'Eldest Son
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 CHARLES ANDREW GOLLMER.
 
 TJ^ ^, .^^^^^i'-Z^^^
 
 Charles Andrew Gollmer, 
 
 pis ^ifc auir Ului.siouarir ^"abciir;; in teVf.st Africa. 
 
 COMPILED FROM HIS JOURNALS AND THE CHURCH 
 MISSIONARY SOCIETY'S PUBLICATIONS 
 
 BY HIS ELDEST SON. 
 
 WITH A PREFACE BY 
 
 T. FOWELL BUXTON, ESQ. 
 
 WITH PHOTOGRAPH AND TIVENTY-NINE ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 HODDER AND STOUGHTON, 
 27, PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 
 MDCCCLXXXIX.
 
 Printed by Hazell, Watson, & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbuir.
 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 NEVER in the world's history has there been so 
 great or so beneficial a change in a vast extent 
 of country, in a comparatively short period, as has 
 taken place in West Africa in the past half-century. 
 
 Fifty years ago, the west coast was a prey to all the 
 horrors of the slave-trade. Tribal wars, which devas- 
 tated regions as large as England or France, were 
 waged to meet the insatiable greed of the Arab slave- 
 hunters. The miserable victims who were captured — 
 few in number compared to those who were killed — 
 were driven with inexpressible cruelty, and with 
 fearful loss of life, to the coast, where they were sold 
 to the Spanish or Portuguese slave-dealers, who con- 
 veyed them, stowed as closely as possible in the foul 
 holds of slave-ships, to Cuba or Brazil. 
 
 To quote one instance of the many horrors that 
 were witnessed by those on board the cruisers. 
 
 Early in 1837, H.M. brig Dolphin captured the 
 corvette Incomprehensible. On taking possession of 
 her, " the scene presented on board was harrowing in 
 the extreme. One hundred had died from sickness 
 
 1 a.si 8S9
 
 vi Preface. 
 
 out of the eight hundred embarked ; another hundred 
 were lying nearly lifeless on her decks, in wretchedness 
 and misery, and all the agony of despair ; the remaining 
 six hundred were so cramped, from the close manner 
 in which they were packed (like herrings in a barrel), 
 and the length of time they had been on their voyage, 
 and the cold they had endured in a state of nudity, 
 that it took the utmost exertion of the English sailors 
 to straighten them." 
 
 The only check to this iniquity was the vigilance of 
 the English cruisers. They captured many of the 
 slave-ships ; but the gains were so enormous that it 
 was computed that, even if one ship were captured out 
 of four, the trader made a large profit ; and as the 
 extent of coast to be watched made an efficient 
 blockade impossible, the horrible trade flourished in 
 spite of all efforts to suppress it. One of the chief 
 ports of export of slaves was Lagos, a town situated 
 on a lagoon on the coast in the Bight of Benin. 
 Captain Maclean, Governor of Cape Coast Castle, in 
 1838 estimated the number of slaves annually taken 
 from the Bights of Benin and Biafra alone at 140,000. 
 
 Compare this state of things with that which we see 
 at the present time. The slave-trade on the west coast 
 abolished, and replaced by legitimate trade, which is 
 advancing at Lagos "by leaps and bounds," as Mr. H. 
 H. Johnston asserted in his lecture on January 15th, 
 1889, before the Colonial Institute. 
 
 Fifty years ago, little or nothing was known of the
 
 Preface. vii 
 
 interior of Africa. Some travellers — Park, Lander, 
 Clapperton, and others — had indeed attempted to 
 explore portions of the Dark Continent. The mouths 
 of the large rivers, such as the Senegal, Gambia, Niger, 
 Congo, Orange River, and the Zambesi, were of course 
 known ; but these magnificent streams, destined to 
 become the highways to Africa, had not been to any 
 extent ascended or explored. 
 
 The maps of that date show a fringe of places on 
 the coast, but the interior is, with few exceptions, a 
 vast blank. Not only was there little knowledge, but 
 there was still less interest shown by any, except a few 
 philanthropists, in Africa or the Africans. 
 
 Merchants declined to risk their goods where the 
 normal condition of the country was one of war, devas- 
 tation, and rapine. 
 
 The Church Missionary Society, the object of whose 
 foundation was to evangelize " Africa and the East," 
 sent a succession of their agents to Sierra Leone, but 
 the mortality among them was so tremendous that 
 -even the boldest friends of missions were appalled 
 by it. 
 
 It was under these discouraging circumstances, and 
 in spite of dangers from the climate and from the 
 hostility of the natives, that in 1852 the subject of this 
 memoir proceeded to Lagos to establish a mission ; 
 and so greatly have the labours of Mr, Gollmer and 
 his coadjutors and successors been blest, that at the 
 present time there is a flourishing Christian com-
 
 viii Preface. 
 
 munity ; five churches, one of which is built on the 
 site of a former slave-barracoon ; a training institution ; 
 a female institution ; and a grammar school, where 
 once the slave-trade and its attendant horrors were 
 rampant. 
 
 May we not thankfully say that the desert has 
 blossomed as the rose, and that instead of the thorn 
 has come up the fir-tree, and instead of the brier has 
 come up the myrtle-tree ? 
 
 " It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our 
 eyes." 
 
 T. FOWELL BUXTON.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY DAYS AND CALL TO MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 p 
 
 Birth and Parentage — Early Training — Father's Death — 
 Confirmation — God's Providential Dealings — Early 
 Impressions — Pious Step-Father — Acquaintance with 
 Missionary Periodicals — Joined the Y.M.C.A. at Basle 
 — Conversion — Offered to Basle Mission Society — 
 Encouraged by Parents — Accepted — Times of Refresh- 
 ing for the 'VN^hole Family — Comes to England — Enters 
 Church Missionary College — Ordained Deacon and 
 Priest, by Bishop Blomfield — Marriage — Embarkation 
 at Gravesend — Arrival at Sierra Leone — Stationed at 
 Regent — Death of Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds — Death of 
 Mrs. Gollmer— Her Dying Message — Appointed to 
 Charlotte and Bathurst — 'Visit to the Timmanee Mission 
 — Fruits of the Christian Ministry — Baptisms — Visit to 
 Regent — Large and Encouraging Congregations 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 COMMENCEMENT OF THE YORUBA MISSION. 
 
 Preparatory Measures for a Mission to Yoruba — Mr. 
 Tovvnsend's Visit — Commercial Intercourse established 
 between Sierra Leone and Badagry — Mr. Crowther's 
 Translations — Mr. Gollmer studies Language — Pre- 
 pares Two Houses — Departure of the Missionaries for 
 Badagry — Arrival — Landing — Visit to Encampment — 
 Settlement at Badagry — Preaching under Umbrella
 
 Contents. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Tree — First Church opened — Sickness— Death of Mrs. 
 Gollmer — First Christian Funeral — Sympathy of Heathen 
 Chiefs — Enter New House — Miss Tucker's Description 
 of Badagry — Idolatry of the Popos . . . .11 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SPECIAL DI'^FICULTIES. 
 
 Unsettled State of the Country— Rebellion at Lagos- 
 Deposition of King Akitoye — Rumours of War — Pro- 
 bable Revival of the Slave Trade at Badagry — Con- 
 tinuance and Progress of Missionary Work — Visits to 
 Poka and Ajido — Excuses for detaining Children at 
 Home — Nearly drowned — Impulse to Agriculture — 
 Visit of Messrs. Crowther and Gollmer to Idalle — The 
 Annual Festival in Honour of the God Idagbe — Illus- 
 trations of the Idolatry of the People — Great Fire — 
 Idols burnt, yet reinstated — Preparing the Way for 
 Brighter Days 20 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 BRIGHTER DAYS. 
 
 The Way opened for Missionaries to proceed to Abeokuta — 
 The Slave Trade opens the Way— Messrs. Townsend 
 and Crowther arrive at Abeokuta — Mr. Gollmer remains 
 at Badagry — Mr. Crowther finds his Mother — Her 
 Baptism — Native Teachers and their \Vork — -Visit to 
 Ada — Robbery of Mr. Gollmer at Okeodan — Arrival at 
 Abeokuta — Return to Badagry — Boarding-school — 
 Application of the King of Ajashe for a Missionary — 
 Fire on the Mission Premises — Accession of European 
 Labourers — Return to England after Six Years' Sojourn 
 in Africa — Respect paid to Missionaries on their De- 
 parture .... .... 32
 
 Contents. xi 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MORE TROUBLES. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Marriage — Return to Badagry — Welcome — Heavy Trials — 
 Death of Mr. and Mrs. Van Cooten and Mr. Miiller— 
 Serious Illness of Mrs. Gollmer — Reinforcement of 
 Native Teachers — Discouragements — Civil and Political 
 Commotions — Kindness of Her Majesty's Officers 
 acknowledged — Further Trials — Miss Tucker's Account 
 of the Breaking-out of Hostilities — -Badagry attacked — 
 Position of Extreme Peril — Attention to the Wounded — 
 Final Effort to destroy Badagry — God's Overruling 
 Providence — British Consul's Arrival off Lagos — 
 Kosoko's Speedy Return — He fires on the British Flag 
 and is driven from his Usurped Throne — Restoration 
 of Akitoye — "Treaty with the British — Letters of 
 Sympathy from the Committee . . . . -44 
 
 CHAPTER VL 
 
 OCCUPATION OF LAGOS. 
 
 Occupation of Lagos as a Missionary Station — Mr. White's 
 Visit — Gospel first preached at Lagos — Mr. Gollmer's 
 First Visit — Land procured for Mission Purposes — 
 Alarms from Dahomey — Retrospect of Past Labours at 
 Badagry — Lagos Past and Present — Cheering Results 
 of the Abolition of the Slave Trade by the British — 
 Testimony of Native Missionaries — Letter from the 
 Committee — Arrival of Mr. Crovvther and Native 
 Catechists at Lagos . ..... 55 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PROGRESS. 
 
 Glimpse of the Work at Lagos, Latter Part of 1S52 — Erection 
 of a Mission-house — Human Sacrifice prevented — Birth
 
 xii Contents. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 of a Daughter— Labours of Native Assistants — A Con- 
 trast— Dr. Irving's Account of Difficulties attending 
 Commencement of Mission at Lagos — Continued 
 Political Disturbances— Journey to Abeokuta — Con- 
 gregation at Ake— Return to Lagos — Rumours of War — 
 Meeting of the Chiefs — Rumours of War renewed . 68 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 IN PERILS OFT. 
 
 Breaking-out of War — Greater Part of the Town burnt 
 down — Mission-house and Grounds only Place of 
 Safety — Bullets strike the Mission-house — Position of 
 Extreme Peril — Missionaries constantly urged to 
 leave — They determine to remain at their Post — 
 Timely Interference of the British — God's Wonderful 
 Deliverance — Arrival of American Missionaries — They 
 stay at the Mission-house — Death of Akitoye — Honour- 
 able Testimony to Air. Gollmer's Character — Letter from 
 the Committee n 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FUNERAL OBSEQUIES OF THE KING. 
 
 Acts the Surgeon — The Schoolmasters House struck by 
 Lightning — Providential Escape of the Inmates — Violent 
 Proceedings of Kosoko — School Treat — Retrospect of 
 the Year 1853 — The Mission strengthened — Journey to 
 Abeokuta — Perilous Return — Funeral Obsequies of 
 King Akitoye — Visit from a Jebu Chief — The Mission- 
 aries invited to Ikorodu — Return to Lagos . . -85 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 FIRSTFRUITS. 
 
 Invitation to visit Ofin — Second Visit to Ikorodu — Dangerous 
 Position — Return to Lagos — Conciliatory Message from
 
 Contents. xiii 
 
 I'AGE 
 
 Ikorodu — Two Men attacked by a Leopard — First 
 Missionary Meeting — Baptism of twenty-five Adults — 
 Death of Mr. Gerst — Kosoko Disturbances — Progress 
 of the New Church — Birth of a Son — Bishop Vidal's 
 Arrival — Opening of New Church — First Confirmation — 
 Journey to Abeokuta — Confirmation — First Ordination — 
 Return to Lagos — Baptism of Mr. Gollmers Son — 
 Departure and Death of Bishop Vidal — Letters from 
 Archdeacon Graf — Minute of Committee . . - 96 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 STORMS AT SEA AND ON LAND, 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer with their Two Cliildren return to 
 England — Encounter Terrific Storms — Return to the 
 Gambia for Repairs — Put back to Lisbon twice — 
 Arrival in Liverpool after a Voyage of Ten Weeks — 
 Account of Lagos at this Time — Mr. Crowther takes 
 Charge — His Accounts of Progress — Mr. Hindercr's 
 Visit to Lagos — Movement set on Foot to prevent the 
 Return of Messrs. Townsend and Gollmer^Unexpected 
 Result — Important and Deeply Interesting Document 
 from the Alake and Chiefs of Abeokuta, earnestly 
 desiring the Missionaries' return ..... 108 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 REINFORCEMENTS. 
 
 Reinforcements for the Yoruba Mission — Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer 
 and Infant arrive at Lagos — Their Reception — journey 
 to Abeokuta — Arrival at Ikija — Missionary Trials — 
 Pernicious Marriage Customs — Missionary Meeting — 
 Distribution of Yoruba Tracts — Idols given up — Bap- 
 tisms 116
 
 xiv Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 BRANCHING OUT. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Domestic Trouble — Visit to Lagos — Return — Branching out 
 — Proceedings at Isliaga— Ingathering of Firstfruit at 
 Ishaga — Return to Ibara and Home — Shango and his 
 Votaries — A Native Teacher sent out by Natives — 
 Itineration 126 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ABEOKUTA, A CENTRE FOR WORK. 
 
 Abeokuta a Centre for Missionary Radiation — Sketch of a 
 Preaching Tour to Ishaga, Ilewo, Ijale, Kesan, Ibara, 
 Avvovvo, Awoyade — Voluntary Offer of Natives to be- 
 come Teachers for the Villages 135 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. 
 
 Another Missionary Tour — Journey to Ketu — Doings at 
 Ishaga — Oro takes Half the Town — Arrival at the Capital 
 — Interview with the King of Ketu — The Sabbath at 
 Ketu — Further Interview with the King . . .143 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 HEATHEN OPPOSITION. 
 
 Departure from Ketu — Reception at Meko — Service in the 
 Chiefs House — Arrival at Shala — Disturbance by the 
 Worshippers of Shango — Apology from the Chief — 
 Arrival at I kij a — Birth of a Son 155 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 FURTHER PROGRESS. 
 
 Translational Work — Distribution of Three Thousand Copies 
 of " The Sinner's Friend '' in Yoruba — Arrival and Dis-
 
 Contents. xv 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 tribution of Dr. Earth's Bible Stories in Yoruba — War 
 — Danger from Dahomey — Scripture-readers visit the 
 Camp — Domestic Trials — New Accessions — News of 
 the War — Assistance rendered to Ijaye — Journey to 
 Ishaga — Baptisms — The Coral Fund a Great Help . 164. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 LAST DAYS IN AFRICA. 
 
 Conclusion of Labours in Africa— Various Duties — Mission- 
 ary Meeting — Sickness and Difficulties — Return to 
 England and Arrival — Account of the State of the 
 Yoruba Country at this Time — Destruction of Ishaga 
 by the Dahomians, and of Ijaye by the Ibadans . .171 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 Work in England — Death of Mrs. Gollmer — Revision of 
 Yoruba Scriptures— Testimony of Fellow-labourers to 
 the Value of this Work — Other Duties — His Death — 
 Recoi'd Newspaper " In Memoriam " — Reception of 
 News at Lagos — Mr. White's Letter — Memorial agreed 
 upon by Native Church — Bishop Crowther's Letter — 
 Other Labourers — A Contrast . . , . .179 
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 Paper on African Symbolic Messages, by C. A. G. . . 197 
 
 APPENDIX B. 
 
 Memorial to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the subject 
 
 of Polygamy 217 
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 Memorial to the Bishop on the Division of the Diocese . 218
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 I'AGE 
 
 Photograph of Rev. C. A. Gollmer . . . Frontispiece 
 
 Bathurst, Sierra Leone ........ 7 
 
 Mission-house at Badagry 17 
 
 Gods of the Popos regaling themselves . . . .18 
 
 C.M.S. Mission at Badagry in 1S49 25 
 
 Fires in African Towns 30 
 
 Slaves praying for Deliverance 33 
 
 Consulting Ifa .......... 39 
 
 Wooden Cup to contain Ifa ... ... 42 
 
 Church at Badagry 43 
 
 War Camp 49 
 
 James White preaching before King Akitoye . . .57 
 
 Shipping Slaves, Lagos 1851 . 63 
 
 Slave confined in a Barracoon ...... 69 
 
 Rustic Bridge in the Ijebu Country ..... 91 
 
 First Church at Lagos ........ 101 
 
 On the River Ogun . . . . . . . . • 117 
 
 Devil Priest at Abeokuta . . . . . . .122 
 
 Idols given up . . . . . . . . .124 
 
 Shango ............ 131 
 
 A YoRUBA Compound ......... 136 
 
 Other Workers .......... 144 
 
 A YoRUBA Postman 147 
 
 A Native of Yoruba with his Charms . . . . '157 
 The Preacher interrupted ....... 161 
 
 The "Mission" at Lagos 178 
 
 Facsimile 181 
 
 Plan of Lagos 187 
 
 Christ Church, Lagos . . . . . . . • 191 
 
 Symbolical Letter ......... 204 
 
 [The compiler is much indebted to the Church Missioiiari' Society for all 
 but four of the above Illustrations.]
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 EARLY DAYS AND CALL TO MISSIONARY WORK. 
 
 CHARLES ANDREW GOLLMER was born on 
 St. Andrew's Day, November 30th, 1812, at 
 Kirchheim-under-Teck, in the kingdom of Wurttem- 
 berg, Germany. It was the constant and earnest 
 prayer of his pious parents that he might become 
 a faithful disciple and servant of the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, even as St. Andrew was. They endeavoured 
 to train up their children in the fear and admonition 
 of the Lord, and encouraged them in early life to study 
 their Bibles. When only nine years old, Charles 
 Gollmer was deprived of the help and guidance of 
 his father, who died suddenly when away from home. 
 At the age of fourteen he was confirmed, but of him- 
 self he says, at this time : " Though well-instructed in 
 religious knowledge, my promise to serve and love 
 God was not with my heart and soul." 
 
 No less than four times he experienced God's gracious 
 providential dealings with him, in preserving him when 
 in danger of losing his life. 
 
 Concerning these circumstances he says: "I saw 
 the hand of God in all this, and felt that I should
 
 2 Chai4es Ajidrew Gollnier. 
 
 give my heart and life to Jesus ; but loving the world, 
 I kept not what I promised, though my conscience told 
 me that I was a sinner, more than others, and that 
 God must punish me." 
 
 " My parents " (lie had now a pious stepfather) 
 "prayed and worked patiently and perseveringly for 
 my spiritual welfare. 
 
 " As my stepfather tried to distribute the periodicals 
 of the Basle and Calwer mission in our town, I 
 became acquainted with mission work abroad and 
 at home, but I had no desire at that time to become 
 a missionary, for I knew not the love of Jesus in my 
 heart." 
 
 In 1834, when staying in Basle, he joined the Young 
 Men's Christian Association in that place. " In the 
 communion of the Lord's people," he writes, " the Lord 
 Himself appeared to my soul, and showed to me the 
 deep depravity of my heart, but also the grace in Jesus 
 Christ our Lord. The love of God entered my heart, 
 and I longed to do something for my Saviour, Who gave 
 Himself for me. It seemed as if nothing would be too 
 hard for me to do or to suffer for Him. As I read and 
 studied God's Word, I felt constrained to offer myself 
 for the service of the Lord. 
 
 " About Easter 1835 I decided to offer myself to the 
 Basle mission. A friend of mine (who afterwards died 
 in Islington) was at that time in the Basle Mission- 
 house, and I opened my heart to him. However, I felt 
 my unworthiness and weakness deeply, so that I was 
 almost tempted to despair ; but I could not find rest 
 till I had made my application to the Basle Mission
 
 Early Days and call to Missionary Work. 3 
 
 Committee, and had left the whole matter to the Lord, 
 praying that He would show me whether He had chosen 
 me for His service. 
 
 " As I had decided to follow my Saviour and serve 
 Him, I wrote to my parents telling them what the 
 Lord had done for me, and what I was resolved to 
 do for Him. With tears of joy and thankfulness, 
 they not only consented to the desire of my heart, but 
 also encouraged me in the step I had taken. I felt 
 that if I consecrated myself to God it must be a full 
 and living sacrifice, coming from pure love to Jesus, 
 Who gave His life for me. I wanted to live to the 
 honour of God and for the welfare of my fellow-men. 
 Whether, therefore, I be accepted by the Committee 
 or not, the Lord be my helper ! " 
 
 He was accepted by the Basle Mission Society, and 
 entered the College in the autumn of 1835, where he 
 remained until September 1840. " These years," says 
 a younger sister, " were cjuite a time of refreshing for 
 the whole family, a time of spiritual joy, especially 
 when the dear brother spent the times of vacation at 
 home." 
 
 In 1840 he came to the Church Missionary College 
 at Islington. He was the fourth missionary who came 
 from Kirchheim and who entered the service of the 
 C.M.S. At that time great interest was shown in the 
 mission cause, owing to the fact that Dr. Bahnmeier, 
 a devoted servant of God, then vicar of Kirchheim, had 
 aroused the people to their duty in connection with 
 the great work ; and that the Duchess Henrietta of 
 Nassau, residing in Kirchheim, had invited the mission-
 
 4 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 aries to her house, and had shown her love to the 
 work in variovis ways. 
 
 In 1 84 1 Mr. Gollmer was ordained Deacon and Priest 
 by Bishop Blomfield. In the same year, on August 
 19th, he married Catherine Schmidt of Basle; and 
 on October 28th Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer embarked 
 at Gravesend on board the Roslin Castle for Sierra 
 Leone. They were accompanied by the Rev. J. V. and 
 Mrs. Graf, the Rev. H. and Mrs. Rhodes, the Rev. 
 C. T. and Mrs. Frey, and Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, 
 and arrived safely on December 1st. 
 
 In the Instructions of the Committee to this party 
 of missionaries, it was recommended that in the loca- 
 tion of the several individuals regard should be had 
 to the facilities for prosecuting the study of the native 
 language ; and that as far as possible each newly- 
 arrived missionary should, in the first instance, be 
 stationed with one who had been some time in the 
 •;olony. 
 
 Accordingly, Mr. Gollmer was stationed at Regent 
 with the Rev. N. C. Haastrup. Before the close of 
 the first month after their arrival the missionaries 
 were called upon, under God's mysterious providence, 
 to pass through deep waters. Both Mr. and Mrs. 
 Reynolds were called away after a short illness, and 
 on February nth, 1842, Mrs. Gollmer succumbed to the 
 African fever. She particularly requested her husband, 
 with her dying breath, to tell their relations and friends 
 that she had never regretted having come to Africa, 
 The Rev. N. C. Haastrup writes, March 1842 : " Thus 
 another dear sister, who appeared to be eminently
 
 Early Days and call to Missionary Work. 5 
 
 fitted for the work of faith and labour of love among 
 the African females, ended her short pilgrimage just 
 when she had begun to make herself useful." Shortly 
 after these trying circumstances Mr. Gollmer was 
 appointed to the ministerial charge of Charlotte, to 
 which that of Bathurst was added, on the removal of 
 the Rev. C. T. Frey to Kent, which took place on 
 August 15th. In describing his feelings on remov- 
 ing from Regent to Charlotte, Mr. Gollmer makes some 
 pleasing references to the state of both stations. He 
 writes, June 1842 : " I was soon cheered up, and could 
 rejoice in being called to glorify God in so holy a 
 work, especially as I was permitted to witness such 
 clear evidence of the grace of God working in and 
 among our black brethren ; the sick and afflicted 
 being patient and confiding in God, the dying only 
 trusting in Christ our Redeemer, and others being 
 indubitably upright ; so that I sympathized with their 
 compunction of conscience on account of sin, and their 
 anxiety to be admitted into our Church. But just 
 as I thus began to feel the ties which bind a minister 
 to his congregation, and had fixed my mind upon my 
 station, and arranged the affairs of my house, I was 
 to be exercised with the painful experience of seeing 
 those ties disconnected." 
 
 Again, May 8th : " This being the first Lord's Day 
 after my appointment to Charlotte, I went there to keep 
 service, although I did not feel well. As I returned 
 home I observed, in some houses which I passed, 
 several assembled, reading their Bibles ; and I felt 
 as if the bonds just broken at Regent were already
 
 6 Charles Andrezu Gollmer. 
 
 being fixed upon another congregation." On October 
 17th he, together with Messrs. Weeks and Jones, paid 
 a visit to Port Lokhoh, the seat of the Timmannee 
 Mission. The missionaries at that time in charge of 
 this station were the Revs. Messrs. Schlenker and 
 Schmid. With regard to this visit Mr. Jones writes : 
 " The missionaries are making daily progress in their 
 translations ; the Word is publicly preached, they are 
 acquiring greater facility in speaking the language, 
 and they have free access to the people at their 
 own houses. The place, too, appears healthy, and 
 the brethren enjoy unusual health." 
 
 Mr. Gollmer was much encouraged in the work at 
 Bathurst. December 1842 he writes: "One thing, 
 cheering for me to communicate and for you to know, 
 is, that I have here a little flock who have heard the 
 voice of the Good Shepherd and follow Him. Several 
 of my predecessors have taken particular care of this 
 people, and have endeavoured to bring Christ near 
 to them, and them near to Christ ; and I am thankful 
 to say that it has not been in vain. They have a 
 simple but sound knowledge of God and their ow'n 
 hearts ; yea, I have been rejoiced when they have come 
 to me, or when I have visited them, to hear their 
 expressions of true faith in Christ. They are all now 
 anxious to be baptized, which blessing I shall not long 
 withhold from them ; for who will forbid water, that 
 these should not be baptized, which have received the 
 Holy Ghost as well as we ? " 
 
 February 19th, 1843 : " This being the day appointed 
 for the admission of several adults into the Church
 
 > 
 
 W 
 W 
 > 
 
 V 
 PI 
 O
 
 Early Days and call to Missionary Work. 9 
 
 of Christ by Holy Baptism, our church at Bathurst 
 exhibited no common, but a peculiarly pleasing appear- 
 ance this morning. The candidates for baptism were 
 fifteen, four men and eleven women ; of which number 
 there were three men with their wives. They were 
 seated in front of the congregation, all neatly dressed 
 in white, and very clean. Although this delightful 
 appearance cheered my heart not a little, 1 was still 
 more gratified by the assurance of their sincerity and 
 humble reliance on Christ our Lord, of which I had 
 many an opportunity of ascertaining whilst preparing 
 them for this sacred rite, and examining them indi- 
 vidually. All of them had committed to memory the 
 Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Creed ; 
 all had attended Sunday School, some for five, others 
 for three or two years, i.e.y as long as they had been 
 under preparation for baptism. They had learnt to 
 read their Bibles with the exception of four rather 
 aged persons, who found it difficult to keep pace with 
 the others. I baptized them, with two children, after 
 the Second Lesson, when, and especially during the 
 sermon, there appeared a grateful rejoicing among 
 them." 
 
 On July 1 6th, owing to the illness of Mr. Weeks, 
 Mr. Gollmer officiated for him in Regent Church. Me 
 thus describes the impression produced upon his mind 
 by the attention and devotional appearance of a large 
 congregation of about nine hundred Africans : " The 
 congregation in the morning, as well as in the evening, 
 was most cheering, being not less attentive than 
 numerous, I have often wished it were possible for
 
 lO Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 our friends to witness what the Lord has done, and 
 is doing, among the Africans. I am sure that even the 
 sight of so numerous an assembly, but much more their 
 devotion, would afford great consolation and encourage- 
 ment to those of our friends at home who have laid 
 their hands on the African plough ; as well as afford 
 convincing evidence to those who still think that the 
 time is not yet come for the evangelization of Africa, 
 who consequently forbear joining hands with us in this 
 work of faith." 
 
 Mr. Gollmer was united in marriage to EHza Phillips 
 at Kissey, by the Rev. J. F. Schon, on November 
 30th, 1843.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 COMMENCEMENT OF THE YD RUB A MISSION. 
 
 UNTIL the end of June 1844 Bathurst was under 
 the pastoral care of Mr. Gollmer, and Charlotte 
 under that of the Rev. C. F. Ehemann ; but subsequently 
 Mr. Ehemann was placed in charge of both villages, 
 in order that Mr. Gollmer might be in readiness to 
 accompany the Rev. H. Townsend and the Rev. S. 
 Crowther to the Yoruba country. 
 
 Meanwhile various preparatory • measures were 
 adopted with a view to the establishment of a mission 
 in the Yoruba countr}', so soon as the way should be 
 opened. Mr. Townsend's important and successful 
 visit to Badagry and Abeokuta in 1842 was the first 
 definite step in preparing the way for the new mission. 
 
 The liberated Africans, and especially the Yorubas, 
 residing at Sierra Leone, had for some time expressed 
 their earnest desire to return to their own country. 
 A commercial intercourse had already been established 
 between Sierra Leone and Badagry by some of these 
 people ; but this visit of Mr. Townsend and the favour- 
 able report that he brought was the means of inducing 
 many more of these affectionate people to return home
 
 12 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 to Yoruba. So that Mr. Graf writes : " In consequence 
 of the favourable news from the Yoruba country there 
 are hundreds making preparations for leaving the 
 colony by the end of this year" (1843). 
 
 August 19th, 1843, Mr. Gollmer writes: "This 
 morning one of our young Bathurst men, who went to 
 Jamaica twelve months since, and who has returned 
 to get married, came to me with a benefaction for our 
 society of £2^ which he and four of his friends, all 
 young men from Bathurst, had contributed toward 
 establishing a mission in their native country, Yoruba." 
 
 February 20th, 1844 : " A great number of Yorubas 
 have lately returned to their fatherland, and a still 
 larger party are preparing. They have bought 
 another large vessel, so that there are now not less 
 than five vessels going to and fro from Sierra Leone 
 to the Yoruba country." 
 
 Mr. Crowther was for some time busily engaged in 
 making translations into tlie Yoruba language, besides 
 his many other duties; while Mr. Gollmer spent much 
 time in the study of the language, and in preparing two 
 houses for the new mission. 
 
 September 1844 he writes : " The acquirement of the 
 Yoruba language has taken up by far the greater 
 portion of my time during the quarter. My two 
 interpreters, whom I have daily employed from half- 
 past nine till two, endeavour to help me on as much as 
 possible ; they are not only intelligent men, but good 
 Yoruba scholars, especially one, who is the son of 
 a chief, and whom I intend to take with me to the 
 Yoruba country, as, by the blessing of God, he may
 
 Conwieiicement of the Yoriiba Mission. 1 3 
 
 hereafter prove useful, especially in exploring that 
 country. My vocabulary, consisting of two parts, 
 Yoruba and English and English and Yoruba, contains 
 upwards of one thousand words in each part. I have 
 collected a good number of sentences, and translated 
 the Lord's Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the first 
 two chapters of the Gospel according to St. Matthew 
 from the original. In the erection of the two houses 
 for the new mission, which are being prepared under 
 my superintendence, good progress is being made, 
 and they will no doubt be finished, so far as they can 
 be here, before the time required." 
 
 At the close of the year (1844) Mr. Ehemann went 
 to Kent for change of air, and in consequence the 
 ministerial duties of Bathurst and Charlotte again 
 devolved upon Mr. Gollmer. These duties, together 
 with the necessary preparations for the new mission 
 and the obtaining of a suitable vessel, tried his strength 
 very much, and he writes : " I became weak, but the 
 Lord strengthened me; I became sick, and lie raised 
 me up again." 
 
 On the arrival of the Rev. H. and Mrs. Townsend 
 at Sierra Leone on December 3rd, it was of the 
 greatest importance that no time should be lost, in 
 order that they and the other missionaries appointed 
 to the Yoruba Mission might be able to reach 
 Abeokuta before the rainy season should commence. 
 
 In the good providence of God an American vessel, 
 possessing peculiarly suitable accommodation for the 
 purpose, happened to be in the harbour of Freetown 
 at the time, and was immediately engaged to convey
 
 14 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 the missionaries to Badagry. The party, which con- 
 sisted of the Rev. S. and Mrs. Crowther, Mr. and 
 Mrs. Townsend, Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer, and four native 
 teachers, sailed on December i8th, 1844. 
 
 On this subject the Rev. J. Warburton writes, 
 January i6th, 1845 : "Thus have we witnessed one of 
 the most interesting and important events that have 
 taken place in this mission — the Society's missionary 
 plant in Sierra Leone sending forth another branch, 
 laden with the firstfruits of God's blessing on mis- 
 sionary labour here, in answer to the prayers of His 
 servants at home, to another part of the coast of West 
 Africa." 
 
 After a prosperous voyage, the missionaries arrived at 
 Badagry on January 17th, 1845. Then followed several 
 busy days: "These five work-days" (January i8th- 
 24th), writes Mr. Gollmer, "all hands were engaged in 
 the most arduous and exciting job of seeing our goods 
 and houses landed and conveyed to Badagry. Every 
 morning Mr. Townsend, Mr. Crowther, and I went to 
 the beach, more than a mile distant, and after a hard 
 day's work and much exposure to the sun we returned 
 to Badagry. Special difficulties had to be overcome, 
 owing to the violence of the surf and the dishonesty of 
 some of the labourers. January 25th : Spent nearly 
 the whole day in paying our labourers in cowries, a job 
 which in English coin could be done in less than an 
 hour, as it did not exceed ;i^20." 
 
 On their first arrival, and for some weeks afterwards, 
 the missionary party were hospitably entertained at the 
 residence of the Rev. S. Annear, Wesleyan missionary.
 
 Commencement of the Yoruba Mission. 1 5 
 
 Owing to the death of chief Shodeki of Abeokuta, 
 Messrs. Townsend and Crowther were detained upwards 
 of eighteen months at Badagry. During this time one 
 important visit was made to the Egba encampment at 
 Ado ; but being preckided from settHng in the interior 
 the missionaries began to turn their attention to the 
 spiritual wants of the mixed population of Badagry. 
 A temporary church was commenced, and a tree, in a 
 convenient situation, was fixed upon, under the shades 
 of which the truths of the Gospel might be proclaimed. 
 A native-built house was soon erected, and the frame- 
 house, which Mr. Gollmer had brought from Sierra 
 Leone, was put up. 
 
 The Rev. S. Crowther writes, March 2nd : " Mr. 
 Gollmer and myself went out this morning to select a 
 suitable spot, under a tree, from which to preach to 
 the people ; we fixed upon a spot under an umbrella 
 tree, between two markets, when I preached to a 
 congregation of about two hundred and fifty persons. 
 They were very attentive." 
 
 Again, March 9th, Mr. Townsend writes : "To-day 
 I proceeded with Mr. Crowther to the preaching place. 
 A good congregation was assembled, and heard with 
 attention Mr. Crowther's address to them. While we 
 were out Mr. Gollmer opened our new church, and on 
 our return we partook together of the Sacrament of 
 the Lord's Supper. In the afternoon Lpreached in our 
 church ; about sixty persons were present. Previous 
 to the morning service we opened a Sunday School, 
 the first ever seen in Badagry ; we had about forty 
 scholars." During the first few weeks of their stay
 
 1 6 Charles Aiidrezv Goltmer. 
 
 at Badagry all the members of the Mission, except 
 Mr. Crowther, suffered much at different times. 
 
 On April nth the little missionary band was weak- 
 ened by the removal of Mrs. Gollmer, after a painful 
 illness of three months. She died in peace. Her 
 remains were committed to the grave on the following 
 evening by the Rev. H. Townsend. 
 
 Mr. Crowther writes, April I2th: "This is the first 
 Christian funeral that has ever been publicly performed 
 in this country. Many of the natives, out of curiosity, 
 accompanied us to the church and to the burial-ground, 
 to witness the burial of a Christian. Though our dear 
 sister is dead, yet she speaks to the natives around, 
 and shows the difference between the death of a saint 
 and that of a heathen. The scene of this day will not 
 soon wear away from the minds of those who were 
 present, about one hundred and fifty persons. The 
 chiefs, having been informed of our mournful bereave- 
 ment, sent their messengers to express their sympathy 
 with us." 
 
 This was a truly heavy trial to Mr. Gollmer ; but the 
 necessary grace was given, and while one worker was 
 called to higher service the others remained to prosecute 
 the work below. Shortly after this solemn event, the 
 missionaries removed from the country-made house, 
 which they had occupied since February 22nd, to their 
 new frame-house built by Mr. Gollmer. 
 
 Mr. Townsend writes, June 5th: "The house is 
 strong and convenient, and will prove very comfortable. 
 During its erection many persons have come to see it, 
 expressing their unqualified admiration of it, especially
 
 Co7nmenceine'nt of the Yoruba Mission, i 7 
 
 of the shingle roof, it being the first they have ever 
 seen." 
 
 Mr. Gollmer adds : " The house is built of sound 
 African wood, principally of what we call brimstone. 
 It is ten feet raised from the ground, on twenty-six 
 
 MISSION HOUSE AT BADAGRV. 
 
 stout and^durable trees, called cabbage trees, and a 
 species of the cocoanut tree, and on nine other smaller 
 trees. The length is forty-four feet and the breadth 
 twenty-six feet. The Society has now a good, durable, 
 and comfortable house at Badagry for many a year. 
 The cost is estimated at ^^325."
 
 i8 
 
 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 With regard to the town itself, Miss Tucker writes, 
 in her book " Abeokuta " : " Badagry is a good-sized 
 town, standing on the northern shore of the lagoon, 
 and numbering about ii,000 inhabitants. These are 
 
 GODS OF THE POl'OS REGALING THEMSELVES. 
 
 almost all Popos (same tribe as the Dahomians), and 
 are in a fearfully demoralized state ; but there are a 
 few Yorubas, and among them some Sierra Leone 
 emigrants. 
 
 " Badagry was anything but a pleasant or promising
 
 Commencement of the Yoruba Mission. 19 
 
 station ; the slave trade, and the unlimited indulgence 
 in rum supplied to them by the European slave ships, 
 had led the people far deeper into brutality and vice 
 than those of the surrounding smaller towns. They 
 seemed swallowed up in sensual enjoyments, and 
 their selfish avarice rendered it very difficult for the 
 missionary to obtain an intelligent listener. 
 y " The idolatry of the Popos is of the most debasing 
 character : they have I fa and Shango and the other 
 deities of the Yorubas, but have added others to them ; 
 their national deity is a black, venomous snake, to 
 whom they pay great respect, and they avowedly 
 worship the evil spirit himself. Human sacrifices are 
 not unfrequent, and the bones scattered round the 
 fetish-houses tell of many such deeds of darkness. 
 
 " The people of Badagry are slaves to superstitious 
 fear, and not even their sordid love of money hinders 
 them from lavishing it on swarms of priests and 
 priestesses, who have little difficulty in turning the 
 fears and credulity of their neighbours to their own 
 advantage."
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SPECIAL DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 GREAT were the difficulties under which the work 
 was prosecuted at Badagry ; owing to the un- 
 settled state of the country, the missionaries were not 
 only prevented from proceeding to Abeokuta, but were 
 also subject to considerable alarm respecting their own 
 personal security at Badagry. 
 
 KThe first event of importance that occurred was a 
 distressing and sanguinary rebellion at Lagos, a town 
 on the coast about forty miles to the east of Badagry. 
 Kosoko, a rebel chief, deposed Akitoye, the rightful 
 king of Lagos, and then threatened to destroy 
 Badagry. 
 
 Concerning this Mr. Gollmer writes, August i8th, 
 1845: "Akitoye the king left Lagos and went to 
 Abeokuta ; the Portuguese suffered the loss of nearly 
 all their property at Lagos, and the whole town is 
 nearly destroyed. It is well known that Kosoko will 
 not rest satisfied until he shall have chastised his old 
 foes, among whom the people here (Badagry) are 
 perhaps the first." 
 
 Later on, Mr. Townsend writes : " We are informed 
 that preparations are being made by Lagos, Porto Novo,
 
 special Difficulties. 21 
 
 and Adu to commence hostilities against Badagry, with 
 a view to its entire destruction, so soon as the season 
 shall permit. The constant enmity which seems to 
 influence the various petty states around us is a great 
 barrier to our work ; it prevents our moving about to 
 extend our influence and make known the gospel of 
 peace, and produces a constant sense of insecurity in 
 our breasts." 
 
 Further difficulties were apprehended in the probable 
 revival of the slave-trade at Badagry. The missionaries 
 were informed that the Badagry chiefs expected two 
 slave vessels from Lagos, which they were to have the 
 advantage of loading with slaves; it appears that two 
 of the chiefs were principally concerned in the move- 
 ment, one of them an evil-disposed man, but the other, 
 it was believed, acquiescing principally because he was 
 the agent of the Portuguese at Badagry. 
 
 Mr. Townsend writes: "There is a great struggle 
 
 going on among the people ; there are those who are 
 
 interested in the English residing here, and those who 
 
 begin to feel the evil of the slave-trade. Those who 
 
 formerly used to get all the trade in Badagry now get 
 
 none ; and those who formerly got nothing now get 
 
 all. The old slave-trading party, therefore, wish to 
 
 obtain what they formerly had, and finding that the 
 
 slave-trade cannot be carried on as it used to be while 
 
 white men are here, they would be glad to get us out 
 
 of the way if they knew how ; to do it violently would 
 
 be to cause a civil war. The storm that has been 
 
 gathering around us seems to grow more and more 
 
 heavy ; but while we view it with apprehension we
 
 2 2 Charles Andrew Gollnier. 
 
 can trust our everlasting Friend and Protector. Our 
 experience of God's care leads us to trust in Him, and 
 look for not only deliverance, but mercies and blessings, 
 arising out of the evils that threaten us." 
 
 Notwithstanding the many hindrances, direct and 
 indirect, experienced by the missionaries, the work was 
 continued with some degree of regularity. The services 
 were held, the schools kept open, and special visits made 
 to the principal inhabitants of Badagry. Missionary 
 excursions to neighbouring villages were also attempted 
 by the missionaries as opportunity offered. 
 
 Mr. GoUmer visited Pjka, nine miles from Badagry, 
 with a population of ibur thousand. Here Mr, Crow- 
 ther and he were courteously received. He also visited 
 Ajido on the Ossa towards Lagos. The chief here was 
 very friendly, and promised to send one of his sons to 
 a boarding-school which Mr. Gollmer had lately esta- 
 blished in the mission premises. He was accompanied 
 in this visit by a Sierra Leone Christian, who with 
 unspeakable thankfulness pointed out to him the 
 barracoon, in which he had, eighteen years before, 
 been confined for three months, and from which he 
 had been shipped by his Portuguese purchasers. 
 
 Various were the excuses given for detaining the 
 children at home, and not allowing them to attend 
 school. One was prohibited, they said, by Sbango, 
 the god of thunder ; another by Oshon, the goddess of 
 the river. When expostulated with on account of their 
 superstition and idolatry, their reply would invariably 
 be, " It is our custom ; our fathers did so, and so 
 must we,"
 
 special Difficulties. 23 
 
 Mr. Gollmer relates that on one occasion he went to 
 see the god Ossain. This god is said to have the gift 
 of speech. " We went on purpose to hear him speak, 
 but when we got there we were told that the man who 
 interprets, or who speaks for him, was not at home. 
 To our question, whether Ossain could not speak 
 without that man, the people present said that the 
 man had taken his voice away." 
 
 On going to another house on business, he saw a 
 large variety of fetishes ; and, what is remarkable 
 above all, an old picture of Napoleon stuck against the 
 wall. They were positive that this was o\ne of their 
 gods. 
 
 On September 20th, owing to the upsetting of a 
 canoe, Mr. Gollmer was nearly drowned, but by the 
 mercy of God he was saved by the prompt assistance 
 of the canoe-men, and delivered from a watery grave. 
 
 With the extinction of the slave-trade the education 
 of the natives in agriculture is intimately, although not 
 directly, connected. 
 
 February 27th, 1846: "During the last few weeks 
 the monotony of Badagry has been pleasingly inter- 
 rupted by an impulse given to agriculture. A piece of 
 ground, two hundred and ten feet wide and two hun- 
 dred and eighty feet long, belonging to us, and only 
 separated from our premises by a public road, and 
 reaching to the edge of the river, has been fenced in 
 and divided into fifteen lots among ourselves and our 
 people. Soon after the lots were distributed, every 
 one set to work to clear his portion, there being daily 
 from fifteen to twenty people busily employed. Many
 
 24 Charles Andreio Gollmer. 
 
 of the people came to gaze at us and our work, and 
 others have followed our example." 
 
 A little later, Mr. Crowther, referring to the various 
 efforts made by the missionaries (himself included) to 
 encourage agriculture among the natives, says : ** These 
 things bring the people near the missionaries, and 
 expand their minds, as they not only hear, but see and 
 enjoy, the comfort of the arts of civilized nations." 
 
 The following account of a visit paid by Messrs. 
 Crowther and Gollmer to Idalle during the annual 
 festival in honour of the god Idagbe is of great 
 interest, and reminds one of similar ceremonies men- 
 tioned in the Old Testament : — 
 ^ " The public proclamation, universal preparation, 
 general attendance, the slip of palm, the feigned humility 
 of the chiefs, the holy water, the bringing of the blood 
 into the most holy, the eating of the sacrifice, and 
 even the dancing, are striking features in this festival. 
 
 "The importance attached to the festival may be 
 seen from the fact that all the Badagry chiefs — with 
 Akitoye, the deposed king of Lagos — were present, 
 except two, and that these two sent their representa- 
 tives." 
 
 April loth, 1846: "Yesterday forenoon it was an- 
 nounced by the public crier that the annual grand 
 festival in honour of the national god Idagbe, a snake, 
 
 * Explanation: — The numbers refer to the corresponding numbers 
 on the picture. I. The Church; 2. Mission House ; 3. Kitchen; 4. 
 Schoohnaster's Dwelhng ; 5. Boarding School ; 6. Labourer's Dwell- 
 ing; 7- Shed and Carpenters' Shop; 8. Interpreter's House; 9. 
 Watchman's Dwelling ; 10. Widows' Shelter; 11. Stable; 12. Street; 
 13. 'Vegetable Garden; 14. Rice Garden.
 
 \ 15U^!!?nji ^r 
 
 
 
 ' ir_^^ 1 1 
 
 J.:
 
 special Di/ficulties. 27 
 
 would take place to-day at Idalle. As I much wished 
 to become acquainted with the idolatrous worship of 
 the people, I went to Idalle with Mr, Crowther this 
 morning. 
 
 "This serpent is a species of the boa-constrictor. 
 It is so sacred that no one dare kill it, although it does 
 serious mischief when it gets among the poultry or 
 among the bullocks. 
 
 " On our way we overtook many poor pilgrims 
 travelling towards Idagbe's holy shrine ; they were all 
 dressed in their best, and provided with something to 
 eat, and with a small gift for Idagbe. On our 
 approaching Idalle we met Okkan and Possu, with a 
 numerous retinue, sitting in the shade of some trees, 
 awaiting their fellow-chiefs and prepared for the pro- 
 cession. Having saluted them we went on our way to 
 Idalle, where a great number of people had already 
 assembled. The procession of the chiefs and people 
 entered the town in a most imposing manner ; some of 
 the chiefs, who had managed to borrow a horse for the 
 occasion, showed off on horseback, while those who 
 were less fortunate did as well as they could on foot, 
 all displaying their finery and apparently wishing to 
 excel each other. Some were dressed in silk velvet, 
 others in silk damask, etc., with a large bright-coloured 
 state umbrella over their heads ; while their devoted- 
 ness to their famous god was manifested by a slip of 
 the palm tree tied round their necks, to be afterward 
 deposited in Idagbe's outer yard. 
 
 *' The chiefs took their station in front of the fetish 
 house, under shady trees. A large umbrella, stuck in
 
 2 8 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 the ground, marked the station of a chief. The um- 
 brella is a mark of dignity in this country, no inferior 
 persons being allowed to use it. All sorts of drums 
 and musical instruments were used on this occasion ; 
 the tomtom, the gongon, or country bells knocked with 
 a stick, a calabash instrument netted over with fish 
 bones, etc. As there was a large assemblage of people, 
 of all ages and both sexes, they formed different classes 
 of dancers : young women and girls forming circles 
 after the Yoruba fashion, and performing them to the 
 beat of the tomtom, the shaking of the calabash, the 
 knocking of the gongon, and the jingling of the iron 
 rods. The young men and boys were running about 
 wild in different parties, like madmen, with their bill- 
 hooks or sticks in their hands, as if pursuing an enemy, 
 when on a sudden they moved backwards, as if repulsed 
 by their foes. 
 
 " About an hour afterwards, the chiefs and a few of 
 their people went into the inner yard to pay their 
 homage to Idagbe, and, singular it is, the chiefs stripped 
 themselves of all their finery and charms and dressed 
 themselves in white cloths, as if they did not trust in 
 anything beside Idagbe, but were humble and sincere 
 adorers of him alone. 
 
 "It was some time before we could gain admission 
 to this the most holy place, but at last it was granted, 
 and we passed from the outer yard through a fetish 
 house, which forms a gateway only, to the inner yard, 
 where we saw a small bullock, the destined sacrifice 
 to Idagbe. From this inner yard we had to press 
 through a narrow entrance into another imier yard.
 
 special Diffiatlties. 29 
 
 the sanctuary of Idagbe. This was about twelve feet 
 square, fenced in on all sides, and containing a few 
 small trees, which afforded us an agreeable shade from 
 the excessive heat of the midday sun. Here we met 
 all the Badagry chiefs humbly sitting on the ground 
 before Idagbe's little hut, which was not above six feet 
 long, four feet wide, and six feet high, but neatly covered 
 all over with new mats. 
 
 " The high priest, a youth about eighteen years old, 
 and two other priests, much older, yet of a lower order, 
 were ministering. The young priest was for some 
 time in the little hut, during which time he was heard 
 uttering words, as if praying. The other two priests 
 sat immediately before the entrance, which was so 
 carefully closed by a clean white cloth that it was 
 impossible for any one to see above a few inches of the 
 inside. When the high priest came out from the 
 little hut, he bore a pot with consecrated water, which 
 one of the other priests squirted from his mouth upon 
 the chiefs and people present, one after the other, to 
 symbolize Idagbe blessing the people. This was not 
 performed with much solemnit}^ : all, however, seemed 
 anxious to be squirted upon. After this, the rum and 
 cola nuts, which the chiefs had brought as an offering, 
 were brought from within the little hut, and of which, 
 after having poured out a glass of rum on the ground 
 to Idagbe, the chiefs and people partook. 
 
 " When this was over the chief priest, with a wooden 
 fork in his hand, went, and after him another priest 
 and Wawu, to the ante-yard, to consecrate the bullock. 
 Three times they went and returned, every time mum-
 
 30 
 
 Charles Andrciv Golluier 
 
 bling something towards Idagbe's hut. On returning 
 the last time he brought the tail of the bullock, which 
 was laid on the roof of the hut. A few minutes 
 afterwards the butcher brought some of the blood of the 
 bullock, which was placed before the hut ; while this 
 was going on, some people prepared a large dish of 
 
 FIRES IN AFRICAN TOWNS (p. 31). 
 
 smoked fish, and another one of beans, which, after 
 they had been presented to Idagbe for a few minutes, 
 were in no time devoured by the hungry worshippers, 
 chief and people helping themselves by handfuls. With 
 this the ceremony in the most holy ended, of which we 
 w^ere heartily glad, as we had been standing there for 
 nearly two hours."
 
 special Diffinilties. 31 
 
 A few days after this visit a terrible fire broke out in 
 Badagry. Mr. Gollmer writes, April i 8th : " Last night 
 we were greatly alarmed by a dreadful fire ; no less than 
 thirty-six native houses were consumed in about an 
 hour by the destructive element, and it must under God 
 be ascribed to the assiduity of some of the people 
 that not the greater part of the town, together with 
 the European establishments, were destroyed. In the 
 morning we went to inspect the place, and were not a 
 little affected by the melancholy scene. The poor fetish 
 and idols shared the same fate, for many were lying 
 about half-burnt ; nevertheless several were carefully 
 collected and reinstated before the sand grew cold." 
 
 At the end of June 1846 Mr. Gollmer writes again : 
 " We cannot yet speak of ripe fruit, but we have reason 
 to believe that our work is not in vain in the Lord. 
 This ground has been fallow for so long a time, and has 
 consequently become so very hard, that the breaking up 
 of it requires time and labour ; the weeds have taken 
 deep root, and to eradicate them wholly we need to dig 
 deeply. We hope, by the blessing of God, at least to be 
 preparing the way for brighter days, when more lights 
 of the gospel will shine in this thick darkness, and more 
 voices be raised to proclaim salvation through Jesus ; 
 when one will break up fallow ground, another sow the 
 incorruptible seed, and a third water the plants."
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 BRIGHTER D A Y S\. 
 
 IN July 1846 the way was at length opened for the 
 missionaries to proceed to Abeokuta. The way in 
 which this object was accomplished is worthy of remark. 
 
 A noted slave-factor at Porto Novo, finding that the 
 disturbed state of the country, and the obstructed access 
 into the interior, materially interfered with the nefarious 
 traffic in which he was engaged, sent an embassy, with 
 costly presents, to prevail upon the chiefs of the various 
 towns so far to lay aside their mutual hostilities as to 
 render the roads secure for passengers. This measure 
 was successful ; and as it was considered important that 
 the opportunity, so long desired, should not be lost, 
 , although it was in the midst of the rainy season, the 
 Rev. H. Townsend and the Rev. S. Crowther, with 
 their families, left Badagry on July 27th, and on 
 August 3rd safely arrived at Abeokuta. 
 
 Finding it absolutely necessary that a communication 
 should be maintained with the coast, it was determined 
 that Mr. Gollmer should remain at Badagry, which town 
 was regarded from that time as a regular branch of the 
 mission. 
 
 One circumstance of peculiar interest must not be
 
 Brighter Days. 35 
 
 omitted here. A few weeks after his arrival in Abeo- 
 kuta, Mr. Crowther had the unexpected pleasure and 
 great joy of meeting with his mother (August 21st, 
 1846), from whom he had been separated, owing to the 
 slave-trade, for twenty-five years; and one of the first 
 to be baptized in connection with the new mission was 
 Mr. Crowther's mother, February 6th, 1848. 
 
 After the removal of Messrs. Townsend and Crowther 
 to Abeokuta, the work at Badagry was carried on by 
 Mr. Gollmer, assisted by Mr. Marsh and three other 
 native teachers. In labouring among a mixed popu- 
 lation like that of Badagry, considerable advantage 
 was derived from the fact that the native teachers 
 were of different tribes. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer writes, September 1846: "Mr. Marsh 
 visits the Mohammedans ; Mr. Philip the Sierra Leone 
 and Egba people ; Mark Willoughby, my interpreter, 
 the Popos ; George William the Yorubas ; and I myself 
 visit all, as far as my time and strength permit." And 
 then he adds : " I cannot omit stating here that our 
 native helpers are of great service to us, and a great 
 blessing to the people." On December 15th Mr. 
 Gollmer took advantage of the holding of a Com- 
 mittee of Missionaries at Abeokuta to visit Adu 
 on his way thither. He arrived at Adu the same 
 afternoon, the chief Ikoko receiving him as his guest. 
 His servants, bearing his baggage, narrowly escaped 
 being plundered by an armed party of Ottas, who 
 were only quieted by the interference of the chief 
 During the night Ikoko's house was discovered to 
 be on fire. This was thought to be the work ot
 
 36 Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 the Ottas, either to revenge themselves for their dis- 
 appointment in reference to Mr. Gollmer's baggage, 
 or to create another opportunity for plunder, in which 
 they were again disappointed. 
 
 On the 17th Mr. Gollmer proceeded on his way 
 to Okeodan, and at Ishagbo, a village nine miles 
 north of Adu, was met by an escort to conduct him 
 forward. Within a short distance of the gate of 
 Okeodan, however, the party was stopped by some 
 Ottas, one of the tribes inhabiting Okeodan, on the 
 plea that they had not been consulted in reference 
 to Mr. Gollmer's visit. "After the dispute had lasted 
 more than an hour, and it seemed likely every moment 
 to come to shedding of blood, the people contending 
 with their swords drawn, I tried " (he says) " a third 
 time to return ; but I and my people were so sur- 
 rounded that it was utterly impossible to move either 
 forward or backward. At this crisis Bangudu, a head 
 warrior of Okeodan, sent some of his soldiers to fetch 
 me into the town. These men, having forced their 
 way through the multitude, came up to me with their 
 drawn swords, shouting and commanding me to mount 
 my horse and proceed. I first proposed to return, 
 as I was afraid blood might be shed if I proceeded, 
 for the people seemed quite infuriated ; but the soldiers 
 said ' No,' and made way with their swords, yet so 
 as to hurt none, but holding the bridle of my horse, 
 the one on this and the other on the other side. As 
 soon as I had entered the gate, a fine broad street, 
 lined on either side with thousands of people, opened 
 to my view. The gazing of the people, but especially 
 
 I
 
 Brighter Days. 37 
 
 the thought that they were all in darkness, much 
 affected me. While I thus with fear and trembling 
 entered the town, and meditated on the welfare of 
 the people, a party of the discontented suddenly rushed 
 upon my people, and knocked down their boxes and 
 other things, which some carried off, while others 
 attacked my servants themselves, and cut and tore 
 away from them whatever they could lay hands on. 
 One of my men was kidnapped and four wounded in 
 the struggle, because they would not be robbed of 
 all. I began to fear the worst, when I saw myself 
 wholly forsaken, with the exception of the king's 
 messenger and another lad, who begged me to hasten 
 to the king's house ; when I saw neither my inter- 
 preter, messenger, nor servant ; when I, on looking 
 behind, saw some of my things strewed about in 
 the street, and my people in the hands of an enemy ; 
 and especially when one of my most confidential 
 and faithful men came into the chief's house with 
 his face covered with blood. The sight of these 
 wounded ones touched my inmost soul, and I could 
 not help shedding tears. My anxiety was, however, 
 greatly alleviated when I saw one after the other 
 of my people come in, though robbed of all, and 
 observed that none of the wounds were fatal. The 
 poor old chief, who sat all the time I dressed the 
 wounds, and for nearly an hour afterward, not four 
 yards from me, seemed as if petrified by what had 
 taken place, so that he was unable to speak a single 
 word." 
 
 December i8th : "A great many natives have been
 
 38 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 to-day to sympathize with me and my people, and almost 
 all have begged me not to be vexed, but to leave all the 
 matter to God, Who w^ill revi^ard me. Late this evening 
 my messenger returned from Igbeji and Idoggo, whither 
 I sent him in the morning, to inform the chiefs of those 
 places of what had taken place, and to consult them 
 respecting my position — whether I should return to 
 Badagry, or whether I could with safety come to see 
 them. Both chiefs were extremely angry on account 
 of what the Okeodan people had done to me, and sent 
 a messenger to the chiefs, saying that they had better 
 kill and eat me at once, for what they had done was 
 worse than eating me ; with me they sympathized, and 
 again invited me to come." 
 
 Eventually some of Mr. Gollmer's property was 
 returned, but the loss was still considerable. On the 
 22nd he proceeded on his journe}^, and was most kindly 
 received both at Igbeji and Idoggo by the chiefs and 
 people. In order to reach Abeokuta before the Lord's 
 Day he pushed on, and arrived at his destination on 
 the 26th. 
 
 After a pleasant sojourn of rather more than a 
 fortnight, he left for Badagry on January I2th, 1847, 
 and arrived there on the 15th. He was much en- 
 couraged by the missionary aspect of Abeokuta, but 
 deeply felt that in so large a town it would be desirable 
 to plant a much stronger aggressive force. 
 
 Perhaps the most encouraging portion of the work 
 at Badagry was in connection with the boarding-school. 
 
 Besides Mewu's four boys, Chief Possu had sent his 
 son, and Akibode, the chief priest of Ifa, also had two
 
 Brighter Days. 
 
 39 
 
 there. All were tractable, well-behaved, and intelligent ; 
 but owing to the jealousy and distrust with which the 
 people viewed the white man's proceedings, Mr. Gollmer 
 had at times great difficulties to overcome. He writes, 
 however, at the end of June 1847: " I must not omit 
 
 CONSULTING IFA. 
 
 Stating that the majority of our boys have made good 
 progress, and give me satisfaction. We have now ten 
 who read God's Word, and the others come forward by 
 degrees. The first three monitors of our day school, 
 sons of Sierra Leone people, have received special 
 instruction from me for an hour every other day, with a
 
 40 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 view to train them for the office of schoolmaster. I am 
 happy to report that they make good progress, and will, 
 I trust, soon become useful as assistants in the schools." 
 
 At the close of the year 1847 Mr. Gollmer writes : 
 "As regards our Society's boarders, I have much 
 pleasure in stating that this is the most promising 
 branch of our labour, and to a considerable degree 
 counterbalances the discouragements we meet with 
 from the adults. By the blessing of God I have 
 received so many children as to make up for the loss 
 we sustained the quarter before last, and our number 
 is again twenty-six. Ten other children are promised 
 me, and I hope we shall soon get at least some of them. 
 The conduct of the children has been on the whole 
 very good, and I think I may say that we have 
 succeeded to a degree in weaning them from the evil 
 propensities they were indulged in at home ; having 
 accustomed them* to decency, honesty, and politeness, 
 and impressed them with the truth of God's eternal 
 Word. I must here give credit to Mr. Marsh's un- 
 wearied and unceasing exertions in bringing our 
 children forward." 
 
 On June i8th the king of Porto Novo (Ajashe) sent 
 a messenger to Mr. Gollmer, with an earnest request 
 that he would send to England for a missionary for 
 his town. 
 
 August 1 1 th, Lord's Day: "This morning, about eleven 
 o'clock, while we were all assembled for Divine worship, 
 fire broke out at the northern end of the east range of 
 the Society's native dwellings, and in a short time con- 
 sumed the whole range, one hundred and twenty feet
 
 Brighter Days. 41 
 
 long, leaving Mr. Marsh, the boarders, and the watchmen 
 without a shelter. No sooner was it known that fire 
 had broken out in the white man's house than a iiost 
 of people rushed into our premises, not to assist, but 
 to plunder us. Wc all did our utmost to keep them 
 from stealing, but as we were comparatively few, they 
 managed to make away with several things." Within 
 a month after the fire Mr. Gollmer had contrived by 
 great exertions to render the new buildings habitable. 
 
 On January 28th, 1848, the long-expected accession 
 of European labourers was welcomed, upon the arrival 
 of the Revs. Messrs. J. Smith and J. C. Mliller, with 
 their wives. But, sad to relate, in the course of three 
 weeks Mrs. Miillcr was attacked by the fever of the 
 country, under which she sank on February 26th. 
 
 It was determined, in a Committee of Missionaries 
 held at Badagry, that Mr. Gollmer should return to 
 England for the benefit of his health, he having resided 
 six years in Africa; that Mr. Tovvnsend should also 
 return, in consequence of the severe and alarming 
 illness of his wife; that Mr. Smith should supply the 
 place of Mr. Gollmer at Badagry ; and that Mr. MuUer 
 should go to Abeokuta. On April 19th, therefore, the 
 Rev. H. and Mrs. Townsend and Mr. Gollmer left 
 Badagry, and arrived in London on June ■26th. 
 
 Miss Tucker, in her book "Abeokuta," when writing 
 of Mr. Gollmer's departure from Badagr}'-, says : " Mr. 
 and Mrs. Smith landed at Badagry in January 1848, 
 and Mr. Gollmer, whose health had for some time 
 required a change of climate, took advantage of their 
 arrival to pay a visit to England. Neither the chiefs
 
 42 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 nor people were of course able to appreciate the value 
 of his indefatigable spiritual labours among them, but 
 their conduct at his departure, and on his return, showed 
 in a very gratifying manner the estimation in which he 
 was personally held. On the morning of his embarka- 
 tion, in April 1848, several chiefs came to pay him a 
 visit, and to wish him a safe voyage, bringing a;sheep, 
 
 WOODEN CUP TO CONTAIN IFA. 
 
 or fowls, or yams, as presents, and among others was 
 his former opponent, Possu. 
 
 " Mewu brought him a bullock and a bag of yams, 
 ' to make,' as he said, ' soup on the salt water, that 
 he might not forget him.' Akitoye sent his messenger 
 with his gilt-headed staff of office to bid him farewell ; 
 and the still more friendly chief of Ajido had, three 
 days 'before, sent a confidential agent with a silver-
 
 Brighter Days. 
 
 43 
 
 headed staff, and with orders not to return till he had 
 seen Mr. Gollmer and Mr. and Mrs. Townsend (who 
 were going with him to England) safe on board. The 
 man, on his arrival, delivered up his badge of office to 
 
 CIIURCli AT BADAGRV. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer, and only resumed it in order to attend 
 him to the beach in proper form." 
 
 And Mr. Smith in his accoimt adds : " It was very 
 gratifying to observe the chief priest of Ifa, with nearly 
 his whole family, crossing the river in their canoes with 
 many others, and going to the beach to see the last of 
 our friends."
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MORE TROUBLES. 
 
 ON September 20th, 1849, Mr. Gollmer married 
 Sarah Caroline Hoar, the daughter of Major 
 Hoar of the loth Regiment of Foot. She was spared 
 to be a true and devoted helper to him for thirty-four 
 years, eleven years of this period being spent in active 
 service in the mission-field. 
 
 January 9th, 1850, the Rev. H. and Mrs. Tovvnsend, 
 the Rev. C. A. and Mrs. Gollmer, accompanied by Mr. 
 E. Van Cooten, Surgeon, Mrs. Van Cooten, and Mr. 
 and Mrs. Huber, sailed from Plymouth for Badagry, 
 and safely arrived on March 7th. 
 
 Miss Tucker, referring to their arrival, says : " The 
 greeting was as warm when Mr. Gollmer returned in 
 March 1850 as when he left. The people crowded 
 down to the beach to welcome him ; some of them 
 insisted on lifting him out of the canoe ; and on the 
 heads of some and on the hands of others he was 
 carried a good way up the beach." 
 
 But the mission party, under God's mysterious provi- 
 dence, had very soon to pass through heavy trials. 
 The same letter which acquainted the Society with the 
 safe arrival of the missionaries conveyed also the sorrow-
 
 More Troubles. 45 
 
 ful intelligence of Mrs. Van Cooten's death, on May 
 17th, after eight days' fever. This was followed by the 
 demise of the Rev. J. C. Miiller, who died of dysentery 
 at Abeokuta, on June i6th, 1850 ; and lastly Mr. 
 Van Cooten, in the midst of much usefulness, was 
 attacked with fever, while engaged in visiting the towns 
 on the strip of land between the Ossa and the sea 
 toward Porto Novo ; and having been conveyed to 
 Badagry in a canoe, expired there March 13th, 185 i. 
 
 Mrs. Gollmer also suffered most severely in various 
 ways; so much so that Mr. Gollmer writes, June 25th, 
 1850: "Many times during the last five weeks I have 
 wept over her as over one who is fast drawing nigh her 
 departure, and again and again the Lord was a present 
 help in time of need ; but a week ago we all had given 
 up our hopes for her recovery ; indeed, we expected her 
 dissolution hourly; yet the Lord heard our cries, which 
 we all conjointly made before Him, and raised her up. 
 
 " It would be ungrateful in me not to mention the 
 great kindness and attention Mr. Van Cooten has 
 shown to us, and especially to Mrs. Gollmer during her 
 serious and protracted illness. I confess I know not 
 what I should have done under existing circumstances 
 without his aid. He has, by the blessing of God on 
 the means used, humanly speaking, saved her life, for 
 which we feel thankful to God and to him." 
 
 A few days after the arrival of the missionary party, 
 a reinforcement of native catechists and teachers, con- 
 sisting of Messrs. Thomas King, James Barber, James 
 White, and Thomas Puddicombe, reached Badagry from 
 Sierra Leone, for the service of the Yoruba mission.
 
 46 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 Mr. Mark Willoughby, one of the most useful of the 
 native agents, after a lengthened illness, died at Badagry 
 May 9th, 1850. 
 
 On the death of Mr. Miiller, Mr. Smith was transferred 
 to Abeokuta to supply his place. 
 
 August 26th : " Our friends Mr. and Mrs. Smith left 
 us this morning for Abeokuta, and now I am again 
 left alone in the responsibility of this station. The 
 thousands of souls are a heavy weight on my spirits ; 
 thankful, however, I am that Mr, Van Cooten remains 
 and helps me." 
 
 The work at Badagry at this time was anything but 
 encouraging ; the chiefs and people remained adverse to 
 the reception of the gospel ; the general demeanour of 
 the inhabitants was such as to render it doubtful 
 whether they would not prefer the abandonment to the 
 continuance of the mission. 
 
 Besides the trials arising to the missionaries from the 
 disinclination of the people to spiritual instruction, there 
 were disturbances and commotions in Badagr}^ which, 
 on more than one occasion, threatened to terminate in 
 sanguinary conflicts. The first occurrence of this kind 
 was in October 1850, when the Sierra Leone people 
 took up arms to defend themselves against the continued 
 injuries inflicted on them by the Popos, and a collision 
 seemed inevitable. 
 
 At this crisis Mr. Gollmer received a kind letter from 
 Commander Patey, of H.M.S. Flying Fish, offering any 
 assistance in his power. At Mr. Gollmer's request two 
 of the officers came on shore, a full meeting of the 
 chiefs and people was convened, and this disturbance
 
 More Troubles. 47 
 
 amicably adjusted. It was, however, soon followed by 
 one of a more serious nature. Communication between 
 Badagry and Lagos had been closed for some years, 
 and a law had been passed prohibiting individuals from 
 going from the former to the latter place. 
 
 The Popo chiefs wished now to re-open the road, 
 while Akitoye, the ex-king of Lagos, who resided at 
 Badagry, feeling that his personal safety would be 
 endangered if this were done, endeavoured to prevent 
 it. Amidst the violent passions of these contending 
 parties, the town was on several occasions in danger of 
 being set on fire and destroyed. The King of Dahomey's 
 intended invasion appeared likewise as a dark cloud 
 rising in the far horizon. 
 
 Amidst these disquieting circumstances, the mission- 
 aries very gratefully acknowledged the kind sympathy 
 shown them by the Commodore and other officers of 
 Her Majesty's squadron on the coast, the lively interest 
 expressed for their safety, and the offer of prompt 
 assistance whenever the aspect of affairs appeared to 
 be more threatening. 
 
 With regard to the continued trials at Badagry, Miss 
 Tucker writes: "Twice in the autumn of 1850 the 
 significant token of a faggot, bound up in a particular 
 way, was sent to Mr. Gollmer, to warn him that his 
 house was to be set on fire ; and during the latter part 
 of 1850 and the beginning of 1851, he and Mrs. 
 Gollmer were subject to continued alarms of war and 
 conflagration." 
 
 The position of Mr, Gollmer during the early part 
 of 185 1 was at all times critical, and often perilous in
 
 48 Chai'les And^xzv Gollmer. 
 
 the extreme ; yet he was enabled, with much Christian 
 courage and resolution, to continue at his post, even 
 when the battle was raging round him, and discharge 
 various offices of kindness to the wounded. 
 
 Miss Tucker continues : "At last, in June 185 1, the 
 long-smothered enmity between Akitoye and Mewu 
 on the one side, and Kosoko and his allies on the 
 other, burst forth afresh, and Mr. GoUmer's attempts at 
 mediation proved unavailing. 
 
 The town was attacked, and the scenes that followed 
 cannot be described. The firing of the opposing parties 
 close to the mission-house, the town itself in flames, 
 the screams of the women and children, who ran about 
 in all directions, and several hundreds of whom took 
 refuge in the mission compound, were enough to 
 appal the stoutest hearts. Some of the poor people 
 crowded into their canoes and tried to cross the Ossa 
 to the opposite shore, but many of the overladen boats 
 were upset. In the afternoon a quantity of gunpowder 
 exploded with a terrific noise, and had not the mission- 
 house been strengthened with new timber during the 
 preceding week, it must have been shaken to the 
 ground. Before night the greatest part of the town 
 was burnt to the ground. In the morning the fight 
 was renewed, the eastern part of the town was set fire 
 to, and nothing escaped the devouring element but the 
 two mission premises and the chief part of Mr. Hutton's 
 factory. All this time Mr. Gollmer was ill, and unable 
 to walk, or even to stand, and could only give instruc- 
 tions from the window. The catechists and others 
 connected with the mission were greatly frightened,
 
 -"■' •*''¥ I'l 
 
 
 •n 
 
 >
 
 More Troubles, 5 1 
 
 and urged him to retire to the beach for safety; but he 
 felt, as he says, that, " I was at the post where God 
 had placed me, and I must not desert it without plain 
 and special orders. lie knows I am here, and I know 
 and believe His arm is not shortened ; so in faith I com- 
 mitted myself to our covenant God, and resolved to await 
 the result of this sore trial, and Mrs, Gollmer being 
 of one mind with me greatly strengthened my faith." 
 
 Mr. Gollmer continues : " The greater part of this 
 day (June 13 th) was occupied in attending to the 
 wounded. Last evening one of the Popo party had his 
 left hand torn off by the bursting of his own gun, and 
 we had to cut it off, sew the skin together, and dress it. 
 This morning one of Akitoye's people had his left hand 
 torn off in the same way, and we had to cut it off and 
 dress it as the one yesterday. The poor man wept 
 when we told him that he must either die or suffer his 
 hand to be cut off * What shall I do,' he said, 'with 
 one hand ' (he is a blacksmith) ; ' how can I get some- 
 thing to eat ? ' It was truly heartrending. However, 
 he most patiently suffered me to cut off his hand by 
 the wrist ; many other wounded were brought, and we 
 sewed up many wounds. Blessed be God for His 
 faithfulness in giving me, in this time of need, grace 
 sufficient for the day." 
 
 Kosoko continued his direct and indirect attacks on 
 Badagry from time to time, through the intervening 
 months, until December 1st, when it was resolved 
 that a final effort should be made. The particulars 
 connected with this attempt are detailed by Mr. Gollmer 
 in his journal of that date : —
 
 52 Charles Andrezu Gollmer. 
 
 '^' After many unsuccessful attacks upon this town, 
 by Kosoko's party from the east and Possu's from the 
 west, our enemies retreated for a while, and prepared 
 for a renewed and combined attack, which they made 
 sure would bring about the desired end — the utter 
 destruction of all living here ; the Jebus, Igbessas, and 
 others promising to assist Kosoko, and the Isos and 
 others Possu. This attack was to be made about the 
 middle of November ; when, providentially, the consul 
 arrived off Lagos and announced to Kosoko his inten- 
 tion to pay him a friendly visit on his return from 
 Badagry in a day or two, which so alarmed him, as 
 he feared an attack from the English on account of 
 Akitoye, that he at once recalled all his people and 
 allies whom he had sent to destroy Badagry, saying, 
 * Come back quickly, for what I see at home passes what 
 I sent you out for.' And thus God wonderfully dispersed 
 our enemies and delivered us from their destroying 
 hand. Possu, with his west division, appeared at the 
 appointed time, and encamped on the south and north 
 banks of the river, almost within gunshot of Badagry, 
 and according to agreement made an attack on the 
 town the following morning, but was sadly disappointed 
 when neither Kosoko's canoes nor any of his allies 
 made their appearance on the east ; and he had to 
 retreat to his encampment without having effected 
 anything. 
 
 " Three weeks afterwards Possu renewed the attack, 
 and much bloodshed ensued ; until, finding no prospect 
 of being assisted from Lagos, he retired to Adu, about 
 three miles distant. Kosoko was occupied in prepara-
 
 More Troubles. 53 
 
 tions for self-defence. The retribution he had been 
 long earning was about to come on him. 
 
 " On December 4th he fired on the British flag of 
 truce, and thus brought himself into collision with the 
 British power. An opportunity was now afforded for 
 the restoration of Akitoye, the lawful king, and Kosoko 
 was driven from his usurped throne. 
 
 "In the treaty which was entered into with Akitoye 
 provision was made for the friendly reception of Chris- 
 tian missionaries at Lagos, and full liberty promised 
 for the prosecution of their important labours." 
 
 With reference to the above circumstances, the Rev. 
 H. Venn wrote to Mr. Gollmer, under date October 
 14th, 185 1 : — 
 
 "Your letter has indeed filled us with many opposite 
 feelings, — deep sympathy for the trials and perils to 
 which you have been exposed ; apprehensions for the 
 future ; praise and thanksgiving to God for the merciful 
 protection and the wonderful support to j'our mind 
 given in the hour of extreme danger. The first over- 
 powering emotions were those of painful condolence 
 with you in the agony of mind which you must have 
 endured and the suspense and anxiety which must 
 have succeeded. But though we tremble, we rejoice ; 
 that you should have remained under your circuix;^ 
 stances at your post, without even going to the beach 
 for protection, was a triumph of grace. We think th^t 
 you acted in this respect very wisely." 
 
 A few months later (February 24th, 1852) Mr. Venn 
 wrote ; — 
 
 ^* The simple reference you made to t|ie possibility of
 
 54 Charles And^xw Golbner. 
 
 your removal to Lagos spoke volumes. With respect 
 to the future movements of our missionaries, we thank 
 God that we have in you a degree of wisdom, experi- 
 ence, and decision in which we can fully rely. Before 
 this reaches you it will have been considered whether 
 you should not at once remove to Lagos, and keep up 
 Badagry only as an out-station. The communication 
 between Lagos and Abeokuta is most important."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 OCCUPATION OF LAGOS. 
 
 MR. GOLLMER, having decided on transferring 
 himself, as quickly as possible, to this important 
 post, deputed, in the first instance, Mr. James White, 
 a native catechist, to proceed to Lagos, for the purpose 
 of making himself acquainted with the existing state 
 of things, and having an interview with the restored 
 
 king. 
 
 He arrived at Lagos January lOth, 1852. The next 
 day being the Lord's Day, in the morning he preached 
 in the king's quarters, to a congregation of two hundred 
 people, from i Kings iii. 5-14; and in the afternoon 
 one hundred and ninety-two people were gathered 
 together to hear him speak on i Kings xviii. 21. These 
 were the two first gospel addresses ever delivered in 
 Lagos. 
 
 During the first six months of 1852 Mr. Gollmer 
 continued to reside at Badagry, with occasional visits 
 to Lagos ; the first of these visits was paid in February. 
 
 He writes, March I2th, 1852: "I went to Lagos 
 February 23rd, and returned March 2nd. It is full 
 forty miles from Badagry. Akitoye, the chiefs and 
 elders, and people received me in the most friendly
 
 56 Charles Andj'ew GoUiner. 
 
 manner, and earnestly requested that I would come 
 soon and build a house and dwell with them. 
 
 " On the Lord's Day I preached twice in Yoruba, the 
 king, several chiefs, and elders and some of the people, 
 being present. All were attentive, and seemed to 
 understand me. On Monday I obtained the consent 
 of the king, chiefs, and elders to the apportionment of 
 five pieces of land for the purposes of the mission, and 
 had the document signed. May the Lord send forth 
 labourers, for the harvest is great." 
 
 Mr. White was placed in permanent residence at 
 Lagos in the middle of February ; Mr. Gollmer remain- 
 ing at Badagry until July 20th, when he also reached 
 Lagos. Badagry was kept in continued alarm by 
 rumours of an attack from the Dahomians, and the 
 people continued to manifest the same indisposition 
 to spiritual instruction as heretofore. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer, under date June 22nd, 1852, thus 
 notices the conclusion of his labours at Badagry : — 
 
 "We have now arrived at an important era, viz., 
 the close, or nearly so, of our mission at Badagry, and 
 the forming of our chief coast station at Lagos. As 
 this will be ray last journal from this place I must 
 take a retrospective view. In January 1845 we arrived 
 here from Sierra Leone destined for Abeokuta ; but 
 God closed up our path into the interior by the un- 
 expected and sudden death of Shodeke, the king and 
 war chief, so that we had no alternative but patiently 
 to wait here. Mr. Townsend, Mr. Crowther, and myself 
 lost no time in commencing our work. Mr. Crowther 
 kept regular service under a tree in town, while Mr.
 
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 Occupation of Lagos. 59 
 
 Townsend and I alternately kept service, either at 
 home, or at one of the chiefs houses, or elsewhere ; 
 besides visiting both chiefs and people, when v^^e always 
 endeavoured to make known to them God in His Word, 
 and to lead them into the path of truth and life. For 
 eighteen months we thus continued our work here and 
 in the neighbourhood, when a slave-trader forced the 
 Abeokuta road open, that slaves might be brought 
 down to him. Of this our friends Messrs. Townsend 
 and Crowther availed themselves to proceed to Abeo- 
 kuta, whilst I was appointed by the parent committee 
 to remain behind at Badagry, as we found, by experi- 
 ence, that a mission in the interior demanded a station 
 on the coast. 
 
 " For another two years I carried on my work here 
 alone, and apparently not altogether in vain, since the 
 chiefs and people gave up some of their children for 
 education; and in 1848, when, after upwards of six 
 years' residence in Africa, my health rendered it neces- 
 sary to return to Europe for a season, I left a promising 
 boarding-school of thirty boys and one girl. The Rev. 
 J. Smith carried on the work of God during my absence 
 of nearly two years, with neither increase nor decrease 
 as to numbers ; and on my return I found things much 
 the same as I left them. 
 
 "Since that time, for twelve months, the late Mr. 
 Van Cooten and myself carried on our work of faith 
 and love ; and when I lost his valuable aid I prosecuted 
 my labours alone, and I trust I have done so faithfully, 
 though in much weakness. 
 
 "Well may we now ask, What is the fruit of your
 
 6o Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 seven years' labour at this place ? Alas ! I see but 
 little — I had almost saiJ, ' I have laboured in vain, and 
 spent my strength for nought ' ; for, after seven years' 
 llabour, there is not one from among the Popos whom 
 I can consider converted to God. They are as averse, 
 a few excepted, to God and His Word as in former 
 years. Even the judgment of God — the war last year — 
 made but little impression upon them. They will listen 
 for a time when we go to their houses or meet them 
 in the streets ; but ever foremost is, ' I am hungry.' 
 ' What shall I eat and drink, and wherewith cover 
 myself ? ' As for coming to our church to hear God's 
 Word, or to our Sunday School to learn to read, they 
 will not. Why ? They prefer darkness to light, 
 because their works are evil. Remarkable it is, that 
 even the Mohammedans have not made one proselyte 
 during the long time they have been here, although the 
 Popos could of course embrace Mohammedanism with 
 less self-denial than the Christian religion. But no ! 
 they are wedded to their idolatrous and superstitious 
 systems, and will not depart from the ways of their 
 ancestors. Not one Mohammedan, not one real Chris- 
 tian ! A few were baptized, not by us. The promising 
 boarding-school, like a beautiful flower scorched by 
 a midday sun, withered away, because no immediate 
 temporal advantages accrued to the parents from their 
 children's attainments — in plain words, because we only 
 fed, clothed, and taught them free of expense^ and did 
 not pay them a good salary besides, they took them 
 away, and sent them to the bush to cut sticks ; so 
 that, of the thirty boys, there remain but half-a-dozen
 
 Occupation of Lagos. 6i 
 
 with us. But although we see no fruit from among 
 the Popos, I do believe that our labour has not been 
 ' in vain in the Lord.' 
 
 " Many people from Abeokuta, coming down to trade, 
 have heard God's Word here ; and may we not hope 
 that a grain has fallen in good ground, and brought 
 forth fruit ? Moreover, some of the strangers, Yorubas 
 and others, residing here, have heard God's Word. 
 Some are convinced of the truth ; some waver ; some 
 strive with the devil, the world, and the flesh, to come 
 out; others have gained the victory and live by faith. 
 Fourteen adults — Yorubas and Egbas — and thirty-six 
 children have been baptized, and one marriage and 
 eighteen funerals have taken place. The monuments 
 of our mission here are the four missionary graves, 
 which remain as witnesses of devotedness to our 
 work among the people of Badagry. 
 
 " In consequence of the war at this place last year, 
 the still unsettled state of things, and the opening at 
 Lagos, Badagry dwindled down to a small and unim- 
 portant place. Many people are removing to Lagos, 
 so that fewer still attend our services, and no more 
 than a dozen children remain in our school. By these 
 events we consider that God has clearly marked out 
 our path to depart from those who so long have 
 despised Him and His Word, and to carry it to those 
 who have hitherto sat in darkness and the shadow 
 of death. May God open their hearts to receive the 
 blessed gospel and Christ, without Whom there is no 
 salvation." 
 
 Badagry continued to the end of the year (^1852) tg
 
 62 Charles Andreiu Goltmer. 
 
 be distracted by rumours of war, and apprehended 
 dangers from different directions ; and the minds of the 
 chiefs and people were in a state altogether unfavourable 
 to the reception of serious impressions ; still the native 
 labourers persevered zealously, and not without some 
 encouragement. 
 
 Lagos at this time became an important missionary 
 station — the landing-place of the missionaries and the 
 door of access into the interior, it had been hitherto a- 
 great centre of evil, the head-quarters of the slave-trade, 
 in the Bight of Benin, from whence suffering had been 
 dealt forth with an unsparing hand on the surrounding 
 nations. Expelled from Lagos, that inhuman traffic, 
 under which Africa had so long and grievously suffered, 
 became extinct along the coast. 
 
 The beneficial results to Africa from the occupation 
 of Lagos are thus referred to in the journals of the 
 native missionaries. 
 
 Mr. (now Rev.) James White writes: "The taking 
 of Lagos by the resistless arms of England is a cir- 
 cumstance which should inspire every true Christian, 
 and particularly every friend of Africa, with heartfelt 
 gratitude to God. We deeply regret the loss of so 
 many British in the late war. Had we been able to 
 do anything, even to the laying down of our lives to 
 save theirs, we should have done it with pleasure. By 
 the taking of Lagos, England has performed an act 
 which the grateful children of Africa shall long remem- 
 ber. Let not England so much grieve for the loss of 
 her sons, as consider the benefits that must accrue from 
 the result. A few gallant men have sacrificed their
 
 -3 
 
 O 
 
 w 
 r 
 > 
 < 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 •J) 

 
 Occupation of Lagos. 65 
 
 lives to save those of a whole population. Fortified by 
 nature, and commodiously situated for commerce, Lagos 
 was proud of this superiority above the rest of her 
 countrymen, and mightily oppressed them. Not satis- 
 fied with desolating other places, she set out with an 
 expedition to bring even Badagry in iron fetters to 
 Lagos. But God's justice overtook her. Her forces 
 were recalled to cope with one more powerful. Just at 
 that moment, one of H.M.'s ships of war arrived to 
 engage the attention of haughty Kosoko, and thus 
 freed Badagry from his intended invasion. Let not 
 the delicate feelings of pious men induce them to look 
 with horror on the dark side of the picture, if they 
 are the true friends of Africa. Lagos is taken. One 
 of the principal roots of the slave-trade is torn out of 
 the soil. The chains of the wretched prisoners are 
 broken ; and we anticipate that the place, once filled 
 with groans and murmurs, shall in future years echo 
 the praises of the Redeemer. Afric's sons are not 
 only morally declared free by England's banners, but 
 this circumstance is subservient to the spiritual resto- 
 ration of that untutored race to liberty by the 
 heralds of the Messiah, when that great event shall 
 •succeed." 
 
 The Rev. S. Crowther, writing on the same subject, 
 says : " I can assure you from personal knowledge, 
 and from the expressed admission of many chiefs in 
 this part of the country, that the abolition of the slave- 
 trade at Lagos was the greatest deliverance that ever 
 was wTOught on behalf of this country. How many 
 ejaculatory prayers have been and are offered from 
 
 5
 
 66 Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 thousands of hearts to God to bless the Enghsh nation, 
 their friend, and the dehverer of their country from 
 utter destruction through slave wars ! " 
 
 With reference to Mr. Gollmer's removal to Lagos, 
 the secretaries wrote, April 13th, 1852: "Your letters 
 have given us much cause of gratitude to God, that 
 you should have had your path so clearly marked out 
 for transferring the headquarters of your mission to 
 Lagos, and that your health was so far re-established 
 that you were about to adopt all the necessary means 
 for removing without delay. Mr. Venn's letter, which 
 we trust you have received, will have confirmed you 
 in the correctness of your judgment, and the Committee 
 quite approve of your taking down one of the houses 
 at Badagry to be put up at Lagos. The Committee 
 will be quite prepared to meet the expenses incurred 
 by making Lagos a mission-station ; and they will take 
 immediate measures to strengthen you there, in the 
 hope that your earnest desire to proceed into the interior 
 with the glad tidings of salvation may be speedily 
 accomplished." 
 
 On June 14th the ship conveying Mr. Crowther and 
 several native catechists from Sierra Leone arrived 
 at Lagos. Mr. White thus notices this joyful event : 
 June 14th: ''This morning we went with Mr. Gollmer 
 to the beach, to welcome our dear friends who have 
 just arrived from Sierra Leone, after a voyage of six 
 weeks. This was a season of truly missionary joy to 
 us, a season to give thanks to God for His answers 
 to the prayers of His servants. We need this supply 
 more especially, as the Lord is everywhere opening a
 
 Occupation of Lagos. 67 
 
 way for the spread of His gospel. Under the present 
 crisis, triple the number of labourers sent would find 
 a ready field of labour. We feel cheered, and we are 
 enabled to go on in our work rejoicing."
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PROGRESS. ' 
 
 A FEW extracts from Mr. Gollmer's journals give a 
 glimpse of the work at Lagos during the latter 
 part of 1852. 
 
 "August 8th, Lord's Day: I had a large and attentive 
 congregation under a shady tree, and visited one of our 
 sick communicants in the afternoon. I made arrange- 
 ments with my native helpers to go out into the streets 
 and lanes, to urge the people to come in, that the 
 Lord's house may be filled. Mr. White keeps his two 
 services, as usual, in our temporary schoolroom at the 
 east end of Lagos ; Mr. Young goes out into the streets, 
 etc., at the east end of the town ; whilst Coker, Pearse, 
 and I preach the Word of God at different places at the 
 west end of Lagos ; so that, as often as possible, the 
 glad tidings are made known in five different parts of 
 the town, and to a goodly number of people. Coker 
 and Pearse also keep the afternoon service alternately 
 under my tree, which is almost better attended than 
 the morning service. 
 
 "August 2 1st: All the week busily employed with 
 the mission-house, and have a great many spectators, 
 to whom I frequently address a few words of eternal
 
 Progress. 
 
 69 
 
 SLAVE CONFINED IN A BARRACOON. 
 
 interest. All is new, all strange, the building of this 
 wonderful house, as well as the wonderful Word." 
 September nth, Mr. White writes: " The last few
 
 JO Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 days the people have been much engaged in singing, 
 dancing, and sacrificing to the memory of a chief, who, 
 they say, died seven months ago. As it is customary, 
 at the funerals of such great men, to offer in sacrifice 
 some of the most beloved wives, and a great many 
 slaves^ to serve the deceased in the regions of the dead, 
 everybody suspected that a great number of men 
 would be killed ; but Mr. Gollmer quickly interposed, 
 by sending a warm message to the king, reminding 
 him of that part of the treaty which forbids human 
 sacrifice, a violation of which would bring on him the 
 severity of the English. Thus another great evil is 
 remedied by the taking of Lagos." 
 
 Since their arrival in Lagos Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer 
 had been living in an old dismal slave barracoon : it 
 was here that, in God's infinite mercy, Mrs. Gollmer 
 was safely delivered of her first child, a daughter. 
 
 October 17th, Mr. Gollmer continues: "Lord's Day. 
 I kept the service in the street, and had a small but 
 attentive congregation. Samuel Pearse re-preached my 
 sermon in the afternoon, when many people were 
 present. I have adopted the plan of making my two 
 assistant-schoolmasters, Pearse and Coker, re-preach my 
 sermon of the morning alternately, with a view to make 
 the people understand well the * Word ' we preach ; 
 and I find it is a good plan, for if I cannot sufficiently 
 express or explain myself in Yoruba, they can do it. 
 
 " October 23rd : Our new mission-house* being so far 
 completed as to be partly habitable, we to-day moved 
 from our dark and dismal barracoon, after a three 
 
 * See p. 144.
 
 Progress. 7 1 
 
 months' imprisonment, into our light, airy, and com- 
 fortable new house — a change for which we are truly 
 thankful ; the day before 3'esterday it was three months 
 since we commenced the work. The house is almost 
 a wonder to me, for in everything I experienced God's 
 blessing most signally. Wisdom, health, and strength 
 were given me and my people, and materials and 
 labour were blessed alike. The house is a mission 
 Ebenezer. May it be a beacon for the misguided, a 
 light for the benighted, life for the dead, and a house 
 of prayer and praise ! * 
 
 "December 25th, Christmas Day: I kept service 
 under the tree, and made Christ's coming into the world 
 known to my hearers. 
 
 " I would here acknowledge the goodness and mercy 
 of God, so richly bestowed upon us during the year 
 now closing. Twelve months ago we were surrounded 
 by war and rumours of war, and the horizon threatened 
 a fearful storm. It soon burst forth, drove the deadly 
 exhalations beyond, and left the cool refreshing air 
 behind for us. The destruction of Lagos dispelled all 
 the dangers and anxieties of war, and brought us 
 tranquillity and peace. What a change for Lagos ! 
 Twelve months ago it was in full possession of the 
 prince of darkness. Now his stronghold is broken 
 open, his bulwarks are overthrown, and his banner 
 must give place to the standard of the gospel of Christ 
 Jesus. Twelve months ago thousands of poor people 
 were under an iron sceptre, degraded below the brute 
 creation. Now an air of comparative liberty pervades 
 * It is still used as tlie C. M. S. Mission-house.
 
 72 Charles Andj^ew Golliner. 
 
 the place, and cruel oppression is reprobated, changing 
 the expression of despair into a happy smile. Twelve 
 months ago the king, chiefs, and people invoked their 
 gods, and called the neighbouring gods even, to their 
 assistance, and bloody sacrifices abounded. -(^ Now 
 many people assemble to hear God's Word, sacrifices 
 are discontinued, idols thrown away, and the true God 
 believed and worshipped, at least by some.'; What a 
 change ! what has God not wrought ! what an earnest 
 for Africa's speedy salvation ! God hasten the time ! " 
 
 The difficulties to be overcome by the missionaries 
 during the commencement of the work at Lagos are 
 thus described by Dr. Irving, R.N., who accompanied 
 Commander Foote on a visit to Abeokuta, and landed 
 at Lagos December 1852. 
 
 "We arrived at the neat and commodious, and I may 
 add most hospitable, house of the Rev. C. A. Gollmer. 
 This gentleman has been here but a few months, and 
 therefore any very great advances in the work of conver- 
 sion cannot be expected. He has great difficulties to 
 contend with. The hateful slave-trade, of which this has 
 been so long the chief mart, has thoroughly ingrained 
 itself in the thoughts, habits, and hearts of the people. 
 Long under the influence of the slave-dealer, and taught 
 to consider the English as a sort of natural enemy, they 
 still smart under their recent defeat, and the deprivation 
 of a trade so lucrative, and so congenial to their disposi- 
 tion, as the capture and selling of their fellow-men. Nor 
 has commerce, as yet, adequately supplied its place. 
 It will be some time before they will regard our over- 
 tures as those of friends and benefactors. As long as
 
 Proo-ress. 
 
 <i 
 
 the slave party can carry on their vile occupation, in 
 however feeble a manner — if only one vessel escape, 
 to encourage their hopes of a renewal of the old 
 state of things — the good results produced will be very 
 partial. 
 
 " They believe that the present is a lull merely ; and 
 that when our squadron is diminished or withdrawn— as 
 interested parties persuade them it will be before long — 
 the former state of things will be renewed. Until con- 
 vinced of the futility of such hopes, progress must be 
 extremely slow. 
 
 " Mr. Gollmer, at whose house we slept, busied him- 
 self kindly and zealously in procuring us bearers, horses, 
 etc. ; and next morning, our party having been mus- 
 tered, we bade good-bye to our host." 
 
 On December 14th, 1852, the Rev. A. Mann safely 
 arrived at Lagos ; and the Rev, Messrs. Hinderer and 
 Paley, with their wives, and Mr. Hensmann arrived on 
 J,a,nuary 6th, 1853, on their way to Abeokuta. 
 
 During many months of the year 1853, the political 
 atmosphere at Lagos was much disturbed and agitated ; 
 sanguinary collisions between rival factions of the 
 natives took place in its streets, and on one occasion 
 the destruction of the town was only averted, under 
 God, by the prompt interposition of the British Admiral. 
 Such a state of things was far from favourable to mis- 
 sionary operations; the European and native labourers 
 were in the midst of great danger, the missionary 
 premises of Mr. Gollmer having been, on one occasion, 
 in the centre of the battle ; and Mr. White's dwelling, 
 with those of many of the natives, having been set on
 
 74 Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 fire by Kosoko's people, and burned to the ground. 
 Every effort was made by the British officers in com- 
 mand off the port to allay irritation and reconcile the 
 contending parties ; and when the proper moment 
 arrived an energetic interference by the boats of the 
 squadron saved life and property from a threatened 
 destruction, and compelled the enemy to a precipitate 
 flight. From the Admiral and other officers of the 
 squadron the missionaries received the most unre- 
 mitting kindness and solicitude. 
 
 Still, amidst these unfavourable circumstances, mis- 
 sionary work was continued : the good seed was sown 
 as opportunity offered, and instances were not wanting 
 of individuals casting away their idols and seeking 
 Christian instruction. 
 
 January 26th, 1853, Mr. Gollmer writes : "Mr. and 
 Mrs. Hinderer, Mr. Hensmann, Mrs. Gollmer, and 
 myself, with our child, proceeded to Abeokuta by 
 water, and were gladly received by our friends Mr. and 
 Mrs. Townsend, January 29th. 
 
 "January 30th, Lord's Day: In accordance with 
 Mr. Townsend's request, I kept the morning service at 
 Ake Church ; words cannot express wliat I felt on the 
 occasion. Six years ago I was here, and addressed a 
 comparatively small company under a piazza : now I 
 meet a large church full of people, mostly Christians, 
 who most cordially joined in the responses, and atten- 
 tively listened to the Word of God. The sight reminded 
 me of my former large congregation of Regent, Sierra 
 Leone, Surely the Lord hath done great things, 
 whereof we are glad."
 
 Progress. 75 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer returned to Lagos February 
 25th. The Rev. G. F. E. Gerst arrived March 28th to 
 assist Mr. Gollmer. 
 
 April iith Mr. Gollmer continues: "King Akitoye 
 came to consult me about the war rumours and many 
 other things which pressed upon his mind. 
 
 " April 1 6th : The king called a general assembly about 
 the rumour of war, which lasted five hours, thirty-five 
 individuals speaking during the time. Akitoye begged 
 me to be present, but it being a meeting of a political 
 nature I declined. 
 
 " May 20th : A day of great anxiety. Whilst we 
 were at Otta, Mrs. Gollmer tells me, and during the 
 last few days, the rumour of war seemed to take 
 a tangible shape ; the parties came out openly, and 
 war seemed inevitable. As early as five o'clock this 
 morning, whilst thunder fearfully rolled to and fro, 
 lightning almost changed night into day, and rain poured 
 down in torrents, from four hundred to five hundred 
 people, mostly women and children, with loads and 
 animals, fled to our premises for safety, as the fight 
 was to commence this morning. How we felt can be 
 better imagined than described. However, after the 
 first shock of alarm was past, we committed ourselves, 
 with our house and the many people, in prayer to our 
 faithful covenant God, the sure Rock, where our anchor 
 was safely cast in tempests past, and behold, He heard 
 and helped. The arrival of the mail steamer Hope 
 during the night — which, being a stranger, anchored 
 right off the bar, so that every one in town could see 
 her plainly, and which was thought to be a man-of-war,
 
 76 Charles Andrew Golbner. 
 
 ready to come up the river with those dreaded rockets, 
 as soon as they commenced fighting in town — and the 
 unusually heavy tornado, proved, in the hand of God, 
 the means of preventing the awful calamity on that 
 day. 
 
 "May 2ist: Last night, about ten o'clock, when we 
 were about to retire, the people, who for the greater 
 part returned home during the day, again fled into our 
 premises, with many more. They kept on coming all 
 night, and there must have been some seven hundred 
 people within our walls. It was positively expected 
 the war would take place in the morning. However, 
 the two rebellious chiefs, Ajinia and Pellu, discovered 
 Akitoye was better prepared than they supposed, 
 having sent for warriors to the Egba camp near Adu, 
 and who arrived during the night. No sooner was 
 the discovery made than both the rebellious chiefs sent 
 messengers to me to beg the king for them. The note 
 ' Fight, fight,' was suddenly changed into ' Beg, beg.' "
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 IN PERILS OFT. 
 
 THE following extracts give an account of the 
 determined effort to destroy Akitoye, the consul, 
 and the missionaries, and to bring back Kosoko and 
 the slave-trade ; and but for the intervention, under 
 
 God, of the new Vice-consul, and of Commodore B , 
 
 the issue would have been most disastrous. 
 
 "August 5th : A day of great anxiety and danger. 
 The long-dreaded civil war broke out about nine o'clock 
 this morning ; the enemy (rebels) at once set fire to 
 the town, which swept house after house, and quarter 
 after quarter, till the greater part of the town was burnt 
 down, when a hot contest ensued, and many were 
 killed and wounded on both sides. Our east end 
 mission-house — Mr. White's — I regret to say, shared 
 alike with others ; it is entirely burnt down. The walls 
 were loopholed and used as a fortification. 
 
 " As we ascertained for certain that the enemy's aim 
 was to kill the Consul and me, and to destroy our house 
 ■ — the Consul lived with us — Akitoye sent a strong party 
 for our protection, and these watched our house for 
 several nights. The enemy, considering one captain 
 with his company insufficient, ordered three, with their
 
 78 Charles Andrezv Gollmer. 
 
 men, to attack us ; and these, simultaneously with their 
 companions in rebellion, set fire to our part of the 
 town, and fired upon the king's people. As at the east 
 end, so in our quarter, the fire compelled the king's 
 troops to retire, of which the enemy took advantage, 
 and came so near that bullets frequently struck our 
 house, and we had to keep away from the windows. 
 
 "Captain G , with his men, looked on, prepared 
 
 to assist in the defence of our house should the enemy 
 come nearer ; but he much urged us to embark, as he 
 feared, with his few men, he could not save us or our 
 house. The battle, with the intermission of a few 
 hours during mid-day, lasted till night, and the fire 
 had swept nearly all the houses in our neighbourhood 
 before dark. Upwards of two thousand people, mostly 
 women and children, took refuge and found an asylum 
 within our walls ; they added much to the confusion. 
 Mr. Gerst attended some of the wounded ; I could not 
 assist him, suffering myself from lumbago, and having 
 other things to attend to. Our anxiety, as you may 
 suppose, was very great ; and it was increased by the 
 frequent reports that the merchants brought of the 
 success of the rebels, their friends. We knew what 
 to expect should they conquer. The slave-trade ques- 
 tion was the cause of the rebellion and war, and of 
 course the English must be the first to be moved out 
 of the way." 
 
 The following days were spent in the attempts of 
 the Vice-consul and officers of Her Majesty's fleet to 
 reconcile the rebellious chiefs to the king, and to detach 
 them from the party of Kosoko, but without success.
 
 In Perils Oft. 79 
 
 These peace-making efforts were counteracted by a 
 treacherous slave-dealing party within Lagos, which 
 kept up a correspondence with the enemy. At length 
 Kosoko landed, and was received by the rebels. During 
 these days the naval officers repeatedly urged the mis- 
 sionary and his family to retire from Lagos, well 
 knowing that those who were fighting for the renewal 
 of the slave-trade would direct their utmost malice 
 against a minister of religion. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer writes, August nth: "Captain G 
 
 came in with his three boats to protect us, or rather, 
 carry us away, for he constantly urged the necessity 
 of our so doing. He had exerted himself with the 
 utmost zeal and self-devotion to negotiate between 
 the contending chiefs, with a view to prevent hos- 
 tilities, and to promote ni his judgment the best 
 interests of the cause of civilization — but all to no 
 purpose. Four ti-mes during the last week we packed 
 up a few clothes ; and as this evening Captain 
 
 G declared he could not save us or our house, 
 
 and we must go away, we, with great reluctance, 
 consented. But what a scene ensued I cannot 
 describe. About fifteen of our people, native agents, 
 who had been driven from their houses by strangers, 
 and had taken refuge in the yard, were up in our 
 sitting-room. When they heard that we must go 
 away, they cried, ' Now we perish, now we perish ! 
 Will you go and leave us ? Will you not rather perish 
 with us? I don't care for myself; can't you take my 
 wife and child ? ' etc., which almost broke our hearts." 
 
 Mr. Gollmer eventually determined to remain at his
 
 8o Charles Andreiu Gollnier. 
 
 post. The mission-house now became the only place 
 of safety. On the night of the 1 2 th the Consul, Captain 
 G , three officers, and four of the merchants as- 
 sembled in it, and remained on the watch the whole 
 night. On the morning of the 13th it became evident 
 that the insurgents were about to re-commence hostilities. 
 The narrative of Mr. Gollmer proceeds : — 
 
 " The Consul hoisted a red ensign, and the consular 
 flag half-mast, when the Admiral immediately despatched 
 a respectable force of nine boats. But Kosoko quietly 
 landed at Possu's house about noon, without a single 
 gun being fired. Akitoye was advised not to fire, as 
 he and his people were not strong enough to oppose 
 the combined army of Kosoko, Tapa, Ajinia, and Possu. 
 
 " All yesterday, during the whole night, and this 
 morning the people streamed into our place, and there 
 were upwards of four thousand people huddled together, 
 covering every inch of ground. As rain came on they 
 built little sheds, so that the whole had the appearance 
 of a large noisy market. What we felt this morning 
 when Kosoko landed we cannot describe ; no one 
 among the English could expect mercy, and there 
 was Kosoko already in town with some fifteen hundred 
 armed men. But true it is when 'need is greatest, 
 God is nearest.' We quietly awaited the result, 
 and prepared to lay our lives down if God per- 
 mitted it. To our great relief, the Admiral's boats 
 were observed crossing the bar in the afternoon, and 
 nine boats arrived off our house by four o'clock. 
 
 Lieutenant S , H.M.S. Polyphemus, landed, with 
 
 thirty-six marines, for the defence of our house, and
 
 In Perils Oft. 8i 
 
 our quiet class-room below our house became again, 
 as three times before, the guard-room of the soldiers. 
 Lieutenant Strickland, a most active officer, and much 
 interested in Africa, immediately mustered the native 
 forces." 
 ■^ By the energetic efforts of this officer, and by the 
 appearance of the gun-boats before the house of Possu, 
 the chief conspirator, the insurgents became alarmed ; 
 and, during the night of the 13th, Kosoko, Tapa, and 
 the two rebellious chiefs Ajinia and Possu, stole 
 away from Lagos, with all their adherents. . 
 
 "August 14th : The scene that ensued last night can 
 be better imagined than described. As soon as the boats 
 had removed, Kosoko, and with him his and the rebels' 
 host, escaped by canoe and land, and many were 
 captured. The noise of about four thousand people in 
 our yard, when it became known that the enemy had 
 fled, was great, and many shouted for joy. I need not 
 say how thankful we were for this deliverance. To 
 the Lord be all the praise ! 
 
 " August 29th : The American missionaries, Messrs. 
 Bowen, Lacey, and Dennard, with their wives, arrived 
 by the mail ; they are with us here, as there is not 
 a house for them to live in, on account of the late 
 destruction by fire. They remained two weeks, and. 
 proceeded to Abeokuta on September 13th." 
 
 On the night of September 2nd, King Akitoye died 
 suddenly. He had been ill for some time, and he 
 sank under the labours and anxieties to which he had 
 been exposed. His eldest son, Dosumu, was elected 
 in his stead, and acknowledged by all the chiefs. 
 
 6
 
 82 Charles Aitdrew Gollmer. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer concludes his narrative in these words : 
 "You can easily understand that we are much harassed 
 and frequently distressed in this day of anxiety and 
 danger, which has now lasted for more than three 
 months — constant rumours of war, and then war ; 
 and again rumours of renewed war. Besides, there 
 are many other circumstances one cannot mention, 
 which all tend to tax health, strength, etc., so that 
 we— f^Mrs. Gollmer and myself — feel quite worn out, 
 and long for a little rest and quietness. It was our 
 intention, with the help of God, if health were granted 
 us to remain at least six years before returning to 
 England ;Dut our time since March 1850, when we 
 arrived, has been a time of trouble, anxiety, and 
 danger, and we fear we shall not be able to remain 
 much longer, except the Lord refresh and strengthen 
 us. Remember us before a throne of grace." 
 
 Thus, for the present at least, Lagos has been pre- 
 served ; and it is declared by Mt. Vice-consul Campbell, 
 a gentleman who has resided for many years on the 
 coast, to be " the most important position we have 
 in Africa." He adds that, should Lagos again fall 
 into the hands of slave-dealers, it will prove in its 
 results the most disheartening event to the friends 
 of Africa which has yet occurred./* 
 
 The Committee (continues the Church Missionary 
 Intelligencer) have reason to thank God for the patience, 
 presence of mind, and courage exhibited by Mr. Gollmer 
 under these most trying circumstances ; and they have 
 great satisfaction in adding the following honourable 
 testimony to his character by the Commodore Rear-
 
 In Perils Oft. 83 
 
 Admiral Bruce, in a letter to him, dated H.M.S. 
 Penelope^ August 15th, 1853 • — 
 
 " I lament much that you should have had such an 
 alarming state of affairs as I found at this unhappy 
 Lagos on my return three days ago, and as, I fear, 
 may have not yet entirely subsided. I am grieved that 
 Mrs. GoUmer has suffered. Excuse my saying that 
 you have exhibited perfect devotion to your righteous 
 cause, and no small degree of moral courage in main- 
 taining your post unhesitatingly, as you have done." 
 
 The secretaries also wrote to Mr. Gollmer, under 
 date October 24th, as follows : " We feel most grateful 
 to God for having preserved you in the midst of all the 
 confusion and bloodshed arising from these unhappy 
 circujnstances, and especially for having granted you 
 courage and sound judgment in keeping amongst your 
 people and not abandoning them, though so constantly 
 urged by your naval friends to leave the scene of 
 tumult, and to embark in order to be more fully under 
 their protection. We trust that your fidelity will be 
 amply repaid by the increased attachment of your 
 people, who cannot be insensible of your having 
 forgotten self-preservation for their good, and for the 
 example you have shown them that your confidence 
 in the protecting arm and love of God is a practical 
 one. 
 
 "We deeply sympathize with you and Mrs. Gollmer 
 in the peculiar trials to which you have been subjected, 
 by all domestic comfort being broken up during these 
 trials, and the many disturbances to which you have 
 been subject ever since your return to Africa ; but it
 
 84 Chai'les Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 is in His blessed service Who has raised you up to be 
 His witnesses at this time, and called you to the special 
 duties that have devolved upon you at Badagry and 
 Lagos. He has indeed stood by you, and as to the 
 final issue you have no doubt, for His glorious gospel 
 shall prevail even in Lagos."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FUNERAL OBSEQUIES OF THE KING. 
 
 THE ensuing extracts of journals give an account 
 of the work at Lagos during the latter part of 
 the year 1853 and the beginning of 1854 : — 
 
 "September i8th, Lord's Day: Mr. Gerst ill with 
 fever; I was better, just able to keep my two services. 
 After service this evening, one of the black Portuguese 
 brought his son with his right arm broken. I splintered 
 and bandaged it, and hope it will do well. 
 
 " November 7th : Engaged getting cowries ready for 
 Abeokuta. At 8 o'clock p.m. held our weekly prayer- 
 meeting as usual, during which a heavy tornado came 
 on ; and our people had scarcely returned from the 
 prayer-meeting to their own houses when a fearfully 
 bright flash of lightning and a heavy peal of thunder 
 burst upon us, and we feared our house, or one close 
 by, must be struck. I immediately looked out at the 
 back door, when I observed a column of fire issue from 
 the top of the thatch roof of Mr. Pearse, the school- 
 master's, house, not twenty yards from our house. I 
 called as loud as I could, but the people below seemed 
 all stunned ; there was no reply, till, after a while, the 
 people seeing the fire, young and old screamed most
 
 86 Charles Andreiu Gollmer. 
 
 lamentably. Fortunately, the heavy rain kept the fire 
 under till some of my people were able to extinguish 
 it, from which some superstitious strangers endeavoured 
 to frighten them away. 
 
 "November 8th : This morning examined the house 
 struck by lightning last night, and observed the mira- 
 culous deliverance of our people. Had the fluid not 
 been carried off in various directions by the rafters of 
 the roof, several persons must have been killed or 
 injured ; but so our faithful God and Father watches 
 over His children, not a hair dare fall to the ground 
 against His will. ^Had the house belonged to a native, y 
 the Shango worshippers (god of thunder and lightning) ^ 
 would have come, destroyed the house, and carried, all ^ 
 the property away as made over to them by their god. |? 
 Many people came to salute us on account of our 
 danger. About lO a.m. I called together all our people 
 on the premises and held a prayer-meeting, humbling 
 ourselves before God, and offering praises for His 
 deliverance. 
 
 " December nth, Lord's Day : The whole town was 
 thrown into consternation by the sad information that 
 Kosoko's people had attacked and captured upwards 
 of three hundred Abeokuta people on the route to Otta^ 
 not far from Lagos. It was suspected Kocoko's canoes 
 were lurking somewhere about the neighbourhood, and 
 no one could tell what their aim was. The Egbas here 
 wenl immediately in pursuit of the enemy, but could 
 not overtake them. How painful it is to think how 
 many a family is broken up by this sad disaster ! 
 
 "December 1 8th, Lord's Day : Much rumour of war.
 
 Ftmeral Obsequies of the King. Z'] 
 
 Kosoko's canoes have come again. The Egbas went 
 by land after the enemy, whom they met, and fought 
 till noon. Six boats of Her Majesty's ships-of-war 
 came to the Lagos people's assistance, but were too 
 late, the enemy having fled on observing the consular 
 barge. After the usual morning prayers, instead of a 
 sermon, I and my native agents, with the whole congre- 
 gation, humbled ourselves before God, and supplicated 
 mercy at His throne for ourselves and the people gone 
 out to war." 
 
 On December 26th a treat was given to the school- 
 children, concerning which Mr. White writes as 
 follows : — 
 
 " December 26th : This day we made a show of 
 both our schools. The two schools met at the Rev. 
 Mr. Gollmer's yard, and Mr. and Mrs. GoUmer 
 devoted the whole morning to the distribution of 
 clothes and other pretty things to the children. After 
 this the children marched to Her Britannic Majesty's 
 Consul's yard, with an English ensign flying before 
 them, where, as soon as they arrived, they sang the 
 national anthem, ' God save Britannia's Queen.' The 
 Consul was very much pleased at the success attending 
 our schools in the increase of our number. He made 
 the children a present of a bag of cowries. Thence 
 they proceeded to King Dosumu's house, where, upon 
 their arrival, they waited to be received by the king. 
 A short time after his majesty made his appearance, 
 and having seated himself, I read to him the national 
 hymn, which we had previously translated into Yoruba 
 for the occasion, and then the children sang it. His
 
 88 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 Majesty then commanded water to be fetched in a 
 large glass vessel, and the children drank of it. He 
 also made them a present of a bag of cowries. The 
 children returned to the Rev. Mr. Gollmer's, and were 
 entertained by him, and having had their cowries 
 distributed among them, they were dismissed." 
 
 December 26th, Mr. Gollmer concludes his journal 
 for 1853: "Taking a retrospective view of the year 
 now closing — the storms which passed over us, the 
 dangers we were delivered from, our strength made 
 equal to our day, and the many the Lord added to 
 His people in spite of all opposition — makes me 
 exclaim, ' Bless the Lord, O my soul : and all that is 
 within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O 
 my soul, and forget not all His benefits.' " 
 
 The mission w^as at this time strengthened by the 
 arrival of JEdward Irving, Esq., M.D., of Her Majesty's 
 navy, who, with the permission of the Board of 
 Admiralty, devoted his time to the amelioration of the 
 condition of the natives in connection with the Church 
 Missionary Society's operations in its Yoruba stations. 
 Dr. Irving spent his time partly at Lagos, but princi- 
 pally at Abeokuta ; he was enabled to render essential 
 service by conducting the correspondence with Her 
 Majesty's Consul, the officers of the squadron, and 
 the native chiefs, while he at the same time prosecuted 
 inquiries as to the natural resources of the country, 
 and laid himself out to encourage and promote legiti- 
 mate commerce (see Intelligencer, 1853, pp. 123 — 237). 
 The Rev. J. and Mrs. Smith landed at Lagos, January 
 1 8th, 1854, on their way to Abeokuta.
 
 Funeral Obsequies of the King. 89 
 
 Mr. Gollmer continues, February 8th, 1854: 
 "Accompanied by Dr. Irving, I, with Mrs. Gollmer 
 and child, embarked in a small canoe for Abeokuta 
 this morning. 
 
 "February nth: Having been poled up the river 
 for three days and for a few hours this morning, we 
 soon reached the landing-place, and arrived at Ake 
 at twelve o'clock, and were kindly welcomed and lodged 
 by our old friends Mr. and Mrs. Townsend. 
 
 "February 28th: I received a letter from Mr, 
 Morgan, at Otta, a few days since, stating that he 
 heard Kosoko was wa34aying me, and begging me 
 not to take the river route. Other reports to the same 
 effect reached us also from other quarters; but knowing 
 that many reports are false, and committing ourselves 
 to the gracious care and protection of our heavenly 
 Father, we left our kind friends at Abeokuta this 
 morning and proceeded homeward. The report about 
 the danger in our way reached some of Mr. Crowther's 
 converts who came to trade at Lagos, during which 
 time they found shelter in a small house I built for 
 them in the corner of our premises, and they felt 
 called to accompany us past the place of danger. 
 Accordingly, nine of them armed themselves, and in 
 a canoe hastily followed us, and, to our agreeable 
 surprise, overtook us this evening as we pitched the 
 tent. Soon after a tornado came on, and some of 
 them assisted in keeping the tent-pole erect, lest the 
 wind should deprive us of our cloth house. 
 
 " March 2nd : The river is considerably more 
 shallow than when we came up ; the water dried up
 
 90 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 much, so that it was with extra exertion, and assist- 
 ance from our friends of peace, dressed in war apparel, 
 that we reached the big water Ossa this evening. Our 
 friends accompanied us across the dangerous spots, 
 where Kosoko's people generally attack, each with 
 his gun in hand, ready for defence ; but, God be 
 praised ! we passed in peace, and they returned in 
 peace. We felt thankful as we entered our house at 
 9 o'clock P.M. 
 
 " March 3rd : Many people came to salute us, as 
 having escaped danger. From Mr. Gerst I learnt that 
 the reports were frequent and loud, and he consulted 
 the Consul what step to take to ensure our safety. 
 However, the Lord is our refuge and shield." 
 
 The following extracts from Mr. White's journal 
 give an account of the funeral obsequies of King 
 Akitoye : — 
 
 " February 20th : This morning, before daybreak. 
 King Dosumu laid out the pretended corpse of his 
 father, who died six months ago. It was a pile of cloth 
 shaped so as to represent the body, and then covered 
 all over with a beautiful crimson velvet. His sword 
 was lying by, and his crown placed on the body. That 
 side of the wall near which the body lay was covered 
 with velvet of green, blue, and purple, from top to 
 bottom, lapped one over the other, leaving out just a 
 foot of each to view. Upon this pictures were fastened, 
 and huge looking-glasses, and the cuckoo clock, were 
 hung up. Before the corpse were set white square 
 bottles, filled with rum, from which they served 
 spectators and strangers. Cowries were strewed on
 
 a 
 c 
 
 o 
 o 
 a 
 z 
 
 H 
 '?3
 
 Funeral Obsequies of the King. 93 
 
 the floor, and people sat on them. The king's relatives 
 took their seats next to the corpse. On the right and 
 left were the drummers, fifers, singers and songstresses, 
 etc., and the spectators and strangers stood in front. 
 The corpse lay there for three days, after which it was 
 conveyed away during the night ; but the feasting and 
 rejoicing continued for several days afterwards, and the 
 followers of the various deities came by turns to rejoice 
 with the king. Maving performed all the usual cere- 
 monies, with the exception of human sacrifice, King 
 Dosumu put off mourning for his father, by shaving 
 his head and arraying himself in beautiful attire. All 
 his subjects followed the example, shaving themselves 
 and changing their clothes. There was, however, 
 this difference — the king and every free man shaved 
 partially, whilst all slaves shaved the whole of their 
 head. Henceforth, poor Akitoye, now numbered among 
 the dead, is deified, and the young king and every 
 idolater offer prayers to him." 
 
 March 20th, Mr. Gollmer continues : " The chief 
 Atamballa, from Ikorodu, Jebu country^was here last 
 month, assisting King Dosumu, as is customary, to 
 bury his father, Akitoye. AjaiTiJbalJa paid us several 
 visits, and much encouraged us to visit him at Ikorodu, 
 which was a most welcome invitation, we having desired 
 to do something for Jebu the last two years. The king 
 and some other friends wished us to wait a little longer, 
 as they feared Kosoko's people might injure us ; but 
 not having sufficient reason to apprehend anything, 
 and having commended and committed ourselves into 
 the hand of our Father above, this morning Mr. Gerst
 
 94 
 
 Charles Andreiu Gollmer. 
 
 and myself sailed in our boat down the big water Ossa. 
 On observing our boat some of the Lagos people took 
 courage and followed after us, to purchase provisions 
 at Ikorodu." 
 
 On their arrival the missionaries were kindly re- 
 ceived by the friendly chief Atamballa, and an immense 
 crowd soon gathered round them to gaze at the 
 wonderful strangers, " the white men " of whom they 
 had heard so much. The next day there was an 
 assembly of the chiefs, and the missionaries explained 
 to them the object of their visit. " We are messengers," 
 they said, " of peace, sent by the great God of heaven 
 and earth ; will you give us a place to build a house, 
 and afterwards send your children to school to be 
 taught ? " They replied " they would consider the 
 matter." 
 
 Ikorodu at this time numbered perhaps between six 
 thousand and eight thousand inhabitants. Here was 
 the famous slave-mart, for many years, which supplied 
 Lagos with slaves from the interior ; and the great 
 wealth, which some of the chiefs still possessed, was 
 accumulated from this very source. Many of the in- 
 habitants cherished a hope of the return of the golden 
 old time, but two years had elapsed, and there was no 
 prospect yet ; so many had begun to turn their attention 
 to lawful trade. These were friendly to Lagos and 
 the missionaries, and desired them to come and stay 
 in their midst ; but the other party, hostile alike to 
 the missionaries and lawful trade, friends of Kosoko, 
 continued to hope that one day they would have their 
 turn.
 
 Funeral Obsequies of the King. 95 
 
 Hence, although the friendly chiefs begged the 
 missionaries not to stay long before they returned, 
 nothing definite was decided upon. Atamballa and 
 the second captain of war accompanied the missionaries 
 down to the wharf, when again, as on their arrival, he 
 saluted them with musketry. They arrived at Lagos 
 on the evening of March 24th.
 
 ^ 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 FIRST-FRUITS. 
 
 AT the end of April (1854) the missionaries received 
 a pressing invitation from Akarigbo, at Ofin, to 
 come to his town. They, therefore, proceeded at once 
 to Ikorodu, and arrived there about four o'clock the 
 same day. 
 
 Concerning this visit Mr. Gollmer says : — 
 " May 2nd : The two war-chiefs, Atamballa and 
 Ogbeyin, and many of their people, came a mile and 
 a-half to meet us by the way, and expressed their joy 
 at again seeing us, which was seconded by a discharge 
 of musketry and drums. Many people awaited our 
 arrival at the gate, but a heavy shower dispersed the 
 multitude, and effected a quiet entry for us. 
 
 " May 3rd : Early this morning the chiefs sent 
 messengers, with a present of a hog, to salute us, and 
 to say they were glad to see us among them. With 
 the permission of the chief Atamballa, we employed 
 some of our people to cut down part of the bush on 
 the parcel of land granted us on our last visit. Whilst 
 in the midst of the work two of the chiefs came, and, 
 in a somewhat angry tone, said to us and to Atamballa 
 that they were deputed by the other chiefs to make
 
 First- Fru its. 9 7 
 
 us desist from cutting the bush, inasmuch as they do 
 not now wish us to build a house here. If we reside 
 at Lagos, send now and then messengers, keep the 
 trade road open, so that they can buy and sell, they 
 will be satisfied ; and that, in case we resist, they 
 would call out the A[uku and Agomo — superstitions 
 personified — to drive us and our friends from their town. 
 
 " Not wishing to give offence, well knowing that our 
 object is not gained by such opposition, we immediately 
 ordered our men to give up. We reasoned with the 
 chiefs, but all to no purpose. As soon as we left the 
 spot the attendants of the two chiefs tied something 
 like charms or poison to sticks on four different places, 
 to prevent us and others coming near. Finding that 
 some one had biassed the chiefs against us, we did 
 not visit them as intended, but returned home. At our 
 quarters we were told that no sooner had Kosoko 
 heard of our intention to build a house at Ikorodu, 
 than he sent some of his people to aid those friendly 
 to him at Ikorodu to suppress British interests, and 
 to prevent our getting a footing there. 
 
 " Towards evening we took a walk as usual ; as the 
 chiefs had sent word in the morning we are no longer 
 strangers, we can walk anywhere we please. However, 
 wishing not to offend the friends of Kosoko by our 
 presence, we abstained from going to that quarter, and 
 took the road to Ode, many children following and 
 gazing at us. But we were not above two hundred 
 yards from the gate when about twelve men, armed 
 with cutlasses, rushed up to us, brandishing their 
 swords, and in murderous attitude and with dreadful 
 
 7
 
 98 Charles Andrew Gol liner. 
 
 hallooing attacked us, and demanded our return, with 
 which we forthwith complied without remonstrance 
 or restraint. Nevertheless one struck Mr. Gerst, and 
 another seized him by the breast. Our native agents 
 sheltered Mr. Gerst, and received the many blows they 
 dealt forth, until we reached the town, when other 
 people came to prevent them ; but for some distance 
 all sorts of missiles — sticks, hard clay, shells, stones — 
 were thrown at us ; two struck me, and some Mr. Gerst, 
 but thank God, we were not injured. God watched 
 over us and preserved us. Many missiles flew past 
 our heads and persons, but God warded them off. 
 Our attendant, the messenger of the chief Atamballa, 
 was a little wounded. King Dosumu's messengers 
 were beaten, and had missiles thrown at them, as all 
 our native agents. On reaching our quarters, we were 
 told the secret of this opposition and ill-treatment was 
 that the chiefs and people at Ikorodu, and all over 
 Jebu, are angry with the English for hanging Kosoko 
 on their neck to trouble them ; and they say that, as 
 it appears the English are not able to conquer Kosoko, 
 they must refuse the friendship of the English, and 
 court that of Kosoko, as they fear his terrible revenge 
 should he ever regain power, which they believe he 
 yet will ; and therefore the chiefs here have changed 
 their minds, and thus the mob can ill-use us. 
 
 " We, therefore, deemed it imprudent and unsafe 
 to proceed to Ofin, in the interior, and returned to 
 Lagos the same night. 
 
 "June 20th: Messengers from the chief Akarigbo, 
 at Ofin, Jebu country, arrived ; they were sent on
 
 First- F7^7nis. 99 
 
 purpose to us to beg us not to be angry about our 
 maltreatment at Ikorodu. He was very sorry for it ; 
 but he begs us to give it to God, i.e., leave it to God, 
 and that he, the chief, wants us, and we must come 
 soon ; he wants to see us ; and if he sees us, then he 
 can talk with us what to do to the people who treated 
 us so badly ; that he will send messengers to Ikorodu, 
 and see us safe to his place, Ofin, etc. We were 
 glad to see these messengers ; and we sent word to 
 the chief that we are not angry, and leave all in the 
 hands of God ; that we do not wish him to punish, 
 but simply to warn the people who maltreated us, as 
 they did not know what they did ; and that as soon 
 as he, with the chief Atamballa — who was present, 
 having come over to Lagos for some business — have 
 made the path smooth, i.e., pacified those angry 
 people, we are ready to come and see him at Ofin, 
 and therefore wait till we hear again from him. May 
 God open an eftectual door into the large Jebu country, 
 now covered with gross darkness ! 
 
 " August 2nd : A large full-grown male leopard was 
 killed not far from our house this morning; he attacked 
 and severely wounded two men. Mr. Gerst and I were 
 occupied several hours in dressing their wounds. 
 
 " August 3rd : We resolved, for some time past, 
 to hold public missionary meetings ; but fearing the 
 rain would prevent many from attending, we waited 
 till this day, when, after due notice, we had our first 
 meeting, which was well attended ; and we collected, at ■ 
 the meeting and afterwards, the sum of £T)1 14s. lod., 
 for which we are thankful.
 
 lOO Charles Andrew Gol liner. 
 
 "August 27th, Lord's Day: A blessed day, one 
 long desired. This morning, after prayers, I had the 
 privilege to admit twenty-four adults, and, in the 
 afternoon, sixteen children and infants, into Christ's 
 visible Church. The adults are eleven men and 
 thirteen women ; ten of them, viz., three men and seven 
 women, attending Mr. White's place of worship, and 
 who were * brought nigh ' through his labours more 
 especially, I may say ; and the other fourteen attending 
 our church, and being the fruit of our labour. There 
 were two couples, husband and wife, among the 
 baptized. I might have baptized them sooner, but I^ 
 would not press them too much as regards the rule 
 to have but one wife, but let them be rooted in grace 
 and in the knowledge of His Word, to have strength 
 to renounce of themselves the devil and all his works, 
 in which I was not made ashamed, for all have come 
 out from the world and live as becometh a Christian. 
 I have bestowed much time and attention to prepare 
 them for the sacred rite ; and I was myself edified 
 sometimes in class in hearing their humble confession, 
 and their simple but decided faith in Christ as their 
 own Saviour. May they be preserved from the evil 
 one and be found faithful at last ; and may many 
 be added to their number ! 
 
 " I am glad to add all of them know the Lord's 
 Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments ; 
 several can read the Yoruba Testament, and most, 
 if not all, the Primer. This we call the firstfruit of 
 our Lagos mission. We take courage, and go on to 
 sow the seed of life, looking to the Lord for prosperity."

 
 First- Fruits. 103 
 
 Mr. White thus alludes to the above solemn 
 occasion : — 
 
 " It was a very delightful scene. The church was 
 pretty full. The candidates for baptism, dressed 
 in white, were arranged in front, and the whole 
 ceremony was full of solemnity. It was particularly 
 cheering to me that ten of my own people, whom I 
 have laboured to bring to Christ, are among the 
 number. They, for a long time, have been met in 
 class, with the other candidates of the station, by the 
 Rev. Mr. Golltner, from whom they have received 
 a regular course of instruction. Besides, I have 
 endeavoured to familiarize myself with, and have made 
 my house open to, each and every one of them ; so 
 that I have had the opportunity of imparting to them 
 the knowledge of the Saviour, as much as I can, 
 besides Sundays ; and they have shown, by their 
 conversation and attendance on the means of grace, 
 that their entire dependence is on the Saviour ; and 
 they are convinced that, if they would be saved, it 
 must be by Christ, and Ilim only. May God enable 
 them all to go on to perfection, and may others, seeing 
 this, press forward to the mark of our high calling ! 
 
 "August 31st : A day of tribulation. The Rev. G. F. 
 Gerst died suddenly of fever and apoplexy, after a 
 short illness. 
 
 " September 3rd, Lord's Day : The town was much 
 disturbed on account of Kosoko, who was expected 
 to make an attack. We assembled in the House of 
 God, and I preached from Psalm cxxi. : * I will lift up 
 mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.'
 
 I04 Charles Andrew Gollnier. 
 
 In the afternoon we held a prayer-meeting, we, with 
 the congregation, suppHcating mercy at the throne 
 of grace. 
 
 " September 23rd : For some time past I was busy 
 with my church, fearing interruption from war and 
 destruction from rain. Many were the obstacles I had 
 to contend with; and had I not made a sacrifice, 
 paying double and treble the usual prices, I should not 
 have got the necessary material. But now I have 
 hopes of success. To-day we completed the frame- 
 word of the roof, and covered the lower parts with 
 thatch, to keep the rains from spoiling the wall. 
 
 " October 9th : A day of anxiety, danger, joy, and 
 praise : we were blessed with the gift of a son. 
 
 " October 24th : The Bishop of Sierra Leone 
 (Bishop Vidal) and Mr. Graf arrived from Sierra Leone. 
 
 "October 29th, Lord's Day: I am thankful to be 
 able to report that after a great effort I succeeded in 
 completing our new church, so as to be able to open 
 it to-day for Divine service. This solemn event, and 
 especially the presence of the Bishop, caused a very 
 large attendance ; I estimate the church to hold about 
 five hundred people, but on this occasion upwards of 
 six hundred were present. 
 
 " This large assembly, with the goodly number of 
 communicants in the front seats, dressed in white, 
 resolved to renew their baptismal vow, and to pledge 
 themselves as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, to fight 
 under His banner unto their lives' end, caused deep 
 emotion within me. 
 
 " After morning prayer, the solemn service of Con-
 
 First-Fj^ti its. i o 5 
 
 firmation commenced, and, to the surprise of many, the 
 Bishop commenced reading intelligibly in Yoruba the 
 service which I had previously translated. In com- 
 panies of fourteen the communicants knelt round the 
 communion rail, when the Bishop laid hands upon 
 them, and thus seventy-five were this day confirmed. 
 After the Confirmation the Bishop addressed the large 
 assembly, and all listened attentively to the exposition 
 of the solemn subject, the baptismal vow, ' What we 
 renounce, and what we promise.' We felt the Lord's 
 blessing upon us." 
 
 ^\0n the 31st "the Bishop and Mr. Graf proceeded 
 to Abeokuta; Mr. Gollmer followed November i6th, 
 and arrived on the i8th. On the 19th nearly three 
 hundred communicants were confirmed at Ake ; and 
 on the 26th an Ordination Service was held for 
 the first time in the Yoruba mission, when three 
 European brethren received priest's orders, and two 
 African brethren were ordained deacons. Upwards of 
 two hundred persons partook of the Lord's Supper. 
 On the 28th the Bishop and Messrs. Graf and 
 Gollmer returned to Lagos." ,^ 
 
 One of tlie last acts of the Bishop, before leaving 
 for Sierra Leone — and as it proved before being called 
 to lay down his life for Africa — was to baptize Mr. 
 Gollmer's little son,* The Bishop and Mr. and Mrs. 
 Townsend kindly accepted the office of sponsors. The 
 Bishop left Lagos in apparently perfect health, but was 
 attacked with country fever, and died within forty-eight 
 hours of his reaching Sierra Leone. 
 
 * He afterwards became a missionary to Lagos.
 
 io6 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 The following extracts from a letter written by 
 _A.rchdeacon Graf, January 5th, 1855, refer to this sad 
 event : — 
 
 " On Tuesday the 26th ult. I returned from the 
 Yoruba mission, whither I had accompanied the Bishop, 
 partly as chaplain, and partly to see whether the little 
 sea voyage might possibly so far recruit my health 
 as to prevent my returning to England. 
 
 " Would to God I could cheer your heart with the 
 glowing recital of the cheering, merciful dealings with 
 us by land and by water, and of the great and cheering 
 manifestations of God's rich blessing upon the Society's 
 work in that land. We saw it at Lagos, Abeokuta, 
 Ibadan, and Ijaye ; it filled our hearts with gladness 
 and our mouths with thanksgiving. But alas ! our 
 joy is turned into mourning, and our praise into 
 lamentation. May the Lord mercifully support you 
 under the grievous burden of sorrow ! But it must be 
 told — the startling announcement that Afric's Church 
 has lost her head. Her Bishop has entered into his 
 eternal rest. Hale and strong did he go on board 
 the Bacchante at Lagos, December 9th, on our return 
 to Sierra Leone^ whilst I, just delivered from the 
 jaws of death, was carried wrapt in a blanket, as 
 a dying man, on board, where all thought I came 
 to die. The Bishop was attacked with fever on the 
 23rd, and to our utter dismay, at ten o'clock on Sunday 
 evening, December 24th, he expired." 
 
 On the receipt of this letter the Committee proceeded 
 to express their sense of the loss which the mission 
 had sustained in the following minute : " The Com-
 
 First-Fruits. \ o 7 
 
 mittee have received the inteUigence of the death 
 of Dr. Vidal, Bishop of Sierra Leone, with profound 
 grief. His deep spirituality of mind, his gentleness and 
 Christian humility, united with great decision of cha- 
 racter and uncommon philological attainments, seemed 
 to have marked him out as an instrument of eminent 
 usefulness in the evangelization of Africa. He has 
 been removed, in the inscrutable providence of God, 
 after the brief exercise of his office for eighteen months 
 in his diocese ; but not till he had won the respect, 
 confidence, and affection of all classes, and had gained 
 much information respecting the wants of Africa, and 
 had digested various plans for its benefit." * 
 
 * Church Missioiiaiy hitetligencer, 1855, p. 65.
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 STORMS AT SEA AND ON LAND. 
 
 ON March loth, 1855, the Rev. H. and Mrs. Towns- 
 end, and Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer and their two 
 children, left Lagos by the Ethiope, and Archdeacon 
 and Mrs. Graf left Sierra Leone by the same steamer 
 on the 22nd of that month ; but they did not reach 
 Liverpool until May i8th, owing to terrific storms. 
 
 Mr, , Gollmer gives the following account of this 
 voyage : — 
 
 " After we left Sierra Leone our ship sustained some 
 damage at sea, and we had to put back to the Gambia, 
 the nearest African coast, to undergo repairs ; here we 
 were delayed two weeks, and there was no accommodation 
 on shore. 
 
 " Again we proceeded on our journey and reached 
 the J3iiy^ of Biscay, and were within five days of home — 
 which after a long sojourn abroad we were most anxious 
 to reach, having two young children with us — when a 
 strong wind began to blow across the Bay, right against 
 us. The wind increased in violence as we advanced, 
 and turned into a storm, which it was feared our vessel 
 could not weather out ; but in the providence of God 
 the power of the raging sea broke the main shaft of our
 
 Storms at Sea and on Land. 109 
 
 screw propeller, so that we could proceed no further, 
 and had no alternative but to sail before the wind, run 
 into the river Tagus for shelter, and repair damages at 
 Lisbon.* 
 
 " After about five days the steamer was announced 
 ready to sail ; we went on board, and all appeared well 
 till we reached about the same part as before in the 
 Bay, when we encountered another storm, by which 
 other parts of the machinery of our steamer were 
 seriously damaged, so that we were again obliged to 
 return as quickly as possible to Lisbon for safety. This 
 was no small disappointment to all of us ; but we had 
 also cause to be thankful to God for thus saving 
 our lives, as, humanly speaking, our vessel must have 
 foundered during the gale that was blowing for several 
 days, whilst we were safely housed at Lisbon. 
 
 " It was afterwards found that the steam power of 
 our machinery was far from being equal to the size of 
 our vessel, and therefore we could not have expected 
 our steamer to make way through such a sea. As it 
 was uncertain whether our steamer could proceed to 
 England, and being advised not to venture again in 
 her, we took our passage in a small steamer (a fruiterer) 
 which brought us safely to England ; but we were ten 
 weeks instead of one month accomplishing the voyage." 
 In the Church Missionary Record of March 1856, the 
 following account is given of Lagos at this time : " This 
 port (which is an island), so lately the den of cruelty, 
 
 * Some of their fellow-passengers (Government officers) declared 
 the ship unseaworthy, and left her to return to England by anotlier 
 vessel.
 
 iio Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 from which so many cargoes of slaves jvvere shipped 
 for Brazil, Cuba, etc., and taken by the British fleet, 
 under Admiral Bruce, in December 1851, is now rapidly 
 becoming a centre of commerce and civilization ; and 
 where the natives bring their produce of palm-oil, 
 ground-nuts, cotton, etc., for transmission to British and 
 other ports. Good buildings and warehouses are in 
 course of erection, and the whole face of this furnace 
 of Satanic cruelty is changed, and is likely soon to 
 become a place of importance, and we trust a blessing 
 to Africa." 
 
 On the return of the Rev. Messrs. Townsend and 
 Gollmer to England, the Rev. S. Crowther removed to 
 Lagos. His accounts of the progress of events at 
 Lagos were encouraging. He established services in 
 English at the Mission Church, which were very well 
 attended by the natives from Sierra Leone, as well as 
 by traders and others. Mr. Crowther was on terms 
 of intimacy with King Dosumu, and maintained with 
 his usual affability and Christian kindness the good- 
 will of all around him. 
 
 The jlev. D ^ Hinderer, having paid a visit to 
 Lagos October ist^ j[8^^_writes : "Lagos is wonder- 
 fully improving ; the blessings of legal commerce are 
 astonishing here, only in this short time ; every corner 
 in the town has assumed the appearance of respecta- 
 bility. The English service, which Mr. Crowther has 
 commenced, is so well attended that all the corners ot 
 the church are occupied ; and as a place for a change 
 from the interior, Lagos is of the greatest importance." 
 
 During Messrs. Townsend and Gollmer's absence in
 
 Storms at Sea and on Land. 1 1 1 
 
 England, a movement was set on foot, by those who 
 desired the revival of the slave-trade to prevail, to 
 prevent if possible their return to West Africa. The 
 result of their efforts was the very reverse of what they 
 desired. The Alake and chiefs of Abeokuta heard of 
 this attempt, and it called forth a counteracting memorial, 
 one of the most deeply interesting and important docu- 
 ments, which we {Church Missionary Intelligencer) ever 
 remember to have read. It is addressed to the Honorary 
 Secretary of the Society. 
 
 "Ake, Abeokuta, May2C)th, 1855. 
 
 " Rev. and Dear Sir, — It having come to my knowledge, 
 a few weeks ago, that a petition was drawn up by a party 
 of merchants and traders at Lagos, to the effect of pre- 
 venting the return to this country of Messrs. Townsend and 
 GoUmer, who have recently left us for England— 
 
 " I, the Alake, or King, of Abeokuta, together with my 
 subjects, who have been eyewitnesses of the great and 
 incessant labours and self-denying actions of the above 
 missionaries for the Egba nation, have consulted together, 
 and we have come to the conclusion that it is both right 
 and necessary that we should express our humble opinions 
 of the efficacy of the labours of these missionaries, Messrs. 
 Townsend and GoUmer, after the space of ten years' 
 personal acquaintance with them ; and, at the same time, 
 we would also humbly ask the favour of their return to us 
 again, after they shall have had a perfect recruit of health 
 and strength in their native land. 
 
 " The Egba nation I fear, will go to ruins, and my chiefs, 
 the baloguns of Iporo, Ikija, Ijewu, Owu, and other towns, 
 entertain the same fear with me, if we should remain blind 
 to our own interest, and allow ourselves to be led over and
 
 1 1 2 Charles Andreiv Gollmer, 
 
 prevailed upon by the absurd and foolish notions of men 
 who are entirely uninterested in the welfare of their own 
 country, and if we do not at once exert ourselves upon this 
 conviction, in representing the real state of the affairs of 
 our country to you, our benefactors, in their true and lively 
 colours. We are not unaware of the dangers to which the 
 Rev. Messrs. Townsend, Crowther, and GoUmer exposed 
 themselves for the good of our country, when in the year 
 1845 they first arrived at Badagry ; we are quite conscious 
 of the great risk of personal safety through which they kept 
 their posts, when the King of Dahomey, unrestrained by 
 the fear of any foreign power, endeavoured, conjointly with 
 the slave-dealers, to blast every probable effort to suppress 
 the slave-trade, and facilitate legitimate commerce. When 
 Mr. Faulkner, one of the first African traders that owned a 
 vessel, anchored at Badagry to purchase oil and ivory, he 
 was himself captured by the King of Dahomey, and would 
 have been undoubtedly killed had not the English interfered. 
 The lives of our missionaries, Messrs. Townsend, Crowther, 
 Smith, and Gollmer, were then in great danger ; they ex- 
 pected capture or death daily, and with their wives suffered 
 the want of provisions for their daily sustenance. Amidst 
 all these privations, endured for the good of our country, 
 they determined either to keep their posts or die. 
 
 " There was then no one directly commissioned to attend 
 to the political state of the country. The missionaries, 
 therefore, for their own safety's sake, were obliged to be 
 advisers for self-defence as well as soldiers of Christ ; and 
 need we refer also to the case of the Dahomians, when 
 they poured on my town and upon my subjects as if to 
 overwhelm us ? If no one else did, I am certain that I 
 depended much on them for direction. Their presence 
 and strength of mind kept up my spirits, which were really 
 cast down through the notions that I had generally enter-
 
 Storms at Sea and on Land. 1 1 3 
 
 tained of those foes. My subjects all owned the utility of 
 the Oyibos (white men), and to a child all saw that we 
 owed our safety to them. When some captains and petty 
 warriors turned their backs to the war, it was these Oyibos 
 that sent them back. The victory over the Dahomians 
 was due, therefore, to the God of these missionaries, through 
 their instrumentality. 
 
 "Another point, also, that I should like to call your 
 attention to is this — Christianity, as producing peace among 
 my people. Now, although I myself am still a heathen, 
 yet I am not blind to facts. The first is, that the present 
 state of Abeokuta is not what it was ten years ago, for 
 instead of war there is peace. The second is, that 
 Christianity is a really powerful religion, for its effects upon 
 the minds of my people are so well marked that we all 
 admire it. And thirdly, that the Oyibos, although a small 
 and weak body, observing them outwardly, yet they are 
 stronger than any of my mighty men in the country. 
 
 " One instance of this will suffice. In the case of the 
 Adu war there was none in all Abeokuta, or in the sur- 
 rounding towns, who, either by force of power or strength, 
 could have been able to remove the baloguns from their 
 encampment ; and although I was the first chief of Abeokuta 
 then, yet I could not have effected it ; but to my surprise, 
 who do you think did it ? Who were those that pitched 
 their tents of conciliation in a most dangerous spot, between 
 the camps of two savage and hostile people ? They were 
 the two missionaries, Messrs. Townsend and Crowther. In 
 a few days after, to my great astonishment, I understood 
 that these Oyibos actually brought the warriors home to 
 their houses, for Shomoi, the obbashorun, was actually led 
 into the town and taken to his own house by these mis- 
 sionaries, and delivered to his wives in peace. Now, dear 
 sir, who could have effected this, had not these missionaries 
 
 8
 
 1 1 4 Charles Andrezu Gollmer. 
 
 respect and honour, both from the chiefs and people? And, 
 above all, were they not loved by the Egba nation, could 
 they have been listened to ? Would their advice have 
 been taken ? 
 
 " With regard to the second point, that Christianity is a 
 powerful religion, I would allow my subjects who have been 
 converted to that religion to express their own mind on 
 that point." 
 
 Here is introduced into the document the testimony 
 of the Christian Yorubas. 
 
 " The arrival of the missionaries is quite a new event 
 to us who are converted in Abeokuta. We had been in 
 gross darkness and ignorance before this event ; we knew 
 no heaven and feared no hell. But when Messrs. Town- 
 send, Crowther, Smith, and Gollmer came, they taught us 
 the way of salvation, and this instruction has proved bene- 
 ficial to our souls. Peace has been established, and we 
 are now enjoying the sweets of the Gospel. We have 
 become personally much attached to these missionaries ; 
 we understand their dealings and they ours. They alone 
 are able to prevail on our fathers at such times as per- 
 secutions are raised against us, because our fathers know 
 them as old acquaintances, and would fain yield to their 
 advice on that account. This privilege new missionaries 
 have not got." 
 
 The king then resumes : — 
 
 " One last point we shall observe before we conclude, 
 and that is, the liberty we now enjoy as the result of the 
 peace that has been effected through the instrumentality 
 of Messrs. Townsend and Crowther in Abeokuta. 
 
 " Within six years back the roads to Ijaye, Ibadan, Ketu, 
 and Jebu were very dangerous; a caravan of fifty could
 
 Storms at Sea and on Land. 1 1 5 
 
 not pass them with safety. Kidnappers made these roads 
 their homes, and the chiefs and rulers of these several 
 towns countenanced the actions of these men-stealers. 
 But observe the contrast. At present, a single female 
 could travel three days' journey without any fear of 
 danger, for where there is no danger there is also no 
 cause for fear. Little boys and girls can go eight, nine, 
 ten miles beyond the walls of Abeokuta safely, no one 
 daring to touch them. Is this not really a cause of much 
 thanks to you, for sending us such men ? And would you 
 not feel with us, when we ask for their return to us again ? 
 It is their peace we now enjoy. In their peace an obba- 
 shorun was made, and in their peace a king was crowned. 
 
 " The absence of these missionaries, therefore, from us 
 has made us chilly. We pray you to send them us again, 
 and many others like them for the several towns of our 
 extensive country." 
 
 Then follow the signatures of the Alake and fifteen 
 of the principal chiefs, of thirteen Sierra Leone emi- 
 grants, and the numerical aggregate of native converts 
 belonging to the various congregations in Abeokuta 
 who gave in their names — Ake, 225; Igbein, 210; 
 Ikija, 90 ; Owu, 30. -
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 REINFORCEMENTS. 
 
 THE Committee and their friends met together 
 October loth, 1856, to take leave of the Rev. H. 
 and Mrs. Townsend, and five catechists, Messrs. Carter, 
 HolUnhcad, Meakin, Smith, and Buckley, proceeding to 
 the Yoruba Mission. 
 
 Mr.^and Mrs. Townsend and Messrs. Carter, Hollin- 
 head, and Meakin sailed in the Candace on October 
 24th ; and Messrs. Smith and Buckley,* and Mr. and 
 Mrs. Gollmer and their infant son Alfred, left England 
 January 24th, 1857, and arrived at Lagos February 
 20th. The child referred to above was born in London 
 on October 31st, and lived with his parents in the 
 interior of the Yoruba country for five years, until 
 their return to England in 1862. 
 
 " Our reception at Lagos," Mr. Gollmer writes, 
 " among our warm African friends was, as might be 
 expected, most hearty. The king and chiefs, heathens 
 and Christians, had planned a demonstration of respect 
 by going to meet us on the beach, and by fetching us 
 up to town (about three miles) with shouts of joy, 
 
 * The Rev. J. Buckley (Wood) is still spared for active service 
 after thirty years" faithful labour.
 
 Reinfoi^cements. 
 
 117 
 
 discharge of firearms, beating of drums, etc. ; but this 
 we prevented by landing quietly the previous evening. 
 As soon as our arrival was known, many people came 
 
 to salute us, and 
 many a ' Thank God ' 
 was heard. Some 
 were not content 
 with simply shaking 
 hands, and welcom- 
 ing us, and returning, 
 but gave expression 
 to their joy by firing 
 muskets. The joy 
 of many, however, 
 turned to sorrow 
 when they heard of 
 our appointment to 
 A b e o k u t a ; the}' 
 wished us to remain 
 with them as before. 
 " During our three 
 weeks' detention at 
 Lagos, on account of 
 an expected attack 
 on Abeokuta by 
 Dahomey, we ob- 
 served the vast strides 
 of the interests of the world, and the comparatively 
 slow progress of the Redeemer's kingdom. 
 
 " Our journey to Abeokuta we performed in a small 
 canoe, which two men pushed up the river Ogun with
 
 ii8 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 poles. Two small mattresses were laid at the bottom 
 of the canoe ; Mrs. Gollmer sat on one and I on the 
 other, with our infant in the cradle between us, a 
 temporary mat roof screening us from a vertical sun, 
 
 "Having left Lagos for about three hours, I was 
 seized with a violent attack of intermittent fever, from 
 which I suffered much, not having any medicine in the 
 canoe ; the only relief I had was the cooling of my 
 burning head and 'hands with the river water. The 
 fever returned every alternate day with increased 
 violence, and I felt very ill when we arrived at 
 Abeokuta the fifth day — March 2 1st. 
 
 " Having enjoyed the kindness of our old friends 
 Mr. and Mrs. Townsend for a few days, and being a 
 little better, I, with Mrs. Gollmer and Messrs. Smith 
 and Buckley, proceeded to Ikija, our newly-appointed 
 station, and in the name of the Lord entered on our 
 sphere of labour, determined not to know anything 
 but Christ and Him crucified. 
 
 " My plans were to attend to the established 
 services, to visit all communicants, candidates, and 
 hearers connected with our church in their houses, 
 and the heathen around us ; to visit our out-stations, 
 Ibara and Isaga, and other towns besides, and to 
 study the language more attentively. 
 
 "It pleased the Lord to afflict me much. During 
 the greater part of the first month I suffered more or 
 less from fever, and the last two months I was sorely 
 troubled with boils. I was not altogether laid by, for 
 often I was better on the Lord's Day ; and again and 
 again I went to church with my right arm in a sling,
 
 \h' 
 
 Reinforcements. 119 
 
 so that I could take one or two services most 
 Sundays. 
 
 " April 7th : A time of anguish and danger. I had 
 scarcely got a little better when my dear wife was 
 taken seriously ill, owing probably to the bad water 
 we had to drink. 
 
 "April 27th : Our Monday evening prayer-meetings, 
 in English and Yoruba, are very refreshing seasons. 
 We regret we cannot accommodate all who come, our 
 room being too small." 
 
 Mr. GoUmer, writing m. June, gives some account of 
 pernicious marriage customs. He says : — - 
 
 "A bad custom in connection with a native or 
 heathen marriage is, the parents of the daughter 
 receiving from £2 to ^5 worth of cowries, either from . 
 the father or the relatives of the young man, or from 
 the future husband himself, as a sort of pledge of the 
 engagement made between tlie parties. This is termed 
 ' paying on her head.*/ This bad custom is too often a 
 source of annoyance and grief to the wife during her 
 life, for many times she is told, ' Have I not paid so 
 much on your head ? Take care ; ' or, ' If you can pay 
 the forty or fifty heads of cowries I paid on your head, 
 you can go home again.' This sum of money, and an 
 equivalent for presents made during the many years of 
 engagement, such as clothes, corn, yams, etc., must 
 be repaid to the man or his relatives, in case of death 
 of either the girl or the man. But double and treble that 
 sum will be demanded by the man in case the girl or her 
 parents wish to break off the engagement, and frequently 
 it causes terrible palavers, i.e.^ disputes and fighting.
 
 I20 Charles Andrezv Gollmer. 
 
 " I am sorry to say that some of our converts still 
 retain part of this heathenish custom, viz., paying or 
 receiving a small sum, from £i \.o £2; but it is a bad 
 principle, which I brought before my people, begging 
 them to adopt Christian principles, and never receive 
 money on the head of their daughters, />., payment for 
 her, or pay money to engage a girl, or buy and sell 
 their children, for it almost amounted to it ; and I added, 
 I would not marry any one who has thus paid money 
 for his future wife. 
 
 " Two young girls are still with us for protection, who, 
 a short time ago, were about to suffer in consequence of 
 their parents' folly, having promised or engaged them 
 to heathen husbands for a sum of money. The cases 
 of the girls are similar. The parents, some six years 
 ago, when father, mother, and daughter were still 
 heathen, promised the girl or engaged her to a heathen 
 man, who paid about twenty heads of cowries, and 
 \ made presents besides. In the meantime the parents 
 and the daughter heard the Word of God, and were 
 converted. As Christians they could no longer consent 
 to be thus unequally yoked together, a Christian wife 
 with a heathen husband. The}^, therefore, sought to 
 have the matter qtiietly settled by paying the man his 
 due and over ; but he took advantage of it, and claimed 
 one hundred and eleven heads of cowries, or five times 
 the amount he paid. As it was feared the intended 
 husband might use violence, and take the girl by force and 
 injure her, she was brought to us for protection, being one 
 of our communicants, while the matter was being settled. 
 
 "July 6th, Missionary meeting: Having given due 
 
 \
 
 Reinforcements. 1 2 1 
 
 notice, we held our first missionar}^ meeting liere this 
 evening, which was attended by ahnost all our people. 
 My object in holding the meeting was not to make a 
 collection, but to give missionary information, and to 
 awaken our people to their Christian duty ; but though 
 notice was given that no collection would be made, 
 several people brought cowries. 
 
 "August 5th: Twenty thousand Yoruba tracts dis- 
 tributed. The Yoruba tracts, ' Erun Orun,' ' Hea- 
 venly Crumbs,' or sixteen short sermons, which the 
 Religious Tract Society kindly printed for me, arrived 
 here ; and to-day I had the great pleasure to distribute 
 upwards of twenty thousand of them among our various 
 stations up and down the land, and to the Wesleyan and 
 Baptist missions in this country. Assisted by Messrs. 
 Smith and Buckley I unpacked the boxes, sorted and 
 counted out the tracts, put them up in parcels, and sent 
 them to the superintendents of the respective stations 
 for distribution among the people. The people gladly 
 and thankfully received the tracts. I asked some of the 
 applicants, ' Do you understand the word in the little 
 book, and do you like it ? ' and the reply was, ' We 
 understand it altogether : it is sweet too much.' The 
 Lord's blessing accompany and rest upon each of the 
 tracts ! 
 
 "August 29th: Met both candidates and communi- 
 cants in class for instruction. Last Saturday, after the 
 hour of instruction, I had the pleasure to receive one 
 man and one woman, and this evening four women, as 
 candidates for baptism ; so the Lord adds one after the 
 other to the number of those who shall be saved. Two
 
 122 
 
 Charles Andreiu Gollmer. 
 
 of the women brought me the idols they had long wor- 
 shipped. One of the gods delivered was Shango, the 
 god of thunder and lightning. Two others were Eshu, or 
 
 DEVIL-PRIEST' .AT -iABEOKUTA. 
 
 Elegbara, i.e., the devil. One of the women renounc- 
 ing her gods declared that now she can believe [_in 
 Christ, Who is sufficient. The other woman said, ' This
 
 Reinforceuients. 123 
 
 is not my original god, but a substitute, for the dogs 
 carried away the former.' She then stated that one day 
 she was accosted by a priestess of Elegbara (of whom, 
 as of the other gods, there are many representations, 
 they making it their livehhood), who said to her, ' I 
 know the reason why you have no more children : it is 
 the Elegbara that troubles you. I advise you to worship 
 Elegbara, and you will have your desire.' The poor 
 credulous heathen women desire nothing so much as 
 children. The bargain was made, and the priestess 
 engaged to furnish one of those powerful representatives 
 of Elegbara for about three shillings. The object is 
 composed of four rows of cowries peculiarly strung, 
 fastened, and daubed over. And it seems the poor 
 Avoman, when sacrificing to her god, poured some blood 
 over him, and rendered it thus an object of attraction 
 and desire to the canine species, who ran away with it. 
 Alas ! what gods are these, and how can man believe in 
 them ? The woman, in her trouble about the lost god, 
 went to the priestess and told her what had taken place ; 
 but she, to get out of the dilemma, at once offered to 
 supply another, for which she should only have to pay 
 one shilling and sixpence. 
 
 " How accommodating these deceitful priestesses are, 
 and how ignorant and blind the people to believe in 
 their gods and lords many ! 
 
 "September 15th : This morning the brother of one 
 of our assistant Christian visitors here brought his 
 three gods, and other objects of worship, which he 
 believed and confided in till a short time ago. He 
 long opposed and persecuted his brother, and assisted
 
 124 
 
 Charles Andrew Gollmer 
 
 when, some time ago, the family had him tied to a 
 tree, and unmercifully beat him for becoming a Chris- 
 tian. Now he himself rejects the gods he so long 
 defended and adored, and believes in the God, Who, 
 he said, was for the white man only ; loves his brother 
 and other believers whom he formerly persecuted. 
 
 IDOLS GIVEN Ur. 
 
 and himself asks to be received as a candidate for 
 baptism. What a change hath God wrought ! This 
 is the tenth person I had the privilege to receive as 
 candidate for baptism during the last six weeks. 
 
 " December 6th, Lord's Day : A day of special 
 solemnity, praise, and blessing. After prayers, I had
 
 Reinforcements. 125 
 
 the privilege to receive by baptism twenty of our 
 candidates, viz., three men and seventeen women, into 
 Christ's visible Church. They have been for several 
 years instructed, and have long looked forward to this 
 day publicly to confess their faith in Christ Jesus, 
 and to be ' signed,' as they call it, ' for the Lord.' "
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 BRANCHING OUT. 
 
 DURING December 1857 Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer 
 were compelled to pay a hurried visit to Lagos, 
 owing to a domestic trouble. Their infant had been 
 taken on horseback by one of the European catechists, 
 who accidentally let him fall, and the child sustained 
 severe injuries to his arm. In God's providence, there 
 was an English cioctor on a small man-of-war steamer 
 in the Lagos river, and he kindly attended to the 
 child, and set the dislocated arm. It was afterwards 
 ascertained that the collar bone was broken, but had 
 re-set itself. They were detained for about three 
 weeks at Lagos, during which time they were the 
 guests of Mr. Btilher, who showed them great kindness 
 and attention. 
 
 With reference to these circumstances Mr. Gollmer 
 writes, "January 15th, 1858: 'Weeping may endure 
 for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.' This is 
 especially a missionary experience, for no missionary 
 is without trials, and no one without joys. With a 
 sorrowing heart I hastened with my family to Lagos 
 last month to seek medical aid for my child, who 
 suffered from a fractured collar-bone and dislocation
 
 Branching Out. 127 
 
 of the right shoulder through a fall. The Lord was 
 again good to us. He provided the needful aid, blessed 
 the means used, restored our child to health, and per- 
 mitted us to return home to-day with a rejoicing heart ; 
 and to fill the measure of our joy, our people gave 
 us a most hearty reception, many men and women 
 and children coming to meet us at a distance of more 
 than four to five miles." 
 
 The following extracts from Mr. Gollmer's journals 
 give an account of the work during part of 1858. 
 
 "January 27th: 'Branch out' is our watchword. 
 Mr. J_; _Sniith having been somewhat initiated into the 
 work during the last ten months he has laboured with 
 us at Abeokuta, I went with him to-day to Ishaga to 
 introduce him to the chief and people, and to locate 
 him in a new sphere of labour there. We left home 
 early this morning, and after a three hours' ride arrived 
 at Ibara, my first out-station." 
 
 Here they had an interview with the king and elders, 
 and asked them a few plain questions, such as "What 
 sort of a man is our Scripture-reader ? does he trouble 
 any of you ? etc. If, as you say, he is a good man 
 and teaches God's Word, why do you not hear him ? 
 Do you not want him ? God says, if they do not 
 receive you in one place, go to another, etc. Think 
 on these things," Mr. Gollmer said, "and six days 
 hence on my return you will please give me an 
 answer, viz., whether you will keep your teacher and 
 hear and obey God's Word, or whether we must remove 
 him to another town ;" to which all agreed. Mr. Gollmer 
 continues : " We proceeded, and after another three
 
 128 Chai'les Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 hours' ride, mostly through high and rank grass, we 
 arrived at Ishaga towards evening, and were glad to 
 find a mission-house and home here, humble as it is. 
 
 "January 28th : The king, with twelve of the chiefs 
 or elders of the town, came to visit us this morning. 
 I was saluted as an old friend, they remembering my 
 having passed through the town twelve years ago. 
 We had a long conversation ; questions similar to 
 those put at Ibara elicited the best of testimony from 
 the king and elders as regards the character of the 
 Society's agent here. I thanked them for their 
 kindness to our Scriptare-reader and our few converts, 
 allowing them quietly to serve their God, and for 
 granting them protection. Mr. Smith was then intro- 
 duced, and, after consultation, the king and chiefs 
 agreed to permit him to settle down among them, and 
 also promised a piece of land to build a house for the 
 service of God, and to assist in its erection. 
 
 " January 30th : Ten candidates, recommended to 
 me by our Scripture-reader for baptism, I closely 
 examined for two hours this evening, and was much 
 pleased with them, and silently thanked God for having 
 blessed the humble endeavours of His servant at this 
 place. 
 
 "January 31st, Lord's Day: We had a solemn and 
 joyful Sabbath to-day. From want of a better place 
 our services and Sunday-schools were held in the 
 front piazza of the mission-house. 
 
 "After morning prayers I baptized and signed (as 
 our converts call it) the ten adults examined yesterday. 
 Deep emotion pervaded all our little congregation
 
 Branching Out. 129 
 
 during the solemn service. After evening prayers I 
 baptized eight children of our converts, thus gathering 
 in the ' firstfruit ' of the gospel, both parents and 
 children, and laying, I trust, a good foundation-stone 
 of Christ's spiritual Church here. Comparing this 
 place with what it was, and my feelings now with 
 what they were twelve years ago, when I passed 
 through this place, I must exclaim, ' What has God 
 wrought ? ' 
 
 "February ist: The few converts here are anxious 
 to do as their elder brethren at Abeokuta, viz., form 
 an * Iwasimi,' 'place of rest/ a little separate from their 
 heathen neighbours. This morning I obtained from 
 one of our neighbours a promise of the desired piece 
 of land, close to the mission-house, for that purpose. 
 Having so far attended to this promising out-station, 
 I commended Mr. Smith and this infant Church to the 
 care and protection of our Heavenly Father, and left 
 for Ibara, arriving at home the same etening. 
 
 "July 26th: Our Scripture-reader at Ibara informed 
 me that, according to my instructions, he has visited 
 about ten different small towns, hamlets, and farms, 
 between Ibara and the river Ogun, that the farm 
 people especially gladly heard the Word of God, and 
 begged him to come again. 
 
 "September ist : Incendiarism is one of the dread- 
 ful modes of revenge in this country, though happily 
 seldom resorted to. A few months ago the house of 
 one of our neighbours was thus maliciously set fire to, 
 and burnt three or four other compounds with it. Our 
 danger was great, but God watched over and preserved 
 
 9
 
 130 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 us. This evening a glaring flash of lightning, imme- 
 diately followed by a fearful crash of thunder, passed 
 over our house, and struck the compound next to us 
 but one. In spite of heavy rain, the flames soon burst 
 forth, which, as usual, summoned the worshippers of 
 Shango (the god of thunder and lightning) to the place, 
 not to sympathise and help, but to plunder everything 
 they could lay hands upon in and around the burning 
 house, under pretence of being a lawful prize from 
 their god. The fire might have been extinguished, 
 and some of our church people went to do it, but were 
 prevented by the infatuated crowd, who said it was 
 holy fire, and must not be interfered with. ^ One 
 hundred of these poor deluded fanatics kept on singing 
 and dancing around the house, till the fire ceased from 
 want of fuel, and with every flash of lightning the 
 immense number of people raised a solemn shout in 
 praise of their god. These are hours of great danger 
 and anxiety, but ever we experience the faithfulness of 
 Him who said, * I will be with you.' 
 
 "September 6th : A happy Yoruba missionary meet- 
 ing. According to notice we assembled at our church 
 this evening; most of our congregation, both old and 
 young, were present. After singing and prayer I 
 briefly addressed the meeting, explaining that the 
 Lord's command, ' Go ye into all the world, and preach 
 the gospel to every creature,' is not only for ministers 
 and missionaries, but was given to fishermen, traders, 
 farmers, and all followers of Christ ; but because all 
 cannot go, some were chosen and sent ; so, said I, 
 the followers of Jesus, the Church of Christ in our
 
 Branching Out. 133 
 
 country, send us to you ; you are now followers of 
 Christ, and the command is for you also. Our senior 
 Scripture-reader rose and spoke of our rights and 
 privileges as Christians, and warmly recommended our 
 proposal to choose one from among their number, and 
 send him in the name of the Lord to preach Jesus 
 to the heathen of the towns around us, and to make 
 a collection for his support. The many cheerful and 
 smiling countenances showed that they approved of 
 the subject, and to help them to give vent to their 
 pent-up feelings I said, ' Who agrees with the pro- 
 posal ? Show it by lifting up the right hand.' In a 
 moment every hand went up with cheering." 
 
 Ultimately a worthy member of the church, named 
 Laye, was chosen as their missionary. 
 X Mr. Gollmer continues: "The meeting was now 
 called upon to make a collection to raise a fund for 
 the support of the newly chosen Scripture-reader ; 
 for this purpose the names of both communicants and 
 candidates for baptism, male and female, were called, 
 and each said how much he or she would give, which 
 X I was noted down^ 
 
 ^ " Our schoolchildren were asked whether they wished 
 
 Q s^ to have a hand in this good work, when they entered 
 
 \ Vj o'l the business in a spirit worthy of an adult, and 
 
 "v one after the other promised a contribution. And now 
 
 an animated and cheering scene ensued : the mothers 
 
 wishing their infants on their backs, and other absent 
 
 children, to have a share in it also, called out one after 
 
 the other, ' Put down a penny for my child,' ' Twopence 
 
 for my two children,' * Sixpence for my three children,'
 
 134 Charles Andrezu Golbuer. 
 
 etc., so that the share of the children and infants in 
 this good work is considerable. All our people, I may 
 say, gave cheerfully and liberally according to their 
 means; and it was very encouraging to find that the 
 amount raised was not only sufficient for the support 
 of the Scripture-reader for one year, but sufficient for 
 two years. 
 
 "September 2ist : A , our Scripture-reader, re- 
 turned from his round of twelve towns lately visited 
 by me. Our Scripture-reader at Ibara was out revisit- 
 ing ten towns in another direction, and proceeds to-day 
 to take a turn in re-visiting the round of the above- 
 named twelve towns. I am anxious each town should 
 be visited at least once a month. Our Scripture-reader 
 at Ilaro is visiting a number of towns in that direction, 
 so that we have at present three different districts, 
 with about thirty towns to visit. It is my duty and 
 pleasure to state that our Scripture-readers prove 
 fifectual helps in disseminating the gospel.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ABEOKUTA A CENTRE FOR WORK. 
 
 AT the commencement of the year 1859 work 
 was being carried on by the Church Missionary 
 Society's agents at four different stations in Abeokuta, 
 viz., Ake, Igbein, Ikija, and Owu. Throughout the 
 dense mass of population, missionary work had been 
 dihgently pressed forward from these various centres. 
 As a specimen of these labours, we find the following 
 resume in the journal of Mr. GoUmer for the half-year 
 ending March 25th : — 
 
 " During the last three months I have long cherished 
 a desire to be able to visit from house to house, and to 
 preach Christ to those also who are still far off, and 
 to urge them to come nigh. This, by the blessing of 
 God, I was enabled to accomplish, at least in a degree. 
 During seventeen days I spent from four to five hours 
 daily ; visited eighty different compounds and houses ; 
 and spoke to upwards of five hundred people, high 
 and low, bond and free, many of whom listened with 
 marked attention to the Word of God. May the 
 seed thus sown bring fruit in due season ! Oppor- 
 tunities to preach the gospel presented themselves 
 during my visits which I could not have had other-
 
 136 
 
 Charles Atidj^ezu Gollmer. 
 
 wise. In one house I met a member of the family, 
 sick or otherwise afflicted, which rendered them a 
 httle soft to hsten to the consolation of God's Word. 
 
 " In another house I met the family, with many 
 of their relatives assembled, mourning over one of 
 their deceased members ; and the three questions, 
 
 A YORUBA COMPOUND. 
 
 Why do we die ? Where do we go after death ? Who 
 can save us? appeared an appropriate text for a funeral 
 sermon, which was listened to with great attention. 
 In a third place I met a company of twelve women, 
 engaged in worshipping their idols, which led me to 
 speak to them of the first and second commandments, 
 and that God is a Spirit, and we must worship Him
 
 Abeohtta a Centre for Work. 137 
 
 in spirit and in truth. I can say I had free access 
 everywhere, and was received not only with politeness, 
 but often with gladness. This is a most desirable, 
 but arduous work. I experience that our heart is 
 willing, but our flesh is weak. However, what we — 
 often suffering Europeans — cannot accomplish to our 
 hearts' desire, our native agents help to make good." 
 
 But it is not only within the limits of Abeokuta, but 
 to other towns and villages, gospel labour had been 
 extended. The following is a brief sketch of one of 
 these missionary tours, carried out by Mr. Gollmer 
 and the Scripture-readers. 
 
 On February 4th he left for Ishaga, passing through 
 the village of Ibara, distant from Abeokuta about nine 
 miles, and surrounded, according to the custom of the 
 country, by a wall and a ditch. Advancing through 
 a well-watered and productive country, the travellers 
 reached Ishaga, where, by the blessing of God upon 
 the efforts of a native Scripture-reader, an infant con- 
 gregation had been raised up, and the piazza, where 
 the services and the Sunday-schools were, in the first 
 instance, held, becoming too small, the erection of a 
 suitable place of worship became necessary. On the 
 occasion of this visit it had been so far completed as 
 to enable Mr. Gollmer to open and dedicate it to the 
 glory of God. The text selected was 2 Chron, vi. 40, 
 and the Lord's Supper was subsequently administered 
 to twenty-three communicants. 
 
 Leaving J.§Jiaga- on the Wednesday morning, the 
 missionary party proceeded through farms and grass 
 fields in a northerly direction for two hours, until a
 
 138 Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 small town called Ilewo was reached, where they were 
 kindly received, and for the first time the gospel 
 message was delivered, in the houses and streets, to 
 the chiefs, elders, and people. Many listened atten- 
 tively to the heavenly message. The early hours of 
 the succeeding day having been similarly occupied, 
 travelling was resumed in a north-easterly direction, 
 through farms and grass fields, to Ijale, where a hearty 
 welcome greeted them from the chief, a fine, tall man 
 of a cheerful countenance. The elders and people 
 soon crowded around them, eager to hear what the 
 white man had come for, and a happy opportunity was 
 afforded to speak about the things which pertain to 
 salvation. 
 
 During that evening, and the early hours of the next 
 morning, the whole place was traversed, and numbers 
 heard the gospel message for the first time. A town 
 called Kesan was next reached ; this, with the two 
 previously mentioned, Ilewo and Ijale, belonged \x> 
 the Egbado family, but, for protection's sake, all of 
 them paid homage and tribute to one or other of the 
 war chiefs of Abeokuta. In the markets and streets 
 of this town the message of mercy was delivered to 
 all who would listen ; and then, after a long and hot 
 four hours' ride in an easterly direction, and mostly 
 through cultivated land, our travellers reached Ibara. 
 
 The following is a graphic sketch of the proclamation 
 of God's truth to the inhabitants of this heathen 
 town : — 
 
 "February 13th, Lord's Day: Early this morning 
 the chief came to salute me, and to express his satis-
 
 Abeokuta a Centre for Work. 1 39 
 
 faction with regard to my stopping and sleeping in 
 his town a httle. Due notice was given to the chief, 
 elders, and people yesterday afternoon that two public 
 services would be held to-day in the market, under a 
 tree, and all were invited. At the usual time the hand- 
 bell sounded through the streets of the town to call to 
 service. The chief was not present, but most of the 
 elders sat in the piazza of their council-house close 
 by, whilst a number of people encircled us on the other 
 side. After singing a few verses of a Yoruba hymn, 
 I read some of our prayers, including the Litany, 
 and then addressed the assembly from John iii. 16, 
 endeavouring to show them how God loves them and 
 all men, etc. One of my Scripture-readers repeated 
 what I had said, and two others spoke to the people 
 from John iii. 3 and iv. 23. The evening service was 
 better attended, and the audience more quiet and 
 attentive ; there were about three hundred people 
 standing and sitting around us. After singing, I read 
 some of our prayers, also the Ten Commandments, 
 and spoke from 2 Cor. vi. 12. I told them that they 
 had had a Scripture-reader for four years, and that 
 scarcely anyone believed the Word of God, and begged 
 and entreated them not to receive the grace of God in 
 vain ; impressing upon them that now is the time 
 to be accepted with God and be saved." 
 
 After having received from the king a piece of land 
 for a future station, the missionary party left Ibara, 
 and proceeding in a south-easterly direction, mostly 
 through farms, arrived at Idiore, the small town form- 
 ing a kind of centre to many small hamlets and farms
 
 140 Charles Andrezu Go! inter. 
 
 around it. These hamlets were severally visited, and, as 
 circumstances permitted, little congregations gathered 
 for instruction. Thus farm, village, and town were 
 visited, in each place the missionary and his native 
 helpers taking different portions of the population, and 
 thus searching out the people in every street and lane, 
 until the time came when it became necessary to turn 
 their steps homeward. Travelling northward through 
 farms, they reached the market-place of the farm hamlet 
 Awowo, on the main road to Lagos. " Finding many 
 people," writes Mr. Gollmer, " I at once resolved to 
 halt, and embrace the opportunity to speak to them, 
 which, I am thankful to say, proved seasonable and 
 welcome. It was pleasant to see our Scripture-readers 
 standing up, one here and another there, talking to 
 groups of people. No sooner had I opened my mouth 
 to speak than I had a nice little congregation. From 
 one elderly female, with many signs about her, which 
 showed that she was a zealous worshipper of gods 
 many and l®rds many, I apprehended strong opposi- 
 tion, but she proved the most attentive of all ; so much 
 so that she did not care to sell anything, or take 
 money for what she had sold, while I was speaking; 
 and when I had finished, she declared, with apparent 
 sincerity, that from that day she would serve God 
 alone, thanking us much for what we had said. This 
 was more refreshing to my soul than cold water to the 
 thirsty and weary traveller." 
 
 Proceeding from thence in the direction of the north, 
 and crossing rivers, our travellers reached Awoyade, 
 nine miles from Abeokuta, where they took possession
 
 Abeokiita a Centre for Work. 14 1- 
 
 of an old and tottering house, open on all sides, and 
 during the evening went about the town inviting 
 sinners to return to God. They then proceeded home 
 to Ikija. 
 
 This missionary tour issued in one happy result — a 
 determination on the part of Mr. GoUmer's congregation 
 to engage in direct missionary labour. 
 
 " March 7th : Deeply impressed with the vastness 
 of the field and the fewness of labourers, on my return 
 from my missionary tour I preached to my congrega- 
 tion from Matt. ix. 35-38; and after speaking of our 
 duty as Christians, viz., to pray the Lord to send more 
 labourers, I asked. Is there not one, or two, or three 
 among you who will rise and say, Here am I ; send 
 me ? After some days, I called my native agents, and 
 consulted them as to the fitness of three of our com- 
 municants, whom I considered suitable for the work, 
 and was glad to find they agreed with me on the 
 subject. I now asked them to speak to the three men, 
 explain the matter, and then tell them to think and 
 pray over it, and when they had decided to bring me 
 word. This morning my four native agents came with 
 the three communicants. We had a long conversation, 
 and spoke of the many immortal souls perishing for 
 the lack of the knowledge of the Lord, and our duty 
 and privilege to help in this good work, etc. A few 
 unimportant questions of a domestic character being 
 disposed of, one after the other said, ' The Lord has 
 done great things for me ; I have obtained much grace, 
 and I am willing to do the work with all my heart.' 
 Our native agents added a fev/ encouraging words.
 
 142 diaries Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 and I commended the three brethren and new fellow- 
 labourers to our faithful God and Father, and implored 
 a blessing on their behalf. I am truly thankful for 
 this additional aid. I have now six members of my 
 church here, native Christians, employed as Scripture- 
 readers in the service of the Lord."
 
 o 
 
 J 
 o 
 
 > 
 
 D 
 O 
 
 a 
 
 7. 

 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 M/SS/OJVAA' V JOURNE YS. 
 
 SEVERAL extensive missionary tours were made 
 at this time by the missionaries,* Messrs. Towns 
 end, Hinderer, and Gollmer, in different directions 
 throughout the Yoruba country. Mr. Hinderer tra- 
 velled in the Ijesha country ; Mr. Townsend visited 
 Ilorin and other towns ; while Mr. Gollmer visited 
 Ketu, to the west of Abeokuta. He writes thus : — 
 
 " You will be glad to hear that, by the goodness of 
 our heavenly Father, I have, to-day a week, safely 
 returned from my missionary tour in the Ketu country, 
 and that we have had a most successful journey, being 
 not only well received by the king, chiefs, elders, and 
 people at Ketu and the various towns we passed 
 through, but find everywhere many attentive hearers 
 of God's V/ord. The Lord has done great things for 
 us, whereof we are glad. In the name of the Lord 
 we have taken possession of the province of Ketu, 
 
 * The following is a description of the illustration on p. 144 : — 
 Back Roiv (Left to Right), Revs. A. Mann, J. A. Maser, W. Hechler 
 C. Haeberle, J. B. Wood, L. Nicholson. Front Row, Mrs. Mann 
 Mrs. Maser, Rev. H. Townsend, Mrs. Townsend, Mrs. Nicholson. 
 
 10
 
 146 Chai'les Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 numbering about one hundred towns, and proclaimed 
 our King Jesus before the Alaketu (the king), the 
 princes, and the people, and the response was unani- 
 mous and hearty, ' We receive you,' ' Come over and 
 help us.' The field is white for the harvest, but where 
 are the labourers ? This important field, which should 
 be occupied without delay, we desire to lay on the 
 heart of the Committee, and to commend it to their best 
 consideration and prayer. Two European brethren, 
 one at least somewhat experienced, should be sent to 
 the capital Ketu, with a staff of native agents, for the 
 work is great. We were absent about a month (July 
 29th to August 26th). By the help and strength of 
 the Lord we were enabled to travel one hundred and 
 eighty miles there and back, to visit twenty-three towns, 
 and to preach and speak many times to many people. 
 Our little missionary-force consisted this time of eight 
 Scripture-readers, Mr. Smith, and myself. The Ala- 
 ketu was very friendly and intimate with us. He has 
 now been, so to say, sixteen months probationary king, 
 according to custom, and in six months more he will 
 be crowned, and have full power. I am happy to add 
 his government is not hampered, as at other places, 
 by either the Oboni system (secret society), or by the 
 government superstition, Oro, etc., which is of great 
 importance. It seems to us most providential that this 
 man has been placed on the throne of Ketu. 
 
 " We spent ten days at Ketu, and the king and 
 people, as well as ourselves, felt sorry we could not 
 remain longer. Meko is the next town in size and 
 importance in the Ketu country. It is about twenty-
 
 Missionary Journeys. 
 
 14; 
 
 five miles north-east from Ketu towards Abeokuta ; 
 that route led us through the heart of Ketu also. We 
 
 
 A YORUBA POSTMAN. 
 
 had to pass by many towns on our right and left on the 
 road. Finding that Meko was a large and important 
 town, and that many people willingly listened to the
 
 148 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 Word of God, we were glad when the chief Olumeko 
 begged us to remain and witness his coronation. 
 Saturday and the Lord's Day approaching, we decided 
 to remain. Thousands gladly heard the gospel for the 
 first time, no messenger of peace or any other white 
 men having ever reached this place. The chief also 
 became very friendly, and begged earnestly to send 
 for some one to sit down with them. 
 
 " At Ketu and Meko I met with respectable men 
 who knew me at Badagry, which was not without 
 advantage." 
 
 The following details of this important journey may 
 be of interest. Mr. Gollmer and five Scripture-readers 
 left Ikija on July 29th, and through heavy rains made 
 their way to Ibara. Having remained here some hours, 
 they arrived at Ishaga the next day, and were 
 welcomed by Mr. Smith, the schoolmaster and Scrip- 
 ture-reader. 
 
 "July 31st, Lord's Day: Mr. Gollmer was visited 
 by one of the chiefs, and informed of the death of one 
 of the elders ; he was also told that the elder would 
 be buried that day, and that Oro (the often-mentioned 
 Government superstition) would take the town accord- 
 ing to custom, etc." 
 
 Mr. Gollmer writes : " We reminded them that 
 
 to-day is the Lord's Day, and urged them to use 
 
 their influence to prevent the sad occurrence to-day, 
 
 . ^^ and suggested to postpone the ceremonies till the 
 
 *' next day. We begged them to fear God, and to 
 
 regard His Word and His day. 
 
 "The chief replied that if it was an ordinary case 

 
 Missionary Jow'iieys. 149 
 
 they might postpone it as on former occasions, but 
 death comes without regard to persons and days : he 
 could not promise, but suggested to send to the king. 
 The hour for Sunday-school and church approaching, 
 which none of our female Christians could attend if 
 the Ore drum should sound previously (all women 
 being shut up in their houses), we lost no time in 
 sending messengers to the king, representing that this 
 is God's day, to be kept holy, and begging him not 
 to offend God by making Oro come out to-day, and by 
 disturbing the services of the Lord. The king was 
 perplexed, and replied much in the manner of the chief : 
 on the one hand there was a day of feasting at the 
 house of the deceased awaiting him and his numerous 
 brother Obonis, which could only be enjoyed under 
 the protective Oro ; on the other hand he did not 
 wish to offend us ; and in this dilemma, or rather 
 because 'the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord 
 as the rivers of water; He turneth it whithersoever he 
 will,' the king gave this remarkable decision, viz., 
 that 'as they must do their duty, and must not stop 
 us from doing ours, the town must divide in two 
 parts. Oro must take the lower town (where the 
 king, elders, and many people reside, and where the 
 deceased used to live), and we and our church people 
 must take the upper part of the town (where the 
 mission-house and church were, and where most of 
 the converts resided), and he added that ' Oro should 
 not come up to molest us ; and our women must not 
 go down to be seen by any of the men, etc. ; as it were, 
 'We will worship Baal, and you worship the living
 
 150 Charles Andrezv Gol Inter, 
 
 God.' This is an unprecedented concession of the 
 authorities and supporters of Oro. Nevertheless, the 
 decision met with general approval, and was forthwith 
 acted upon. I need not say we and our people rejoiced 
 over this great triumph of the Gospel, and praised the 
 Lord. Well may we say, ' What hath God wrought ' ! 
 "August 1st: Left Ishaga about 9 a.m. Being 
 anxious to visit as many towns as possible on our 
 tour, and being informed that there is less water in 
 the southern road than the northern, I decided to take 
 the former in going, and return by the latter." 
 
 Accordingly they proceeded west by south, and two 
 hours' travelling over an undulated country of beautiful 
 scenery brought them to Iboro, where they rested a 
 short time, and had several opportunities of proclaiming 
 the truth. Journeying on through Masayi, Shompa, 
 Igbogila, Ijuwa (the frontier town of Ketu), and several 
 smaller towns, sowing the seed as the}' went, they 
 arrived at the capital August 8th. Being accompanied 
 by the king's messengers, who had come to meet them 
 on the way, they obtained easy access to the town, 
 through the multitude of people. 
 ^ August 9th Mr. Gollmer writes : " At noon a set of 
 five drummers ushered in a party of courtiers and 
 servants with the king's presents, viz., a bullock, three 
 baskets of eko (Indian-corn pudding), two calabashes 
 of country beer, about seven and sixpence worth of 
 cowries, some milk and bananas, which according to 
 the custom of the country we thankfully received. 
 Feeling better in the afternoon, we went to pay our 
 respects to the king. The chiefs and elders, and the
 
 missionary Journeys. 1 5 1 
 
 king's confidential attendants who were also present, 
 prostrated themselves before him and went through 
 the usual ceremonies of salutation. The king then 
 called us and made us sit near him, and shook us 
 most friendly by the hand, saying he was very glad 
 to see us, etc. After the usual inquiries connected 
 with the salutation, such as, 'Is it peace?' 'Are you 
 well ?' 'Is your house well?' etc., I began to explain 
 to the king who we were, and what was the object 
 of our visit ; when he (the king) desired one of our 
 Scripture-readers to stand up outside and talk loud, 
 so that all the people could hear. I then said we were 
 messengers of God, sent to make known His Word of 
 peace ; and, to explain this, I directed their attention 
 to the 23rd Psalm, showing how the great king David 
 received and believed the word, put his whole trust in 
 God, and felt happy in so doing, urging them to do 
 likewise. The king and all appeared attentive, and 
 pleased with what was said. 
 
 "Having said as much as I deemed right to say 
 at this official interview, I asked the king's permission 
 to visit the chiefs and elders in their houses, to become 
 acquainted with them ; also to allow us and our 
 Scripture-readers to go about the town to speak God's 
 Word to the people, that all might hear. Both requests 
 were readily granted. 
 
 "August lOth : Visitors came early this morning. 
 After breakfast our Scripture-readers went out into 
 the streets and lanes to urge them to come into the 
 Father's house, as all things were ready. Mr. Smith 
 and I went to visit the six chiefs and elders, and
 
 152 Charles Anarew GoLhner. 
 
 were most friendly received b}^ all of them. At the 
 house of the first I had a quiet and patient hearing 
 of God's Word for nearly two hours. The chief and 
 about fifty people listened well. 
 
 "August 1 2th: After a fortnight's absence from 
 home (Ikija) a special messenger from Abeokuta 
 arrived this morning with good news from my family, 
 which cheered and encouraged me in my work, show- 
 ing that we may indeed trust our heavenly Father 
 at all times, and under all circumstances of life. Whilst 
 at breakfast, twenty of the king's wives were intro- 
 duced : they came to salute and welcome us. I spoke 
 to them from Psalm cxxviii., and I gave them a little 
 present.* On our journey to Ketu, four of the king's 
 wives saluted us at Ijale, and three at Dobolo. To-day 
 I enquired how many there were altogether ; one of 
 the king's confidential attendants informed me that 
 they may be about two hundred, old and young, — that 
 is, the wives of former kings included, who retain the 
 name and remain attached to the court till they die. 
 
 " In the afternoon, according to appointment, we 
 visited the king to-day, and had a two hours' private 
 interview in one of the interior courts. The king 
 received us most friendly, and, taking our seats near 
 him, he asked who should speak first, he or we. Of 
 course we gave honour to whom honour is due, and 
 requested him to speak, when he entreated us to 
 help him — 
 
 " I. That he and his people may have peace in his 
 town and country. 
 
 * See Appendix, page 207.
 
 Missionary J ouTfieys. 153 
 
 "2. That he may not see sudden death at his phice. 
 
 " 3. That he may not have fire in the town (Kctu 
 having been again and again destroyed by fire). 
 
 " 4. That he may not see war, eitlier from Dahomey 
 or Abeokuta. 
 
 "5. That he may soon ascend his throne, and have 
 full power; and that he hoped we would assist him 
 to get the necessary things suitable for a king, such 
 as a crown, whether of gold, silver, or otherwise, etc. 
 
 "6. That he may be able to open the road to the 
 river Opara, to facilitate commerce seaward. 
 
 " 7. The king said he would order the gongon, or 
 bell, to be rung that all the farmers must plant cotton, 
 and merchants may come to buy it. 
 
 " When the king had concluded, I proceeded to 
 reply to the different subjects as I was best able to 
 do, and the king appeared satisfied. 
 
 "August 14th: With the king's permission we held 
 a service in his courtyard. We commenced by singing 
 a Yoruba hymn ; I then read some of the prayers, 
 with the Litany, and spoke from the words of the 
 great supper now ready, to which all are invited, 
 showing the great provision God has made in the 
 salvation through Christ, of which He wills that all 
 should partake. 
 
 " After service we saluted the king, who thanked 
 us for our work to make the world good again. 
 
 "August 15th: This morning we went to the king's 
 residence by appointment, and had another three hours' 
 confidential interview with him. With a view to ascer- 
 tain the mind of the king as regards our work, and to
 
 154 Charles Andrezu Gollmer. 
 
 get something like a decided expression, I prepared a 
 few questions, which were fully explained, and to which 
 the king kindly gave answers. 
 
 " I. ' Does the king wish for missionaries ? ' Reply: 
 * It will be sweet to me and all my people.' 
 
 "2. 'Will the king protect the missionaries?' 
 ' White man cannot live in my town without my 
 taking care of him.' 
 
 " 3. * Will the king permit the missionaries freely 
 to preach God's Word ? ' ' There is nothing to pre- 
 vent it.' 
 
 "4. 'Will the king protect from persecution any one 
 who may believe God's Word ? ' ' There is no one 
 else who can do it.' 
 
 "5. 'Will the king permit that Mr. Smith or I may 
 come at any time hereafter, say in five or six months, 
 and remain two or three weeks ? ' 'It will please me 
 but six months is too far away.'"
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 HEATHEN OrrOSITION. 
 
 THE missionary party left Ketu August 17th, and 
 after two hours' journey through farms, grass- 
 fields, and brushwood, they arrived at Meko a little 
 before dark. 
 
 Mr. GoUmer thus describes his reception : " Two 
 hours' journey brought us to a large valley of most 
 beautiful scenery — hills here and there, covered with 
 nice green grass of different shades, the slopes studded 
 with farms and a variety of trees, with lofty palm and 
 palmyra trees interspersed, the town Idofa imbedded in 
 a large plot of forest on the opposite side, and the river 
 lyewa, wrapped in a luxuriant green vesture of under- 
 wood, quietly flowing through the midst of the scene. 
 We arrived at Meko before dark. On passing through 
 the town, towards the market and the chief's house, 
 a dark cloud gathered over our heads for a moment. 
 The Alaketu's confidential messenger, equipped with 
 hat and staff, sent by the king to escort us, had not 
 come up with us, being detained at Ketu. One or two 
 men of no consequence stopped our progress, and 
 demanded to know by whose authority we walked thus 
 right into their town, shouting, no white man had ever
 
 156 Charles Andrezu Golliner.^ 
 
 been here, and they do not want any, and teUing us to 
 go back to Idofa and sleep there, etc. An immense 
 concourse of people gathered in a moment, and stood 
 around us, one crying this and another that. The 
 scene forcibly reminded me of m}' troubles at Okeodan 
 in 1846. The king's second messenger in vain declared 
 that the Alaketu sent him : the people said he was not 
 an ilari, and would not believe him, and nearly 
 maltreated him as an impostor. To settle the dispute 
 I raised my voice as loud as I could, and said, ' We 
 are men of peace ; peace we bring and not strife : if 
 you cannot receive us in peace, we will depart ' ; and 
 told our people to take their luggage and follow me 
 outside the wall to sleep. The great noise attracted 
 the notice of a neighbour, who came to see what was 
 the matter. He came up whilst I was speaking, and 
 recognizing me, he shouted, * Give way ; this is the 
 Alapako — I know him from Badagry ; give way ! ' 
 He walked up to me and said, ' Do not mind them ; if 
 they will not receive you, I will ; come to my house ; ' 
 making way, and leading us through the thousands 
 surrounding us to his house close by, and no one dared 
 to say another word. Seeing these thousands of im- 
 mortal souls, our hearts yearned to preach Jesus to 
 them, and the thought of being turned out was most 
 distressing to us ; but the Lord heard our cry, and 
 said, ' Peace, be still,' and the storm ceased, for which 
 we thanked Him much, as we settled down in our 
 humble abode. 
 
 " August 1 8th : People came early to visit us. Before 
 eight I addressed a mixed assembly in our house from
 
 Heathen Opposition. 
 
 157 
 
 A NATIVE OF YORUBA WITH HIS CHARMS. 
 
 the one hundred and forty-fifth Psalm. After morning 
 prayer twenty young Mohammedans came, saying,
 
 158 Charles Andrew Golhner. 
 
 ' Master, we have heard what thy disciples say outside 
 (our Scripture-readers in the streets), and we are come 
 to hear thee.' I silently cried to the Lord for a suitable 
 word for these self-righteous people. I expounded the 
 first Psalm, and showed, by what we know, the 
 righteous and the wicked man, and what their end 
 will be. The Mohammedans and others who joined 
 listened quietly and attentively for a long time. Whilst 
 taking our breakfast, one of the chiefs and five of the 
 elders, with other people, came to salute us in the 
 name of the Olumeko (king or head chief) and others. 
 No sooner had they left than a fourth party, a number 
 of respectable females, came to salute us. I explained 
 to them the first and second commandments ; in other 
 words, preaching to them that the Lord is God, and 
 Him we must serve, and no other. Though I said 
 not a word about casting away their idols, they them- 
 selves drew the inference. At noon we went to visit 
 the chiefs and elders. 
 
 '' After the usual salutations, I explained our charac- 
 ter and our message, and spoke from the one hundred 
 and twenty-fifth Psalm, to which the authorities, and 
 the many people sitting around, paid attention. The 
 chief, hearing that we intended leaving to-morrow, 
 said, ' I wish you would remain to-morrow and witness 
 my installation to office,' etc. Seeing what an im- 
 portant place this is, and how many people there are 
 willing to hear God's Word, we had already decided to 
 remain, and were therefore glad the chief asked us to 
 do so. We congratulated the chief on his expected 
 elevation, and from the example of Solomon begged
 
 Hcathe7i Opposition. 159 
 
 him to ask of God wisdom to govern his people 
 righteously. He replied, ' Wisdom I ask ' ; and added, 
 that ' if the Alaketu gets his white man, he wants one 
 for his town also,' etc. 
 
 "August 2 1 St, Lord's Day: Thinking that the chief 
 must be still much engaged with his people on account 
 of his recent elevation, and that perhaps we could get 
 a larger congregation in the market, I did not propose 
 to have service in the king's yard as at Ketu ; but the 
 chief sent a messenger this morning to say that he 
 would be glad to receive this blessing, i.e., to have 
 service in his yard ; so I promised to keep evening 
 service there, whilst Mr. Smith went to preach in the 
 market. At four a messenger came to say the chief 
 was ready waiting. Leaving most of our people to 
 strengthen the hands of Mr. Smith in the market, I 
 took only a few of our band to join me, and to sustain 
 the singing and responses. We met the king on his 
 accustomed seat, with some of the elders. We sang 
 a Yoruba hymn as usual. I then read some of the 
 prayers, with the Ten Commandments, and spoke from 
 the parable of the prodigal son, showing our sinful 
 conduct towards God, and our Heavenly Father's com- 
 passion, love, and mercy towards us sinners. During 
 service a good many people came, so that there may 
 have been about two hundred and fifty persons present. 
 At seven this evening the chief came to pay us a parting 
 visit : he remained for an hour. He again repeated his 
 request to send some one to sit down with them and 
 instruct them. Our landlord, a superior and intelligent 
 man (who gave me the names of ninety-four towns
 
 i6o Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 belonging to the Ketu province), was very kind to us 
 during our visit here and stay at his house ; he was 
 generally with us when addressing the people, and 
 frequently attended our family prayers, and expressed 
 himself as one not far from the kingdom of God. 
 
 " August 22nd : Eight hours in the saddle — a hard 
 day's journey — which I felt much ; but there was no 
 alternative, as all the towns between Meko and Shala 
 had been destroyed by slave wars. 
 
 "August 23rd: Thinking to make good use of our 
 short visit, we agreed to have an evening service in 
 the market under the tree, where we preached last 
 year. At first there were but few persons present, but 
 our singing soon called others. I spoke from 2 Cor. 
 vi. 2, urging the people to come to God to-day, and 
 not delay till to-morrow, when it may be too late, 
 alluding to a person who suddenly died in the farm 
 last evening. Mr. Smith spoke next from the words, 
 'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found.' Before 
 he had finished, part of the assembly shouted in a sup- 
 pressed voice and left, while others came ; the low 
 shouting was repeated, and caused a little disturbance, 
 for which we could not account. Presently I heard 
 drummers, at a distance apparently, making towards 
 us. Thinking it was a funeral procession of a person 
 who had died yesterday passing by, and with a view 
 to keep our congregation together, I rose, asked Mr. 
 Smith to stop, and gave out a Yoruba hymn to sing ; 
 but, behold, it was the devil in human form. Four 
 men, armed with switches, broke our circle of people, 
 and in came a female, quite frantic, dancing, in African
 
 
 li&G^ 
 
 -K^v 
 
 Heathen Opposition. 
 
 t6i 
 
 style, with all her might, up and down before us, raising 
 up and down the huge image of Shango (god of thunder 
 and lightning) in her hands, and making all sorts of 
 strange gestures; her eye was full of fire, and her 
 ( mind and person appeared to be wrought upon by 
 some supernatural influence ; her person was gaudily 
 
 THE PREACHER INTERRUPTED. 
 
 attired, or rather she had a number of long strips of 
 red, yellow, and other gay-coloured European cotton 
 cloths wound and tied round her waist, with the ends 
 flowing. The devil, through these poor, ignorant, and 
 alas ! too willing and ready agents, sought to frighten, 
 defeat, and overthrow us : but the Lord was with us. 
 
 1 1
 
 1 62 Cha7des Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 In His strength we stood firm, and sang the praises 
 of our God, taking no notice of what was going on 
 before us. 
 
 " After a little while the female danced away, pre- 
 ceded by her guard of switchmen, and followed by her 
 set of three drummers. There was an immense con- 
 course of people, some of whom gave vent to the 
 apparent defeat of the Shango devotee by laughing ; 
 but she quickly returned, and sought to make it good 
 by dancing, if possible, more furiously up and down 
 before us. Presently she danced oft in another direction 
 and returned again, and we continued to sing all the 
 while, repeating our hymn. A head man sitting close 
 by us was requested by one of our Scripture-readers 
 to send a messenger to prevent the female returning, 
 which he did. The devil, instead of dispersing us and 
 our people, brought many hearers ; our congregation 
 had greatly increased, and, silence being restored, 
 
 D , our Scripture-reader of the same tribe, forcibly 
 
 addressed the large assembly, which was approved by 
 a loud Amen. Thus the Lord gave us victory. We 
 praise His name for giving us grace to be calm, firm, 
 and able to bear all. We were still looking to the 
 Lord, and saw His salvation. The chief immediately 
 sent messengers to apologize, and to beg us not to 
 be angry on account of what took place in the market, 
 saying the town, with all the people, and all their animals, 
 are ours, etc. I sent a message to say they need not 
 fear ; we are not angry ; we know the enmity and 
 opposition of the devil to us and our good work." 
 
 Leaving Shala August 24th, the missionary party
 
 Heathen Opposition. i6 
 
 ■> 
 
 proceeded through Ishaga and Ibara, and reached Ikija 
 on the 26th. 
 
 September 30th, Mr. GoUmer writes : " To-day we 
 experienced again the truth of God's word, ' Call upon 
 Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee.' 
 God has blessed us with the gift of another son, and 
 given the necessary strength and wisdom in the hour 
 of our great need."
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 FURTHER PROGRESS. 
 
 IN the midst of the many and various duties in 
 which the missionaries were engaged, translational 
 work was not neglected. So far back as 1844 Mr. 
 Gollmer had endeavoured to take his share in this 
 work, and later on, among other things, he translated 
 Dr. Earth's "Bible Stories," and "The Sinner's 
 Friend." 
 
 Under date January 20th, i860, Mr. Gollmer refers 
 to the arrival and distribution of some of these books : 
 " Distribution of three thousand copies of ' The Sinner's 
 Friend' in Yoruba. By the kind permission of the 
 Tract Society, I translated ' The Sinner's Friend ' into 
 Yoruba the year before last, and, in accordance with a 
 promise, it was printed by that Society for the benefit 
 of our native Christians, Last week a box containing 
 five thousand copies of this little book arrived here, 
 and to-day I had the pleasure to share the greater 
 portion of them among my missionary brethren, 
 European and native, for distribution among their re- 
 spective flocks. I also sent three hundred copies to 
 the native minister of the Wesleyan Chapel here, and 
 two hundred copies to the Baptist missionaries in the
 
 Further Progress. 165 
 
 interior. May the Lord's blessing accompany each 
 copy." 
 
 And later on he writes : " Arrival of Yoruba books. 
 In March 1858, with the assistance of my schoolmaster, 
 I completed the translation of Dr. Earth's ' Bible 
 Stories' into the Yoruba language, but the manuscript 
 was lost with the steamer Ca^idace. A new copy was 
 made and sent, which Dr. Barth had printed at Stuttgart, 
 at the expense of the Publication Society of Calo ; and 
 now the first box of four hundred copies has safely 
 reached me. Our native agents, servants, and children, 
 whom I presented with copies, were quite delighted 
 with the new book, and some of the children leaped for 
 joy ; the pictures much attract both young and old. 
 Upwards of one hundred copies" I sent to our various 
 stations, including the Wesleyan and Baptist missions, 
 to our European and native brethren and fellow- 
 labourers in the work of the Lord. The news of the 
 arrival of this wonderful book soon got abroad, and 
 one after the other of our converts came, and gladly 
 paid eightpence for a copy." 
 
 The progress of the work in the Yoruba mission 
 during this year (i860) was greatly impeded by the 
 scourge of war, which proved a most serious interrup- 
 tion to the preaching of the gospel, and to the facilities 
 for intercommunication between the various towns 
 comprised within the range of this important field of 
 missionary labour. 
 
 Mr. GoUmer writes, February 20th : " Our station 
 being close to the north gate, upon which Dahomey 
 was expected to direct his attack this time, and where
 
 1 66 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 in consequence a large camp was formed, we of necessit}'' 
 had a large share of the noise attending an African 
 army preparing for self-defence ; the gongon, drum, horn, 
 and fife sounded, with but little intermission, day and 
 night. Early this morning a report that Dahomey was 
 seen on the other side of the river, and not far off, got 
 into the town, and thousands of armed men hastened 
 past our house to the scene of action, 
 
 " February 2ist : I and my children are still suffering 
 more or less, and Mrs. Gollmer is reduced in health and 
 strength fronl over-exertion and sleepless nights, so 
 that we are anything but in a position either to defend 
 ourselves or to flee ; but, thanks be to God, I and my 
 dear wife were calm and without the least fear or alarm 
 about the war. We commended ourselves to the care 
 and keeping of our good God, the keeper of Israel, and 
 felt sure all will be well ; so we had peace in the midst 
 of war and rumours of war. 
 
 " February 26th, Lord's Day : Our seven Scripture- 
 readers went to the camp behind the wall, close to our 
 place, and spent several hours this morning in speaking 
 the words of God to many different parties, who other- 
 wise might not have heard of the glad tidings. 
 
 " March 3rd : The chiefs having ascertained, through 
 messengers from Ketu and others, that Dahomey had 
 destroyed a small Ketu town and had returned home- 
 wards, the three encampments were broken up by the 
 chiefs and people, and they returned home after a 
 resolute watch for ten days and nights. 
 
 " March 8th : Instead of the usual Thursday evening 
 services, we had prayer-meetings the last few weeks.
 
 Flirt ker Progress. 167 
 
 on account of the war, and to-day we returned thanks 
 to God for His gracious dehverance. 
 
 " March loth : For some time past we feared vre 
 should have to leave the country on account of my 
 broken health and strength, my deafness, the long ill- 
 ness of our children, and Mrs. Gollmer's great debility, 
 etc. ; but God was gracious to us, and heard our cry, 
 and so far restored us that we may hope to labour a 
 little longer in His service here, for which we praise 
 His name. 
 
 " May 6th, Lord's Day : During the last few months 
 several mothers have been drawn to the Church by their 
 believing daughters. This morning, in the Sunday- 
 school, I had the pleasure of meeting two more who 
 were thus brought in. One of them, after thirty-six 
 years of separation and slavery in the Jebu country, 
 was redeemed by her daughter, who now leads her 
 to the Redeemer of her soul. As these mothers are 
 too old to learn to read, we placed them together in one 
 class,' with a juvenile to teach them the Lord's Prayer, 
 the Ten Commandments, the Creed, etc., which they 
 will soon know by heart. What a mercy that these 
 persons are being brought into the fold at the eleventh 
 hour, and that the Lord does not reject even such old 
 sinners." 
 
 No sooner had Dahomey returned homewards than 
 sad troubles arose from the war between Ibadan and 
 Ijaye and Abeokuta. Mr. Gollmer writes : — 
 
 "June 7th : The sad news from the seat of war, of 
 
 tne defeat and great loss in prisoners the Abeokuta 
 
 rmy has sustained in the dreadful battle last week,
 
 1 68 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 cast a great gloom upon the whole town. Instead of 
 our usual evening service, I held a prayer-meeting with 
 our few people who attend on a Thursday, humbling 
 ourselves before God on account of this great affliction, 
 and praying that God, for the sake of the few righteous 
 here, would not deliver this town and people into the 
 hands of our enemies, but defend and deliver us." 
 
 At this time the missionary station of Ijaye was in 
 great distress, and the brethren there suffered from 
 scarcity of food and other privations. Mr. Gollmer 
 among others was permitted to render them assistance. 
 
 The Rev. A. Mann, then in charge of Ijaye, writes : 
 " I must not forget mentioning the great kindness 
 Mr. Gollmer showed us in our distress, by sending us 
 up four loads of food and two loads of cowries, with 
 great inconvenience to himself and danger to his people. 
 This is sympathy, not in words, but in deeds. Also 
 the Rev. Mr. King sent some cleaned rice. The food 
 of both friends was a present indeed." 
 
 A few more extracts from Mr. Gollmer's journals 
 conclude the work of the year i860. 
 
 " August 9th : During the last few months, a few 
 hours have been daily employed in translating the 
 fourteen tracts the Religious Tract Society sent me for 
 that purpose ; and, with the help of the Lord, I am 
 happy to say I have completed the work to-day. 
 
 "August loth : Proceeded to Ishaga to-day, in 
 company with Mr. Roper, to pay my long-deferred 
 visit. 
 
 "August I ith : Mr. Smith recommended to me seven 
 adults — four men, one youth, and two women — for
 
 Further Progress. 169 
 
 baptism. To-day I spent about half-an-hoiir with each, 
 examining and instructing them. Four of them belong 
 to Abeokuta, but live about ten miles from Ishaga. It 
 appears they have often heard the converts of Abeokuta 
 speak about God's Word, and have watched them till 
 last year, when they decided to serve the Lord, and 
 are now anxious ' to be sealed,' or signed, i.e., baptized ; 
 they are rather babes in Christ, but I felt I dare ' not 
 forbid water,' that these should not be baptized. One 
 of the men belongs to the town Igbere, near Ilaro : he 
 came to Ishaga for work, and found the Lord. The 
 youth belonged to Aibo, and was made a captive at 
 the taking of the town by the Egbas two years ago, 
 was manumitted by the Scripture-reader of Ishaga, 
 and is now redeemed and made free by the Son of 
 God. One of the women comes from the neighbourhood 
 of the Benin : she was kidnapped, sold, and re-sold, 
 till she reached this place, where she has found free- 
 dom both for body and soul. How wonderful are the 
 dealings of God with the children of men ! 
 
 "August 14th : I had now to retrace my steps home- 
 ward, for which I felt very sorry ; but the war feeling 
 among the people convinced me my missionary tour 
 should not be at this time. 
 
 "November 27th: I must acknowledge the great 
 pecuniary aid we have received from our kind friends of 
 the ' Coral Fund,' who have not only assisted us in the 
 redemption of some young people, but paid the ransom 
 money for several children, and greatly aid us in our 
 work by kindly providing the necessaries of life for 
 these many other children, who by this means are
 
 170 Charles Andrezv Golhier. 
 
 instructed and, I trust, trained for the Lord ; there are 
 now upwards of sixty children in the care of the 
 missionaries who are thus maintained, some for years, 
 by the Coral Fund, and many times we should be at 
 a loss how to redeem a poor child, and how to provide 
 for it, but for this kind handmaid the 'Coral Fund.' 
 Several churches also have been built in our mission 
 by means of this fund. I believe few of our friends 
 at home are aware of the silent growth of the ' Coral 
 Rock,' and the important aid it affords in fostering 
 mission schools.* 
 
 " December 2nd, Lord's Day : During our morning 
 service I had the pleasure to receive twenty-one adults 
 into Christ's Church by baptism. The grey-headed 
 grandmothers, fathers, mothers, young men, and maidens 
 were all alike anxious to be signed for the Lord." 
 
 * It is still doing a good work.
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 LAST DA YS IN AFRICA. 
 
 THE year i86i was the last Mr. Gollmer was per- 
 mitted to reside in Africa. The following extracts 
 give a brief summar}^ of the conclusion of his labours. 
 
 " Our missionary duties are various and numerous. 
 In addition to being counsellor-general, one is called 
 upon one day to act perhaps in the capacity of a judge, 
 hearing and settling palavers, reconciling husband and 
 wife, etc. ; another day one must be a doctor, and 
 prescribe and administer medicines for all sorts of com- 
 plaints ; at another to act as surgeon, especially with 
 a houseful of children. One comes to have a ball 
 extracted, and another a wound sewed up and 
 bandaged. Then buildings are required, and one must 
 be architect, and, if not master-builder, at least superin- 
 tendent of the work : carpenters and other workmen 
 are employed who require direction and attention. In 
 truth, the missionary is at every one's bidding, regard- 
 less of his convenience, etc. ; and to keep things 
 together and carry the work forward, he must attend 
 and look after small and great ; and these multifarious 
 engagements so occupy his time, that very often the 
 day, the week, and the month is gone without having
 
 172 Charles Andrezv Golhner. 
 
 done what we ought to have done. On July ist a very 
 successful missionary meeting, the first at Abeokuta, 
 was held. The large church was crowded with about 
 eight hundred converts. Four of the converts, repre- 
 sentatives of the four churches at Abeokuta, spoke 
 most feelingly, thanking God, the Society, and the 
 missionaries for the Word of God, and urging their 
 brethren and sisters in Christ to hold fast, and help 
 the good work onward. Six of the Scripture-readers, 
 with large calabashes, went from bench to bench to 
 collect the cowries. These were speedily filled, refilled, 
 and emptied on the ground near the pulpit ; but many 
 of the more wealthy and liberal contributors, because 
 the calabash was not large enough to hold their gifts, 
 came up and poured their cowries on the heap. The 
 number of cowries thus collected was 192,400 (about 
 £] 155.), and the total contributions ^^24 los. 3c/. 
 
 " During the months of July and August it pleased the 
 Lord to lay me aside and aftlict me ; but I can only 
 praise Him, and say, with David of old, ' It was good 
 for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn 
 Thy statutes.' I became so weak and low that my 
 friends feared for my safety ; but the Lord blessed the 
 means used, and restored me to health and strength, to 
 labour a little longer for His honour and glory. The 
 devil, in his wicked activity, has hitherto kept pace with 
 the raising of Christ's banner and the establishing of 
 the kingdom of God in this place ; but he has been 
 specially busy these last few years, and certainly many 
 things have conspired together to favour his designs, 
 and militated against us and our good work. Our
 
 Last Days in Africa. 173 
 
 arch-enemy has succeeded in contaminating, ensnaring, 
 and corrupting not a few from the ranks of the Lord, 
 and he has, if possible, brought the heathen chiefs and 
 people nearer to him, or, at least, prevailed upon many 
 to commit sad acts of transgression against God, and to 
 provoke the Holy One to anger. 
 
 "This is indeed a dark picture, calculated to make 
 one feel sad ; but there is a bright side also, which we 
 must not lose sight of. We are inclined to say, 'All 
 these things are against us' ; but if we will lift up the 
 veil, we behold the Lord yet on His throne, and must 
 say, * He reigneth.' We are permitted to worship our 
 God in all quietness, though in the midst of heathen 
 darkness ; to preach His Word regularly and faithfully, 
 and to gather sheep into the fold ; and we feel sure 
 the truth of God's Word has such a hold of the hearts 
 and affections of many, that even the gates of hell 
 cannot prevail over the work of God here." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gollmer and their two children went 
 down to Lagos the following year, 1862, and having 
 left that port in April, they arrived at Liverpool on 
 May nth. 
 
 The following letter, addressed by Mr. Gollmer to the 
 Record newspaper, shortly after his arrival in England, 
 gives a very sad account of the state of the Yoruba 
 country at the time : — 
 
 " For the information of your readers who take a 
 deep interest in the welfare of Africa, I beg to state 
 that the Yoruba Mission needs at present the prayers 
 and support of God's people more than ever. The 
 enemy was permitted to take possession of some of our
 
 174 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 posts, which I need not say was a great trial to the 
 soldiers of the cross of Christ. 
 
 "On March 15th, 1862, Ishaga was destroyed by 
 the army of the king of Dahomey. This town was a 
 promising missionary station, only sixteen miles west 
 of Abeokuta, and contained about five thousand indus- 
 trious inhabitants. 
 
 " Rumours had reached Abeokuta that the Dahomians 
 were out ; also that they were seen near the river 
 lyewa, but it was not much thought of. The Daho- 
 mians, it appears, stole through the forests and towns 
 to the neighbourhood of Abeokuta, and in the night 
 of March 14th to the wall of the doomed town. 
 
 " Having made their arrangements for the attack, 
 viz., placing a strong detachment on the road to Abeo- 
 kuta to prevent the Egbas from going to the support 
 of Ishaga, as in 185 1, and placing other divisions at 
 various points outside the wall to prevent the poor people 
 from escaping, the main army entered the town about 
 8 a'clock A.M., and, being but little resisted, marched 
 to the market-place. 
 
 " A thunder-like discharge of musketry was the 
 signal for the poor inhabitants that they had fallen into 
 the hands of a mighty enemy, and to the cruel Daho- 
 mians to commence the work of destruction. 
 
 "The attack was so unexpected and sudden that but 
 very few people escaped. Several slaves to Dahomians 
 ran to Abeokuta, who reported that all Ishagas who 
 resisted were killed, and many others, old and young ; 
 that the work of destruction lasted all Saturday and 
 Sunday ; that upwards of one thousand people were
 
 Last Days in Africa. 
 
 /D 
 
 slain and beheaded, and their corpses thrown into 
 heaps ; that on Sunday night the Dahomians left Ishaga, 
 carrying about four thousand prisoners with them, all 
 so tied that escape was next to impossible, 
 
 " Parties who visited the scene on Monday and 
 following days state that there were many heaps of 
 dead bodies all over Ishaga ; that their heads having 
 been carried off none could be recognized ; and that 
 the town and Church Missionary house and church 
 were burnt to the ground. 
 
 " The Church Missionary Society has lost Mr. William 
 Doherty,* a most valuable native agent, with about 
 seventeen souls, men, women, and children, connected 
 with the church. A runaway Egba, who was made 
 a prisoner in the mission-house at Ishaga, reported 
 that none of the church people were killed — they were 
 all carried away as prisoners. 
 
 " Fortunately, the schoolmaster, with his family, 
 some schoolchildren, and members of the church were 
 still at Abeokuta for refuge. How sad to think another 
 peaceful town is thus swept from the face of the earth, 
 and thousands of souls are hurried into eternity ; and 
 what will become of those four thousand prisoners ? 
 We apprehend many will be sold into foreign slavery, 
 and that a worse fate may await others ; horrible to 
 think, they may be reserved as sacrifices for the 'awful 
 customs,' when human blood is shed like water. How 
 long will this monster of iniquity be allowed to destroy 
 at will his innocent fellow-beings, and outrage every 
 feeling, human and divine ? 
 
 * He afterwards escaped, and still survives.
 
 1/6 Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 " Alas ! there is another chapter of an almost equally 
 painful occurrence, viz., the destruction of Ijaye, a large 
 Yoruba town, with a population of upwards of forty 
 thousand, and five days' journey from the coast. 
 Ijaye has been besieged by a large party from Ibadan, 
 etc., for the last two years, and was assisted in her 
 defence by a small army from Abeokuta,"
 
 1 ^
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 MR. GOLLMER arrived in England very much 
 shattered in health, unrecognized by his two 
 elder children, from whom he had been separated for 
 several years. He was sent by the doctors to a healthy 
 watering-place in Kent. Here he remained for many 
 years, with his faithful and devoted partner. She was 
 called to her heavenly rest in God's providence in 
 February 1883. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer spent much of his time in the revision 
 of the Yoruba Scriptures, a quiet but important branch 
 of missionary work sometimes forgotten. 
 
 The Rev. H. Townsend, in announcing, in his little 
 Yoruba newspaper, the arrival of a box of Scriptures, 
 wrote : " It is the first time we have had the whole 
 New Testament in Yoruba ; it has been revised and 
 
 * The following is a description of the illustration on p. 178. Top 
 Row — Revs. W. Morgan, Chas. Phillips, J. White, Archdeacon 
 Hamilton, Nathaniel Johnson, 1. Ohiwole, E. S. Willoughbj-. Middle 
 Roiv — Rev. T. B. Wright, Mrs. Ingham, Bishop Ingham, Mrs. Darwin 
 Fox, Rev. James Johnson, the late Rev. J. W. Dickinson. /// Front — 
 ev. F. W. Dodd, Rev. S. W. Darwin Fox,
 
 i8o Charles Andrezu Goiljne7^. 
 
 corrected by the Rev, C. A. Gollmer, who has bestowed 
 much labour and attention on the work." 
 
 Others also bore testimony to the value of this work. 
 
 The Rev. D. Hinderer wrote : "I give my sincerest 
 thanks for your work, and thoroughly appreciate your 
 painstaking and laudable accuracy, with all the ticklish 
 dotting, not to mention other corrections." 
 
 The Rev. D. Phillips, American Baptist missionary, 
 wrote from Abeokuta: "We should be very glad to 
 have you back here, but I think you are doing one of 
 the most essential and permanent works for this part 
 of Africa. I pray God's blessing upon your labours. 
 It must be a very arduous task, and one that requires 
 much time." 
 
 And the Rev. Isaac Smith wrote : " I trust you are 
 still pushing forward the work you took in hand, which 
 will endure for Africa when we are silent in the 
 grave." 
 
 This important work is still carried on with much 
 vigour by a Revision Committee at Lagos, consisting of 
 native clergy and other native gentlemen. 
 
 Mr. Gollmer was also occupied in deputational work 
 for the Society, and thereby helped to stir up the in- 
 terest of Christian people in England, more especially 
 in connection with God's work in Africa. 
 
 At Margate, where he resided, he was local secretary 
 for the Jews' Society, as well as for the London City 
 Mission. 
 
 He was engaged in correspondence, both in English 
 and Yoruba, with the native Christians and agents, 
 many of whom valued his practical help and fatherly
 
 
 90 nE^fiin, xiir. 
 
 \i\iui 7 Rar^J:iaw9n tipe/olori nyinytio ti nso oro ^i; 
 g^y Oloru n fun ny mj^^gbagb o ^ajb k i e^nia \.h C^tiJ' 
 iwOfJ lehin^l^i e'*"ma ro opin ofTfe r, Q woit^ i\f^(.f 
 
 8 Jesu Kristi^^-efli ana, em oni, ati .e«4 titi &.i-u 
 
 .^.v/// 9 E mase j'eTEi a(fi oniruru ati eko ajeji gba 
 .^t,,w6/nyin kiri. Nitori|pe (\Jiun rere ni bi t|ba fi ore- 
 'iSM ?^'? ^ ^^^ ^^^ kale"; kl ise Jfi onje se^ti ko"se 
 -/ Q\ anfani fun awon ti a|ti nlo nin^ re. p 
 
 ijoj 10 Awa nf pepe kan, nin$ eyi ti awon ti nsin p 
 
 fjUA'^^'^ ko" 1^^ lati iT'i^.^v.J^™^ _^..^l''H''n-- -*'' IfV-^ i'' 
 ./&/^o./ l^Nitori^pe^pM^'ran wonl^T, eje eyifi a^u wa'cV-y-j 
 
 y /^^/ slno saii&^^S^Jati owd'^lori alufa wa^nitori ese^ oj 
 
 •y a^9n ^ lebin biidoN/gi^^^ 
 
 fv/fr/-/ 12 I^i^litOTfni^Je&irpefuT^i^e fi «je<^e so. '^-''^o 
 
 ^///-/ awon enia di mimo^ ofjiya lehinJAG4£j_j,,;,.,A^^ ,' 
 
 -/l*^ 1 3 Nitorifna e*je. ki a jad^,^^J^iiji^ si- biKlo5^(4^V 
 -/-/ ki(f^'ma ru egan rei 0}'^^dhSp^^^^^^u^p^a>'"' 
 
 -/t>H ^^ NitoriJ)e awa ko" ni iTu,3jTTa tToauro pe 
 
 -////^i/i/iiihin, sugbon ^nwa okan ti mbo. 
 
 6y-/V 15 .Nje nipase re f*je ki aj'u ebo iym si Ol9ruii 
 tebV/^ nigb^bogbo, eyJjiT ni eso ete wa,.latima fijope 
 
 fun oruko re. "^ •— i 
 
 "! •/'/ 16 Sugiion lati ma'se rere on ati ma seldapo 
 
 ///•/tVcfniase gbagbe: nitori|pe iru ebo bejii ino 
 Olorun don si ioio. ;;^/r;7-y 
 
 '/ ^/^ii2f!»17__gf gba li awon ti ise olori nyin gbo, ki / 
 
 Z(C/(;^^*^^^ri nyin bale : nitorjti nwon nsofeso nitorjj ^ 
 jf^ olian nyin, bi aw9n ti kogbod9 ma siro^ki iiW9n 
 •^I'kjUjki cjle fi ayp se e^teiibinoje : nitori ey^Tse t'jl' 
 ailere fun nyin. 
 
 *) 18 E^gbadura fun wa : mtori}|i| av/a ni okan 
 
 \\>r^'^- X-2.c.f-t.^ ^^'^^ / 
 
 FASCIMILE OF PAGE_^OF YORUBA NEW TESTAMENT, FIRST CORRECTION, FIRST 
 
 EDITION.
 
 Conclusion. 183 
 
 advice. In God's providence, one of the sons of Kosoko, 
 the former cruel king of Lagos, Hved for some time 
 under his roof, and learnt to read and pray in his own 
 language, as well as in English, and afterwards became 
 a useful agent of the Church Missionary Society in the 
 Yoruba country. Mr. Gollmer suffered much during 
 the last few years of his life, and was faithfully attended 
 by his only daughter. He quietly passed away to be 
 with Christ, after a few days' illness, December 23rd, 
 1886. His dying message to his sons, who were all 
 three absent from England, was, " Faithful unto 
 death." 
 
 The following is a brief sketch of Mr, Gollmer's life, 
 which appeared in the Record^ as well as in the local 
 paper at Margate. 
 
 " IN MEMORIAM : CHARLES ANDREW 
 GOLLMER. 
 
 " Another of our veteran missionaries quietly entered 
 into his rest two days before Christmas. Charles Andrew 
 Gollmer will be remembered as one of those whom, well- 
 nigh fifty years ago, Bale gave to the missionary field. He 
 was born at Kirchheim-under-Teck, Wurtemburg, and 
 entered the Bale Missionary Seminary in 1836. In 1840 
 he came to the Church Missionary College at Islington, 
 and in 1841 was ordained Deacon and Priest by Bishop 
 Blomfield. In the same year, on October 29th, he went to 
 the Sierra Leone Mission-field, bis age being then twenty- 
 nine. He joined Townsend and Crowther in 1845 in 
 beginning the Yoruba Mission, and from that year to 1855 
 was at Badagry and Lagos, at which latter place his son, the 
 Rev. C. H. V. Gollmer, is now Church Missionary Society
 
 184 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 Missionary. From 1857 to 1862 he was at Abeokuta. 
 Some of our readers must have heard him tell with his own 
 Hps the story of the privations and difficulties amid which 
 he laboured in Western Africa for the Master Whom he 
 loved so well, and Whom he so long and so zealously 
 served. When the state of his health compelled him to 
 return to England, he took up his residence at Margate. 
 During the twenty years of his sojourn there his sympathies 
 were still with the work which he had reluctantly given up. 
 He was as ready as ever to work, to speak, and to give for 
 the heathen who lay so near his heart. The first part of 
 these years he was engaged in translating the Holy Scrip- 
 tures into the native tongue of those among whom he had 
 gone preaching the kingdom of God. He translated into 
 Yoruba ' Earth's Bible Stories,' the Prayer-book, the 
 'Peep of Day,' and various tracts and sermons; he also 
 twice revised the Yoruba New Testament, and helped in 
 the translation of the Old Testament. He was often 
 employed in deputation work on behalf of the Church 
 Missionary Society, and as lately as July last he spoke at 
 a garden meeting in Harrow with much vigour and force 
 (though then more than threescore years and ten) for a full 
 hour. In February last, after the * Simultaneous Meetings ' 
 held in Margate, it was out of his scant income that the one 
 single large contribution given on that occasion was put in 
 a quiet, unobtrusive way into the hands of the Vicar of 
 Holy Trinity. And to show of what little worth is the 
 reproach that an interest in foreign work interferes with the 
 interest in home work, a post-card lying on his table after 
 his death acknowledges the receipt of half-a-sovereign from 
 him to help in providing ' Penny Dinners ' for the poor 
 children of Margate. Those who knew him best speak of 
 him as having been pre-eminently a man of prayer. Fre- 
 quently at night he has been found on his knees, alone with
 
 Conchtston. 185 
 
 God, pouring out his heart in earnest supplication and 
 intercession. At family prayer he never forgot, we are told, 
 to mention each of those belonging to him by name ; and 
 always at such times he prayed for all those still engaged in 
 missionary work, for the Church Missionary Society, for the 
 town in which he lived, the congregation with which he 
 worshipped (Holy Trinity), and its clergy. His end was in 
 accordance with his life. 
 
 "The Vicar of Holy Trinity, Margate, the Rev. Talbot 
 Hindley, alluding to him on Sunday morning last, said : — 
 
 '* * But an hour or so before he departed hence, as I held 
 his hand in mine, and bent down to catch the disjointed 
 sentences which amid the difficulties of breathing fell from 
 his parched lips, I heard him praying for his children, for 
 you and for me, for " all the dear servants of Christ, that 
 they might be faithful to their Master and united in His 
 service " \ and (showing what was still uppermost in his 
 thoughts) " for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.'" 
 So after life's fitful fever he sleeps well, and we can at 
 best but dimly imagine what the rest and peace and joy 
 must be now he sees his Lord face to face. You and 
 I are left behind, and left to profit by an example 
 such as he set. Left amid earth's shadows to fight the 
 battle, to bear the cross, to tread the pilgrim's path ; left 
 however but for " a little while." God give us grace to be 
 like Charles Andrew Gollmer, faithful unto death, and then 
 by-and-bye we too shall receive a crown of life.' " 
 
 When the news of Mr. Gollmer's decease was 
 received at Lagos, much sympathy was shown by the 
 native Christians with the family of his eldest son, 
 then residing there. 
 
 The following letter, addressed by the Rev. James 
 White, native pastor of St. Jude's Church, Ebute Meta,
 
 1 86 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 to the Rev. N. Johnson, native secretary of the Lagos 
 Church Committee, shows how highly Mr. Golhiier's 
 labours were appreciated : — 
 
 "Ebute Meta, February 22>th, 1887. 
 
 "My dear Brother, — It is with deep regret that we 
 received the sad and mournful intelligence of the death of 
 our veteran and retired missionary, the Rev. C. A. Gollmer 
 
 "This devoted servant of God came to Africa in the 
 year 1841, and after labouring for some years at Bathurst, 
 Sierra Leone, was transferred to the Yoruba Mission in the 
 year 1843, making Badagry his headquarters, whence he 
 endeavoured to introduce the light of the Gospel mto many 
 Popo towns and villages. 
 
 " On the taking of Lagos by the British Squadron in 1852, 
 he joined the Rev. James White, then the catechist at 
 Lagos, and laid the foundation of the first Protestant Church, 
 of the name of St. Peter's, on the site where the Church 
 Missionary Society's Grammar School now stands. From 
 this place he visited Igbesa, Ota, and Ikorodu, labouring to 
 kindle the light of Christianity at these places. 
 
 "About the year 1858 he removed to Abeokuta, whence 
 he visited Isaga, Ibara, Ketu, and other places, sowing the 
 seed of the Gospel. 
 
 " As a pioneer of the Gospel, and forzeal and liberality, 
 he is unsurpassed by any European missionary who has 
 ever yet visited our shores. He promoted the cause of 
 education . . . and did not cripple it by limiting the 
 acquirements of the African to a few simple subjects. He 
 had no objection to Greek and Latin being taught in the 
 school under his superintendence, as far back as thirty- seven 
 years, and the Rev. James White, S. Pearse, and Edward 
 Buko, Messrs. Willoughby, Elliot, Puddicombe, Kester, and 
 and others are among the fruits of his labour.
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 187 
 
 " The Alapako, viz. the owner or Possessor of Boards, 
 the name by which he is universally known in the Yoruba 
 country, as being the first person who erected a boarded 
 house at Badagry and Lagos, is a household word in the 
 
 PI.AJJ OF Lottos 
 
 qos JLj^goo^ "' 
 
 SuirJbrds OeO'it-cphicol Kstab' 
 
 lips of Sierra Leone immigrants, Badagrians, Lagosians, 
 and Abeokutans. At Okeodan, on his way to Abeokuta, 
 he was stripped of everything he had by the savage inhabi- 
 tants, and at Ikorodu he was pelted with stones and forced 
 out of the town in his endeavour to plant the banner of the
 
 iSS Charles Andrew Golliner. 
 
 Cross there, whence it was his intention to reach the heart 
 of the Ijebu country. 
 
 "In 1862 he was compelled through shattered health to 
 return to Europe. Even here, far from the scene of his 
 labour, his heart yearned for benighted Africa, nor did his 
 zeal abate, but he encouraged and strengthened the hands 
 of his fellow-labourers in the mission-field by obtaining 
 subscriptions from kind Christian friends in England for the 
 furtherance of God's cause, and by the translation of several 
 tracts and books into the Yoruba tongue for the use of 
 Yoruba Christian converts. Mr. GoUmer was the honoured 
 instrument, in the hands of God, in the taking of Lagos by 
 the British Squadron — in the restoration of the late King 
 Akitoye to the throne of his ancestors, of which he was 
 deprived by his nephew Kosoko, and of the abolition of the 
 slave-trade in this island. 
 
 " A man of Mr. GoUmer's stamp, whose portrait we can 
 but faintly sketch, deserves our consideration, and ought 
 not certainly to be forgotten. It is, therefore, very desirable 
 that something should be done to perpetuate the memory 
 of so deserving a friend. 
 
 " May I respectfully request that the Church Committee 
 take this matter into their kind consideration, and devise 
 some plan for the raising of a fund, to be called the " GoUmer 
 Memorial Fund," for the accomplishment of this object? 
 "I am, ray dear brother, 
 
 " Yours sincerely, 
 
 "James White. 
 " Rev. N. Johnson, 
 
 Sec. Church Committee" 
 
 In response to this letter, and after due consideration 
 of the subject at a meeting of the Lagos Church 
 Council and Church Committee, Bishop Ingham pre-
 
 Conclusion. iSq 
 
 siding, it was unanimously agreed that tliere should 
 be a memorial, to take the form of " Gollmer's Scholar- 
 ships," for the training of youths in the Lagos Grammar 
 School, and such as would like to be employed in 
 missionary work. 
 
 Among several letters of sympathy received by Mr, 
 Gollmer's eldest son, the following, from the venerable 
 Bishop Crowther (still actively engaged in his work), 
 is very interesting as the testimony of a fellow-labourer. 
 
 Extracts of a letter from the Right Rev. Bishop Crojoihcr to 
 the Rev. C. H. V. GoUmer. 
 
 "Mission Station, Bonny, Fchniaiy i-jlli, 1887. 
 
 " Having been a fellow-labourer with your late revered 
 father for many years at the opening of the Yoruba Mission, 
 I must relate a few recollections of his arduous exertions 
 towards the solid accomplishment of the undertaking. When 
 he was appointed for this mission at Sierra Leone, the first 
 arduous work assigned to him was the preparation of two 
 board frame houses to be shipped from Sierra Leone to the 
 coast; one to be put up at Badagry, the other to be conveyed 
 to Abeokuta, about eighty miles from the coast. 
 
 " The first house was put up at Badagry for the accom- 
 modation of the mission party ; the other was removed to 
 Lagos about 1852, when Mr. GoUmer took charge of thii 
 station — this house is the present mission-house. 
 
 " Hence this great missionary master-builder was named 
 by the natives, as a superior epithet of distinction, * Alapako,' 
 the owner of the Board (house), the only building of the 
 kind known in the whole country. 
 
 " Owing to his far-sightedness of the future wants of the
 
 I go Charles Andrew Gollvier. 
 
 mission, he secured for the Society the following pieces of 
 land at Lagos : — 
 
 " I. The mission premises, including the ground now 
 occupied by the Government House ; the ground where the 
 Training Institution, the Collegiate Institution, and Day 
 School House now stand ; and the mission-house, Christ 
 Church, and the Female Institution are erected on this 
 ground without any expense of purchase of land for more 
 room to the Society. 
 
 "This is one proof of his forethought in providing for 
 this station. 
 
 " 2. The next piece secured was that water frontage lot 
 known by the name of Cotton Store, for industrial purposes ; 
 besides teaching cotton cleaning and pressing on it, it was 
 used to open the Grammar School bill another place was 
 obtained ; when it was no longer wanted for mission use, 
 it was transferred to a mercantile hand without any loss 
 to the Society. 
 
 " 3. The Bread-fruit Station was next secured. Herea 
 temporary bamboo preaching-place was erected, in the centre 
 of a thick population of heathens and Mohammedans ; the 
 bamboo preaching-shed gave place to a mud wall church, 
 which also gave place to the present St. Paul's, of solid 
 brick walls, and the mud wall church is now the schoolroom 
 to St. Paul's. 
 
 " 4. Ebute Ero water frontage was secured, a place 
 where large congregations of traders are accessible, to 
 call their attention to hear the glad tidings of salvation. 
 Here the Holy Trinity Church now stands. 
 
 "5. A place near the king's palace was next secured, 
 where it would be convenient for His Majesty King 
 Akitoye to attend service with his chiefs and household, 
 without going through the street in state according to 
 custom.
 
 CHRIST CHURCH, LAC.OS, BUILT BY THE LATE REV. J. A. LAMB
 
 Conclusion. 193 
 
 " Before any house was built, or any i)lace of worship 
 was put up at Lagos, he lodged in a native mud wall house, 
 mud ground floor, near the present Court House, Tinubu 
 Square ; his preaching-place was under the shade of the old 
 trees in the street ; there he exercised himself in his earnest 
 addresses in the native language, to invite the attentive 
 audience to ' Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away 
 the sin of the world.' He was respected by all the popula- 
 tion of Lagos, and was the confidant of King Akitoye and 
 his chiefs. The memory of the just is blessed. 
 
 " S. A. Crowther." 
 
 Reference was also made to the Church's loss in the 
 twelfth annual report of the Lagos Native Pastorate 
 in the following words : — 
 
 " The Church has been called upon to lament the 
 death of one of the most devoted, active, diligent, and 
 laborious missionaries this country, but Lagos in par- 
 ticular, ever had : the Committee refer to the late Rev. 
 C. A. Gollmer. The memory of this veteran mission- 
 ary will long be cherished by many in Lagos, having 
 been made an instrument, in God's hands, in laying the 
 foundations of the temporal and spiritual liberty we 
 are now enjoying. 
 
 " Endowed with strong administrative abilities, with 
 a singular penetrating foresight, coupled with surprising 
 physical energy, he proved to be a right man in a right 
 place at a right time, to render essential services to 
 this country in more ways than one. 
 
 " His name indeed was once a household word ; and 
 years to come some of the fruits of his labours in 
 Lagos alone will yet be seen, admired, and enjoyed. 
 
 13
 
 194 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 " Though he long retired from active missionary 
 operations, yet he continued up to his death to watch 
 with parental solicitude the scene of his past labours, 
 testifying practically his warm interest by his many 
 translations, by fervent prayers, by pecuniary and other 
 gifts to aid in the furtherance of the objects the Com- 
 mittee now seek to carry out." 
 
 In closing this brief memoir of one of God's servants, 
 permitted, by God's mercy and grace, to be engaged in 
 extending Christ's kingdom in the Yoruba country, we 
 would recall the earnest and devoted labours of many 
 others — God's faithful servants — some of whom have 
 been called to lay down their lives in the cause of God 
 and in the extension of His kingdom, labourers con- 
 nected with other societies besides the beloved Church 
 Missionary Society. 
 
 So wonderfully has God prospered the work at 
 Lagos, that in December 1885 a "special Mission," 
 similar to that held in English parishes, was held in 
 that town, and it is believed that, " through God's 
 blessing, clergy and people alike have been quickened 
 to a more living faith and a holier life." (See p. 178.) 
 
 Moreover, in April 1887, so rapidly had the work 
 spread, that at a Diocesan Conference held at Lagos, 
 under the presidency of Bishop Ingham, it was unani- 
 mously agreed, after mature consideration, that the time 
 had arrived for a division of the Diocese of Sierra Leone 
 and for the appointment of a Bishop of Yoruba, having 
 his residence at Lagos. (See Appendix C.) 
 
 The following is from the Society's Report for 1888, 
 and will form a suitable conclusion to this memoir : —
 
 Conclusion. 195 
 
 "The Twelfth Annual Report of the Lagos Native 
 Pastorate Association for the year ending March 31st, 
 1887, contains the annual sermons preached by the 
 Rev. C. H. V. Gollmer at Christ Church, Faji, on June 
 7th, and by the Rev. J. White at Breadfruit on the 
 following day. 
 
 "Mr. Gollmer, whose text was Psalm xcvi. 9, 10, re- 
 ferred in his introductory remarks to his late father's 
 testimony as to the state in which he found Lagos. 
 He said; 'Just about forty-three years ago an 
 honoured servant of God, now resting from his 
 labours, but then residing at Sierra Leone, wrote as 
 follows : — - 
 
 "'"This morning, (December 17th, 1844), I heard 
 that a slaver, with slaves from the Yoruba country on 
 board, arrived during the night. I went at once on 
 board, and found the Spanish ship Diligence, with 178 
 souls — 69 men, 44 boys, 31 women, and 34 girls. 
 • They were shipped at the horrible place Lagos, and 
 captured by H.M.S. JVaspr 
 
 " 'A few months after (August 17th, 1845), the same 
 devoted servant of God, who had proceeded to Badagry, 
 and who was longing to get a footing in Lagos, wrote : 
 " Lagos is represented as a scene of horror ; the 
 whole town is nearly destroyed, and the numerous 
 inhabitants reduced to but a few. Dead bodies are 
 observed in all directions, too many to bury them. 
 Some were thrown into the sea, which the sharks 
 devoured, but many are yet lying about, sufficient to 
 occasion a pestilence." 
 
 "'A wondrous chain of circumstances has brought
 
 196 Chmdes Andreio Golhner. 
 
 about the marvellous change now to be seen in this 
 respectable and flourishing town, once only known as 
 one of the darkest places of the earth, full of the 
 habitations of cruelty. Godly men and women have 
 come and gone, and some have laid down their lives in 
 the cause of Christ, and for the welfare of this country. 
 " ' Natives of the soil, ministers and laymen, have 
 worked nobly for their country, and there has arisen in 
 our midst more than one native church — for we do not 
 in any wise desire to ignore the work of other churches, 
 — there has arisen, I say, a young native church, just 
 eleven years old, which we call " The Lagos Native 
 Pastorate," a young native church which has no cause to 
 be proud ; which has no cause to be self satisfied (when 
 we consider the multitude of heathen and Mohamme- 
 dans around our very doors yet unevangelized), but a 
 young native church which, nevertheless, should thank 
 God, take courage, and go forward.'"
 
 APPENDICES.
 
 APPENDIX A. 
 
 ON AFRICAN SYMBOLIC MESSAGES. 
 By the late Rev. C. A. Gollmer. 
 
 African symbolic language consists of messages which the 
 natives in the Yoruba country, West Africa, in the absence 
 of writing, and as a substitute for the same, send to one 
 another in order to indicate and communicate their mind. 
 This is effected by means of a variety of tangible objects, 
 such as shells, feathers, pepper, corn, stone, coal, sticks, 
 powder, shot, razor, etc., by which they convey their ideas, 
 feelings, and wishes, good and bad, and that in an un- 
 mistakable, and if possible more forcible manner than can 
 be done by writing, as the object transmitted is seen, the 
 import of it known, and the message verbally delivered by 
 the messenger sent, and repeated by one or more other 
 persons accompanying the messenger for the purpose as the 
 importance of the message is considered to require. 
 
 The shells made use of for this purpose are chiefly the 
 cowries, with a few others. No cowries are found on the 
 West Coast of Africa ; they are all imported by European 
 merchants. The white cowries come from the Molucca 
 Islands, and others are found in the Pacific Ocean, and the 
 grey-looking ones come from the Island of Zanzibar, and 
 other parts of East Africa. Cowries have long been and 
 still are in use in West Africa, as in parts of India, etc., as 
 the current money of the country, and the people make
 
 200 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 also much use of them in their idolatrous worship. Cowries 
 in the symbolic language are used to convey, by their 
 number and the way in which they are strung, a great 
 variety of ideas, as will be seen by the following, viz. : — 
 
 1. One cowry may indicate "defiance and failure"; 
 thus : A cowry (having a small hole made at the back 
 part, so as to be able to pass through it, and the front 
 opening) strung on a short bit of grass fibre or cord, and 
 sent to a person known as a rival, or one aiming at injuring 
 the other, the message is ; " As one finger cannot take up 
 a cowry (more than one are required), so you one I defy ; 
 you will not be able to hurt me, your evil intentions will 
 come to nothing." 
 
 2. Two cowries may indicate "relationship and meet- 
 ing " ; thus : Two cowries strung together face to face, and 
 sent to an absent brother or sister, the message is : " We 
 are children of one mother, were nursed by the same 
 breasts ; we are one, what you hear from me is the truth : 
 you look at me, and I look at you, but I want to see you 
 yourself, and that face to face ; come." 
 
 3. Two cowries may indicate " separation and enmity " ; 
 thus : Two cowries strung back to back, and sent to a 
 person gone away, the message is : " You and I are now 
 separated. Let us keep what we promised ; if you do not 
 our friendship is dissolved ; you turn away from me, seeking 
 your own ; I nmst turn away from you, and do not want 
 you to come back to me." 
 
 4. Tuo coivries and a feather may indicate " speedy 
 meeting " ; thus : Two cowries strung face to face, with a 
 small feather (of a chicken or other bird) tied between the 
 two cowries, and sent to a friend at a distance, the message 
 is : "I want to see you ; do not delay in coming, but as the 
 bird (represented by the feather) flies straight and quickly, 
 so come as quickly as you can, that I may see you face to 
 face."
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 201 
 
 5. Tivo coivries with a little soap and camwood may 
 indicate " help and faithfulness " ; thus : Two cowries 
 strung face to face, with a small piece of native soap and 
 camwood (a red dye) tied between the two cowries, and 
 sent to a member of the family from home, the message 
 is : " We are alike ; you and I have been washed, and 
 made clean with this soap ; you and I have had our 
 bodies rubbed over with this camwood (powdered and 
 mixed with oil) ; having thus alike been helped, and faith- 
 fully attended to for good, let us be true, help and do all 
 we can for the good of one another — you absent, and I at 
 home." 
 
 6. Three coivries strung together, with their faces towards 
 the long end of the string, are made use of by the Oghonis 
 in sending messages to one another. 
 
 Ogbonis are members of a secret society, men and women, 
 chiefly of the older and better class of the people, whose 
 professed object is "the good of the people and the 
 country." 
 
 The number (three cowries) indicates that the message 
 comes from a society or company, and the manner or way 
 in which the three cowries are strung indicates that they 
 all look to the same thing — i.e., are of one mind. But the 
 message communicated therewith {i.e., delivered by the 
 messenger) can only be heard and understood by those 
 initiated into the secrets of the society. As the native 
 proverb indicates, viz. : " Ogboni ineji li mo idi Eta " — i.e., 
 *' Two Ogbonis (members of the society) know the meaning 
 and matter of the three." 
 
 7. Three cowries with some pepper may indicate 
 " deceit " thus : Three cowries strung with their faces all 
 looking one way (as mentioned before), with an alligator 
 pepper tied to the cowries, Eru being the name of the 
 pepper in the native language, which in English means 
 "deceit." The message may be either a "caution not to
 
 202 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 betray one another," or more frequently, " an accusation of 
 having deceived and defrauded the company." 
 
 8. Five cowries may indicate "sickness and pain"; thus : 
 Aritn in the Yoruba language means " five " (cowries or 
 coins implied) ; it means also " sickness," from the verb 
 run, to be sick, in pain, etc. Five cowries, strung with 
 their faces all looking the same way, and sent to some one, 
 the message is : " We are in the same way, viz., sick or 
 suffering," or "We are alike pained and grieved by what we 
 hear about you." 
 
 9. Six coiuries \m.y \nd\c2iie. "attachment and affection"; 
 thus : Efa in the native language means " six " (cowries 
 implied) ; it also means " drawn," from the verb fa, to 
 draw. Mora is always implied as connected with Efa : this 
 means " stick to you," from the verb mo, to stick to, and 
 the noun ara, body — i.e., you. Six cowries strung (as 
 before mentioned) and sent to a person or persons, the 
 message is: "I am drawn [i.e., attached) to you, I love 
 you," which may be the message a young man sends to a 
 young woman with a desire to form an engagement. 
 
 10. Heven coivrics may indicate "ending or stopping": 
 thus : Eje in the native language means " seven " (cowries, 
 and here days, implied). By custom the worship, etc., of 
 the executive god Oro may last seven days, and then it 
 must end. Seven cowries, strung as before stated, sent to 
 any one acquainted with, the message is : " There must 
 be an end to our intercourse and friendship, etc., and 
 all messages, etc., must be stopped now." 
 
 11. Eight cowries may indicate "likeness and agree- 
 ment" ; thus : EJo in the Yoruba language means " eight," 
 also "alike," "conform," "agree," from the \exhjo, to be 
 alike, to agree, etc. Eight cowries strung (as before 
 mentioned — i.e., all faces looking one way) and sent to 
 some one, the message is: "We are like you, and agree 
 with you respecting the matter," which is applicable of
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 203 
 
 course to a variety of things, and may be so to one thing in 
 particular, viz., as a message of a young woman in answer 
 to the message received from the young man, as per the six 
 cowries' communication. 
 
 12. Nine cowries may indicate "benefit or revenge"; 
 thus : Esan in the native language means " nine " (cowries 
 implied) ; it means also " to be better," and " to retaliate," 
 from the verb san, to benefit, to reward. Nine cowries 
 strung as usual, and sent to a friend or foe, the message to 
 the former will be : " We hope you are in better health ; " 
 and to the latter: "We shall pay you with the same coin," 
 i.e., retaliate. 
 
 13. Forty cowries may indicate "disturbance, trouble, 
 and loss "; thus : Ogoj'i in Yoruba means " forty " — literally 
 twice twenty — from Ogien, twenty ; and EJi, two. But it 
 means also a " fray," i.e., " double fight," from ogim, war, 
 and EJi, two. Forty cowries (having a small hole made at 
 the back — not the middle part of the cowry as usual, but 
 near the pointed part) strung, so to say, upside down, and 
 fastened to grass fibres, the end of which bending down 
 through the weight of the cowry, and thus sent to a friend 
 at a distance, the message is : " We have great excitement 
 here ; the place is, as it were, turned upside down, we are 
 in great trouble ; all people hang their heads down through 
 rumours and fears of war." 
 
 The following fourfold message (14 to 17) was sent to me 
 about thirty years ago by the King of the IJesa (Ijesha) 
 country, five days' journey from Lagos interiorwards, and in 
 a north-easterly direction. 
 
 14. Ten cowries may indicate " invitation." Ten cowries 
 strung on a short and narrow strip of leather, the faces of 
 the cowries all looking one way. Eiva in Yoruba means 
 "ten" (cowries implied); Ewa vcitd^Xi's, also "you come," 
 from e the prefix being (the contracted form of) the plural 
 of the second personal pronoun — i.e., " you " (in which
 
 204 
 
 Charles Andreiv Gollmer. 
 
 form or language the higher classes of the people address, 
 or speak to, one another, as servants also speak to their 
 masters to show respect, while the masters 
 speak to their servants, etc., in the second 
 person singular form — i.e., " thou," and 
 not "you," to indicate inferiority), and 
 from tua, the verb, or, better, verbal 
 noun, "come." The message was in 
 the polite language, "You come," which 
 was deUvered by the messengers thus : 
 " Our king has heard of the Alapako, 
 and he wishes you to come and see him, 
 and bring white men with you to live 
 with him." 
 
 The name Alapako was given me by 
 the natives; it means "owner of the 
 board or timber house," from the fact 
 that in 1845 I brought timber and boards 
 for two houses from Sierra Leone to 
 Badagry, where I had them erected. 
 One of them I subsequently took down, 
 removed, and re- erected at Lagos — i.e., the present Church 
 Missionary House at Oko Faji, Lagos, near the Govern- 
 ment House (pp. 17 and 144). 
 
 15. K fan may indicate "high station and authority"; 
 thus : The king's messengers carried and handed to me, 
 whilst delivering their messages, a good-sized fan, cut out of 
 a dried cowhide, of a round shape, and about sixteen inches 
 in diameter, with a handle attached, and ornamented with a 
 number of figures, imitations of animals, and others worked 
 on it in narrow stripes of coloured leather, and the message 
 was : " A great man, the owner of the fan, and sender of 
 the message, inviting a great man to come to him." 
 
 16. A ^m// may indicate "friendship and play"; thus: 
 
 * Drawn from the original. 
 
 ' COME. ■
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 205 
 
 The king's messengers handed me also two light grey-look- 
 ing African beans, of the common marble size and form, 
 and the message was : "When the great man Alapako visits 
 the great man the King of Ijesa, they will sit down as 
 friends and play together : " somewhat as friends at home 
 sit down and play at chess or draughts, etc., with this differ- 
 ence, that the Africans have a thick piece of board about 
 two feet long and six to nine inches broad, with two rows 
 of about half-a-dozen holes or cavities scooped out. The 
 players sit opposite to each other with the board between 
 them, one after the other playing, i.e., moving a number of 
 the beans from one cavity to the other along his side. 
 
 1 7. A sheep may indicate " provision " ; thus : The king's 
 messengers also brought and delivered to me two sheep. 
 And the message was : " When the great man Alapako 
 goes to visit the great man the King of Ijesa, he must 
 take the two sheep and have soup made for him by the 
 way." 
 
 The following fivefold painful symbolic message was sent 
 by D., whilst in captivity at Dahomey, to his dear wife M., 
 who happened to be staying with us at Badagry at the time. 
 The symbols were a stone, a coal, a pepper, oorn, and a rag. 
 In great distress of mind M. came and showed us the 
 articles, and told us the message received. During the 
 attack of the King of Dahomey, with his great army of 
 Amazons and other soldiers, upon Abeokuta in March 
 1852, D., one of the native Christians and defenders of his 
 town, home, and family, was taken captive and carried to 
 Dahomey, where he suffered much for a long time. M., 
 anxious to do all she could to get her husband released, 
 came down to Badagry, and earnestly begged me to help 
 her in her efforts. And whilst waiting for weeks to know 
 the result, she received the symbolic letter, which conveyed 
 the following message : — 
 
 18. The stone indicated "health " (the stone was a small
 
 2o6 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 common one from the street) ; thus the message was : " As 
 the stone is hard, so my body is hardy, strong — i.e., well." 
 
 19. The coal indicated "gloom" (the coal was a small 
 piece of charcoal) ; thus the message was : " As the coal is 
 black, so are my prospects dark and gloomy." 
 
 20. The pepper indicated " heat " (the pepper was of the 
 hot cayenne sort) ; thus the message was : " As the pepper 
 is hot, so is my mind heated, burning on account of the 
 gloomy prospect — i.e., not knowing what day I may be sold 
 or killed." 
 
 21. The corn indicated "leanness" (the corn was a few 
 parched grains of maize or Indian corn) ; thus the message 
 was ; " As the corn is dried up by parching, so my body is 
 dried up or become lean through the heat of my affliction 
 and suffering." 
 
 22. The rag indicated " worn out "; thus (the rag was a 
 small piece of worn and torn native cloth, in which the 
 articles were wrapped) the message was : " As the rag is, so is 
 my cloth cover — i.e., native dress — worn and torn to a rag." 
 
 Natives having frequently more names than one, and at 
 Dahomey D. being only known by his other name, O., the 
 efforts to redeem and release him failed. After much 
 suffering D. was sold and shipped as a slave, but through 
 the kind efforts of the Committee of the Church Missionary 
 Society, and the powerful influence of the British Govern- 
 ment, D. was found at Havanah, set free, and restored to 
 his country and family. 
 
 The following is a twentyfold symbolic representation and 
 communication : — 
 
 During my visit to Ketu, a large fortified town near the 
 Dahomian frontier, and about three days' journey west from 
 Abeokuta, in August 1859, it happened one day, when 
 paying the king another friendly private visit, that I observed 
 the king's previously smiling and cheerful countenance 
 changed for the worse, and that, instead of asking me to sit
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 207 
 
 by him at his usual place of reception, he led me through 
 several rooms and courtyards to a small secret out-of-the- 
 way place, where he asked me to sit down, and without 
 greeting me as before with the usual salutations, and making 
 the various customary inquiries ; but, looking at me in a 
 somewhat unfriendly manner, and after a pause, he (the 
 king) produced and placed on the ground before me twenty 
 little sticks of different wood, each about eight inches long, 
 and of the thickness of a finger, and asked me to take one 
 of these twenty sticks (p. 152). 
 
 The change in my reception by the king, which before was 
 most friendly, and now quite the contrary, with the strange 
 place of audience, made me feel somewhat uncomfortable, 
 and the placing of the twenty sticks before me not a little 
 embarrassed and troubled my mind, this affair being beyond 
 my eighteen years' African experience. I was puzzled, 
 paused, and thought what it could all mean. The more I 
 reflected the more reluctant I felt to do as I was asked, 
 viz., to take one of the twenty sticks. 
 
 The king was silent, and so was I ; but he watched me 
 all the while, and after another long pause, during which 
 the king's countenance changed a little for the better, he 
 broke the silence by saying, " I see you are perplexed, and 
 do not take one of the sticks. Well, to explain the matter" 
 (the king continued) — 
 
 23. " These twenty sticks represent the twenty of my 
 young wives who visited you this morning at your lodgings. 
 On their return home I was informed that you eyed one of 
 them very much, and who was supposed to have done some 
 mischief, which you by means of your supernatural power as 
 a priest of God could discern in her, and therefore looked 
 at her so much, but you would not say anything on account 
 of the many people present ; so the twenty women have 
 each brought their representative stick for you to prove and 
 make known the guilty and clear the innocent."
 
 2o8 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 I listened anxiously to this statement, and felt not a little 
 uneasy when the king seriously spoke of my having "eyed " 
 one of his wives, fearing, " An enemy has done this," and 
 remembering that such charges frequently result in great 
 trouble. And yet, after hearing the king out, and looking 
 at him, I involuntarily smiled, which broke the spell of the 
 king's gloomy countenance, and provoked a smile from him 
 in return. 
 
 I now frankly and fearlessly stated what took place in 
 the morning, when his twenty wives paid me a visit of 
 honour on behalf of the king their lord, viz. : that nothing 
 was said, either by his wives or by me, beyond the usual 
 ceremonial salutations and inquiries ; that as a minister of 
 God it was my duty and practice to read a portion of God's 
 Word to my visitors, and that accordingly I read these 
 words to them (reading the 128th Psalm), and told them 
 these are the words of the true God. I then assured him 
 that it was not true that I "eyed" one woman more than 
 the other, and that neither I nor any other mortal man had 
 such supernatural powers ; that God alone knows the heart 
 of man, and the evil thereof. This statement the king 
 accepted as true, gathered the twenty sticks, and smilingly 
 said, *' My wives will be glad to hear what you stated." 
 
 I thanked God for helping me out of my dilemma, for it 
 was clear, if I had been wanting in reflection, and hasty 
 in taking up one of the twenty sticks, the poor innocent 
 woman represented thereby would have been seized and 
 punished severely, and I should have been guilty of causing 
 much injury and suffering to an innocent person. 
 
 To elucidate one of the above statements, I should 
 mention that I was informed the Mohammedan priests 
 assume, and make their credulous heathen neighbours 
 believe, that they have supernatural power by means of 
 which they can tell what bad deeds are done ; and the 
 people, taking for ^r nted that I as a white man, and priest
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 209 
 
 of God, must have this supernatural power in a higher 
 degree than the Mohammedans, thus came to the conclu- 
 sion as above stated. 
 
 24. A tooth-brush may indicate " remembrance " ; thus : 
 It is a well-known fact that the Africans in general can 
 boast of a finer and whiter set of teeth than most other 
 nations. And those Europeans who live long among 
 them know from constant observation how much attention 
 they pay to their teeth, not only every morning, but often 
 during the day. The tooth-brush made use of is simply a 
 short piece of wood (a medicinal root, etc.), and about six to 
 nine inches long, and of the thickness of a finger. One end 
 of the stick, wetted with the saliva, is rubbed to and fro 
 against the teeth, a longer or shorter period as time and 
 work may allow, which end after awhile becomes soft. 
 This sort of tooth-brush forms an article of trade or com- 
 merce, is also frequently given to friends as an acceptable 
 present, and now and then it is made use of as a symbolic 
 letter, and in such a case the message is : " As I remember 
 my teeth the first thing in the morning, and often during 
 the day, so I remember and think of you as soon as I get 
 up, and often afterwards." 
 
 25. A kola (or gora) nut may indicate "health and old 
 age " ; thus : Orogbo is the name for the bitter kola or gora 
 nut, from koro, to be bitter, and gbo, to ripen ; and this 
 kola or gora nut contains tonic properties of the nature of 
 quinine, and is eaten to promote health. When such a nut 
 is sent to a friend, the message may be twofold, viz. : if sent 
 to some one who is or has been ill, it conveys an inquiry 
 after the health and a wish of good health ; if sent to one 
 in health it conveys the good wishes to come to maturity — 
 i.e., long life, grow old — which is one of the best wishes in 
 the Yoruba country, because of the great honour old people 
 are held in by the people generally. 
 
 Kola nuts (divided in quarters) and water are generally 
 
 M
 
 2IO Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 offered to respectable visitors, natives and Europeans, 
 whereby the person visited wishes welcome, peace, and 
 health. 
 
 26. Honey may indicate " welcome " ; thus : On one 
 occasion, when wishing to visit a distant town and people, 
 as a matter of precaution, not to get into any trouble in a 
 new and unknown country on the one hand, and on the 
 other to ascertain whether a visit was practicable, and that 
 I might hope to be well received, I despatched messengers 
 to the local authorities- -/.i"., the king and principal chiefs — 
 to inform them of my desire, and to be informed of their 
 wishes. My men on their return were accompanied by 
 messengers from the king, who brought not only the usual 
 "message-stick," />., object to identify the sender and 
 verify the message (which may be a sceptre, sword, knife, 
 staff, etc., according to the rank of the sender), but also two 
 bottles of honey, which they handed to me with the message 
 (answer) : " That the king and chiefs will be glad to see 
 me," or " As the honey was sweet, so will be my visit to 
 them." 
 
 27. Sugar may indicate " peace and love " ; thus : During 
 the long and destructive war between the chiefs and people 
 of the two large towns A. and I., in the interior, there 
 were among the inhabitants of the two towns a number 
 of people — native Christians — who, instead of hating and 
 fighting one another, were at peace with and loved each 
 other. And in the midst of the strife this good disposition 
 was made known to one another by the following symbol : 
 — A loaf of white sugar was sent by messengers from the 
 native church at A. to the native church at I., and the 
 message was : " As the sugar is white, so there is no black- 
 ness {i.e., enmity) in our hearts towards you ; our hearts are 
 white {i.e., pure and free from it). And as the sugar is 
 sweet, so there is no bitterness among us against you ; 
 we are sweet {i.e., at peace with you), and love you."
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 2 1 1 
 
 28. K fagot may indicate "fire and destruction"; thus : 
 one mode of revenge in some parts of Africa is to set fire 
 to an offender's house. Robbers may also avail themselves 
 of this means to facilitate their nightly depredations and 
 plunder, and sometimes the innocent are punished and 
 made to suffer in this way by evil-disposed people. During 
 the time of sad commotion, war and rumours of war, at 
 Badagry (connected with the slave-trade), a most trying 
 time for me and my family, as for weeks — yea, months — 
 we had cause to apprehend an attack would be made upon 
 us, as was intimated one night by the following symbolic 
 object, viz. : A fagot, i.e., a small bundle of bamboo poles, 
 burnt on one end, was found fastened to the bamboo 
 fence enclosing our compound, or premises, and which con- 
 veyed the message : " Your house will be burnt down " — 
 i.e.^ destroyed (p. 47). 
 
 29. Poivdcr afid sJiot may indicate " murder" or " war" ; 
 thus : Disputes and quarrels are, alas ! by far too common 
 among the Africans, especially among the higher and ruhng 
 classes, and frequently jealousy and obstinacy lead to 
 threatening messages being sent, intimating that revenge 
 will be taken when this assumes a family, tribal, or national 
 character. Powder and shot are often made use of and 
 sent as a symbolic letter; the message is to either an 
 individual or a people, viz.: "As we cannot settle the 
 quarrel, we must fight it out " {i.e., " We shall shoot you, 
 or make war upon you "). 
 
 30. A 7-azor may indicate "murder"; thus: In Africa, 
 alas ! many people die an unnatural death. The Yorubas 
 have only too good a knowledge of the poisons (vegetable, 
 animal, etc.) that abound in their country, and only too 
 often they make use of one sort or other to shorten the 
 lives of one another, and this takes place mostly among 
 chiefs, the ruling powers and higher classes of the people. 
 Other means also are employed to take revenge, and put an
 
 212 Charles Andrezu Gollmer, 
 
 enemy out of the way {i.e.^ kill him), and that in as secret 
 a manner as possible. A person suspected and accused of 
 having by some means or other been the cause of death of 
 a member of a family, the representative of that family will 
 demand satisfaction by sending the symbolic object, viz., a 
 razor or knife, which is laid outside the door of the house 
 of the accused offender and guilty party, and the message 
 is well understood to be : " You have killed or caused the 
 death of N. ; you must kill yourself to avenge his death." 
 
 31. A certain soimd or noise may indicate " the presence, 
 voice, and speech of a god ; " thus : Oro is the name of 
 the executive god of the Yorubas. And as If a, the con- 
 sultive god, is not represented, as other gods, by an image 
 in human form, but by sixteen sacred three and four-eyed 
 palm-nut stones, so is Oro the executive god represented 
 otherwise than by an image, viz., by certain implements, 
 consisting of sticks and poles from six to twelve feet long, 
 with a piece of good strong cord, from four to six feet long, 
 fastened to the thin end of the sticks and poles, and with a 
 thin piece of board from two to four inches broad and two 
 to four feet long fastened to the other end of the cord. 
 The larger of these implements are put together and used 
 by men, and the smaller by boys ; and the poles and sticks 
 are so moved about as to cause the piece of board to swing 
 in the air, by which, according to size, either a deep 
 sonorous or sharp shrill sound is produced, somewhat like 
 WH-wu-ivu, longer or shorter according to the slow or quick 
 moving of the implements. These sounds are heard gene- 
 rally after dark and for hours, seldom the whole night ; and 
 at times, when a number of these different implements are 
 in use at a given spot, the sound is most melancholy and 
 dismal, intimidating not only native but even European 
 females. These sounds are sometimes heard in the day- 
 time, but only at a distance from a sacred grove or a 
 neighbouring forest, so that the women cannot see the
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 21 
 
 implements or know how the sound is produced, lest the 
 secret of the men in this matter should be divulged and 
 spoiled. For the men impose upon the female sex, making 
 them believe that these sounds are the voice of Oro, the 
 executive god — i.e., "the voice of the departed spirits qf 
 their ancestors " (the deep or low sound being the voice of 
 the old, and the shrill that of the young ones), " and that 
 they are come for the purpose of holding a council and 
 to judge matters." The nature and doings of this god are 
 understood to be a secret known to the male sex only : 
 but no doubt a number of women know a good deal 
 about it, though they dare not and do not talk about it, 
 from fear of Oro punishing them (p. 149). 
 
 The control of this god Oro, or the sayings and doings in 
 his name, are chiefly in the hands of the Ogboiiis — i.e., the 
 elder members of the secret society mentioned under 
 paragraph six, for they appoint the time when, and deter- 
 mine for how many days (one, two, or up to seven), Oro is 
 to make his appearance in public. And they order the 
 town criers to give public notice previously of the day fixed, 
 so that the women may have time to provide and store up 
 in the house the needful food, water, firewood, etc., for so 
 many days, so that the objects of Oro, or rather the design- 
 ing men, may not be interfered with, which are : to deprive 
 the women of their privilege of attending the public meet- 
 ings proposed to be held by the men ; to compel all women 
 old and young, high and low, to remain indoors, and on 
 pain of death not to appear in the streets ; and also that 
 the men may be able quietly to hold their meetings, discuss 
 plans, and decide upon important matters, which may be 
 the execution of criminals, planning a war expedition, or 
 offering a human sacrifice, etc., unknown to the women, 
 who might otherwise frustrate their purpose. 
 
 32. Fire may indicate "punishment"; thus: Sango 
 (Shango) is the name of the god of thunder and lightning
 
 2 14 Charles Andreiu Gollmer. 
 
 of the Yorubas. Thunder and lightning in Yoruba are most 
 awfully grand, the peals of thunder being often terrifically 
 loud and powerful, shaking the very ground under one ; 
 and the flashes of lightning are not only exceedingly vivid, 
 but great masses of fire, and often destructive, people being 
 killed and houses set on fire by it ; and from fear thousands 
 of poor ignorant heathen people worship this terrible and 
 destructive god, that he may not punish them. When 
 there is a storm thousands of the worshippers perambulate 
 the streets, shouting mightily with every peal of thunder and 
 flash of lightning. And when a thatch roof of a house or 
 compound is set on fire, many assemble there and sing and 
 dance around the burning place, making no attempt, nor 
 permitting any one to attempt, to put the fire out, shouting, 
 " It is holy fire, the fire of Sango." They say : " Sango 
 punishes the owner for some offence, by burning down his 
 house." "Sango is punishing him also by giving all his 
 property to his worshippers." Accordingly they plunder 
 the premises, and rob the poor man and his family of all 
 they possess. And as a further punishment the head of 
 the family has to pay a fine in money, i.e.^ cowries, to the 
 worshippers before he is allowed to rebuild his house (p. 131). 
 33. A leopai-d may indicate a " human enemy " ; thus : 
 In the early part of my residence at Lagos, just thirty years 
 ago, a leopard swam across from the mainland to the island 
 of Lagos, and the Church Missionary House being at that 
 time the first or last house of the town, i.e., in coming fron" 
 or going to the sea, we had the first visit from the leopard, 
 the forest monster. Unannounced he leaped over our 
 compound wall, but not finding what he was in search of — 
 i.e., a lamb, sheep, or bullock — he as unceremoniously left, 
 leaped over the wall again, and proceeded into the town, 
 where, in an open place, he met two men, who kept watch 
 because of human enemies being feared to come and attack 
 the town. The leopard sprang upon one of the men, dug
 
 On African Symbolic Messages. 215 
 
 the claws of one of his fore feet into the man's shoulder, 
 and the other on his forehead, the man embracing the body 
 of the leopard tightly ; whilst in this position the other man 
 shot and killed the leopard. The following morning the 
 men brought the dead leopard, a fine large animal, to me 
 for inspection, etc., the head of the leopard being covered 
 up that the women might not see it, because it was said 
 and believed that the leopard was one of their great human 
 enemies metamorphosed. 
 
 34. A 7iecklace may indicate " slavery " ; thus : Some 
 slaves have to wear a certain necklace — /.f., a string with a 
 few beads fastened round their neck, which indicates that 
 they are in bondage — i.e., slaves. When such a person by 
 any means is redeemed, the best and only proof of being 
 no longer a slave, but a free person, is the taking off of the 
 said necklace. 
 
 35. A book may indicate a "bookman" — a missionary; 
 thus: Native kings, chiefs, warriors, etc., hand their mes- 
 sengers an object, which may be a sort of sceptre, sword, 
 staff, etc., to show that they are sent with authority to 
 deliver a message. European officers, merchants, and 
 others, in imitation of this native custom, generally give 
 the messengers they send to native authorities a fine large 
 silver-headed staff, and for the same purpose, as without 
 it chiefs would hardly credit the message sent. We mis- 
 sionaries, not being provided with such a staff, gave our 
 messengers a book instead, by which they were known to 
 come from the bookman — i.e., the missionary, and the 
 messenger had also liberty and the advantage, after deliver- 
 ing his message, to read a portion from his Yoruba book. 
 
 36. A shirt may indicate an Oyiho — /.^., a " white man," 
 or *' belonging to the white man." Shirts are of course 
 worn by all Europeans or white men, also by most natives 
 employed by them. White men are much respected in 
 West Africa, and the natives connected with them come in
 
 2i6 Charles Andrew Golhner. 
 
 for a share of the respect. Natives entirely unknown to, 
 and unconnected with, white men, when travelHng up and 
 down in the interior, and unsafe places specially, frequently 
 resort to the stratagem of providing and wearing an English 
 (European) shirt, which they find to be the best possible 
 passport and protection, by means of which they are allowed 
 to pass unmolested, because the shirt indicates the wearer 
 to belong to, or to be connected with, or employed by, the 
 white man ; and robbers, waylaying travellers, regard such 
 a one as an unlawful subject of plunder, and do not trouble 
 him, as they believe he belongs to the white man. 
 
 37. Symbolic salutations are constantly received from — 
 (i) Blacksmiths, who will salute passing chiefs, friends, 
 and others whom they respect, by striking their anvil with a 
 piece of iron in a peculiar but well-understood manner. 
 
 (2) Weavers (who generally sit and weave out of doors) 
 salute the same class of people, as mentioned before, by 
 moving their shuttle to and fro, and thus produce a peculiar 
 rattling noise, which is also understood as a complimentary 
 salutation. 
 
 (3) The drummers going about the streets will salute 
 authorities, and such as they desire to honour, by beating 
 their drums and producing certain well-understood speaking 
 sounds. 
 
 (4) The musician will do the same — i.e., blowing his 
 horn or fife, and making it speak instead of the mouth. 
 
 I am aware there are other objects by which symbolic 
 messages are conveyed among the Yorubas, but I can add 
 no more to the present communication.
 
 APPENDIX B. 
 
 One of the important subjects discussed at the Diocesan 
 Conference held at Lagos, April 1887, was "The Marriage 
 Tie," The following interesting document gives a summary 
 of the views of the Yoruba Church on this subject : — 
 
 MEMORIAL FROM THE YORUBA DIVISION OF THE 
 DIOCESE OF SIERRA LEONE. 
 
 To His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. 
 
 " May it please your Grace, We, the Bishop of Sierra 
 Leone, English and African Missionaries of the Church of 
 England, engaged in Church Missionary Society work in the 
 Yoruba country, in Western Africa, and Pastors of Native 
 Churches, desire to approach your Grace, and to record our 
 firm and sincere convictions, grounded on practical experi- 
 ence of work in this country, on the subject of polygamy. 
 
 " We have heard that this question is being debated in 
 the Mother Church, and we are hopeful that it will receive 
 its due attention at the approaching Conference of Bishops, 
 but we feel constrained at once to express our view of the 
 matter. 
 
 "We consider that we are in the very best part of the 
 world to see the evil of this system ; we are well and painfully 
 aware of its complications, and we clearly see how it hinders 
 our efforts in the matter of evangelization. Polygamy is to 
 this part of the world what ancient heathen systems of 
 belief are in India and China. It forms the principal
 
 2i8 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 barrier in our way. We believe that to remove it, however, 
 in the way some would suggest would be to remove all 
 test of sincerity and whole-heartedness in embracing the 
 Christian faith, and thus lead to the admission of a very 
 weak and heterogeneous body of converts; and we are 
 certain that the effect of any — the least — compromise in 
 the view hitherto maintained of the Christian marriage tie, 
 would be a great blow to Christian morality in these parts. 
 
 " We respectfully request our ecclesiastical leaders to give 
 forth a united utterance on this subject, as soon as may be, 
 for we are of opinion that for it to be treated as an open 
 question is in itself a weakness to the Church, and an 
 additional difficulty to us in our very arduous efforts for 
 Christian purity in this part of Africa. 
 
 " We, who sign this memorial, are in Conference assem- 
 bled at Lagos, in the southern division of the Diocese of 
 Sierra Leone, a conference convened by the Bishop to 
 consider this and other matters, and we are present as 
 representatives, lay and clerical, from various parts of 
 this Yoruba country. 
 
 " We are your Grace's humble servants in Jesus Christ, 
 
 " (Signed) 
 
 " Ernest Graham, Bishop of Sierra Leone. 
 " James Hamilton, Archdeacon of Lagos." 
 
 Here follow the names of eighteen clergy, of whom four 
 are European and fourteen African ; also the names of the 
 twenty-five lay members of the Conference.
 
 APPENDIX C. 
 
 MEMORIAL TO THE BISHOP ON THE DIVISION 
 OF THE DIOCESE. 
 
 To THE Right Rev. Dr. Ingham, D.D., Lord Bishop 
 
 OF Sierra Leone. 
 
 "Lagos, April 2yd, 1887. 
 
 "My Lord, — We the undersigned Ministers, Pastors, 
 and Delegates, in connection with the Cliurch Missionary 
 Society and the Native Church, desire to humbly and 
 respectfully approach your Lordship on the following 
 important subject affecting the interests of the whole of 
 the Yoruba Mission. 
 
 "i. We do desire gratefully to assure your Lordship of 
 our high appreciation of the Episcopal Visitation this 
 southern portion of the Diocese receives from time to time, 
 and of the incalculable benefits conferred on it on such 
 occasions. 
 
 " 2. We, however, must confess to a fact which we 
 believe is also obvious to your Lordship, that owing to the 
 large extent and scattered nature of the Diocese, this portion 
 is not receiving the episcopal supervision which it deserves. 
 
 *' 3. Having taken into consideration the vast extent of 
 the Yoruba mission, the increase of clerical and other 
 agencies, which demand episcopal advice, guidance, and 
 direction, the gradual increase of churches to meet the 
 growing number of worshippers, scattered here and there in 
 the field, we feel the absolute need of a resident head to
 
 2 20 Charles Andrew Gollmer. 
 
 direct the whole machinery for greater efficiency in the 
 work which is everywhere being carried on in the country. 
 
 "4. We would therefore be thankful if your Lordship 
 would kindly take this matter into your serious considera- 
 tion, and adopt such measures as would lead to a division of 
 the Diocese, and thereby give this part a more effective 
 episcopal supervision than it 1ms hitherto enjoyed. 
 
 "5. We may be allowed to state, for the information of 
 your Lordship, that it is the general feeling that it will be for 
 the interests of the Church, that in case such a division be 
 made the Bishop should be a European, having his head- 
 quarters at Lagos. 
 
 " We beg leave to remain, 
 
 . "Your Lordship's obedient servants." 
 
 Here follow the names of nineteen clergy, of whom five 
 are European and fourteen African ; also the names of fifteen 
 Delegates and Churchwardens. 
 
 Printed by Hazell, Watson, & Viney, Ld., London and Aylesbury.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY 
 
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