Miss Slessor describes her voyage out, her first impressions on arrival in Calabar, and of her first journeyings in the bush. Already she is in a hurry for action!
Miss Slessor’s first Impressions of Calabar.
Extracts from a Letter by Miss Slessor, dated Duke Town 11th Octr. 1876, copied by an unknown hand.
–––––As you say. I feel the solitariness of my position * a little* more than I expected. But I have also felt the Presence of the great Elder Brother, & His power to keep me in 'perfect peace' more than I expected. –––––––– We had no service all the way, & I was hungry for a Scotch Sabbath –––––– This, however only made my first Sabbath in Calabar the sweeter. ––––––––My first impressions ––– I can hardly define them, but they have not at all disappointed my highest expectations ––––– The attendance at Church & at the meetings, the demeanour of the audience, the distinction between the Church members & the heathen around, and the respectful, deferential manner in which the people from highest to lowest receive the missionaries, are all that can be desired, & wd. contrast favourably with almost any part of the Church at home.
The physical features of the place are lovely. It is delightsome land. “Every prospect pleases”. And those who have been here for a long time say that the unhealthiness for which it is proverbial is largely owing to want of proper care.
I have not overtaken much of the language yet, consequently I have not been of much use, and during the last fortnight I have been visiting all our stations. – ––––– I spent more than a week at Creek Town, during which time I saw how the School there was conducted & how the ordinary work was carried on: and I also made the acquaintance of the various members of the Mission –––––– I saw six persons baptized which was a very impressive sight; and on the next Sabbath I joined in the Communion Service – my first communion in Africa. ––––– A congregational meeting was held next day in connection with their new Church.
Mr Edgerley[Note 1] took me up one day to a station called Adiabo & to another – I forget how to spell the name. He spoke to the people & was listened to with great respect & attention. At the latter place the women & children crowded round to see the white 'Ma' and their gesticulations wd. have frightened me had not Mr E. told me they only wished to make friends with me. We have no teacher there just now, & it was really painful to bid them goodbye, & not have a person to leave with them. –––––––––––––––
We spent nearly two days at Ikorofion with Mrs Fuller –––––––––– John Baillie addressed the people, & when he had finished he asked me if I had anything to say. Of course all eyes were fixed on me. It is a rare thing for a white person to visit them, & specially so to have a white lady visitor. And for once in my life I felt it difficult to tell the 'Old,Old Story.' ––––––––––
Going on further we came to a palaver house: the blood of their latest Sacrifice was still fresh on the altar. Some fierce looking men were sitting beside it, but in less than five minutes they were sitting beside me in the house of the Chief, who received me with great Kindness. Scarcely had we been seated, when a crowd of men, women & children almost Smothered us. The Chief drove them off with a whip & made them stand at a respectful distance. ––––––
––––––– I enjoyed the walk immensely, tho' it was long & fatiguing. It was thro' “bush proper”. I have not seen bush like it anywhere. Indeed, it cd. scarcely be called walking – it was pushing & climbing and jumping & wading; but Mr E. sent three Krumen[Note 2] to take care of me & they stood me in good stead more than once. –––––––––––
It is a sad fact that not a native woman belongs to the Church there. Here is work for our women at home who are constantly complaining of having nothing to do. *Some*–*thing* *more* *must* *be* *done* for the women here, if we are to raise the men. The women are the great draw–back to our success. To visit these yards & see so many women going, or rather *lolling*, about almost naked, to know their habits & their deceit – one only wonders that the men are as they are.
I have begun my work here this week. It is divided between the School & the yards principally, and as yet I like it very much, & I expect I shall get on pretty well. But Oh, one does need special grace to enable one to 'sit still'; it is so difficult to wait. One text keeps repeating itself – “Learn of Me”. Christ was never in a hurry.–––––––––––––––––––––––
The blots are caused by my onslaughts on cockroaches [etc?] This is very prolific land in every department of life – oh. I must except intellectual & spiritual!
Editorial Notes:
- Mr Samuel Edgerley was an ordained missionary, the son of the pioneer missionaries who had arrived in Calabar in 1846. He trained in Scotland as a medical missionary, returning to Calabar in 1857 as his father was dying of fever [James Buchan, from “The Expendable Mary Slessor” page 53]
- Krumen = a West African people of the Coast of Liberia, noted as seamen [Chambers Dictionary]