When the child was about fifteen, a raid was made upon the village by Mohammedans, and a large number of women and children were led away captive with ropes around their necks, young Ajayi and his mother and grandmother among the number. Sold from one person to another, often bartered for rum or tobacco, he finally fell into the hands of Portuguese traders. He and his fellow slaves were rescued by an English man-of-war from the Portuguese vessel, and he was educated by the Church Missionary Society. He became a school-master, then preacher, and finally Bishop of the native Church on the Niger. Fourah Bay College, where he pursued a part of his studies, was founded as a result of the conviction forced upon the Church Missionary Society that, if Africa were to be evangelized, it must be done chiefly through native agency, because of the devastating effects of the climate on foreigners. In other words, _Christ needs the children of Africa_, to be trained for Him in places where no one else in the wide world can accomplish the task. [Illustration: THE HOPE OF AFRICA A WEST AFRICAN BABY A GROUP OF FANG BOYS, AFRICA] On the beautiful white monument, erected over the grave in Lagos, Sierra Leone, can be read these words that give a brief outline of the noble life work of the little slave boy whom some one thought worth saving and training for Christian service. Sacred to the memory of THE RIGHT REV. SAMUEL AJAYI CROWTHER, D.D. A Native of Osogun, in the Yoruba Country; A Recaptured and Liberated Slave; The First Student in the Church Missionary Society’s College, At Fourah Bay, Sierra Leone; Ordained in England by the Bishop of London, June 11th, 1843; The First Native Clergyman of the Church of England in West Africa, Consecrated Bishop, June 29th, 1864. A Faithful, Earnest, and Devoted Missionary in Connection With the Church Missionary Society for 62 Years, At Sierra Leone, in the Timini and Yoruba Countries And in the Niger Territory; He Accompanied the First Royal Niger Expedition in 1841; Was a joint founder with others of the Yoruba Mission in 1845, And Founder of the Niger Mission in 1857; And of the Self-Supporting Niger Delta Pastorale in 1891. He fell asleep in Jesus at Lagos, on the 31st December, 1891, Aged about 89 Years. “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, ... Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Matt. 25:5. “Redeemed by His Blood.”[109] [Sidenote: Trained native workers necessary.]