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Slessor, Mary Letter no. 10 26th June 1905
This letter consists of a petition [in English] written on behalf of the
complainants concerning ownership of a piece of land. The argument appears to
be between the towns of Itu and Use.
[No envelope. Address written on a back fold of the letter to:]
C Partridge Esq
Ikot Okpene
Ibibio
Itu
26th June 1905
Dear Mr Partridge
Here is a palaver [Note 1] which I hate to write as a white man has
already said what is, in his Court at least, the last word. Still as the Chief here
reminds me, every body has a right of appeal, & their cry to me is, "Write to Ikot
Okpene & ask for us advice. What he advises, we will hear **kop** [Note 2]
understand & obey ---. So I shall do it in my own words, in order to let you get
the whole story in a short way.
When Mr Russell spoke of building he asked for the owner of the land. Inua,
the lad on the cliff, said he represented the owner. His father had owned the
land. As he alone cd. not transact business, without consulting other members
of the house, he went to one old man who is sick, & while he was away the
White Man again asked the labourers, who owned the land? Use men said they
owned it, so it was sent to Itu Court. Itu Court heard, & gave them, i.e. the
representatives of Itu families who claimed the land against Use. The Mbian
oath [Note 3], over & above the oath taken to speak the truth, the whole truth
and etc. & they took the oath, & thought the palaver was done. Then came the
new ADC [Note 4] from Aro Chuku, & - they say - without asking any old man
or hearing the other side, he at once said the land belongs to Use.
Itu got angry over it, & old Ekpo came to me on Sat & asked if I wd. write his
version of it in order to give to the White Man, so I wrote his words, which were
to this effect. I Chief Ekpo - of Itu beg to tell you the begginnings of this
matter. Long ago the people of Itu had a dispute which came to fighting. Three
men - whose names were given - left Itu on this account & lived on this piece of
land which they bought for 320 rods [Note 5] from the father of [Ekpo Enwe?]
of Use. Those men lived there till the matter was softened & medicine & Ifot
[Note 6] was all out of mind. When they went back to Itu, or stayed at their
farms. Just as they pleased. These men are all dead, but Itu kept possssion of
the ground & Itu opened that market, for oil, *not* *Use*. Inua as the son of
his father, did not ask any one when he built his house whether he wd. do so, nor
did Use, or any one ask him, so if the White Man asked any Chief what their
tribes took as witness to ground having been bought or transferred, or set apart,
they wd. say an Okono tree was planted, & he - Chief Ekpo - could shew them
the Okono which was planted at the *latest* dividing of the ground." & etc.
Well I thought the Chief wd. go himself to the A.D.C. with the 'book', he made
me write, but a big woman of his died the previous day, & he sent the 'book' by
the man, Inua, who claims the ground.
When the D.C. [Note 7] got the book he said "Whom do you want to bring to
palaver?" Inua said, "Ekpo who claims the land." & the D.C. said, "If you make
any palaver more about this, I shall chain you up. I have settled the palaver."
This has set Itu by the ears, & they are all in arms that not a witness has been
called to give the history of the ground, & that there can be no appeal. Ekpo
Adiaha says. When Inua came from Calabar where he had been living, after his
father's death, the Ibibios asked him "Why he built on their land." He said "It
was his father's land." They said "It is Akibidis land." He said "I am Akibidi".
They said "We dont know you." & they called Ekpenyon Ayi & asked him.
Ekpenyon, who is also a descendant of the 3 men who bought the land -
answered that this was Okon son, so they said. "O, all our fathers are dead, we
know not the old landmarks, let us anew divide the land, so that we may not
have palaver, & they divided & put boundaries. The Okono now standing being
planted by them.
Again. When Inua went to build on the present site, Why did Use not ask him
why he built there? No one ever hinted that the land was not his, till this White
Man came just now.
"2nd. "When I found them taking Palm Nuts from my land, I took them from
them. Why did they not resent it? Why did they not call me to palaver? They
never excused themselves on the ground that the ground was theirs, but gave up
the nuts".
"3rd. Please ask any tribe if *a* *tenant* ever made his sacrifices when
planting or building, on the on the land of another man? No one but the
*owner* of land can make a sacrifice thus, but I have sacrificed for my planting
and building, & all my business arrangements myself, & no one ever asked
why?".
(In ground lent or hired, the tenant calls the owner & they jointly sacrifice to the
spirit of the land, & divide any part of the carcase of the victim between them.
Else the landlord acts for himself & his land. M.M.S)
Inua and Itu state that as you have been the Master they have looked to during
late months in connection with the side of the Creek at their back yards, they beg
to ask your advice about this. Further, "Use chopped Mbian to the House of Eyo
Ma - now the house of Eyo Egott of Creek Town, so that complicates for Itu the
question of ownership, as Creek Town can do what they like on that land, if Use
owns it. M M Slessor.
I need not say that I do not know the particular history of this place, so cant tell
you what is true without witnesses.
MMSlessor
EDITORIAL NOTES:
This letter was enclosed with Letter No. 11
1] palaver = this word seems to have a variety of meanings including
discussion, consultation, and Court Case
2] kop. Presumably an Efik word - meaning unknown
3] Mbian oath. An oath taken with the use of Mbiam, a "liquid substance which
is tasted, & sometimes put on various parts of the body, in taking a solemn oath.
It is supposed to cause dropsy, & so destroy any individual swearing falsely".
from Charles Partridge's copy of the Rev. Hugh Goldie's "Dictionary of the Efik
language".
4] ADC/A.D.C. = aide-de-camp
5] rods = brass rods were a medium for barter; local currency
6] Ifot = witchcraft
7] DC = Dictrict Commissioner
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 11 26th June 1905
This is also a translation by Miss Slessor of a native's plea for help. In this case
an old slave man has been told to pay back the marriage dowry which his dead
master had received for one of his daughters who is also dead as is her husband.
He is unable to do this, and protests that such was not the custom in the old days.
"Our Chief
"I beg to put before you my Complaint, for I belong to the Itu Court, &
cannot be taken far away like this, so I beg of you to hear me with patience.
Long, long, years ago, before we knew about White Man or Courts, my Master
gave his daughter to a man of Ibiaku Nduen named Akpa Ekandem to be his
wife. She was his wife for many many years, but had no children. Then one
day he sent to my Masters house to say, "If your Child dies, do not ask me,"
Our Master said, "What word is this? What do you mean?" He said "I can see
the person who will kill her!" Which meant as he told us, that she had been
unfaithful with one of his own kinsmen. Then when she died not long after, we
thought that we should ask the reason of her death, & ask for her "head" i.e. for
her substitute - as we used to do, but we feared to go, & we feared to send any
word good or bad, as these were days of war & ambush & slaving & killing. So
my Master died, & all the people of our house are dead & now that I alone - a
poor slave man am left alone, & the husband himself is dead, his son Umo Ede
has sent me a summons from Oyo Court to give him the Marriage dowry of his
father. I went to the Court at Oyo - though I knew you were our Master, as we
belong to Itus hinterground. - because I feared palaver [Note 1], & they told that
their father had paid the dowry for a wife from the house to which I belong, &
they wanted it. I wished to tell them that I could not give them that, I was not
able to pay that, that they shd. have come in my fathers lifetime & got it. But
they wd. not let me speak. They said "Go & bring 7 goats, Go & bring 7 goats,
& the interpreter pushed me, & the policeman pushed me, again & again, & told
me to shut my mouth, I cd. not speak. The man who wrote book said, "Dont do
that, let him speak," but they wd. not, & I was told to go home & bring 7 goats.
Sir, I cannot give 7 goats. I have not anything to buy goats with. And we
never heard in old days that people gave the dowry of a dead woman. She died
with them, & if she erred, she erred with them, & we never asked for all her life
long work which she worked for her husband, surely her work for him at farm &
home & market, paid for her dowry. Surely I a slave am not to buy my dead
Master's dead daughter back from her late husbands son. Please help me O
Chief, for I know not what to do.
I am Your Obedient Servant
Akpan Akpa.
Akpan - Akpa lives at Obong - Itu (Miss Slessor's place].
C.P.
1.7.5
EDITORIAL NOTE:
1] palaver = this word appears to have a variety of meanings including
discussion, consultation, Court Case
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 12 28th June 1904 [the year is incorrect and should read 1905]
Miss Slessor accepts Mr. Partridge's invitation to breakfast with him and to
attend a local court hearing to assist him in making a judgement - probably the
case relating to the statement in her Letter No. 10.
[Envelope addressed to]
C. Partridge Esq
Ikot Obon
Itu.
28 June 1904 [Note 1]
Dear Mr Partridge
Im glad to hear something definite from you at last. It seemed
as if the earth had swallowed you up, so completely have you been hidden.
Thank you for your very kind letter, and for your kind invitations, & etc. I shall
certainly *make* *it* convenient to be there since you are so kind as to give me
of your valuable time. I have sent to old Ekpo the Chief, who is again busy at
the funeral of a young man who died here last night. It seems as if we did
nothing else just now. He is greatly pleased at the offer to hear their side of the
story, and has gone at once to send for any witnesses. I have told him the Clerk
of the Court will not be required, as it will be an independent Court meeting with
the Consul. I think he sees the hint, but I dont think the said Clerk will go with
a company of mine, unless it be to call me to judgment before you. He tried Mr
Lawson, and the latter told him to go to me himself, so he waylaid the new Aro
Chuku man & gave me into his custody.
I shall meet you just where you have proposed, at Use. & I shall be delighted to
take breakfast with you *wherever* & *under* *whatsoever* *circumstances*
you take break fast yourself. The road will not be too far for me. If so, I shall
bring a Hammock. Fancy you having walked that distance! & in this dirty
weather too !! Don't *over*do it, for fear of a breakdown.
Yes, the Ibibios are troublesome! but it is greatly from fear and suspicion, &
they are so ignorant too, & have had such a history of oppression from all
around. They will come allright, but our European staff is far too small to
cope with such a mass of disjointed demoralised humanity. I only wish I could
be of any help to you. Only sickness, or rain which an umbrella wont shelter,
will keep us from starting early tomorow morning, so we ought to be at Use by
10. o/c. a.m. With kindest regards,
I am yours sincerely,
M M Slessor.
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998Slessor, Mary Letter no. 13 23rd August 1905
Miss Slessor is doing some building and thanks the District Commissioner for
his offer of an additional carpenter, and accepts it. She apologises for the bad
pen she is using.
Ikot Obon
23rd. Aug 1905.
Dear Mr Partridge
I got your note with my mails this morning on my way here. Thanks
for your offer of a Carpenter, the one at the beach is so busy. It is to put in the
windows & to help me to join the joists on the roof for an extension for a
bedroom. He need not bring all his tools, only hammer, saw & screwdriver. I
have just come from Ibiaku Itam, and from Okoyon, & now will work at this
place till it is habitable. Give your orders & fix your dates & I shall do my best
to fall in all your wishes. The Mission Str [Note 1] is to be up at Itu with Iron
[Note 2] & stuff the end of this, or the beginning of next week. Except for that I
shd. not care to leave place till finished.
This Pen is awful, so don't be making another 'Fetish' of this 'Billy Dux'.[Note 3]
Kindest regards
Yours sincerely,
M M Slessor.
EDITORIAL NOTES:
1] Str = steamer
2] iron = corrugated iron
3] Billy Dux. Assume Miss Slessor means "Billet-doux"
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Glad to hear of the Gentlemans Imprisonment. Dont give *Him* tobacco & 6d
a day.Slessor, Mary Letter no. 14 29th August 1905
Miss Slessor explains to Commisssioner Partridge that her arrival at the Court
may be delayed since the head of an important local house has died. In order to
stop confusion and arguments over his possessions and slaves she must go and
ensure that all the dead man's affairs are in good hands.
Additionally, brief notes regarding two Cases are enclosed.
[Address on envelope to]
C Partridge Esq
The Consulate
Ikot Okpene
Ibibio
Ikot Obon
Ibibio
29th. Aug 1905
Dear Mr Partridge
I got your kind letter with the Carpenter on Friday evening. Miss
Wright was with me. She came up that day, so I went with her to Itu for the
Sunday, & got our Str. [Note 1] as it came from Unwana to pick her up - to
come back with me with a canoe load of stuff to our beach here on Monday, & I
came away up, tired & wearied, but glad of the lift, & found the Carpenter still
working away. He has put on the ridging, & a row of Iron sheets at one gable as
a shelter. Has hung the two windows & made a door - less a half dozen inches
of plank wch. I am to put on myself if you can supply it - & he has raised one
board in a doorway, & lowered another. He has been most obliging, & pleasant
to get on with, & I thank you very much indeed for the loan of him. As regards
the dampness of the house, we are having big fires on, & that will soon mend the
damp. So you need not let that delay your opening of the Court. Only I must
rell you that there has been a big trouble in Okoyon, which will necessitate my
running down there for 3 or 4 days. The most powerful man by far there has
died suddenly, & the slaves are very numerous. His Mothers & brothers houses
being large, as well as his own. When he took ill 3 years ago, there was Poison
Bean [Note 2] [going/giving?] - & the same women & conditions are there now,
- then Egbo [Note 3] will have to be held back, till I put the House under the
Consul - as a Ward of his - as the Children are under age - this was his wish, &
seeing things were in a very queer state, the Chiefs & the Heads of the house
sent Ma to tell me to do, or come at once, that money & trade matters might not
be disturbed, & that Egbo be told not to Kana [Note 4] him till the Consul spoke.
Seeing I cd. not spare a whole week, & there was no chance to get back till Sat. I
borrowed a Constable from Mr Smith, & sent him with a Proclamation to
Okoyon, & a Book [Note 5] to the D.C. [Note 6] at Duke Town, telling him the
cicumstances, & asking him to send him back here at once. Perhaps I ought to
have told you first, but Miss Wright cd. not wait, & if you knew the
Circumstances the menace to the peace of the District was very grave. If I have
erred, I trust you will forgive me for taking a loan of your Policeman for 3 days.
I did it for the general good. Whether the D.C. goes up or not, I must go. ---
Dont laugh at the Egotism - in order to give the house work, the Farm work, &
the Trade work, into competent hands, & see the whole house for myself. My
place is different from any other as they have all put their affairs into my hands.
Silly people you will say! But you can tell me your plans, & seeing I have
sent my message to them they can wait till we have our first meeting, & I can
run down with the midweek Str., & be back with the Saturdays one. The man
who brings the board will bring your orders, & I shall try to meet them. I shall
stay here till I hear from you any how. I had a visit from Old Imuk today. He
is as glad as the others that their palavers [Note 7] are to be settled near their
own borders, & that they have not to go before strangers & foreigners any more.
How are you in this mucky weather? I trust you are as fit as usual. I am.
Kindest regards, & thanks many. I am Yours Sincerely
M MSlessor
One of these women came to me before the Court was out of Aro Chuku's hands.
I sent her to Aro Chuku & she was told *she* *must* *call* *her* *case* *to*
Calabar*.
Here she is every day telling me she does not know the road to Calabar, or where
to lodge & etc. perhaps if you tell her she will hear
NII is the woman who is "friend" to an Efik man, at Itu, & he says she owes him
100 tubs of nuts, & wants to forbid her taking oath as he will take oath himself.
I think she is entitled to bring her case here, *as* *he* *is* *a* *resident*
*most* *of* *the* *time* *trading*.
Excuse my troubling you.
M M Slessor
EDITORIAL NOTES:
1] Str. = Steamer
2] Poison Bean = the Calabar Bean. Used in trials by ordeal when testing
suspected witches
3] Egbo = Efik secret society
4] Kana. "A certain ceremony observed by Egbo [secret society] at the grave
of a deceased member before coming forth to make public intimation of his
death". from the "Dictionary of Efik" by Rev. Hugh Goldie, once in the
possession of Charles Partridge.
5] Book. Probably an official document or statement
6] D.C. = District Commissioner
7] palavers = consultations, discussions, Court Cases
TRANSCRPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 15 4th September 1905
Miss Slessor writes to Mr Partridge on behalf of a local Chief explaining the
absence of two men he wanted to see.
[Addressed on back of writing paper to:]
C. Partridge Esq
District Commissioner at [Urua/Nrna?] Edik
Itu
Sep 4th., 1905
Sir,
The Old Chief here, Ekpo Adiaha wishes me to state, that he has not changed
his voice, or his word to you. He gave you one man, the other two, -one of
whom was at his farm, was sent for, & was gone on business somewhere. The
other has gone to Calabar on business. They will both go to you when ever they
return. He did not know they were not at home, & as you gave no warning, he
cd. not forbid them going, as he did not know you would want them.
Pro Ekpo Adiaha
M M Slessor
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998Slessor, Mary Letter no. 16 9th September 1905
Miss Slessor writes to Mr. Partridge on behalf of some Mbak men explaining
their absence. The postscript puts the point of view of the Chief, who was home
alone at the time. Additionally Miss Slessor asks Mr. Partridge for the date on
which he wishes to meet with the local chiefs.
[Addressed on back of letter to:]
C Partridge Esq
Ikot Okpene
Ibibio
Ikot Obon
9th. Sep 1905
Dear Mr Partridge
Here are some Mbak men, who were seeking me while I was laid
aside with sick headache the other day at Itu.
They wish me to tell you that they had neither run away, nor did they know of
your wanting them till you had gone. They were visiting a sick person, & were
gone there. They do not wish to be "strong headed" or to refuse their share of
the work you send them, & they were in "Nanenyon", sore trouble when you
paid the visit to their town.
Pro Ndo Ndo
MMSlessor
For P.S. P.T.O.
Private
Im here & ready when ever you have your day fixed for your meeting with your
Chiefs. Just let me have the date when you have fixed. I trust you are well.
With kind regards MMSlessor
P.S. *Added information*. *Have not paper here*
When the policemen came to call them, the Chief was afraid, & he said "I
cannot go to the Consul alone, seeing my men are not at home. Let them come
back first, & I shall go with them. Then the Policeman chained him & told you
that he wd. not submit. It was not so. He cd. not move for the town alone."
9 Sep '05, 7.30 Have received with this paper 7 sheets Iron [Note 1]. As I
dont know how to treat this formidable paper, I send it on to you as Consignee.
Pardon if I have erred & shd. have sent it back. The men are on their way to
you. Kind regards, MMSlessor
[another note]
Ekpo Adiaha sent his men to the Transport Agent. He bad me tell you. MMS
EDITORIAL NOTE:
1] iron = corrugated iron
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 17 7th October 1905
Miss Slessor tells of her reasons to delay returning to Ikot Obon until the
following Monday, and goes over various arrangements to see through local
business.
[The envelope is addressed to]
C. Partridge Esq
Nrna Edik
*Enyion*
Itu
7th. Oct. 1905
Dear Mr Partridge
When I meant to go back to Ikot Obon yesterday, I just thought
how unfair it wd. be to Itu to leave a band of men working there, without any
one to see whether they had food & whether they wd. behave them selves. - as
Dr Robertson has gone up to Mivana on business with Dr Rattray. He will be
back on Monday, so I shall come then & take over from you, unless you care to
send the books to Itu, - which wd. be a pity - as it could not help any one, & wd.
bother you.
Dr Robertson has left papers with me about the ground. They are to be signed
& sealed by the Chiefs & - he said - myself, for the Mission, & then to be given
to you. He will run down to Calabar to bring up any thing, & to get his boy, in
the end of next week he will come for good & take up his work. You will be
seeing him about it I've no doubt soon. He is as full of hope about it as possible.
Tell me if Monday will suit, if you dont send an answer, I shall understand that it
is so. If I ought to go up before that, let me know.`
I trust you are well. I am. & am
Yours Sincerely
Mary M Slessor
[In a different hand]
Recd. 7.10.5.
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998
Slessor, Mary Letter no. 18 8th October 1905
Miss Slessor explains a further delay and her arrangements to come with a local
Chief, asking him to meet them at 12 the following day.
[Envelope addressed to]
C Partridge Esq
Itu
Itu
8th. Oct 1905
Dear Mr Partridge
Your note has come into Church, so please excuse a line only in
reply.
I meant to go to Ikot Obon tomorrow by Jubilee [Note 1], as it wd. take a little of
my "Flitting" with us, but if it be later than 11 o/c a.m. I shall bring the Chief in
a canoe to Sawyers beach when I suppose we may find you. I've been bothered
at having to stay, but these workmen of of the scalywag kind.
Please wait for us till 12 o/c tomorrow, & oblige yours sincerely
M M Slessor
EDITORIAL NOTE:
1] Jubilee - presumably the name of a river launch
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998Slessor, Mary Letter no. 19 10th October 1905
A note to settle whether Miss Slessor should visit the Commissioner, or vice
versa.
[Envelope addressed to:]
C Partridge Esq
Ikot Awbong.
10/10/5
Dear Mr Partridge
I was just getting the paper to write & ask whether I shd. come to you, or
you to me. I'm sorry it is such a dirty morning. Come whenever you like, I'm
ready. Or shall I come to you if you like it better.
Kind regards
M M Slessor
TRANSCRIPTION BY: Leslie A. Mackenzie, 1998
DATA ENTERED BY: Ruth E. Riding, 1998 |