iERARY ^tvasiTY Of AN AFRICAN MODE OF SALUTATION. [Special Edition for Presenidtion:\ SCENES AND SERVICES IN SOUTH AFEICA. m^t Stoiir oi ^ohtxi Poffat's nALP-CENTURY OP MISSIONARY LABOURS. WITH NUMEHOUS ILLUSTRATIONS, JOHN SNOW & CO.; 2, IVY LANE, PATBBN03TER ROW. LOAN STACK UNWIN BROTHERS, PRINTERS, CHILWORTH AND LONDON. -' to supply the Scriptures to the African Tribes — Arabic Vei-sion recommended by Mungo Park — Suggestion of Dr. Philip for a Translation into the Vernacular — Mr. Moffat commences the Sechu- ana Version — Publication of St. Luke's Gospel — Its happy Influence on the Natives — Completion of the New Testament and the Psalms — Visit of Mr. Moffat to England to superintend the Printing — Departure of Dr. Livingstone -with a supply of copies — Return to Africa of Mr. Moffat — Commencement of the Sechuana Version of the Old Testament — Translation of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Prograss — The Native Church at Kuruman — Severe Drought — Completion of the Bible in the Sechuana. During Moffat's temporary absence from Kuruman, the interests of the Mission at that place were assi- duously attended to by Mr. Hamilton and Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, as well as by his own faithful help- mate, Mrs. Moffat. Large additions to the number of church adherents were made, and the schools were well attended. The people made such advances in civilization, that the missionaries invited IVIr. Hume, a trader in whom they had implicit confidence, to take up his abode there, for the purpose of supplying the demands for British commodities. New churches 168 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. were formed amongst the outlying villages of the Bechuanas, and native assistants, who could read and teach, were stationed there to instruct them, — valu- able auxiliaries were these for preparing the people for further advances in knowledge. While engaged in travelling, the indefatigable missionary had been busily occupied in other work. He had on his journey translated the Assembly's Catechism, and an additional portion of the Scrip- ture lessons ; and on his return these were put to press, the demand for books being rapidly on the increase. But one great desideratum pressed on Moffat s mind, — the natives had not the Bible in their own tongue. At the outset of his labours he had expe- rienced considerable difficulty in acquiring the lan- guage; and had patiently to learn a few words at a time to make his wishes known. He had now, however, succeeded in mastering it, and had even reduced it to writing ; and with some difficulty he was able to translate portions of the Gospel of St. Luke and some Scripture lessons and hymns, which he read to the people in their own tongue. But he saw that it was essential to the prosperity of the Mission that the whole of the Scriptures should be translated into the Sechuana language, — which, under certain modi- fications, is the language of the interior of Africa. He doubted his own powers, fancying that his early education had not been such as to qualify him for the duty ; and therefore appealed to the Society in MUNGO PARK AND THE ARABIC VERSION. 169 England to send some one out specially to under- take it. The translation and publication of the Scriptures, with a view to the evangelization of Africa, had been taken up by the British and Foreign Bible Society shortly after its formation. In the year 1803, Dr. Carlyle, Professor of Arabic in the University of Cambridge, issued a prospectus for printing an edi- tion of the Bible in that langniao^e. Munofo Park, the African traveller, and others, were of opinion that it was sufficiently understood down to the eleventh or tenth degree of south latitude, to en- courage the experiment. Park, indeed, had found the Books of Moses, the Psalms, and Isaiah, in the possession of the natives ; and, in proof of the value set upon those writings, he stated that a copy of the Pentateuch alone had fetched twenty guineas. The death of Dr. Carlyle caused a delay; but the en- terprise was taken up by his successor and by the Oxford Professor of Arabic, who, together with Bar- rington, Bishop of Durham, and Porteus, Bishop of London, brought the matter under the notice of the Society in Earl Street. " It would do great credit to the Society," said the latter prelate, " and might be of infinite service in sowing the seed of Chris- tianity over the whole continent of Africa." The experiment, at any rate, possesses a deep historical interest, as being the first step in modern times towards the circulation of the Scriptures in that quarter of the globe. The inceptive incident in it, 170 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. however, was remarkable for its smallness and its fortuitousness. Of the three hundred copies printed from the text of the Polyglott, which Dr. Carlyle had adopted, a dozen found their way into the hands of Mohammedan natives on that part of the coast at which a missionary of the Church Society, to whose care they had been assigned for another purpose, happened to suffer shipwreck. To the accuracy of that text, however. Dr. Adam Clarke demurred, as did other Arabic scholars, of whom Henry Martyn was one. A new version, on which Sabat was then engaged, was thought likely to supersede every other. In South Africa, how- ever, the first Bibles distributed by the Society were English, and the first native purchaser of one was a Hottentot. The expediency of translating the Scriptures into the native speech seems to have been first suggested by Dr. Philip. ''The discoveries daily making," he remarked, " lead to a supposition that all the languages spoken from the Keis- kamma to the Arabian Gulf, and from the mouth of the Zambezi to that of the Congo, are dcriviHl from the same parent stock, and are so nearly allied to each other as to furnish great facilities f6r the translation and general circulation of the Scriptures." The Namaqua was the first dialect into which tlio holy books were rendered, and the four Gospels wero the first book of any kind printed in that tongue. Meanwhile, no help came to Moffat, and the ne- cessity for the work becoming more and more press- &v.\\vii//^^- KAFFIR MAN AND WOMAN. PRINTINa OF ST. LUKE'S GOSPEL. 173 ing, he resolved to enter upon it himself. For many years he applied every spare moment he had to translating ; the intervals between preaching, teach- ing, ploughing, working at the forge or at the print- ing-press, were devoted to it, so that he became almost a stranger in his own family. In the year 1832, it came to the knowledge of the Society, that Moffat had completely translated into Sechuana the Gospel according to Luke. At that time of day, printing, even at the Cape, was in its infancy. Governor Sir Lowry Cole, therefore, kindly permitted to Mr. Moffat the use of the official press ; but who was to supply him with compositors? There was nothing for it but that the missionary translator must be his ov/n com- positor ; and, joined by his colleague, Mr. Edwards, he put himself to case, and, under the capable super- intendence of the official printer, set in type, and struck off, both his translation of Luke's Gospel and his own Hymns, and then returned in triumph to his station, carrying with him the books, and the press that Dr. Philip had presented to him, with a supply of type, paper, and ink, and the liberality of the Cape Christians towards his new chapel. In 1836, Moffat had the happy satisfaction of finding, on an itinerating visit, that the people v.^ere being aroused to the importance of Divine truth, and to a concern for their own souls, by hearing his version of Luke's Gospel read in their mother-tongue. "I have frequently listened with 174 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. Burprise," he wrote, " to hear how minutely some who were unable to read, could repeat the story of the Woman who was a Sinner, the Prodigal Son, the Rich Man and Lazarus, with other parables; and also to near them date the change in their views to those narratives. The sword of the Spirit," with characteristic humility, he added, " is truly in clumsy hands ; but it hath shown itself to be two-edged." About the year 1840, Moffat's translation of the New Testament was completed ; and the question arose at what press it should be printed. Arrange- ^ments were begun for doing the work, as before, at the Cape; but, on maturer thought, it was deemed better that the translator should be the bearer of his version to London, where he might have the aid of the Rev. Joseph Jowett, the Bible Society's editorial superintendent, with other ad- vantages not to be commanded at Cape Town. The Society, in its turn, had the great benefit of his presence at its yearly meeting. His speech on the occasion fills several pages in Mr. Browne's official History. Though Moffat had to describe a state of barbarism, ignorance, and utter darkness, such as seemed to forbid all hope of success in teaching and preaching, — so much so that, after many efforts had been made, and long years had elapsed, the natives tauntingly defied him to produce one Bechuana who would bow to Jesus ; — even then, however, and that is now thirty years ago, he was POWER OF THE SCRIPTURES. 175 able to point, not to one only, but to hundreds, who had yielded obedience to the Saviour, and were adorning the Gospel which they professed to believe. When the unconverted heathen saw them reading the book which had produced this change, they inquired if they talked to it. " No," they answered, " it talks to us ; for it is the Word of God." " What, then ! " replied the strangers, " does it speak 1 " "Yes," rejoined the Christians, "it speaks to the heart 1 " The perfect truth of this artless explana- tion was often illustrated in fact ; for, among those to whom the same book was read by others, it became proverbial to say, that the readers were " turning their hearts inside out ! " At a time when Commissions are engaged upon a revision of our own Authorised Version, it is pecu- liarly interesting to receive the venerable author of the Sechuana version, who, thirty years ago, said of the first part of his performance, " It contains many more imperfections than there are in the Vulgate ; and yet, I know that that Gospel of St. Luke has been the means of leading many a wanderer to the fold of God." Everybody knows to what a great extent the yearly meetings of the Bible Society are attended by ladies ; though, perhaps, the proportion of men is laro;er in them than in most of the meeting^s held during May in Exeter Hall. At any rate, it is easy to imagine the effect produced by one of the anec- dotes which Moffat there related, in illustration 176 TRANSLATION 01* THE SCRIPTURES. of the value set upon a single Gospel in the native tongue. Going with medicine for a sick babe, he found the mother weeping. "What aileth thee, my child ? " he asked, with the missionary's tender affection towards the members of his flock : " is thy child still unwell?" "No, not that," she answered ; " but my mother, my mother 1 " " Which of the two," he replied, " thy mother, or thy mother- in-law?" "My own dear mother," she rejoined, "she who bore me;" adding, as she held out her copy of St. Luke, "my mother, my poor mother will never hear the glad tidings of this book ! " Let it be hoped that this heart-rending foreboding may have been disappointed. For, between the years 1841 and 1843, supplies, not of one Gospel only, but 6,000 copies of the whole New Testament, with the Book of Psalms, in the Sechuana language, printed in London under Moffat's superintendence, were sent out, and spread joy and delight among the sons and daughters of the desert. It is an in- teresting circumstance, that to convey this boon was the first of an unparalleled series of benefits con- ferred upon the continent of Africa by a man whose name is equalling in lustre that of his venerable father-in-law — the renowned missionary traveller, David Livingstone. It was during his brief visit to the mother-country at this time that Moffat published his well-known volume of " Missionary Labours and Scenes in South Africa," a work which, together with his public ad- EEINFORCEMENT OF THE MISSION. 177 dresses in London and elsewhere, kindled an active sympathy in the minds of the people of England in favour of missionary operations abroad. On his return to his station at Kuruman, with Livingstone, Ross, Inglis, and Ashton, to reinforce the Mission, the work was prosecuted with renewed vigour and marked success. Urged by Livingstone and his other coadjutors, Moffat applied himself to the translation of the Old Testament. It was a labour of years ; but ho went on with it as he had leisure, daily and nightly, without intermission. To the Book of Psalms there were first added the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Isaiah; of which two hundred copies were printed for circulation. In 1851, he appears, from the testi- mony of Mr. Hughes, of Griqua Town, to have completed the rough draft, at least, of the whole Bible. From a communication of the translator s own pen to the Society, in 1854, we learn that he was still engaged in making the version as perfect as he could. The five children of Sechele had been for eighteen months under Mr. and Mrs. Moffat 3 exclusive care, and the chief had come to take them home. It is not improbable that even their childish prattle had tended to familiarize their eminent instructor with the exact idioms of their nativo speech; while their father was struck with ad- miration when he heard how beautifully the words of Divine truth sounded from their instructed lips. They carried with them to their distant home so 12 178 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. much of the sacred books as had then been printed and the first volume of the Old Testament, ending with the Second Book of Kings, was at that time nearly through the press. Thus out of the mouth of babes and sucklings, even in the wilds of Africa, did God ordain strength and perfect praise. The year 1846 was a year fraught with en- couragement to the Mission. Nearly fifty members were added to the church of which Moffat was pastor; and, at the out-stations, the blessing of God was vouchsafed to the simple efforts of the native assistants. In all its departments the Mission was advancing ; and, in the peaceful death of the chief Matebe, Moffat had witnessed a conspicuous proof of the power of the Gospel over barbarian minds. The following year, on the contrary, was one of peculiar trouble and anxiety. From long and severe drought, the crops had almost wholly failed, and dismay and distress v^ere general. AVhile, how- ever, this disaster hindered the work of grace in the individual heart, the preparatory work of instnic- tion knew no intermission. As some portions of the Sechuana Scriptures were passing through the mission press, others were being rendered into that language by the indefatigable leader of the missionary host. While the father was producing ten thousand copies of the erudite Assembly's Cate- chism in the rudest of tongues, and while the Proverbs of Solomon, simultaneously with the Pil-» PROGRESS OF THE CHRISTIANS. 179 grim of Banyan, were issuing in the speecli of the Bechuanas from the same press, the daughter, in her infant school, was preparing the babes and sucklings of the tribe to appreciate and enjoy them. From year to year the work of Christian education pro- ceeded, not, indeed, at those large and rapid strides to which older races are accustomed, yet with a sure, though gradual advance. Few years passed without some additions to the church. These, it is evident, might easily have been more frequent and more numerous, but for the conscientious care judi- ciously taken to guard against the premature entrance of imperfectly converted or slenderly informed can- didates. It was found necessary, now and again, to exer- cise extreme discipline upon great or persisting offenders ; but, though excluded from church fellow- ship, they were neither forgotten nor neglected ; and it is pleasing to observe, that the readmission of the penitent was as frequent as the expulsion of the delinquent. The missionaries had repeated occasion to acknowledge, that a part of those who were in fellowship did not manifest such ardent and constant zeal for the salvation of other souls as is one of the best signs of personal piety, and ought to be deemed essential to Christian character and consistency. There has always been, however, in the church at Kuru- man a majority of brethren faithful to their con- victions and to the duties consequent upon them. 12* 180 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. These have steadily grown both in knowledge and in zealousness of good works. They have perceived the duty, and acquired the habit, of giving of their substance for the conveyance to others of that Gospel which is become salvation to themselves ; and the statistical returns from time to time have shown, that this form of practical Christianity exerts in- creasing power upon them, and that they not merely give as prosperity enables, and as opportunity re- quires, but, even in the worst seasons, make some reserve for the work of evangelization. In 1848, the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes had been finished, and Isaiah begun. In 1849, "Pilgrim's Progress" was in high favour among the reading people. In 1850, Mr. Freeman formed, besides the three Sunday services in Sechuana, and a fourth in Dutch, a " Pilgrim's class," as well as a Bible one. The next year was one of excessive and protracted drought. During nine months there was no moisture. Except upon irrigated spots, the country was harvcstless, grassless, milkless. Elijah-like, however, Moffat persevered in prayer, and there came abtmdanco of rain. Meanwhile, though amidst many inter- ruptions, he was hard at work on the revision and completion of the Books of Moses, and on the perfecting of his version of the Minor Prophets in manuscript. With what feelings must he have dwelt at such a time upon the words and the faith of Habakkuk ; ''Although the fig tree shall not DEATH OF MB. HAMILTON. 181 blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines ; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat ; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls ; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." The year 1852 was marked by mingled encourage- ment and trial. The church members did not all evince a ruling desire to honour the name of Christ, their acknowledged Head. Yet, as many as seven native evangelists had by this time gone forth from Kuruman, and were, in spite of prejudice, blessed in their labours. By the decease of the venerable Mr. Hamilton, Moffat lost his faithful qgadjutor in the labours of thirty-four years ; but age and in- firmity had incapacitated him for all exertion ; and having, like Simeon, seen the Lord's salvation, he was, like him, graciously allowed to depart in peace. In Mr. Ashton, the missionary veteran had, how- ever, received a most vigorous, active, and efiectivo assistant. While the parts beyond were deplo- rably subject to the marauding attacks of the unscrupulous Boers, Kuruman was mercifully exempt from their rude and robber-like incur- sions. The state of the mother and daughter churches grew more encouraging, the minds of the people were better informed, their grounds were being brought under more careful cultivation, and not a few made a liveUhood out of the produce of their gardens, besides the purchase of tools and 182 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. clothes. Beyond Kuruman, necessity, the mother of invention, had stimulated the native mind; and, in imitation of their more advanced countrymen, the outlying people began to work the fountains and lead out the waters. Indicative of a true and therefore lasting civilization, the greater permanence of the new state of things, and the more settled ways of the people, were almost uniformly found in connection with the power of reading with ease, and the capability of conducting religious services. Meanwhile, the work of translating, revising, and printing the Bible never ceased. Joshua succeeded to Moses, and Samuel to Joshua; and in 1853 the Second Book of Kings was nearly ready for press. In 1857 we find Moffat still sighing for more conversions among the people, while the people were in deep solicitude on account of the lung disease among their cattle. Nevertheless, the new habits of life were taking firmer hold upon them, and the examples set by their moral and intellectual leaders were leading them up the path of civilization to the high point of building substantial dwellings for themselves, and arranging them neatly and orderly within. The veteran missionary now saw himself near- ing the completion of his translation labours, and scarcely knew whether to wish or to deprecate their close. Jeremiah was in the press, Ezekiel far advanced, Daniel and the rest ready for the com- positor; and then the Old Testament would be complete. " A couple of months," he wrote to a COMPLElTION OF THE WORK. 183 friend, " will finish Ezeldel ; a load will then be removed from off my mind, a load with respect to which I have often felt as if it would crush me, yet have as often felt as though my very existence depended upon the prosecution of this work. I have felt, in short, as if I must die if I dropped it ; or, at least, be miserable to the end of my days, did I not enlist all the time, research, and perseverance at my command in its accomplishment. In fine, I have felt it to be an awful work to translate the Book of God ; and, perhaps, this has given to my heart the habit of sometimes beating like the strokes of a hammer. After getting the brain refreshed, I shall hasten to a revision of the New Testament, a comparatively easy work." At length, the long labour of years was over, and the last verse of the Old Testament was completed. What Mofiat's emotions were at this time he has himself thus feelingly described: "I could hardly believe that I was in the world, so difficult was it for me to realize the fact that my work of so many years was completed. Whether it was from weak- ness or overstrained mental exertion, I cannot tell ; but a feeling came over me as if I should die, and I felt perfectly resigned. To overcome this I went back again to my manuscript, still to be printed, read it over and re-examined it, till at length I got back again to my right mind. This was the most remarkable time of my life, a period which I shall never forget. My feelings found vent by my falling 184 TRANSLATION OF THE SCRIPTURES. upon my knees and thanking God for His grace and goodness in giving me streDgth to accomplish my t^sk." What Morrison did for the natives of China, and Carey and Marshman for the races of India, Robert Moffat thus accomphshed for the tribes of South Central Africa — placed in their hands the Word of God in their own language ; and if his life's labours had only attained the accomplishment of this great task, it alone would entitle him to the lasting gratitude of universal Christendom. FRENCH MISSIONARY STATION, MOTITO. CHAPTEE XIL MISSION TO THE IVIATABELE AND MAKOLOLO. Third visit of Mr. Moffat to Moselekatze— Missionary Influence of Dr. Livingstone's Travels — Consent of Moselekatze to receive Mission- aries—Release of a Royal Captive — Arrival of new Missionaries at Cape Town — Prosperous commencement of the Matabele Mission, under ]\Ir. Moffat's guidance — Departure of the Makololo Mission, under !Mr. Ilelmore — Sufierings on the journey — Death of Mr. and Mrs. Hclmore, and three children — Rapacity of the Makololo — Death of Mr. Price — Abandonment of the Mission. While engaged in the work of Bible translation, and when he had got through the Book of Kings, the health of Mr. Moffat suffered considerably. The Directors of the Society at home Avere afraid he was killing himself with overwork, and urged him to revisit England, or to enjoy a holiday at some of the seaports of the colony. But he declined these invitations to ease and idleness, and decided to try the effects of change of air by looking up his old acquaintance, Moselekatze, who was known to oc- cupy the country northwards of the River Limpopo. Two travellers, Messrs. Chapman and Edwards, were proceeding in that direction in June, 1854, on a hunting and trading expedition, and he joined the 186 MATABELE A^D MAItOLOLO MISSION. last-named, who undertook to go to Moselekatze's town. It was a journey of some six hundred or seven hundred miles from Kuruman. There was no road or track to guide ihem, and they had to have recourse to their compass in threading their way, in a north-easterly direction, through the prairies of long grass, through dense forests, and acioss rocky ravines and hills. At length they met with some natives who were subject to the Matabele king, and whom they sent forward as messengers to the nearest vil- lage, to announce that Moffat (or Moshitu, as they pronounced it) of the Kuruman was seeking Mosele- katze. Although those who heard this message had never seen Moffat before, they were familiar with the name, and assured him that the king had long been inquiring after him, and would receive him with delight. A week afterwards they reached Matlokotloko, the residence of Moselekatze. They were not greeted with the martial display which took place on the occasion of Moffat s first visit. The once vigorous and active king was somewhat aged, lame in the feet, and unable to move, from a dropsical affection caused by his immoderate beer-drinking. As Moffat ai)proached him, he grasped his hand, gave him an impressive look, then drew his mantle over his eyes, and wept. Nearly twenty years had passed since the bar- barian monarch had seen or heard of the Christian missionary; and now, though he was before him EFFECTS OF MOFFAt'S FORMER VISITS. 187 and he heard his voice, he could not get quit of the impression that it was a vision. " Surely I am only dreaming that it is Moffat." During the interval of time that had passed, he said, he had often desired that he might once again see " the man of the pure heart ; " and had made many endeavours to find out whether he was alive, and wliere he was ; and he regarded the present visit as something miraculous, for, in his sickly condition, he required help and healing. Under Moffat's medical care, and by the enforcement of strict regimen, he recovered, and was soon able to walk about. His people still seemed to adore him, and to sing his praises as a demi-god. His power was fully as great as ever it had formerly been ; for, on settling in this part of the country, he effectually subjugated all the neighbouring tribes, and his dominions extended northwards to the banks of the Zambesi. Moffat found that the advice which he had given Moselekatze, during his previous intercourse wfth him, had not been altogether lost ; for the ofHcers who attended him, as well as those of lower grades, stated that the rigour of the government had from that time been greatly modified ; and this accounted for the universal pleasure which the missionary's visit seemed to produce. This statement seems borne out by the fact that v/hile Livingstone was on the banks of the Zambesi, he learned from the natives there, that the English had come to Moselekatze, and told him it was wronor 188 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. to kill men ; and that he had replied he was bom to kill people, but would drop the habit ; and since the English came he had sent out his men, not to kill as of yore, but to collect tribute of cloth and ivory. This report referred to Moffat's mission. The fact is interesting, as showing that, though imperfectly expressed, the purport of the missionary's teaching had travelled far over the country. But great as Moselekatze's esteem for the mis- sionary appeared to be, he had much difficulty in obtaining permission to preach to the people. While professing admiration for the Word of God, the king cunningly insinuated, that, though it was good for the gi-eat and wise, it would do no good to the Matabele, who were " great rogues." After much im- portunity, however, the monarch relented, gave his consent to the assembling of his people to hear the words of the teacher, and even himself attended. The 24th of September, 1854, was a red-letter day in Moffat's life. He had at last obtained that which he had long prayed for, — the opportunity of addressing the Matabele, who had never heard a word of Christian instruction in their lives, on the subjects of creation, providence, death, redemp- tion, and immortality. And during the continu- ance of his visit, this privilege was unreservedly accorded. Before Moffat had left Kuruman, his son-in-law, Dr. David Livingstone, — who, while pursuing the missionary work at Kolobeng, in consequence of the A FOEEST IN AFRICA — WAKDEEIKG ELEPHAKTS. FORWARDING SUPPLIES TO LIVINGSTONE. 191 attacks of some of the Transvaal farmers on that station, had been compelled to set his face north- ward to look for a new field for his people, — was engaged in his memorable journey across the con- tinent of Africa. If he returned safely from Loando, it was desirable that supplies should reach him at Linyanti, the chief place of the Makololo tribe, who resided northwards of the Matabele. Moffat had laid his plans to endeavour to get Moselekatze to aid him in this undertaking, although it was a dif- ficult matter, as the Matabele and Makololo v/ere hostile to each other. At first he proposed to undertake the journey himself, with the hope of meeting Livingstone if he had returned from the West Coast. To this, however, Moselekatze raised many objections, as the road lay through the fatal tsetse and fever swamps; but the king finally agreed to furnish a sufficient number ot men to carry the goods and papers for Livingstone as far as Linyanti. A selection of the men best acquainted with the country was made, who were repeatedly instructed what they would have to do. Placing the bags, boxes, etc., on their heads and shoulders, with shields and speai-s in their hands, they marched ofi' on their journey through^ perhaps, as wild and desolate a region as can well be found — through forests, over mountains and morasses — to the country of those who were their enemies. They performed their duty very faithfully, leaving the goods on an island near the Zambesi Falls, where the Makololo 192 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. took charge of them, and where Livingstone found them nearly a year afterwards. Towards the end of October Moffat took his leave of Moselekatze. The king pressed him to prolong his stay, pleading that he had not seen enough of him, and that he had not yet shown him sufficient kindness. " Kindness ! " Moffat replied ; " you have overwhelmed me with kindness, and I shall now return with a heart overflowing with thanks." Leaving him a supply of suitable medicines to keep his system in tolerable order, and admonishing him to give up beer-drinking, and to receive any Chris- tian teacher who might come as he had received him, the missionary took his departure. By this journey Moffat's health was much improved, his intercourse and friendship with the people of the interior were cemented and extended, and he looked forward with hopeful assurance to the early exten- sion of Christianity to those distant regions. Dr. Livingstone's visit to England in 1856, after his unparalleled walk from Loando to Quillemane —from the shores of the Atlantic to those of the Indian Ocean — gave a fresh impetus to the Mission cause at home. The elevation of the natives of Africa was the great object he aimed at enforcing upon the public mind ; to him " the end of the geo- graphical feat was the beginning of the missionary enterprise." Even the ancient Universities of the mother-country were moved to unusual enthusiasm by his appeal, and sent forth their representatives OBJECTIONS OF MOSELEItATZE. 193 to battle with tlio heathenism of Central Africa; while the London Missionary Society redoubled their generous exertions, and resolved to extend their la- bours by establishing missions among the Matabele and the Makololo. Moffat, in his home at Kuruman, received the news with great gladness. It reached him just as he had finished the translation and printing of the Bible ; and although now advanced in years, and beginning to feel the eventime of life approaching, he at once, and with all the ardour of youth, set out again for the country of the Matabele, in order to obtain Moselekatze's consent to the set- tlement of the missionaries among his people. During his former sojourn with him, Moffat had set forth the value of Divine knowledge, and what Christianity had done for the wisest and greatest of nations. But when the king was urged to receive Christian teachers, the invariable answer to the missionary was, " You must come also ; I love you ; you are my father.'' Other tribes might have received missionaries, come from whence they might. But not so with the Matabelian monarch ; he had acquired sufficient knowledge to understand that, if the doctrines of the word of God were to prevail among the Matabele, his godship would be in- evitably overthrown. He loved power, and his influence over his people was overwhelming. Yet, for all that, there was something in the Gospel which he could not help admiring. Feeling the dread which all tyrants feel, he once said, " If aU 13 194 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. would think and act as that book teaches/' pointing to the Bible, " how sweetly could I sleep I " Moffat felt therefore the paramount necessity of giving to the proposed mission the full weight of his influence and authority, in order to secure for the new teachers the confidence both of the king and of his people. At the same time he endeavoured to make careful provision for the future aid and comfort of those brethren who would thus constitute the advanced outpost of Christianity, beyond the limits of civilized communication, in that distant regioUi "There is one thing,'Vhe writes to the Directors, ''which I think ought not to be lost sight of; that is, an intermediate station as a connecting link be- tween this and Moselekatze, for seven hundred miles is a long stretch in an ox waggon. This station ought also to be sufficiently strong to allow one missionary to itinerate on a large scale ; that is, so as to enable him to go and remain two months at one, and then at another, or more interior station." As Moffat again approached the Matabele terri- tory, it was gratifying to hear that not Moselekatze alone, but the people in general, longed for another visit from him. Every visit, it was stated, had been of service to them, especially the last; the Matabele had themselves heard what the missionary had tauglit, and his teaching had made Moselekatze more lenient and forgiving, and had influenced him to modify his severe measures. The chief had raised many of his subject^ to become mantolo CONSENT OF THE KiJTG. 195 (men), i.e., allowed tliem to wear a ring on their heads, and marry, and his kindly deeds had pro- duced general pleasure. The only wish now was that Moffat might not relax in his counsels, and that Moselekatze might become better still. The welcome that was again accorded to the missionary by Moselekatze was cordial and un- reserved ; and once more the voice of the Christian teacher was heard pleading with the monarch in behalf of the captive and the oppressed. Owing to a return of his previous weakness in the ancles and knees, the king was unable to appear much in public ; but in his own residence he held long and frequent converse with his disinterested friend and counsellor. At an early interview, Moffat unfolded the object of his visit ; that he was come to say that the great teachers in England, having heard of Moselekatze'a willingness to be instructed, had resolved to send him two teachers. The king promptly remarked, " You must come too. How shall I get on with people I do not know, if you are not with me ? " Then, snapping his fingers, " By all means, by all means," he said, "bring teachers; you are wise, you are able to judge what is good for me and my people better than I do. The land is yours, you must do for it what you think is good." He was told that all required was a place where there was a command of water, where the missionaries could live and have many people to teach; that they 13* 1§6 MATABELE AND MlkOlOLO MlSSIOK. would not look to liim for food, but would plant, sow, and purchase what they might require. The subject was frequently referred to during Moffat's stajT-, and in no case did the king deviate from what he first assented to. At the same time, care was taken to make the monarch fully understand what the duty of the missionaries would be ; that he was not to expect that the teachers would ever become traders, but that he would have to look for foreign supplies to those whose business it was to trade with the natives. The necessity of making arrange- ments to carry on a trade with those who intended opening up intercourse with the tribes on the Zambesi river, was especially urged upon him. A striking proof of Moffat's influence over the barbarian monarch occurred at this time, in the deliverance, at his intercession, of a princely captive, then in Moselakatze's power. Macheng, the paramount chief of the Bamanguato tribe, a young man about twenty-six years of age, was th-e son of Khari, the former king of the Baman- guatos, who was killed in an engagement while Ma- cheng was yet a child. During his minority, Macheng was under the care of the chief Sechele, at that time the head of a small portion of the Bakuena. While Sechele was absent on a foray, a handful of the Matabele fell upon his undefended town, and carried away many captives, among whom were Macheng and his eldest sister. The latter escaped by finding her way back through the interminable intricacies EELEASE OF A ROYAL CAPTIVE. 197 of the forest; but young Macheng, then a boy of ten years of age, continued a captive for sixteen years, and, but for Moffat's interference, would in all probability have remained so to the end of his days. When entreated by the missionary for the release of the prince, Moselekatze said that it was contrary to the custom of the Matabele to return a royal prisoner to his people; but he finally placed the captive at Moffat's disposal. It was after a long conversation that the thing was settled. Straight- way Macheng was called. He entered, evidently with bright hopes of the future, and sat down with the usual salutations. Moselekatze, sitting in his arm-chair, half laughing, said, "Macheng, man of Moffat, go with your father. We have arranged respecting you. Moffat will take you back to Sechele. That is my wish, as well as his, that you should be in the first instance restored to the chief from whom you were taken in war. When captured you were a child ; I have reared you to be a man." Never before had tones so sweet fallen upon the captive's ear. The attendants praised the greatness and goodness of their king ; while, as Moffat left the royal presence to where his waggon stood, the shout was raised, " There goes Macheng ; Moffat is taking Macheng to his people." The effect of this deliverance on the neighbour- ing tribes was very great. When Moffat and his charge arrived at Sechele's town, he, with the other chiefs of his tribe, marched before them to a kind 198 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. of natural amphitheatre, which was crowded with at least 10,000 people, in all their equipments of war. After Sechele had stood up and commanded silence, he introduced the business of the meeting. Then speaker followed speaker, expressing, in en- thusiastic language, the pleasure they felt at seeing the chief of the Bamanguato return from captivity. " Ye tribes, ye children of the ancients," said one of them, " this day is a day of marvel. That which awakes my heart to wonder is to see the Spirit's work. My thoughts within me begin to move. Verily, the things I have seen, and the words I have heard, assume stability. When I first heard the Word of God, I began to ask. Are these things true ? Now the confusion of my thoughts and of my soul is unravelled. Now I begin to perceive that those who preach are verily true. If Moffat were not of God, he would not have espoused the cause of Sechele, in receiving his words, and de- livering Macheng from the dwelling-place of the beasts of prey, to which we Bechuanas dared not approach. There are who contend that there is no- thing in religion. Let such to-day throw away their unbelief If Moffat were not such a man he would not have done what he has done, in bringing him who was lost — him who was dead — from the strong bondage of the mighty. Moselekatze is a lion ; ho conquered nations, he robbed the strong ones, he bereaved mothers, — he took away the son of Khari. We talk of love. What is love ? We hear of the ENTHUSIASTIC RECEPTION. 201 love of God. Is it not through, the love of God that Macheng is among us to-day? A stranger, one of a nation — ^who of you knows its distance from us ? — he makes himself one of us, enters the lion's abode, and brings out to us our own blood." One of the Matabele, who accompanied Moffat and the prince, and in whose charge Macheng had been placed during his captivity, then addressed the meeting in a touching speech. At the close of it, looking round on the silent multitude, he asked, • rather sternly : " Ye tribes, why did ye covet my child ? *' and then, turning to the missionary, with softened tone: "Why did you, Moffat, prevail with the son of Machobane to make me child- less ? I shall return to the desert and weep. He is gone from me ; but I shall never forget that I am the father of the son of Khari, who is now the son of Moffat." He concluded his pathetic address with some remarks on the light in which the tribes ought now to view Moselekatze. The whole scene produced a thrilling effect ; and the minds of the assembly, which had been taken by surprise by the presence of the dreaded Matabele among them, were in raptures to hear such fraternizing language from those who, though distant, had been, till then, a terror by night and day. Such a demonstration had never before been made in the country, and could not readily be forgotten. On returning from this journey, Moffat visited Cape Town, where he met Livingstone (whom he 202 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. had not seen for six years), then on his way to the Zambesi, to prosecute his geographical search, and to choose a site for the ill-fated University Mission, in the Shire Valley. A few months afterwards (in 1859), he had the pleasure of welcoming his own son, John Moffat, who, with Messrs. Price, Thomas, Sykes, and Mackenzie, had arrived from England to labour among the Makololo and Matabele. Here, also, he received the hearty co-operation of Sir George Grey, Her Majesty's High Commissioner, who warmly encouraged the proposed plans for extending Christianity and commerce to the interior tribes, and who arranged with him for establishing a postal communication with the Zambesi, via Kuruman. Having completed all the preparations which human foresight and control could devise for the success of the enterprise, Moffat started off with the mission party for their destination. At Kuruman they divided — one branch under the direction of Mr. Helmore, an old veteran who had been stationed many years at Lekatlong, advancing north to the Makololo ; the other branch proceeding to the Mata- bele, accompanied by Moffat, under whose auspices and presence they received a warm welcome from Moselekatze, who seemed unabated in his attach- ment. The closing stage in this journey presented a scene never before witnessed in South Africa. Before reaching the Matabele frontier, Moffat had THE WAGGONS DRAWN BY WARRIORS. 203 Bent to Moselekatze an intimation of his fears respecting an epidemic which had shown itself among the young oxen purchased for the journey. An answer arrived that they were to proceed ; and that though the epidemic should take effect, they should be held guiltless. But, with judicious care, the veteran missionary despatched another mes- senger to say that he had heard the king's words, and in a couple of days would leave ; but that he begged the monarch to reflect on the consequences of the epidemic being introduced among his tens of thousands of cattle, and to believe that the mission party felt the most extreme anxiety on the subject. Having proceeded very slowly for two or three days, they were met by another messenger, who stated that Moselekatze was gratified beyond de- scription with the anxiety expressed for the welfare of him and his ; and that now, fully convinced of the danger, he desired that all their oxen should immediately return, to be cared for at a Malakala village, and ihsit machaha (warriors) were advancing to drag the mission waggons to head-quai-ters. Every one stared with surprise at the strange idea ; but they had not long to wait ere the warriors came — shields and spears, and all — also a number of oxen for slaughter, to supply the commissariat. They instantly went through some of their war evolu- tions — new sights to the new missionaries. Then the start was made, and away they went — the men occupying the place of the oxen — over hill and dale. 204 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. over bushes and stones, or wending slowly along through the trees, along a tract scarcely visible, breaking forth occasionally with the harsh tones of the war song. Now and then a waggon would come to a dead halt, by the wheel getting into a hole, or against a tree stump ; but with " a strong pull, and a long pull, and a pull all together," out again it would come. A strange sight was it to see the waggons, their sides and backs covered with shields and spears, of both of which Moffat's waggon had a triple share. At the station thus prosperously opened among the Matabele, Moffat's son, John Moffat, has been labouring until a year or two ago, when he removed to Kuruman to succeed his venerable father in the charge of that station. This mission to the Matabele is now the furthest outpost of the London Mission- ary Society. It is in a prosperous state, and al- though Moselekatze has been gathered to his fathers, the mission has found favour with his successor, Nobengulu, and his people, who, next to the Zulus of Natal, are the most important nation of South Eastern Africa. While Moffat had conducted his band of mission- aries in safety to their destination, calamity tho most tenible had overtaken the other missionary party, which, under the guidance of Mr. Ilelmore, had proceeded to the Makololo, north of the Zambesi river. Their melancholy fate will long be remem- bered as one of the most sad and touching stories of missionary disaster. The difficulties and dangers StJFl^ElUNGS fROM WANT OF WATER. 205 6,ttendant on tlieir journey to Linyanti, were such ?vS nothing but the noblest Christian principle would have induced them to encounter, or enabled them to surmount. The chief of these was the destitution of water, both for themselves and their oxen ; so that they were repeatedly obliged to re- main several weeks in the vicinity of a fountain, not knowing how remote the next might prove. One of these trials of faith and patience is thus described: — ''From the Zouga we travelled on pretty comfortably, till near the end of November, when we suffered much from want of water, in the neighbourhood of a place named Gukobo, which, by way of distinction, was named ' Detention Pool/ For more than a week every drop of water we used had to be walked for about thirty-five miles. Mrs. Helmore's feelings may be imagined, when, one afternoon, the thermometer standing at 107 deg. in the shade, she was saving just one spoonful of water for each of the dear children for the next morning, not thinking of taking a drop herself. Mr. Helmore, with the men, was then away searching for water ; and when he returned the next morning with the precious fluid, we found that he had walked full forty miles!' " The poor children," writes Mrs. Helmore, refer- ring to another occasion, "continually asked for water ; I put them off as long as I could, and when they could be denied no longer, doled the precious fluid out, a spoonful at a time, to each of them. Poor 206 MATABELE AND MAKOLOLO MISSION. Selina and Henry cried bitterly. Willie bore up manfully, but his sunken eyes showed how much he suffered. Occasionally I observed a convulsive twitching of his features, showing what an effort he was making to restrain his feelings. As for dear Lizzie, she did not utter a word of complaint, nor even asked for water, but lay on the ground all the day perfectly quiet, her lips quite parched and blackened with thirst." At length, after enduring innumerable difficulties and privations for seven months, they arrived at Linyanti, the residence of the chief Sekeletu. Meanwhile nothing had been seen or heard of Dr. Livingstone, who was to have met them here and introduced them to the chief; and a consultation was held as to what they should do. Sekeletu refused to allow them to remove elsewhere, or even to point out a healthy place where they could settle down and wait Dr. Livingstone's arrival; but proposed that they should live with him. This proposition was, of necessity, accepted, and the mission party began forthwith to build temporary houses. But now began a dark chapter in the history of the Makololo Mission. In the course of a week all the party were laid low with fever. The first to die was little Henry Helmore ; two days after, the infant babe of Mr. Price was laid by his side. Four days from that, Selina Helmore was cut off; and on the following day, Mrs. Helmore fell asleep in Jesus. Within six weeks of his wife's death, Mr. Helmore RAPACITY OF THE MAKOLOLO. 207 also breathed his last ; and the lonely mission was deprived of its veteran leader. From this scene of pestilence and^death the soli- tary missionary and his devoted wife prepared to depart, as the only means of saving their own lives and the lives of the little orphans entrusted to their care. The responsibility now fell upon Mr. Price, and he was so reduced as hardly to be able to move, while his wife had entirely lost the use of her feet and legs. Preparations were forthwith made for returning. Up to that time the Makololo had been pretty quiet, though whether the missionaries lived or died did not appear to trouble them. But when Mr. Price began to prepare for going away, then fresh troubles arose. Things were taken by force, if they were not delivered up willingly ; and even the clothes that Mr. Price had been wearing during the day, were stolen at night from the foot of his bed. When the missionary was on the point of starting, Seke- letu came, and, without any ceremony, took posses- sion of Mr. Helmore's new waggon, and a host of other goods, with all the guns and ammunition ; and finally a messenger came from the chief making yet more extravagant demands, before he would allow the missionary to go away. *' I said," writes Mr. Price, " if they did not let me go soon, they would have to bury me beside the others. To this, I was simply told, that I might as well die there as any- where else." 208 MATABELE ANf) MAKOLOLO MISSION, At length, after a good deal of pleading, a few things were allowed for the journey. " Already/* writes Mr. Priqe, " they had taken all my bed- clothing, with the exception of what was just suffi- cient for one bed. But before my oxen could cross the Chobe, I had to deliver up one blanket. Every grain of corn which I had for food for the men they had taken ; and I did not get even a goat for slaugh- ter on the road. These were my prospects for a journey of upwards of a thousand miles to Kuru- man." The cup of affliction, however, was not yet full. Just when the missionary and his wife were begin- ning to breathe again, after their heavy trials, and to look forward yet to renewed efforts in the Master's service, the message came to call the gentle lady to her rest and reward. ''My dear wife," w^rites her soiTOwincr husband, *' had been for a lone: time utterly helpless, but we all thought she was getting better. In the morning early I found her breathing very hard. She went to sleep that night, alas ! to wake no more. I spoke to her, and tried to wake her, but it was too late. I watched her all the morning. She became worse and worse, and a little after midday her spirit took its flight to God who gave it. I buried her the same evening under a tree — the only tree on the immense plain of the Mahabe. This is indeed a heavy stroke, but ' God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in ti'ouble/ " yCENE ON THE RIVER — HIPrOPOTAMI SPORTING. THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. 211 The establishment of the Makololo Mission had been projected by Dr. Livingstone— the only man who was familiar both with the country and the people. Its execution was committed, at Living- stone s suggestion, to his friend and fellow-labourer, Helmore, as being well acquainted with the native language, and qualified for the work by the experi- ence of twenty years' labour among a people whom he found as debased and wretched as the Makololo, but whom, by God's blessing, he had elevated to the dignity and happiness of Christian life. If any could have conquered the selfishness and cruelty of the heathen chief, the courage, patience, and disin- terested love of Helmore and his companions would have ensured the triumph ; and the calamity that overtook the Mission at Linyanti was not owing to ignorance on his part of the attendant dangers, but because his well-founded expectations of removing to a salubrious locality were utterly frustrated by its despotic ruler ; in consequence of which he was compelled to remain, with the party entrusted to his care, amidst swamps teeming with pestilence and death. 14^ CHAPTEE XIII. THE HOME STATION. Return of Mr. Moffat to Kuruman — Prosperous state of tlie Mission- Severe Drought — Family Affliction — Removal of Mr. Ashton to Lekationg — Mr. John Moffat appointed to the Kuruman Station — His description of the Mission vrork — Medical Duties — Social and religious condition of the Bechuanas — Want of Native Teachers — Extension of Education — Death of Moselekatze. Having safely escorted the new missionaries to the court and country of Moselekatze, Mr. Moffat returned to his own station, and found it in peace, notwith- standing the perturbation produced elsewhere by the menaces and molestations of the restless and irrepressible Boers. Unfortunately, however, even Kuruman was not exempt from the. visitations of drought, on which account many of the people, urged by necessity, liad betaken themselves, somo to the hunting grounds, and others to the nearest settlements in quest of remunerative employment. The anxiety produced by this adversity, however, was mitigated by the signs of success in church, congregation, and school, and, in a touching degree, by the glad discovery that during his absence his DROtJGHT AND AB*FLiCtION. 2l3 own two daughters had, " in answer to prayer and longing desires, been led to give themselves to the Lord." In the year 1862, in addition to drought and its effects was added the prevalence of infectious disease. Measles and small-pox broke out, and spread among the people at Kuruman, as well as in surrounding parts ; but to all it must have been an impressive evidence both of the value of medical resources and of the benefit of civilized habits, when they saw how much less severe and less fatal these ailments were among the converts at the mission station than amonor their less favoured neighbours. o o The drought continued and increased in 1863, being aggravated by an intense heat. Wholesome food became so exceedingly scarce, that the starving people were fain to devour whatever they could find growing in the wilderness. Indulgence in this wild food was producing disease, and not seldom causing death, when it pleased God to remove the plague of famine by giving a plentiful and con- tinuous rain. The same year was one of heavy sorrow to the missionary household. Within a few weeks of each other, Mr. and Mrs. Mofiat were called to mourn the death of Mrs. Livingstone, their eldest daughter, and of Mr. Robert Moffat, junior, their eldest son, each of whom left behind a weep- ing partner and four children. About the end of 1863 or the beginning of 1864, Mr. Moffat sustained a serious public loss in the 214 tHE SOME STATION. removal of his colleague to Lekatlong. Mr. Asliton had been of great service to him for some years, being a man able and vdUing to turn his hand to anything, from binding a book to correcting the sheets of which it was composed ; and he had rendered Moffat invaluavble help in the important work of translating the Scriptures into the Se- chuana language. About this time, death also made inroads upon the Mission as well as upon the family of the missionary. But the members who died, died well; and the church continued to advance, while the school, yielding entire satis- faction, left nothing to desire, " only that they had the means of leading on the more intelligent to higher branches." Mr. Moffat had by this time fulfilled his three- score years and ten; and, though at times he w^as afflicted to observe the detrimental effect of bad European examples upon the native Christian mind, he was encouraged to find his translations of the Scriptures in demand by the Hanoverian missionaries in the Transvaal Republic, and even from the distant colony of Port Natal. Coincidently with the receipt of these gratifying applications, he had come to the end of his revised New Testament. "I have examined," he wrote, "every sentence, I might say every Avord, of the New Testament with much care and no little anxiety; and have again transferred all the corrections to another copy for the convenience of the compositor. The only com- AimiVAL OF MR. JOHN MOFFAT. 215 positor we have is an individual I placed in the printing-office after my return from England, and he has continued ever since." The year 1886 opened with mingled prospects. The venerable missionary hailed in his son, John Moffat, a welcome substitute for Mr. Ashton, — one who, besides helping him in the printing-office, participated in his preaching labours, and gave to a class of young natives instruction in the English language. Among the people, however, bodily sick- ness was prevalent, with mental and moral inertness. The congregations were undiminished; but the ap- plications for church fellowship were few, readers were inattentive, knowledge was in a backward state, and, in tine, the people generally " would not learn to reflect." Nevertheless, Mr. Moffat bore in mind the prophet's injunction, to sow morning and evening, and never to despair. He begged, there- fore, that his scanty and tardy means of multiplying books might be supplemented by the more powerful agency at the disposal of the Bible Society, from whom he asked a thousand copies of his New Tes- tament. By this time (1867) his ancient correspond- ent Dr. Tidman had been taken to his reward, and the missionary band furnished from among themselves the man best fitted to supply his place. Mr. Moffat was amono^ the first to o-reet the new Foreign Secretary on his appointment to the post which he now fills ; and the graceful terms in which he offered his conorratulations are on record in the 216 THE HOME STATION. Report of tlie Society for that year. It will, no doubt, be among the greatest pleasures of Dr. Mullens, as also among his highest honours, to be associated, by official communication with the great Society in New Earl Street, with his brother-missionary, in the printing and circulation of his complete transla- tion of the Holy Scriptures in the Sechuana tongue, " the well-studied translation of the Bible " (in the Doctor's own words) " to which IVIr. Moffat has given the strength of his life/* It is interesting to learn, from the testimony of Mr. Moffat's own son and colleague, the moral and social position reached by the Christian converts, after years of subjection to missionary influences ; nor will it escape remark with what conscientious integrity the son states the apparent results of the father's long labours. In October, 1868, Mr. John Moffat thus described to the Directors the regular work of the station : — " The public services are a prayer-meeting at sun- rise on Sunday; preaching in Sechuana, morning, afternoon, and evening ; with the Sunday-school twice, and a juvenile afternoon service. The early prayer-meeting is left entirely to the natives ; the three preaching services to the missionaries; and the Sunday-school, with the juvenile service, to my sister. There are also a Wednesday-evening service, a monthly missionary prayer-meeting, a church meeting, and a prayer-meeting on Thursday after- noon. This last is in the hands of the natives. No MISSION LIFE AT KURUMAN. 217 native takes any part in the preaching on the station, except in extreme cases, when it is regarded as a make-shift. My father and I share the preaching between us. Occasionally one of us rides to two villages to the north-west, holding service at each. My custom at home is to give New Testament read- ing in the morning, a topical sermon in the after- noon, and Old Testament exposition in the evening. On Monday evening I have a young men's Bible- class, to me the most interesting work, especially as I have much encouragement in it. There is a marked advance on the part of my pupils. For a people so stolid and undemonstrative as the Bechuanas, I have great encouragement, and hope my work will not be in vain. On the Monday evening, also, my sister and I hold a practising class to improve the singing. On Tuesday evening, I meet male inquirers; on Wed- nesday, before the service, I have a Bible-class for women ; on Thursday, we have our English prayer- meeting ; and, on Friday evening, I meet female in- quirers. I need but mention the school, conducted by my sister, with three native assistants." Mr. John Moffat then refers to the out-stations, the printing-office, and other work : — " There is a circuit of out-stations westward. My father paid them a visit in December, 1865 ; again in February, 1857; and I have just returned from them. The printing-office has occupied a large part of my time, three days in every week on an average. There is also an incessant dispensing of medicines, 218 THE HOME STATION. to me most unwelcome; for I have only learned enough to know how little value there is in the me- dical practice of any but well-qualified men. It is forced upon me by usage, like many other things, and by the persistent desire of human nature, black as well as white, to be doing 'something' for disease, even though it be a mere leap in the dark. I have rarely been able to hold an English service, though very desirous to do so. The benighted Europeans are every year becoming more numerous in this neighbourhood, and do not help on our work, though they are not unwilling to attend an occasional service, which I do not despair of setting on foot." Mr. John Moffat speaks with modest contempt of his own poor skill in medicine; but his father before him had found, that, in such lands and among such people, a man must be a surgeon as well as a physi- cian, in spite of himself. *' Titus,'' a member of the Africaner family, a kind of mock Bonaparte, had two wives (a moderate number for a polygamist chief), who, as not seldom happens, quarrelled. One of them, in a pet, had thrown a big stick at the other. The missile entered the palm of the hand, which, as the effect, had swollen to four times its natural size. Of course, there had been a long delay in having recourse to Mr. Moffat. The wounded spouse was afraid to approach liim until well assured that he was " tame." He easily made the requisite incision, and withdrew the cause of tlie rankling sore. While BECHUANA IMPLEMENTS. No. 1. A Bechuana needle or bodkin, about six inches long. 2. Its sheath, made of brass wire. S.'A war axe, the handle of rhinoceros horn, about two and a half feet long 4. The sheath of a knife. 5. The knife, six inches long, with a carved Ivory handle. 6. Iron head of a barbed spear. 7 & 8. Wooden spoons. SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE. 221 softened into tears of gratitude, the patient was ex- horted to behave better for the future. With regard to the number and social condition of the people, Mr. J. Moffat speaks as follows : — *' The population is small and scattered, as compared with other parts of the Bechuana field. On the spot there must be a good many people, and also at two villages north-west ; otherwise, the district con- tains only villages of from twenty to a hundred huts. It extends fifty miles Avest and north-west, and twenty-five in other directions. A Christian village, 170 miles north-east, has placed itself under our charge. The people are poor, and must remain so. The country is essentially dry. Irrigation is necessary for successful agriculture, and there are few spots where water flows. There is no market for cattle, even if they throve, which they do not. I despair of much advance in civilization, where resources are so small, and where the European trade is on the principle of enormous profits and losses. Two hundred per cent, on Port Elizabeth prices is not considered out of the way ! I am obliged to send to England or the Coast for cloth- ing; what is obtained here is wortliless and dear. I have not yet seen any staple industry for our Eechuana^s. The ostrich feather trade, like all hunting, retards civilization. The political frame- work is disintegrating. I am not disposed to take alarm at the encroachments of the Dutch Republics - — Transvaal and Orange Free State. The country la 222 THE HOME STATION. too poor to be coveted by Europeans, and the Becbu- anas may perhaps be allowed to exist. This station is the one spot to tempt the Boers. If anything could de done to secure it by convention with the British Government, the whole district would then be left unmolested ; for, without the spring and the gardens here, there is nothing." On the all-important point of the religious con- dition of the natives, Mr. J. Moffat speaks with that moderation which inspires confidence and carries conviction : — " Heathenism is weak ; in many places nowhere. Christianity, too, meets with little oppo- sition. The people generally are prodigious Bible- readers, church-goers, and psalm-singers : I fear, to a large extent, without knowledge. Religion, to them, consists in the above operations, and in giving a sum to the Auxiliary. I speak of the generality. Many I cannot but feel to be Christians, but dimly. This can hardly be the result of low mental power alone. The Bechuanas show considerable acuteness where circumstances call it out. The educational department of the mission ha,s been kept in the background. On this station the youth, on leaving school, have sunk back, for want of a continued course open to them. The village schoolmasters, uneducated themselves, and mostly unpaid, make but a feeble impression. The wonder is they do so much, and where the readers come from. It is hard to say that the older missionaries could have done otherwise. When manual labour and menial duties POVERTY OF THE BECHUANAS. 223 were accepted as a share of a missionary's normal occupations, it is not wonderful that he failed to advance his native pupils to a high standard of attainments. Oh ! that the principles which first publicly shaped themselves in the Liverpool Con- ference of Missions, and have lately been enforced in your ' despatches/ had been recognized earlier. I cannot tell you how one thing presses on me every day — the want of qualified Native schoolmasters and teachers ; and the question is, How are they to be obtained ? I do not see much likelihood of tlie people ever meeting the expenses of the European agency among them. It would be a painful position, even if practicable. We are very much better oil than they, for they are often but half clothed and half fed. They could support their own native agents and schoolmasters, however ; and they would, I believe, contribute to local objects. At any rate, it might be tried." About the same time the Directors heard from Mr. Robert Moffat also, and found pleasure in ob- serving, that, in spite of advancing years, the letter was "written with his usual firm hand." Tlie brother missionaries were about to assemble at the Kuruman to discuss several matters of importance, and their veteran chief thus expressed his views on the new measures for the extension of education : — " Apart from your valuable suggestions, it was re- solved by my son John and myself to bring the subject of a school for superior training prominently 224 THE HOME STATION. before the brethren. The want is increasingly felt. But there was no help for it ; for, here or elsewhere, suitable pupils, or pupils of any kind, were not to be had. Public feeling is very different no^y. We have had to jog on with the material available, and, notwitlistanding the lack of theological acquire- ments, have not been disappointed ; but it is time a new order of things were introduced, by having a place, with means afforded, and a period allowed, for educating those now anxious to advance in that kind of knowledge which will make them useful members of society. The kind and reasonable pro- posals made by the Board to supply the wants felfc, as well as a medical missionary if deemed neces- sary, will gratify the brethren." It is interesting to observe that the promised supplies had reference, among other places, to ono (Loghagheng) not far from the station which for- merly enjoyed the benefit of Dr. Livingstone's labours, and where Mr. Price was able to report, that, in little more than two years, he had to pa}'- Moffat the sum of fifty pounds for books wliicli liad been sold to the natives. The doatli of Moselekatze, the chief who ruled the Matebele tribe as with a rod of iron, gave occa- sion for reference to the moral influence exerted by Mr. Moffat. Eight years had elapsed since the veteran missionary sought for his brethren the protection of the old tyrant. At last doath laid low the warlike obstructor of the Gospel. " Ho DEATH 0^ MOSELEICATZE. 225 died," wrote Mr. W. Sykes to the Directors, '' on Sabbath afternoon, the 6th of September last, at a village about fifty miles south from Inyati, called Ingama. For months he had been in a lingering state, yet sometimes it was hoped he would rally for another season. My last visit to him was in June — a sad and painful one. I shall never forget how he looked at me, and how affectionately he said, with a feeble, stammering voice, 'I am very ill.' I endeavoured to comfort him ; but the only words that seemed to create any interest in his mind, were those of a message from Moffat, saying tliat he was still praying for him and his people. The moment I uttered the name, his countenance beamed, but he said nothing. I told him intelli- gence had come that the son of Moffat had been appointed to remain at Kuruman, to comfort his father in his old age; and, with a mien indicat- ing inward disappointment and yet approval, he signified his assent by a gentle nod." When IMr. Sykes was leaving the camp, a voice was raised above the rest, ''Remember me to the son of Moffat !" and, as if by an echo, the whole camp repeated the request, Avhile individual voices, still following him, cried out, " All of us I all of us 1 " 15 CHAPTEE XIV. RETURN TO ENGLAND. The past and the present— Beneficial results of Missionary labour— De- parture of Mr. and Mrs. Moffat from Kuruman— AiTiyal at Port Elizabeth and tlie Cape of Good Hope— The work of Bible lYans- lation — Chai'acter and prospects of the Matabcle — Social changes effected by the Gospel— Anival in England — Reception at the London ^Mission House — Mr. Moffat's review of his labours— The Sc'chuana Version of tlie Scriptures — A liglit shining in darkness. At the commencement of 1870, Mr. Moffat closed his life's labours on the African continent. His own and his loving helpmate's failing health, to- o;ether with the affectionate solicitations of the Directors of the London Missionary Society, induced him to accept the invitation to return to England. It must have cost no ordinary effort to leave the scene of so many years of unwearied toil, and the people who had learned to respect and revere him. But he had the gratification of witnessing the reali- zation of that faith and hope which had often cheered him in the early days of his missionary career. The dark heathenism which enveloped the country on his first entering it has broken and RETURN TO ENGLAND. 227 lifted before the light of advancing Christianity. Kuruman, itself the creation of his own hands, is now, as it has always been, a bright oasis to every one visiting the far interior. Its gardens and vine- yards yield supplies which often recruit the fever- stricken traveller and trader ; its church, its schools, its printing-office, its workshops, and its dwellings, all testify to the complete transformation of the community from savage to civilized life. The re- gions beyond, v/hich before no individual dared to traverse, may now be passed without fear of mo- lestation. European manufactures, to the amount of one hundred thousand pounds, are now annually interchanged Vvith the natives, who previously knew not what commerce was. Above all, among the various tribes of Bechuanas, Bakwaries, Ba- manguatos, and others, up to the distant Matabele, a goodly band of earnest, courageous men and Vv^omen are preaching and living Christianity, set- ting an example of consistent moral conduct to the savages around, treating them with kindness, and relieving their wants, teaching them agriculture and the simple arts, imparting to them religious instruction, and inculcating the precepts of the Gospel of peace and goodwill. On leaving the Kuruman, en route for England, Mr. and Mrs. Moffat came, by a rough yet safe journey of about eight weeks' duration, to Port Elizabeth. There, on the 20th of May, 1870, they received a hearty v.^elcome from a large number of 15^- 228 RETURN TO ENGLAND. mksionaries and other friends, who had come toore- ther to meet them. After a brief stay, they em- barked in the mail steamer Roman, and landed in Cape Town on the 2nd of June. The following day they were entertained by the whole Christian community at a public breakfast ; and, after a few days' rest, proceeded towards England in the Norsc^ man. Of his overland journey, Mr. Moffat says : — " We had been exposed to cold weather and heavy rains, especially in crossing the snow mountains. From Graaf Reinet to Port Elizabeth, the roads were fearfully bad. We passed many waggons laden with wool brought to a stand up to their axles in mud. We went, however, on our way without accident or loss ; for which we desire to feel un- feignedly thankful." In addressing the company who gathered round him at Port Elizabeth, he thus referred to the accomplishment of his great labours in translation: — "I had hoped that I should be excused as to making a speech, as I am suffering from a cold ; but I find it quite impossible to remain silent. I should be a mussel or a cockle, or something of that kind, not to feel impressed with what has been said. I have been reminded of past events, past hours, past days, past years. I have been canied back to past scenes which I can never forget. I still remember distinctly when I first became a missionary, the great under- taking it seemed to be, to learn the language of the people among whom I was placed. There were no DIFFICULTIES OF BIBLE TBANSLATION. 229 interpreters to teacli us a single word, and the greatest difficulties were throvvTi in the missionaries' way. However, I laboured on, gathering a few words at a time from one and another, imtil I could string sentences together, and make my wishes known to the natives. I could make you laugh, as I laughed when I discovered them, at jokes perpetrated to- wards us by the natives, and amusing things that occurred to us during our inquiries. But I laboured on. During all this time, we had not a friend in the whole nation, not an individual that loved or respected us, or who wished us to remain among them ; and, although they tried to drive us out, we persevered, and, by God's grace and assistance, over- came every difficulty. My worthy brother Hamilton was too old to acquire the language, but I, in time, mastered it. How ardently I desired to see the New Testament in Sechuana, that I might read it to the natives, and that they might learn to read it for themselves. I managed, after a time, to translate small portions, and read them to the people in their own tongue. The Mission, I saw, could make no firm footing among them unless the Scriptures were translated. The task of accomplishing this, you can scarcely imagine. When first I came out to Africa, I had not the slightest intention of ever engaging in such a work. I never aimed at being more than a preacher. I was urged, however, by Dr. Philip (whose letters I have still by me), and by others, to persevere in acquiring the language, and to under- 230 RETURN TO ENGLAND. take the translation of tlie Scriptures. But I thought it altogether beyond my powers. I wrote to the Directors, that I could not do it, and begged of them to send some one out who could. I felt that I had not sat long enough at the feet of any Gamaliel to qua- lify me. I then heard that my brother-in-law had been ordained to the ministry, and was to join me ; and, as he had received a liberal education, I pre- pared materials for him to begin with immediately after his arrival ; but his destination was altered, he was sent to the East Indies. I wrote again to the Directors, telling them that if they did not send out some one to translate the Scriptures, I should return home. By and by Mr. Robson came out, as I thought, for the work ; but he remained here in the colony. After this, I also visited the colony, and met brother Elliott, now gone to heaven. He, I hoped, might be allowed us ; but that was inconvenient. At last I brought myself to the resolution, that, if no one else would, I would undertake it myself. I entered heartily upon the work. For many years I had no leisure, every spare moment being devoted to trans- lating, and I became a stranger even in my own family. There was labour every day ; for back, for hands, for head. This was especially the case during the time Mr. Edwards was there ; our condition was almost one of slavery. Still the work advanced; and, at length, I had the satisfaction of completing the New Testament. Of this, six thousand copies were printed by the Home Society. The whole INFLUENCE OF CHRISTIANITY. 233 "were soon distributed, and found insufficient. When Dr. Livingstone came, he urged me to begin at once with the Old Testament. That was a most stupen- dous work. Before taking it in hand, I passed many sleepless nights. Since, however, it was the wish of all that I should undertake it, I did so, and went on from time to time as I had leisure, daily and nightly. I stuck to it as far as to the end of Kings, when I became completely done up. The Directors were themselves afraid that I was killing myself. I was advised to go home, to leave the work ; but I decided otherwise. I determined, on the contrary, to look up Moselekatze, and went off in company with a son of brother Edwards. By the time I had found the chief, I was all right again. Coming back, I resumed my work, and have continued it to comple- tion. And now I can look forward to the Word of God being read by thousands of Bechuanas in their own mother-tongue." From the chief work of his life, Mr. Moffat re- curred to the general progress made in the interior, especially among the Matabele. " Christianity," he said, " has already accomplished much. When first I went to the Kuruman, scarcely an individual could go beyond. Now they travel in safety as far as the Zambesi. Then we were strangers, and they could not understand us. "We were treated with indignity, as the outcasts of society, who, driven from among our own race, took refuge with them. But, bearipg in remembrance what our Saviour 234 RETURN TO ENGLAND. underwent, we persevered, and much success hr.3 rewarded our efforts. Now it is safe to traverse any part of the countrj^, and traders travel far beyond Kuruman without fear of molestation. Fonnerly, men of one native tribe could not travel through another s territory, and wars were frequent. Where one station was scarcely tolerated, there are several. The Moravians have their missionaries ; the Berlin Society, theirs. Others, too, are occupied in tlie good work; besides many native Gospel teachers. Very prosperous is our advanced station at the Matabele, who, I quite expect, will one day become a great nation. They sternly obey their own laws ; and I have noticed, that, when men of fixed prin- ciples become convinced of the truth of Christianity, they hold firmly to the faith, and are not lightly shaken." Recun^ing more at large to the difficulties en- countered at the outset, Mr. Moffat enumerated gratifying proofs that many of them have been overcome : — " For many years," he said, " they saw not the conversion of a single individual ; for years again, they had only one ; but, by the blessing of Cod on great exertion, almost wherever they went they would now meet with companies of natives who professed to be members of the Church of Christ. Not very long since, it was considerec dangerous to travel in the interior; in fact, half a dozen miles from the station. Now, he was happy to say, the natives could be depended upon, and il SPREAD OF COMMERCE, 235 was quite common for traders to travel througli their midst, without the least fear of plunder or interruption. In former times, traders were often basely murdered, or, at best, not permitted to return. Now all fears had been dispelled. Once the natives would not buy anything, not even a pocket-handkerchief. They might now and then be induced to buy a few trinkets, or some beads, but nothing of a substantial or useful character. It was not so now. No less than sixty thousand pounds' worth of British manu- factures passed yearly into the hands of the native tribes round about Kuruman. Travellers could no%v go to any of those parts, and be sure that none of the native tribes would harm them; and murders, formerly quite common, were rarely heard of. During his early mission life, he often heard of men of one tribe going to trade with another, and being murdered. He was at a native place when a thing of that sort once occurred. A party of men had come 200 miles to dispose of some articles. Tiie resident natives, taking a dislike to them, set upon them and killed two of the number. He asked them why they had done this, and tried to show them that it was wrong. They seemed to know that ; and, from that time, he had never heard of anything of the sort. They w^ere now always ready to meet any traders or other persons. Companies of natives could be passed through without fear, and they showed special respect to the missionaries. He assured the gentlemen present, that many natives 2£6 KETURN TO ENGLAND. at the Kuniman were well able to discuss and argue upon the doctrines of Christ. He did not mean, that they could enter into any lengthy or out- of-the way points ; but this he would say, that they could argue with sense upon any general question. They might not always stick to a text; but they would rarely go outside of the Bible. And these were a people who, forty years ago, were nothing better than savages; but who, by the blessing of God upon the labours of those who devoted their lives to the work, had been brought to be intelligent disciples of the Gospel of Christ." Mr. and Mrs. Moffat arrived at Southampton in the steamship Norseman on the 25th July, 1870; and on Monday, August 1st, at the Board-room of the London Mission House in BlomCeld Street, the veteran missionary was received, on his return, by the Directors of the Society. Mr. James Hawkins, late an English Judge in India, and Chairman of the Board, presided, and nearly a hundred Directors and friends were present. After devotional exer- cises, the Rev. Dr. Mullens performed the pleasing duty of introduction. Mr. Moffat then rose, amid enthusiastic applause. ** Friends and Brethren,'* he said, "I have been listening with great attention, and occasionally with very deep feeling, to the words which have been spoken, and which have deeply impressed me. I have felt their weight ; but, alas ! it is not for mc on the present occasion to meet the expectations of TRANSLATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 237 some with regard to saying a word or two for myself. I am unpleasantly situated. The night before last, I had scarcely any sleep, and last night I had none; and, at the present time, I feel my head ' like an empty calabash,' as we say in Africa. It is not very seasonable to give anything like an address ; but a few words I will speak — I cannot help speaking. It VT'as not my expectation to be here ; it was not my intention again to visit England. When I last left the Board of Directors, it was, in thought, for ever. Never did it enter my mind that I should set my feet on English soil again. But it has been ordered otherwise. Even on the first occasion when I came home, it was not a matter of choice. When I went out, I went out for life. When I gave myself to the missionary enterprise, it was to live and die in the service. I always anti- cipated I should leave my dust to mingle with those whom I have been instrumental in gathering from among the heathen, and who are now participating in the glories of the heavenly world. When I came to the Cape, previous to my first visit, I brought a translation of the New Testament, which I had accomplished under considerable difficulties ; being engaged a portion of the day in roofing an immense chmxh, and the remainder in exegetical examina- tions and consulting concordances. I was anxious to get it prmted, and I brought it down to the Cape ; but there I could find no printing-office that would undertake it. The Committee of the Bible 238 RETURN TO ENGLAND. Society very kindly — as they have always been to me; I say it with pleasure — forwarded paper and ink to the Cape, expecting I should get the work done there. As I said, there was not a printing- ofSce that would undertake it. Dining with Sir George Napier, the Governor, I informed him of the difficulty. He said, 'Jump on board a ship with your translation, and get it printed in England ; and you will be back again while they are thinking about it here. Print a New Testament among a set of Dutch printers ! why, I can't even get my pro- clamations printed.' I said, ' I have become too barbarous ; I have almost forgotten my own lan- guage; I should be frightened to go there.' 'Oh, stuff!' he said. Some time after he met me in the street: 'Well, Moffat, what have you determined upon?' 'I am waiting the return of Dr. Philip/ ' Don't wait for anybody ; just jump on board a ship. Think of the importance of getting the New Testa- ment put in print in a new language.' He invited me to dinner again, and said, ' Have you come to a conclusion ? I wish I could give you mine. I feel some interest in the extension of the knowledge of the Word of God. Take nobody's advice, but jump on board a ship for England.' He spoke so seriously that I began to feel serious myself. Dr. Philip came ; and, when the circumstances were explained, he said, ' Go, by all means.' I was nervous at the thought. I was not a nervous man in Africa; I could sleep and hear a lion roar. There seemed so WELCOMES IN THE COLONY. 239 many great folks to meet with. I came to England, and by and by I got over it. I am afraid I have got too old to improve now. On this second occasion, there was a necessity. I was a martyr to wakeful- ness ; I was dying by inches. Nothing could induce sleep ; no matter what kind of opiates I employed. A week would pass without a moment's sleep; a month perhaps, with very short intervals. I was a wonder not only to myself, but to others. Occasionally I got a little sleep; but that was only the prelude to no sleep at all for a long period. I thought of taking a journey into the interior ; but, after further consultation, I at last came to the conclusion to go home, and saw my path in that direction clear. I was aware I should be received, and verily I have been received, with kindness passing description. I came to Port Elizabeth, and really the people did not seem to know how they could do enough to express their feelings. I thought I was a solitary missionary, and I should just pass by ; but they took all out of me they could find in me, and I believe their kind re- ception had a very salutary influence upon me. I came to Cape Town, and there they had everything prepared before I arrived. I received a hearty welcome from all sections of the Church, every one congratulating me and passing encomiums. Some of the speeches were admirable. I only wish they had been taken down. Since coming into this room, I could hardly allow myself to think of the last assembly that I witnessed here. There sat Dr. 240 hetuhn to England. Tidman, and there the other Secretary, Mr. Freeman. There, too, were Mr. Coombs, Mr. Philip, Mr. Arundel, Dr. Waugh, and, last not least. Dr. Henderson, to whose own translations I felt so much indebted. These are all gone ; it is depressing to think of it ; we are following, and others will follow. But, say they are gone, oh! brethren, the work for which God became man, — a man of sorrows and acquainted v/ith grief, the first missionary in the world, — ^what a glorious work in which to be found, whether in life or in death! How it is to go with me, I know not. I shall do all that in me lies for the advancement of the mis* sionary cause. I shall not fail, wherever I am, to use all the means within my power, by presence and word, to advance that great cause to which I have devoted my life. It would have been pleasant just to remain with the people among whom I laboured so long, by whom I am beloved, and whom I love. Oh ! that parting was a scene hard to witness without deep emotion. Not only from Christian converts, but from heathen chiefs, did I receive tokens of goodwill. Their amanuenses brought letters deploring my departure, and presents to induce me, not to quit the country, but to remain, promising to give me so much more if I would but remain. It was gratifying to see these tokens, especially from the heathen, and those able to ap- preciate one's labours among them. One sent an ox, another a caross, and so on ; a lady of quality sent me four feathers. Some of them asked how REVIEW OF THE PAST. 241 they were to live, how they were to exist, if I went out of the country ; that is a form of expression among them. It is consolatory to think that the influence of the Gospel in that dark benighted country is spreading, and is going into the interior, covering hamlet after hamlet, until its advance, let us be assured, will cover the whole land. It is for us to pray and to labour, and we have the assurance that Ethiopia shall yet stretch out her hands unto God. I feel exceedingly grateful to my friends for the kind way in which I have been received ; and in my secret hours I will return thanks to God for all these tokens of friendship, of which I have been the recipient this day." On a review of fifty-two years' labour, the vene- rable missionary finds, instead of a solitary station, a number of central stations extending more tlian three hundred miles beyond the Kuruman, not to speak of what Livingstone has done on the banks of the Zambesi ; and, instead of a race of illiterate savages, such as he found at the commencement of his missionary work, a people appreciating and cul- tivating the arts and habits of civilized life, with a written language of their own, in which may now be read the Holy Book of God. We call to mind the day when he used to say to himself, " If I could but see the Scriptures in Sechuana, I should sing the song of Simeon;" and here he is among us to oversee the printing of a complete version, entirely his own. With respect to the tribes speaking that language, 16 242 RETURN TO ENGLAND. he has confidence in God, that they will be ex- empted, by moral influences taking root among them, from the extermination which has overtaken, or is overtaking, others who have disappeared, or are disappearing, before the march of white men who seek not them but theirs. It has been observed with what sentiments the veteran reviews the great public interests which it has been the labour of his life to foster and promote. Into his private feelings it behoves us, while yet he remains among us, to look, if at all, with re- spectful reserve. What, however, has been per- mitted to transpire through the pages of one of the denominational periodicals authorised by the Con- gregational Union, it cannot be deemed intrusive to repeat. '' My dear partner and I," he observes in a letter which appeared in the Christian's Penny Magazine for 1869, " have passed over threescore years and fourteen; and, though the spirit is as willing as ever to pursue, the earthly tabernacle fails to follow its dictates with its wonted alacrity. I am still strong, but my power of mind is giving way ; memory is beginning to fail, and wakefulness is my malady. I ought not, however, to complain, for I have witnessed a great transformation through the power of the Gospel. One need only see our congregations to be convinced. Thousands of pounds' worth of British goods are yearly brought to this one station only, on which are two well- conducted shops that supply the country for hun- THE SECHUANA BIBLE. 243 drecfs of miles round. Books in the language are continually being bought ; and it is impossible for me to express the gratitude we feel to the British and Foreign Bible Society for enabling us to place the precious Volume of Inspiration in the hands of the natives." ''No book;' says the learned Seller, "has con- duced more than the Bible to the high cultivation and moral advancement of the human mind." No evidence can be produced that the whole of the Scriptures was, by any one person, rendered into Saxon. Even WicklifFe had the help of many pre- decessors; much more, Coverdale. Bede was trans- lating the Gospel of John at the time of his decease. But Robert Moffat, who began with the Gospel of Luke, has lived to translate the whole Bible into the barbarous dialect of South Africa, aild will live, we trust, to see it circulating among the natives who both speak, and, in many instances, can read it. No English Bible was iDvinted till 1526, from the present Authorised Version, till 1611 ; but the whole Sechuana Bible, we believe, was in print before 1873. Carefully as it has been prepared, it may not be free from minor mistakes. Though king's printers and learned universities have had the exclusive care of the English Bible, yet, even as late as the second decade of the present century, one of the editions thus superintended made St. Paul enjoin upon the Corinthians toilet all tongues 16* 244 RETURN TO ENGLAND. be done decently and in order " 1 This, no doubt, is a condition incident to all human works. The infallible Book is most liablo to the errors of fallible men ; but, if this allowance must be made for the works of the most learned, in languages most grammatical and best known to scholars, what allowance ought not to be made for missionaries who make no pre- tensions to scholarship, and who deal with tongues unknown to pen or press ? For this reason, among others, to use the language of an eloquent writer before quoted, "when the names of warriors are forgotten in Africa, or remembered only to be exe- crated, those of Van der Kemp, Philip, Moffat, will live from age to age, engraved in the heart of ran- somed nations." But the most immortal of the three will be that of Robert Moffat, who equalled tlie others as a missionary, a philanthropist, and a civilizer, adding, above all, the whole Word of God in the mother s-tongue of those to whom he minis- tered, and almost every word of it from his own mind and indefatigable pen. '' The vast importance of having the Scriptures in the language of the nativ^es," as he has himself observed, " will be seen when we look on the scat- tered towns and hamlets which stud the interior, over which one language, with slight variations, is spoken as far as the Equator. When taught to read, they have in their hands the means, not only of re- covering them from their natural darkness, but of keeping the lamp of life burning even amidst com^ BASUTO WOMEN, A LONELY DISCIPLE. 247 paratively desert gloom. In one of my early jour- neys with some of my companions, we came to a heathen village on the banks of the Orange River, between Namaqua-land and the Griqua country. We had travelled far, and were hungry, thirsty, and fatigued. From the fear of being exposed to lions, we preferred remaining at the village to proceeding during the night. The people at the village rather roughly directed us to halt at a distance. We asked water, but they would not supply it. I offered the three or four buttons which still remained on my jacket for a little milk ; this also was refused. We had the prospect of another hungry night at a dis- tance from water, though within sight of the river. We found it difficult to reconcile ourselves to our lot ; for, in addition to repeated rebuffs, the manner of the villagers excited suspicion. When twilight drew on, a woman approached from the height be- yond which the village lay. She bore on her head a bundle of wood, and had a vessel of milk in her hand. The latter, without opening her lips, she handed to us, laid down the wood, and returned to the village. A second time she approached, with a cooking vessel on her head, and a leg of mutton in one hand and water in the other. She sat down without saying a word, prepared the fire, and put on the meat. We asked her a.gain and again who she was. She remained silent till affectionately entreated to give us a reason for such unlooked-for kindness to strangers. The solitary tear stole down 248 RETUEN TO ENGLAND. her sable cheek, when she replied, ''I love Him whose servants ye are, and surely it is my duty to give you a cup of cold water in His name. My heart is full, therefore I cannot speak the joy I feel to see you in this out-of-the-world place." On learning a little of her history, and that she was a solitary light burning in a dark place, I asked her how she kept up the life of God in her soul in the entire absence of the communion of saints. She drew from her bosom a copy of the Dutch New Testament, which she had received from Mr. Helm when in his school some years previous, before she had been compelled by her connexions to retire to her present seclusion. "This," she said, "is the fountain whence I drink; this is the oil which makes my lamp bum." I looked on the precious relic, printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the reader may conceive how I felt, and my believing companions with me, when we met with this disciple, and mingled our sympathies and prayers together at the throne of our heavenly Father. Glory to God in the highest, and on EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN ! '' A 3!n Sl^emcirfam^ MARY MOFFAT Died ioth January, 1(171. Aged 76 years. DEATH OF MES. MOFFAT. A SEQUEL of mournful interest remains to be added to the foregoing pages. Shortly after their return to England, it pleased God to remove by death the loving and faithful companion of Mr. Moffat during upwards of fifty years of his missionary labours in Africa. After a few days* illness, ending in bronchitis, occasioned by the unusually severe winter acting upon a constitution already enfeebled by long residence in the burning climate of South Africa, on the morning of Tuesday, January 10th, 1871, Mrs. Moffat gently and peacefully breathed her last. The following passage from the Missionary Chro- nicle of February, 1871, gives a brief but faithful sketch of her life and character: — "Mrs. Moffat arrived in Cape Town, and w^as married to the Rev. Robert Moffat, in 1819 ; and henceforth, for fifty-one years, she was a sharer of all the toil, the sorrow, and the joy of her devoted husband. Her object v/as to live for him, that he might be wholly free to live for the tribes around. None looked upon the dark races with a more compassionate eye — ^nono more tenderly yearned over them in their ignorance, or more truly longed for the day of their redemp- 252 IN MEMORIAM. tion. During the last few weeks of her life, night 4ind day, her soul was full of the thought that a new edition of the whole Sechuana Bible is to bo printed in London ; and she contemplated with in- tense satisfaction the prospect of its wide circulation among the tribes, who seemed to have wakened up anew to appreciate it. The loss to Mr. Moflfat of one who was his beloved companion, not only for so many years, but in circumstances which made them all-in-all to each other, is unspeakably great." The funeral took place at Norwood Cemetery, London, on Saturday, January 14th; and it testified, in a striking manner, to the high regard in which Mrs. Moffat was held, and to the deep sympathy felt for her sorrowing husband and family. Several of the leading ministers of the City, a deputation from the Directors of the London Missionary So- ciety, and a large concourse of friends, gathered around the grave. The day was fine and bright, and the brilliant sunshine and blue sky seemed fitting emblems of the joy and triumph with which a consecrated life had passed into the rest which remaineth for the people of God. The Rev. A. Macmillan conducted the devotional service in the chapel, and offered prayer; in which he returned thanks for those providential steps by which the loved deceased had been guided to be- come, for so long a time, the counsellor and sustainer of one who had been highly honoured as a messen- ger of the churches ; and for the fortitude, calmness. MARY MOFFAT. 253 Belf-possession, gentleness, and self-denial, whicli she had evinced in high places, and amid the children of God gathered out of heathenism. The Kev. E. Mannering then gave the Funeral Address. '' The end," he said, "has come, the end of a long, devout, useful, very wide-spreading influen- tial life. The end of a simple-hearted believer in the Lord Jesus, the obedient child of God, the willing servant of the churches, the helper of the helpers in the great work of evangelising the heathen, the loving and loved companion of the Heaven-sent earthly messengers, has come. Our dear sister in Christ has been called away. We shall see her face, hear her voice, grasp her hand no more, so far as earthly communions are concerned. Never more will she respond to the call, or yield to tlie intercessions, or be affected by the influences of social or public life. Her end was not long foreseen ; for, till recently, considering her age and the cha- racter of her pilgrimage, her health, though not robust, possessed a good deal of stamina ; but her Saviour permitted the inroads of physical disease, and in a few days she fell asleep." Mr. Mannering then addressed well-considered words of genuine sympathy for the honoured husband, who, in the bitterness of grief, might well feel that there were points in his case which no human hand could touch, windings in his path which no human foot but his could tread. There were some who talked of loneliness: but what did 254 IN MEMORIAM. they know of the sense of loneliness felt upon the departure of one with whom had been spent full fifty year^ of diligent, cordial, heart-cheering communion ? Referring to Mrs. Moffat's devoted life, and the peaceful assurance of her closing days, Mr. Manner- ing said : — '^ In 1811, Miss Smith, sister of the Rev. John Smith of Madras, went out to the Cape, and was united to Mr. Moffat ; and from that time forth they had been one in faith, in love, in prayer, in counsel, in efforts for the salvation of souls. Their English loneliness on Afric's soil was indeed social exclusion, but they bore it meekly ; and then it was those two precious souls became so thoroughly one in thought, feeling, purpose, and aim. The wife was as essential to the husband's usefulness as the husband was to the wife's safety. Shortly after her return to England, a Christian friend said to her, * God has honoured you to be a great helper to your husband,* 'Yes,' she replied; 'I always studied r.^y husband's comfort, never hindered him in his work, but always did what I could to keep him up to it.' The departure of such a lOved companion might well convey to the bercayed husband the idea that he was alone. But that ^/as not so in an absolute sense; for the Lord is with hiui, the holy angels are with him, and a multitude of all sections of the universal Church are with him in sympathy, and in the desire that his life may be ppared to complete the revised edition of the Holy MARY MOFFAT. 255 Scriptures, in which the departed took such a lively interest; so that the people whom she had left might have in their possession those Scriptures which are able to make them wise unto salvation. The natural shrewdness, cheerfulness, and especially the simplicity of our departed friend, all served, as sanctified by the Spirit, to give point to her religious life and Christian character. Shortly before her death, she declared that she never had a doubt about her safety in Christ from the time she was converted. She knew and felt she was a sinner, and she went to Christ direct ; thus retaining the peace she had, every year she became more and more established in faith. This thought was to the surviving husband a precious legacy, much more precious than gold — the conviction that she is now before the throne of God and the Lamb." The procession having left the chapel for the grave — which is situated in the central portion of the Cemetery — the funeral service was impressively read by the Rev. E. Mannering. The two daugh- ters and the granddaughter of the deceased having then each placed a bunch of white flowers upon the cofiin, it was lowered into the grave; and the company dispersed, deeply impressed with the solemnity of the proceedings which had marked the funeral of one whose mem or v will long; be cherished with reverence by all who love that great work to which the life of the departed was so con- sistently dedicated. BY REV. DR. MOFFAT. Thirty-fifth Thousand, price It. cloth, Is. Ci. MISSIONAEY LABOURS AND SCENES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. BY REV. ROBERT MOFFAT, D.D. Unabridged Edition^ loith Engravings and Portrait of the Author. ALSO, THE OEIGINAL EDITION OP THE ABOVE WOEK. One handsome vo'ame, octavo, in large type, with all the original Illustrations, price 5s. cloth. PBICE ONE SHIIiLINa EACH. ALBUM PHOTOGEAPH POETEAITS OF REV. DR. MOFFAT AND MRS. MOFFAT;^ ALSO, \ Large- SIZE Photograph Portraits for Framing, Price Three Shillings each. London : JOHN SNOW & Co., 2, Ivy LA^-E, Paternoster Bow, U. C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES CDM3DD7DD7 RETURN MAIN CIRCULATION ALL BOOKS ARE SUBJECT TO RECALL RENEW BOOKS BY CALLING 642-3405 DUE AS STAMPED BELOW 1Prri^e^9^4 I