White Queen of the Cannibals: The Story of Mary Slessor - A. J. Bueltmann
Mary now started day classes and these too were crowded because many wanted
to learn "book." They wanted to learn about Ma's God and about the Saviour
who took away sins. It was not long before a change could be seen in many
of these people. They had become Christians. The look of fear was gone from
their eyes. They no longer feared the demons because they had a Saviour who
loved them and took care of them. They did not do the wicked things they
had done before. They tried to live as God wanted them to live.
Mary was happy. Now she wanted to build a larger and better mission house
in Ekenge. Chief Edem wanted that too. He felt that the church schoolhouse
in Ifako quite outshone the little two-room house in Ekenge. Mary wanted
doors and windows in the new house. She could not make them. The natives
could not. They had never seen any.
Mary wrote to the Mission Board about it. The Mission Board put a notice
in the magazine they published asking for a practical carpenter who was
willing to go to Calabar. Mr. Charles Ovens saw the notice.
"This is God's call to me," he said. "I have wanted to be a missionary ever
since I was a little boy. I could not study to be a minister. I learned to
be a carpenter. Now I can be a carpenter for God. I can build mission
houses and churches and while I build I can tell the people about my
Saviour."
It was in May, 1889, that Mr. Ovens started for Calabar. In Duke Town he
found a native helper and the two of them went to Ekenge. Mary was very
glad to have him come. He was a very jolly man. He sang at his
work. Everyone liked him and the natives gladly helped him in building the
houses.
For a long time Mary had been trying to get the chiefs of Okoyong to trade
with the traders on the coast. They would not listen. Now she invited them
to her new house. She showed them the things she had and how useful they
were. The chiefs looked at the door and windows. They liked them. The women
looked at the clothes and at the sewing machine. They liked them. They
looked at the clock on the mantel. They liked it, too.
"We will trade with coast people," said Chief Edem.
Mary wrote to the traders and invited them to Okoyong. She told them to
bring dishes, dress goods, mirrors, clocks, and the like to trade for
ivory, oil, and bananas and other things in the jungle.
"It is too dangerous to come up-country," answered the traders. "We are
afraid the native guards on the jungle paths will kill us."
Mary wrote to good King Eyo, of Duke Town. She asked him to invite the
Okoyong chiefs for a conference. She promised they would bring jungle goods
to trade.
King Eyo invited the chiefs. They did not want to go. Mary told them of the
interesting things they would see on the coast. She told them of the good
things they could get by trading. At last they agreed to go. They collected
two canoeloads of bananas, barrels of oil and other jungle crops. Then the
chiefs and warriors came marching down to the river to go to the coast.
"Wait," said Mary. "You cannot take those spears and swords and guns
along. You will only get into trouble. You must leave your swords and
spears, your guns and knives at home."
When Mary said this, many of the natives disappeared into the jungle. They
would not go without their weapons.
"Ma, you make women of us," argued those who remained. "Would a man go
among strangers without arms?"
"You may not take arms," said Mary. "You are not going to war. You are
going for a friendly visit."
"If we cannot take our swords and guns we will not go. We will stay home."
"But you promised and I promised King Eyo that you would come. Will you go
back on your word and make me a liar?"
For two hours they argued with Mary. The beach filled with natives from the
village who wanted to see the chiefs start on their trip. The chiefs did
not want to look like cowards to the people of the village. At last they
took off their swords and gave their guns to their white Ma. Those who had
run away to the jungle came back and decided to go along.
"We do not like this," said the chiefs, "but we will go. We will not make
you a liar, Ma."
They got off into their boats. As one of the boats rowed off, one of the
bags shifted. Mary saw the gleam of flashing swords.
"Stop!" cried Mary. The rowers stopped. Mary took the swords and threw
them into the river.
"Shame on you," said Mary. "I did not think you would try to fool me like
that." The chiefs said nothing. They just rowed down the river.
The chiefs who went to Duke Town had a wonderful time. They went to the
church services. King Eyo Honesty talked with them about the Gospel and
what it meant for their lives. He took them to his house and had a big
dinner for them. They traded the bananas, oil, and other things which they
had brought for things to take home like mirrors, clocks, and white
people's clothes. Then the next day they rowed back to Ekenge.
The village people were all gathered down at the landing place to welcome
the chiefs home. They watched patiently for the boats. When the boats came
the people shouted for joy.
"Welcome home, Chief Edem," said Mary. "How was your trip? Did you enjoy
your visit at Duke Town?"
"The trip was fine, Ma," said Chief Edem. "Duke Town is a big
village. They have a big churchhouse. We saw many things."
"Did you need your guns and swords?" asked Mary.
"No, Ma, you were right. We did not need guns or swords. King Eyo was good
to us. We have many fine things."
"If you work hard and get things to trade, you can get many more fine
things," said Mary.
"We are going to work hard. We want many of those fine things we saw."
The men did work. Because they were busy they had less time and less desire
to get drunk and quarrel. Mary's missionary work was having its effect on
the lives of the people. Slowly they were changing from their heathen ways,
but there was still much to do.
One day while Mary and Mr. Ovens were working on the mission house they
heard a wild scream from the nearby jungle. Mary jumped up.
"Something is wrong in the jungle," said Mary. "Johnny, go and see what it
is."
One of her orphan boys ran off to find out what was wrong. In a few minutes
he came back.
"Ma, Ma," he cried, "a man is hurt. Maybe he is dead. Come quick."
Mary grabbed her case of medicines and followed Johnny into the
jungle. When she reached the place where the young man was lying, she
looked into his face.
"It is Etim, the son of our chief, Edem. He is going to get married soon
and is building his house. A tree fell the wrong way and hit him. He cannot
move his arms or legs. This means bad trouble. The people will say it is
witchcraft."
Mary with her helpers quickly made a stretcher to carry Etim. They carried
him to his mother's home at Ekenge.
"I will nurse him," said Mary to Etim's mother.
For two weeks Mary took care of him night and day. She prayed God to spare
the young man's life. She did everything she knew to help him. Etim did not
get better. Day by day he became worse. Sunday morning came. Mary could
see that he did not have long to live. She left him for a short time to
arrange for Mr. Ovens to take care of the church services. Hearing Etim
groaning and crying out, she rushed back to the house where he was.
The natives were blowing smoke into his nose. They were rubbing pepper into
his eyes. His uncle, Ekponyong, shouted into his ears. They thought they
were helping him to get well. Instead they made him die sooner. In a
moment he gave a cry and fell back dead.
"Etim is dead!" cried the people in the house. "Witches have killed him!
They must die! Bring the witch doctor at once!"
The people who were in the house quickly disappeared, and soon only Mary
and Etim's relatives were left. When the witch doctor came, he did all
kinds of queer things, which he said would tell him who had made the young
man die. He pretended to be listening to the dead boy talk.
"It is the people of Payekong. They are to blame. They put a spell on him,"
said the witch doctor.
Chief Edem called for the leader of his soldiers.
"Take my warriors and go to Payekong," said Chief E'dem. "Capture the
people and burn down the houses. Quickly now!"
The warriors were too late. Chief Akpo, the chief of Payekong, had heard
the news. He and his people had run off into the jungle. Only a few
people were left in the village. Those were captured by Edem's soldiers
and brought to Ekenge.
Mary was sure that Chief Edem would make the people take the poison bean
test. This is how the test was made: A small brown bean full of poison was
crushed and put into water. The person who was tested had to drink the
poison water. The natives thought that if the person drank the water and
died, he was guilty; if he lived, he was innocent.
"That is no way to honor your son, Chief Edem," said Mary. "You know it is
wrong and sinful to kill people."
"But they are bad people. They deserve to die."
"You do not know that. That water is poison. Anyone who drinks it would
die."
"Oh, no, Ma, if the one who drinks it is innocent he will live."
"I do not agree with you. Come, let us honor your son in a better way."
Mary wrapped the young man's body in silk. She dressed him in the finest
suit she could find. She wrapped a silk turban around his head and then
placed a high red and black hat with bright colored feathers on his head.
No chief had ever been dressed so fine for his burial. The body was carried
out into the yard and seated in a large chair under an umbrella. A
silver-headed stick and a whip was placed in his hand. This showed he was a
chief's son. A mirror was also put in his hand so he could see how
wonderful he was. On a table beside him were placed all his
treasures. Those included skulls he had taken in war. Then the people were
let into the yard to see Etim.
The people shouted. They were so happy they danced around. They called for
whiskey to drink. Chief Edem gave them much whiskey to drink. They became
wilder and wilder.
Mary and Mr. Ovens took turns watching the prisoners. They were afraid the
people would kill them. As Mary was going to her house for a little rest,
she saw some poison beans on the pounding stone. This filled her with
fear. She was not afraid for herself, but for the poor prisoners. She fell
on her knees and prayed.
"Dear Father in Heaven," prayed Mary, "watch over these poor people. Do not
let harm come to these prisoners. Keep the other people from doing
murder. Give me the courage to face the chiefs and tell them they are
wrong. In all these things may Thy will be done. I ask this in Jesus'
name."
After she had prayed Mary got up and went to Chief Edem and his brother
Ekponyong.
"You must forbid the poison bean test," said Mary. "It is wrong and
sinful. God is watching what you do. Do not do that sinful thing."
"That is my business," said Chief Edem. "I am the chief of this tribe. I
will do what seems good to me."
Mary argued with the chief, but he would not listen. Ekponyong, his
brother, encouraged Edem to make the prisoners take the poison bean
test. Mary then went to the yard where the prisoners were kept. She sat
down in the gateway. She was not going to let anyone get the
prisoners. This made the chiefs very angry. The crowd of village people
howled and yelled. Chief Edem's warriors shook their swords and guns at her
and stamped the ground angrily.
"Raise our master from the dead," shouted the people, "and we will free the
prisoners!"
Mary kept her place. She wrote a note to Duke Town asking for help and sent
it off secretly by one of her orphan boys. Still she watched over the
prisoners. She would not leave her place in the gate. The people were angry
with her, but still many of them loved and respected their white Ma and
would not hurt her. Suddenly a man pushed his way through the crowd. He
shoved Mary aside. He grabbed one of the women prisoners. He dragged her
in front of the body of Etim. He handed her the cup of poison.
"Drink!" he cried. "Drink and prove that you are innocent, or drink and
die!"
#9#
_Victories for Mary_
"Oh ma, do not leave us. Please do not leave us," begged the other
prisoners as the poor woman prisoner got ready to drink the poison.
"Lord, help me and help these poor people," prayed Mary.
Mary went up to the woman. The woman raised the cup of poison to her
lips. Mary grabbed her arm.
"Run," she whispered. "Run to the mission house."
Before the crowd knew what was happening, Mary and the woman had run far
into the jungle. They went to the mission house. No one would dare to harm
anyone in the mission house. Mary then went back to the other prisoners.
"O God, I thank Thee that I was able to help this poor woman get away. Help
me to save these other prisoners also."
When Mary got back to the other prisoners, the argument with the chiefs
started again.
"An innocent person will not die if he drinks the poison," said
Ekponyong. "Only a bad, guilty person will die."
"That is not right," answered Mary. "Poison will kill anyone, good or
bad. Chief Edem, you know it was an accident that your son died. It was not
the fault of any of these people. Please let them go free."
"I want my son to be buried in a box like the white people," said Chief
Edem. "Will Bwana Ovens make a fine box for my son?"
"I will make a coffin for your son if you will let the prisoners go free,"
said Mr. Ovens.
"No, no," said Chief Edem.
"Then I will not make a box for you."
"Well, then I will let some go free," said Chief Edem.
"No, you must not let them go free," said Ekponyong.
"If I want to let them go free, I can," said Chief Edem. "I am chief, don't
forget that."
"Show that you are a great and wise chief," said Mary. "Let them all go
free."
Chief Edem thought a while. Then he spoke.
"If Bwana Ovens will make a fine box for my son then I will let all go free
but Mojo, Otinga, and Obwe," said Chief Edem.
"But why keep them?" asked Mary.
"Mojo and Otinga are related to Etim's mother. They planned bad things
against my boy. Obwe is related to Chief Akpo who has run away because he
is guilty. Now if I let these others go will you build me a box Bwana
Ovens?"
"Yes, I will build you a box," said Mr. Ovens.
"Please let the three go free, too," said Mary. "They have done you no
wrong."
"We have done more for you than we have ever done before. We will do
nothing else," said Chief Edem. He turned his back on Mary and walked away.
People from other villages came to take part in the wild parties that were
always held when there was a funeral. Mary tried again and again to get
Edem to free the three prisoners. Mary and Mr. Ovens managed to take Mojo
and Otinga to the mission house where they were safe. Again Mary pleaded
for Obwe. Chief Edem was very angry.
"Will you not have me honor my son? You have run off with my prisoners. I
will burn down the mission house. I will send you back to Duke Town. Then
you cannot trouble me any longer."
"Brother, you do not speak wisely," said Ma Eme, E'dem's sister. "The white
Ma has done many good things for us. If we burn down the mission house you
will have a bad name among all tribes. Chain Obwe in the white Ma's yard so
that the village people cannot harm her. She cannot get away and you can
find out later whether she is guilty or not."
"Very well," said Chief Edem, "I will do that. But the three must be killed
for the funeral. What kind of a funeral will that be for a chief's son if
no one is killed? He will have no one to go with him on the way to the dark
land."
The next day two missionaries came from Duke Town in answer to Mary's
note. It was a great honor to have so many white people at a funeral. Chief
Edem was no longer as angry as he had been. The missionaries showed slide
pictures. The natives had never seen anything like it before. It pleased
them very much and it also quieted them down. The next day when the
funeral was held, a cow was killed and put in the coffin with Etim instead
of the people who were thought to have worked witchcraft against him.
Mary was glad and thankful to God that she had been able to save the
prisoners. The last of the prisoners was let go free on the promise that if
Chief Akpo was caught he would take the poison test. Mary heard that Etim
was the only chief in Okoyong ever to be buried without some people being
killed as a human sacrifice. The people of the jungle thought Mary was
wonderful indeed.
Mary thought that this trouble was over, but a short time later Etim's
uncle, who lived in a nearby village, was accused of having killed the
young man. He came to Ekenge and met with the village chiefs.
"I am willing to take the poison bean test," said the uncle, "if all of the
chiefs will take the test. That means you, too, Edem. Those who are
innocent will not be hurt. I will take the test, but all the other chiefs
must, too."
When Mary heard that Etim's uncle was going to take the poison bean test if
the other chiefs would, she rushed to the village. The men were
arguing. They were shaking their swords and guns at one another. Mary
looked around until she found the bag of poison beans. She took them and
ran off with them.
The chiefs could not find the poison beans. Finally, they quieted
down. Chief Edem went to Mary.
"Give me the poison beans," he said. "I know you have taken them."
"Yes, I took them," said Mary, "but I will not give them to you. There has
been enough trouble and sadness and fear. When will you be satisfied that
your son's death was an accident?"
Chief Edem turned around and went back to the village. He sent all the
chiefs home. Nothing more was said about the poison bean test.
Now Mary began to plead for Akpo, the chief of the village which the witch
doctor had said had caused Etim to be killed.
"Chief Edem, let him come home. Forgive him. He has done you no wrong."
God softened Edem's heathen heart. After several weeks he agreed to let
Akpo come home.
"You may tell him," Edem said to Mary, "that all thought of revenge is gone
from my heart. If he wishes to return to his own village, he may do so, or
he may go anywhere in Okoyong in safety."
Nothing like that had ever been done before in the jungle. The heathen
people did not forgive. They always took revenge. Akpo did not believe Edem
had forgiven him. He did not want to trust Edem. At last Mary convinced him
that Edem meant just what he said and that Akpo could really go home.
Mary and Akpo came to his home village of Payekong. The houses had been
burned. The cattle had been stolen. But it was still home. Tears came to
Akpo's eyes. Thankfully the chief kneeled at Mary's feet.
"Oh, Ma, thank you, thank you for what you have done for me and my
people. I and my people will always do whatever you ask." Akpo kept his
promise. Other chiefs often argued with Mary and threatened to hurt her,
but Akpo and his people always helped her and did whatever she wanted them
to do.
Chief Edem now was kind to Akpo and his people. He built houses for them
and helped them get their gardens started again. He gave them some cattle,
too. After some time had gone by, Chief Edem came to Mary. He kneeled down
before her.
"Thank you, Ma, for being brave. Thank you for keeping after me until I let
those prisoners go. I am glad that people were not killed at the time of
Etim's death. Your ways are better than ours. We are tired of the old
ways."
Many other people came and told her how glad they were that the old ways
were changing. They said that they knew the old ways were bad. Mary had
had a very hard time in the jungles, but now things were going better. She
was busy all the time, teaching and preaching and nursing. She journeyed
through the jungle where the wild animals were, but she did not fear. She
was trusting God to take care of her as He had taken care of Daniel in the
lions' den. Always she told the people of the loving Saviour who had died
for their sins.
After a time Mary fell sick. She caught the jungle fever. She became very
weak.
"Mary," said Ovens, "you must take a vacation. You must get away from the
jungle for a while. You must go to England for a long rest. That way you
can get well and come back to work here at Okoyong."
"You are right," said Mary. "Much as I hate to leave my work here, I know I
must go. I will ask for a furlough at once."
For three years Mary had worked in Okoyong. But already there was a change
among the heathen people. The Gospel of Jesus has a wonderful power to
change hearts and lives. As soon as word came that another worker was
being sent to take her place, Mary got ready to leave for England.
At last the day came that Miss Dunlop, the new worker, arrived. Mary was
ready to leave. Her friends carried her trunk and suitcases down to the
Ekenge landing. A great crowd had come to the landing to tell her good-by
and wish her a safe journey. Mary was telling them to help Miss Dunlop and
to remain true to the Bible teaching. Suddenly a man was seen running
through the crowd. He ran up to Mary.
"Come, white Ma, a young man has been shot in the hand, and he wants your
medicine!"
"Don't go Ma," said Ma Eme, Mary's friend. "You are tired and sick. You
must get back to England. If you go with this man you may miss your
boat. Let someone else go."
"It is a bad tribe. They are always fighting. It is dangerous to go," said
Chief Edem. "Do not go with the man."
"You cannot go," said her other friends at Ekenge. "You are too sick to
walk. The wild animals in the jungle will kill you. The wild warriors are
out. They will kill you in the dark, not knowing who you are."
"But I must go," said Mary.
"If you must go," said Chief Edem, "then you must take two armed men with
you. You must get the chief of the next village to send his drummer with
you. When the people hear the drum, they will know that a protected person
is traveling who must not be hurt."
It was night. Mary Slessor and the two men marched out into the
darkness. The lanterns threw strange shadows that looked like fierce men in
the darkness. At last Mary and her guard came to the village where they
were to ask for the drummer. They told the chief what Chief Edem had said,
but the chief did not want to help them.
"You are going to a fighting tribe," said the chief. "They will not listen
to what a woman says. You had better go back. I will not protect you."
"You don't think a woman can do much. Maybe you are right," said Mary to
the chief. "But you forget what the woman's God can do. He can do
anything. I shall go on."
Mary went on into the darkness. The natives watched her go. She must be
crazy, they thought. She had talked back to their chief who had the power
to kill her. She had walked on into a jungle where wild leopards were ready
to jump on her. She was going where men were drinking and making themselves
wild. But Mary was not afraid. Once in talking about her trips through the
jungle Mary said, "My great help and comfort was prayer. I did not used to
believe the story of Daniel in the lions' den until I had to take some of
those awful marches through the jungle. Then I knew it was true. Many times
I walked alone, praying, 'O God of Daniel, shut their mouths!' and He did."
After pushing on through the darkness, Mary saw the dim outlines of the
huts of the village. All was quiet. Suddenly she heard the swift patter of
bare feet. She was surrounded by warriors shouting, pushing and shaking
their spears.
"What have you come for?" asked the chief.
"I have heard a young man is hurt. I come to help him. I also heard that
you are going to war. I have come to ask you not to fight," said Mary.
The chief talked with some of his men. Then he came up to Mary.
"The white Ma is welcome," he said. "She shall hear all we have to say
before we fight. All the same we shall fight. Here is my son wounded by
the enemy. We must wipe out the shame put on us. We must get even for this
bad thing. Now Ma you may give my son your medicine. Then you must
rest. Women, you take care of the white Ma. We will call her at cockcrow
when we start."
Mary fixed the young man's hand. Then she laid down in one of the huts for
an hour's sleep. It seemed as though her eyes were hardly shut, before she
heard a voice calling her.
"Ma, they are going to battle. Run, Ma, run!"
The warriors were on the warpath. Mary could hear their wild yells and the
roll of the war drums. Mary ran after them. She was tired from the hard
trip to their village. She was weak from the sickness she had. But nothing
could stop her. She caught up with the warriors just as they were getting
ready to attack an enemy village.
"Behave like men," she yelled, "not like fools. Be quiet now. Do not yell
and shout."
The warriors became silent.
"God says that revenge is wrong," said Mary. "He will pay back wicked
people for the wrong things they do. You should not try to get even. Leave
that to God."
"No, no," said the chief. "If we do not pay back for the wrong done us, the
tribe will not be afraid of us. They will do more bad things to us."