Mr. Efa Ekpe Esuk : 
Pioneer Evangelist. 
SOME while before our first missionary landed 
at i\rsibong Town to begin work for God and 
Primitive Methodism, a native schoolmaster had 
been brought from Duke Town, Calabar, to teach 
the children book-palaver. He was paid by the 
heads of the households, each contributing a fixed 
amount according to scale. That vSchoolmaster's 
name was Efa Ekpe Esuk. Not much to look at, 
and slender in his educational equipment— on the 
English side of things; — he nevertheless was 
worth his weight in gold. An out-and-out 
Christian, he believed that he would fail in his 
duty did he not teach the boys and girls about 
Jesus, as well as the multiplication table and 
primer. The consequence was that the Rev. J. 
Marcus Brown soon secured his services for the 
Mission as interpreter and schoolmaster. Thus 
began an engagement which continued without 
flaw or break for more than twenty years. At the 
beginning he rendered fine service in explaining 
to our pioneers the things that lie at the back of 
the black man's mind. Later on, he became a 
pioneer in most of our new ventures. His experi- 
ence well qualified him for this kind of work, be- 
sides which his slender educational resources were 
never in danger of being unduly tested. Though 
never strong in body, he made up the lack in wil- 
lingness and kindliness of heart. At first, in the 
