"Holzwarth to Basel"

News about their good, which arrived late in London and were damaged on board, since water entered the bowels of the ship. Details about the proper clothes to be worn in the tropics. Their wine has arrived safely but begins to get sour. Observes wild cotton. Description of landscape. “We must live here as in Europe in town". It would be better to have an amount of money here than a lot of goods. A barrel with 10-15 hundredweights (?) of cowries would be advisable, also handkerchiefs for small presents. Labourers are paid in cowries. If you have no slaves, building is difficult. There is a lack of wood and limestone. Lime is fabricated from shells which are collected at great cost from the seashore. The kitchen equipment is all rusting. They have a small kitchen. They did not yet use the surgical instruments. It causes great difficulties to keep them from rusting. Of their drugs, presented to them by a dear brother in Zeist, they made some use. Headaches are common with newly arrived people, also eczemas all over the body. Woolen socks help to keep the sweating feet warm and to soften the headache. He thanks the Lord that a physician has recently arrived. He has not yet had a night of sound sleep. A woolen blanket is too hot, except in the morning, and a linen blanket not warm enough. They take a bath every morning, either indoors or in the open sea. Manual labour is not suitable for the European- quickly sweat makes you all wet, so that you have to change. He has made a beginning with learning the language. It is a difficult language and probably not so poor in expressions as you might think at first. There are only 20-30 000 souls in the Accra tribe. But the Moravians have written down languages of much smaller groups in Greenland. The Fante language is spread wide, and he intends to direct his attention to that language as well soon. In the school. He daily reads something of the New Testament to the children and gives short explanations and adhortations connected with the reading. He speaks in Danish and the interpreter, who himself knows but little Danish, translates it somehow. Furthermore he teaches them melodies of hymns. They knew none when he arrived, but have learned about 10 now since Christmas. “You surely want to hear about our life with God. I can tell you that I could not live without God… Greetings to friends..."

31.01.1829

31.01.1829

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4 pages