A Brief History of the Wesleyan Missions on the West Coast of Africa

and having not unfrequently referred to the prejudicial effects of the climate of Western Africa on European constitutions, as one of the great drawbacks to the rapid progress of Christianity; it often occurred to him on those occasions, that a brief history of the Wesleyan missions, with a biographical sketch of those excellent men, and "also of honourable women not a few," who have fallen in that land of death, could not but be interesting to the friends of missions in general, and especially to the nearest connexions of the deceased. It is true that the death of each missionary and missionary's wife, as they have occurred, has been invariably announced in the "Missionary Notices," with some suitable and appropriate remarks; and a further record of each departed missionary has been published in the Obituary department of the "Minutes of Conference." But the writer conceived, that something in a more connected form, with further particulars, was due to that noble and self-denying band of the devoted soldiers of the cross, who have voluntarily rushed into the field, to fill up the breaches made by "the last enemy," or to aid the few standard-bearers who were still remaining, and who have cheerfully laid down their lives, and sacrificed their all, in this hallowed cause. He was, moreover, not without hope that a brief account of their successful labours, their sickness and death, though following each other (as it will be seen they did) in rapid succession, instead of acting as a check to missionary ardour, or deterring young men from venturing on this pestilential clime, would rather tend to fan the flame of missionary zeal, already kindled in many hearts, and that it would induce others to say, "Here am I; send me!" The past history of these missions warrants and encourages this expectation.

The author, having long waited for some one more competent to undertake this task, at length resolved to make the attempt himself; and, as soon as he had taken this resolution, he made known his intention to the public, and solicited, from the parents and other friends of deceased missionaries, such interesting incidents connected with their conversion to God, their call to the ministry, and other facts, as they might be able to furnish. To this application many friends in different parts of the kingdom soon responded; and the substance of those letters are embodied in the biographical sketches found in the following pages; and the author tenders his grateful acknowledgments for those valuable communications. Some of the memoirs are exceedingly brief when compared with others; but it must be remembered, that this has arisen from circum

stances over which the writer had no control; for in no instance has he extolled the virtues and zeal of one missionary at the expense of those of others, but has endeavoured to do justice to all, as far as he was enabled from his personal knowledge of them, and the materials with which he was furnished. For this purpose he has availed himself of all the published documents that were within his reach; and, when these failed to satisfy him, he has written scores of letters to ascertain the correctness of some fact, or the precise date of some event, and has thus tried to elicit further information, and to insure accuracy.

But, in sitting down to his task, it was natural to say something of Africa and the Africans. This led him, almost as naturally, to speak of Slavery and the Slave-Trade; and hence the work has swollen to more than twice the bulk he originally intended. This he regrets; as the size of the book materially affects the price, and he was most anxious to have brought it within the reach of the generality of readers on missionary subjects. He has been cheered and encouraged, however, in his attempt to give to the public some account of Africa, and of the Wesleyan missions in the Western part of that continent, by many valued ministers and intelligent friends, who have written to him, and who have urged him "not to be too brief," but to give ample information on the real state of African society, with its scenery and productions, and the progress of the missions. It was almost impossible to touch on West-African affairs, and not refer to that monster foe, the Slave-Trade; that enemy to the well-being of Africa, which has hitherto laughed to scorn the Acts of the British Legislature, and the noble attempts that have been made by the various philanthropic societies of the land, who have tried in vain to crush the evil.

The author's views on this great political question will be found in the following pages; and he conceives that Western Africa has claims on the whole of Christendom, which no other part of the world can exhibit. If his appeal to all classes of the community meets with a due response, Africa will soon arise, and "put on her beautiful garments," and that great moral wilderness "shall rejoice and blossom as the rose."

In the brief history of the missions, a considerable part of the writer's personal narrative is interwoven with the whole of that period during which he remained in Africa. This could not well be avoided. But he hopes he has not unnecessarily obtruded himself on the notice of the reader. Having thrice sailed to Western Africa direct from England, and six times

crossed the Atlantic in connexion with the missions on the River Gambia; and having sailed up and down that magnificent stream between thirty and forty times, and journeyed by land further into the interior than any European now living; and having resided there many years; he, as a matter of course, not only became intimately acquainted with the state of the missions, but gained a tolerable knowledge of the physical, moral, and social condition of the country. This knowledge he has endeavoured to impart to others; sometimes by extracts from his journal written down at the time, with the occasional use of the personal pronoun "I;" but in other cases, and as often as he could, he has delivered himself in the third person; and has thus endeavoured to hide himself while he exhibited the real state of the missions, with concomitant facts and incidents, in their proper character and true colours.

It would have afforded the writer sincere pleasure to have made more frequent allusion to the labours of kindred institutions which are found in active operation on the Western Coast of Africa; particularly those of the Church Missionary Society, that for nearly half a century has had missionaries at SierraLeone, and of late years on different parts of the Coast. This, however, was found to be impracticable; and he has, therefore, according to announcement, confined himself to the labours of the Wesleyan missionaries: for, though other missionaries were sent to Sierra-Leone some few years before any regular Wesleyan missionary landed there, yet a small society of Wesleyan Methodists was formed in that colony almost immediately after its establishment.

For two of the illustrations contained in the work the writer is indebted to a kind friend, Mr. Samuel Smith of Nottingham, who has greatly improved the rough draughts which were sent to him. All the views have been reduced to the proper size, and drawn on stone, by that eminent artist, Mr. Walton; who, with his usual skill, has furnished tasteful representations of the scenes which he was engaged to delineate.

He also embraces this opportunity of gratefully acknowledging his obligations to his numerous subscribers, who have by their warm patronage encouraged him in this undertaking.

His intention was, to have introduced copious remarks on the principal obstructions which the heralds of the Cross, the harbingers of civilization, have to encounter in Western Africa, while attempting to extend the triumphs of. Christ, and to "make manifest the sweet savour of His knowledge in every place." These obstacles may be appropriately designated as

physical, moral, and diabolical,-in reference to the prejudicial effects of the climate on the constitution of European residents, to the immoral and degraded condition of the natives, and to that egregious evil, the Slave-Trade. These and other collateral topics he purposes to discuss in a pamphlet, which will be pub. lished simultaneously with the present volume.

To his missionary brethren both at home and abroad, many of whom have most cheerfully, and some of them without solicitation, contributed much valuable information, the writer returns his best thanks; and he will feel obliged to them, and any other friends, for such additions and improvements as may suggest themselves on perusal.

The work has been written amidst numerous other engagements, with frequent and serious interruptions arising from various causes, and without aiming at any thing more than the plain statement of unadorned facts. It is now before the reader; and if the perusal of the volume shall lead the churches of Christ, with the nation at large, to send the Gospel to Africa on a scale commensurate to her wants and wocs, the author will consider that his chief object is answered.

PENDLETON,

MANCHESTER,

December 30th, 1850.

WILLIAM FOX.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.-AFRICA AND THE AFRICANS.

Page.

AFRICA-Its Size-Position-Population-Demoralized Condition-Mysteri-

ous why so long neglected-Its Inhabitants supposed to be a different

Species from other Parts of the human Race-Unjustly and cruelly treated

-God hath made of one Blood all Nations of Men-All possess one

common Nature and Origin-Objections to this raised on the Ground