RELATIONS WITH THE PEOPLE. 25 



them, though that was scarcely necessary in a country 

 where the idea of buying land was quite new. It was ex- 

 pected that a request for a suitable spot would have been 

 made, and that we should have proceeded to occupy it as 

 any other member of the tribe would. But we explained 

 to them that we wished to avoid any cause of future 

 dispute when land had become more valuable ; or when a 

 foolish chief began to reign, and we had erected large or 

 expensive buildings, he might wish to claim the whole. 

 These reasons were considered satisfactory. About £5 

 worth of goods were given for a piece of land, and an ar- 

 rangement was come to that a similar piece should be 

 allotted to any other missionary, at any other place to 

 which the tribe might remove. The particulars of the 

 6ale sounded strangely in the ears of the tribe, but were 

 nevertheless readily agreed to. 



In our relations with this people we were simply 

 strangers, exercising no authority or control whatever. 

 Our influence depended entirely on persuasion; and, having 

 taught them by kind conversation as well as by public 

 instruction, I expected them to do what their own sense 

 of right and wrong dictated. "We never wished them to 

 do right merely because it would be pleasing to us, nor 

 thought ourselves to blame when they did wrong, although 

 we were quite aware of the absurd idea to that effect 

 We saw that our teaching did good to the general mind 

 of the people by bringing new and better motives into 

 play. Five instances are positively known to me in 

 which, by our influence on public opinion, war was pre- 

 . vented ; and where, in individual cases, we failed, the peo- 

 : pie did no worse than they did before we came into the 

 country. In general they were slow, like all the African 

 people hereafter to be described, in coming to a decision 

 on religious subjects; but in questions affecting their 

 worldly affairs they were keenly alive to their own inte- 

 rests. They might be called stupid in matters which had 

 not come within the sphere of their observation, but in 



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