THE SETTLEMENT OF VICTORIA. 567 



all the settlers returned to Jamaica, the buildings fell into decay, and Bhnbia 

 has long ceased to be the merest out-station. It has lapsed to heathendom. 

 Ultimately the school, which was continued under the care of a native agent, 

 was given up, and the few converts removed to this place. 



" For many years a good work was carried on at Fernando Po — chiefly, 

 however, among the semi-civilised settlers, who had been drawn thither from 

 Sierra Leone and other parts of the coast at the time the British held posses- 

 sion of the place ; but after it was handed over to the Spanish Government, 

 who had established their claim as owners, persecution broke out, the mission 

 was broken up, and a few of the stauncher members of the Church, much to 

 their credit, migrated here, and established the settlement of Victoria, in 

 many respects a most interesting little republic, of which I have the distin- 

 guished honour of being chief magistrate. We owe allegiance to no earthly 

 power, for Britain has disowned us, and we care not to seek the protection of 

 any other government ; and so we must fight our own battles with such wea- 

 pons as we can muster, the most formidable consisting of two Martini Henry 

 rifles and a revolver pistol. Besides the pastoral and educational work car- 

 ried on here by the Rev. Mr. Pinnock, a native of Jamaica, and educated 

 there, a mission has recently been commenced among the Bakwellis inhabit- 

 ing the mountain by the Rev. Quintin W. Thomson ; and higher up I have 

 a catechist engaged, who, besides his teaching and other mission work, 

 keeps my house at Mapanji open, and looks after my interests there. Although 

 paid by me, he is, in so far as mission work is concerned, entirely under Mr. 

 Thomson's control. He is a native of Bimbia, and the most thoroughly 

 qualified for his position of all the native converts in this portion of the 

 field. 



" Cameroons has for many years been the chief seat of the Baptist mission, 

 and a greal deal of good work has been done ; but unless more effectively 

 supported than it has been of late, I fear there will be a sad falling back. 

 Mr. Saker, the senior missionary, has finished the translation and printing of 

 the Scriptures in the Dualla tongue, and has, besides, done a good deal in 

 training some of the young men as mechanics ; but there are few capable of 

 carrying on mission work — at least such is my impression. There is a large 

 population at Cameroons to work upon, but trade influences are very power- 

 fully antagonistic. There is only one ordained missionary at present at work 

 — Mr. Fuller, a native of Jamaica, who came when a youth with his father 

 and others to form the settlement at Bimbia, and is, I understand, the only 

 one of them that has remained in Africa. 



" The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland mission at Old Calabar hag 

 suffered much from such evils, but not so much as other missions. The pro- 

 gress made there is much wider and deeper than in those other fields. More 

 extensive work has been done in translating and in education j but the most 



