butdeclinedthetestwhichIproposed,namely,toexaminewhethertheyormynativeattendantscouldreadbestTwooftheirclergymencametobaptizethechildrenoftheBoers;so,supposingthesegoodmenwouldassistmeinovercomingtherepugnanceoftheirflocktotheeducationoftheblacks,Icalledonthem;butmyvisitendedina`ruse’practicedbytheBoerishcommandant,wherebyIwasled,byprofessionsofthegreatestfriendship,toretiretoKolobeng,whilealetterpassedmebyanotherwaytotheothermissionariesinthesouth,demandingmyinstantrecall“forlendingacannontotheirenemies。”Thecolonialgovernmentwasalsogravelyinformedthatthestorywastrue,andIcametobelookeduponasamostsuspiciouscharacterinconsequence。
ThesenoticesoftheBoersarenotintendedtoproduceasneerattheirignorance,buttoexcitethecompassionoftheirfriends。
Theyareperpetuallytalkingabouttheirlaws;butpracticallytheirsisonlythelawofthestrongestTheBechuanascouldneverunderstandthechangeswhichtookplaceintheircommandants“Why,onecanneverknowwhoisthechiefamongtheseBoersLiketheBushmen,theyhavenoking
theymustbetheBushmenoftheEnglish。”Theideathatanytribeofmencouldbesosenselessasnottohaveanhereditarychiefwassoabsurdtothesepeople,that,inordernottoappearequallystupid,IwasobligedtotellthemthatweEnglishweresoanxioustopreservetheroyalblood,thatwehadmadeayoungladyourchief。
Thisseemedtothemamostconvincingproofofoursoundsense。
Weshallseefartherontheconfidencemyaccountofourqueeninspired。
TheBoers,encouragedbytheaccessionofMrPretorius,determinedatlasttoputastoptoEnglishtradersgoingpastKolobeng,bydispersingthetribeofBakwains,andexpellingallthemissionaries。
SirGeorgeCathcartproclaimedtheindependenceoftheBoers,thebestthingthatcouldhavebeendonehadtheybeenbetweenusandtheCaffres。
AtreatywasenteredintowiththeseBoers;anarticleforthefreepassageofEnglishmentothecountrybeyond,andalsoanother,thatnoslaveryshouldbeallowedintheindependentterritory,weredulyinserted,asexpressiveoftheviewsofhermajesty’sgovernmentathome“Butwhataboutthemissionaries?”inquiredtheBoers。
“YOUMAYDOASYOUPLEASEWITHTHEM。”issaidtohavebeentheanswerofthe“Commissioner“Thisremark,ifutteredatall,wasprobablymadeinjoke:designingmen,however,circulatedit,andcausedthegeneralbeliefinitsaccuracywhichnowprevailsalloverthecountry,anddoubtlessledtothedestructionofthreemissionstationsimmediatelyafterTheBoers,fourhundredinnumber,weresentbythelateMrPretoriustoattacktheBakwainsin1852。
BoastingthattheEnglishhadgivenupalltheblacksintotheirpower,andhadagreedtoaidthemintheirsubjugationbypreventingallsuppliesofammunitionfromcomingintotheBechuanacountry,theyassaultedtheBakwains,and,besideskillingaconsiderablenumberofadults,carriedofftwohundredofourschoolchildrenintoslavery。
ThenativesunderSecheledefendedthemselvestilltheapproachofnightenabledthemtofleetothemountains;andhavinginthatdefensekilledanumberoftheenemy,theveryfirsteverslaininthiscountrybyBechuanas,IreceivedthecreditofhavingtaughtthetribetokillBoers!
Myhouse,whichhadstoodperfectlysecureforyearsundertheprotectionofthenatives,wasplunderedinrevenge。
Englishgentlemen,whohadcomeinthefootstepsofMrCummingtohuntinthecountrybeyond,andhaddepositedlargequantitiesofstoresinthesamekeeping,andupwardofeightyheadofcattleasrelaysforthereturnjourneys,wererobbedofall,and,whentheycamebacktoKolobeng,foundtheskeletonsoftheguardiansstrewedallovertheplace。
Thebooksofagoodlibrarymysolaceinoursolitude
werenottakenaway,buthandfulsoftheleavesweretornoutandscatteredovertheplaceMystockofmedicineswassmashed;
andallourfurnitureandclothingcarriedoffandsoldatpublicauctiontopaytheexpensesoftheforay。
Idonotmentionthesethingsbywayofmakingapitifulwailovermylosses,norinordertoexcitecommiseration;for,thoughIdofeelsorryforthelossoflexicons,dictionaries,&c。,whichhadbeenthecompanionsofmyboyhood,yet,afterall,theplunderingonlysetmeentirelyfreeformyexpeditiontothenorth,andIhaveneversincehadamoment’sconcernforanythingIleftbehindTheBoersresolvedtoshutuptheinterior,andIdeterminedtoopenthecountry,andweshallseewhohavebeenmostsuccessfulinresolution,theyorI。
AshortsketchofAfricanhousekeepingmaynotproveuninterestingtothereaderTheentireabsenceofshopsledustomakeeverythingweneededfromtherawmaterialsYouwantbrickstobuildahouse,andmustforthwithproceedtothefield,cutdownatree,andsawitintoplankstomakethebrick-moulds;
thematerialsfordoorsandwindows,too,arestandingintheforest;
and,ifyouwanttoberespectedbythenatives,ahouseofdecentdimensions,costinganimmenseamountofmanuallabor,mustbebuilt。
Thepeoplecannotassistyoumuch;for,thoughmostwillingtolaborforwages,theBakwainshaveacuriousinabilitytomakeorputthingssquare:likeallBechuanas,theirdwellingsaremaderoundInthecaseofthreelargehouses,erectedbymyselfatdifferenttimes,everybrickandstickhadtobeputsquarebymyownrighthand。
Havinggotthemealground,thewifeproceedstomakeitintobread;
anextemporeovenisoftenconstructedbyscoopingoutalargeholeinananthill,andusingaslabofstoneforadoorAnotherplan,whichmightbeadoptedbytheAustralianstoproducesomethingbetterthantheir“dampers“,istomakeagoodfireonalevelpieceofground,and,whenthegroundisthoroughlyheated,placethedoughinasmall,short-handledfrying-pan,orsimplyonthehotashes;
invertanysortofmetalpotoverit,drawtheashesaround,andthenmakeasmallfireonthetopDough,mixedwithalittleleavenfromaformerbaking,andallowedtostandanhourortwointhesun,willbythisprocessbecomeexcellentbread。
Wemadeourownbutter,ajarservingasachurn;andourowncandlesbymeansofmoulds;andsoapwasprocuredfromtheashesoftheplantsalsola,orfromwood-ashes,whichinAfricacontainsolittlealkalinematterthattheboilingofsuccessiveleyshastobecontinuedforamonthorsixweeksbeforethefatissaponifiedThereisnotmuchhardshipinbeingalmostentirelydependentonourselves;thereissomethingofthefeelingwhichmusthaveanimatedAlexanderSelkirkonseeingconveniencesspringingupbeforehimfromhisowningenuity;andmarriedlifeisallthesweeterwhensomanycomfortsemanatedirectlyfromthethriftystrivinghousewife’shands。
Tosomeitmayappearquitearomanticmodeoflife;
itisoneofactivebenevolence,suchasthegoodmayenjoyathome。
TakeasingledayasasampleofthewholeWeroseearly,because,howeverhotthedaymayhavebeen,theevening,night,andmorningatKolobengweredeliciouslyrefreshing;coolisnottheword,whereyouhaveneitheranincreaseofcoldnorheattodesire,andwhereyoucansitouttillmidnightwithnofearofcoughsorrheumatism。
Afterfamilyworshipandbreakfastbetweensixandseven,wewenttokeepschoolforallwhowouldattendmen,women,andchildrenbeingallinvitedSchooloverateleveno’clock,whilethemissionary’swifewasoccupiedindomesticmatters,themissionaryhimselfhadsomemanuallaborasasmith,carpenter,orgardener,accordingtowhateverwasneededforourselvesorforthepeople;
ifforthelatter,theyworkedforusinthegarden,oratsomeotheremployment;skilledlaborwasthusexchangedfortheunskilled。
Afterdinnerandanhour’srest,thewifeattendedherinfant-school,whichtheyoung,whowereleftbytheirparentsentirelytotheirowncaprice,likedamazingly,andgenerallymusteredahundredstrong;
orshevariedthatwithasewing-school,havingclassesofgirlstolearntheart;this,too,wasequallywellrelishedDuringthedayeveryoperationmustbesuperintended,andbothhusbandandwifemustlabortillthesundeclinesAftersunsetthehusbandwentintothetowntoconversewithanyonewillingtodoso,sometimesongeneralsubjects,atothertimesonreligionOnthreenightsoftheweek,assoonasthemilkingofthecowswasoverandithadbecomedark,wehadapublicreligiousservice,andoneofinstructiononsecularsubjects,aidedbypicturesandspecimensTheseserviceswerediversifiedbyattendinguponthesickandprescribingforthem,givingfood,andotherwiseassistingthepoorandwretched。
Wetriedtogaintheiraffectionsbyattendingtothewantsofthebody。
Thesmallestactsoffriendship,anobligingwordandcivillook,are,asStXavierthought,nodespicablepartofthemissionaryarmor。
Noroughtthegoodopinionofthemostabjecttobeuncaredfor,whenpolitenessmaysecureitTheirgoodwordintheaggregateformsareputationwhichmaybewellemployedinprocuringfavorfortheGospel。
ShowkindattentiontotherecklessopponentsofChristianityonthebedofsicknessandpain,andtheynevercanbecomeyourpersonalenemiesHere,ifanywhere,lovebegetslove。
WhenatKolobeng,duringthedroughtswewereentirelydependentonKurumanforsuppliesofcornOncewewerereducedtolivingonbran,toconvertwhichintofinemealwehadtogrinditthreetimesover。
Weweremuchinwantofanimalfood,whichseemstobeagreaternecessaryoflifetherethanvegetarianswouldimagine。
Beingalone,wecouldnotdividethebutcher-meatofaslaughteredanimalwithaprospectofgettingareturnwithregularitySechelehad,byrightofchieftainship,thebreastofeveryanimalslaughteredeitherathomeorabroad,andhemostobliginglysentusaliberalshareduringthewholeperiodofoursojournButthesesupplieswerenecessarilysoirregularthatweweresometimesfaintoacceptadishoflocustsThesearequiteablessinginthecountry,somuchsothattheRAIN-DOCTORSsometimespromisedtobringthembytheirincantationsThelocustsarestronglyvegetableintaste,theflavorvaryingwiththeplantsonwhichtheyfeedThereisaphysiologicalreasonwhylocustsandhoneyshouldbeeatentogether。
Someareroastedandpoundedintomeal,which,eatenwithalittlesalt,ispalatableItwillkeepthusformonthsBoiled,theyaredisagreeable;
butwhentheyareroastedIshouldmuchpreferlocuststoshrimps,thoughIwouldavoidbothifpossible。
Intravelingwesometimessufferedconsiderablyfromscarcityofmeat,thoughnotfromabsolutewantoffoodThiswasfeltmoreespeciallybymychildren;andthenatives,toshowtheirsympathy,oftengavethemalargekindofcaterpillar,whichtheyseemedtorelish;
theseinsectscouldnotbeunwholesome,forthenativesdevouredtheminlargequantitiesthemselves。
Anotherarticleofwhichourchildrenpartookwitheagernesswasaverylargefrog,called“Matlametlo“。*
*ThePyxicephalusadspersusofDrSmithLengthofheadandbody,5-1/2inches;forelegs,3inches;hindlegs,6inches。
Widthofheadposteriorly,3inches;ofbody,4-1/2inches。
Theseenormousfrogs,which,whencooked,looklikechickens,aresupposedbythenativestofalldownfromthunder-clouds,becauseafteraheavythunder-showerthepools,whicharefilledandretainwaterafewdays,becomeinstantlyalivewiththisloud-croaking,pugnaciousgameThisphenomenontakesplaceinthedriestpartsofthedesert,andinplaceswhere,toanordinaryobserver,thereisnotasignoflifeHavingbeenoncebenightedinadistrictoftheKalahariwheretherewasnoprospectofgettingwaterforourcattleforadayortwo,IwassurprisedtohearinthefinestilleveningthecroakingoffrogsWalkingoutuntilIwascertainthatthemusicianswerebetweenmeandourfire,Ifoundthattheycouldbemerryonnothingelsebutaprospectofrain。
FromtheBushmenIafterwardlearnedthatthematlametlomakesaholeattherootofcertainbushes,andthereensconceshimselfduringthemonthsofdroughtAsheseldomemerges,alargevarietyofspidertakesadvantageofthehole,andmakesitswebacrosstheorifice。
Heisthusfurnishedwithawindowandscreengratis;andnoonebutaBushmanwouldthinkofsearchingbeneathaspider’swebforafrog。
Theycompletelyeludedmysearchontheoccasionreferredto;
andastheyrushforthintothehollowsfilledbythethunder-showerwhentherainisactuallyfalling,andtheBechuanasarecoweringundertheirskingarments,thesuddenchorusstruckupsimultaneouslyfromallsidesseemstoindicateadescentfromtheclouds。