SHERBRO MISSION. 
17 
with a population of five or six hundred. Ad- 
ding to this other villages on the bend of the 
river, there was in quite a small compass a pop- 
ulation of nearly two thousand souls. Here our 
missionaries determined to commence work as 
soon as possible. The country was excellent. 
The people were hungry for the bread of life. 
The climate and healthfulness of the place were 
as good as any they could hope to find in the in- 
terior of - the country. But before they could 
even commence the work they must obtain a title 
from the head-man of the tribe, or king of the 
country. They sought an interview with him 
and obtained the promise of a written title to 
mission-grounds, but before the bargain was con- 
cluded — which with these people is generally a 
tedious process — they returned to Freetown. Mr. 
Shuey having now accomplished, as he supposed, 
the main object of his voyage to Africa, — the 
location of the mission, — and Mr. Kumler being 
seriously ill with African fever, it was deemed 
advisable that they should both return to America. 
Accordingly they took ship and sailed for 'New 
York, which port they reached in safety after a 
voyage of forty-two days, and arrived at home 
soon after. 2 
