IN WESTERN AFRICA. 
251 
bad no power over the Purrow. I told him that 
then we must appeal to a King who did have 
power over it. This we are doing every day. 
We are praying to the King of heaven and earth, 
to put a stop to these heathen practices. Will 
you not unite your prayers with ours that God 
may put an end to the Purrow-devil. This is the 
first we have had so close here for five years, and 
the people do not wish it. It is only a few wick- 
ed men, who hate the mission and everything 
that is good, that have brought it here. 
Joseph Gomer. 
necember 17, 1877. 
HELP NEEDED. 
It is time for my quarterly report; but I beg 
you will excuse me this quarter, and I hope Mr. 
Wilberforce will be here by the time the next is 
due. I am just as busy as I can be from early in 
the morning until late at night. We are clearing 
and plowing for our fall crops. We are now 
plowing with two yoke of oxen. I am head 
plowman. It takes three of us, — one to hold the 
plow and two to drive, — as the cattle are not well 
broken. In the schools and religious department 
all is going as well as could be expected. At 
Shengay our da}^-meetings are thinly attended. 
The day-school has an attendance of from thirty- 
five to fifty. Birds must be driven from rice. We 
