The Satires of A. Persius Flaccus Part 14

Domestic Trade, Corn Meal, Guinea Corn and Yam Flour

The domestic trade among the natives in the interior of our part of Africa--Yoruba--is very great. Corn meal, Guinea corn flour very fine, and a fine flour made of yams is plentiful in every market, and cooked food can always be had in great abundance from the women at refreshment stands kept in every town and along the highway every few miles when traveling.

Candy

Mola.s.ses candy or "taffy," is carried about and sold by young girls, made from the syrup of sugar cane, which does not differ in appearance and flavor from that of civilized countries.

Soap

Hard and soft soap are for sale in every market for domestic uses, made from lye by percolation or dripping of water through ashes in large earthen vessels or "hoppers."

Coloring and Dying. Making Indigo

Coloring and dying is carried on very generally, every woman seeming to understand it as almost a domestic necessity; also the manufacturing of indigo, the favorite and most common color of the country. Red comes next to this which is mostly obtained of camwood, another domestic employment of the women. Yellow is the next favorite color. Hence, blue, red, and yellow may be designated as the colors of Yoruba or Central Africa.

Weaving and Cloth Manufacturing; Leather

The manufactory of cotton cloth is carried on quite extensively among them; and in a ride of an hour through the city of Illorin we counted one hundred and fifty-seven looms in operation in several different establishments. Beautiful and excellent leather is also manufactured, from which is made sandals, shoes, boots, bridles, saddles, harness-caparisons for horses, and other ornaments and uses. They all wear clothes of their own manufacture. The inhabitants of Abbeokuta are called Egbas, and those of all the other parts of Yoruba are called Yorubas--all speaking the Egba language.

A Fixed Policy for the Blacks, as a Fundamental Necessity

Our policy must be--and I hazard nothing in promulging it; nay, without this design and feeling, there would be a great deficiency of self-respect, pride of race, and love of country, and we might never expect to challenge the respect of nations--_Africa for the African race and black men to rule them_. By black men I mean, men of African descent who claim an ident.i.ty with the race.

Internal Medium of Communication. Navigable Rivers

So contrary to old geographical notions, Africa abounds with handsome navigable rivers, which during six or eight months in the year, would carry steamers suitably built. Of such are the Gallinos, St. Paul, Junk, and Kavalla of Liberia; the Ogun, Ossa, the great Niger and others of and contiguous to Yoruba; the Gambia, Senegambia, Orange, Zambisi and others of other parts. The Kavalla is a beautiful stream which for one hundred miles is scarcely inferior to the Hudson of New York, in any particular; and all of them equal the rivers of the Southern States of America generally which pour out by steamers the rich wealth of the planting States into the Mississippi. With such prospects as these; with such a people as the Yorubas and other of the best type, as a const.i.tuent industrial, social, and political element upon which to establish a national edifice, what is there to prevent success? Nothing in the world.

Native Government

The Governments in this part are generally Patriarchial, the Kings being elective from ancient Royal families by the Council of Elders, which consists of men chosen for life by the people, for their age, wisdom, experience, and service among them. They are a deliberative body, and all cases of great importance; of state, life and death, must be brought before them. The King as well as either of themselves, is subject to trial and punishment for misdemeanor in office, before the Council of Elders.

Lagos is the place of the family residence of that excellent gentleman, Aji, or the Rev. Samuel Crowther, the native Missionary; and also his son-in-law Rev. T. B. Macaulay, who has an excellent school, a.s.sisted by his wife an educated native lady.

"Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto G.o.d."--Ps. lxviii. 31. With the fullest reliance upon this blessed promise, I humbly go forward in--I may repeat--the grandest prospect for the regeneration of a people that ever was presented in the history of the world. The disease has long since been known; we have found and shall apply the remedy. I am indebted to Rev. H. H. Garnet, an eminent black clergyman and scholar, for the construction, that "soon,"

in the Scriptural pa.s.sage quoted, "has reference to the period ensuing _from the time of beginning_." With faith in the promise, and hope from this version, surely there is nothing to doubt or fear.

XIV

SUCCESS IN GREAT BRITAIN

Departure from Africa and Arrival in England

Mr. Campbell and myself left Lagos on the 10th of April, per the British Royal Mail steam-ship Athenian, commander Lowrie, arriving in Liverpool May 12th, and in London on the 16th, having spent four days in the former place.

First Meeting

On Thursday, the 17th, by a note of invitation, we met a number of n.o.blemen and gentlemen, interested in the progress of African Regeneration, in the parlour of Dr. Hodgkin, F.R.G.S., among whom were the Lord Alfred S. Churchill, Chairman; Right Hon. Lord Calthorpe; Hon.

Mr. Ashley, brother of the Earl of Shaftesbury; Colonel Walker; Charles Buxton, Esq., M.P.; Rev. J. Baldwin Brown, A.B.; Rev. Samuel Minton, M.A.; Dr. Hodgkin, and others. By request of the n.o.ble chairman, I made a statement of our Mission to Africa, imparting to the first of their knowledge, our true position as independent of all other societies and organizations then in existence. Mr. Campbell also made some remarks.

Origin of the African Aid Society

Many subsequent meetings were held in various places, private and public, several of which were presided over by the Lord Alfred S.

Churchill and Rt. Hon. Lord Calthorpe, at which I and Mr. Campbell both spoke; when in June an invitation was received by each of us from the "Committee of the National Club," to attend a "Company," on "Wednesday evening, June 27th, 1860, when information will be given on the Condition and Prospects of the African Race." The invitation (being the same as sent to all other persons) went on to state that, "Among others, Dr. Delany, of Canada West, and R. Campbell Esq., of Philadelphia, gentlemen of color, lately returned from an exploring tour in Central Africa, will take part in the proceedings."

This was the first great effective move in aid of our cause, though all other previous meetings were preliminary to it. At this, as at previous meetings, a full and thorough statement was made of our mission, several gentlemen taking part in the discussion.

Subsequently the following note was received--Mr. Campbell receiving a similar one--with the accompanying circular, referred to as the "enclosed paper":--

African Aid Society, 7, Adams Street, Strand, W.C.,

July 14th, 1860

DEAR SIR--The Provisional Committee of the above-named Society will feel obliged if you will kindly attend a meeting to be held at the Caledonian Hotel, Robert Street, Adelphi Terrace, on Thursday next, July 19th, to consider the enclosed paper, and to decide on a further course of action. Lord Alfred Churchill, M.P., will take the chair at half-past two o'clock.

I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully,

Dr. Delany. WILLIAM CARDWELL, Hon. Sec.

At a meeting held at 7, Adams Street, on July 6th, 1860 (arising out of the proceedings of a _soiree_, which took place at the National Club, on the 27th of the previous month, when the subject of the "Condition and Prospects of the African Race" was discussed) present, Lord Alfred Churchill, M.P. in the chair; Lord Calthorpe; Sir C. E. Eardley, Bart; Joseph Ferguson, Esq., late M.P. for Carlisle; Rev. Mesac Thomas, Secretary of the Colonial Church and School Society; Rev. J. Davis; Rev.

Samuel Minton, Minister of Percy Chapel; J. Lyons Macleod, Esq., late H.

B. M.'s Consul at Mozambique; Rev. J. Baldwin Brown, Claylands Chapel; and Rev. W Cardall, the following resolutions were unanimously pa.s.sed:--

I. That it is desirable to form a Society, to be designated the 'African Aid Society.' II. That the n.o.blemen now present be a Provisional Committee of such Society, with power to add to their number; and that Lord Alfred Churchill, M.P., be requested to be Chairman. III. That Sir C. E. Eardley, Bart., J. Lyons Macleod, Esq., the Rev. S. Minton, and the Rev. J. Baldwin Brown, be a Sub-Committee to prepare a draft statement of the proposed objects of the Society, and rules for its government.

At a subsequent meeting of the Committee, on a report of the Sub-Committee, the statement of objects and rules was adopted, which is given above.

What Black Men Want

The contents of this paper had been fully and fairly discussed at a previous meeting to which myself and colleague were honored with an invitation, when I then and there, fully, openly, and candidly stated to the n.o.blemen and gentlemen present what was desired and what we did not; that we desired to be dealt with as men, and not children. That we did not desire gratuities as such in the apportioning of their benevolence--nothing eleemosynary but means _loaned_ to our people upon their _personal obligations, to be paid in produce or otherwise_. That we did not approve of _restriction_ as to _where_ such persons went (so that it was to some country where the population was mainly colored, as that was our policy) letting each choose and decide _for himself_, that which was _best for him_.

Primary Objects of the African Aid Society