Buxton’s Vision for Africa
Early one morning in 1837, Thomas Fowell Buxton, who took over from Wilberforce as the leader of the Clapham Sect, burst into the bedroom of one of his sons, saying that he had been awake all through the night, thinking about the slave traffic, and had hit upon the true remedy: “The deliverance of Africa is to be effected by calling out her own resources.” This led to the publishing of his revolutionary book, The African Slave Trade and its Remedy.
Planning the Niger Expedition
Here, he proposed that the interior of Africa had to be penetrated through the newly discovered Niger route to get in touch with the major slave supplying tribes: Igbo, Yoruba, Calabar, Nupe, Hausa and Dahomey. The Christian Missionary Society’s request to send two carefully chosen representatives to go with the expedition was granted: Frederick Schön (“a missionary of eight years’ experience, a linguist and student of things African”) and Ajayi Crowther. On April 14, 1841, The Albert, Sudan and Wilberforce set sail for the Niger.
First Encounters on the Niger
After sailing for some weeks, they arrived at the mouth of the Niger. While going up the river, they came across many villages with inhabitants who were at first afraid of having any contact with them. All they had formerly known of white men were the Portuguese slave traders, but they later overcame the initial hesitation and came near. During a conversation with one chief, Schön asked if he was glad to receive such visit from white men and got the surprising reply: “These three months, we have been praying to God to send white man’s ship.” For a moment the missionary felt pleased; then it suddenly dawned on him that what the chief desired and prayed for was the ship of a slave trader to whom he might sell slaves.
Negotiating with African Leaders
One of the high points of the expedition was getting a king on the western bank of the Niger to sign the treaty presented to him to stop trading in slaves. He was awed when Simon Jonas, an Igbo interpreter who was with the expedition, read the beatitudes to him in Igbo. He seized Jonas’ hand and said, “You must stop with me, you must teach me and my people; the white people can go up the river without you; they may leave you here until they return or until other people come.” Jonas stayed three weeks, teaching some 200 children English and needlework and also preaching the gospel. They presented the king with two Bibles—in Arabic and English.
Tragedy Strikes the Expedition
Things, however, started to take a downturn with regard to their health. The first blow came when the Igala interpreter on Crowther’s ship fell overboard and drowned. Following this, a steward on the ship also died. The troubles increased daily as malaria fever ravaged the ships. As the number of sick people increased, the decision was made to send two ships back to the sea with the invalids. After some time of journeying, the death toll began to rise. As a matter of fact, Crowther seemed to have been the only man untouched by the fever, and he kept his health through it all, working anywhere, at anything to save the situation.
Lessons Learned and Crowther’s Resolve
Though the expedition ended in tragedy, the lessons learned (chief of which was that Africa had to be evangelised by Africans) provided a basis for future strategy. In this respect, it was a blessing in disguise. The outcome of the expedition drew various reactions. The CMS and other friends of Africa were doubtless saddened. But those who had been against the expedition from the beginning saw it as an opportunity to condemn its foolhardiness in the meanest tones and deliberately embarrass the government and all those who had publicly supported it.
Faith Strengthened Despite Setbacks
What happened was definitely the opposite of Crowther’s expectation, but he was a man strong in faith. Rather than quench his spirit, this experience strengthened his resolve to see Africa saved. One day, he would return to the Niger and sing the song of victory.
Date: 15th November 2022
Title: SAMUEL AJAYI CROWTHER -Part 2
Source: A Heritage of Faith: A History of Christianity in Nigeria
Author: Ayodeji Abodunde
Tale Tuesday 017
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