Missions on the Gaboon River, and, indeed, the only mission the board has as yet on the western coast. It was established in

1842 by Rev. J. L. Wilson.

Baraka is a Mpongwe word, derived from baracoon, a slave factory or inclosure. Strangely enough, the very site whence now the Gospel is taught to these benighted Africans, and where their children are instructed in the knowledge and duties of Christianity and civilized life-this very place was once, and not many years ago, the site of a slave factory, where the cruel slave-trade was carried on with much energy and success.

Baraka is situated at the summit of a beautiful hill, distant a few hundred yards from the shore, and about eight miles above. the river's mouth. The native villages surround the base of the hill, and are scattered along the river bank, and are thus easily accessible to the missionaries, who visit them at all times, and preach to the natives several times a week.

The missionary grounds are spacious, and are surrounded with a noble hedge of fragrant lime-trees. The buildings, which are mostly of bamboo, which is the best building material on this part. of the coast, consist of two dwellings occupied by the missionary families; the church building, which has some fine shade-trees in front; the storehouse, the schoolhouse, a little building containing the missionary library, houses where the children attached to the mission are lodged; and, finally, the kitchen-kitchens being in the tropics necessarily separate from the dwellings-and the other necessary offices, among which figure fowl-houses, etc. Back of the houses is a fine orchard, containing various fruit-trees, all planted by the missionaries, as were also the fine, cocoanut, mango, and other trees which are scattered about the premises, and beneath whose grateful shade the houses are built.

The missionary establishment begins its day with prayers, conducted, for the benefit of the children, in the Mpongwe language.

After prayers the girls and boys clear up their dormitories and the school-rooms, and arrange every thing for the day's labors. This is carried on under the superintendence of the missionary ladies.

Next comes breakfast, when the children are arranged about the tables in their neat dresses, and taught to eat after the manner of civilized people.

A little before nine o'clock the ringing of a bell calls the chil

A DAY AT THE MISSIONS.

29 dren who live at home in the villages to assemble in the schoolroom, and here, presently, the work of instruction goes busily on, being begun with prayers and the singing of a hymn in the native tongue. The missionaries and their wives are here assisted by native teachers, who are able to take charge of the less advanced classes. The children are taught in their native tongue first, and after mastering their A B C go on to reading the Scriptures in the Mpongwe. Then follow lessons in geography, arithmetic, history, and writing, and English lessons. Many of the scholars are bright and well advanced, reading English well, and having a good understanding of history and geography, and even writing in English. There is, of course, much attention given to religious instruction; and, by reading, explanations, and inculcation of Bible precepts, efforts are made to settle the rising generation firmly in the great life-principles of the religion of Christ.

It is only the children on whom it may be hoped the labors of the missionaries can have very important effects. The older natives are dull, lazy, and distrustful. They adhere to their vile superstitions, and are with difficulty influenced. If they come to church, it is too often out of curiosity, or to please the preacher, or from some fancied advantage to themselves. The children, on the contrary, as all children, are bright, docile, easily trained; and in these the hope of Christianizing Africa rests.

On two or three afternoons in the week the girls are collected in a sewing-circle, where the ladies of the mission instruct them in the use of the needle, and practice them in making their own dresses and clothing for their brothers.

Several times during the week there are prayer-meetings, when the word of God is explained to the heathen who attend.

Saturday is a holiday for the children, who then play, and prepare themselves for the Sabbath. Sunday, finally, is the great day of the week; then the bell calls all who will come together in the little bamboo church. The missionary children and employés attend, dressed in their best; and even the heathen of the village follow this custom, and are found in church with their best garments, perhaps their only ones, on. There the preacher speaks to them of the wisdom and goodness of God, and all, heathen and Christian, join in singing praises to His holy name. The audience is generally attentive and interested. But the positive success of the mission is so far not great. How should it be? To bring

30

MPONGWE HAIR-DRESSING.

light out of such darkness, to remove the superstitions, the ignorance, the idleness and wickedness in which these poor heathen are steeped is a labor of many years. Many times, doubtless, my poor friends the missionaries are discouraged at the slight result of their hard labor; but they do their best and wisely leave the rest to God, knowing that He works in his own good time, and often effects great ends with slightest means.

I can not close this chapter without recording my gratitude to the Rev. Wm. Walker, missionary of the American Board on the Gaboon River, whose house was my home during my stay in Africa, and from whom I received very many kindnesses.

MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF AFRICAN TRIBES. 31

CHAPTER II.

The Gaboon People. — Mysterious Disappearance of African Tribes. - Mpongwe Villages.-Houses, how built.-A Mpongwe Interior.-Costume.-An African Trader.-Monopolies.—The commission Business among the Negroes.—“Trust.” -Extensive System of Credit.-Native Jealousy.-A Day with an African Trader. -Time of no value.-Mpongwe Coasting-trade. -Their Vessels.-Products of the Gaboon. The Ivory-trade.

THE object of my stay at this time (January, 1856) was to be thoroughly acclimated before setting out on my interior explorations. I had known the Gaboon country and people for several years, but took occasion at this time to study closely the habits and customs of this tribe-the Mpongwe-who, once numerous, are now, like so many of the African tribes, from various reasons, entirely disappearing.

The causes for this mysterious and, to some extent, unaccountable extermination of certain tribes, who die out, leaving no mark behind them, I shall consider in some future chapter. The fact is patent to every observer.

The Mpongwe are a branch of one of the great families of the negro race, which has moved gradually from the head-waters of the Nazareth down toward the sea-shore, extending its limits meantime to the north and south, till now they are found from the Gaboon River on the north to Cape St. Catherine on the south. A portion have taken possession of the sea-shore, and others are located inland. They have probably taken the place of other tribes who have disappeared in the strange way in which even the Mpongwe are now gradually lessening, while the Ndina tribe is nearly gone, only three persons remaining of what was once a numerous people. They die, and little more can be said.

All the divisions of the Mpongwe speak the same language, with a difference of but a few words; though others again, sandwiched between, speak an entirely different tongue. The migrations of the great African nations can not be understood till we know more about the interior. I know only that there are eight different tribes now settled along the coast south of the Gaboon

and in the interior, who speak the same language and have evidently a common origin.

The Mpongwe inhabit mostly the right side of the Gaboon for about thirty miles up. They live in villages, which are generally located with particular regard to the trading facilities afforded by the position, for these negroes are inveterate traders-in fact, the most intelligent and acute merchants on the coast.

The Mpongwe villages, though not extensive, are the neatest and best arranged I have seen in Africa. They have generally but one main street, on both sides of which the houses are built. Sometimes there are a few short cross-streets. In a considerable village, the main street is often 20 yards wide and 200 yards long. The houses, of course, vary in size according to the wealth of the owner. They are built of a kind of bamboo, which is obtained from a species of palm very plentiful hereabouts, and whose leaves also furnish them mats for the roofs. Indeed, this palm is one of the most generally useful products of the country to the negroes.

The houses are always of quadrangular form, and from 20 to 100 feet in length or breadth. The principal room is in the centre. The floor is of clay, which is pounded hard, and by long use becomes a hard and clean flooring. Both houses and street are neatly kept.

The walls are built up by first driving stakes into the ground, and to these stakes neatly tying the split bamboos. One set is tied outside and another inside, and the crevices which are left between are made close with the leaves of the palm-tree. Thus the walls are smooth and glossy, and perfectly clean. Near the creeks they get a large yellowish-white bamboo, which has a particularly fine appearance.

The building of such a house is a matter of considerable importance to a Mpongwe man. He has great quantities of mpavo -the matting for the roof-made up ready, then collects a sufficiency of the bamboo, which has sometimes to be brought a considerable distance up the river, and finally, getting all his slaves together, marks out his ground-plan, drives in his stakes, and puts up the walls. Then comes the question of doors and windows, in which each man exercises his own taste, which gives a certain pleasing variety to the outsides. As for the interior, the various rooms are fitted up with all the riches of their owner;