VOLUME 3, NUMBER 3,
"Go ye into all the world and preach] the gospel to every creature.'1 RICHMOND, MARCH: 15, ‘is $)J
Soutljcrn Dapliot OTonoentiou.
Correspondence of (he Foreign llonrd.
Communications relating to the general busi-
rses of the Foreign Mission Board, may bo ad¬
dressed, post void, to
Jakes B. Tmort, Cor. Sec.,
Richmond, Va.
Communications enclosing donations, oi relat¬
ing to tiro financial department, may bo address¬
ed to AncniDALD Thomas, Treat.,
Richmond, la.
For the Ccmmtsiilori.
No Hope!
In Pridden’s Australia, we find the following:
“Throughout all the funeral ceremonies of sav¬
age and heathen nations, the same distinguishing
mark is to bo obsetved— they aru the vain de¬
vices, the miserable inventions of men, whosor.
row for their departed friends as those who have
no hope. Nothing, it is asserted, can awake in
tho breast more melancholy feelings than the fu¬
neral chants of tire Australians. They are eung
by a whola chorus of females of all ages, and the
effect produced upon the bystanders by the wild
music, surpasses belief. Tho following is a
chant, which has been heard upon several such
occasions, and which, simple though it be, fully
expresses the feelings of a benighted heathen
mourning over tho gravo of a friend, whom he
has lost (as ho thinks,) forevet :—
TKt yoviy
тшн
sings, St j jouog brolher,
Tii cli nan,
Sit young son,
■ Iniutureihalll
S«nr
«о
Mj young brother,
Sly young ion.
In lututo (ball I
Sum ic«
Again.
Again.1
iiVFbUy Christian reader, is the only consolation
a heathen has in bidding a last adieu to friends
on earth. Truly they have “ no bopo,” and are
“ without God in tho world.” Imagine yourself
now in their condition, without one ray of light
to illumine the future, but all darkness, gloom,
uncertainty and despair, and you imagine only
what would really be your situation but for your
knowledge of divine revelation. It was that con
dition in which tho missionaries, who first came
to England, found our forefathers— it is the con¬
dition' of all who havo not heard tho gospel,
which brings life and immoitality to light. —
Since it is the gospel alono which maketh us to
differ from them, should we not prize it abovo ail
price 1 and should wo not sympathize with those
who have not its enlightening influence and con¬
soling promises, to cheer and animate them
through life's dreary pilgrimage!
А. В.
C.
dollars, find I distribute this among the various
benevolent societies, according to the best of my
judgmemt.— Exchange.
An Example Worth Imitating.
A shoemaker is mentioned in an Episcopal pe¬
riodical at Burlington, New Jersey, whoso benev¬
olence was known to bo laige for one of his cir¬
cumstances, Being asked how lie contrived to
give so much, he replied that
к
was easily done
by obeying St. Paul's precept in 1 Cor. xvi. 2.,
“ upon tho first day of tho woek, let every one
of you lay by him in store as tho Lord hath pros¬
pered him.” "I cam," said he, “on an
average, about one dollar a day, and I can, with¬
out any inconvenience to myself or family, lay by
five cents out of this sum for charitable purposes;
the amount is thirty cents a week.
“My wife takes in sowing and washing, am:
earns something like two dollars a week, and she
laya by ten> cents of that. My children, each of
them earn a shilling or two, and aro glad to con
tribute their penny ; so that altogether, wo lay by
us in store forty cents a week. And if wo have
been unusually prospered, we contribute some¬
thing more. Tho weekly amount is deposited,
overy Sabbath morning, in a box, kept for that,
purpose, and reserved for future use. Thus by
these small earnings, wo havo learned that it is
more blessed to give than to receive. Tho ycutiy
amount saved in this way, is about Uoenty f.vc
The Lapland Missionary,
Tho poor Laplanders are without many of the
things which we consider quite necessary to life;
and, what is waise, they have not a knowledge
of the true God, and His Son Jesus Christ; and
no one, for a long time, thought of going to tell
these poor Laplanders about Jesus Christ, who
died to save them.
It was about seventeen years ago that a Swede,
named Tellstrom, had been reading a book wjtich
told of tho sad state of spiritual darkness of the
Laplanders, and he felt a strong desire to go and
preach tho gospel to them. This nun, Tell-
strom, had himself lived without God; but he
was convinced of sin while hearing the Rev.
George Scott preach in Stockholm ; and he anx¬
iously put tho question, “ What must I do to be
saved1 ” He was a journeyman painter, and had
been used in work on tho Sabbath ; but that he
might be able to go to chapel on the Sabbath, he
gave up one-seventh of his scanty food and
wages. His growth in grace, after he had found
peace with God, was most encouraging. He
was soon engaged in various efforts to do good ;
and when he read cf the wants of the Lapland¬
ers, he told Mr. Scott he very much wished to
go to them.
But there were many difficulties in tho way.
“How can you leatn the language!” said Mr.
Scott to him’ " it is veiy difficult.” "I have
thought of this," be replied; “and I heard there
was a Lappish Grammar published many years
ago; and, after a gteatdeal of trouble, J found
one nmongat'-'tho lumber* of an aid book shop.
I found, also, a Lappish New Testament. !
havo been trying the language, and I firmly be
lieve I shall be able to master it." “But,” said
Mr. Scott, "the cold is en much gieater in Lap-
land than in Stockholm, and you cannot get the
вате
shelter and comfoit as you do here.” "1
havo thought of that, too,” ho said, “ and during
the lato severe weather, I have gone up and
down the stone-stairs, that. I might try whether
I could bear tho cold. 1 have uot suffered at all;
and I am convinced that, in this respect, I am
specially fined for Lapland.” “What will you
do for food! You will get no bread or vegota
blcs; all that you will have will be the flesh of
tho icin-deer, smoked, or otherwise prepared.”
“This,” said lie, “ has nut given me a thought.
[ have been norm the worso for fasting once
week that 1 might secure my precious Sabbaths;
and if God send me to Lapland, He will support
me there.” " But how will you bear tho soli¬
tude! You may sometimes be placed whero for
many dreary miles you could not meet with a
spiritual friend.”- He was moved at this, and
said, “ 1 seem too young a convert to be removed
from the careful nursing of the Christian church.
I feel how much I need this ; and yet, if God be
directing my steps to Lapland, my soul may cer¬
tainly rely on that word, 'Lu, lam with you
alway, even to tho end of tho world;’ and if
Jesus be with me, is not this enough!”
Commerce Tributary to Christ¬
ianity.
Wo have been much interested in an attide in
the Notlh American, on the commerce of West¬
ern Africa. English merchants are beginning
to drive a profitable trade with various portions
of the coast, while a lew of our own country¬
men, awaro of the largo returns which a profita¬
ble investment will yield, aro engaged in the
business. The commercial enterprise of civil¬
ized nations will soon bo extended along the
splendid rivers, and far into the interior of that
hitherto almost unexplored land, thus opening
facilities for the diffusion of evangelical truth
and the gradual civilization of its unnumbered
tribes. !
Tho following is an extract from the above
named article, exhibiting some, of the resources
of tho country, and the commercial statistics of
one year:—
Cotton. — The demand which exists all over the
world for this staple, which demand is constantly
incteasing without a corresponding increase in its
production, cannot fail to make . that region of
immense consequence in a commercial point of
view, which can with cacc and facility raise it.
Africa promises largely in the supply of this
momentous material. Thirty varieties have' been
found growing spontaneously. Hon. S. A.
Benson, in
а
letter from Bassa Cove, says,
“though this cotter, (some sent from Liverpool
for planting) 13 of a superior kind, yet it does
not equal that raised by the natives far in the in¬
terior, a specimen of which was brought down a
few days ago from tho Pessa country. I have
sent back, about five days travel, to procure seed
to plant.” Dr. Lugenbeel stales, “ I hare seen
trees growing in Liberia yielding cotton equal in
quality to the best I-ever sav from the valley of
the Mississippi.” Mi. McQueen testifies—
“ There is no countiy in the world which can
produce such an immense quantity of cotton, of a
quality so fine ; it is finer than any description of
cotton wo know of; cummon cotton raised in
Africa 1 have had in my possession, which was
equal to the finest quality of American growth.”
It is also worthy of remark in this connection,
that the untutored natives manufacture cotton
goods extensively. They are spun (without any
wheel) from their native cotton, and woven in a
strip from four to fifteen inches wide. Several
experiments aro now in course of progress which,
it is expected, will solve the question, whether
''Africa can produoc'oorlon. in sufficjfint.j]U3nUije*
to make it a profitablu article of export! We
conceive it will become lha competitor of the
United Stales for the supply of tho American
market as well as that of Europe. This is
merely an opinion, however, and is to be received
accordingly.
Coffee. — The whole land is covered with it.
Isolated trees, and without cultivation, have been
known to yield from ten to twenty pounds of
clean dry coffeo at ono picking, and, however in¬
credible it may appear, yet it is the truth, that a
Single tieo in Monrovia yielded four and a half
bushels in the hull at ono time, which, on being
shelled and dried, weighed thirty-one founds.
In Erravala and Kaffi, an ass’ load (200
1Ьз.)
can be purchased for about a dollar ! The reason
why the “ Mocha ” coffeo is so good is, that it
actually comes from the Southern parts of Afri¬
ca! Grand Bassa county has already planted
30,000 coffee trees, which will bear fruit from
thirty to forty years.
Suoar.— The cane grows with unrivalled
luxuriance, and as there aro no frosts to impede
or kill it, it can bo brought to great perfection.
Owing to the low price and the necessity of very
expensive machinery for its manufacture, it is
not probable that sugar will soon become an arti¬
cle. of exportation. However, it may bo raised
in sufficient quantities for their own consumption.
Should men of enterprise and capital embark in
this business, they can, in all probability, make it
yield a handsome return. It is recorded in histo¬
ry, that before the discovery of America, the
best sugar estates in existence were on the coast
of Aftica.
Pepper of all varieties is indigenous, and may
bo procured almost anywhere. It grows on
bushes four feet high. In quality, it is perhaps
not equalled by that raised in any other clime.
“It is not uncommon to see a native with a
bunch of pepper in one hand and a roasted cassa-
da in tho other, taking, with each mouthful of
the latter, a pod of the former, ono of which
pods would servo to pepper a full meal for a per¬
son not accustomed t« its use.” This will bo
good news to those fond of •' seasoning.” . We
know of no reason why more of this kind o.
spice* is not exported than the amount hereafter
specified.
Arrowroot is one of.llie most common plants
on the western coast. From the ease with which
it is raised, and it being one of- the most valuable
articles of food, it may be made an important elc*
rnent offtradc. A farmer in Liberia assured s'
gentleman that he received cue hundred and
thirty pounds from the one-sixteenth of an acre
of ground. 'Wy.-iJ-
Palm oil is alone procured from Africa.- It
is the product of the majestic palm tree— the'an-
cient and acknowledged symbol of fertility..; Wo
find from official documents, that 63 vessels, -with
19,163 tone of oil, entered various ports in Eng¬
land in 1847, and 55 vessels, with 18,657 tons,
in 1818. This h a large amount, when we bear
in mind the kude mode in which it is made, which
isin this way; A square pit is formed in the ground,
something similar, to tan pits in this country, and
this square placo is filled with pain} nuts, which
ate taken down ripe from the trees, and the fe¬
males trample the oil out in the sun with their
feet. They continue trampling until the nut and,
the oil form one mass. They then extract the
oil by allowing water to run into this place, and
take it all up with the palm of the hand, scraping
it info a calabash. In this tedious and difficult
process, an immense quantity is lost by its run¬
ning into the ground. There is also a great deal
left attached to the nnt. The oil is obtained
from the surface, of the not and not from tho
kernel. When, we consider the great quantity
of this oil which* may bo manufactured by proper
machinery and tho hand of civilization to direct
and govern it, the wonderful productiveness of
the palm tree, and the boundless extent of terri¬
tory in which it- grows spontaneously;- end the
myriads of Inhabitants which svrarm these fruit¬
ful forests, ready to labor for the smallest consid¬
eration, our judgrpent is, that this oil will form
one of the heaviest articles of tiaffic in the com;
mercial world.
Gold is obtained along the coast from Gambia
to the Bight of Benin. The annual export of
this precious metal is at least £300,000 sterling
per annum. T‘ . amount of gold dust Imported
into Liverpoc- alono from Africa in 1816, was
valued at £ *15,000 sterling. Further research
— ospecr’iy if pursued by men of science— may
prove ’- ,r to be as rich.in, mineral wealth as Cal.
iforr . or Peru,
Iron.— Such is the purity of the iron ore ob¬
tained by the natives immediately in tho vicinity
of Liberia, and which they describe as being
abundant, that they havo no furnaces— they need
none. All their agriculture and war instruments
are made by them of ore, so pure, that when
heated, it becomes at once sufficiently malleable
to admit of being wrought into any shape or
form. ■
Ivory.— Some idea can bo gained of the im.
mense quantities of ivory procurable in Africa,
from the countless number of elephants existing
within her borders. A drove of 700 to 800 have
been known to visit the Bonny country at one
time. They all have tusks, some of which have
been ascertained to weigh 120, 130-and 140
pounds each.
4 Various, —Cocoa, Tobacco, Beeswax, Gin¬
ger, Rice, Dye-stuffs and Timber, are imported
in considerable quantities into this countiy and
Great Britain— especially into the latter. ' *
Statistics.— From a late return of the im¬
ports and exports of Great Britain from and to
the coast of Africa, we compile the following
tablo of imports in 18-10— tho last year reported,
viz: Cocoa, 2,459 lbs; Coffee, 24,354 do; Ivory,
1,439 cwts; Ginger, 6,629 lbs; Hides, 874 cwts;
Palm Oil, 360,452 lbs or 18,000 tons; Peppor,
08,160 lbs; Rice, 1,807 cwts; Beeswax, 5,220
cwts; Tobacco, 1,224 lbs; Teakvvood, 7,686 lbs;
Mahogany, 270 tons; Gum, 20 lbs; Uondressed
Skins, 7,013 in number. •
The exports in 1845 were as follows : 312 tons
of bar iron; 172 tons of cowries; 203 tons of
