was becoming too small. The readiness with which many answered the questions of Dr. William Brown's Catechism, which had been translated, and an increasing fixedness of attention to the preacher, were like the glimmering light on the eastern sky, so long watched for, the presaging tints of the brighter rays which were, ere long, to gild the horizon, -the harbingers of the Sun of Righteousness arising on a benighted people.

Mr. Hamilton, who had been detained unusually long in the colony and on the road, from severe drought and loss of oxen, to our great joy arrived in the end of August, 1828. This veteran and faithful labourer, who might with great propriety be called the father of the Bechuana mission, was beyond measure delighted to find, although our circumstances had been perilous during his absence, that now his mental energies were to be called into exercise in a way he had scarcely dared to anticipate. Shortly after this we were favoured with the manifest outpouring of the Spirit from on high. The moral wilderness was now about to blossom. Sable cheeks bedewed with tears attracted our observation. To see females weep was nothing extraordinary; it was, ac cording to Bechuana notions, their province, and theirs alone. Men would not weep. After having, by the rite of circumcision, become men, they scorned to shed a tear. In family or national afflictions, it was the woman's work to weep and wail; the man's to sit in sullen silence, often brooding deeds of revenge and death. The simple Gospel now melted their flinty hearts; and eyes now wept, which never before shed the tear of hallowed sorrow. Notwithstanding our earnest desires and fervent prayers, we were taken by surprise. We had so long been accustomed to indifference, that we felt unprepared to look on a scene which perfectly overwhelmed our minds. Our temporary little chapel became a Bochim-a place of weeping; and the sympathy of feeling spread from heart to heart, so that even infants wept. Some, after gazing with extreme intensity of feeling on the preacher, would fall down in hysterics, and others were carried out in a state of great exhaustion.

Some months previous to these changes, Aaron Josephs, who was once a runaway slave, but who had, through the kind interference of G. Thompson, Esq., obtained his manumission for the sum of 1,500 rix-dollars, the proceeds of ivory he had collected for that purpose, left his farm for a time, and came to reside at the station, for the sake of the educa

tion of his children, as well as to improve himself in reading and writing.

Both he and his wife were steady and industrious, having come from the colony, where they had enjoyed some advantages. He, also, was awakened to a sense of his danger, and having a tolerably extensive knowledge of divine truth, he was soon a candidate for Christian fellowship, and was, with his three children, baptized at the same time with our own infant. The scene, from the previous state of feeling, was deeply impressive and exciting. Notwithstanding all our endeavours to preserve decorum in the crowded place of worship, strong feeling gave rise to much weeping and considerable confusion; but, although it was impossible to keep either order or silence, a deep impression of the Divine presence was felt. The work which had commenced in the minds of the natives received an additional impulse from the above circumstance; so that the sounds predominant throughout the village were those of singing and prayer. Those under concern held prayer-meetings from house to house, and when there were none able to engage in prayer, they sang till a late hour, and before morning dawned, they would assemble again at some house for worship, before going to labour. We were, soon after this interesting occurrence, delighted with farther results. Aaron and two other men came and offered to take upon themselves the labour and expense of raising a school-house, which would serve as a place of worship, till one for that special purpose was erected. All they required was the plan; and the doors and windows, with their frames, which they would also have made, but they lacked ability. This department, of course Mr. Hamilton thankfully undertook. It was a voluntary act on their part, without the subject having been once hinted at. We had scarcely laid down the plan, fifty-one feet long by sixteen wide, when Aaron, who was by trade both builder and thatcher, set all in motion. The season happened to be a rainy one, and as the walls were made of clay, there were serious interruptions; but it was nevertheless soon completed; for all who felt interested in the work, even women and children, gave what assistance was in their power, carrying clay, laths from the bushes, materials for thatch, or whatever else could contribute to its erection. It afforded us no small gratification to see the building finished with zeal equal to that with which it was commenced. Many important improvements were at the same time made in the outward affairs of the mission, in which there was no lack

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BAPTISM OF THE CONVERTS.

of native assistance, while the language and translations were attended to, to supply the wants of those who were now beginning to thirst after Divine knowledge.

The building was opened in the month of May, 1829, and in the following month we selected from among the inquirers six candidates for baptism. This was not done without much prayer and deliberation. These had given us very satisfactory proofs of a change of heart. After particular private examination, separately, they were found to possess a much larger knowledge of Divine truth than was expected; and their answers were most satisfactory; it was truly gratifying to observe the simplicity of their faith, implicitly relying on the atonement of Christ, of which they appeared to have a very clear conception, considering the previous darkness of their minds on such subjects. They were therefore baptized on the first sabbath of July, when other circumstances concurred to impart additional interest to the solemnity. It appeared as if it had been the design of Providence to call together, from all quarters, an unusual and most unexpected number of spectators from Philippolis, Campbell, Griqua Town, and Boochuap. From these places there were present about fifty Griquas, who happened to congregate here previous to their proceeding on a hunting expedition. These were suitably and profitably impressed with what transpired, for they themselves had been for some time previous in a lukewarm state, and were thus awakened to jealousy about their own condition, by seeing the Bechuanas pressing into the fold of Christ, while they by their backslidings were being thrust out, and to this we frequently afterwards heard that people bear testimony.

The

There were also present, parties from different places of the interior, who had come for purposes of barter. place of worship was crowded to excess, and the greatest interest excited by a scene which was indeed a novelty to many, the service being conducted in the Bechuana language. Af ter a sermon on John i. 29, a suitable address was given to the candidates, and when a number of questions had been asked, they were baptized, with five of their children. Among them was Rachel, the wife of Aaron, whom Mr. Hamilton addressed in Dutch, she being more conversant with that language; the others were Bechuanas. In the evening we sat down together to commemorate the death of our Lord. Our number, including ourselves and a Griqua,

*It may not be unworthy of remark, that on the Friday evening previous, we received from John Greaves, Esq., of Sheffield, communio

EXPECTATIONS REALIZED.

331

was twelve. It was an interesting, cheering, and encouraging season to our souls; and we concluded the delightful exercises of the day by taking coffee together in the evening. Our feelings on that occasion were such as our pen would fail to describe. We were as those that dreamed, while we realized the promise on which our souls had often hung. "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." The hour had arrived on which the whole energies of our souls had been intensely fixed, when we should see a church, however small, gathered from among a people who had so long boasted that neither Jesus, nor we, his servants, should ever see Bechuanas worship and confess him as their King.

It is only necessary to glance at the records of that mission from its commencement, to be able in some measure to conceive the emotions such a change produced on our minds. We had long felt assured that when once the Spirit was poured out from on high, and when some of the natives had made a public profession of their faith in the Redeemer of the world, or, in other words, when Jehovah should perform his promise, great would be the company of those who would publish or bear witness to the same. In this expectation we have been fully borne out by the number of missionaries who have since entered the country, the chapels which have been built, the schools raised, the crowded audiences and flourishing churches which have succeeded, not only at our own stations, but at those of the French and Wesleyan missionaries; and extending from the Winter Bergen which bound Kafraria to the Kalagare desert on the west.

Great as was the change, we still rejoiced with trembling; having too often witnessed the successful attempts of Satan to frustrate our efforts, and blast our former hopes, to imagine that he who had hitherto reigned without a rival among the tribes, would calmly submit to the violence done to his ancient rights, without attacking us on fresh ground. His kingdom had at last been successfully assailed, and a breach made, but he who had lately roared so loud, might roar again. We therefore felt we needed a double portion of the Spirit,

vessels and pulpit candlesticks, for which Mrs. M. had applied two years before, on Mrs. Greaves, her particular friend, kindly expressing a wish to know what she should send her. This, she requested, in the confidence of faith, that they would some time be needed, dark as things then appeared; and singular enough they arrived at the very juncture of time in which they were wanted, after being twelve months on the road

332

THE GOSPEL CIVILIZES.

that we might be watchful to preserve, as well as to win souls. A great work had yet to be done before we could dare to glory. We knew that there were many prejudices to be overcome, much rubbish to be cleared away. The relation in which the believers stood to their heathen neighbours would expose their faith to trial. Some of them were a kind of serfs of others, who would rage at any innovation made on their former habits, all of which were congenial to sensual men, and opposed alike to conversion and civilization. But we prayed and believed that He who had begun a good work would carry it on.

From what has been said in a preceding part of the present work, it will be seen that it was no more in our power to change their dress and habits, than it was to change their hearts, and we were convinced that evangelization must precede civilization. Much has been said about civilizing savages, before attempting to evangelize them. This is a theory which has obtained an extensive prevalence among the wise men of this world; but we have never yet seen a practical demonstration of its truth. It is very easy in a country of high refinement to speculate on what might be done among rude and savage men, but the Christian mis sionary, the only experimentalist, has invariably found that to make the fruit good, the tree must first be made good, and that nothing less than the power of divine grace can reform the hearts of savages, after which the mind is suscep tible of those instructions, which teach them to adorn the Gospel they profess, in their attire as well as in their spirit and actions. It would appear a strange anomaly, to see a Christian professor lying at full length on the ground covered with filth and dirt, and in a state of comparative nudity, talking about christian diligence, circumspection, purification, and white robes! The Gospel teaches that all things should be done decently and in order; and the Gospel alone can lead the savage to appreciate the arts of civilized life as well as the blessings of redemption. The heathen themselves occasionally reflect on its influence. An African chief, who though a stranger to the power which converts the soul, seemed aware that it required some superior energy to reform the manners, addressing the author when tracing civi lization to its proper source, said, "What, is it the precepts of that book," pointing to the Gospel of Luke which I held in my hand," which has made you what you are, and taught the white people such wisdom; and is it that mahuku a mo. lemo, (good news,) which has made your nation new, and