The caravan proceeded on the following morning, and by noon they arrived
at the Mission station of Butterworth, which was about one hundred and
forty miles from the colonial boundaries. This station had only been
settled about three years, but even in that short time it wore an air of
civilization strongly contrasted with the savage country around it. The
Mission-house was little better than a large cottage, it is true, and
the church a sort of barn; but it was surrounded by neat Caffre huts and
gardens full of produce.
On the arrival of the caravan, Mr. S., the missionary, came out to meet
the travelers, and to welcome them. He had been informed that they would
call at the station, and bring some articles which had been sent for. It
hardly need be said that, meeting at such a place, and in such a
country, the parties soon became on intimate terms. Mr. S. offered them
beds and accommodation in his house, but our travelers refused; they
were well satisfied with their own; and having unyoked their oxen, and
turned them out to graze with those belonging to the station, they
accepted the missionary's invitation to join his repast.
Alexander having stated the object of his expedition, requested the
advice of Mr. S. as to his further proceedings, and asked him whether it
would not be advisable to see the Caffre king, and make him a present.
This Mr. S. strongly advised them to do; and to ask for a party of
Caffres to accompany the caravan, which would not only insure them
safety, but would prove in many respects very useful. All that would be
necessary would be to find them in food and to promise them a present,
if they conducted themselves well. "You are aware," continued he, "that
Hinza's domain only extends as far as the Bashee or St. John's River,
and you will have to proceed beyond that; but with some of the Caffre
warriors you will have no difficulty, as the tribes further will not
only fear your strength, but also the anger of Hinza, should they commit
any depredation. But things, I regret to say, do not look very peaceable
just now."
"Indeed! what is the quarrel, and with whom?"
"Hinza has quarreled with a powerful neighboring chief of the name of
Voosani, who reigns over the Tambookie tribes, about some cattle, which
are the grand cause of quarrels in these countries, and both parties are
preparing for war. But whether it will take place is doubtful, as they
are both threatened with a more powerful enemy, and may probably be
compelled to unite, in order to defend themselves."
"And who may that be?"
"Quetoo, the chief of the Amaquibi, is in arms with a large force, and
threatens the other tribes to the northward of us; if he conquers them,
he will certainly come down here. He was formerly one of Chaka's
generals, and is, like him, renowned for slaughter. At present he is too
far to the northward to interfere with you, but I should advise you to
lose no time in effecting your mission; for should he advance, you will
be compelled to retreat immediately. I had better send to Hinza to-morrow
to let him know that strangers have come and wish to see him, that they
may make him a present. That notice will bring him fast enough; not but
that he well knows you are here, and has known that you have been in his
country long ago."
"It will be as well, after the information you have given us," said Mr.
Swinton.
"What is your opinion of the Caffres, Mr. S., now that you have resided
so long with them?"
"They are, for heathens, a fine nation,--bold, frank, and, if any thing
is confided to them, scrupulously honest; but cattle-stealing is
certainly not considered a crime among them, although it is punished as
one. Speaking as a minister of the Gospel, I should say they are the
most difficult nation to have any thing to do with that it ever has been
my lot to visit. They have no religion whatever; they have no idols; and
no idea of the existence of a God. When I have talked to them about God,
their reply is, 'Where is he? show him to me.'"
"But have they no superstitions?"
"They believe in necromancy, and have their conjurers, who do much harm,
and are our chief opponents, as we weaken their influence, and
consequently their profits. If cattle are stolen, they are referred to.
If a chief is sick, they are sent for to know who has bewitched him;
they must of course mention some innocent person, who is sacrificed
immediately. If the country is parched from want of rain, which it so
frequently is, then the conjurers are in great demand: they are sent for
to produce rain. If, after all their pretended mysteries, the rain does
not fall so as to save their reputation, they give some plausible
reason, generally ending, however, in the sacrifice of some innocent
individual; and thus they go on, making excuses after excuses until the
rain does fall, and they obtain all the credit of it. I need hardly say
that these people are our greatest enemies."
"Are you satisfied with the success which you have had?"
"Yes, I am, when I consider the difficulty to be surmounted. Nothing but
the Divine assistance could have produced such effects as have already
taken place. The chiefs are to a man opposed to us."
"Why so?"
"Because Christianity strikes at the root of their sensuality; it was
the same when it was first preached by our Divine Master. The riches of
a Caffre consist not only in his cattle, but in the number of his wives,
who are all his slaves. To tell them that polygamy is unlawful and
wrong, is therefore almost as much as to tell them that it is not right
to hold a large herd of cattle; and as the chiefs are of course the
opulent of the nation, they oppose us. You observe in Caffreland, as
elsewhere, it is 'hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of
heaven.' I have asked the chiefs why they will not come to church, and
their reply has been, 'The great word is calculated to lessen our
pleasures and diminish the number of our wives; to this we can never
consent,'"
"But still you say you have made some progress."
"If I have, let it be ascribed to the Lord, and not to me and my
otherwise useless endeavors; it must be His doing; and without His aid
and assistance, the difficulties would have been insurmountable. It is
for me only to bear in mind the scriptural injunction, 'In the morning
sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thy hand; for thou knowest
not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both
shall be alike good.'"
"But have they no idea whatever of a Supreme Being, either bad or good?
have they no idea, as some of the African tribes have, of the devil?"
"None; and in their language they have no word to express the idea of
the Deity; they swear by their kings of former days as great chiefs,
but no more. Now if they had any religion whatever, you might, by
pointing out to them the falsity and absurdity of that religion, and
putting it in juxtaposition with revealed Truth, have some hold upon
their minds; but we have not even that advantage."
"But can not you make an impression upon their minds by referring to the
wonders of nature,--by asking them who made the sun and stars? Surely
they might be induced to reflect by such a method."
"I have tried it a hundred times, and they have laughed at me for my
fables, as they have termed them. One of the chiefs told me to hold my
tongue, that his people might not think me mad. The Scriptures, indeed,
teach us that, without the aid of direct revelation, men are also
without excuse if they fail to attain to a certain knowledge of the
Deity,--'even his eternal power and God-head,'--by a devout
contemplation of the visible world, which with all its wonders is spread
out before them as an open volume. But beyond this, all knowledge of the
origin or manner of creation is derived, not from the deductions of
human reasoning, but from the Divine testimony; for it is expressly
said, 'Through faith we understand that the worlds were made by the word
of God.'"
"Nevertheless you must admit that, among the civilized nations of
Europe, many who deny revelation, and treat the Bible as a fable,
acknowledge that the world must have been made by a Supreme Power."
"My dear sir, many affect to deny the truth of revelation out of pride
and folly, who still in their consciences can not but believe it. Here,
there being no belief in a Deity, they will not be persuaded that the
world was made by one. Indeed, we have much to contend with, and perhaps
one of the greatest difficulties is in the translation of the
Scriptures. I sit down with an interpreter who can not read a single
word, and with perhaps a most erroneous and imperfect knowledge of
divine things. We open the sacred volume, and it is first translated
into barbarous Dutch to the Caffre interpreter, who then has to tell us
how that Dutch is to be put into the Caffre language. Now you may
imagine what mistakes may arise. I have found out lately that I have
been stating the very contrary to what I would have said. With this
translation, I stand up to read a portion of the Word of God, for my
interpreter can not read, and hence any slight defect or change in a
syllable may give altogether a different sense from what I desire to
inculcate."
"That must indeed be a great difficulty, and require a long residence
and full acquaintance with the language to overcome."
"And even then not overcome, for the language has no words to express
abstract ideas; but the Lord works after His own way, and at His own
season."
"You do not then despair of success?"
"God forbid; I should be indeed a most unworthy servant of our Divine
Master, if I so far distrusted His power. No; much good has been already
done, as you will perceive when we meet to-morrow to perform Divine
service; but there is much more to do, and, with His blessing, will in
His own good time be perfected; but I have duties to attend to which
call me away for the present; I shall therefore wish you good-night. At
all events, the Mission has had one good effect: you are perfectly safe
from Caffre violence and Caffre robbery. This homage is paid to it even
by their kings and chiefs."
"I will say, that if we are only to judge by the little we have seen,
the Mission appears to have done good," observed the Major. "In the
first place, we are no longer persecuted, as we have been during our
journey, for presents; and, as you may observe, many of the Caffres
about are clothed in European fashions, and those who have nothing but
their national undress, I may call it, wear it as decently as they can."
"I made the same observation," said Alexander. "I am most anxious for
to-morrow, as I wish to see how the Caffres behave; and really, when you
consider all the difficulties which Mr. S. has mentioned, it is
wonderful that he and those who have embraced the same calling should
persevere as they do."
"My dear Wilmot," replied Mr. Swinton, "a missionary, even of the most
humble class, is a person of no ordinary mind; he does not rely upon
himself or upon his own exertions,--he relies not upon others, or upon
the assistance of this world; if he did, he would, as you say, soon
abandon his task in despair. No; he is supported, he is encouraged, he
is pressed on by faith--faith in Him who never deserts those who trust
and believe in Him; he knows that, if it is His pleasure, the task will
be easy, but at the same time that it must be at His own good time.
Convinced of this, supported by this, encouraged by this, and venturing
his life for this, he toils on, in full assurance that if he fails
another is to succeed,--that if he becomes a martyr, his blood will
moisten the arid soil from which the future seed will spring. A
missionary may be low in birth, low in education, as many are; but he
must be a man of exalted mind,--what in any other pursuit we might term
an enthusiast; and in this spreading of the Divine word, he merits
respect for his fervor, his courage, and self-devotion; his willingness,
if the Lord should so think fit, to accept the crown of martyrdom."
"You are right, Swinton; nothing but what you have described could impel
a man to pass a life of privation and danger among a savage
race--leaving all, and following his Master in the true apostolic sense.
Well, they will have their reward."
"Yes, in heaven, Wilmot; not on earth," replied Swinton.
The next day, being the Sabbath, with the assistance of Mahomed, who was
valet as well as cook to the whole party, they divested themselves of
their beards, which had not been touched for many days, and dressed
themselves in more suitable apparel than their usual hunting costume,--a
respect paid to the Sabbath by even the most worldly and most
indifferent on religious points. The bell of the Mission church was
tolled, and the natives were seen coming from all directions. Our party
went in, and found Mr. S. already there, and that seats had been
provided for them. The numbers of natives who were assembled in the
church were about 200, but many more were at the windows, and sitting by
the open door.
Many of them were clothed in some sort of European apparel; those who
were not, drew their krosses close round them, so as to appear more
covered. A hymn in the Caffre language was first sung, and then prayers,
after which the Litany and responses; the Commandments were repeated in
the same language. Mr. S. then read a chapter in the Bible, and
explained it to the assembly. Profound silence and quiet attention
generally prevailed, although in some few instances there was mockery
from those outside. Mr. S. gave the blessing, and the service was ended.
"You have already done much," observed Mr. Swinton. "I could hardly have
believed that a concourse of savages could have been so attentive, and
have behaved with such decorum."
"It certainly is the most difficult point gained,--to command their
attention, I mean," replied Mr. S.; "after that, time and patience, with
the assistance of God, will effect the rest."
"Do you think that there are many who, if I may use the term, feel their
religion?"
"Yes, many; and prove it by traveling about and sowing the seed. There
are many who not only are qualified so to do, but are incessantly
laboring to bring their countrymen to God."
"That must be very satisfactory to you."
"It is; but what am I, and the few who labor with me, to the thousands
and thousands who are here in darkness and require our aid? There are
now but three missions in all Caffreland; and there is full employment
for two hundred, if they could be established. But you must excuse me, I
have to catechise the children, who are my most promising pupils. We
will meet again in the evening, for I have to preach at a neighboring
village. Strange to say, many who doubt and waver will listen to me
there; but they appear to think that there is some witchcraft in the
Mission church, or else are afraid to acknowledge to their companions
that they have been inside of it."
The missionary then left them, and Alexander observed--
"I don't know how you feel? but I assure you it has been a great
pleasure to me to have found myself in this humble church, and hearing
Divine service in this wild country."
Both Swinton and Major Henderson expressed the same opinion.
"I am not afraid of being laughed at," continued Alexander, "when I tell
you that I think it most important, wherever we may be during our
travels, to keep the Sabbath holy, by rest and reading the service."
"With pleasure, as far as I am concerned, and I thank you for the
proposal," replied Swinton.
"And I am equally pleased that you have proposed it, Wilmot," said Major
Henderson; "even we may be of service to the good cause, if, as we pass
through the land, the natives perceive that we respect the Sabbath as
the missionary has requested them to do. We are white men, and
considered by them as superior; our example, therefore, may do good."
The evening was passed away very agreeably with Mr. S., who was
inexhaustible in his anecdotes of the Caffres. He informed them that
Hinza intended to call the next morning to receive his presents, and
that he would be interpreter for them if they wished it.
Alexander, having thanked the missionary, said, "I think you mentioned,
sir, that some of your brother missionaries have their wives with them.
Since you have told me so much of the precarious tenure by which you
hold your ground here, and I may add your lives, I think that the wives
of the missionaries must have even more to encounter than their
husbands."
"You are right, sir," replied the missionary; "there is no situation so
trying, so perilous, and I may say, so weary to the mind and body, as
that of a female missionary. She has to encounter the same perils and
the same hardships as her husband, without having the strength of our
sex to support them; and what is more painful than all, she is often
left alone in the Mission-house, while her husband, who has left her, is
proceeding on his duty, at the hourly peril of his life. There she is
alone, and compelled to listen to all the reports and falsehoods which
are circulated; at one moment she is told that her husband has been
murdered; at another, that he is still alive. She has no means of
hearing from him, as there is no communication throughout the country;
thus is she left in this horrible state of suspense and anxiety, perhaps
for many weeks. I have a letter from a brother missionary which is in my
writing-desk, wherein the case in point is well portrayed; I will get
it, and read that portion to you." Mr. S. went to the other end of the
room, and came back with a letter, from which he read as follows:--
"Having been detained among those distant tribes for nearly two months,
report upon report had been circulated that the interpreters and guides,
as well as myself, had all been murdered. On my arrival within forty
miles of the station, I was informed that all doubt upon the subject had
been removed by a party of natives who had passed the Mission station,
and who pretended an acquaintance with all the particulars of the
massacre. We had been traveling the whole day, and night had come on; I
was most anxious to proceed, that I might relieve the mind of my dear
wife, but the earnest remonstrances of my little party, who represented
it as certain death to all of us to cross the plains, which were
infested with lions and other savage beasts who were prowling in every
direction, at length induced me to wait till the next day. But scarcely
had day begun to dawn when I sallied forth, without either arms or
guide, except a pocket compass, leaving my fellow-travelers to bring on
the wagon as soon as they should arouse from their slumbers. This
impatience had, however, well-nigh cost me my life; for having to wade
through many miles of deep sand with a vertical sun over my head, I had
not accomplished half the journey before my strength began to fail, and
an indescribable thirst was induced. Nevertheless, I reached the Mission
in safety, and with truly grateful feelings to the Preserver of men. A
few minutes prior to my arrival, the wife of one of my brother
missionaries, little imagining that I was at hand and alive, had entered
our dwelling, to apprise my wife of the latest intelligence, confirming
all that had been said before respecting my fate, and to comfort her
under the distressing dispensation. At this affecting crisis, while
both were standing in the center of the room, the one relating, the
other weeping, I opened the door, bathed in perspiration, covered with
dust, and in a state of complete exhaustion. 'Oh, dear!' cried our
friend; 'is it he--or is it his spirit?' I must, my dear sir, leave to
your imagination the scene that followed."
"Yes, sir," said Mr. S., folding up the letter, "a missionary's wife,
who follows him into such scenes and such perils and privations, does,
indeed, 'cleave to her husband.'"
"Indeed she does," replied Mr. Swinton; "but we will tax you no longer,
my dear sir. Good-night."