222 
RESIDENCE AT 
[1813. 
present. The day was spent in conversing generally 
about missionary affairs ; and in the evening Mr. Read 
preached to a large congregation, who all seemed at- 
tentive. 
1 1 th. After breakfast we visited eight families who 
lived at a little distance. In one house I noticed a 
large Dutch quarto Bible ; and in two other houses, 
parts of the New Testament. In one hut a black 
girl was grinding wheat, in a manner that attracted 
my attention. She had a large flat stone, on which she 
laid a handful of wheat, and with a round black stone, 
bruised about twenty grains at a time, by repeated 
strokes. When beaten sufficiently small, she moved 
the flour to the side, and brought forward a few grains 
more to be beaten. I remarked that a hungry man 
could eat faster than she could grind, which those 
present confessed to be very possible. 
We examined the fountain, or spring from whence 
their water comes, which was abundant and well 
tasted, but when it arrives at the village, which is only 
about half a mile distant, it is a little brackish, owing 
to the ground through which it runs being mixed with 
saltpetre. Some of the people have small gardens, pro- 
ducing pumpkins, cabbages, kidneybeans, peas, tobacco, 
millet or Indian corn^ &c. The garden belonging to 
the missionaries is large and very productive. I have 
not seen larger or better potatoes in Africa. The 
plumb and peach trees are also tall and thriving, and 
their vineyard has this year begun to yield a little 
