"Baum to Basel"

The Mission has set him the problem of advising alternative possible stations in Akim if Gyadam becomes impossible to hold. They suggest Kibi or Koforidua. Baum comments: Kibi is no healthier than Gyadam. Koforidua has at most 20 families living there, but very isolated - apart from one village ¾ hour inland with 6 families there is nothing but 6 hours of forest before you come to Kukurantumi. Kukurantumi is again rather a small village – the only thing to be said in favour of either of either these two is that they are on the main footpath, but if there were to be a station on this path it would be better placed at Taro, where again only about 60 families live, although it is a neat village, and has a friendly chief. ¾ of an hour further inland there is another village, but this is an unfriendly one dominated by fetish practices. The problem with all of these is that they are in King Atta’s area, and he is already annoyed at the Mission’s going to Gyadam. He would probably only want a station in his capital, and would have the power to enforce this wish. Begoro is another place which should be considered. Baum has recently visited there, and reckons that since it is higher it would be healthier. It is not quite as large as Gyadam, and there are not so many nearby villages. In Gyadam at the moment relations with their king are good. The mission now has, for 50 Thaler extra-payment taken over the whole stretch of land over towards the river Birim. A project to obtain land on a nearby hill was negative because the hill was a fetish land. There are still no boundary posts, however. The second quarter of the letter is given to further discussion of the troubles of mid-1856. There are some vivid glimpses of an enraged Agyeman – at one point Baum writes that the Cape Coast prince had to intervene when Agyeman was threatening to assault Süss. He also says that he and Süss were specifically forbidden to go and settle elsewhere in Agyeman’s land, and that more than once it was said that if Süss went then the king would have a good house. The latter part of the letter is a list of 12 things necessary for the development of the station: 1. A wife — to take care of the mission house, and look after the man. At present one of the men has to look after the cooking, and of course the local women do not know anything about sewing. If like Frau Mohr in Akropong he knew something about midwifery she would be very welcome in Gyadam also. 2. Permission to buy certain stores to replace those which have gone mouldy in Gyadam (20 pounds rice, 6 pounds lard, 3 sesters of Welschkorn). In view of the difficulties he advises that each brother should be allowed 200 Thalers ‘for this year’. He also says so far no corn has ripened in Gyadam. 3. Permission to build a solid house 4. Permission to build a chapel/school. 5. Permission to bring in cows for meat and milk – since in Akim cows are left to go about in herds 6. A horse. Baum cannot get people to carry him 7. A press for oil and fruit juices 8. A footwinch for sawing 9. Permission for furniture 10. School materials 11. Certain tools 12. Quinine He also asks for certain things which are not necessary but which would be very useful – a small table bell, a bell for the outside of his house, and a bell for the chapel, and baptism and communion furniture.

01.04.1857

01.04.1857

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