Ifyoumeetapartyofstrangers，andtheheadman’srelationshiptosomeuncleofacertainchiefisnotatonceproclaimedbyhisattendants，youmayhearhimwhispering，“TellhimwhoIam。”Thisusuallyinvolvesacountingonthefingersofapartofhisgenealogicaltree，andendsintheimportantannouncementthattheheadofthepartyishalf-cousintosomewell-knownruler。
　　SechelewasthusseatedinhischieftainshipwhenImadehisacquaintance。
　　OnthefirstoccasioninwhichIeverattemptedtoholdapublicreligiousservice，heremarkedthatitwasthecustomofhisnation，whenanynewsubjectwasbroughtbeforethem，toputquestionsonit；
　　andhebeggedmetoallowhimtodothesameinthiscase。
　　Onexpressingmyentirewillingnesstoanswerhisquestions，heinquiredifmyforefathersknewofafuturejudgmentIrepliedintheaffirmative，andbegantodescribethesceneofthe“greatwhitethrone，andHimwhoshallsitonit，fromwhosefacetheheavenandearthshallfleeaway。”&cHesaid，“Youstartleme：thesewordsmakeallmybonestoshake；Ihavenomorestrengthinme；
　　butmyforefatherswerelivingatthesametimeyourswere，andhowisitthattheydidnotsendthemwordabouttheseterriblethingssooner？
　　Theyallpassedawayintodarknesswithoutknowingwhithertheyweregoing。”
　　IgotoutofthedifficultybyexplainingthegeographicalbarriersintheNorth，andthegradualspreadofknowledgefromtheSouth，towhichwefirsthadaccessbymeansofships；andIexpressedmybeliefthat，asChristhadsaid，thewholeworldwouldyetbeenlightenedbytheGospelPointingtothegreatKalaharidesert，hesaid，“Younevercancrossthatcountrytothetribesbeyond；
　　itisutterlyimpossibleevenforusblackmen，exceptincertainseasons，whenmorethantheusualsupplyofrainfalls，andanextraordinarygrowthofwatermelonsfollowsEvenwewhoknowthecountrywouldcertainlyperishwithoutthem。”ReassertingmybeliefinthewordsofChrist，weparted；anditwillbeseenfartheronthatSechelehimselfassistedmeincrossingthatdesertwhichhadpreviouslyprovedaninsurmountablebarriertosomanyadventurers。
　　Assoonashehadanopportunityoflearning，hesethimselftoreadwithsuchcloseapplicationthat，frombeingcomparativelythin，theeffectofhavingbeenfondofthechase，hebecamequitecorpulentfromwantofexerciseMrOswellgavehimhisfirstlessoninfigures，andheacquiredthealphabetonthefirstdayofmyresidenceatChonuane。
　　Hewasbynomeansanordinaryspecimenofthepeople，forIneverwentintothetownbutIwaspressedtohearhimreadsomechaptersoftheBibleIsaiahwasagreatfavoritewithhim；
　　andhewaswonttousethesamephrasenearlywhichtheprofessorofGreekatGlasgow，SirDKSandford，onceusedrespectingtheApostlePaul，whenreadinghisspeechesintheActs：“Hewasafinefellow，thatPaul！”
　　“Hewasafineman，thatIsaiah；heknewhowtospeak。”Secheleinvariablyofferedmesomethingtoeatoneveryoccasionofmyvisitinghim。
　　SeeingmeanxiousthathispeopleshouldbelievethewordsofChrist，heoncesaid，“Doyouimaginethesepeoplewilleverbelievebyyourmerelytalkingtothem？Icanmakethemdonothingexceptbythrashingthem；andifyoulike，Ishallcallmyheadmen，andwithourlitupawhipsofrhinoceroshidewewillsoonmakethemallbelievetogether。”TheideaofusingentreatyandpersuasiontosubjectstobecomeChristianswhoseopiniononnoothermatterwouldhecondescendtoaskwasespeciallysurprisingtohim。
　　HeconsideredthattheyoughtonlytobetoohappytoembraceChristianityathiscommandDuringthespaceoftwoyearsandahalfhecontinuedtoprofesstohispeoplehisfullconvictionofthetruthofChristianity；
　　andinalldiscussionsonthesubjecthetookthatside，actingatthesametimeinanuprightmannerinalltherelationsoflife。
　　HefeltthedifficultiesofhissituationlongbeforeIdid，andoftensaid，“Oh，IwishyouhadcometothiscountrybeforeIbecameentangledinthemeshesofourcustoms！”Infact，hecouldnotgetridofhissuperfluouswives，withoutappearingtobeungratefultotheirparents，whohaddonesomuchforhiminhisadversity。
　　InthehopethatotherswouldbeinducedtojoinhiminhisattachmenttoChristianity，heaskedmetobeginfamilyworshipwithhiminhishouse。
　　Ididso；andby-and-bywassurprisedtohearhowwellheconductedtheprayerinhisownsimpleandbeautifulstyle，forhewasquiteamasterofhisownlanguageAtthistimeweweresufferingfromtheeffectsofadrought，whichwillbedescribedfurtheron，andnoneexcepthisfamily，whomheorderedtoattend，camenearhismeeting。
　　“Informertimes。”saidhe，“whenachiefwasfondofhunting，allhispeoplegotdogs，andbecamefondofhuntingtooIfhewasfondofdancingormusic，allshowedalikingtotheseamusementstooIfthechieflovedbeer，theyallrejoicedinstrongdrinkButinthiscaseitisdifferent。
　　IlovetheWordofGod，andnotoneofmybrethrenwilljoinme。”Onereasonwhywehadnovolunteerhypocriteswasthehungerfromdrought，whichwasassociatedintheirmindswiththepresenceofChristianinstruction；
　　andhypocrisyisnotpronetoprofessacreedwhichseemstoinsureanemptystomach。
　　Sechelecontinuedtomakeaconsistentprofessionforaboutthreeyears；
　　andperceivingatlastsomeofthedifficultiesofhiscase，andalsofeelingcompassionforthepoorwomen，whowerebyfarthebestofourscholars，Ihadnodesirethatheshouldbeinanyhurrytomakeafullprofessionbybaptism，andputtingawayallhiswivesbutone。
　　Hisprincipalwife，too，wasaboutthemostunlikelysubjectinthetribeevertobecomeanythingelsethananout-and-outgreasydiscipleoftheoldschoolShehassincebecomegreatlyaltered，Ihear，forthebetter；butagainandagainhaveIseenSechelesendheroutofchurchtoputhergownon，andawayshewouldgowithherlipsshotout，theverypictureofunutterabledisgustathisnew-fanglednotions。
　　Whenheatlastappliedforbaptism，Isimplyaskedhimhowhe，havingtheBibleinhishand，andabletoreadit，thoughtheoughttoact。
　　Hewenthome，gaveeachofhissuperfluouswivesnewclothing，andallhisowngoods，whichtheyhadbeenaccustomedtokeepintheirhutsforhim，andsentthemtotheirparentswithanintimationthathehadnofaulttofindwiththem，butthatinpartingwiththemhewishedtofollowthewillofGodOnthedayonwhichheandhischildrenwerebaptized，greatnumberscametoseetheceremonySomethought，fromastupidcalumnycirculatedbyenemiestoChristianityinthesouth，thattheconvertswouldbemadetodrinkaninfusionof“deadmen’sbrains“，andwereastonishedtofindthatwateronlywasusedatbaptism。
　　Seeingseveraloftheoldmenactuallyintearsduringtheservice，Iaskedthemafterwardthecauseoftheirweeping；theywerecryingtoseetheirfather，astheScotchremarkoveracaseofsuicide，“SOFARLEFTTOHIMSELF“TheyseemedtothinkthatIhadthrowntheglamouroverhim，andthathehadbecomemine。
　　Herecommencedanoppositionwhichwehadnotpreviouslyexperienced。
　　Allthefriendsofthedivorcedwivesbecametheopponentsofourreligion。
　　Theattendanceatschoolandchurchdiminishedtoveryfewbesidesthechief’sownfamilyTheyalltreatedusstillwithrespectfulkindness，buttoSechelehimselftheysaidthingswhich，asheoftenremarked，hadtheyventuredoninformertimes，wouldhavecostthemtheirlives。
　　Itwastrying，afterallwehaddone，toseeourlaborssolittleappreciated；
　　butwehadsownthegoodseed，andhavenodoubtbutitwillyetspringup，thoughwemaynotlivetoseethefruits。
　　Leavingthissketchofthechief，Iproceedtogiveanequallyrapidoneofourdealingwithhispeople，theBakena，orBakwains。
　　Asmallpieceofland，sufficientforagarden，waspurchasedwhenwefirstwenttolivewiththem，thoughthatwasscarcelynecessaryinacountrywheretheideaofbuyinglandwasquitenew。
　　Itwasexpectedthatarequestforasuitablespotwouldhavebeenmade，andthatweshouldhaveproceededtooccupyitasanyothermemberofthetribewouldButweexplainedtothemthatwewishedtoavoidanycauseoffuturedisputewhenlandhadbecomemorevaluable；
　　orwhenafoolishchiefbegantoreign，andwehaderectedlargeorexpensivebuildings，hemightwishtoclaimthewhole。
　　ThesereasonswereconsideredsatisfactoryAbout5Poundsworthofgoodsweregivenforapieceofland，andanarrangementwascometothatasimilarpieceshouldbeallottedtoanyothermissionary，atanyotherplacetowhichthetribemightremove。
　　Theparticularsofthesalesoundedstrangelyintheearsofthetribe，butwereneverthelessreadilyagreedto。
　　InourrelationswiththispeopleweweresimplystrangersexercisingnoauthorityorcontrolwhateverOurinfluencedependedentirelyonpersuasion；andhavingtaughtthembykindconversationaswellasbypublicinstruction，IexpectedthemtodowhattheirownsenseofrightandwrongdictatedWeneverwishedthemtodorightmerelybecauseitwouldbepleasingtous，northoughtourselvestoblamewhentheydidwrong，althoughwewerequiteawareoftheabsurdideatothateffectWesawthatourteachingdidgoodtothegeneralmindofthepeoplebybringingnewandbettermotivesintoplayFiveinstancesarepositivelyknowntomeinwhich，byourinfluenceonpublicopinion，warwasprevented；andwhere，inindividualcases，wefailed，thepeopledidnoworsethantheydidbeforewecameintothecountry。
　　Ingeneraltheywereslow，likealltheAfricanpeoplehereaftertobedescribed，incomingtoadecisiononreligioussubjects；
　　butinquestionsaffectingtheirworldlyaffairstheywerekeenlyalivetotheirowninterestsTheymightbecalledstupidinmatterswhichhadnotcomewithinthesphereoftheirobservation，butinotherthingstheyshowedmoreintelligencethanistobemetwithinourownuneducatedpeasantryTheyareremarkablyaccurateintheirknowledgeofcattle，sheep，andgoats，knowingexactlythekindofpasturagesuitedtoeach；andtheyselectwithgreatjudgmentthevarietiesofsoilbestsuitedtodifferentkindsofgrain。
　　Theyarealsofamiliarwiththehabitsofwildanimals，andingeneralarewellupinthemaximswhichembodytheirideasofpoliticalwisdom。
　　TheplacewherewefirstsettledwiththeBakwainsiscalledChonuane，andithappenedtobevisited，duringthefirstyearofourresidencethere，byoneofthosedroughtswhichoccurfromtimetotimeineventhemostfavoreddistrictsofAfrica。
　　ThebeliefinthegiftorpowerofRAIN-MAKINGisoneofthemostdeeply-rootedarticlesoffaithinthiscountryThechiefSechelewashimselfanotedrain-doctor，andbelievedinitimplicitlyHehasoftenassuredmethathefounditmoredifficulttogiveuphisfaithinthatthaninanythingelsewhichChristianityrequiredhimtoabjure。
　　Ipointedouttohimthattheonlyfeasiblewayofwateringthegardenswastoselectsomegood，never-failingriver，makeacanal，andirrigatetheadjacentlandsThissuggestionwasimmediatelyadopted，andsoonthewholetribewasonthemovetotheKolobeng，astreamaboutfortymilesdistantTheexperimentsucceededadmirablyduringthefirstyearTheBakwainsmadethecanalanddaminexchangeformylaborinassistingtobuildasquarehousefortheirchief。
　　Theyalsobuilttheirownschoolundermysuperintendence。
　　OurhouseattheRiverKolobeng，whichgaveanametothesettlement，wasthethirdwhichIhadrearedwithmyownhandsAnativesmithtaughtmetoweldiron；andhavingimprovedbyscrapsofinformationinthatlinefromMrMoffat，andalsoincarpenteringandgardening，Iwasbecominghandyatalmostanytrade，besidesdoctoringandpreaching；
　　andasmywifecouldmakecandles，soap，andclothes，wecamenearlyuptowhatmaybeconsideredasindispensableintheaccomplishmentsofamissionaryfamilyinCentralAfrica，namely，thehusbandtobeajack-of-all-tradeswithoutdoors，andthewifeamaid-of-all-workwithinButinoursecondyearagainnorainfellInthethirdthesameextraordinarydroughtfollowed。
　　Indeed，notteninchesofwaterfellduringthesetwoyears，andtheKolobengrandry；somanyfishwerekilledthatthehyaenasfromthewholecountryroundcollectedtothefeast，andwereunabletofinishtheputridmassesAlargeoldalligator，whichhadneverbeenknowntocommitanydepredations，wasfoundlefthighanddryinthemudamongthevictimsThefourthyearwasequallyunpropitious，thefallofrainbeinginsufficienttobringthegraintomaturity。