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It is unfortunate for the Sherbro country that all along her rivers there is no factory engaging in what might be strictly styled innocent commerce. The natives are supplied too early with guns, gun-powder, swords, and other dangerous articles which are often inducements and encouragement to the many factions and petty wars.
It is from the American mission's commerce, now in its infant but progressive state, that we hope to have a model of innocent and mild commerce combined with prosperous agriculture. The combination of trade with religious objects in Sherbro is indeed a necessity; and I am of the opinion that if properly directed, as it is at present, there will be grand results.
The experiment of Professor Francke, at Halle, and his great success proved this. The past history of the successes attending the efforts of the United Brethren Church by this method attest to the same. Rev. Thomas Sims of Winchester (forty-four years ago), though he himself was a clergyman of the Church of England, strongly commended and recommended this system. He pointed out Antigua as a result of their successful missionary enterprise, where the gospel, though combined with trade, had been so generally received by the negroes, and the slaves had become so improved in habit and conduct that only one negro was condemned to death during a period of eight years. Martial law was found also to be no longer necessary on Christmas-day, and the militia was dissolved.
We are thankful for the improvements of this country through the influence of Christianity, commerce, and agriculture introduced by the United Brethren Church.
The well-managed road from the mission to Shaingay, the naming of the roads on the mission-farm, the cultivation of kolan-nuts, coffee, and arrow-root by the natives, with the improvements on some of the houses at Shaingay, the publication of the mission-paper Early Dawn, and the establishment of a debating class for the improvement of the minds of Sherbro youths, are among the advancements of the day.
