"Mader's Report about his Journey to Süss with Dieterle"

A rather more detailed description than previously of the Akropong villages on the road into Akim. Compared with the previous report (23 Mar 1852) there is lest detail about the Akim part of the journey. Of the list of settlements before Kukurantumi is reached which is provided in that report, Koforidua is mentioned here, as-a hunting village, and Panto is now said to be an Akim farming village consisting of three huts. Kukurantumi he mentions as having two large clumps of bamboo at each end of the village which could each provide shade for an assembly of 500-800 men. This is an indication that like many Akim towns Kukurantumi is divided into two parts. The fetish in Kukurantumi had forbidden the fetching of water, which caused some difficulty. This was a prohibition on the people as a whole. The missionaries Knaben (this presumably means their servants not the students who were with them) took the trouble to fetch water themselves. From Kukurantumi the village names are given - Ati, Tafo, Osem, Fankyeneko, then 4 hours through the bush to the Birim, which they crossed on a tree trunk which had fallen across the river. Little is said about Gyadam, the results of the conversations with-Süss having already been communicated. Good numbers of people attended morning prayers in the courtyard-of the house where Mader and Dieterle lodged, and evening prayers were said in the Chief's house. (Dieterle preached on Ps, 94v9, the pupils sang hymns.) Mader comments that Gyadam a nice place. On the way home they passed through Kibi, where the King prepared a ceremonial welcome for them - drummers at the entrance to the town and a half hour spent exchanging greetings (The two Akim ‘princes’ were part of the missionaries’ party). They stayed two days in Kibi, though little is said about what they spent their time doing – altough Mader comments that the king is great friend of their visits being exchanged both when they are in Kibi, and when he is journeying through Akropong or in Osu. The missionaries’ pupils were requested to sing for him. Prayers were attended by townspeople, and on the second day they held a service in the King’s house (Mader’s text, was I Cor. c8v9). They tried to recruit some children for upbringing, but while the King's brother was willing to send one, another man was not. The villages on the route back are given once more as Oponto, Tete, Boate; at Kukurantumi, where they spent the night again there were 40 people present when Mader preached in the evening, but they were not sympathetic (Mader comments that at the end they wanted money).

21.04.1854

21.04.1854

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