience and omnipresence cannot be disputed. 
 
 " On the death of a person who has in their estimation 
 been good, they will say, ' He will see God ; ' while of 
 a wicked person they will say, ' He will go into fire.' 
 
 "I had frequent opportunities of hearing these expres- 
 sions at Sie^-ra Leone ; and though I was assured that 
 they had not heard them from Christians, I would not 
 state them before I had satisfied myself by inquiring 
 of such as had never had any intercourse with Chris- 
 tians, that they possessed correct ideas of a future 
 state of reward and punishment. Truly God has not 
 left Himself without witness ! 
 
 " Another subject upon which they are generally 
 agreed, but which I am sorry to say, I shall have no 
 opportunity of pursuing any further, is the following : 
 It is their common behef that there is a certain place 
 or town in the Ibo country in which Tshuku dwells, 
 and where he delivers his oracles and answers inquiries. 
 Any matter of importance is left to his decision, and 
 people travel to the place from every part of the 
 country. It is said to be in the rainy season three 
 months' journey from this town, but that in the dry 
 season it could bo made in a much shorter time. 
 
 "I was informed to-day that last year Tshuku had 
 given sentence against the slave trade. The person 
 of him is placed on a piece of ground which is imme- 
 diately and miraculously surrounded by water. Tshuku 
 
THE NIGER FIRST EXPLORED. 
 
 51 
 
 cannot be seen by any human eye, his voice is heard 
 
 from the ground. He knows every language on earth, 
 
 makes known thieves, and 
 
 if there is fraud in the 
 
 heart of the inquiring he 
 
 is sure to find it out, and 
 
 woe to such a person, for 
 
 he will never return. He 
 
 hears every word that is 
 
 said against him, but can 
 
 only revenge himself when 
 
 persons come near him. 
 
 I once asked a man, * Did 
 
 the people ever drive him 
 
 out of his hole ? ' when he 
 
 said to me very seriously, 
 
 * Master, do not take such 
 
 a word, perhaps by-and- 
 
 ^y you go see the place. 
 
 Tshuku will kill you. You 
 
 hear now, "You must drive 
 
 me out of my hole;" and 
 
 the time he begin for talk 
 
 you no go open your mouth 
 
 again.' They sincerely 
 
 believe all these things, 
 
 and many others respecting 
 
 Tshuku, and obey his orders 
 
 implicitly ; and if it should 
 
 be correct that he has said 
 
 that they should give up 
 
 the slave trade, I have no doubt that they will do 
 
 it at once." 
 
 '<! 
 
;i ! 
 
 II 
 
 52 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 The native interpreter on board the Wilhcrforce was 
 Simon Jonas, one of the Hberated slaves ; and when 
 he came amongst people who had known him they 
 could not credit the fact of his being still alive and 
 well. It was the prevalent notion among these natives 
 that slaves purchased by the white people were killed 
 and eaten, and their blood used to dye red cloth. One 
 of these poor heathen was, at the request of the inter- 
 preter, brought on board, and Mr. Schon goes on to 
 tell us : 
 
 " Though many years had elapsed since our inter- 
 preter was sold, and the other had in the meantime 
 become an old man, they instantly recognised each 
 other, and I cannot describe the astonishment mani- 
 fested- by the Ibo man at seeing one whom he verily 
 believed had long since been killed and eaten by the 
 white people. His expressions of surprise were strong, 
 but very significant. ' If God Himself,' he said, ' had 
 told me this I could not have believed what my eyes 
 now see.' The interpreter then found out that Any a 
 was the very place to which he had been first sold as 
 a slave, and at which he had spent nine years of his 
 early life, and that the very person with whom he 
 was speaking had been his doctor and nurse in a 
 severe illness, on which account he had retained a 
 thankful remembrance of him. The Ibo man was 
 kindly treated by the captain, and his request to be 
 allowed to accompany us to Obi was instantly granted. 
 He calls himself brother to Obi ; but it is well known 
 that the word ' brother ' has a most extensive signi- 
 fication in Western Africa. When he was asked 
 whether lie thoiiglit that Obi would be glad to see 
 white men, he gave a reply which I was not prepared 
 
THE NIGER FIRST EXPLORED. 
 
 58 
 
 to hear from the lips of a pagan. ' These three 
 months,' he said, ' we have been praying to God to 
 send white man's ship.' 
 
 " Oh that I could believe and be convinced that this 
 was something of the cry of the Macedonians, * Come 
 over, and help us ! ' But a suspicious thought in- 
 trudes itself on my mind, and makes me suppose that 
 it is the desire of seeing a slave dealer with his cargo 
 in exchange for their own flesh and blood." 
 
 

 -?f' 
 
 i^ '■ 
 
 11 
 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A Sorrowful Return. 
 
 -^le- 
 
 " While I draw this fleeting breath, 
 When my eyes shall close in death, 
 
 When I rise to worlds unknown, 
 And behold thee on Thy throne, 
 
 Rock of Ages cleft for me, 
 
 Let rae hide myself iu Thee ! "— Toplady. 
 
 ■•^^ 
 
 THERE are few spectacles so disappointing as that 
 of brave endeaTour baffled by forces which it 
 cannot overcome, returning with its noble aim un- 
 accomplished. Nothing could exceed the courage and 
 energy displayed by those who composed this expedi- 
 tion up the Niger ; and although in dealing with these 
 native tribes, c ially on such a delicate subject as 
 the commerce i slaves, the explorers held their lives 
 very cheaply, they found a foe barring their progress 
 which no efforts of theirs could overcome. A pesti- 
 lential fever, which, leaving no impression on the 
 natives, was rapidly fatal to Europeans, soon began 
 to decimate the party. It is a saddening record 
 of high hopes extinguished in feebleness and pain. 
 There seemed to be a scrange fatality attaching to 
 
A SORROWFUL RETURN. 
 
 55 
 
 the ships, and accident as wel] as disease was at 
 work in impeding their progress. 
 
 Crowther tells us that when they reached the im- 
 portant native town of Attah, " the Ingalla inter- 
 preter, whose services were mostly needed at this 
 place, accidently fell overboard from the Albert, and 
 was drowned. I was just on the way to ask permis- 
 sion to go on board the Albert, as she was going nearer 
 the town with all who were desirous of going on 
 shore, when she got under way, in search of this 
 poor man who had made himself very useful in this 
 country. The Lord seeth not as man seeth. * Trust 
 not in man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for 
 wherein is he to be accounted of.'" 
 
 It apj^ears from what Mr. Schon says of this event, 
 that there was reason to deplore specially the end of 
 this man's life. He was a Christian convert, and had 
 been a communicant for several years of the church 
 in Sierra Leone ; and his only child, a girl of fifteen, 
 was then a promising pupil in one of the schools. 
 It seems, however, that on his return to his native 
 place here he spent the night on shore against the 
 orders of the commander, and had partaken too 
 freely of the palm wine of the natives. Thus it is 
 feared that on his return he was not altogether under 
 control, and paid the awful penalty of losing his life. 
 At his death the apathy of the natives was apparent, 
 although the poor fellow was struggling in the water 
 within reach of three canoes, holding at least a 
 hundred persons, not one attempted to stretch out a 
 hand to help him ! 
 
 As the vessels approached the confluence of the 
 Tshadda with the Niger, the country became more 
 
 
 m 
 

 tj; 
 
 '- 4 
 
 56 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 hilly, and the river had overflowed its banks, flooding 
 the villages in the vicinity up to the tops of the huts. 
 iiut notwithstanding the pleasant scenery, the illness 
 which was spreading over the vessels told too plainly 
 how deadly was the climate. Mr. Schc3n tells us what 
 he felt at this moment. 
 
 " The country we are now in, the clear air and dry 
 atmosphere we now enjoy would cause us to doubt 
 that the climate could be dangerous, were it not for 
 the sick and the dying by whom we are surrounded. 
 1 pray for them, I pray with them, and their sick- 
 beds have taught me many a lesson. I cannot speak 
 of decided cases of sick or death-bed conversions; 
 but I have had pleasing proofs that my feeble assist- 
 ance was acceptable, and, I trust, blessed by God to 
 them. Of some I am certain that they have not 
 engaged in this expedition for the sake of double pay 
 but were actuated by better and nobler motives; and 
 to them belongs the promise of the Saviour, that they 
 shall m no wise lose their reward. I feel much sup- 
 ported by the assurance that many prayers are offered 
 up m distant lands on our behalf, by the friends of 
 the great cause in which we have the honour to be 
 engaged. The heat to-day was great— 87° at 5 p.m. 
 —but by no means oppressive. The only incon- 
 venience I felt arose from the want of sound sleep 
 I am covered with the prickly-heat, which made me 
 feel all the night as if I was lying on needles. 
 
 " September 12th, Lord's Day. Another death on 
 board the Albert last night, and several persons still 
 very ill m each of our vessels. There is no knowing 
 what another day may bring forth. If ever T fdt 
 the importance and responsibility of the minister of 
 
A SORROWFUL RETURN. 57 
 
 the Gospel it was to-day. Our service was to my 
 mind a solemn one. I administered the sacrament 
 tor the first time on board tlic Wilherforce. The ser 
 v-ice was held on the quarter-deck ^behind mo was 
 
 the lifeless corpse of N , a sailor who expired last 
 
 night, before me an attentive audience of as many as 
 could be spared from their work. On deck were the 
 carpenters making a coffin ; on the forecastle of the 
 vessel were seven persons dangerously ill of fever • 
 and at a few yards from us was the Albert, lying with 
 the usual sign of mourning-a lowered flag. I spoke 
 on the right state of mind which ought to possess us 
 at the approach of death. My text was taken from 
 Acts vii., the last two verses. It was not a studied 
 sermon, it came from the heart ; and if I'm not mis- 
 taken found its way to the heart. The sailor was 
 buried by myself at Adda kudda this evenin- I 
 heard of no new case of sickness to-day, and was 
 thankful when I observed that some of our people 
 were to all appearance improving. I could truly and 
 fully enter into the feelings of one man when he told 
 me that he hoped by God's mercy to be spared and 
 permitted to see his wife and child once more. The 
 chord of sympathy was powerfully touched by his 
 expression of this desire." 
 
 One of the most serious aspects of this fever was 
 that the medical men attached to the expedition were 
 beginning to suffer themselves ; and one of them, Mr 
 Nigh ingale, the surgeon on the Albert, was mortall^ 
 ruck down. He was a young and particularly healthy 
 ma.1, with a prospect of being very useful, and learned 
 m his profession. One of the two missionaries was 
 with him in his dying moments, and was led to believe 
 
58 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 from liis last Avords that the Saviour of sinners was 
 precious to liim. Fifty-five persons were now lying 
 helpless on the decks of the ship, and from time to 
 time they were added to the numher of tlie dead. 
 Where they had hoped to hrinp; the blessing of Chris- 
 tian teaching they found only a grave, and a piece 
 of land was purchased from the king of Attah as a 
 burial ground, where Dr. Nightingale and others were 
 interred. A deep solemnity rested on the crews, and 
 the morning nnd evening prayers became times of 
 impressive feeling. As the shadows drew on and 
 night closed in they sang with heart-breaking emotion 
 and yet a reviving faith, 
 
 " Wliy do we mourn (lejiavting friends, 
 Or -hiiko at dcath'.s alarms ? 
 'Tis but tlio voice tliat Je.sus sends 
 To call them to His arms." 
 
 At last the captains being laid low, urgent steps 
 were necessary, and it was decided that the Soudan, 
 with a mournful cargo of invalids, sliuuld turn and 
 glide with all haste back to the sea. With it Crowther 
 returned ; and he tells us how dispiriting was that 
 journey, in which the two brave leaders, Captain 
 Trotter nnd Captain Allen, were lying side by side in 
 dangerous sickness. Death passed among the suffering, 
 and again and again they had to consign their bodies 
 to the deep ; while many of those who lived on raged 
 in delirium, and in one or two cases flung themselves 
 from the ships in the madness of fever. The Wilbcr- 
 force followed on the homeward track shortly after- 
 wards, a moving hospital, with scarcely enough 
 strength on board to direct its passage down the river. 
 
 The Albert, however, with a very small staff, was 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 1) 
 r 
 
 G 
 
 ft 
 z 
 
 n 
 w 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 K 
 
 > 
 
 2 
 
 o 
 
 H 
 
 IT. 
 
 X 
 > 
 c 
 c 
 > 
 
 ft 
 
 tr. 
 
 H 
 
 > 
 
 S 
 > 
 
river. 
 T, was 
 
GO 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 I, I 
 
 ! , If 
 
 I: ffi 
 
 ordered to pursue her way up stream, and upon her 
 decks was Mr. Schon. With varying experiences they 
 pursued their way, coming in contact with the Nufi 
 people ; observing everywhere the terror exhibited at 
 the oppression by the Fukitahs, and having a most 
 interesting and encouraging interview with llogan, an 
 old chief, at Egga. The Mohammedans had it all 
 their own way in these districts, and the ^[allams who 
 represented that religion treated Mr. Schon very cour- 
 teously, giving him copies of their Arabic books, 
 which, however, they were not able themselves to 
 read. Much valuable information was obtained as to 
 the sale of slaves ; of service to those who came after- 
 wards. But death pointed once more Avith bony 
 finger down the stream, and commanded them to 
 return. We read in Mr. Schon" journals : 
 
 " October 4th. * Hitherto shalt thou come and no 
 further,' was the message of this morning, 'Draw 
 up the anchor and return to the sea as fast as pos- 
 sible.' I always apprehended this. My feelings 
 naturally opposed it continually, and the thought of 
 it grieved my heart ; but now I feel reconciled to it, 
 seeing that it is the only resource left to us. Captain 
 Trotter was taken ill last evening, and the symptoms 
 or fever were too plain this morning to favour the 
 hope that it was merely a momentary indisposition. 
 Only one European officer was able to perform duty 
 on board. The fever on the others has not subdued ; 
 and not one will be able to do duty for some time, 
 even should their hves be spared, which at present 
 appears very doubtful. 
 
 " Wc made but little progress to-day in our return 
 to the sea, as there was some business going on at 
 
A SORROWFUL RETURN. 
 
 61 
 
 Egga, and tlio engineerH being still ill, gtoam could 
 not be got up. Captain Trotter, I am thankful to say, 
 appeared better this afternoon ; but the other invalids,' 
 I am sorry to add, were apparently no better. May 
 their valuable lives be preserved for the good of the 
 cause in which they are zealously labouring. 
 
 •' October 5th. All of us were disturbed last night 
 by the illness of several of our companions, but cbpc- 
 cially by one, who, in a state of delirium, continued 
 making a great noise up to one o'clock this morning. 
 In the gun-room wo surrounded the dying bed of 
 Lieutenant Stenhouse, expecting every moment to see 
 him yield up his spirit unto God who gave it. He was 
 partially delir-.c , ^ut there was a great contrast in 
 his conduct ,o Am - f the others : the former cried, 
 'We are al i: Ht—vv, are all lost— God Almighty 
 has said it;' -lu'e, che lieutenant was as meek and 
 gentle as a lamu, and his expressions betrayed grief 
 on account of sin, and at times indicated some enjoy- 
 ment of the consolations of the Gospel. 
 
 •• He said, * God be merciful to me, Christ died for 
 me. Thy kingdom come ! ' Seizing my hand, he said, 
 * God bless you ! God be with you. I thank you.' 
 
 "Captain B. Allen seemed better in health this 
 mornmg. He is always in an excellent frame of mind ; 
 all the Christian graces shine in him. He says, and' 
 with the Apostle, feels what he says to be true, ' For mo 
 to live is Christ, and to die is gain; ' and if there be a 
 prevailmg desire in his mind it certainly is, 'rather 
 to be absent from the body and to be present with 
 the Lord.' enviable state of mind ! May my soul 
 oc atckmg more and more to be in such a state ! " 
 The intense trouble which wrung the heart of Mr. 
 
 i 
 
 ii 
 
 i 
 
 • ■ 1 
 I 
 
 i 
 
62 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 Schon may be seen in the following extract written at 
 the moment of their sad return, when he says that 
 the whole result of the expedition may be written in 
 one terrible word, "failure ! " 
 
 " I long for better days, and for a change in our 
 condition. I have endured personal sufferings, family 
 afflictions, sore and grievous, and witnessed and shared 
 in the trials of others during my residence of eight 
 years in Sierra Leone, but nothing that I have 
 hitherto seen or felt can be compared with our present 
 condition. Pain of body, distress of mind, weakness, 
 sorrow, sobbing, and crying, surround us on all sides. 
 The healthy, if so they may be called, are more like 
 walking shadows than men of enterprise. Truly, 
 Africa is an unhealthy country ! When will her 
 redemption draw nigh ? All human skill is baffled — 
 all human means fall short. Forgive us, God, if in 
 these we have depended and been forgetful of Thee, 
 and let the light of Thy countenance again shine 
 upon us that we may be healed ! " 
 
 In due time they sighted the other ship, and a new 
 life thrilled the blood of the poor invalids as it was 
 announced to them that the sea glittered in the 
 distance. The salt breath of the ocean seemed to 
 bring energy back again ; but alas, to many it was but 
 the flicker of life's expiring ilamo ! With hearts full 
 of deep thankfulness, Mr. Schon and Mr. Crowther 
 met each other once more ; and thus ended the fatal 
 and sorrowful enterprise known as the first Niger 
 expedition. So great was the disappointment and 
 regret in England that for twelve years public opinion 
 would not allow another expedition to follow it. 
 
L'itten at 
 Lys that 
 dtten in 
 
 3 in our 
 3, family 
 d shared 
 of eight 
 I have 
 present 
 eakness, 
 ill sides, 
 lore like 
 Truly, 
 will her 
 )affled — 
 rod, if in 
 Df Thee, 
 in shine 
 
 id a new 
 s it was 
 
 in the 
 emed to 
 
 was but 
 arts full 
 ]rowther 
 the fatal 
 3t Niger 
 ent and 
 
 opinion 
 
 :t. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 An Unexpected and Happy Meeting. 
 
 •^ 
 
 " Tell it out among 
 
 Tell it out among 
 
 Tell it out among 
 Tell it out among 
 Tell it out among 
 Toll it out among 
 
 the heathen that t'.e Saviour reigns! 
 
 Tell it out ! Tell it out ! 
 the nations, bid' them burst their chains ! 
 
 Tell it out ! Tell it out ! 
 
 the weeping ones that Jesus lives, 
 
 the weary ones what rest He gives ; 
 
 the sinners that He came to save, 
 
 the dying that He triumphed o'er the grave." 
 
 ^ Havekoal. 
 "St- 
 
 i LTHouGii the first Niger expedition had closed so dis- 
 l\ astrously, there was one fact which it evidenced 
 most satisfactorily, namely, that Samuel Crowther had 
 within him the stuff of which a true missionary is 
 made, and was entitled to be ranked among those 
 glorious witnesses for Christ who are charged with the 
 message of mercy to heathen lands. In many hours 
 of trial and suffering, when the crews of the ill-fated 
 vessels lay around the decks in agony, Crowther 
 showed the sympathy of a Christian minister, and liis 
 words were not unfruitful at such a trying time. 
 There was also shown in his treatment of the chiefs 
 of the various tribes the advantage of negotiating 
 
64 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 iii . 
 
 through one of their own colour and country, and 
 whatever success did attend the efforts put forth in 
 establishing good relations with the natives was 
 largely due to the services of the future Bishop of 
 the Niger. Combining courage with gentleness, and 
 possessing no small show of that patient tact which 
 is indispensable in dealing with these people, 
 Crowther won his spiritual spurs under these trying 
 circumstances. It was also very satisfactory to find 
 that while the white people were prostrate with 
 sickness, Crowther maintained his thoughts and 
 vigour, demonstrating beyond question the import- 
 ance of working such a dangerous field with native 
 
 agency. 
 
 It is not surprising, therefore, that on his return to 
 Fourah Bay College, Mr. Sehon wrote to the Committee 
 of the Church Missionary Society in London, pointing 
 out Crowther's usefulness and ability, and recommend- 
 ing them to prepare him for ordination. In accordance 
 with this he was recalled to England, and on the 3rd 
 of September 1842, landed again upon our shores. 
 
 During this voyage he had busied himself with his 
 translations, and had prepared a grammar and voca- 
 bulary of the Yoruba tongue, which was afterwards 
 of the greatest service in spreading the Gospel among 
 those of his own people and country. He came 
 to the Highbury Missionary College, in the Upper 
 Street, Islington, which was then under the able care 
 of Rev. C. F. Childe. Here he prosecu! d his studies, 
 and in due time, on Trinity Punday, Jane 11th, 1843, 
 he received at the hands of the Bishop of London 
 ^Dr. Blomfield) the rite of ordination, the first of 
 several native clergy who were then dedicating them- 
 
 
AN UNEXPECTED AND HAPPY MEETING. 
 
 65 
 
 selves to the service of the Lord. After four months 
 of diaconate he was admitted into full orders as a 
 minister of Christ's flock. 
 
 It was the beginning of a new era in missionary 
 enterprise, and the good Bishop in his sermon on 
 behalf of the Society, referred to it in these terms of 
 appreciation and gratitude : — 
 
 " What cause for thanksgiving to Him, who hath 
 made of one blood all nations of men, is to be found 
 in the thought that has not only blessed the labourers 
 of the Society by bringing many of those neglected 
 and persecuted people to the knowledge of a Saviour, 
 but that from among a race who were despised as 
 incapable of intellectual exertion and acquirement, 
 He has raised up men well qualified, even in point 
 of knowledge, to communicate to others the saving 
 truths which they have themselves embraced, and to 
 become preachers of the Gospel to their brethren 
 according to the flesh." 
 
 As soon as possible Crowther was on his way to 
 Africa ; and it was on the 2nd December, 1843, that 
 once more he stepped on shore at Sierra Leone, and 
 on the Sunday following preached his first sermon in 
 English to the crowded assembly of native Christians 
 wliich filled the church. His text was appropriately, 
 "And yet there is room," and ho spoke, as it were, the 
 pioneer word of faith and hope in his new work. At 
 tlie close of the sermon ho administered the sacrament 
 to a large number of negroes, and when he got homo 
 penned the following words in his journal : 
 
 "December ;3rd. Prenelied my first sermon in 
 
 Africa, . . . TlienoveUj 
 performing divine service excited 
 
 y oi seeing a native cieigyman 
 a very great interest 
 
6G 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHEU. 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 among all who were presert. But the question, 
 * Who maketh thee to differ ? ' filled me with shame 
 and confusion of face. It pleases the Disposer of all 
 hearts to give me favour in the sight of His people, 
 and wherever I go they welcome me as a messenger 
 of Christ." 
 
 Not long afterwards he preached again, but in his 
 native Yoruba ; and among a crowd of rescued slaves 
 he proclaimed in their own language the wonderful 
 works and mercy of God. At the close they all 
 heartily responded with " Ke oh sheh," their equiva- 
 lent for our *' Amen." 
 
 We have already seen, in giving the details of 
 Crowther's capture as a slave, how fiercely the Foulah 
 race were devastating the Yoruba people. The object 
 of these wars seems to have been simply to supply men 
 for the slave-market, and to effect this, three hundred 
 native towns were ruthlessly destroyed. But such 
 oppression could not for ever be pursued ; so we find 
 that the several refugees gathered together finally 
 at a spot where a huge rock, called Olumo, lifted up 
 its head as with a protective air, and there they 
 founded a great city, four miles in diameter, and with 
 a population of 100,000 souls, called Abeokuta, or 
 ** under the stone." They strongly fortified their 
 position ; and being only seventy miles from their 
 port of Badagry, a trade soon began to be established 
 between their city and Sierra Leone. Some of those 
 who returned from the latter place to Abeokuta 
 were baptized Christians, and they begged that a 
 missionary might be sent to them. Mr. Henry Town- 
 synd was therefore despatched thither, and received 
 from the principal chief, Shodeke, a very cordial recep- 
 
 I 1 
 
iVCd 
 
 AN UNEXPECTED AND HAPPY MEETING. 67 
 
 tion. Thus in 1844 the Yoriiba Mission was begun, 
 and Crowther, with Mr. Gollmer, another missionary,' 
 went there to estabhsh this work, taking with them 
 their wives and children, with interpreters and native 
 catechists. 
 
 They were detained for eighteen months at Badagry ; 
 and while there learned with some dismay that°the 
 friendly chief Shodeke was dead, although they soon 
 received from his successor a hearty welcome. 
 During this enforced stay at Badagry they worked hard 
 among the people. Crowther translated the Scriptures 
 into Yoruba, and preached the Gospel to a large war 
 camp which was established in the district. The 
 door of opportunity which eventually opened for them 
 to go up like men to take the city in Christ's name 
 was singularly unclosed by a slave dealer. This man 
 was finding his infamous trade suffering, so he sent 
 i'200 in presents to the chief at Abeokuta, offering 
 more in return for slaves. With this Crowther sent a 
 messenger to the new chief, Sagbua, and immediately 
 the road was opened and the missionaries entered 
 Abeokuta on August 3rd, 1846. Great rejoicings 
 followed their arrival, the Christians especially hail- 
 nig with delight teachers who would instruct them 
 and build up their Church. And here, after three 
 weeks, there occurred an incident in the life of 
 Crowther, which is perhaps one of the most pathetic 
 and mteresting this book can record. It was the 
 meeting with his mother. We cannot refrain from 
 telhng the story in his own words. 
 
 "August 21. The text for this day in the Christian 
 xxlmanac, is '• Thou art the Helper of the fatherless.' 
 I have never felt the force of this text more than I 
 
 » 
 
68 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 9} 
 
 did this day, as I have to rehite that my mother, from 
 whom I >vas torn away about five-and-twenty years 
 ago, came with my brother in quest of me. When 
 she saw me she trembled. She could not believe her 
 own eyes. We grasped one another, looking at each 
 other with silence and great astonishment, big tears 
 rolling down her emaciated cheelr". A grea! Ti umber 
 of ])eople soon came together. She irembled as rflio 
 held me by the hand and called roe by the familiar 
 names by 'tvliich I well remember 1 used to be ealiod 
 by my grandmother, who has since died in slavery. 
 We could not say mucli. but sat still, and cast now 
 and then an affectionate look at each other — a look 
 which violence und oppression had long checked — 
 an affection which had nearly been extinguished by 
 the long space of twenty-five years. Idy two sisters 
 w!';0 were ct pturedwith us, are both with my mother, 
 who Lakes care of them and her grandchildren in a 
 r^'uiall town not fur from here, railed Abaka. Thus 
 unsought for — after all search for me had failed — 
 God has brought us together j!gain, and turned our 
 sorrow iiito joy." 
 
 Shortly afterwards, during a tribal war, Aliuka 
 was destroyed by the enemy, and Crowther's sisters, 
 their husbands, and children sold as slaves. He 
 however ransomed them ; and his mother, safe in 
 Abeokuta, became the first-fruits of the mission 
 there. That it was blessed with success may be 
 gathered by a note which Crowther makes in his 
 journal, under date August 3rd, 18-19 : " This mission is 
 to-day three years old. What has (Jod wrought during 
 this short Interval of coiiHict between light and dark- 
 nu.-.s ! We have 500 cunstant atteudants un the means 
 
 
 O 
 11 
 
 c 
 
If 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 1:1 
 
70 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 Bt 
 
 of grace, about 80 communicants, and nearly 200 
 candidates for baptism. A great number of heathen 
 have ceased worshipping their country's gods ; others 
 have cast theirs away altogether, and are not far 
 from enlisting under the banner of Christ." 
 
 About this time Mr. Town send was recalled to 
 England, and the Egba chiefs of their own accord, 
 sent by him a letter to the Queen, expressing their 
 gratitude for the repression of the slave trade, and 
 asking that commerce might be encouraged with 
 the Yoruba nation. 
 
 "We have seen your servants the missionaries; 
 what they have done is agreeable to us. They have 
 built a House of God. They have taught the people 
 the Word of God and our children beside. We begin 
 to understand them." 
 
 The Earl of Chichester was instructed to reply 
 graciously to this native appeal ; and on a grand oc- 
 casion when all the great chiefs were gathered together 
 for that purpose, on May 23rd, 1849, the answer 
 was read. Mr. Crowther was the spokesman, and 
 translated the letter sentence by sentence in their 
 ears. Here is part of it. 
 
 ** The Queen and people of England are very glad 
 to know that Sagbua and the chiefs think as they do 
 upon the subject of commerce. But commerce alone 
 will not make a nation great and happy like 
 England. England has been great and happy by 
 the knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ. 
 The Queen is, therefore, very glad to hear that Sagbua 
 and the chiefs have bo kindly received the missionaries 
 who carry with them the Word of God, and that so 
 many people are willing to hear it." 
 
AN UNEXPECTED AND HAl'l»Y MEETING. 
 
 71 
 
 With this kind and admirable message came some 
 presents, two magnificent Bibles in English and 
 Arabic respectively from the Queen, and a steel corn 
 mill from Prince Albert ; this latter was a marvel to 
 the men. Crowther tells us how in their sight he 
 fixed the mill ; and then some Indian corn being put 
 in the funnel, to their great astonishment it came out 
 Avhite flour l)y simply turning the handle. It is 
 worthy of note that Crowther was a practical friend 
 and helper to these people. He taught them handi- 
 crafts, and encouraged them in the cultivation of 
 cotton, for which there seemed a wonderful opening 
 in the way of trade. 
 
 The labours of these missionaries, and their friends 
 at home, for the restriction, if not total suppression, 
 of the slave trade, began to bear good fruit. The 
 principal centre of this infamous traffic on the coast 
 was Lagos, where, after vainly trying to impose 
 pledges upon the slave-owning tyrant of the district, 
 the English took possession of the place, and soon 
 changed what had been a desolate swamp with the 
 most distressing associations, into a thriving and 
 prosperous town. Lagos became a commercial out- 
 let of considerable importance, and a brisk trade 
 was speedily established between this place and 
 Liverpool. 
 
 Once more we find Crowther in England, and this 
 time engaged with Lord Palmerston in placing before 
 him the condition of things at Abeokuta, enlisting 
 his sympathy and help for the native Christians. 
 The king of Dahomey, with such a vilr reputation 
 for cruelty and bloodshed, was harassing the states 
 which desired to co-operate with the English people 
 
72 
 
 SAMl'EL CItOWTHEH, 
 
 I i 
 
 I! 
 
 SI. > 
 
 i I 
 
 in the advancem.nt of religion and commerce. The 
 words of Crowther were not unavailinj];, and Lord 
 Pahiicrston soon afterwards wrote to him in the 
 following words : 
 
 " I am glad to have an opportunity of tliankingyou 
 0';;;i)' for the important and interesting information 
 with vog.'ird to Aheokuta, which you communicated 
 to me when 1 had the pleasure of seeing you at my 
 house hi August last. I request that you will assure 
 your countrymen, that H.M. Government take a 
 lively interest in ^' ' . ^Ifare of the Egha natives, and 
 of the community settled at Abeokuta, which town 
 seems destined to be a centre from which the lights 
 of Christianity and of civilization may be spread 
 over the neighbouring countries." 
 
 Supported by such a generous interest in the welfare 
 of the people, the Missionary Societies in England 
 stirred themselves to reach <uit to the natives of the 
 interior the blessings of the Gospel ; and the Chui-ch 
 Missionary Couimittee were not behindhand in the 
 good cause. 
 
 Crowther, who was still working in England, war 
 able to complete his valuable dictionary of the 
 Yoruba language, for the service of out-going Jielpers; 
 and the llev. 0. Yidal, a lergyman of remarkable 
 linguistic gifts, was consecrated Bishop of Sierra 
 Leone. 
 
 God'F ways ar • past finding out, aiid it is lamentable 
 to record that this faithful and useful pab> r of the 
 flock of Christ was spared only for two years, dying, 
 to the regret an.i loss of ali, on his way to England. 
 But though the great Taskmastei ouries hn workers, 
 the work goes on , and as those whom He sent to feed 
 
 9 
 
AN UNEXPECTED AND IIAITV MEETING. 
 
 . The 
 
 Lord 
 
 in the 
 
 73 
 
 His flock on th, fatal shore were in succession laid 
 low, He siipplit their places with other hrave and 
 capable men. 
 
 Althougli in Bishop Vidal the I\rission lost a valu- 
 able helper the vacant episcopate was well filled again 
 by Bishop Weeks, who had a \onrt and useful knowledge 
 of the colony already. Then on his decease from fever, 
 after two years' work, Dr. Bowen left the Holy Land 
 to take his place. Two y<^ars more, and he, too, died 
 in harness; and since then Sierra Leone has had 
 three other bishops in succession. 
 
 
 iM 
 
 1 1 
 
 % # 
 
i 
 
 CHAl'TEK VII. 
 
 ANOTHER Brave and Better Voyage. 
 
 -5fe- 
 
 Thou, whoae Almighty Wor<l, 
 Chans and darkness heard, 
 
 And took their flight, 
 Henr us, we humbly pray, 
 And where the (JJospel-day 
 Sheds not its glorious ray 
 
 Let there be light."— Marbiott. 
 
 ^ 
 
 zV 
 
 N exiieditioii was once more fitted out to learn tlie 
 IL secret of tli Nij^er, and to follow — and if possible 
 farther extend — the path of their unhajipy predecessors. 
 In this case it was with the consent, but not at the 
 expense of the English Government, having been 
 started by Mr. Macgregor Laird, a merchant of Mineuig 
 Lane, who, with a small party on hir vessel the Pleiad, 
 had made up his mind " to establish a basis of com- 
 merce with the nations of the interior." There was 
 also another incentive in the fact that Dr. Barth, the 
 eminent African traveller, was sunnosed to be Inst in 
 the interior, and it was hoped thai the expedition 
 might meet with him, and bring him home. By the 
 
ANOTnER RRAVE AXD BETTER VOYAGE, 
 
 75 
 
 M 
 
 permission of the Committee of the Church Missionary 
 Society, Crowther was permitted to accompany the 
 explorers, and Mv. Simon Jonas, a native interpreter 
 and a Christian, was also allowed to make another 
 of the party. 
 
 Crowther had hy this time returned to Africa, and 
 had continued, at Aheokuta and elsewhere, to make 
 known the unsearchahle riches of Christ. He spent 
 some time in Sierra Leone, preaching in a manner to 
 arouse the greatest enthusiasm on hehalf of his work 
 up the river. On landixig at Lagos he was struck with 
 the recollections of the place, when as a little slave hoy 
 he had first caught sight, with fear and trembling, of 
 the great sea. He says, " I cculd well recollect many 
 places I knew during my captivity, so I went over the 
 spots where slave barracoons used to be. What a 
 difference ! Some of the spots are now converted into 
 plantations of maize and cassava, and sheds built on 
 others are filled with casks of palm oil and other 
 merchandise, instead of slaves in chains and irons, 
 in agony and despair." 
 
 His church at Abeokuta was a large and well-built 
 edifice, boasting eight windows, and generally filled 
 with a dense congregation of about three hundred 
 natives. In one place the school children were 
 seated, and all through the service the attentive 
 audience, dressed in native costume, was a gratifying 
 example of what Christianity can do for the welfare 
 of savage man. 
 
 Already the babalamos or priests were gaining an 
 ascendency over the mind of the new chief, and as a 
 consequence a persecution broke out which sorely tried 
 the faithfulness of the converts. At one time so 
 
11! 
 
 76 
 
 SAMUET, CROWTJIER. 
 
 Violent did this tyranny rage that Crowtlier's house 
 was watched day and night, and none suffered to 
 speak to tlic missionaries under pain of death. 
 
 Under such circumstances those wlio M-ere'stedfast 
 were hrouglit into more vital union with each other 
 and their common Lord ; and when a hetter day dawned 
 It was upon a church purified and established in faith' 
 and patience. We can well imagine with what 
 affection and regret these simple people came to say 
 tarewell to Crowther as once more he essayed to extend 
 the Kingdom of God into regions of the upper river 
 which they had not visited before. 
 
 His journals of this voyage are full of deep interest, 
 and extracts from them will be welcome to the reader 
 of these pages. When the party began to ascend the 
 nver, with the dismal recollection of the death-rate 
 ot the previous expedition in view, Crowther thought 
 that probably the mischief of fever which had been 
 so fatal then was the result of the green wood bein- 
 packed in the bunkers for days together, and there! 
 fore he suggested the advisability in this case of 
 stowing the fuel in canoes to drift astern. This pre- 
 caution, which was readily adopted, doubtless saved 
 tiie expedition from sickner^s and consequent failure 
 
 On the 21st July 1854, the Pleiad anchored off Aboh 
 
 or Ibo, where the l)rave explorers of 1841 had made 
 
 some progress with the king. They had promised one 
 
 day to return, and it is said that the old man used to 
 
 watch in vahi for the coming ships, and at last tohl 
 
 Hs sons with a sad regret, "The white man has 
 
 forgotten me and his promise too." There had also 
 
 been some misnnd.'TP,tanding about the death of Mr 
 
 Carr, a medical missionary who had disappeared in 
 
ANOTHER BRAVE AND BETTER VOYAGE. 77 
 
 the king's dominions, and hostilities were actually 
 commenced with a view to punish Obi for the offence 
 in Mr. bchon s opinion, however, the old Idn- was 
 innocent, and would have protected the Englishman 
 had 1 been ni his province and power. When the 
 i/t'm.Z reached the place, it was to hear of the old 
 ang s decease, and that his three sons were disputing 
 the heirship, and indeed agreeing only upon the one 
 pomt : that when the white man came he would tell 
 them who should reign. The rightful heir seems to 
 
 have been Tshukuma, and to him Crowther and his 
 
 party paid a pre-arranged visit. 
 
 He says, "We landed close to 
 
 Tshukuma's house, which was 
 
 very small and confined, hi 
 
 old house had been lately 
 
 burnt. He had been wor- 
 shipping his god that morn- 
 ing, which wo saw on his piazza, 
 
 in a calabash placed in the 
 
 front of a wall, covered with a 
 
 white sheet. We waited about 
 
 ten minutes before Tshukuma made his appearance 
 ch-essed in a pair of thin Turkish trousers, a white 
 
 .ibout his neck. He is smaller in size than Obi, his 
 father, i. very soft in .lis manners, and seems not 
 possesse.1 o much energy. Jle shook us all heartily 
 by the hand, and in a short time the little square 
 was crowded to excess, so that there was no ro m 
 to move, and the place seemed so thron.^ed thati 
 was diflicult to keep one's seat on iho m"t 4r ad 4 
 our accommodation. Tshukuma used all his ^ds 
 
 f 
 
 I 
 
 "I I 
 
 i( ■ . 
 
 Vm 
 
78 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHEK. 
 
 If 
 
 to command silence, but to no purpose. Obi's 
 daughters and the chief's wives took their turns to 
 command silence, but it only increased the noise. 
 At last Tshukuma requested us to frighten the people 
 away, which of course we did not do. As it was 
 impossible to obtain perfect silence, I suggested to 
 Dr. Baikie to begin business, as we could manage to 
 keep close enough to hear each other." 
 
 After this a conference was held, and an endeavour 
 was made to remove the feeling of suspicion and 
 want of confidence which rested on the mind of 
 Tshukuma. "Even then," adds Crowther, ''Tshu- 
 kuma said my words were too good to hope that they 
 would be realised, and that he would not believe any- 
 thing until he had seen us do as we proposed ; that 
 there was no difficulty on iiieir part, nor need we fear 
 any unwillingness to receive those who may be sent 
 to them, or learn what they may be taught ; but that 
 the fault rests with us, in not fulfilling what we pro- 
 mised to do." This will show how quick-witted 
 these heathen are, and how jealous of their own 
 importance. 
 
 Shortly afterwards the king came on board the 
 vessel, where they had further conversation; and 
 came again on Sunday, July 23rd, when Crowther 
 preached on deck from the words, "Behold the 
 Lamb^^of God, which taketh away the sin of the 
 world." The service over, Crowther tells us that 
 he hastened to go ashore in order to speak to the 
 people in the town, and he then had the opportunity 
 of a conversation with the chief on the all-impor- 
 tant subject of religion— Simon Jonas interpreting 
 as he went un. 
 
Bii' own 
 
 ANOTHER BRAVE AND BETTER VOYAGE. 79 
 
 This is how this royal Scavage received the mes- 
 sage: "The quickness with which he caught my 
 explanation of the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus 
 Christ, the Son of God, for the sin of the world was 
 gratifying. I endeavoured to illustrate it to him in 
 this simple way. What would you think of any per- 
 sons who in broad daylight like this, should light 
 their lamps to assist the brilliant rays of the sun to 
 enable them to see better? He said it would be 
 useless, they would be fools to do so. I replied, Just 
 so— that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Son of 
 God, was sufficient to take away our sins, just as one 
 sun was sufficient to give light unto the whole world ; 
 that the worship of country fashion and numerous 
 sacrifices, which shone like lamps only on account of 
 the darkness of their ignorance and superstition 
 though repeated again and again, yet cannot take 
 away our sms ; but that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ 
 once offered, can alone take away the sin of the world' 
 He frequently repeated the name, Oparra Tshuku ' 
 Oparra Tshuku ! " (Son of God ! Son of God I) 
 
 After varying experiences they reached Idda, and 
 sent word they would pay the Atta, or chief thereof, 
 a visit. Here, again, as in the expedition of 1841 ' 
 the king refused to demean himself by going into a 
 canoe to receive his guests ; and it was not until 
 after considerable delay they reached his place, and 
 found him sitting outside the verandah of the palace 
 on a mud bank overspread with a cloth, with an old 
 carpet at his feet. On the carpet were placed his 
 royal message sticks, with brass bells attached to 
 them, and an old broken Router-Johnny jug stood 
 before him. He had on a silk velvet tobi, and a 
 
80 
 
 SAMUEL CIIOWTHER. 
 
 if '^ 
 
 tkiii 
 
 |;rown of wl.ito beads IVinged with red parrot tails in 
 Iront, wjth otlier fanciful decorations. His neck was 
 covered with a large quantity of strung cowries aid 
 corals, and other beads. This interview showed t'le 
 necessity for the diplomatic tact with wliich Crowthc r 
 in deahng with these chiefs, prevented disagreeable 
 
 As they proceeded up the river, traces were con- 
 tinually seen of the ravages committed by the Filatas 
 wlio appeared to be organized bandits, unwillin- to 
 work themselves, and living upon the fruits of "the 
 indus(.-y of others. So terri))le M-as the desolation 
 wrouglit by Dasaba, one of the chiefs, that the whole of 
 the right bank of the Niger had been cleared of every 
 town and village to the number of about a hundred 
 and the inhabitants sold into slavery or killed. 
 
 An example of the practice of these bloodthirsty 
 tribes IS furnished in the words of Crowther's journal 
 on August nth. He tells us, '< In the afternoon he 
 landed at Ivende, where some of the few who escaped 
 seizure hy the Filatas at Pandu have taken refuge 
 Here again is a picture of the misery these poor 
 people are doomed to go through, for they live desti- 
 tute of everytliing but their liberty, and that with 
 ainicul ty. The Fihitus, wliosc aim is not so much to 
 kill as to seize and ensl.ive, took Pandu by treaeherv 
 They professed friendship, and entered the town on 
 hat pretence, and th<", king presented them with 
 bullocks and other necessaries. J3ut when a suilicient 
 number had got in, they commenced seizin- the 
 inhabitants, ai.,1 scarcely gave them time to make 
 resistance. Only the king, Qyigu, and a few persons 
 about him, made any ejrort to rep.l them; but the 
 
"ot tails in 
 neck Vi'as 
 wries aid 
 lowed t'le 
 Crowtlu r, 
 iagreealle 
 
 *vere con- 
 e Filatas, 
 'Villing to 
 ts of the 
 desolation 
 3 whole of 
 
 of every 
 liuudred, 
 d. 
 
 3d thirsty 
 I journal 
 fnoon he 
 
 escaped 
 I refuge. 
 3se poor 
 ve desti- 
 uit with 
 much to 
 jachery. 
 :own on 
 m witli 
 ul'iicicnt 
 ing the 
 make 
 persons 
 but the 
 
82 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 it ' 
 
 I' 
 
 king couia not long stand against his enemies, and 
 was killed in the attempt. A great numher was caught 
 and very few were so fortunate as to escape. The 
 neighbouring towns and villages were immediately 
 deserted by the inhabitants, who took refuge on the 
 left side of the river." 
 
 It is not surprising that the appearance of the white 
 men struck terror into the minds of the poor natives, 
 who had lost all hope and happiness under the rule 
 of these Filatas. When the steamer had reached 
 
 «ni Tl, ?ir'^' ^'''^ ^'''^^' increasingly intricate, 
 and the shallows were very dangerous to their pro- 
 gress At last the captain, with Dr. Hutchinson and 
 Mr. Cruthrie, got into a boat to take soundings, and 
 returned ^yith the decision not to proceed any fui'ther 
 However, Dr.Baikie, who was, with Orowther, exceed- 
 ingly anxious to penetrate these unknown regions 
 took entire charge of the vessel, and reached a place 
 
 ht''M T' *l!%^^"^ "^ ^^'' ^""''^ country, met 
 nm This king had also the same sad story to tell of 
 
 the devastation of the country by the slave trade; and 
 
 after recemng a few presents, undertook to protect 
 
 any white men who should come up the river: The 
 
 old man, who was of small stature, was elaborately 
 
 prepared for the visit, having on a patchwork shirt of 
 
 blue and white triangles, and a red Turkey cap on his 
 
 head He exhibited considerable poHteness'to hL 
 
 guest, and they observed that he was saluted by kneel 
 
 ZL'^l n ^T""'^' *^" ^"^^^-^ ^^ '^'^ hand being 
 lubbed m the dust, which is then rubbed on the fore 
 head several times. The people salute each other by 
 embracing the right hand being stretched parallel 
 with the other as fnv n. iu,. ..i,^.,^-., ^ 
 
ANOTHE[{ P.RAVE AND BETTER VOYAGE. 83 
 
 On more than one occasion the cxploi-ors were in 
 considerable danger. Crowther tells us that at one 
 time they started for the Mitchi market to pur- 
 chase yams and other food. - On our approach we 
 heard a great noise and clamour in the market, which 
 IS held in canoes on the water side, and when we came 
 near, all the Ojgo canoes had dispersed in different 
 directions and everything was in great confusion, 
 home of the women were crying, for the Mitchis had 
 plundered their property, and a strong party liad 
 arme.l themselves with bows and poisoned arrows to 
 oppose our landing. We were but a few yards from 
 them but could not speak directly with them ; besides 
 which there was such uproar and excitement that it 
 was impossible to gain their attention. They at times 
 beckoned us in defiance to land, and armed people 
 were stationed along the bank to oppose our doing so 
 Ihere was not a single weapon in our boat. Dr 
 Baikie held out some handkerchiefs a • an inducement 
 but the very sight of them seemed to enra-o the 
 people. At last an old grey-bearded man. who seemed 
 ^0 be the chief, with great passion and significant 
 moLirn of both hands, wished us away." 
 
 The visitors wisely followed this advice. They after- 
 wards found that ilr^e warlike natives were cannibals, 
 who devoured ^he bodien of their enemies killed in 
 l>att e. Still, li; ^., very sati..factory to note that in 
 most cases the people received these visits kindly and 
 showed their gratitude to the white man for coming 
 to rest, re peace to their country. 
 
 Once a singular expression was used by a native 
 whom t>i«" Apc,,,..:^j _„ xi. 1 , „ ,, .-^ "u,iivt 
 
 '~ ' -^ «e=^^icu uii the uanii 01 the river. Thev 
 
 addressed him in the Haussa language, which he 
 
 ^'♦1 
 
84 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 M- 
 
 il 
 
 a 
 
 t '' 
 
 evidently understood, and told him they liad come 
 from the white man's country, and wanted to see 
 the cliief. Immediately he shouted, "Bature Anasara 
 maidukia na gode alia;" that is, "White men, the 
 Nazarenes, men of property, I thank God." Still 
 repeating this strange cry, he assisted the party to 
 land, and led them into the bush, where the chief 
 and a large party of armed warriors gave them a 
 cordial reception. Perfectly defenceless, the white men 
 moved safely among them, and delighted the chief and 
 some of his headmen by shaking hands with them. 
 
 Crowther draws attention here to the mistake which 
 explorers make in judging the natives of Africa as 
 always hostile to Europeans. Making allowance for 
 the antipathy aroused everywhere by the slave trade, 
 and bearing in mind that the frequent tribal wars 
 made the carrying of arms almost a necessity, he is 
 still of opinion that where once an Englishman's 
 peaceful intentions have been made clear, he has no 
 cause to be afraid. 
 
 On the 7th November the gallant explorers safely 
 reached Fernando Po, and heartily joined in raising 
 their Ebenezer of thanksgiving for journeying mercies 
 through many perils and hardships without a single 
 person being the worse either from sickness or accident. 
 Such a four months' experience led Crowther to close 
 his journal with the words, " May this singular in- 
 stance of God's favour and protection drive us nearer 
 to the Throne of grace, to humble ourselves before our 
 Goa, whose instrument we are, and who can continue 
 or dispense with our services as it seems good to His 
 unerring wisdom." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Voyage and a Wreck. 
 — >-* — 
 
 ' Speoil Thy serv&rji,.;, Saviour, speed them, 
 
 Thou art Lord of winds and waves ; 
 They were bound, but Thou hast freed tliein, 
 Now they go to free the sl.ives ; 
 
 Be Thou with them, 
 'Tis Thine arm alone that saves."— Kelly. 
 
 -* 
 
 i GREAT advance had been made. It was clear that 
 n the Niger was navigable, and that the natives 
 were not unwilling to receive the representatives of 
 the Christian faith. Crowther returned to Abeokuta, 
 and having had a conference with Mr. and Mrs 
 Hinderer at Ibadan, and Mr. Mann at Ijaye, the 
 plan of missionary effort in the Yoruba country and 
 elsewhere was fully discussed. 
 
 Soon afterwards Mr. Gdllmer, who had been his 
 coadjutor m establishing the Christian church at 
 Abeokuta, returned to Europe, and Crowther was 
 compelled to take his place at Lagos, with the super- 
 vision of the mission stations on the coast. Here ho 
 laboured hard at his translation of the Bible into the 
 
 h 
 
 1 
 
 '! 
 
8(5 
 
 SAMUEL CnoWTHER. 
 
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 I 
 
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 Yoruba language, and also prepared a primer, a 
 vocabulary, and several exuaets from the Word' of 
 God in the Ibo language. 
 
 In the year 185G bis old teacher and guardian, 
 Mr Weeks, returned to Africa, is we have already 
 mentioned, as JHshop of Sierra Leon.. After a very 
 prolitable visitation of the mission field up the rivei- 
 he fell ill, and to the grief of all, and especially of 
 Crowther, died at Sierra Leone. 
 
 The time had now arrived when in the judgment of 
 the Church Missionary Society another expedition 
 Hhould be arranged to establish a uger Christian 
 Mission The Committee made an appeal by depu- 
 tation to Lord Palmerston, and in 1857 the Dm/. 
 spnn:j staviod on her way. It was at first intended 
 that SIX difierent stations were to be established as 
 the basis of future mission work, and for this purpose 
 half-a-dozen native ministers were to accompany 
 Mr. Crowther and his fellow European missionaries. 
 Ihis however, was not to be; Bishop Weeks dioa, as 
 jv'e have seen, and with him passed to his rest 
 ^r. Frey, one of the hard-working ministers of his 
 wccese. Another heavy loss was occasioned by the 
 death of Mr. Beale, one of the mission staff who had 
 conferred with Crowther about the approaching expe- 
 dihon of the Dmjsprinr,. Thus the mission work at 
 bierra Leone was unable to spare the native teachers 
 onginally allotted to the work, and the vessel had to 
 start with Crowther, a native pastor, Hev. J. C. Taylor 
 from Ibo Ci-owther's old friend Simon Jonas, and two 
 youths who had been residing with Mr. Schon. Of all 
 the expeditions this was. humanlv ^nenkln- fhe lea'" 
 prei)ared for such a great and diiiicult enterprise, and 
 
A VOYAGE AND A WUECK. 
 
 87 
 
 yet it was from the Dayspring that the first stations 
 were planted of the Niger mission. The importance 
 of ih\^ journey up the river cr )t be over-estin ated; 
 and iQuf^h it came to a abrupt termination n^ 
 Rabbah, wc shall find its recor 1, as described in 
 Orowther's journal, full of interest. 
 
 One of the principal features of the new plan of 
 campaign was to ostablisli a strong station at Abo, 
 where the old king Obi, as we iuive already f^een, 
 showed such a willingness to receive the European 
 guests. They had already on a previous occasion 
 visited Tshukuma h' v.^h favourably disposed to- 
 wards the mission, bi ■ they made the acquaint- 
 ance of Aje, his broth and certainly the impression 
 of him was not hai)ij. When invited on board he 
 demanded rum, and was evidently chiefly disposed to 
 lay his hand upon whatever he could get. He appears 
 to have been a fine example of the acquisitive heathen. 
 Much of his impertinence and bad manners Crowther 
 charitably attributes to his familiarity with Europeans 
 from an early age. Common honesty was clearly not 
 one of his virtues, for he successfully purloined, or 
 attempted to do so, Crowther's slippers, the dinner 
 bell, the cushion against which his royalty leaned, 
 and a cigar which one of the party incautiously held 
 in his hand during the interview. 
 
 When the party landed, and prepared to secure a 
 piece of ground for premises of the mission, with the 
 joint consent of these two rival dignities. Aje was 
 furiously jealous of Tshukuma's presents, and was 
 finally pacifi d with a pink cocked hat, and umbrella 
 of a like gaudy hue. Poor human nature ! Subse- 
 quently Aje, with all his wives dressed in ships' 
 
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 SAMUEL CKOWTIIKIt, 
 
 bunting, tried to make an impression of his greatness 
 and what was much more serious, opposed and inter- 
 fered with the estabhshment of the mission in Iiis 
 country And yet Crowther makes this fair note of 
 this individual on leaving him. " Before quitting 
 Abo for the present I think it is right and just to 
 say a word in favour of Aje's faithfulness in one 
 respect, whatever his failings may be in other 
 matters. It will be remembered that through an 
 interposition in 185-1, the prisoners who were con- 
 ined and would have been either killed or sold for 
 their offences, were then released. Since that time 
 they have never been touched, and really pardoned 
 accordmg to Aje's promise to us. One of these men 
 on seeing me, fell on his knees in thankfulness for his 
 deliverance, and on the return of his companions, 
 who had been absent, they brought me some palm 
 wine as an acknowledgment of their gratitude. Had 
 not these men introduced themselves three years 
 after i might have been doubted whether Aje had 
 fulfilled his promise." 
 
 Leaving this place, the Dayspring passed on to a 
 very important town, Onitsha, which is 140 miles up 
 be nver, and on Il)o territory. At first, in alarm at 
 the first sight of white men and their ships, the 
 na ives appeared with their weapons in their hands • 
 but they were soon reassured, and led the party 
 along a road to their town. ^ 
 
 The cotton, yams, and Indian corn were very well 
 cultivated, and the conduct of the king Akazua and 
 h s headmen showed no small amount of intelligence 
 The visitors were entertained by the king and his 
 councillors, who heard with respect all their pro oed 
 
A VOYAGE AND A WRECK. 
 
 89 
 
 plans; and, after a conference together, the king 
 stepped forth and appealed to the people whether they 
 agreed to them or not. A spot was agreed upon where 
 the Mission buildings could be erected, and a hired 
 house was taken in preparation for a factory. The 
 town itself is embosomed in trees, and pleasantly 
 situated ; and the houses are arranged in twenty-six 
 groups. Each comprised about 250 persons, so the 
 population as a whole is not far short of C500 souls. 
 Here, however, they were in fear of their enemies, and 
 to prevent a surprise have look-out posts established 
 in high trees, where a constant vigilance is displayed. 
 One day, when the visitors entered the place, there 
 was great rejoicing, beating of drums, dancing and 
 frantic gestures and moving. Crowther says, "When 
 we came to our lodging, one of the headmen paid us 
 a visit, and I asked him the cause of this amusement, 
 and was told it was in honour of the burial of a 
 relative of our landlord who died some six months ago. 
 Simon Jonas, who remained on shore last night, had 
 heard that a human sacrifice was to be made to the 
 manes of the dead, and he told the people of the 
 wickedness of the practice. On my putting the ques- 
 tion as to the cause of the amusement, the headman 
 was conscience stricken, and told Simon Jonas that 
 the victim was not yet killed. We then took the 
 opportunity, and spoke most seriously to the head- 
 man in the hearing of many people, who stood in the 
 square, of the abomination of this wicked practice, the 
 more so, as the victim was a poor, blameless, female 
 slave. He then assured us that he had not known 
 that it was wrong to do so ; but as we had now told 
 them, the human sacrifice should not be performed, 
 
 I. 
 
 Ml 
 
 I 
 
It 
 
 E 
 
 I 
 
 m~ 
 
 
 
 .141 
 
 V 
 •1 I 
 
 
 m 
 
 90 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 but a bullock should be killed in its stead. He 
 proposed that we should buy the womar, that they 
 might buy a bullock with the cowries in her stead. 
 This we refused to do, as we are not slave traders. 
 He then said that the woman should be sold to some- 
 . body else, which we thought was better than to kill 
 her. Before we returned to the ship, Simon Jonas 
 was told that the poor woman was loosed from her 
 bonds." 
 
 Here Crowther left Mr. Taylor to prepare the work 
 and settle the mission 9,t Onitsha. 
 
 We follow the voyagers through various experiences 
 until they reach Idda. Here, after much delay and 
 parade of heathen dignity, the party were admitted to 
 tho Atta, who received them in great state, seated on 
 his throne and dressed in a rich silk-velvet robe of 
 light green hue. The conference wa; much assisted 
 by the presence and sympathy of the Lady Adama, 
 a dowager queen, and a site for mission buildings was 
 secured in a very favourable situation. The position 
 of this town, standing on a high cliff, and overlooking 
 the confluence of the Kworra and Tshadda rivers, 
 marked it as a point of great value in the future plan 
 of work. 
 
 Passing up the Kworra th3 yspring soon found 
 itself on the friendly waters ot the Galadima, and 
 here they were shown an old copy of the Koran. The 
 importance of a knowledge of Arabic was evident ; and 
 Crowther makes a note at this point, that their native 
 catechists should be taught this language at the 
 seminary at Sierra Leone. He tells us how in the 
 town of Gbebe he began teaching the natives : — 
 
 "Besides my English, I took an Arabic Bible and 
 
A VOYAGE AND A WRECK. 
 
 91 
 
 tead. 
 
 
 He 
 
 they 
 her stead, 
 e traders, 
 d to some- 
 lan to kill 
 ion Jonas 
 from her 
 
 the work 
 
 xperiences 
 delay and 
 dmitted to 
 seated on 
 3t robe of 
 ti assisted 
 y Adama, 
 dings was 
 3 position 
 ^erlooking 
 ia rivers, 
 ture plan 
 
 >or. found 
 ima, and 
 :an. The 
 ient; and 
 eir native 
 B at the 
 ►w in the 
 i: — 
 Bible and 
 
 Schon's translations of Matthew and John into 
 Haussa, and an Ibo primer, out of which to teach the 
 alphabet. Taking my seat in the Galadima's ante- 
 hall — which is the common resort of all people, holding 
 fiom forty to fifty persons — a number of both sexes, 
 old and young, soon entered as usual to look on. 
 Having carefully placed my books on the mat, after 
 the custom of the Mallams, Mr. Crooke sitting on my 
 right, and Kasumo on my left, I commenced my 
 conversation by telling them that to-day was the 
 Christian Sabbath, in which we rest from our labour, 
 according to the commandment of God. The Galadima 
 came in, and to him I read some verses from the 
 third chapter of St. John in ihe Haussa language, in 
 the hearing of the people, which be understood, and 
 . which by further explanation becamt more intelligible 
 to him. In the meantime some Mohammedans walked 
 in, and desired to see the Arabic Bible, which I 
 delivered to Kasumo to rcrs,d and translate to them. 
 The Galadima, who reads Arabic, expressed a wish, 
 as soon as the school is opened, to learn to read 
 Haussa in Roman or Italic character. There was an 
 intelligent young man present who could read Arabic, 
 who was also very anxious to read our translations in 
 the Italic character. 
 
 " After a long talk I ran over the alphabet from 
 the Ibo primer several times, with the Galadima and 
 the young man, at which they showed much quickness 
 and intelligence. I then gave this Arabic copy of 
 the Bible as a present to the Galadima. This was so 
 un<^xr>ef.tpd that bf> did nnt know how Bnfficip.ntlv to 
 express his gratitude in words, and, contrary to the 
 usage of the Mohammedans, he actually was going 
 
 If I 
 'I 1 
 
 Hv V. 
 
92 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 \m I 
 
 to throw dnst on his forehead, as a token of the 
 vahie he phiced on the gift, when Kasumo stopped 
 him by saying it was not our custom to do so. He 
 said his father would be able to read it fluently. 
 May the Lord bless this small and feeble beginning 
 of an attempt to introduce the religion of Christ into 
 this benighted part of Africa ! May the prayers of 
 the Church be heard on its behaif." 
 
 We shall see later on that this prayer was 
 answered. 
 
 At Egga or Eggan, as it is there pronounced, they 
 found an aged chief who remembered the 1841 Ex- 
 pedition, and received them very cordially. His 
 town is filthy, and after a shower of rain almost 
 impassable with soft mud. His Majesty used high 
 clogs under the circumstances; while his guests, 
 sinking at every step far above the ankles, panted 
 after him in vain. Picking their way through the 
 streets they heard a httle boy rehearsing his lesson 
 in Arabic ; and further on, seeing what they thought 
 to be a mosque, they found a barber's shop, in which 
 the operators were shaving the head, the eyebrows, 
 the armpits, and the nostrils of their customers with 
 marvellous facility and safety. 
 
 As they passed Fo-Fo, the mate of the Dayspruuj 
 breathed his last, and was buried on the sand beach. 
 Arriving at Kabbah the Daysjmmj unhappily struck 
 upon a rock, and within a very short time settled 
 down aft on her starboard side. Crowther and his 
 companions escaped in time upon the shore; and 
 under the discomfort of a severe tornado made a tent 
 of mats, into which they gathered such effects as they 
 could rescue, and began to look very anxiously for the 
 
oken of the 
 imo stopped 
 do so. He 
 it fluently, 
 e beginning 
 ' Christ into 
 3 prayers of 
 
 prayer was 
 
 'unced, they 
 c 1841 Ex- 
 ially. His 
 ■ain almost 
 
 used high 
 his guests, 
 les, panted 
 hrough the 
 
 his lesson 
 ley thought 
 p, in which 
 ! eyebrows, 
 omers with 
 
 Baijsprimj 
 and beach, 
 pily struck 
 me settled 
 3r and his 
 lore ; and 
 lade a tent 
 3ts as they 
 sly for the 
 
,1 
 
 li 
 
 94 
 
 :- I 
 
 SAMUEL CHOWTHEH. 
 
 ^^^^^E8 'X[ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^^^^^B'^'^ 
 
 
 ^^^Hl -' 
 
 
 
 
 steamer Sinibeam, which was to follow them. To add 
 to the danger of the situation, the native Kroomen were 
 insubordinate, and the headman nad to be threatened 
 with irons to save a revolt. 
 
 The native chiefs into whose hands they had fallen 
 were not very friendly; and in addition to the 
 disappointment occasioned by the loss of the ship 
 and the termination of the enterprise, they had much 
 to^ unsettle and distress them. But one day, in the 
 midst of a crowd of warriors, a strange voice saluted 
 them with, "Good morning, sir!" and the speaker 
 proved to be Henry George, a Sunday scholar at 
 Aheokuta who had joined the army of Dasaba, and 
 had passed through many trials. This providential 
 meeting led to the man being engaged by Crowther 
 as guide and servant, and he accompanied them on 
 their overland journey to Abeokuta. 
 
 Beaching Ogbomosho they were delighted to meet 
 with the Rev. Mr. Clark, a Baptist minister, who 
 entertained them. Shortly afterwards they spent 
 Christmas Day on the banks of the Niger, one of the 
 party concocting a plum pudding. After a narrow 
 escape from the attack of a leopard, and other stirring 
 incidents, they had the melancholy duty of burying 
 Mr. Howard, the purser, and one of the Kroomen'^ 
 who had died. 
 
 At one time they were passing through a Moham- 
 medan district at the time of the Ramadan, and 
 much conversation ensued upon the observation of 
 the Christian Sabbath and the obligation of fasting. 
 "Do not the Anasaras fast?" was a constant query. 
 Growther's reply was, "Yes, they do fast; but the 
 fast of the Anasaras is of a more private and con- 
 
A VOYAGE AND A WRECK. 
 
 95 
 
 sciontious kind than your public one. Thousands of 
 the Anaaaras may fast to-day, and tlioir neighbours 
 know nothing of it; but their fast is known only 
 to God and themselves. Just so is their prayer in 
 secret, as Christ has taught us ! " The reply always 
 received was, "You are true persons; and your 
 religion is superior to ours." 
 
 It is noticeable how frequently these poor heathen 
 expressed their appreciation of the advantage of the 
 Christian religion as compared with their own, even 
 when mixed with those inducements which to the 
 natural man would be so attractive in the creed of 
 Mohammed. The truth is, in the Gospel of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ they heard the voice of a herald pro- 
 claiming good news of hbcrty to the captive, not 
 merely as regards slavery, but with respect to those 
 galling bonds which a false religion had thrust upon 
 them. They had endured a yoke, but had never 
 known a peace ; and to them at last came One who 
 bade them come unto Him in their weariness, and He 
 would give them refreshment of soul and rest. 
 
 m 
 
 nm 
 
 m 
 
U- 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 An Enforced Halt— Onitsha. 
 
 ••-*- 
 
 "Come labour on ! 
 Away with gloomy doubts and faithle:»H foar, 
 No arm so weak but may do service here ; 
 By feeblest agents can our God fulfil 
 
 His righteous will. 
 
 " Come labour on ! 
 No time for rest, till glows the western sky, 
 Wliilc the long shadows o'er our pathway lie, 
 And a glad sound comes with the setting sun, 
 
 Servants, well done ! " — H. L. L. 
 
 -*- 
 
 THE loss of the Daynprinr), while it preeliuled any 
 further progress up the river, left Crowther and 
 his party to settle for a time at Eabbah and the 
 immediate neighbourhood. That which is perplexing 
 to the human mind is, however, always in God's good 
 time evidence of His goodwill and guiding providence ; 
 and so we find that the visits of the future Bishop of 
 the Niger to the kings and headmen of these out-of-the- 
 way places prepared the way for the establishment of 
 Christian missicns in their midst at a future day. 
 Crowther's journals, written in the midst of these 
 
AN ENFORCED ITAl.T. 
 
 07 
 
 ^vild people, and often under circumstances of peril, 
 are full of deeply interestinp; incidents. The people 
 of Nupe held the {^reat river Mhieh flowed through 
 their land, the Niger, in high esteem. Their in- 
 tensely superstitious minds had helieved it to be 
 the mother of all the riverb of the world, and it 
 was customary when the corn ripened to offer a 
 few grains to the rushing stream, with many prayers 
 to proi)iLiate its powers. Here also there is the 
 divmo worship of the manes of the dead which we 
 fhid in all quarters of the inhabited world. That 
 strange undying impress of immortality links the 
 living with those who {ire passed into the land of 
 spirits. 
 
 As in Yoruba, the natives of Nupe sacrifice to 
 these spirits under the personation of a mask, and 
 Crowther tells us that the Gunuko or masquerader 
 who performs this function is of an enormous height. 
 Raised some twelve or fifteen feet by slight bamboo 
 supports, and dressed in a frightful costume, he dances 
 al(ing the vihages, filling tho hearts of the people 
 with terror, and his own hands with the cowries which 
 they gladly give him. 
 
 This constant fear, which made the hearts of the 
 poor natives quake, was prevalent everywhere, and 
 Crowther laboured hard to break the fetter from their 
 spirits, pointing them to that Great Deliverer whose 
 perfect love casteth out all fear. 
 
 In one res '. :t the religion of the Yoruba natives 
 corresponds with that of tlie Chinese. They have a 
 rite by which a sheep is offered as a sacrifice to their 
 ancestors. In our illustration the figures traced on 
 the wall represent the honoured dead, and the various 
 
 11 
 
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 m 
 
im 
 
 SAMITFII, CIlOWTHEn. 
 
 [ 
 
 
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 k 
 
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 birdH, agricultural imploiuentH, and ho fortli, are to 
 set lorth Ilia rank and condition. The zigzag Hcroll 
 work is the nacrcd signs of the Oro worship, and is 
 coloured red and white. J3efore the victim is killed 
 some leaves are given to it ; and when its blood is 
 shed it is caught in a bowl, and then reverently 
 sprinkled i\\^on the forehead of the persons present. 
 
 During Crowther's wanderings at this time the ,vork 
 and influence of Mohammedanism was plainly dis- 
 cerned as having its iron grip on the consciences of 
 the people ; and when in the course of his preaching 
 he alluded to Adam, Noah, Abraham, or any of the 
 ancient patriarchs, the natives recognised the names 
 at once as being taught them ])y the IVIallams. 
 
 These teachers of the false jn-ophet are most diligent 
 in their efforts to extend the belief of their religion. 
 Sometimes they will spend the whole night in the 
 tents of the kings and chiefs, reading to them from 
 the Koran, and expounding it to their listeners. Its 
 strange and imaginative stories, just written in a style 
 to catch the attention of a barbaric outlaw, with his 
 many wives and unlimited lust of battle, chain the 
 attention of the African people. 
 
 In the practical working of the Moslem creed, too, the 
 charms and fetishes are found very useful auxiliaries, 
 as, for instance, when the story of Jonah is told. The 
 Mallams relate that this prophet, called Nunsa-bun- 
 Mata (Jonah the son of Amittai), presumptuously fling- 
 ing himself into the sea, a great fish swallowed him. 
 An alligator then swallowed the fish; and finally a 
 hippopotamus swallowed the alligator. So in these 
 threefold walls Jonah hid a thousand years, and then 
 in answer to his prayer God commanded these creatures 
 
I. 
 
 ♦ 
 
 ft 
 
 n 
 
 SACRIFICIAL WORSHIP OF ANCESTORS AMONG THE NATIVES. 
 
100 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHEH. 
 
 Ml 
 
 in 
 
 i' 
 |i 
 
 II /■ 
 
 
 i 
 
 
 !r 
 
 1 . 
 
 to throw him upon the land. The gaping wonder 
 with which this extraordinary story is received may 
 be well imagined ; and the lesson is so readily believed 
 that whenever anyone has a fish-bone in his throat he 
 has only to say " Nunsa-bmi-Mata," and the charm 
 will remove it. 
 
 Crowther on several occasions saw these Mallams 
 produce a long parchment roll inscribed with the 
 names of the great angels and prophets, beginning 
 with Gabriel, and at the foot of the list is Isa, Jesus. 
 
 Surely the day will co^T>e, is the anticipation of the 
 true Christian, when L whose right it is to reign, 
 whose Name is above eve]'y name, shall enlighten 
 these dark places of the earth with His glorious light 
 of life. Crowther, face to face with this great enemy 
 of Christianity, places on record his impressions of 
 the magnitude of the evil, and how needful it is that 
 Mohammedanism shall be dealt with wisely. He 
 says : — 
 
 " These are the people Christian missionaries have 
 to withstand and oppose ; their false doctrines have to 
 be exposed, their errors corrected, and they, as well as 
 the heathen population, led and directed to Him who 
 is 'the ^Vay, the Truth, and the Life.' In doing this 
 a few things must be remembered, namely, that they 
 are the masters of the country, and bigoted protectors 
 of their religion, and that by this * craft ' the Mallams 
 have their wealth. If these things are not well pon- 
 dered, and the instruction of our blessed Saviour, * Be 
 wise as serpents,' is not closely adhered to and 
 practised, we may defeat our object of doing any good, 
 either to the Mohammedans themselves or to the 
 heathen population under their government. Now 
 
AX EXFORCED HALT. 
 
 101 
 
 ig wonder 
 eived may 
 ly believed 
 } throat he 
 ;he charm 
 
 3 Mallams 
 
 with the 
 
 beginniiifT 
 
 m, Jesus, 
 ion of the 
 I to reign, 
 
 enlighten 
 L'ious light 
 eat enemy 
 essions of 
 
 it is that 
 sely. He 
 
 aries have 
 les have to 
 as well as 
 Him who 
 doing this 
 that they 
 protectors 
 ) Mallams 
 well pon- 
 dour, ' Be 
 i to and 
 any good, 
 )r to the 
 int. Now 
 
 have passed without 
 
 that so many centur 
 of the glorious Gospel of Christ shining into the 
 country, and into the dark hearts of this benighted 
 people, now that it has pleased the Lord of the 
 harvest to give the Church an access to them, shall 
 His servants by an unwise step block up the way 
 against themselves, and the introduction of the Gospel 
 of Christ, by a zeal without knowledge, which may 
 prompt them to act as if the natives were the nation 
 to be converted in a day ? 
 
 " The soil on which we have to work in this un- 
 ploughcd ground is gross heathenism and Moham- 
 medan bigotry, through ignorance. 
 
 " The Word preached finds a more yielding soil in 
 the minds of the heathen hearers than in that of 
 prejudiced Mohamir"'lans. The same reasonable 
 Scriptural exposure Oi the heathen superstition made 
 use of by the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings xviii.), by the 
 Psalmist (Psa. cxv.), and by the Prophet Isaiah (Ixiv.), 
 sympathetically read to them, applied to the hearts 
 by the Holy Spirit, never failed to have the desired 
 effect. Hence our success among this class of the 
 people, among whom we labour. 
 
 " On the contrary, Mohammedanism arms the hearts 
 of its professors with deadly weapons against Chris- 
 tianity, by denying its fundamental doctrine, the 
 Sonship of Cln-ist, and His divinity as one with God 
 the Father, to be blasphemy according to the teaching 
 of the Koran. 
 
 "Thus their hearts are hardened with prejudices, 
 self-conceit, self-righteous spirit, and self-contidence 
 in their meritorious religious performances, especially 
 in prayer and fasting, and in works of supererogation. 
 
 
10*2 
 
 SAMUEL CIIOWTHEU. 
 
 k If 
 
 which they bcheve they can make over for the benefit 
 of others who are deficient. They are freely allowed 
 the indiilnenco of the shifid lust of the flesh ; they do 
 not scruple to commit acts of cruelty and oppressipn 
 on those who are not professors of their faith ; slave- 
 holding and trading is fully sanctioned, to carry out 
 which slave wars are w'aged against the heathens with 
 great cruelty, in order to enslave them with oppression 
 and violence, without remorse, contrary to the law of 
 charity, ' Do to others as you would that they should 
 do to you.' Hence slave wars have desolated the 
 lands of populous heathen tribes and nations, whose 
 inhabitants were carried away captives and sold hito 
 slavery, and those who are reserved in the country are 
 doomed to perpetual servitude, hewers of wood and 
 drawers of water, and most oppressive tributaries. 
 
 " This is a fahit description of the soil of the mhids 
 of the professors of Islamism, in which the seed of the 
 Gospel of Jesus Christ is being attempted to be sown, 
 by preaching repentance of sin and a renewed change 
 of heart through faith in Christ Jesus the Son of God, 
 who is ' the Way, the Ti-uth, and the Life,' without 
 Avhom none can come unto the Father. But foi- all his 
 earnestness, the preacher is looked upon with horrified 
 contempt as a blasphemer, because God never had a 
 Son. ' There is no God but God, and Mohammed is 
 His prophet.' Notwithstanding these stern oppositions 
 from Mohammedans, one feature of encouragement 
 that Christianity shall prevail must not be overlooked, 
 namely, Christianity w'as only recently introduced 
 into these parts of West Africa— to Abeokuta in the 
 Yoruba Mission in ISiG, and to the Niger in 1857— 
 notwithstanding that Mohammedanism had been 
 
ONITSHA. 
 
 103 
 
 he benefit 
 ily allowed 
 1 ; they do 
 oppressipn 
 til ; slave- 
 carry out 
 tliens with 
 Dppression 
 lie law of 
 ley should 
 Dlated the 
 »ns, whose 
 sold into 
 3untry are 
 wood and 
 taries. 
 the minds 
 eed of the 
 t be sown, 
 id change 
 m of God, 
 ,' without 
 for ail his 
 1 hor rilled 
 rer had a 
 ammed is 
 apositions 
 iragement 
 i^erlooked, 
 iitroduced 
 ta in the 
 n 1857— 
 lad been 
 
 introduced into these countries a century before, with 
 full li'. de of all sinful enjoyments. 
 
 " \VL.i,t surprises me most is, that Christianity, with 
 its strict restraints of the enjoyment of sinful lusts, 
 and, moreover, enjoining conscientious self-denial of 
 all the allurements of the world, the flesh, and the 
 devil, should get so many converts in the face of all 
 the free allowances in the enjoyments of all these by 
 the religion of the false prophet. It proves that 
 Christianity appeals to the hearts and consciences of 
 man as a reasonable being who ought to judge 
 between truth and error. Even some Mohammedans 
 have been known to admit the truth of Christianity, 
 but dare not confess it, lest they should be persecuted 
 by their co-religionists. Notwithstanding all oppo- 
 sitions, Christ * shall divide the spoil with the strong ' 
 in this spiritual warfare." 
 
 Crowther's idea clearly is that, instead of spending 
 our time and strength in fighting the Moslem creed, 
 we had better pass it by in silence, and trust to the 
 sword of the Spirit to win the victory for Christ. 
 Mohammedanism, baleful as it is, must be treated as 
 an accomplished fact, which however must fade and 
 lessen as the knowledge of the Saviour spreads abroad. 
 But a positive attack upon it will probably result in 
 the incensed enmity of its votaries, and the Christian 
 missionaries being driven from the spheres of their 
 labours for the Lord. 
 
 One of the most important results of the voyage of 
 the Daysjmng wps the foundation being laid of the 
 mission work at Onitsha. This important point on 
 the Niger was reached at the end of July, 1857, and it 
 will be remembered how favourably the visitors were 
 
 ; 
 
 I 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 M 
 
 r Kiti 
 
s 
 
 fe 
 
 »' ji 
 
 
 104 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 received by the king, Obi Akazua. After Crowther 
 had carefully prepared the way, and stayed for a short 
 time to arrange with the king and his chiefs as to the 
 site for mission premises, he left the Eev. J. C. Taylor, 
 a native missionary, with Simon Jonas, the interpreter, 
 to take charge of the work. 
 
 Fortunately, Mr. Taylor kept a journal of his 
 experiences in the midst of this field of labour. He 
 tells us that soon after he had settled down, he called 
 upon one of the chiefs and entered into conversation 
 with him in his hut. **I drew his mind to the 
 principles of religion, and pointed out to him the 
 sinful nature of man by nature. I asked him 
 whether he had a soul ? * Yes,' he replied. ' How is 
 that Boul to be saved?' ' Amazoru,' i.e., *I do not 
 know,' was the answer. Then I pointed out to him 
 that Jesus Christ is 'the Way, the Truth, and the Life.' 
 He exclaimed, ' J(?su Opam Tshnki(, Zim nzo oma," i.e., 
 * Jesus, Son of God, show me the good way.' " 
 
 A difference arose with the king of Ogidi, and 
 the missionary had to transfer his work to the war 
 camp, and there he preached the Gospel with great 
 effect. The Lord's Prayer, which he had translated 
 into their tongue, made a deep impression upon them, 
 the sentence of all others which seemed to strike 
 them most being, **But deliver us from evil." As 
 Mr. Taylor reasoned with them their faces assumed a 
 wonderful change, and, from what he gathered, their 
 faith in the false gods and fetishes was severely 
 shaken. So gracious were the signs of success that 
 he writes with great joy and earnestness: *'I am 
 thankful to say that I begin to see signs of the 
 remarks of the late Bishop Tidal being fulfilled : 
 
ONITSHA. 
 
 lOc 
 
 3rovvther 
 r a short 
 as to the 
 I. Taylor, 
 erpreter, 
 
 1 of his 
 >ur. He 
 be called 
 rersation 
 I to the 
 Inm the 
 ;ed him 
 ' How is 
 [ do not 
 t to him 
 be Life.' 
 ma,' i.e., 
 
 idi, and 
 the war 
 jh great 
 [inslated 
 >n them, 
 strike 
 
 :i." As 
 
 mined a 
 id, their 
 severely 
 3SS that 
 "I am 
 of the 
 -ilfdled : 
 
 that the time will come when the Tshuku (gods) of 
 Abo and the Ibos in general shall fall down before 
 the Gospel, as Dagon fell before the ark. Their mul- 
 tifarious shrines shall give way for the full liberation 
 and introduction of the Gospel to their forlorn, 
 degraded, long bewitched, but ransomed people, to 
 lead them to God." 
 
 On every hand he found the people willing and 
 glad to hear the Gospel. On the morning of Sunday, 
 October 25th, a service was held in one of the 
 enclosed spaces near a chief's house, and a large 
 crowd of natives listened with eagerness to the Word 
 of God. Mr. Radillo, a Baptist interpreter, trans- 
 lated for Mr. Taylor, who, although very weak 
 through an attack of fever, preached a sermon on 
 the text from St. Luke : '* If any man will come 
 after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 
 daily and follow Me." 
 
 As the weary missionary was going home after the 
 service two women came to him, saying, " The word 
 is a true word, we will not be ashamed of Tshuku 
 (God). You must bear patiently till God shall turn 
 the whole of Onitsha to follow your religion, which 
 is far better than all our fetish customs." What a 
 wonderful word of encouragement from these poor 
 natives ! 
 
 Mr. Taylor, in exchange, gave them also a loving 
 and cheering message from his Master, and urged 
 them both to follow the gracious Saviour whose word 
 they had heard that day. " One of them raised her 
 eyes unto heaven," he says, "and with uplifted hands 
 heaved out this short petition, ' Opara Tshuku mere 
 ayi ebere,' i.r'., ' Son of God, have mercy upon mc !' 
 
 I 
 
.\ 
 
 i-* Mil 
 
 in^ 
 
 
 106 
 
 SAMUEL CllOWTllEll. 
 
 Christians, imagine my feelings on this occasion. 
 Might not the words of our Saviour be applied to 
 her, * Ough not this woman, bein^ a daughter of 
 Abraham, whom Batan hath bound these many 
 years, be loosed from her bonds on the Sabbath 
 day?'" 
 
 Still there was much to shock and distress the 
 heart of the Christian in the conduct of these poor 
 heathen. One day the missionary was walking with 
 others towards the river, and presently a crowd 
 shouting and crying approached them, dragging a poor 
 young girl, tied hand and foot, with her face on the 
 ground, to the river. This was one of the superstitious 
 customs, for they believe in making a sacrifice for their 
 sins by beating out the life of a fellow-creature in 
 this manner. As she is drawn along, the crowd 
 cry, " Aro ye, Aro, Aro ! " i.e., " Wickedness, wicked- 
 ness ! " and believe that the iniquities of the people 
 are thus atoned for. 
 
 There is also a horrible practice among the Onitsha 
 people of killing all children who happen to be born 
 twins. This superstition is so deeply rooted that the 
 mother is also degraded and cruelly treated. One 
 such, a convert to Christianity, one night became the 
 mother ^f two little girls, and immediately in sheer 
 terror she fled to the bush for safety. Her friends 
 hesitated about casting the infants away to be torn 
 of wild beasts, as was customary, and sent for Mr. 
 Perry, the minister. He said at once, ** Destroy them 
 not, for a blessing is on them ; " and in spite of a 
 perfect tumult of anger, " a furious mob of five 
 hundred men armed to the teeth with guns, cutlasses, 
 spears, clubs, bows and arrows, who surrounded the 
 
ONITSHA. 
 
 107 
 
 licasioii. 
 plied to 
 ^hter of 
 ; many 
 !)abbatli 
 
 -ess the 
 !se poor 
 ng with 
 , crowd 
 g a poor 
 J on the 
 :3titious 
 for their 
 iture in 
 3 crowd 
 wicked- 
 e people 
 
 Onitsha 
 
 be born 
 
 that the 
 
 d. One 
 
 ame the 
 
 in sheer 
 
 ' friends 
 
 be torn 
 
 for Mr. 
 
 oy them 
 
 )ite of a 
 
 of live 
 
 utlasses, 
 
 ided the 
 
 mission compound, demanding that the babes be given 
 up to them," the little ones were safely conveyed to 
 the English ship Wanderer on the Niger, and saved 
 from destruction. 
 
 There is a celebrated god called Tslii, whose power 
 is to preserve the people from witchcraft, and once, 
 when visiting one of the chiefs, the visitors were asked 
 by hie wife to witness her sacrifice to this deity. A 
 goat was killed, and the blood allowed to run into a 
 bowl, and then over the slain victim, she said, " I 
 beseech thee, my guide, make me good; thou hast 
 life. 1 beseech thee to intercede with God the Spirit, 
 tell Him my heart is clean. I beseech thee to deUver 
 me from all bad thoughts in my heart ; drive out all 
 witchcrafts ; let riches come to me. See your sacri- 
 ficed goat ; see your kotu-nuts ; see your rum and 
 palm wine." She tried to persuade her guests to 
 drink some of this wine, but they refused. 
 
 To the great sorrow of Crowther and Mr. Taylor, 
 on the return of the latter to Fernando Po, at the 
 end of November, the sickness of Simon Jonas in- 
 creased, and at last this useful helper in the mission 
 work passed away. He was a great loss, not only for 
 his excellent and consistent Christian character, but 
 because of his ability in translating into the language 
 of the tribes. On the Sunday after his deatli, Mr. 
 Taylor records in his diary the following affecting 
 
 incident : 
 
 " This- morning a woman came into my residence 
 and requested me to follow her, for she wanted to see 
 me very particularly. I got myself ready and went 
 with her. After walking about two miles we came to a 
 very beautiful sand beach, where to my surprise I 
 
 I 
 
■1' 
 
 & 
 
 
 108 
 
 SAMUEL CUOWTHER. 
 
 found twenty-four persons, well clad in decent dress, 
 being twenty women and four men. One of them 
 rose up and said, ' Sir, we expressly sent for you to 
 preach to us the Word of God ; do, for we thirst to 
 hear God's living word ; please, sir, help us ! ' I stood 
 under a hollow tree, and told thorn I was sorry I had 
 no hook with me. To my great surprise each one 
 brought out a hymn book. I then gave out that 
 beautiful hymn, ' Jesus, where'er Thy people meet ; ' 
 and I took one of their Bibles, and expounded the 
 words of the Apostle Paul from Acts xvi. 13 : * And 
 on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river- 
 side, where prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat 
 down, and spake unto the women which resorted 
 thither.' Thank God for tliis opportunity ! " 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Boy Becomes the Bishop. 
 — ^ — 
 
 " \\'<ir(l of Life, most pure and strong, 
 Lo ! for thee the nations long, 
 Siireail, till from its dreary night 
 All the world awakes to light. 
 
 " Up the ripening fields you see, 
 Mighty shall the harvest be. 
 But the reapers still are few. 
 Great the work tiioy have to do."— Daiinmaiku. 
 
 ^ 
 
 WE must now pass more rapidly in review the 
 events of the next few years, in order to bring 
 the narrative of Bishop Crowther's career up to the 
 work in our own day. 
 
 In the closing months of 1858 we find Crowther 
 once more starting from Onitsha for a canoe expedi- 
 tion up the river ; and after travelling thus over three 
 hundred miles, he reached Eabbah in safety, the place 
 of his enforced stay after the wreck of the Daijsjmng. 
 From this point he made his way across country to 
 Ilorin, the Haussa capital in his native country, and 
 Abeokuta, the famous city under the stone; and from 
 
110 
 
 SAMUEL f'ROWTHEU. 
 
 i 
 
 s- 
 
 Li 
 
 
 thence he proceeded to the coast, arriving at Tia<:,'oa in 
 the early part of the year 1859. The work, liowover, 
 was destined to receive some opposition ; and the trial 
 of faith which meets all true labourers in the vineyard 
 of God was to prove Crowthcr and his companions. 
 
 From llabbah, where he had laboured so hard to 
 prepare the way for a mission establishment, there 
 came bad news during that year. The P.ainhow passing 
 up the river was informed by Dr. Baikie that the place 
 was no longer open to Christian work, and as a proof 
 of the hostility of the natives, the ship on its return 
 journey was attacked, and two of its crew lost their 
 
 lives. 
 
 For a time it seemed as though the work of toilsome 
 years was to be undone, and the workers, baffled at 
 every point, must retire to the mouth of the river to 
 await another opening. But danger and disappoint- 
 ment brings a true Christian to his knees, and so 
 feeling his utter helplessness and incapacity, he is 
 strengthened and comforted by all the fulness of God. 
 He whose work it is will in due time, if we faint not, 
 open a way through which we may go up and possess 
 the land. 
 
 Mr. Taylor came to England, and awakened a new 
 interest in the Niger work, and returning, he, in con- 
 junction with Crowther; established an important 
 mission at Akassa, the mouth of the Nun river, which 
 is the navigable entrance to the Niger. When the 
 gunboat Espoir ascended the river to effect reprisals 
 upon the natives for their hostility to our vessels, 
 Crowther was on board, and was thus able to visit 
 some of the stations, to their great encouragement 
 and advantage. 
 
THE nov HEC'OMES TIIK lUSlloP 
 
 111 
 
 It was jiiac at this tiran that ^Ir. Laird, to whose 
 •nergy and enterprise so much of the Niger explora- 
 tion was duo, died, and as a result his factories on the 
 river we^'c closed. This was a great loss to tlie 
 mission, and rendered their work increasingly difficult. 
 Still a new hope dawned in the hearts of the mis- 
 sionaries when the Investigator, a vessel fully 
 equipped for exploring the rivers, took Crowther and 
 a numher of helpers on board on its way. Once more 
 they reached Onitsha, leaving Mr. Taylor to resume 
 his old work. Here wo are told Crowther found no 
 less than twenty-eight natives ready for baptism, and 
 the services of the mission church were attended by 
 a large number of people. 
 
 Passing on to the confluence, he revisited his old 
 station at Gbebe, and to his joy found that although 
 for this long interval the people had been under the 
 care of a single native catechist, the work of the Lord 
 had prospered, and with a full heart Crowther baptized 
 a number of those who had believed to salvation. He 
 tells us, " This day at the morning service, though 
 with fear and trembling, yet by faith in Christ, the 
 great Head of the Church, who has commanded, * Go 
 ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in 
 the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
 Holy Ghost,' I took courage and baptized eight 
 adults and one infant in our mud chapel, in the pre- 
 sence of a congregation of 192 persons, who all sat 
 still with their mouths open in wonder and amaze- 
 ment, at the initiation of some of their friends and 
 companions into a new religion by a singular rite, the 
 form in the name of the Trinity being translated into 
 Nupe, and distinctly pronounced as each candidate 
 
 ii ti 
 
 irnu 
 
ll'i 
 
 SAMI'i;!, CHOWTIIKIt. 
 
 11 
 
 i c: 
 
 I- 
 
 
 i\ 
 
 
 i' ■ 
 
 
 1; 
 
 
 
 ::' i 
 
 III 
 
 i i f 
 
 MJ 
 
 i'-4. 
 
 knelt. Those nine persons are the ftrst-tVuits of the 
 Nip;er irti«'*ion, Is not this a token of tlio Lord to th(! 
 Hoeioty to porsevwe in the arduous work to introthicc 
 Christianity unum^ llic vast populations on the hank 
 of the Niger, and that they shall reap in duo time if 
 thoy I'tint not "-* More so when the few baptized pcr- 
 f-ons represent i»*»'veral tribes of large tracts of countries 
 on the banks ot the Niger, Tsliadda, Igara, Igl)ira, 
 Ghari Eki, or liurnu, and even a scattered Yoruba 
 was among thoni. Is not this an anticipation of the 
 immense fields opened to the Church to occupy for 
 Christ?" 
 
 Tho sunshine of a great prosperity came upon 
 Crowther and his work, and with unremitting energy 
 he passed hither and thither along the banks of the 
 Niger, estal)lisliing at ditVercnt points fresh centres 
 of Christian enlightenment. Neither M'as he wanting 
 in helping these poor heathen to help themselves by 
 promoting commerce; his practical and business 
 abilities prepared (piite a market for the cotton trade 
 in the district. He was anxious to show them that 
 the Christians came to them with a message of peace 
 and goodwill, and that the introduction of the cotton 
 manufacture in the mission premises was to their 
 advantage. 
 
 On one occasion king Masaba, of Nupe, sent to 
 Crowther messengers, and these he conducted round 
 his mission buildings at Gbebc, showing them the 
 goods and their preparations for shipment to the 
 white man's country. This is the raosrage he sent 
 back to the king: "We are \imscra 'Nazare-i-sj ; 
 there (pointing to the schooh-oom) we tonch the 
 Christian religion ; these (pointing to the cotton gins) 
 

 •9 
 
 > 
 
 r 
 > 
 n 
 
 M 
 
 o 
 ■n 
 
 H 
 
 a 
 w 
 
 V! 
 
 
 
 o 
 1) 
 
 >< 
 o 
 •n 
 
 C 
 
 w 
 > 
 
 c 
 » 
 
 M 
 O 
 
 w 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 >J1 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 H 
 
 'd 
 
 
 I k 
 
 riJ 
 
 ■, ii 
 
I 
 
 ii 
 
 '! 
 
 r 
 
 IIS 
 
 i; 
 
 114 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 » 
 
 •I al 
 
 44 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 ^1 
 
 >L 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 k 
 
 s 
 
 1 
 
 p 
 
 are our guns; this (pointing to the clean cotton 
 puffing out of them) is our powder, and the cowries 
 (the Uttle shells which are the currency of the country), 
 which are the proceeds of the operation, are the shots 
 which England, the warmest friend of Africa, earnestly 
 desires she should receive largely." 
 
 The spiritual work also made the labourer's heart 
 thankful as he saw these natives professing faith in 
 Christ, and in their lives and death exhibiting the 
 power of the Gospel. One young female slave who 
 had been ransomed by Crowther, and had embraced 
 Christianity, died happily in the Lord, and others 
 followed with a like encouraging testimony. 
 
 When the old king, Ama Abokko, died, the mission 
 at Gbebe lost a good friend ; and although his last 
 words to his sons were to commend the work to their 
 protection, his decease marked its termination. One 
 of those fierce tribal wars which are constantly 
 ravaging the country swept over Gbebe two years 
 afterwards, and the town with its mission premises was 
 utterly destroyed. The Christian converts were scat- 
 tered, and a new station was as soon as possible started 
 at Lokoja, on the other side of the river. Other troubles 
 fell upon the work. Idda had to be given up through 
 the treacherous conduct of a chief, who made a 
 prisoner of Crowther and his son, the present Arch- 
 dt-acon, and demanded from the English a consider- 
 able sum for their ransom. They were, however, 
 rescued, but unhappily not without the loss of a 
 valuable life, that of Mr. Fell, the English Consul, 
 who was shot by a poisoned arrow and killed. 
 
 In the meantime the work in Yoruba was making 
 progress, and Crowthur had translated into his 
 
THE BOV BECOMES THE BISHOP. 
 
 115 
 
 bii cotton 
 
 le cowries 
 
 country), 
 
 the shots 
 
 earnestly 
 
 er's heart 
 g faith in 
 jiting the 
 iilave who 
 embraced 
 nd others 
 
 le mission 
 h his hist 
 •k to their 
 ion. One 
 sonstantly 
 two years 
 3mises was 
 were scat- 
 ble started 
 er tronbles 
 ip through 
 
 made a 
 sent Arch- 
 L consider- 
 , however, 
 
 loss of a 
 sh Consul, 
 ?,d. 
 as making 
 
 1 into his 
 
 native tongue not only the Bible, but other works, 
 including the Prayer Book, and a Dictionary which will 
 be of inestimable service to workers who shall follow 
 in the field ; others had translated the Pihjr'uii'H 
 Progress and the Peep of Dai/. 
 
 The ancient capital of the Yoruba district was 
 Oyo; and here, in 1851, Mr. Townsend and his de- 
 voted wife, accompanied by Mr. Mann, another mis- 
 sionary, had an interview with Atiba, king of Yoruba, 
 and in the illustration which we gi\e of the scene 
 it will be observed that a sacrifice of four human 
 beings took place in honour of the visitors. These 
 Egbas are Monotheists, although the Supreme Being 
 is known amongst them by a variety of titles, as 
 Olurun, the Prince of Heaven ; Eleda, the Creator ; 
 Alagbura, the Powerful One ; Oludomare, the Al- 
 mighty ; Oluwa, the Lord ; and Elami, the Prince 
 of Life. Their salutations are reverent ; and on 
 parting with anyone they say, *' I remember you, 
 and commit you to the care of God." It is common 
 amongst them to use the native equivalent for "God 
 bless you." 
 
 Mr. Townsend says that these people never worship 
 the stars or heavenl}' bodies., and that one dii.y, point- 
 ing to one of their idols, he asked the chief, "Why 
 do you worship that image when you know it was cut 
 out of a piece of wood by a man ? " "I know it was 
 carved by a man. I don't worship it." " But I have 
 seen you worship it." "I don't worship the image, 
 but the spirit that dweUs in it." " What does that 
 spirit do for you ? " " He is my messenger to carry 
 rny petitions to God." 
 
 Sacriliees sometimes of human l)eings are made to 
 
 
 !* »: 
 
116 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTITER. 
 
 t 
 
 ,i ll 
 
 this idol, Shango. The illustration given on page 99, 
 of the sacrifice of a sheep is singular, as after getting 
 it to eat some plumtree leaves as a mark of accep- 
 tation, the animal is slain, and its blood scattered 
 over the idol ; also the brows of those perfornnng 
 this worship are marked therewith. 
 
 We must just add another instance to show the 
 belief of these people in Divine Providence. There 
 had been a fight between the warriors of Abeokuta 
 and Ijaye and those of Ibadan, and the priest thus 
 put it, the farmer, of course, referring to the defeated 
 
 party : — i i ■ 
 
 "A farmer went to clear a piece of ground on his 
 farm for cultivation. Addressing a large tree that 
 stood in his way, he said, ' To-morrow I will cut you 
 down.' The tree, full of trouble, told God of it, 
 sayinf^, * The farmer says he will cut me down to-- 
 morro°v.' To which God replied, ' Be contented, he 
 cannot.' The farmer returning home met with an 
 accident, and was unable to resume his work for a 
 long time. Then he repeated his threat, but with 
 the^same result ; and now he was laid aside by a long 
 illness. The third time he cleared his farm, and 
 again addressed the tree, 'Tree, to-morrow, God 
 willing, I will cut you down.' The tree, again ad- 
 dressing God, repeated the farmer's words, to which 
 God answered, ' Did he say so ? then he will do it.' 
 On the morrow the tree was cut down." The point is 
 that as long as the farmer trusted in his own strength 
 he failed, but when he said, " I will, God willing," he 
 
 succeeded. 
 
 We have now reached a point wh'en we find 
 Crowther once more in England. He had come to 
 
page 99, 
 L- getting 
 )f accep- 
 scattered 
 rforming 
 
 show the 
 I. There 
 A-beokuta 
 lest thus 
 ! defeated 
 
 id on his 
 tree that 
 I cut you 
 od of it. 
 do^Yn to- 
 tented, he 
 b with an 
 ork for a 
 but with 
 by a long 
 farm, and 
 •row, God 
 again ad- 
 i, to which 
 nil do it.' 
 lie point is 
 'n strength 
 dlling," he 
 
 1 we find 
 i,d come to 
 
 THE BOY BECOMES THE BISHOP. 
 
 117 
 
 plead his own cause on the platform of our English 
 May Meetings, and was the principal attraction at 
 the Annual Meeting of the Church Missionary Society 
 at Exeter Hall. The excited interest of that im- 
 mense gathering was in a great part due to the fact 
 that a negro, one of the very race from the distant 
 African regions, was to tell his own tale. And a plain 
 straightforward and effective speech it was. It was 
 a remarkable evidence of the power of Christianity, 
 a unique blending of the pleader and the example of 
 the good of the cause at the same time. In the 
 course of his remarks he said : — 
 
 "On one occasion I was travelling with the late 
 lamented Bishop Weeks, then a simple minister. 
 I went with him on a visit to a friend in the country. 
 While I was in the railway carriage with him, a 
 gentleman attacked him, knowing that he was a 
 friend of missions. The gentleman said, 'What 
 are the missionaries doing abroad ? We don't know 
 anything about their movements. We pay them well, 
 but we don't hear anything about them. I suppose they 
 are sitting down quietly and making themselves com- 
 fortable.' Mr. Weeks did not say anything in reply, 
 I having made a sign to him not to do so. After the 
 gentleman had exhausted what he had to say, I said 
 to him, ' Well, sir, I beg to present myself to you as 
 a result of the labouri^ of the missionaries which you 
 have just been depreciating ; ' and I pointed to Mr. 
 Weeks as the means of ay having become a Christian, 
 and having been brought to this country as a 
 Christian minister. Th3 gentleman was so startled 
 that he had nothing more to say in the way of 
 objection, and the subsequent conversation between 
 
 
I. 
 
 118 
 
 SAMUEL riunvTHEi?. 
 
 liim and Mr. Weeks turned upon missionary topics. 
 On the banks of the Niger, where we have not been 
 privileged to be ushered in by European missionaries, 
 native teachers have maintained their footing among 
 their own people. Their countrymen look upon them 
 as very much superior to themselves in knowledge 
 and in every other respect, and listen to them with 
 very great attention when they preach to them the 
 Gospel of our salvation." 
 
 On St. Peter's Day, 1864, perhaps the most import- 
 ant event of his life took place, when in Canterbury 
 Cathedral Samuel Crowther was consecrated as the 
 first Bishop of the Niger. The scene was a memor- 
 able one, and is not likely to be forgotten by those 
 who stood in the vast crowd which filled every aisle 
 of the grand cathedral that day. The license of 
 Her Majesty had been duly promulgated in these 
 
 terms : — 
 
 «'We do by this our license under our royal signet 
 and sign manual authorise and empower you the said 
 Reverend Samuel Adjai Crowther to be Bishop of the 
 United Church of England and Ireland in the said 
 countries in Western Africa beyond the limits of our 
 
 dominions." 
 
 When the service began it was an impressive sight 
 to see the Archbishop of Canterbury, attended by live 
 other Bisliops, enter the choir ; and following them the 
 three Bisliops to receive the solemn rite of consecration, 
 xi'A : the new Bishop of Peterborough, the new Bishop 
 of Tasmania, and the new Bishop of the Niger. 
 Remembering, as doubtless many did, the touching 
 history of his childhood and early struggles as a slave, 
 not a few in that vast building were moved to tears as 
 
 i 
 
THE r.OY llEf'OMF.S THE BISHOP. 
 
 119 
 
 ■f topics, 
 ot been 
 onaries, 
 ; among 
 on them 
 lO^Yletlge 
 cm with 
 hem the 
 
 , import- 
 nterbuvy 
 d as the 
 , memor- 
 by those 
 ery aisle 
 cense of 
 in tliese 
 
 'al signet 
 the said 
 
 )p of the 
 the said 
 
 ts of our 
 
 3ive sight 
 k1 by live 
 ; them the 
 secration, 
 jw Bishop 
 he Niger, 
 touching 
 as a slave, 
 to tears as 
 
 the African clergyman hnmbly knelt in God's glorious 
 house to receive the seals of the high office of Shepherd 
 
 — _^r r \~ ' ^ ■ — 7 T>7'%! IP "Vf'' ■*^"' 
 
 • 61 \ lETTiedr^ - JJ \IT V ■■■■' 1 '•Jl'irp'll^ 'A' / 
 
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 V'-'Vp^I-igara 
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 ^ v-.ffivr, ^ ■ f Jj.va.m.....---, \ 15 .. o 
 
 ^-''^-"'fer^f-IV'^r'' 
 
 
 
 '1"? / 'i •■■■'■■■/^j-i^.-_-'~v vi/u-'j^a'T;' 
 
 THE flKI.l) Ol. TIIK YORt-n.V ANO NIGER MISSIONS. 
 
 in His enrthly fold, ^fost of all must one heart have 
 been af!ected, that of Mrs. Weeks, the missionary s 
 
 11:! 
 
 
120 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 h« 
 
 ■ « I il 
 
 wife, at whose knee he received his first lessons in the 
 way of the Lord. 
 
 No one could f lil to see how God had called forth 
 this native from the degradation of a boyhood of 
 slavery, to become a chosen vessel in His service. He 
 had proved himself as a true-hearted standard-bearer 
 of the Cross in much toil and patient endurance, and 
 it was meet that to him should be committed the 
 spiritual interests of the district in which he had 
 spent hitherto nearly the whole of his life since he 
 became a Christian. 
 
 On his immediate return to the Niger, the work 
 began afresh with renewed energy. Special attention 
 was given to tlie Delta, for King Pepple, having been 
 on a visit to England, made an application to the 
 Bishop of London to send missionaries to his 
 dominions. A more degraded district was not to be 
 found in Africa. Although its trade was very flou- 
 rishing, being one of the chief markets for palm oil, 
 the people were sunk in the lowest vices and 
 superstitions. At the time of which we speak, when 
 Bishop Crowther was forming the Christian Church 
 there, the shocking practice of cannibalism was not yet 
 wholly given up, and the people were entirely under 
 the power of the priests of the Juju or fetish worship. 
 As in Dahomey, no regard for human life seems to 
 have existed ; men were sacrificed at every high 
 festival, and at the burial of any of their chief men a 
 number of poor creatures would be slaughtered. The 
 ghastly spectacle of their temple, paved and elaborately 
 decorated with human bones, showed the ferocity of 
 their religion. 
 
 In the midst of this awful darkness came Bishop 
 
THE BOY BECOMES THE BISHOP. 
 
 121 
 
 Ciowther and his fellow-helpera, bearing the Hght of 
 the Gospel, and in dne time many behaved and were 
 saved. It was as in the early Church of the first 
 centuries, the adherents of the new religion were 
 mostly slaves, and to escape their persecutors had 
 to meet for worship and counsel in retired places. 
 The little Mission Church of St. Stephen's was 
 opened on the 1st January, 1872, and from time to 
 time converts were baptized, and the little assembly 
 of believers increased. But the superstition of the 
 priests and their votaries constantly made the little 
 church the object of their persecuting hatred. Again 
 and again its members were compelled to meet in the 
 secrecy of the forest for prayer. The hour of martyr- 
 dom had come ; some few could not stand the test, 
 but very many gloriously held faithful to their Lord. 
 One instance of this is the case of Isiah Bara and 
 Jonathan Apiafe, who were important persons in 
 their country before they embraced Christianity. 
 From that moment, however, they were bitterly per- 
 secuted, and finally, for the crime of carrying the 
 body of a poor Christian slave to burial, they were 
 publicly impeached by the Juju priests. Offered meat 
 sacrificed to idols, they preferred death to such dis- 
 honour of their Lord. Then they were bound with 
 chains, and put in a shed in the bush to die of star- 
 vation ; but in secret some of their brethren conveyed 
 to them a little food at the risk of their own lives. 
 When tempted, first by offers of honourable and 
 influential positions among the chiefs, and then by 
 threats of horrible punishment, their replies are 
 among the brave words of Christ's witnesses well 
 worth recording : '* I have made up my mind," said 
 
122 
 
 SAMUEL f'ROWTHEU. 
 
 I 1 Jl 
 
 <»! • -i 
 
 II 
 
 one of them, ** God helping me, to be in chains, if it 
 so please the Lord, till the coming of the judgment 
 day ; " and said the other, fired with a like heroism, 
 " You know I never refused to perform my duty ; hut 
 as for turning back to heathen worship, that is out 
 of my power, for Jcstis lias tuhcn cliaruc of nnj heart, 
 and j)adlocke(l it, and the key is with Uim.'' For 
 twelve months these faithful ones endured this pain- 
 ful bondage, until relieved at last by the urgent 
 appeal of some English traders ; and they looked, on 
 emerging out of their ca^^tivity, more like wasted 
 skeletons than men. 
 
 Under such circumstances Bishop Crowther and 
 his son, Archdeacon Dandeson Crowther, appealed to 
 the Christians everywhere to aid the suffering mission 
 with their prayers, and from all pa"^s of the world 
 letters of sympathy reached them, and in Tennyson's 
 figure we may say, the golden chains of prevalent 
 prayers bound once more the round world about the 
 feet of God. A special prayer-meeting was held, too, 
 at the Delta; and, after it, the Archdeacon hastened 
 to the chiefs to ask them to withdraw the persecuting 
 hand against the Christians. 
 
 Three years afterwards the wife of a chief who 
 called himself Captain Hart, died. She had been the 
 ver;^ Je/ebel of the persecution, and had urged her 
 hushand '"^ kill many Christians. Vainly did Crowther 
 seek acce. - to her on her death-bed, the priests, to 
 whom she had always given largely of money and 
 presents, prevented this. When she had breathed 
 lier last, the chief, her husband, was inconsolable, 
 and was grieved to think thai hi;s Juju idol liad failed 
 to save Iier. Crowther found him, and tried to com- 
 
THE W)\' W.roMES THE lUSHOP. 
 
 123 
 
 IS, if it 
 dgment 
 eroisra, 
 ty ; but 
 ; is out 
 // heart, 
 " For 
 s pain- 
 
 urgont 
 tked, on 
 
 wasted 
 
 ler and 
 ealed to 
 mission 
 le world 
 myson's 
 rcvalent 
 lOut the 
 old, too, 
 lastcned 
 sccuting 
 
 ief who 
 been the 
 •ged her 
 )rowther 
 •iests, to 
 ney and 
 breathed 
 iisohible, 
 ad failed 
 to com- 
 
 fort the broken-hearted man. Ho says, " After 
 expressing our sympathy, I added that all the words 
 of comfort we can tell him will fail to heal the sore 
 m his heart; but we who are believers in Jesus 
 Christ have a 'balm' which heals such wounds; there 
 is a Physician, above every earthly physician, who 
 administers it into our hearts, and a cliange takes 
 place for good. Should he like us to tell him of that 
 balm for his broken heart?" He answered, "Yes, 
 tell me, and I will listen to you." After reading from 
 the book of Samuel, of the punishment of David's 
 sin Mr. Crowther tells us he " turned to Psalm li., 
 and carefully read the wh >lc to him, and concluded 
 by pointing him to Jesus Christ, who has shed His 
 blood for us all, for him (the chief), for me, for every 
 man, and he that believeth in His name shall be 
 saved. I closed my Bible, he sighed and said, ' God's 
 word is true and is good. Come at another time, and 
 
 tell me more.' " 
 
 The death of his wife, the failure of his gods and 
 priests to deliver him in his trouble, and, most of all, 
 the good words of the Lord, had such an effect on the 
 chief that some time afterwards, when, in his turn, 
 he waited death, a striking scene took place. He 
 renounced his faith in his idols in the most distinct 
 manner, ordering them to be thrown into the river. 
 This was done on the day of his funeral, and the 
 people in a great fury wreaked tb v vengeance on the 
 luckless jujus, dashing them into the river and break- 
 ing them up into fragments. Thus this Ahab died, 
 and his household gods were scattered abroad. 
 
 The most popular of the gods of Yoniba is Tfa, 
 and a very interesting account is given by the Eev, 
 
124 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 »t ii i 
 
 James Johnson, the native African missionary, of 
 the conversion of one of its priests or medicine 
 men. The man was growing into old age when he 
 appeared before the Christian teacher as a seeker 
 after truth. He had been for years in the habit of 
 using his idol Ifa as a charm against the diseases 
 of the people, but ho himself had a painful malady 
 which his idolatrous offices failed to cure. It so 
 happened, however, that Jonah Shekere, who was a 
 communicant of the Ake congregation, met him one 
 day, and told the disconsolate Babalawo Dosimu that 
 prayer to God through the Lord Jesus Christ would 
 be more likely to cure him than all his charms and 
 divinations. By appointment they met, ani these two 
 natives knelt together to ask the Great Phy^iician if it 
 was His will to take away the affliction from which 
 Dosimu was suffering. God was not inattentive to 
 their cry, and soon afterwards the sickness abated, 
 and the poor repentant heathen found that rest and 
 sleep, which for so long a time had forsaken him. 
 
 His Christian friend read to him the story of Jonah, 
 and this greatly impressed him; and, although at 
 such an advanced age, he begged to be instructed how 
 to read, that he might know for himself more of the 
 wonderful teaching of the Word of God. He renounced 
 his idolatry, and brought to the missionary his Ifa or 
 idol, saying, " I cannot tell how much I have spent 
 in vain upon this useless thing! I sought recovery 
 from it in illness, and it promised it ; but its promises 
 and assurances have not been fulfilled. Prayer to 
 God has been of real help to me. I renounce Ifa, and 
 will follow Christianity, that the Lord may give me 
 perfect recovery." 
 
THE nOY BECOMES THE BISHOP. 
 
 125 
 
 As the light slowly dawned upon his benighted 
 spirit, he spoke in a manner of his former worship, 
 which is not unusual with these heathen priests after 
 their conversion. " Such answers to prayers," said 
 he, " I have found to be not answers from Ifa, who I 
 had prayed to, but from God Himself, whom I 
 ignorantly addressed as the holy, sinless, and good 
 One, when I addressed Ifa thus, and was pleased to 
 apply to Himself the prayers and addresses offered in 
 simple faith though in ignorance to a thing that could 
 
 not help." 
 
 Mr. Johnson, the missionary, thus concludes his 
 sketch of this striking change of heart and life. 
 "Dosimu attributes his conversion entirely to God. 
 ' What else,' he says, * could have brought me ? ' His 
 chief anxiety is to be baptized, ' pinodu,' as he calls it. 
 Pinodu is an abbreviation of, ' Pa-ina-Odu,' to kill, or 
 put out the fire of Odu. Odu is a companion of Ifa, 
 and is represented by charcoal, powdered camwood 
 mixed with water and mud. He is the god who 
 afflicts mankind with sickness and other troubles, and 
 is said to be always in wrath against them. This 
 wrath is ' ina ' fire. To put out this lire is to pro- 
 pitiate him, remove his wrath, and secure his favour, 
 and exemptions from his inflictions. Propitiation is 
 made in a priest's house with the blood of a goat or 
 sheep, and fowls slain at night at the time of offering. 
 When Dosimu says he wants to * pinodu,' ho means 
 to dedicate himself to God in bapUsm." 
 
 
 ■) n 
 
 

 CHAl'TLK XI. 
 
 BONNY A BETHEL, 
 *- 
 
 " () cuiue llioii liidiaut Moruhig Star, 
 Agiiiu uu huuiiin darkucrts shiue ; 
 Ariwe, ie«iiltMuli!iit from tifar, 
 Ari.-iert Thy n.yalty divine: 
 'I'hy sway ucr ull the earth tnaiutain. 
 And nuw ItL'.^'iu 'I'hy glorumrt roigu."— Am'N. 
 
 •^• 
 
 AFTEii the passing away of Captain Hart and liis per- 
 secuting wife, there came to the infant chinch at 
 Jionny another season of jieace and prosperity. The 
 native schoohnaster sent to Bishop Crowther a joyful 
 report, thanking God that «' Bonny has become a 
 Bethel." The destruction of Captain Hart's idols 
 made a salutary impression upon the minds of his 
 friends and neighbours. '\His household — men, 
 women, and children— came with great joy to the 
 
 house of God." 
 
 While in times past the church had been harassed 
 by the animosity of such a Jezebel as the late chief's 
 wife had proved to be, it was now comforted by a 
 woman of considerable position and intluence in the 
 
noNNY A HETIIKI,. 
 
 127 
 
 place, who, receiving ihn GoHpel in her heart, lu.st no 
 time in helping the j;>.nl work with ail her power. 
 In her houBe, every niornin;^ and evenhig, a large 
 concoiu-Be of peoiile, cliietly of her own eHtal)liHhiuent, 
 met for family prayer. So greatly did the mission 
 extend liiat another church was huilt, and these were 
 hoth crowde<l, at every service, by people thirsting for 
 the Word of God. 
 
 This important station was placed under the care of 
 Bishop Crowther's son, the Archdeacon, and he 
 gathered the chiefs together and endeavoured to 
 persuade them to exercise at any rate toleration to- 
 wards the mission. An event, however, of consider- 
 able importance occurred about this time. 
 
 The titular king of Bonny, George Pepple, had gone 
 to England for his health ; and during his stay on our 
 shores had been everywhere received with respect and 
 enthusiasra. He made friends with the Lord Mayor 
 of London, was even introduced to the Brince of 
 Wales, and gave several addresses upon the subject of 
 his country's welfare, and the pleasure he felt at being 
 so well received. The most important feature of his 
 visit, however, was the interest evinced by all with 
 whom he came in contact in the mission work at 
 Bonny, and he was not slow to show his earnest 
 appreciation of its value and success. He must have 
 felt some twinges of conscience when he remembered 
 the persecutions the Christians had been subjected 
 to, and which no doubt he might luive repressed 
 had he not stood in such fear of his chiefs. But now 
 that with renewed health and so many pleasant 
 recollections he was about to return to his native land, 
 he determined to take up a delinite position as the 
 
 
Drjii 
 
 128 
 
 SAMUEL CROAVTHER. 
 
 
 ;1 ; 
 
 p,oteotor or, and sympathiser «.th, the »ork o Chu 
 tianitv in his kingdom. So this royal convert sen the 
 flolg letter Tn advance to Archdeacon Crowther, 
 
 announcing his return ; ■ ,„ fv,i= T 
 
 " Forgive me tor not writuig you prior to this. 1 
 will make it all right when I meet you in Bonny. 
 People have made inquiries about you, and I lac 
 d^n them the best possible account. I shall be 
 comb, by next steamer, it it please God to allow me. 
 and I "vish you to get ready tor a special service at the 
 ut^Z clich in Bonny. From the steamer (n.v.) 
 I wTll proceed to the church to otter my thanksgivmg 
 
 '° fete time he arrived ; and at the service which ho 
 attended, a special prayer of thanksgivmg to God was 
 r ad Id an earnest and impressive discoui-se i^eached 
 byArchdeacon Crowther on the text trom the Psalm . 
 "Come and hear, all ye that tear God, and I v.U 
 declare what He hath done for my soul. 
 
 The people, greatly encouraged by this action ol 
 then- king, flocked to the mission, and worked with a 
 wi 1 to erect tresh premises. In its atter experiences, 
 Bonny became one ot the most encouraging stations 
 !;°"he district ot the Lower Niger. On the pastoral 
 visit ot Bishop Crowther, a service was held in tat. 
 Stephen's Church, which, as described by his son in 
 one his reports to the parent Society, can on y 
 make the reader exclaim, " What hath God w^ught . 
 
 The Formosa had steamed from Brass, and had the 
 Bishop on board. Then we are told "Notice nad 
 already been given at the church the last Sunday of 
 the expec d Arrival ot the Bishop, -.ho would preaeh 
 and a public examination of the children at school 
 
1 
 
 f Chris- 
 sent the 
 owther, 
 
 this. I 
 
 Bonny. 
 
 I have 
 shall be 
 How me, 
 ce at the 
 ler (d.v.) 
 iksgiving 
 
 which ho 
 God was 
 preached 
 3 Psalms : 
 lid I will 
 
 action of 
 Led with a 
 periences, 
 g stations 
 e pastoral 
 leld in St. 
 his son in 
 , can only 
 ivrought?" 
 nd had the 
 iSlotice had 
 
 Sunday of 
 uld preach, 
 a at school 
 
 BONNY A BETMF.L. 
 
 129 
 
 was to take place afterwards. The following Sunday 
 (24th) came, the morning opened gloomily, but the 
 feathered songsters warbled out their praises to God 
 so cheerfully that morning, as if indicative of the 
 many voices which would be raised in jubilant praises 
 to God in His once neglected sanctuary. 
 
 "The tones of the church- going bell announced 
 the approach of the hour of service, and hardly had 
 the first bell stopped ringing when I saw on my way 
 to St. Clement's, by the beach path from Bonny, 
 scores of people hastening to St. Stephen's to secure 
 seats before the sound of the second bell. I returned 
 from St. Clement's, and found the Bishop preaching. 
 
 I 
 
130 
 
 SAMUEL GROWTH El{. 
 
 '•h 
 
 :ht 
 
 288ed 
 
 burning to the congregation, a signt never witnef 
 before at Bonny met my eyes. The chm-ch was 
 densely crowded — seats provided, and extra ones, 
 closely packed to the pulpit and reading-desk, were 
 filled. The pews Blled, the gallery well occupied by 
 the children, and the steps to the gallery lined with 
 people. King George was present with his sister. 
 Chief Fine Country, and other minor ones were there 
 also, with the rich woman already spoken of, who, 
 though ill during the week, yet was present at church. 
 No less than 503 persons were attentively listening to 
 the sermon, the Bishop telling them of the wonderful 
 works of God among the people in the interior coun 
 tries of the River Niger. 
 
 " At the mention by the Bishop of such names as 
 Mkpo, Umu-oji, Nknere nsube, Aron, Elugu, etc.— that 
 the people of these places are sending messages to the 
 mission at Onitsha, and that our agents are now 
 travelling thither occasionally— one could notice the 
 smiles and nods of approval from these poor listeners, 
 many of whom had been caught and sold from the 
 towns mentioned, and hence the joy to know that the 
 Gospel will some day reach their own country. 
 
 " In the afternoon the Bishop again preached ; and 
 though the tide was high, above knee-deep over the 
 beach path, yet there were 419 persons present." 
 
 One day two young converts appeared before Bishop 
 Crowther at the mission -house for the purpose of 
 purchasing some religious books in their language. 
 In answer to the inquiry, "From where do you come?" 
 they stated their place of abode was " the Land of 
 Israel." In further explanation of this strange name, 
 they told the Bishop, " You do not know what changes 
 
E iNNY A BETHEL. 
 
 131 
 
 dtnessed 
 roll was 
 L-a ones, 
 slv, were 
 ipied by 
 aecl with 
 s sister, 
 are there 
 of, who, 
 i church, 
 tening to 
 onderful 
 Lor coun 
 
 lames as 
 tc. — that 
 ;es to the 
 are now 
 otice the 
 listeners, 
 from the 
 that the 
 
 y- 
 
 led ; and 
 over the 
 int." 
 
 re Bishop 
 irpose of 
 anguage. 
 Licome?" 
 Land of 
 ge name, 
 t changes 
 
 
 are taking place at Bonny ; yonder village Ayambo, 
 is named the Land of Israel, because no idol is to be 
 found in it. Though you may walk through the 
 village, you will not find a single idol in it as an object 
 of worship. All have been cleared out, and some 
 delivered to the Archdeacon. So it is free from 
 idolatrous worship ; and if anyone who professes the 
 Christian religion is not comfortable at Bonny town, 
 he is invited to this village, named the Land of 
 Israel." 
 
 The influence of the Christian religion was every- 
 where making way, and the good tidings of salvation 
 were being carried up the country. About thirty miles 
 from Bonny is the town of Okrika, where there is an 
 important market. Here people, who had been to 
 Bonny, carried the news of what God was doing 
 amongst the people there, and the chiefs and natives 
 of Okrika, although they had never seen a Christian 
 teacher, built for themselves a church, with a galva- 
 nized iron roof, which would hold at least three 
 hundred worshippers, and got a schoolboy from Brass 
 to come and read the Church Service to them. They 
 sent a pressing invitation to Bishop Crowther to come 
 and visit them. His son, the Archdeacon, however, 
 came in his place, and was received with enthusiasm, 
 and preached to them in the Ibo language. A few 
 days after he was shown over the town, and having 
 brought a brick-mould from Bonny he got some clay, 
 and explained to them the process of making bricks. 
 
 The results of his discourse on the choice between 
 Elijah's God and Baal was soon seen. " A chief 
 
 v^r.»vir./-l C!/-»rv>oij«n \TTlin Viod bpon lioaif nfintTf a,nr\ Tinmiilv 
 
 was at church, came after service and shook my hands, 
 
 ' i 
 
 ' II 
 
 t 
 
132 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 and said. * Uka ogula td,' ' palaver set to-day.' I 
 asked him, How ? He answered, ' You will know 
 
 to-morrow.' 
 
 " On Monday morning he came in a canoe contam- 
 ing a large and small box full of idols and charms, 
 four other chiefs who are church adherents were with 
 me. We all stood by the wharf, and there he told me 
 that he had decided to follow Christ, to throw away 
 his jujus, and have nothing more to do with such 
 folly. I answered, * Good, may God strengthen your 
 heart.' " But in course of time, the opposition and 
 intrigue of the chiefs, who disliked the support which 
 King George Pepple afforded Christianity, caused 
 serious trouble once more in Bonny. 
 
 In 1883 a letter of complaint against the IVIission 
 was signed by a majority of the chiefs, and shortly 
 afterwards this was followed up by open revolt, and 
 the king was dethroned and exiled. The churches 
 were ordered to be shut up and burned down, and the 
 severest punishment was meted out to all those who 
 would no longer sacrifice to the jujus or idols. 
 
 Such a persecution soon displayed the martyr 
 heroism of the Christians of Bonny. Six women 
 who would not recant, were put into a canoe and left 
 helpless in the middle of the river, and several others 
 were banished or murdered. Archdeacon Crowther 
 was warned off from Okrika under pretence of a 
 coming war, and it seemed for the time as though 
 Satan had the work at Bonny helpless in his hands. 
 But with deepest darkness the star of dawn appeared, 
 and suddenly, in answer^to many prayers, relief came. 
 Her Majesty's Consul, J^. H. Hewitt, Esq., arrived at 
 Bonny in August, 1884, with a commercial treaty 
 
 
' ■ ■ 
 
 lay.' I 
 1 know 
 
 3ontaiii- 
 charms, 
 ere with 
 told me 
 •w away 
 th such 
 ten your 
 :ion and 
 ft which 
 caused 
 
 IVEission 
 . shortly 
 i^olt, and 
 churches 
 , and the 
 lose who 
 
 I* 
 
 ! martyr 
 I women 
 and left 
 ■al others 
 Crowther 
 nee of a 
 B though 
 is hands, 
 appeared, 
 lief came, 
 irrivcu at 
 al treaty 
 
 
 BONNY A BETHEL. 133 
 
 signed by the chiefs of the oil rivers in the Gulf of 
 Biafra, and in this was a clause giving absolute free- 
 dom to missionaries to establish stations free from 
 molestation. This was signed by the rebellious chiefs 
 of Bonny ; and afterwards, at the suggestion of the 
 EngUsh representative, a council of chiefs was estab- 
 lished, which led to the unanimous reinstatement of 
 King George Pepple as their rightful ruler. 
 
 The most important clause in the constitutional 
 memorandum, drawn up and signed by the chiefs on 
 the accession of their king, was that he should be 
 " exempted from taking part personally in ^ any 
 ceremony that may be contrary to his religion." 
 Thus there was peace once more in Bonny, and the 
 kingdom of Christ continues to extend its gracious 
 power among the people. 
 
 The kingdom of Brass is one of the outlets of the 
 Niger, and it was in 1867 that Bishop Crowther first 
 met with its king, Ockiya, on the river Nun. He was 
 at once favourably disposed to Christianity, and 
 begged for ministers and teachers to be sent to Brass 
 to give the same blessings to his people as he had 
 heard had come to his neighbours at Bonny, further 
 up the stream. Here, then, Bishop Crowther laboured 
 hard, and as a result many were added to the Church ; 
 and so prosperously did Christianity win its way 
 among the people that the Juju priests, like those of 
 Ephesus, soon began to realise that their gains were 
 
 gone. 
 
 A visitation of small-pox in the district gave them 
 the opportunity to blame the Christian teachers for 
 it, and forthwith was initiated a cruel persecution, 
 as bitter as that which we have seen was waged 
 
 :■ y. 
 
134 
 
 SA]MUEL CIIOWTHEK. 
 
 t I 
 
 . » r: " 
 
 at Bonny. Once more the spirit of faith and trust 
 in God was exhibited amid trials hard to be borne. 
 One of the converts was bound and dragged to 
 a place where a sacrifice was being offered to an 
 idol, and there his persecutors stood with a drawn 
 sword over him demanding his recantation; but he 
 did not give way. The king was powerless to curb 
 this bitter outburst of his priests and chiefs combined. 
 But after nine years of labour and more than one 
 outburst of fanatical opposition, the Church at Brass 
 was well established. 
 
 When in his latter days King Ockiya decided to 
 make a solemn and public profession of Christianity, 
 he paid a visit to Tuwou village to be baptized. This 
 rite was administered by Archdeacon Crowther on 
 the first Sunday in Advent, 1879, the king receiving 
 the name of Josiali Constantine. But for years, this 
 native potentate had shown himself very friendly to 
 the introduction and progress of Christianity in his 
 dominions. In spite of his juju men, he utterly gave 
 up his idols, and the principal of these are to be seen 
 in the Mission House, Salisbury Square. In our 
 illustration these are as photographed at Lagos on 
 their way to England. The two men, on either side 
 of Bishop Crowther, are Josiah Bara and Jonathan 
 Apiafe, of whose brave and patient loyalty to their 
 Master we have already had evidence in these pages. 
 
 King Ockiya was enabled by the grace of God to 
 give up polygamy, a great sacrifice for a royal 
 African to make ; and his example as a Christian led 
 to the conversion of several of his heathen priests, 
 who are now baptised believers in the Saviour's 
 name. 
 

 ■ I 
 
 ■J' 
 
 *f 
 
 KING UCKIYA'S IDULS ON THlilR WAY TO ENGLAND. 
 
130 
 
 SAMUEL CllOWTHEU. 
 
 Not only is there a great spiritual quickening 
 among the people, but their material prosperity is 
 evident. When Bishop Crowther visited one of the 
 chiefs, Samuel Sambo, he found his house beautifully 
 furnished, in the European style, with every luxury. 
 There was one apartment, however, more neatly 
 garnished, in which a table and a number of forma 
 were seen. This was the praying-room, where, twice 
 a day, the chief gathers his large household for family 
 prayer. This, too, in a land where at the time of 
 Bishop Crowther's first visit, cannibalism and super- 
 stitions of the vilest sort reigned supreme. 
 
 These poor heathen, so lately possessed with a 
 devilish worship and cruel practices, are now sitting 
 clothed and in their right mind, a spectacle of the 
 power of the grace of God, which is not without its 
 lesson even to the English people at home. 
 
 A striking instance of the reality of the change is 
 given by Archdeacon Crowther. These are his words. 
 " A sailing vessel called the GuidiiKj Star, with cargo 
 consigned to one of the firms trading on the Niger, 
 arrived outside the Nun bar. No pilot was sent out 
 to bring her in, so the captain sent his boat with five 
 men in to get one. The boat capsized on the bar, one 
 of the sailors was drowned, and the rest clung to the 
 boat. Being ebb tide they were drifted away to sea, 
 past Brass ; and by the time the flood set in they were 
 away down by an opening called the Nicholas. 
 Cannibals live in this vicinity, hence any unfortunate 
 being cast on Nicholas shore must be given up as lost. 
 These four sailors were drifted ashore there, and 
 picked up by the natives. Providentially for them one 
 of the Brass church converts, called Carry, had some 
 
BONNY A BETHEL. 
 
 187 
 
 1 
 
 t' ide business with the Nicholas people ; and his boys, 
 wno also attend church, were there at the time. 
 They hastened and reported to their master about the 
 sailors. At once Ca x^ went, and after a good long 
 talk, and showing them how God had turned the 
 Brass people from such shameful practices through 
 the Word of God, he succeeded in rescuing the sailors, 
 and returned them to their ship at the River Nun. 
 Carry's words when he handed the sailors to the 
 captain of the ship (with whom I had conversation 
 two da; s after) were these : ' Had I not known God 
 and have become a Christian, these poor men would 
 not have been aUve to-day ; we thank God ! ' This is 
 a testimony from the mouth of a captain of the effect 
 of Christianity and the power of the Gospel." 
 
 The improvement consequent on the establishment 
 of the mission at Bonny is exhibited everywhere. 
 Several years ago Bishop Crowther, in his report to 
 the Society, enlarged apon the gracious fruits of the 
 work of God among the people. There has been, from 
 time immemorial, a custom of making sacrifices 
 whenever an expedition of war canoes stavts for the 
 capture of slaves along the river. Tb3 blood of the 
 animals thus sacrificed was sprinkled on the canoes 
 in order to propitiate the god of war; but in this 
 report we note that the Christian converts as one 
 man, refused to carry out these observances. In 
 one case a priest, who was not a Christian, ob- 
 jected to do what was required on the ground of 
 the useless folly of the thing; but the head chief 
 failing to compel him, told one of his slaves to take 
 the whip and punish him. This, however, the slave 
 declined to do, and again another refused. In a 
 
13fi 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHEK. 
 
 «»{ • 
 
 great passion the headman took the whip himself, 
 and with all his might and main fell upon the delin- 
 quent. After this, under the impression that the 
 castigation he had inflicted had brought the priest 
 to a more willing state of mind, ho again ordered him 
 to sacrifice, but this order he again disobeyed. 
 
 A short time after this the priest was p Imitted as 
 a candidate for Christian baptism. We read in the 
 words of Bishop Crowther that — 
 
 "Bonny is now wearing quite a new aspect in a 
 religious point of view; great changes are taking 
 place for the better ; and notwithstanding the perse- 
 vering efforts of some priests, backed by the influence 
 of some leading chiefs, heathenism is on the wane : 
 many sheds, sacred to the gods, are out of repair, 
 and the great temple studded with human skulls is 
 going to ruin, with little hope of its being repaired. 
 ' Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee, and the 
 remainder of wrath shaft Thou restrain.' 
 
 " Since the reaction took place at the death of 
 Captain Hart— that great ^xatron of idolatrous system 
 and zealous supporter of tnis temple of human skulls 
 — the people have learned more and more to think of 
 the vanity of idol worship ; especially when this great 
 patron of heathenism could not conceal the fact which 
 he had at last discovered at his dying hour, namely, 
 that all the gods are lies : and withal, solemnly 
 warned all his adherents against putting their trust 
 in them any longer, as they were all lying vanities ; 
 and to exonerate himself as having been the great 
 leader in their worship, he seriously commanded them 
 to destroy all the images and figures of the gods 
 which might be found in his quarter of the town 
 
 , 
 
nONNY A BETHKL. 
 
 131) 
 
 and 
 
 a^r his death, that they might not be a Bnare 
 an excuse to theui through hia former example in 
 worshipping them ; which order was executed to the 
 very word. Thus God caused the wrath of this man, 
 the great persecutor, murderer, and banisher of the 
 Christians, to praise Ilim, while He restrained the 
 remainder of wrath by his remrva., that His cause 
 may run and be glorified. 
 
 "After this, the threat from a persecuting influ- 
 ential chief, to confiscate the property of a convert, 
 a rich woman of 13onny town, could not induce her 
 to sell any article to this chief on the Lord's Day, 
 though he had fully determined to punish her for 
 thus refusing to grant his reciuest, on the ground of 
 religious persuasion of its being a breach of God's 
 commandment. This persecution was designedly 
 planned to ensnare her ; but he was disappointed." 
 
 1, 
 
M ; ! 
 
 11 
 
 
 
 M 
 
 i 
 
 liSli 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Fruitage of the Seed. 
 
 •^• 
 
 '« As lubourers in Tliy vineyard 
 
 Still I'liitlit'ul may wo be, 
 Content to liear the burden 
 
 Of wciuy days for Thee. 
 We a.sk no oth'T wage.s, 
 
 When Thou shalt call us home, 
 But to have sliared the travail, 
 
 Which makes Thy kingdom come."— MuNsel. 
 
 ►*•■ 
 
 IT will be remembered that Bishop Crowther is a 
 Yoruba by birth and parentage, and, as might be 
 expected, there has ever been in his heart a special 
 yearning for the bk- sings of the Christian faith to be 
 vouchsafed to his own people and land. His visit to 
 Abeokuta, in 184(), has already been referred to in 
 these page'^ wlien he was accompanied by that noble 
 co-worker, Mr. Henry Townsend. 
 
 This worthy missionary, who has not long gone to 
 his honoured rest, deserves something more than a 
 mere reitsreuue in this record of labour for Christ in 
 West Africa. He was a native of the cathedral city 
 
THE FmilTAGE OF THE SEEO. 
 
 Ill 
 
 NSEL. 
 
 ler IS a 
 light be 
 b special 
 ith to be 
 ■; visit to 
 ed to in 
 at noble 
 
 gone to 
 I than a 
 
 dral city 
 
 of Devonshire, and liis church in Abeokiita, being the 
 gift of his many earnest friends, was called the 
 Exeter Church. He was for six years a .schoolmaster 
 among the freed slaves at Hiorra Leone ; and i)rompttd 
 by a strong desire to explore the unknown regions of 
 the Yoruba country, from which many of the escaped 
 slaves, like the future Bishop of the Niger, had come, 
 he started for Abeokuta, the headquarters of the 
 nation. He was the first white man to enter its gates, 
 and his reception by Shodeki, the king, was remark- 
 able for its cordiality. The people were as a held 
 white unto the harvest, so great was their desire for 
 
 light and truth,, . «• Tvr 
 
 One striking instance of this must suffice. Mi. 
 Townsend tells us in his journal : " Towards evenmg a 
 large party encamped as on the previous evenmg, and 
 after they had eaten and made themselves comfortable 
 1 spoke to them. I said, ' Do you know the true God 
 who made us all, and preserves us day l^y/lay ! 
 ' No • but we heard about ten year ago that white 
 men knew Him, and we have wishec .ley would come 
 and teach us.' ' Do you want to know Him ? \es 
 'Then you m • ah. God to send you teachers, and 
 He will send them to teach and lead you in the right 
 way of God.' They arose, and lifting up their hands, 
 said '0 God! send us tea. hers to teach us about 
 Thee' What more gratifying circumstance could 
 there have been than this. We were clearly called to 
 teach these people, and the result has further proved 
 it Many who were then in heathen darkness have 
 since received the Gospel, and have died rejoicmg in 
 n^ri"^ +.rnsfinff in Him alone fui salvation." 
 * After this viSt, Townsend returned to England, and 
 
I) II 
 
 
 f « 1 I' 
 
 '*.,' 
 .-..; 
 
 B 
 
 I 
 
 ! 
 
 ii 
 
 142 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 after being fully ordained, was appointed to the missl5n 
 at Abeokuta, and with Crowther re-entered the city 
 in 1846. From that time it became the field of his 
 special labours, although Crowther from time to time 
 assisted in the establishment of the native church. 
 The Egbas, who had securely entrenched themselves 
 in this city, were continually being attacked by their 
 old and remorseless foes, the Bahomians; and although 
 in seven different campaigns the enemy ravaged the 
 towns of the country around, still Abeokuta held out 
 successfully. 
 
 In these onslaughts by the king of Dahomey, whose 
 cruel and bloodthirsty character had began to shock 
 Europe, the Christian converts whenever outside of 
 the city, fell into his hands, and suffered many 
 trials. One of them, named John Baptist Dasalu, 
 was made prisoner at the repulse of the Dahomey 
 attack in 1851, and was for twelve nights fastened to 
 the ground with forked sticks, and then, after cruel 
 torture, was sold as a slave, and sent to Cuba, 
 where, on the application of the English Government, 
 he was released. Another Christian Egba suffered 
 martyrdom by crucifixion like his Lord ; and not a 
 few others had their portion of persecution and 
 captivity. 
 
 In connection with the atrocities of Gezo, the king 
 of Dahomey, a very pleasing incident is on record of 
 the escape of a little girl from an awful death. It 
 was in 1850, when Commander Forbes of H.M.S. 
 BonctUt, was charged with a special mission to the 
 king to induce him to put down slavery in his king- 
 dom. In this excellent quest he was unfortunately 
 unsuccessful, and during his short stay in the 
 
THE FRUITAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 143 
 
 
 country, at the king's court, he saw with his own 
 eyes what a number of lives were sacrificed to please 
 the whim of this inhuman ruler. He was present at 
 the custom known as Ek-que-noo-ah-toh-meh, at 
 which sacrifice fourteen men in white dresses, with 
 high red night caps, bound and placed in small canoes 
 or baskets are flung by the king's own hand over a 
 precipice, and then decapitated by his servants below. 
 Two years before this the king's army had utterly 
 destroyed Okeodan, a city of the Yoruba country, 
 in the same manner as Crowther's native town 
 was destroyed in his childhood. Twenty thou- 
 sand captives formed the spoil of the conqueror ; and 
 among them was a little girl whose parents had been 
 killed, and she was only spared for a special sacri- 
 fice. This child was given by the king to Commander 
 Forbes to take back as a present to Queen Victoria. 
 She was baptised by the name of Sarah Forbes 
 Bonetta, and educated at the Church Missionary 
 Female Institution at Sierra Leone. After a few 
 years, at the Queen's direction, she was brought to 
 England to finish her education, and was in the care 
 of Mr. and Mrs. Schon at Chatham. She soon 
 became greatly loved, being of a Uvely, quick dis- 
 position, and was really promising in her English, 
 French, and German studies. 
 
 It is quite characteristic of the Sovereign Lady who 
 so happily rules this realm, that this little Yoruba 
 girl was never lost sight of by her, and at her Mid- 
 summer and Christmas holidays she was always at 
 the Palace for a few weeks, returning with some new 
 present from the Oueen. Amongst others she had a 
 gold watch, a turquoise ring, and a beautiful gold 
 
 ii ! 
 
iVU 
 
 144 
 
 .SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 i t 
 
 bracelet with the words : " From Queen Victoria to 
 Sarah Forbes Bonetta." She was specially invited 
 when the Guards returned from the Crimea ; and on 
 the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales she 
 had a ticket to the Koyal Galleries, accompanied 
 with suitable apparel. 
 
 She married at Brighton a leading Lagos merchant, 
 and became Mrs. Davies, and her first child was named 
 Victoria. On her return to her native country she 
 became most useful in the mission work at Lagos, and 
 died full of a joyful faith in her Eedeemer, in Sep- 
 tember, 1880. The womanly sympathy of Her 
 Majesty is so well known, that comment is unne- 
 cessary ; but this brief but interesting incident must 
 not close without an extract showing how the Queen 
 received the news of the death of Mrs. Davies :— 
 
 " In August last (1880) Mr. and Mrs. Nicholson 
 were staying at Sandown, in the Isle of Wight, and 
 Mrs. Davies' daughter, Victoria (the Queen's godchild), 
 who was in England for her education, was with them. 
 While there the news arrived from Madeira that Mrs. 
 Davies was seriously ill, and that she wished the 
 Queen to be informed. This was done, and the fol- 
 lowing day Her Majesty sent for Victoria to come to 
 Osborne. Just as she was starting thither with Mrs. 
 Nicholson, the news came that her mother was dead." 
 Mrs. Nicholson writes : " I never shall forget the 
 deep emotion shown by our beloved Queen when I 
 gave her the letter announcing Mrs. Davies' death, 
 and the motherly sympathy she expressed regarding 
 her, saying with deep feeling, * She was such a dear 
 
 creature.' " 
 
 The constantly recurring wars have greatly hm- 
 
THE FRUlTAClt "L" 1 HE SEED. 
 
 145 
 
 dered the progress of tbu Mi.sbion ; and during an 
 outburst in 1867, all the missionaries were expelled, 
 and the Mission premises destroyed. But m the pro- 
 vidence of God the work was recommenced after the 
 lapse of a few years ; and besides the chui-ch at 
 Abeokuta, a good work is being carried on at different 
 
 points in the country. „ .. • , , .. 
 
 No event, perhaps, is so full of pathetic interest as 
 the passing away five years ago of the mother ot 
 Bishop Crowther. We are told that this mother m 
 Israel never gave up entirely her native style o life, 
 she eschewed the European costume, and used to sit 
 bv preference in the market-place at Lagos like a 
 true Yoruba woman." To her, after a life of ninety- 
 seven years, the summons at last came ; and m 
 a happy condition, full of joy to go to her Saviom-, 
 this aged saint passed to that land where partings, 
 ..'vl^gs, the weight of age, and the wrongs of slavery 
 
 ^.HitiV vex again. 
 
 In reviewing the work of the Mission on the Niger, 
 the practical mind of Bishop Crowther is stamped on 
 everything. In dealing with native races the spiritual 
 must be allied to the educational, and especially 
 where the wise course is being adopted of preparmg 
 the converts themselves for work among their o^vn 
 people. The foolish but prevalent idea, that the 
 African intelligence cannot develop under teaching 
 is at once exploded by the spectacle of such a work 
 as is carried on at the Preparandi Institution at 
 Lokoia, situate at the confluence of the Binue and 
 Niger. This was started by the Bishop for the further 
 training of native boys as catechists and schoo - 
 masters. The stones to erect this substantial build- 
 
 If 
 
146 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 '«H 
 
 ing were collected from the hills around, and the 
 15,000 pieces were carried by women to the mason 
 who had been specially sent from Sierra Leone for 
 the purpose of the work. Everything was paid for, 
 and the sight of a number of men and women en- 
 gaged in industry, properly remunerated, was a signi- 
 ficant feature of that district. The place is a perfect 
 marvel to the natives. They cannot understand how 
 the stones keep together for such a height ; and as 
 they look in wonder, say to each other, " White man 
 pass every man; white man, he next to God." It is 
 quite on the College plan, with tutors' residences, 
 dormitories, class rooms, and a printing room, the 
 gift of the Society for Promoting Christian Know- 
 ledge. Such a centre of spiritual and educational 
 activity will influence to an untold extent the future 
 of the West Coast of Africa. 
 
 An apt illustration of how a little cact will overcome 
 a difficulty is given in the case reported by the Eev. 
 Daniel Olubi, of Ibadan in the Yoruba territory. At a 
 small outlying station, Ogbomosho, there is a mission 
 belonging to the American Baptists, and on the 
 occasion of the burial of one of the converts a great 
 riot ensued, the missionary who was making the coffin 
 having to fortify himseli in his house against the 
 religious intolerance of the mob. The chapel, however, 
 was speedily demolished, and even the pieces were 
 taken away, so that in this emergency the missionary 
 applied to the Church Missionary station at Ibadan, 
 and Mr. Olubi sent a native Catechist, Mr. I. Okusende, 
 to arrange the difficulty. After much opposition 
 he managed to secure an interview with the Bale or 
 headman, and learnt from him that a bitter feeling 
 
THE FRUITAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 147 
 
 and the 
 
 ! mason 
 ione for 
 •aid for, 
 nen en- 
 
 a signi- 
 1, perfect 
 md how 
 
 and as 
 ite man 
 " It is 
 idences, 
 om, the 
 L Know- 
 cational 
 e future 
 
 vercome 
 
 the Rev. 
 
 •y. At a 
 
 mission 
 
 on the 
 
 a great 
 
 he coffin 
 
 inst the 
 
 lowever, 
 
 .'es were 
 
 ssionarj' 
 
 Ibadan, 
 
 kusende, 
 
 )position 
 
 Bale or 
 
 L' feehng 
 
 existed against the native Christians. They were 
 accused of betraying the secrets of the Oro worship, 
 and the Bale made many complaints which he had 
 heard against them. This is what followed : 
 
 " Now why," said Mr. Okusende, ** do you trouble 
 yourselves about such things? Why give heed to 
 these foolish reports? I beg," he continued, "that 
 you the Bale and the Elders of Ogbomosko make two 
 bags, long and large. One must be strongly sewn 
 up, with a good thick bottom, but the other must be 
 without a bottom. All reports and false accusations 
 that would trouble you and agitate your town drop 
 into the bag without the bottom, that they may fall 
 throufTh, but all beneficial and peaceful affairs put into 
 the other." When he had finished, the Bale authorized 
 his "Are Ago" (great chief) to welcome Mr. Okusende, 
 and to wish him much blessing for the good message 
 he had conveyed to them; and then himself added, 
 «* We are not vexed with the teachers, but with our 
 own people who go down to them to be taught and who 
 reveal secrets of Epingun, Oro," etc., (these are well- 
 known Yoruba superstitions.) "Stop," said Mr. 
 Okusende, interrupting him, " such a word belongs to 
 the bag with the hole, drop it in:' " Very well, the 
 Bale replied, with a smile ; and after a few words he 
 declared that all the suspicions and misunderstand- 
 ings were now removed out of the way. " The town 
 elders and myself," he said, "have done with them 
 The Church is again free and open as before, and all 
 may attend who choose, and we will help m the 
 rebuilding of the chapel." 
 
 We would commend the preparation ot these 
 receptacles to the attention of the white men and 
 
 •» 
 
 
 Hi 
 
148 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 women at home, who, like the Bale of Ugbomosko, 
 sometimes forget that of evil speaking a spark will 
 kindle a whole fire of discontent and sorrow. 
 
 Reference has already been made to John Okenla, 
 the bravechief of Abeokuta, who led forth his besieged 
 fellow-countrymen, and inflicted a severe defeat upon 
 the army of the king of Dahomey. He became the 
 leading lay member of the Church at Abeokuta, and 
 founded that interesting little Christian community 
 lying between the city and Otta. For many years he 
 held the post of Christian Balogun, and was always 
 ready to take an active part in good works. 
 
 His end was sudden, but peaceful. He had borne 
 well the weight of his eighty years, and on the 
 Saturday before his death had walked twenty-five 
 miles, and ten more on the Sunday morning early, so 
 as to be in time for service at his church. He partook 
 of the sacrament, and on the Monday following was 
 present at the Harvest Thanksgiving service, bringing 
 his own offering (twenty thousand cowries), and laying 
 it in front of the communion rails. On the Thursday, 
 after only two hours' illness, John Okenla fell asleep 
 in Jesus, and at hi '^^rave gathered the native choir 
 to sing a special ng of mingled sorrow and joy, 
 composed by one of their number. It was a touching 
 scene, the strong men weeping bitterly at the loss of 
 their old and faithful comrade. But absent in the 
 body was present with the Lord, and John Okenla 
 had gone to join that glorious throng who without 
 ceasing praise the Lord. 
 
 A little lower down the river Niger than Onitsha, is 
 the Ibo country, where a mission station has been 
 successfully started by the converts of the former 
 
 
THE FRUITAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 149 
 
 rjlacG On Easter Day, 1882, a very interesting visit 
 1b made by about fifteen Christian 0-tsba -^^^^^^^^ 
 I^hi^ nlace when five hundred people gathered to- 
 S: to hearthe strangers tell the wonderful story 
 
 of the Kesurrection. , 
 
 In the November following Bishop Crowthev and 
 Archdeacon Henry Johnson visited Obots, and held a 
 service so impressive that the Archdeacon says, My 
 S did leap for Joy on beholding the glonou^ -n 
 v,hich unfolded itself before my eyes. An immense 
 semicircular concourse of chiefs and people weie pre- 
 Ted to receive them. The greatest attention was 
 S the sermon, the subject of *ch ..as the 
 Prodigal Son, and all joined in the sentences of he 
 Lord's Prayer, slowly read out to them m the Ibo 
 
 '""ontof the internreters spoke to the people also 
 with eloquence and spirit, relating his e.penenees of 
 Christianity at Sierra Leone, and beggmg them to 
 find the Saviour. Quite 1,500 people were present, 
 and a number of Christian native women acted as 
 churchwardens in keeping order and Bhowing he 
 congregation when and how to kneel. The Bishop 
 was greatly encouraged with the result of his inter- 
 view with some of his chiefs. _ 
 
 When the Bishop of Sierra Leone ™ited Poit Lok- 
 koh and other places of his diocese, in 1888 he had 
 an opportunity of talking with many of the chie.s 
 and headmen of the district. The remarks of one 
 of these were very significant, and showed a keen 
 appreciation of Christian privileges. Our aws ne 
 admired because tlioy made no difference between 
 rich and poor, and of the Bible he spoke with great 
 
 11 
 J 
 
150 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 ■ i-'\' \ 
 
 M 
 
 It 
 
 I ■ 
 
 enthusiasm. His closing sentence will bear repetition, 
 " The paper of yonr Book is light, but its words are 
 heavy." 
 
 The eldest son of Bishop Crowther, the Archdeacon 
 of the Lower Niger, paid a visit to England in the 
 spring of the year 1883, in order to purchase two 
 new churches for the Brass River, the amount 
 required having been collected by the native Christians 
 themselves. These churches were constructed of iron, 
 carried in sections to Africa, and subsequently trans- 
 ferred in canoes to the places alloted to them up the 
 river. When the church was commenced to be 
 erected at Nembe, a vast concourse of people assem- 
 bled to witness it rising piece by piece from the 
 ground. The fixing of plates, equivalent to stone 
 laying in England, was a scene to be remembered, and 
 the special service which preceded it will not be soon 
 forgotten by the assemblage of natives which gathered 
 round. The chiefs and their wives, three hundred 
 and fifty in number, formed a group round the spot 
 where the banner of the Church Missionary Society 
 waved in the wind. The native Clergy in their 
 surplices, and the Catechist, occupied the small plat- 
 form in the centre of the group; and after some 
 devotional exercises, two leading chiefs, Wdliam 
 Kennmer and Christopher Iwowari, members of the 
 Church, spiked down the two corner plates, and the im- 
 pressive formula, beginning "In true faith in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ," was read by the Archdeacon. After 
 a solemn prayer, committing the interest of the new 
 sanctuary to the God of all grace and truth, whose 
 house it was to be, all present rose and sang the 
 Doxology. 
 
THE FRUITAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 151 
 
 
 It iB 'i pleasing feature in the work of this Church 
 
 and " Come to Jesus," arc now translated into their 
 
 "Z'lmX the course of his pastoral visitation 
 
 Ri o , Cro« her accompanied JosiaU Obuyanwuru, a 
 Bishop Lio« nci a ^^.^j^ ^^^^ „,„g 
 
 Christian native, to Obitsiiuty 
 
 nssistance from Onitsha. ihc buiKun^ y 
 n tos sl.e, thatched all along its -'''y f ;^ * 
 roouiou . scrv ce was begun l)y we 
 
 bamboo nia tmg. The c ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 ringing of a hymn^t elated I ^^^^^^ ^^^^_ 
 
 read out to them nus y Obuyanwuru 
 
 Ebunam, the mtevpretei. r»<'y° ,„aver and one 
 asked that some one ™»l\'^,ti"Xml an earnest 
 of the female «-™'-'-Xt-t^.f ;:?the people, 
 rlSSlollrgrrmes Of several Of the 
 
 '-Srds Bishop C^^^^^^^^^^ 
 
 thus describes what follow^ . Atte long P 
 
 the service, together -f^^:^^^, rest 
 
 gradual ascendmg land, I neede a 1 
 
 '-' ^VrAUa^: of tti Ss ^i- - V-nt 
 r; rthaU,eToiUd be very glad to see me a 
 ^Tor; to^vl.ieh I consented to go. Auer the 
 
 ii; 
 
152 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 i 
 
 It 
 
 
 5' ., 
 
 'ft' 
 
 I', 
 
 Mr, 
 
 ft* 
 
 ii;: 
 
 ii{ 
 
 ill 
 
 accustomed etiquette of offering the kola nuts and 
 palm wine as marks of friendship and kind reception, 
 the subject was broached, namely, their wish to be 
 correctly informed whether what the Onitsha converts 
 had told them in their preaching was correct, that, 
 when any of their chiefs or persons of rank die, 
 they should not keep the body for many days, during 
 which time they keep up firing guns, d'-umming, and 
 dancing until they obtain a slave for human sacrifice 
 to be buried with the dead. The Christians never 
 did such things, but quietly bury their dead as soon 
 as possible. I confirmed the teaching of the converts 
 as being quite correct, that at no death of a Chris- 
 tian in any part of the world would a human being 
 be killed to be buried with the dead, how honourable 
 soever the dead might have been in his lifetime, 
 because this act is a great abomination in the 
 sight of God ; neither would the relations of the dead 
 make that an occasion of drumming, dancing, and 
 firing guns for days, which I endeavoured to explain 
 to them as utterly useless to the dead as marks of 
 honour ; that if the dead be a Christian, as soon as his 
 soul leaves the body he is carried by the angels into 
 heaven, where he will enjoy everlasting happiness 
 with Christ, who has washed the soul clean with His 
 own most precious blood." 
 
 , Death has been at work in different parts of the 
 Niger district, gathering among the native converts 
 many a shock of corn fully ripe. One of these was an 
 old man, James Odernide, who was converted under 
 the ministry of Mr. Hinderer at Ibadan. After thirty- 
 five years of consistent witnessing for Christ, he was 
 called hence after a long illness patiently borne. On 
 
THE FRUITAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 168 
 
 one occasion, when the ministers were going to pray 
 with him, he said, "You must not ask God to spjue 
 my Ufa longer, for I should like much rather to be 
 with Him before long." He longed for release tha 
 he might enjoy the blessedness of being with Christ 
 for evermore. Very full his heart was one morning 
 when he exclaimed, amid his pain and^ weakness, 
 " Would to God I were with Him to-day ! " 
 
 It is to be feared that too often the white man, 
 when for the purposes of trade or exploration he 
 enters the country of the heathen, does not show 
 much evidence of the Christianity of the land from 
 which he has come. He finds himself in the midst 
 of a people who, degraded an they are, have a religion, 
 and stand in awe of the god whom they ignorantly 
 worship; but, although he has been brought up in 
 the midst of surroundings of great enlightenment, 
 there is no fear of God before his eyes. Thus it is 
 that many natives learn, even before the missionary 
 comes to them with the glad tidings of salvation, to 
 despise the Christianity of the white man. 
 
 Again and again have Crowther's missionaries had to 
 deplore the baneful results of the alcoholic drmk 
 exported from England to these heathen lands. 
 Dense as is the darkness of superstition and cruelty 
 among the poor peoplo, we are, by our rum and gm, 
 blotting out every lingering gleam of humanity and 
 goodness from their lives and character. When the 
 barrel has gone before the Bible, or after it, for the 
 matter of that, the work of teaching the precious 
 truths of the Christian faith becomes exceedingly 
 difficult. That it is agains^ thp wish of the native 
 rulers will be abundantly shown by the letter from a 
 
 ■ I; 
 
154 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTFrKH. 
 
 »t,' 
 
 k. ' 
 •i, 
 
 •I 
 
 it'"*" 
 
 >, fill 
 
 I; 
 I ^ 
 
 r 
 
 Mobammpdan king which we here transcribe. The 
 original i« in the HauHsa langnage, written by MaHki, 
 Emir of Nupt", on the Niger, two yearn ago, addressed 
 to the Rev. C. Paul, a native missionary, to be handed 
 to Bisliop Crowtber. The transbition runs as follows : 
 " Salute Crowtber, the great Christian minister. 
 After salutation, please tell him ho is a father to us in 
 ibis land ; anything he sees will injure us in all this 
 land, he would not like it. This we know perfectly 
 
 well. 
 
 " The matter about which I am speaking with my 
 mouth, write it ; it is as if it is done by my hand, it is 
 not a long matter, it is about Barasa (lura or gin). 
 Barasa, Barasa, Barasa ! my God, it has mined our 
 country, it has ruined our people very much, it has 
 made our people become mad. I have given a law 
 that no one dares buy or sell it ; and any one who is 
 found selling it, his house is to be eaten up (plundered) ; 
 any one found drunk will be killed. I have told all 
 the Christian traders that I agree to anything for 
 trade except Barasa. I have told Mr. Mcintosh's 
 people to-day, the Barasa remaining with them must 
 be returned down the river. Tell Crowtber, the great 
 Christian minister, that he is our father. I beg you, 
 Malam Kipo (Rev. C. Paul, native missionary), don't 
 forget this writing, because we all beg that he (Bishop 
 Crowtber) should beg the great priests (Committee 
 C.M.S.) that they should beg the EngUsh Queen to 
 prevent bringing Barasa into this land. 
 
 " For God and the prophet's sake, and the prophet 
 His messenger's sake, he (Crowtber) must help us 
 in this matter, that of Barasa. We all have con- 
 fidence in him, he must not leave our country to 
 
THE FUUITAOE OF THE SEE! 
 
 165 
 
 becomo flpoiled by Barana. Tell him may God blesa 
 him in hia work. This is the mouth-word trom 
 Mahki, tht; Emir of Nupc" 
 
 In Bome cases, however, where tho Gospel has been 
 already proclaimed in districts, Christian believers 
 arc gathered together, and they gladly welcom.^ any 
 who are in the fellowship of their common faith. A 
 very interesting incident of that is related of one of 
 the stations of the Niger. There, as we have seer-, 
 native workers are in charge of the mission work. an. 
 labour earnestly for the salvation of their brethrun 
 according to the flesh. On one occasion one of the lay 
 a^entB of the Church Miononary Society, an European, 
 w"as visiting the g eat, waterway of the Western Coast 
 and being one eviai >g at . .le of the stations, he took 
 part in the devotion-? s- aces. He found, as is the 
 case everywhere, the natives were very fond of sing- 
 ing ; and to their great delight he sang in solo some 
 of those hymns with which wc are so familiar in 
 England, such as "Safe hi the arms of Jesus," "Hold 
 the Fort," and others. The effect of this may be 
 understood by the words of the native missionary to 
 him afterwards. He said, " You greatly astonished 
 our people last evening. Though the station has been 
 in existence twenty years, you are the first white 
 man that they or I have heard pray or smg here. 
 We always tell the people that we are sent and sup- 
 ported by good white people in England to teach 
 them the Way of Life. But they, from havmg seen 
 the white traders so busily engaged about their trade, 
 and never attending or taking part in religious ser- 
 vices, have &yy;n the conclusion that whilst teaching, 
 preaching, and worship are part of the white man's 
 
156 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 religion, trading and getting money must be the 
 most important part of it, and to this, therefore, 
 he attends himself; but that preaching and teaching, 
 and generally the spreading of his religion, being 
 matters of minor importance, he pays black men to 
 attend to for him." 
 
 Surely such an impression, which is generally pre- 
 valent on the West Coast of Africa, should not be 
 allowed to continue to exist ; and it is to be hoped 
 that the time will come when the increased interest 
 in mission work, and greater piety of our business 
 men both at home and abroad, will prove that we do 
 not in word only, but in very deed, " seek first the 
 kingdom of heaven." 
 
 In Lagos satisfactory progress is being made, and 
 the Native Pastorate Church, which is one of the many 
 blessed fruits of the work of the Church Missionary 
 Society, is distinctly gaining ground. In the Ebute 
 Ero Church, the members of which are all natives of 
 Lagos, a very interesting and encouraging event 
 occurred in September, 1878. The chiefs as they 
 joined the sanctuary, encouraged others to follow 
 them ; especially was this the case with chief Ogu- 
 biyi, after whom -came king Tiwo, of Isheri. This 
 royal personage was intimate with another chief, 
 Jacob Ogubiyi— who entered into fellowship with the 
 Saviour under the ministrations of a native mis- 
 sionary, the Rev. James White, and whose idols are 
 now at Salisbury S(^aare. 
 
 When this Christian chief attended the early 
 the church, it was the custom of 
 
 TYiormnfif 
 
 rvice 
 
 king Tiwo to wait for him to come out, and it is 
 recordf^d that it was during his tarrying in the door- 
 
THE FRtriTAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 167 
 
 «ay that some words from the native minister tel 
 upon his ear, which led to his conversion He wa 
 placed on trial for the baptismal rite and m due 
 time the hour arrived when he should thus solemnly. 
 in the presence of his own people, enter Christ s 
 visible Church. The description of this scene was 
 given by a Lagos correspondent to the Afncm Trmc. 
 ft that period, from which we quote the foUowmg 
 
 *'''°]Ebut7Ero Church was not only crowded withiri, 
 but the church premises were densely pronged. 
 Among the crowd were several heathe-. and Moham- 
 medans who came to witness the ceremony. After the 
 prayers the choir was singing a special hymn, when 
 Ihe Eev. William Morgan entered the communion 
 rail, a«d king Tiwo came forwai , suitably attired 
 and stood in the front of the communion rail, with 
 Mr. Eegistrar Payne as proctor, and the Eev. J. A. 
 Maser, and Mrs. Martha Eaban, as sponsors. Mr 
 Morgan then read the Baptismal Service for such as 
 Z li riper years, etc., and it gladdened «ie hearts 
 of all to hear Tiwo's responses, and chief Ogubiyi, 
 chief Ashogbon, and Prince Attin, son of the late 
 king Adele, of Lagos and Oso Oduntan Eshubi, 
 Fagbcmi, with such influential Mohammedan priests 
 as Brunals, Apatira, Bada, fas Arch Kakanfo, and 
 others joining in the ' Amen.' „• , u 
 
 "After answering the usual questions, Tiwo knelt 
 down. It was a solemn, impressive scene, and in- 
 structive to all, including our brethren, the heathens 
 atd MoLmmedans, when Mr. Morgan in the native 
 
 ^ . . ,xT,„., ix,x„ voi'wn ' nrifl Mr. Maser gave 
 
 tonaue, saw, -rsamc triiD lAiwf.i, _-- _ 
 
 the name ' Daniel Conrad Tiwo,' and he was baptised 
 
■r" 
 
 158 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHEH. 
 
 i; 
 
 W. 
 
 in the name of the Holy Trmity. When the water 
 was poured upon his head, and the sign of the Cross 
 made upon his forehead, the heathen outside looking 
 on, exclaimed in Yoruba, 'Olurun' {i.e. God), and the 
 Mohammedans 'Allah' {i.e. God), is great. The 
 sermon was preached by Mr. Morgan. 
 
 " Mrs. Eaban became sponsor because about ten 
 years ago, when Tiwo was preparing to visit his town, 
 Isheri, he went to see some relative who was then 
 staying at this woman's house, Olowogbowo Lagos, 
 and Mrs. Raban said, * Are you the gentleman people 
 call Tiwo Olowo '? ' (i.e. Tiwo the rich). He said 
 ' Yes.' She told him she dreamt one night she saw 
 Tiwo baptized in a church with the name of ' Daniel.' 
 He laughed at her, and said, ' Nonsense, that is the 
 fashion of you Church people.' She replied, ' You 
 may laugh now, but I hope to see it.' 
 
 *• Nearly ten years had rolled away, and it had 
 pleased God to spare this old lady's life to witness it. 
 She is a Sierra Leone emigrant, and a member of 
 St. Paul's Church, Breadfruit Station. On asking 
 her to become one of his sponsors, she said, ' Thanks 
 be to God ! ' and that she was quite willing to be so ; 
 and at church, on the occasion, she was much affected 
 at the realisation of her dream. She is a poor 
 Christian woman. 
 
 ** Tiwo soon gave evidence of his change of heart by 
 obeying the Divine command, * Freely ye have recei od, 
 freely give.' He knew that as Christians we were 
 bound to do it by the examples of believers, both in 
 tlie Jewish and the Christian churches. Besides other 
 contributions, he freely gave ilOO to the Ebute Ero 
 Church fund, and £25 to the building of the parson- 
 
THE FRUITAGE OF THE SEED. 
 
 159 
 
 acre house ; and it was announced at the Bible meeting 
 on the 9th inst., that he gave two guineas as a thank- 
 
 ""^•'on hearing of his admission to the visible church 
 of Christ by baptism, his subjects and friends from 
 Isheri, Otta, and districts about Lagos, came to see 
 him and he told them of the blessings of God ; and 
 on Sunday, the 15th inst., no less than 560 persons, 
 male and female, including heathens and Mohani- 
 medans, went with him to church ' and oftered 
 thanksgivings for late mercies vouchsafed unto him. 
 
 To all who earnestly desire the extension of the 
 kingdom of Christ, this incident must convey a lively 
 sense of encouragement and gratitude. When it is 
 remembered that these are all black people, both 
 ministers and congre .Ration, and that it was at this 
 very spot years before that Bishop Crowther was 
 carried a poor slave boy, the reader is constrained to 
 say " What hath God wrought ! " 
 
 And now the time has come when this brief record 
 of the life of Bishop Crowther, and of the gracious 
 work of God on the Niger, must be brought to a close. 
 Of the lives of many men much fuller detail might 
 have been given ; but the unobtrusive character of 
 Bishop Crowther always leads us to seek the man in 
 his labour for the Lord. He is content to be little 
 and unknown, so long as Christ is glorified, and the 
 work goes on. It is a reason for deep thanktulness 
 to Almighty God that the old Bishop is still spared, a 
 precious life, a spirit which seeks no rest from noble 
 toil but still is active as ever in the vmeyard of the 
 
 
 As devoted as over to the cause of Christ among 
 
160 
 
 SAMUEL CROWTHER. 
 
 i '. 
 
 If 
 
 his brethren after the flesh, he still passes up and 
 down that mighty river, which will be for ever asso- 
 ciated with his honoured name. That he may be 
 spared in the providence of God to achieve yet more 
 victories for the Cross, is the prayer of every true 
 believer's heart, as it recalls in these pages the record 
 of a faithful and holy career. 
 
 From Afric's wilderness there comes a cry, 
 A plea for help and mercy, o'er the wave, 
 
 The voice of souls in sorrow, and for whom 
 The gracious Saviour shed His blood to save. 
 
 Is there a d'arker spot the round world o'er ? 
 
 Surely this laud in deepest gloom doth lie, 
 The cruelty of hard oppression's yoke 
 
 Blights all the black man's days, until he die. 
 
 Who shall depict the miseries of tlie slave? 
 
 The galling fetter aud the grinding toil, 
 The fatal march, the dying and the dead, 
 
 Where blood of countless victims stains the soil. 
 
 Is there no pity left in English hearts? 
 
 Can we unmoved the tale of sorrow hear? 
 God of our fathers ! give us grace and love 
 
 The burden of our brothers' care to bear. 
 
 Bring to this deeply stricken people news 
 
 Of Christ's great love, the balm of Gilead pour 
 
 Into those wounded hearts, He, only He 
 
 Who died for sinners, can their sickness cure. 
 
 Shine, Sun of Righteousness, on Afric's land, 
 Break Thou the fetter, set the bondsmen free, 
 
 So shall the heathen to Thy Kingdom come. 
 And lift their sweet thanksgivings unto Thee. 
 
 LONDON : KNIGHT, PRINTER, MIDDLE STREET, ALDERSGATK, B.C.