der
villages respec' us very much. Dey come ober to see de village. Dey see
dat de houses are comfortable, dat de gardens are bery well cultivated,
dat de people are well dressed, not like common nigger, dat dey are
happy and contented. Dey see dat dey no believe in fetish any more, but
dat ebery ebening when de work is ober, dey gadder under de big tree and
listen for half an hour while I read to dem and den sing a hymn. Once
a year I send down to de coast and get up plenty cloth, and hoes for
de gardens, and eberyting dey want. When I land here ten year ago I hab
eight hundred pound. I got five hundred ob him left here still. Dat more
dan enuf to last Sam if he libe to be bery, bery ole man. Dar are some
good men in de village who, when I am gone, will carry on de work ob de
Lord and dat's all, sar, dat I hab to tell you about Sam, and I am sure
dat you must be very tired and want to go to bed."

The hour was, indeed, for Africa, extremely late, but the time had
passed unheeded, so interested were the listeners in the narrative of
the fine old negro. They remained at the village for a week, and were
greatly pleased with the industrious habits and happy appearance of the
people, and with the earnestness and fervor in which every evening, and
twice on Sunday, they joined in devotions under the great tree. At the
end of that time they said goodbye to their kind host, giving him a
large amount of cloth for distribution among his people. He was unable
to furnish them with bearers, as a considerable tract of uninhabited
country extended beyond his village, and the people on the other side
were on bad terms with his villagers, on account of an outstanding feud
which had existed long before his return from America, and which he
had in vain attempted to settle since he assumed the headship of the
village.

On approaching the Niger they again came upon an inhabited country, but
the tribes here being accustomed to trade with the coast were
friendly, and at the first large village they came to no difficulty was
experienced in obtaining a fresh relay of bearers. This was a matter of
great satisfaction, for the Fans were regarded with extreme antipathy by
the natives. As soon as arrangements had been made to supply their place
the Fans were paid the four months' wages which they had earned. A large
"dash" of beads and other presents were bestowed upon them, three of the
remaining sacks of rice were given to them, and, greatly rejo