"Eisenschmid's Report for the Year 1863"

The station is called the white-man's village by the Kibi people. During 1863 catechist Joseph Ofei had to be excluded for immorality. They have had little time for preaching journeys beyond the immediate surroundings of Kibi but have preached regularly in Kibi especially when the people have assembled from distant places. He feels the people must sooner or later respond to the proclamation of the non-existence-of fetishes and the deceitfulness of the priests. In 1863 a fetish priest in Kibi was either killed or else committed suicide after poisoning 7 people. And another advised a wealthy man that he was ill because someone envied his fine farm - if he were to have the best fruits from the farms strewn at the entrance of the village they would know who the envious one was because it would be he who stole them. The fetish priest was himself caught stealing the fruits. Reporting on the community - Jakobo goes on his quiet way but the elder Abraham is concerned only with material things, though it is true that he has given up drinking since he became a Christian. The two ex-Gyadam pupils had to be excluded from the Catechists' Seminary because of immorality, and Georg Pabi of Kukurantumi left the Seminary because he found the discipline too hard. However, the first Kibi man has been baptised and 6 youths baptised in Kukurantumi at the beginning of the year are a shining example. There are 10 Kibi catechumens over whom Eisenschmid expresses anxiety.

18.01.1864

18.01.1864

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