"Letter of the missionaries' conference"

Mainly concerning the future of the West Indians. After three month everyone must have made up his mind whether to return or to stay. Those remaining shall get stone houses (size and way of building laid down). They shall be encouraged to plant, not only the usual local yams etc. but also cocoyams, coffee, groundnut, pepper, cotton. For cotton they need a weaver's loom (p 9 and p 3 on planting) pp 1-4: Widmann, Dieterle, Mohr. pp 4-7: Schiedt. The West Indians need not only food, but also money since their standard of life is higher than that of the local Africans. The Mission must give them employment. Akropong is too far from the coast, transport too costly, so that they cannot sell their product to traders on the coast and on ships. pp 7-10: Stanger. The weaving is a good idea, it could employ many and the cloth could be sold to the interior and this would cheapen transports. Akropong would be suitable. The weavers loom should be made after a model in Akropong itself. But the time for this is probably not yet ripe; the brethren too busy otherwise (pp 7-8). Future of the West Indians: Pleads to settle them on the plantation (Abokobi): Fertile land, cattle can live there, good transport possibility (Government road), good holiday station for missionaries on the coast. A missionary should"_ be stationed there as well (pp 8-10). P 11: Meischel is against a station at Abokobi. But a holiday house should be built there and baptised Africans given occasion to plant. Ningo and Krobo as places for new stations more urgent. pp 11-12: Widmann and Dieterle on the proposal of the missionaries on the coast. Abokobi as station not suitable, land not more fertile. On the Accra plantation only once a year coffee yielding, here twice. Sugar cane not suitable for Akwapim, except Adjemante. Coffee could be transported to the coast, annually many thousands of pots with palm oil transported to the cost from the Adukrum plantation (p 12).

21.03.1848

21.03.1848

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12 pages