The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-07-08
For the National Era.
AT RICAN MISSION


The Rev. Mr.. Wilson, who during the last
twenty years has been laboring as mission
airy in Africa, delivered discourse yesterday,
on the present condition and prospects of the
inhabitants of that portion of the globe. His
text was chosen from the second chapter of
jeremiah, at the thirteenth verse and after
remarking upon the disposition Of mankind
generally, as well as the Jews, to CRAFTY their
desires, and to seek for happiness by means Of
their own deyislng, he went on to state that
there are two great divisions Of the human
family in Africa The Arabs and Moors occu-
Ply the northern and northeastern portion of
the country and the Sahara. and another race
occupy the southern and western parts. This
race again may be divided into two families.
What are called the Mountains of the Moon,
as every person acquainted with the geography
of Africa knows separate the continent into
nearly two equal parts, by line running par
alIel and within few degrees Of the equator.
Two-thirds of the population north Of these
mountains are Mohammedans; those ut the
south are Pagans but not of a uniform char
acter, differing from each other in habits and
custoMs--some of which are of Egyptian
orgin-but more especially in language; yet
notwithstanding these distinct characteristics
they both retain that of the negro, and in those
who have been brought to this country no diff
ference is perceptible Various estimates have
been made as to the population of Africa, the
Arabs and Moors having been put down ut
hity millions, and the others at one hundred
making in all one hundred and fifty millions
Of course, in making this estimate, the utmost
accuracy cannot be expected but he was dis
posed to think the population could not be less
than had been stated
His remarks, he said, must be necessarily
limited TO the maritime range of country, where
the natural scenery is of great variety and
beauty, particularly in the vicinity of Cape
Palmas, and also ON the Niger coast, and what
arc called the table lands. On the Gold coast
there is to be found every variety of hill and
dale; in the southwestern direction also the
mountain scenery is of great beauty and ex-
ceeding grandeur; while the character and
condition of the inhabitants il as varied as the
natural scenery-includng every grade, from
a savage to civilized state At Cape Palmas
and on the Grain coast, the houses, if such they
may be termed, are destitute of every comfort
of life; on the Gold coast they are two and three
stories high, with walls built of clay. Here
the people live in q greater degree of comfort,
and when compared with those on the Grain
the coast the houses are built of bamboos.
An impression, he said, very generally pre-
walls, that the climate of Africa is intolerable :;
which is not the case in the vicinity OF the sea-
coast where the heat is seldom 80 oppressive AZ
it is in Washington during the summer months
and the country is far from being what it is
generally considered-thc grave of the white
man-and is far more salubriOus than other
locations that have been selected for mercan-
tile pursuits. The longevity that may he at
tanned is evident, from the circumstance that
he met missionaries who had resided there fif-
teen, eighteen, and twenty years and what
was more conclusive, he had known men en-
gagged in mercantile pursuits, who had dwelt
in Africa thirty eight forty, and forty-two
years, and number Of Others who had been
there twenty, and who were still in the enjoy
ment Of good health. He admitted that the
climate is less fatal than formerly which liz to
be attributed to II superior mode of living, bet
ter society," and understanding how to manage
the diseases of the country.
As to Government in Africa there ia moth
ing which merits the name the people live il
isolated villages, nominally under the patri
archal, democratic, and despotic forms Unde
the patrarchal they enjoy some degree O
| Oouipuiuihc ScCuIity unu utDpiucsS NniIt
under the democratic they are perfectly disor
ganzed and wretchcd The state of religion
and morals is such as might be expected where
polygany with its train of evils has overturned
tho foundations Of society and produced re-
suits which it was out of his power to describe
or his hearers to imagine.
Society, however, has undergone material
change for the better, within the last thirty
years, and is very different from what it was
when the slave trade was in full vigor and the
entire country was given up to predatory war
fare. This, he said is attributable to tho active
operations of the squadrons on tho coast the
extension of commerce, and the establishment
of missions. The slave trade which devastated
! the continent for three centuries, has been sus-
| pended the chief cause Of which was the actv.
ty of the British ships; but which, he said,
could not have been effected without the CO.
operation of the American and Brazilian forces.
Commerce is establishing itself under the pro-
lection of those squadrons, the entire coast
being kept in a state of strict blockade, which
renders the slave trade 40 Improbable that it
has been abandoned; while the natives, finding
their gains in this way so uncertain, have
turned their attention TO the manufacture Ot
palm oil and the advantage they experience
from this change il such, that they will not,
after few years, abandon it for their former
practices, should the naval force be ultimately
withdrawn.
When the missions were first established in
Africa there existed no religion, the natives
had no Sabbath, nor had they ever heard Of
Jesus Christ Now, thorc are churches estab-
lished, and upwards of one hundred youths are
taught to read and write, and portions of the
- 81. - Al
dominant languages. The missionaries are
finding themselves surrounded by new and
pOpulous tribe, which was unknown at the
time of their arrival, drawn hitler by desire
TO be near the whites, and for purposes Of
trade. Among these q mission has been es-
tablished, and by this time the missionary il
able to preach to them in their own language.
lie expressed himself aware that diversity
Of opinion exists as 10 the capacity Of the Afri-
can for improvement, and that many persons
regard the efforts Of the missionaries among
them as an utterly hopeless task but who need
not TO be informed that as there is diversity
Of gifts in the same family, 30 there is diver
sity Of gifts among the great family Of man.
The African may be interior in enterprise,
energy, and invention; but he may nevertheless
become happy and prosperous, Here no can
not reach that point which he il capable of at
tanning, because he is overshadowed by more
powerful race; but in Africa he labors under
no such disadvantage: Experience, he said,
had demonstrated that African children learn
faster than the white, owing TO remarkable
precocity, which however may not be retained
There are youths. however, who are making
considerable proficiency in the study Of the
Latin and Greek languages and a number of
A g.. hus IN tha ~ &c ta,
thousand dollars year, with great accuracy,
intelligence, and ability and, although they
have no written literature, yet they have Ger.
tain traditions, aphorisms, and fables, Us a sub.
stitute.
Az 10 Tho Innnnane of this neopla thara a-a