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Las diagrammes suivants illustrant la mAthoda. 1 2 3 4 5 6 le t in nt Id )ar tre MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1.25 1^ 11 2.8 IIIJJ 114.0 1.4 III 2.5 I 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.6 ^ APPLIED IK/MGE he 165 J East Main Street Rochester. New York 14609 (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288 - 5989 - Fox USA ^?^& ^ 11^ i.'SL.^V* f . ^<^^y^b^^■.J^^<>y.v^ i : .s-?^ JA'!''^^*' \'^. .•! *^iijSJlPit5®$£Si&« 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 »httm>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." ' 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 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 Woratt 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. r« f u I . 'II ; "' H 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' I III fll MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1.25 '-lii i^ ilia if i^ 2.5 II 2.2 2.0 1.8 A AP PLI ED IM^GE Inc ^r*. '65 J East Main Street ~.S: Rochester. New York 14609 USA '■^ ("6) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^= (716) 288 - 5989 - Fax 1: '! ' ! 1 'II 'li :ll ^ll .It 'il '!> Hi 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 ; If ' 'si m m im SAMITFII, CIlOWTHEn. [ 1 ■*' ■ j. 1 '■ k 1' ' . 1 H 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. — ^ — " \\' 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' / ^. "-Vi > /uiii'Id-iJu hchtbo oi;r.Nis' >■"' h i; N 1 J' 5 ,■-' iff ^f^oiiL V, *.nl(Ui ,, Ishiol ^ 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 crowdeoij«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.