Partial Civilization 
was responsible to the authorities for the con¬ 
duct of his people outside as well as inside the 
compound. His authority was, therefore, recog¬ 
nized as absolute inside the mission compound. 
The attendance varied a little, but the number of 
people generally present at night was over ioo. 
By far the most interesting and important ap¬ 
pendage to this establishment was the orphan¬ 
age. 1 call it by this name, because, while some 
of the children had been left temporarily in our 
care that they might escape starvation or slavery, 
most of them had lost one or both parents and had 
to be educated and started in life by the mission. 
The boys were placed in the back yard in charge 
of the Sierra Leone teacher and his wife; and the 
girls, in suitable houses in the front yard, in the 
care of some of the older female converts. Some 
of the girls were of a very tender age. Each of 
these had one of the older girls for an eyah or 
mother whose business it was to look after the 
toilet of her little charge and to nurse her in case 
of serious sickness. They also bought the food 
of the little ones. 
A trusty boy was appointed to count the 
cowries and each child received a certain number 
of cowries per day and they all bought their 
food in the little market near the house. Each 
215 
