Mission Work in Sierra Leone by D. C. Babcock

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 31, 1906

Mission Work in Sierra Leone

By D. C. Babcock

D. C. BABCOCK

The first missionaries to West Africa were stationed at different points along the north from Sierra Leone for a distance of about one hundred and fifty miles. They had many trials to encounter, but the Lord sustained them. Shortly after settlements were made along the coast, wars broke out with the natives, and it seemed that efforts to do something for them would have to be abandoned. But the missionaries worked and prayed, wishing to push their work among the Soosoos as fast as possible.

Mr. Butscher sailed Oct. 15, 1807, for Rio Pongas. In the neighborhood of the Rio Pongas settlement lived a chief, Fantimani, who had a son in the Soosoo school at Clapham. To his home Mr. Butscher at once proceeded, and was kindly received. The chief, although having some knowledge of the Christian religion, had not abandoned his superstitious ideas.

Mr. Butscher tells of one occasion when he saw the chief praying for a sick woman of his tribe. He had laid two goat's horns on a tin dish, and kneeling before them, he prayed for the sick one. He evidently considered the goat's horns a necessary accompaniment to his prayer.

The chief took Mr. Butscher to visit Mr. Curtis at Bassia. Mr. Curtis was a white trader, who had been settled there for some time, and he kindly gave Mr. Butscher a large two-story stone house as mission property, and a school was opened. The Lord blessed the efforts, and in 1809 help was sent to this mission from England. Fever broke out among the missionaries, and several laid down their lives for the Master. Mr. Butscher was called to England at this time by the Missionary Society, that they might get a better understanding of the situation in West Africa. Many meetings were held while he was in England, giving him an opportunity to place the needs of the cause in Africa before them.

A new company of missionaries was arranged, and sailed for Rio Pongas in November, 1812. In the month of January, 1813, they passed Cape de Verde, and soon after the little island of Goree. On the fifth of January their vessel struck on a reef of rocks about five miles from the coast, during the night, and it seemed that all was lost, but the Lord was with them.

On the eleventh Mr. Butscher volunteered to go to Goree and seek assistance. Accompanied by his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Quast, and his African boy, he started on his journey in a small boat. For five days they were tossed about by contrary winds, in a stormy sea, and at last, on the sixteenth, they reached the island.

Mr. Butscher, having obtained the assistance of Captain Gibson commanding the “Neptune,” left the rest of the company at Goree, and went back to the assistance of the wrecked vessel, the “Charles.”

On reaching it, they were horrified to find that the captain and many others had been murdered by the natives. Those of them who had escaped being murdered, had fled in small boats for the island of Goree. Mr. Butscher says he saved two old suits of clothes, which were more than Paul had after he was shipwrecked. Thus they encountered a total loss of provisions, books, tools, etc.

Mr. and Mrs. Butscher, Mr. and Mrs. Quast, and the little African boy whom we mentioned before, along with those who had been saved from the jaws of

death on account of their escaping before the natives could lay hold of them, had to remain in Goree just one month, before the opportunity came for them to continue their journey. During their stay there, Mrs. Quast was laid away to rest.

In the month of March they reached Rio Pongas; and just as they were entering the harbor, Mr. Quast passed away.

With the loss of two of the missionary band that sailed from England in November, and all their tools, clothing, and food, it would seem very discouraging to those of the company remaining, to land in this dark continent. How many would have turned homeward at the first opportunity; but “homeward bound” is not a joyful sound to the true missionary. “Forward” is his watchword. He feels within his soul that he must meet the difficulties, overcome every obstacle, and plant the banner of the cross of Jesus amid the darkness of heathenism.

In 1814 the hearts of the missionaries were made glad by the laying of the corner-stone for the first church in all West Africa.

Three native boys laid the stone, and Mr. Wilhelm offered the following short and appropriate prayer:— “May it please God to forward, accomplish, and uphold this building with his almighty hand, as his holy temple, in the midst of devils' houses, and abominable places of idolatry; and may the constant sounding of the glorious gospel in this house of God cause the Sun of Righteousness to arise and shine among the habitations of darkness and cruelty, so as to make them vanish like vapors on the rising of the sun.” If the same spirit had filled the hearts of later missionaries that actuated those early pioneers of the gospel in this dark land, a far different condition of the work of the Master might be seen to-day.

I might here mention one other self-sacrificing missionary, Mr. Wm. A. B. Johnson, of Hanover, who offered himself and wife as school-teachers for the work in this colony. His offer was accepted, and in the month of June, 1816, he began his labors in Sierra Leone.

Through his earnest efforts much good was accomplished. On the fourteenth of the same month after his arrival, he wrote in his diary as follows: “O, how I have been cast down this day! If ever I have seen wretchedness, it has been to-day. . . . I was told that six or seven died in one day. But shall I despair now?—No. Who knows whether the Lord will not make his converting power known among the poor, depraved people? With him nothing is impossible.”

Severe were the experiences of these noble-minded men and women who pioneered the gospel of salvation to western Africa.

As missionaries began to multiply, a different spirit came in, and some, instead of seeking to bring souls to Christ, laid plans to make gain by trafficking among the natives. Trials began to come in among the workers, and seeds of discord were sown. The missionary societies were compelled to take decided steps against the traffic carried on between those professing to be missionaries and the natives.

Other enterprises were entered into by mission workers, and the strictest honesty was not carried out in their dealings. Thus the natives lost confidence in professed Christianity, and this has caused untold trials and hardships to those seeking to advance the Master's cause.