Life at Ribe. 
143 
some ulterior object in view, which he carefully hides 
from them. Many of them believe that we want their 
children in order to make slaves of them ; that our 
anxiety to teach them is only pretended ; that our 
real object is to get them into our power, embark 
them on board ship, then to convey them to our own 
country. It is with the utmost difficulty that we can 
disabuse their minds of these erroneous impressions, 
and induce them to allow their children to be in- 
structed. After a tediously long while, however, you 
succeed in getting a few children together. You 
begin to instruct them. All goes on well for a month, 
then they grow tired ; and one after another ceases 
attendance, till all have left you. You pause, begin 
again, and end in the same way. This happens time 
after time, and you would lose all patience and hope 
but for your confidence in God. But perseverance 
secures success. So we found it. We eventually 
secured a number of scholars, whose regular attend- 
ance, ready acquisition of knowledge, development 
of character, and improved general conduct amply 
rewarded us for all our pains. 
The arts of reading and writing were, of course, 
altogether unknown to the Waribe till we introduced 
them. How certain marks, 'in which the Wanika 
could see no shape, could represent language was a 
great puzzle ; it looked like sorcery. Some were 
sceptical, and would not believe that there was any- 
thing in it ; they thought it a clever cheat. Oh," 
they would say, " ku chora-chora " (scribbling) ; " who 
cannot do that 1 Anyone can make marks." The 
story of Williams's celebrated chip is well known. I 
once wrote a man's name across his own chest, and 
