Leaving Coconanny early next morning, we made our way to Dodo. The neatness of the places visited was everywhere noticeable, the people in their very expressions seeming to welcome “the missionaries” who had come to visit them. There is nothing strikingly beautiful about the part of the Bargroo country that I visited. Mangroves extend to the village of Dodo, which we have in abundance in Sherbro. The scene to me was rather monotonous. “We reached Dodo late in the evening, and after the usual ceremony, which consists in giving the chief presents, we disclosed to him the nature of our journey, among other things telling him that we desired very much to get children from his territory to train in our mission for missionaries. For his people he could not speak just then, but his majesty informed us that the matter would be brought before them for consideration as soon as practicable; he was in a position to speak for himself, and would give the only son large enough to leave home at the time. A large goat was slain and brought in and laid before us, with a peck of rice, for our supper. Although we were very hungry, this was more than we felt able to consume at one or two meals. A hind quarter was sent in to the chief, the rest being shared between ourselves and our men. Here we stopped overnight. The place is strongly barricaded, and is very neat and cleanly. A place was offered our Mission on which to establish a station. Here is a fine opportunity to make a step more directly toward the interior. They want us to come; what must we tell them? Brother Jackson visits the chief as often as time and strength will allow. He was once ransomed by Brother Snelson when on the point of being sent to Freetown, accused and found guilty of selling slaves. They dread very much to fall into the hands of the English, and he was a happy man when Brother Snelson paid his ransom for him, and stood between him and the English authorities. He has given up warring, and his people are seemingly prosperous and happy. His subjects are chiefly Sherbros, but they speak Mendi as well as their mother tongue.
Our Mission, through former missionaries, is known far into the interior, and the natives generally are favorably disposed toward it. We left Dodo early next morning, homeward bound, with Joe, the chief’s son, with us. He wore only nature’s garment, and seemed as happy as a bird. The people here don’t bother themselves too much about clothing. Industry is characteristic of them. We stopped at places that we visited on our advance up the river, and were informed in most cases that the “big man” was away, or the chief at Dodo. Humper Ranko had not been consulted. The people dare not do anything of this nature without first consulting their head. However, we succeeded in getting four children, who were carried, as we found them—without a rag on—to Avery.
There are two places in this wilderness of moral darkness now open to us which, I think, could be worked up with very small expense to the Mission. Both are on the Bargroo River, leading toward the interior, which is navigable at all seasons of the year by small boats. May the Lord in His own good time send to these our benighted brethren the advantages of a Christian civilization.
KAW-MENDI.
In accordance with your request I visited, last month, Kaw-Mendi and vicinity, where the banner of the Cross was first unfurled in this part of a heathen land by men sent out by the American Missionary Association. This place, as you will remember, was deserted for a long time. Of late years Mr. J. M. Williams, of his own accord and on his own responsibility, has resumed the work. Here lie some of the sainted dead who fell in pure devotion to the cause of the Christian religion, to the cause of suffering and unenlightened humanity.
A mangrove tree here and there and roads leading in different directions only remind one that once better things were here. Some of the scholars who attended school when Kaw-Mendi was in her bloom are still round about, and they still remember their old teachers, many of whom, doubtless, are now gone. They all seemed glad to have us come and visit them. One of the “Amistads” is here—Father Smith. He is growing quite old; yet he is active. Old Aunt Maria and Limby are still alive and can tell you all about Mr. Raymond and others who, in the infancy of missions here, came to Africa. Brother Williams has prayer meetings in his country house, mornings and evenings, to which those near are invited to come. Regular preaching services are held in a country chapel on Sundays. The chapel has been recently built, and the membership is such as to necessitate its being organized and dedicated. Old pupils of the Mission, who had lapsed into heathen habits, having long been left without any spiritual leader, have been reclaimed and brought into the church.
The chief is favorably disposed toward missionaries and accompanied us to many places in his territory. Were it not for his favor, Brother Williams could not get along so well in his work. There are 21 boys under Mr. Williams’ immediate care in his country house, (which is very neat and comfortable), whom he is instructing. He feeds and clothes them, and how he does it is a mystery to me. One thing helps him, and that is his agricultural department, connected with his school. His boys are taught to work. Although the farm is small, still it is very good.
We took Brother Williams by surprise and notwithstanding his poor accommodation, as he termed it, we (Mrs. Miller, Mr. Jowett and myself) spent two or three days very pleasantly in and about Kaw-Mendi. We went up the Little Boom as far as Kambia. This was a very strongly barricaded town, held by Tom Cabby Smith, the most powerful and wealthy chief in all this region of country. He died last year, and his estate is going to ruin. The walls have fallen, the slaves are widely scattered, and things in general are in a very unsettled state. He was once connected with the Mission at Kaw-Mendi as a common laborer and was a very industrious man. Villages all along the banks of the river were flourishing and rice crops promising. Everything indicated prosperity, so far as the natives are able to be prosperous without the light of the Gospel.
The country is Mendi-speaking, and though it is large and the people are plentiful, and are not opposed to the Christian religion, still there is but one man in this country to tell them of Jesus.
I am favorably impressed with the country and the people. It is a day’s travel from Good Hope. Stretching out toward the interior, the country is low, but Brother Williams pronounces it healthy. He is a West Indian, and has lived in Africa for the last twenty years. It may be that he is quite acclimated, and it is not unhealthy for him.