"Hans Niclay Riis and Widmann from Akropong"

a) Widmann: In their loneliness, the West Indian Christians are consolation and encouragement for the missionaries. On the West Indians: Printed in Heidenbote 1846, p 35a. Not printed: They lack badly cloth linen and shoes for them, they are not available on Coast (p 1). Jonas Hosford is doing better, he may serve as interpreter for newly arriving brethren. Clerk is slower but has a better character. 2. On the question of trade: A difficult matter. Surely much economized by trade, but handicap for mission. Cowries to be sent a heavy and expensive load. Better: Send only the necessary cloth for the payment of labourers and for gifts and the school, not more. But send these regularly. Possibility to send a special mission trader, advantages and disadvantages of such a plan. Land not suited here for coffee and sugar: termites. 3. Advisabiltty to have a brother to care for building, for farms etc. 4. They cannot give an estimate, what a mission house here will cost. It is the labour which costs money, not the materials. There is no proper mission house from stone here. The stones for it however are ready. They will also have to build a proper chapel, the old one is near collapsing point. 5. About the house at Ussu they have already written. The plantation may serve for the Aburi station as a food plantation if worked by fully free people. 6. About the people bought: Not properly bought, but their debt paid and they have to work it off. Not advisable for the future, but often no other labour is available. 7. About division of labour: Cannot be pushed further since they are too few. About baptismal lessons. More hope for the school children than for the elderly people. Morning prayers with the West Indians. Friendly relations with Governor Carstensen, however Carstensen sent a bad report about Riis to Copenhagen, blaming him for the Akwapim palavers during the regency of Mr. Lutterodt. Probably Carstensen wants to exculpate himself thus for the bad part he played in the Owusu Akyem tragedy. b) H.N. Riis: He does not agree with everything written by Widmann. Trade is pernicious and they should completely abstain from it. A special trader here would not be good. The plantation should be sold. The school is not taken mainly in English, the children know but very little of it.

08.01.1846

08.01.1846

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8 pages