p. 16 | West Africa by D. C. Babcock

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 20, 1906

West Africa

By D. C. Babcock

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE.—We must have help soon. We are so far advanced with our new home that we are ready to receive new workers. And I am sure that if we can get laborers from a tropical country, such as the West Indies, they can get along here all right, and in the new home can soon become acclimated. It will be a great encouragement, at least, that, if they should get down with the fever, they would have somewhere to go to recuperate.

There are some things which encourage us here, but the conflict has been severe. Some opposition is giving way. Above everything, we are thankful to the dear Lord for the good health we are enjoying since we moved into our new home.

There is plenty to say of the needs in this dark land, and as soon as it is consistent, I want to make a tour of the hinterland. But I do not think it advisable to go until the war among the Gejes in the interior is over, when I shall be better protected from the danger of disease, especially fever.

I have two Mendi boys with me yet. When I asked them if they expected to go into the war, they said no, they wanted to remain with us. I was so glad for this. One of them is the son of a king who lost his life in the last Mendi outbreak, and I feared that he might want to go and take revenge. He is a very bright young man, and Mrs. Babcock is giving him lessons, and he is learning very fast.

When I was putting up the walls of the building, some days I would have thirty or forty working at one time. The masons were creoles, who had had their relatives killed by the Mendies, and sometimes it seemed almost impossible for me to keep them from war while they were at work. The Lord gave me good control of the Mendies, or there would have been trouble. I called them all together one day, and told the creoles plainly that unless they did differently, I would have to dispense with their services entirely. I am sure if you were here some nights, and heard the drums, and the throng of people in the streets, you would declare that there was but little hope of seeing the next morning.

I believe the Lord will raise up help among these Mendi boys, to assist us in our work. Most of these tribes are strongly opposed to education, and if one begins to learn to read, he is marked as an enemy to his people.

Mrs. Babcock asked Fambuoi the other day what he would do if he visited his people, and they heard him speak English. He said that he would not let any one hear him speak it. There are some bright men among them, who in past years went to England, and were graduated in some of the best schools, who have interpreters, pretending that they can not understand.

An interesting case has just been tried in the courts, of a native who was taken from this colony when but a boy, and educated in Dayton, Ohio. When he reached manhood, he returned to this colony, and entered the ministry, under the supervision of the United Brethren. A few years ago he left the church, joined his original tribe, and became a king among them. Last year he was arrested by the civil authorities for joining the Leopard Society, a crime for which death is the penalty. After a long trial, by claiming to be a citizen of the United States, he got off. The next day he went back, and preached for the Brethren.

We are of good courage, and hope soon to see some good results from our efforts in this dark land.

D. C. BABCOCK.