28 
ME. MULLEK AND THE SETTLBES. 
pointing out the great risk he would incur by re- 
maining, in his then weak state, in a climate so 
unhealthy as this was known to be ; and we endea- 
Toured to show him the advantage of recruiting his 
strength at Ascension, when he might be able not 
only to return to Fernando Po, but even to make 
another and a more successful voyage up the Niger, 
All arguments were, however, unavailing. He seemed 
to think he had once been inveigled away from his 
proper field of usefulness, and he was determined it 
should not be done again. A house was therefore 
procured for these gentlemen, such arrangements were 
made for their comfort as our limited means would 
allow, and also to further their project of ascending the 
mountain, as high as a road had been cut by Colonel 
Nicolls, about 4000 feet above the sea. Doubtless, if 
they could have accomplished this journey, the cool 
temperature of that altitude would have been of great 
service in restoring them to health, 
Mr. Muller, our excellent chaplain, had been soli- 
cited by some of the black settlers to administer 
baptism to a large number of children, but he very 
much disappointed them, for he found not only 
the neophytes but the parents utterly ignorant of 
the nature of the religion which they proposed so 
conveniently to adopt. Mr. Muller was too conscien- 
tious a Christian to administer the sign of regeneration 
to whole flocks of pseudo-Christians. 
In the afternoon he performed service on board. 
