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DIFFICULTIES INEVITABLE.

carrying on missions in the back parts of Namaqua-land, and the country of the Damaras, from local circumstances; and, until there is a change of seasons, the Namaqua missions will continue to struggle as they have done, even though planted and supported on the most liberal principles. Expensive they must be to make them efficient, and the agents employed will have to lead a self-denying life, as long as their resources for themselves, as well as means of civilizing the people, have to be brought overland from Cape Town. Even were boring for water introduced, unless there be more rain in the country, the people must ever lead a wandering life; an obstacle to missionary success complained of by all. A considerable time must elapse before the missionary can reach the understanding directly by his own voice, from the extreme difficulty of acquiring their clicking language; and although the Dutch is gradually supplanting it, much time will be necessary for the latter to become general.

Mr. Schmelen translated the four Gospels into the Namaqua language, which were printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society. This, from the character of the language, must have been a work of much labour. Whether the Wesleyan brethren intend to carry on their work through the medium of the Namaqua or the Dutch language, I have not been able to ascertain. It would be no great loss if the Hottentot language were annihilated; though from the scattered state of the population, it is not probable that this will soon be the case. But the zeal by which our Wesleyan brethren are distinguished, supported by an extensive native agency, may overcome all these difficulties, which would be greatly diminished were it possible to fix a missionary station on the sandy and sterile shores of Angra Pequena, and Wal visch Bays.

These places have been visited by Schmelen,* Archbell and Sir J. Alexander; but from all accounts the whole ex tent of the coast presents little to encourage such a plan. The banks of some of the rivers, in which water seldom flows, may be traced in their winding courses by acacias, the timber of which is of the poorest description. Ebony trees are also thinly scattered in the neighbourhood of the Orange river, but neither there nor in the open country is any thing like timber to be found, which would authorize commercial speculations, as a late traveller into that country recom

It is reported that Mr. Schmelen went to those places, but the author cannot vouch that he reached the latter. Mr. Archbell visited it by sea.

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mended. Independently of the Orange river not being navigable, and the want of suitable bays on the coast, the impossibility of the country being benefitted from those quarters, will be evident. I feel persuaded that the period has arrived, when we must abandon the idea of long, expensive, tiresome, and in some instances dangerous journeys, either from the promontory of the Cape, or, from Algoa Bay, to remote distances in the interior. It is now quite time to look to the eastern and western coasts of the continent, and form a chain of stations, from either, or both, towards the centre; and establish Missionary Colonies on lakes, or at the sources of those rivers which fall into the ocean. The want of navigable rivers, and the dry and often desert countries to be passed in Southern Africa in order to reach our isolated stations, present grievous barriers to the work of civilization, and in some parts we have got nearly to that point, at which resources from the south will be beyond the reach of the ability, either of the missionary or his people.

CHAPTER XIII.

Ir is an agreeable and profitable exercise, to take a retrospective view of those events, whatever their character, which have led to important results; and surely, to the mind of the missionary, it must be delightful to look back along the channel, tracing through all its windings the little rill of the water of life, until it is observed oozing from beneath a mountain peak. Like an African river, it now swells, and then dwindles,-is now rapid, then slowly spreads its refreshing waters over a large surface of desert waste,-now disappears, and then rises in another part of its course, in which it resumes a steady flow-affording, at all seasons, permanent fertility, to the advantage of those who assemble on its banks, or come within the range of its influence.

The mind of the writer has been led to these reflections by a minute survey of the rise and progress of the Griqua mission, which, although embracing more variety in the national character of its objects than perhaps any other in Africa, exhibits much sameness; but, nevertheless, its his

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ITS ORIGIN AND CHARACTER.

tory, extending to more than forty years, presents us with some remarkable displays of Divine power in causing missionary enterprise to triumph over no common difficulties. Its fluctuations have been very numerous, but this is not surprising, when it is remembered that it was commenced at the Zak River, on the borders of the colony, in the year 1799, being one of the two branches of the Missionary Society's first efforts in South Africa. It was in the beginning ostensibly a mission to the Bushmen, but it had not been long founded before it included within its operation both Hottentots and Bastards. Two years had not elapsed when its efforts were chiefly devoted to the Corannas, Namaquas, and Bastards on the Orange river, the missionaries having resorted thither on the invitation of Berend Berend. From these again a select party, though a mixed multitude, finally terminated a migratory life, by settling down at Griqua Town in 1804, with Messrs. Anderson and Kramer.

Sometimes one missionary might be heard addressing the few who understood Dutch; another, a congregation of Corannas; and a third, a party of Bushmen, through interpreters. They were distinct tribes, having different languages, customs, and grades of honour, from that of the descendant of the colonial farmer, to the very lowest state of degradation in the Bushmen. Their government, if they had any at all, was of a mingled character, comprising the patriarchal, despotic, monarchical, aristocratic, and democratic, each party having its claims, either of birth, power, number, or hereditary right; exhibiting all the phases of a tropical thunder cloud, which rolls in wild and black confusion, till it bursts forth, scattering terror and death.

It is not the intention of the writer to be a chronicler of the events connected with the progress of this mission, or even to attempt an abridgment of the voluminous details which have been long published. His object is briefly to glance at its more prominent features and changes, and to trace the dealings of Divine providence and grace in sustaining those devoted missionaries, who, taking their lives in their hands, and sallying forth far beyond the abodes of civi lization, persevered, amid the rage and cupidity of a reckless rabble, in the self-denying duties of their holy calling, until they were crowned with triumphant success.

This station required all the energies of the missionary, as may be observed from the brief sketch already given of the character of the people, and their isolated condition in a lawless country. Their circumstances, afflictions, and pros

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pects, cannot be better described than in Mr. Anderson's own words:

"When I went among the Griquas, and for some time after, they were without the smallest marks of civilization. If I except one woman, (who had by some means got a trifling article of colonial raiment,) they had not one thread of European clothing among them; and their wretched appearance and habits were such as might have excited in our minds an aversion to them, had we not been actuated by principles which led us to pity them, and served to strengthen us in pursuing the object of our missionary work; they were, in many instances, little above the brutes. It is a fact, that we were among them at the hazard of our lives. This became evident from their own acknowledgments to us afterwards, they having confessed that they had frequently premeditated to take away our lives, and were prevented only from executing their purposes by what they now considered an Almighty Power. When we went among them, and some time after, they lived in the habit of plundering one another; and they saw no moral evil in this nor in any of their actions. Violent deaths were common; and I recollect many of the aged women told me their husbands had been killed in this way. Their usual manner of living was truly disgusting, and they were void of shame; however, after a series of hardships, which required much faith and patience, our instructions were attended with a blessing which produced a great change. The people became honest in their dealings; they came to abhor those acts of plunder which had been so common among them; nor do I recollect a single instance, for several years prior to their late troubles, which could be considered as a stain upon their character. They entirely abandoned their former manner of life, and decency and modesty prevailed in their families. When we first settled among them, we had some Hottentots with us from the Zak River. With their assistance we began to cultivate the ground about Riet Fonteyn; but notwithstanding our exhortations, remonstrances, and example, the Griquas manifested the greatest aversion to such work, and appeared determined to continue their wandering and predatory habits. At the end of six months the Hottentots left us; and our prospects, as to the future cultivation of the ground, became very gloomy. We determined, however, to abide by them; and in wandering about with them, we constantly endeavoured to impress upon their minds the superior advantages they would derive from cultivating the ground, and having fixed habitations. After a considerable time had elapsed, we prevailed upon them to try the experiment, and a commencement was made. This event was preceded and followed by a great and visible improvement among them as a body. Considering the circumstances of the people, much land was cultivated at this time; and in the following years the land under cultivation was much increased. I have seen the whole valley, from the Fountain to the Lion's Den, which must include four square miles, covered with corn and barley. This refers to Griqua Town alone; and the ground around the neighbouring fountains was in a similar state of improvement."

From other communications from Mr. A., it also appears, that as early as 1809, the congregation consisted of 800 persons, who resided at or near the station during the whole, or the greatest part of the year. Besides their stated congregations, they were surrounded by numerous hordes of Corannas and Bushmen, among whom they laboured.

If we look at the state of moral turpitude in which the missionaries found that people, these results, it must be acknowledged, were very extraordinary. A threatened attack from a marauding horde of Kafirs, in 1810, was evidently averted, in answer to prayer. Mr. Jantz, the only missionary then on the place, with the good people, set apart a day for special supplication; and they sent a pacific message and present to the Kafirs, after which they immediately retired.

Mr. Jantz, whose whole conduct on this occasion seems to have been marked with the true spirit of piety, says, "Now we must leave it in the hands of the Lord, hoping to see his loving kindness in confirming the work of our hands, and granting us a complete deliverance. This is my prayer, that we may be so firmly established by the Lord, that no enemy may be able to hurt this church; for, as a kind father, he hath hitherto taken care of us; so that, instead of complaint, we have cause for thankfulness, that the doctrines of the Gospel, accompanied by the power of his Spirit, have had so much influence on some of our people, that, by means of their Christian exhortation and example, they have subdued the ungoverned spirit of the Kafirs."

The mission continued to flourish; extending its benign influence for several years, till an unlooked for event gave a shock, from which it did not soon recover.

It was not an unnatural supposition, that the government of the Cape, finding that the labours of the missionaries had been so beneficial in transforming a people, who otherwise might have been, like Africaner, a terror to the colony, and helped to drain its coffers in fruitless commandoes, would have tendered their assistance to the growing commonwealth, and afforded means of encouragement and protection in a country where they were exposed, as in the above case, to a foreign enemy. But this was not the policy of those days. In 1814, Mr. Anderson received an order from the colonial government, to send down to the Cape twenty Griquas for the Cape regiment. Mr. A. was never, as he informed me, amidst all his trials, placed in so painful a situation. The only wonder was, that the people did not stone him when he made the proposal, to which duty compelled him. Was it possible that a people just emerging from barbarism, and scarcely able to defend themselves, would send twenty of their best men to serve at the Cape? The result of non compliance with this order was a threat from government, and the introduction of a restrictive system, by which mis