IN WESTERN AFRICA. 
207 
«cliildren. She had recently left Martin, a village 
up the Mamboo River, where she said a ‘^big-big 
witch-bird eat all her pikins (babies). Two of 
them had recently died, and she believed that a 
large bird which lived in the bush and made a 
strange noise had caused the death of her children ; 
and she would not go to live there again. I tried 
to show her that these birds have no power over 
people. I told her that I believed Q-od was 
very angry with her because she tied charms and 
gregrees on her children, and when they were sick 
trusted in them and in the country-fashion man to 
cure them ; so God took them. She says that I 
have got a big devil, and turn the people’s heads. 
She will not believe what I tell her. I return to 
the mission. I see a sail far out at sea. It heads 
toward the mission. It is the church missionary 
boat, and Rev. Mr. Menzies is in it. 
Next morning, wuth Thomas Caulker, and four 
echool-boys. to sing, we go by way of the sandy 
beach to Tassah. I look into the huts to say good- 
morning. In one a man is lying on a mat spread 
on the ground.. His face and body are smeared all 
over with clay. On inquiring the cause, he said 
he yet yanger sick.” ^^Yanger” means gentiy, 
or genteel. The natives will not speak the ^vord 
small-pox,” — that was what ailed him. They 
must speak well of the disease, and call it by nice 
