Miss Slessor apologises to Mr Stevenson, a Church official, for her late reply and goes on to tell how she is trying to take the Gospel on to an area beyond Ikpe. She has had to convince the chiefs that her presence would be a good thing, as she is determined that the Gospel goes hand-in-hand with their wish to learn to read and write. She plans to share her time at Ikpe with this area - to the disappointment of the Ikpe lads.
As it is the farming season she cannot get any building done, so has had to take over the government rest-house, leaving only two lesser rooms for the District Commissioner to occupy when he attends the local court. There is a description of the first Sabbath meeting held at Odoro Ikpe. The beautiful view from their quarters, and their life there, is described. She suggests that the mission work could be facilitated by the acquisition of a motor-car and chauffeur which would enable the missionary to visit the infant congregations in hours rather than days, and enable more constant supervision and support.
She ends with words of support for both him and Miss Crawford.
Dear Mr Stevenson
It is long long since your most kind letter clamoured for a reply. It gave me the greatest pleasure to have it, & I have answered it many times in my own mind, though, like yourself I find it harder to write as the years press. I thank you for all the kind things you say, & only wish I deserved them more. It is only in so far as My Lord is honoured that any honour is acceptable to me. But I do appreciate the kind thought that led them to see that as our Mission Work had made much of their success possible, they would like to acknowledge it in some way.
I am, as you see, up in the bush. I came over determined to have another “ Try” at some of the big towns which bitterly oppose the entrance of the Gospel, tho’ they are eager for Education for their boys. I have absolutely refused to divorce the one from the other, & the dreadful incubus heathenism is to the whole struggling infant Church obsesses me so, I feel something more than ordinary methods must be adopted if there is to be an upward leverage. So I sat down 5 miles from this station, at the town where the Native Consular Court works, & took it upon me to occupy the Rest House, trusting to the good will of the Dist. Comr. in charge, as he is a man much interested in the natives, & seeking their highest welfare. Disciples who live inside a radius of 5 miles came gladly to have a service as not a single soul in all the district can read, & they have heard very imperfectly & superficially, the Gospel story, & only know a couple of hymns by heart. I can go to their houses & hold service, but 10 miles each way in the heat, & the service in the middle of the day, without a place to rest or change, is a feat I can only now & then accomplish & there has been no middle place to which they, & we can find an easier approach. Well this Town of Odoro-Ikpe is midway, & I made one more effort, the day after my arrival, to find a footing. I was so fortunate as to find one old Chief here, who is my friend, apart from mission matters, & he & I were at greater liberty to fight each other. The stock refrain was trotted out, “We cannot bring in your God Word & spoil our Land.” Every bogey is discussed, & usually they are beaten & laugh at themselves. But the casting vote is always given on “Twins & Twin Mothers”. “Those are invariably given a place by Christians, & we cant have it.” We come to personalities, & then they cant deny what they know to be facts, so we break up with all good nature, & even the crowd about us get a bit more friendly after those conversations & battles. Another visit of *all* the (Note 6) of the various sections was held at the Rest House, & there the whole thing was not only given over to my charge, but presents were brought of food, & we were promised every help. So the battle was won by our side. Needless to say, I struck while the iron was hot, & went at once with my A.B.C. card to try & win the boys & girls to my campaign. They were slow a bit at first, but I did not dose them with Theology, but pointed out the Rubber & Cocoa the Government had planted all over the grounds, & tried to awaken their ambitions & interest, & told them how the world was moving outside their bush circle, & how the future was likely to treat ignorance, & etc. & really it is wonderful how soon they saw the point, & their sullenness gave way, & they began to ask questions & to chat, till before the end of the week we were chums, & they came every spare hour to get a lesson. They came to the school here after Market on Wednesday, to pay their respects, & were amazed at the reading & the slates, & then they begged with greater earnestness than ever, that I should get books & slates(Note 1) for them.
I’m afraid the Ikpe school boys were a bit rueful, & did not make much approach in a friendly way as it means their giving up half their chance, & which is broken enough already by the claims of Use. It is the season for farm work, & every hour of daylight is precious. The only leisure is late in the evening after work, so no building can be done, even if the ground & sand, & material were workable. That will come when the rains come, & the question was, Where am I to stay during the week? - I had promised to give them every alternate week with Ikpe --. O, said the Chiefs, Live here just now till building time”, i.e the Rest House is to be my home till then! What then about the D.C.?(Note 2) When he comes over to the Court? But I dared not let them think that an officer would be other than delighted with their capitulation, so I agreed, & made my confession to the D.C. later on by letter. There are still two apartments for him on the other side, but they are open to the road, & are meant I suppose for Interpreters & upper servants. There are no doors or windows, but there are good walls & a good roof, & my girls are accustomed to sleeping on the ground & as the grounds are beautifully kept by the prisoners, there is little fear of Reptiles or beasts. So we are Royally housed, & have clean & pleasant surroundings, & we are the happiest of mortals I think, counting it such an honour, & such condecention on Our Lord’s part so to use the frail Tabernacle which has so little that the world counts attractive. But it is doubtless that in the “Earthen vessels, the excellency of the Power” may be manifestly of God, not of us. We came over on Saturday for the service here, & to pull up the scholars, & have found (as usual) that there is always a slackening in every part of the work when we are absent, & the native lads & boys left to themselves, but on the whole it is wonderful how they keep on. The first classes are fairly well where we left them but the lower classes go back & forget every thing. I wonder by what means God will lift off the embargo Dr Hitchcock put on this large town! It is very pitifully sad. The house is always in wonderfully good order. I am surprised each time at a mud house being so, after such long absences & no fires ever put on.
Here once more! We came over on Saturday for the first Sabbath service held here. All the schoolboys & a lot of the older ones came over with us to see that we were all right. All the school boys here were running down the hill to meet us & to take the loads from the girls. Nearly a hundred were round me bringing me over the hill top, & the people who were at the Court all came to see what was the matter. Many of these are from inland villages unknown to the Europeans, so we shall be widely advertized. This is to be the meeting place on each alternate Sunday for the disciples of Ndoto & Ibam, some miles farther on. So on Sabbath morning they were here, & some of our Ikpe lads turned up to be a help at the first beginnings. No elderly person came, but the Chief sent a chair & his respects. The women were at the farm, & most of the grown up men folks, but a big play for girls was going on & parties of them were dancing to the stirring strains of the drums, & their sweet young voices were very musical. I wondered that so many of the boys & lads came right away after us. They behaved well & responded most intelligently & the Ikpe lads lent a tone to the meeting. Each boy got on some kind of a garment if only a rag, & that in itself showed respect. In the afternoon several older lads came & seemed impressed with the truth, & then we went to the Town & the Chief who is most friendly, came out & we had a meeting, unconventional, but I think not ineffectual, before his House. It is all very queer & very topsy-turvy a Sabbath like this, sordid a good deal, & unsatisfying to a lover of order & beauty & the regular ways of the Sanctuary, but to those poor things, it is an epoch, & most likely a day full of wonder & pause. Again they brought us home in the darkening, & their parting salutations seemed to be full of wistfulness. O if only we had the men & the women to gather them into the fold of Christ. If only I were young again in all this opportunity. Some boys from Ndot have been here for lessons, & a small market held today, Monday, has sent in women visitors. A deputation from Mbia-bet & the school has filled up an interesting day. It is a sort of Gipsy life, our only article of furniture a camp bed & the provision box that brought our live stock, - fowls. & this gives us a lot of rest in one sense, as there is no house work to do except cooking, & that is very primitive too. If things go on well, I shall begin to build a house as soon as the yams are planted. It is very, very high! It takes me an hour to climb the hill, which is my chief difficulty. The hill & its steepness is the reason for this being the terminus of the Motor Car. The road all round & up to the top of the hill is full of beautiful white smooth stones. They are very hard to walk upon, but so clean & homelike. It is just like the sea shore at home, only what should be the sea is a vast expanse, on three sides, of bush held just now nearly all the time in the grey blue grip of the Harmattan(Note 3) Haur(Note 4). Away on the horizon lies Aro land & several tribelets with the Creek valley between. It is the widest outlook I have seen in Calabar including Unwana. If the Presbytery wants height, they can have it here in full measure. My idea, born from a fever experience, for the working of this place is a motor car, with a Missionary Chauffeur, with a house at this place & another below Ikot Obon, to meet the launch from Itu. That would embrace the whole of the stations, besides it cd. stop at all the villages on the road which is an impossibility to the ordinary traveller & to the Government motor which I have the privilege of using. On my way I pass Ibiaku & Ikot Obon & Ikot Ekpene, & Itu can be easily reached & the car be back here touching at all those places, before night. It wd. take 8 or 10 persons to do this, besides the saving in strength, time & transport. Next best, for these inland peoples & towns which are opened by Govt, & good roads made, is a motor cycle, to take the missionary to the various places without killing himself, & sleeping by the roadside. But this is all out of the question with that great sum needed in the east. Couldnt Glasgow Individual members, or Edinburgh Swells do this & such things off their own individual bats?? It wd. be a fitting thankoffering for special mercies received by them. But I must get to some duties which must be done before school time. Im quite ashamed of this letter, & I’ve waited till I could write a decent one. On reading this over, it is simply shameful the mistakes & the disconnected items, but when shall I get a better one done, seeing I live out of doors, & every one who passes has something to say. Thank you for all your news. I hope the spring time which will be with you now, will suit Mrs Stevenson better than the damp winter you have had, & I hope all the members of your family will grow in usefulness & be even more a blessing than ever. don’t you speak of giving over to younger ones. Experience counts for a lot that matters greatly. I hope many years of grand service are before you & that you will continue to hold the lines you know so well. I have had a very beautiful letter from Miss Crawford, & should like to write at once. I do trust her father gets better. Will you please tell her. I’m thinking of her often & often, & will write to her soon. The Wireless(Note 5) to the Throne is ever open.
I have a letter from an officer in Lagos, who tells me of Mr Watts marriage, & well being, & well doing. I must write to congratulate him. He is a *fine* man! I wish we had more of his kind in the Governing service. Now if you can wade through this Tangle, try to understand something of my meaning which is of the warmest & most grateful & sincere Christian appreciation & greeting & affection. I trust this will find you well, & able for the burden of work which the assembly will bring you, & I am
Yours sincerely
M M Slessor
I have to acknowledge yours of — with money. & etc. MMS
I’m expecting Misses Bowes & Hart in 10 days for their holiday.
Editorial Notes:
- Slates, often framed in wood, were in common usage in British schools at this time for practising writing and working out sums with the aid of a slate pencil. Could be easily cleaned, and particularly practical in Africa as they would not deteriorate through the climate etc.
- D.C. = District Commissioner
- Harmattan: “a parching dusty land-wind of the West African Coast occurring from December to February (Oxford English Reference Dictionary)
- Haur. This is clearly spelt by Miss Slessor but is not listed in dictionaries
- Wireless = telegraphy or radio, which was still in its infancy
- A word appears to be missed out here