"Hanke to Basel"

Since the letter carrying his news to Basel was lost, he writes again the sad news of the death of Holzwarth, Salbach and Schmid. Dr. Trentepohl urged Henke to take logging in the castle again, the Governor Lind providing a room for him. After the death he went with Trentepohl to the plantation half the way being carried, the other half walking painfully. He stayed there for 4 weeks and helped Dr. Trentepohl to catch butterflies, which T. studies scientifically. Henke had not applied for the post of a chaplain as Dr. Trentepohl had suggested, but unexpectedly a letter from the king empowered the governor and council to employ him, if he so desired, as catechist and teacher, annual salary 600 rigsdaler plus 200 rigsdaler as soon as he could prove to have mastered the Accra language. It he accepted the work - an important and difficult one - and now spend 7 hours daily in the school. Details about his teaching. Sad case: Girl pregnant from a sailor, dismissed parents had forced her to it for money they had received from the sailor. Other girl taken away by her father and sold to Portuguese slave traders in Quita. The mulattos he describes in strong terms as a bad lot. The -Europeans are also rotten: most live as polygamists, only three of them not, among them Governor Lind. They all but one regularly attend Church, but each has his own faith and none the true faith. He does not dare to give them the Lord's supper - rather he would give up his appointment. Only with Dr. Trentepohl he could have communion, but he has died since. Henke asks for 4-6 missionaries to be sent out - God will open doors. These brethren should not be emotional types and they should be married. They should be well trained - a missionary never knows enough. Against the climate, Henke lists 7 precautions to be taken. Account of what happened to the goods of the deceased brethren. Part sold in auction, part-furniture kept against the arrival of new missionaries. The new brethren should bring no furniture-a stove heating which had cost much freight was in particular a nuisance - also the order of Holzwarth of a barrel of Port wine, which did cost £ l00, had to be resold with a loss - nobody drinks port here. Answer to question in the only letter from the committee which reached the coast so far (in February): Foodstuffs regularly required from Denmark. (Henke says, he got used to African food). Tin plates are not suitable since the Africans do not clean them properly - China would be better. Mattresses and blankets needed (the cockroaches have damaged many).

20.05.1830

20.05.1830

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5 pages