| Description | He sends thanks for the gift of supplies to replace the 'Charles' loss. He has lost, through sickness, half of the previous year's teaching time, and the natives also suffered. Perhaps he would be more profitable in another capacity where ill-health would disrupt work less.
He is now recovered from his fevers and distressing hiccough. The Renners were most helpful. Meyer showed signs of disloyalty to CMS, but his death prevented active disobedience, although after his marriage and coming to live with his wife's father near S. L., he became very slack in missionary duties. He paid off his debt to CMS to be free of obligation, but fell into rages when admonished by Klein and the others. He died of a violent fever, whereupon his father-in-law presented Renner with a bill for £200 expenses of Meyer's stay with him. Renner refused acceptance.
The anniversary was kept on 8 Jun 1813 with Wenzel and Klein attending. Saba, a redeemed boy, died 15 Oct, and on 12 Dec Mary was saved from drowning by 6 of his boys.
In Oct Bake asked them to withdraw from Bashia after the raid of the 'Princess Charlotte' against the slave traders, but Fernandez intervened with a promise of protection against John Ormond at whose instigation the withdrawal had been demanded. On 12 Nov an English schooner under Captain Cooper fired 2 factories in Munkge Hati's district. Hati, in fear, refused Cooper's invitation to come aboard to discuss the slave-trading. On 25 Jan, Hati's son, Bangku, was married by Renner to Elizabetha, a schoolgirl entrusted by Governor Maxwell to Butscher's care. On 16 Feb Captain Cooper returned to Hati his captured men and promised return of his canoe and rice.
On 20 Feb Major Appleton with 6 gunboats fired several slave trading stations, promising protection to the missionaries or evacuation if they desired. Wilhelm found it difficult to persuade Bake and his Susus that the missionaries had no league with the warships' raids on the slavers. Bangku's house was set on fire but saved from total loss. On 1 Mar there were palavers with Fernandez and Bake at Bashia and these resumed on 7 Mar with Butscher and Renner present. Three slave traders, Fernandez among them, delivered themselves and the enslaved people that they were holding up to the English fleet. |