552 LIFE OF DA VII) LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



which, by Mr. Anderson's united action, seconded by our countrymen in the 

 river, secured this took place at Duke Town. On the death of an individual 

 of some note, a number of victims were slaughtered and buried with him, and 

 others were penned up for slaughter. This information Mr. Anderson got 

 from refugees who took shelter at the mission-house ; and asking the aid of 

 our countrymen, which was heartily given, he charged the authorities of the 

 town with their deed, and demanded that those shut up should be let go. 

 The facts, as usual, were denied ; but Mr. Anderson was sure of his informa- 

 tion, and proposed that the grave should be examined in order to test the 

 matter. They then confessed what had been done, liberated those in bonds, 

 and, after the heads of Duke and Creek Towns had consulted together, they 

 resolved to accede to our constant remonstrances, and the remonstrances of 

 our fellow-countrymen, official and otherwise, and with much ceremony pro- 

 claimed the abolition of the custom. We rejoiced in this happy issue to our 

 efforts to bring to an end this custom of blood, which no longer pollutes our 

 land. 



" Such changes, irrespective of the higher influences of the gospel, have 

 passed over the native community, and in themselves amply repay the Home 

 Church for all she has expended on Calabar. The gospel has much more to 

 do amongst the intertropical tribes of intertropical Africa than among the 

 semi-civilised Asiatic nations. Their customs of blood, for the most part a 

 legacy of the slave-trade, have to be extinguished ; and the broken fragments 

 of nations left by the devastations of that terrible scourge have to be united, 

 their tribal antagonisms removed, and formed by the peace-making power of 

 the truth into civilised commonwealths. This great work the gospel will 

 gradually accomplish, and make a people of such as are now no people. 



" To a certain extent the governmental power of Britain can aid in this 

 result ; and holding this view, the policy which the present Ministry has 

 adopted on the Gold Coast has given me much satisfaction. There are wise 

 and good men who would have us abandon the coast, and leave the natives 

 to themselves, so far as our governmental influence is concerned. But for 

 what purpose is our great power in the world given us, if not that we may 

 exercise it for the benefit of such degraded portions of our race ? Non-in- 

 tervention as regards civilised nations may be a sound political creed, but 

 surely it is misapplied when quoted to rule our conduct towards these negro 

 tribes. If we use our great wealth, to which every clime contributes, and 

 our great influence, which every country acknowledges, as if all owed loyalty 

 to the British crown, merely for our own aggrandisement, do we not act 

 much in the spirit which dictated the response, ' Am I my brother's keeper ?' 

 Moreover, these tribes have a claim of justice at our hands, and that of the 

 strongest. Britain, in by-past times, took the lead in the slave-trade. She 

 was the principal criminal in perpetrating that crime which devastated Africa, 



