"Eisenschmid to Basel"

Travelling from Akropong to Kibi they spent the first night in Panto, the second in Kukurantumi. In the latter a man had died and a priest declared that it was his fetish which was responsible - although the priest had been attending the man in his illness. Ampaw broke up an audience he gave to Eisenschmid when Eisenschmid started talking about Ampaw being converted, and a fetish priest intruded into the conversation. Kibi - the community is more or less the same size, and in the same condition as when he left 4 1/2 years before. 'We saw many old and loved faces again though certainly others are no longer in the Christian community (whom we remember). They have not found what they were looking for, or they were tempted out by the lust to sin. It is hard to get Christians and heathens out of the habit of thinking that a Christian is free in his body - we also have to help him towards a means of earning his living regularly.' Another problem is the Asafos - Eisenschmid has spoken to an Asafohene over this type of opposition, warning him that if it goes on he would report it to the English Government - remarking in parenthesis that he would rather not do this, since the regime would do nothing and thus the situation would be simply exacerbate. This could be the removal of the most serious obstacle to conversions, since the younger people are all more or less convinced of the worthlessness of fetish religion, and to a certain extent too of the truth of Christianity. This is even the case with the king, though one can hope for his conversion, his throne is founded on fetish observances. He is, on the whole, however, well intentioned and friendly toward the missionaries - they were invited to an evening meal with him at the time of Nat. Date's departure. His younger followers, too, if not friendly, are at least not hostile. It is the older leader who are the fanatical opponents of the Christian religion. He reports too that -the Okyenhene has gone to Akropong in response to an invitation from the English Government, to confer over the question of sending an expedition to Asante.

02.10.1873

02.10.1873

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