Brethren had a numerous and zand, Mrs. Meyer, a widow, well regulated congregation of having lent us her waggon, and Tame Hottentots, for by this name some of the neighboring Farmthey are distinguished, who doers their servants to drive the not run away at the sight of the oxen. Our object was now to White people, and who are some-proceed as far as Florus Fiswhat more civilized than the cher's, who possesses the last wild Hottentots or Boschemen. farm in the Karroo. This is a These latter, when approaching vast tract of land, of many days a white man for the first time, journey, so dry in the Summer for some urgent motive, such as as not to produce a blade of their ardent desire of obtaining grass; but, happily for us, it afa little Tobacco, appear in an forded, when we passed it, sufagony of fear, which discovers ficient pasture for our cattle, and itself by the trembling of every for those of the surrounding inlimb; yet so vehement is their habitants, who hearing of our love of this narcotic, that they journey came from all parts to will venture any thing to procure hear the Gospel. We travelled it; and had it not been for the but slowly, our waggon being powerful attraction of this favor-overloaded with the numerous ite herb, which we liberally dis- presents of these open-hearted tributed among them, I am per-colonists. We had, however, suaded we could not have pre- frequent opportunities of preachvailed upon them to venture nearing to small congregations of the Farmers from the adjacent countries.

us.

On our way to Bavian's Kloof, near Broad River, the Lord was After a fortnight's journey pleased to bless my poor labors through the mountainous Buckamong the people in an abundant field, and the level Karroo, we degree. Some of the hearers arrived safely at Florus Fisexpressed their gratitude with cher's, where we received a cortears of joy, and by a very wel-dial welcome. Mr. Fischer is come present of eleven draught-the person already mentioned, oxen for our intended journey who was employed by Governnorthwards. Upon our return ment, (under whom he was a to Rodezand, Brothers Edmond | Field-Cornet) to negociate a and Edwards were solemnly set peace with the Boschemen, and = apart to the work of the Minis- in which he happily succeeded; try, in Mr. Vos' church; and and to his family devotions it the next day Dr. Vanderkemp seems chiefly owing, that his and Mr. Edmond proceeded to heathen neighbors conceived the =wards Caffraria. desire of receiving religious instruction. This desire Mr. Fischer was sincerely desirous of gratifying, but by what means,

On the 25th of June* we took =leave of our kind friends at Rode

* Some of these dates are supplied from a former Journal, sent to the Society by Mr. Kicherer, when in Africa; an extract from which appears in Vol. I. of The Transactions of the Missionary Society, No. VIII. The readers of that Volume will ex

cuse the repetition of some particulars which appear therein, as it is the wish of the Society to present to the public in this Narrative, a complete account of Mr. Kicherer's Mission, and settlement at Zak River,

he was utterly at a loss to con- | number of about fifty, having in ceive, especially as a dread of our train six waggons full of these savage people universally provisions, sixty oxen, and near prevailed, and it seemed improb- two hundred sheep, the kind able that any teacher would ven- presents of the Dutch settlers. ture into such a wilderness, sep- The first night we slept at the arated from all christian society. foot of the Rockfield mountain, But, how marvellous are the and our sheep-fold was threatenways of God! for at this very ed by a Tiger. About that time time we were influenced to come we were often beset in the night from a far country to comply by Lions and Panthers, but I with their unknown desire. cannot say I felt so much alarm · Here we continued three then as I should probably feel weeks, in order to prepare for now; my mind was stayed on our further journey, during the Lord, who kept me in perwhich we enjoyed many a crowd- fect peace. On the 29th we pased and happy meeting with the sed the last inhabited house in neighboring Cultivators, particu- Rockfield, and found the counlarly on the Sabbath-days, when try a perfect desert, without a we have had twenty-two wag- blade of grass. Wild Horses, gons full of people, besides ma- Lions, and Ostriches abound in it. ny on horseback, some of whom The eggs of the latter afforded came four days journey to hear us an agreeable repast. Here the word of God, and to partake we halted one day to refresh the of the Lord's Supper; for many cattle and bake some bread. of these people have no church Two of our company who went that they can attend nearer than to shoot Antelopes, saw two LiRodezand, which, though eight ons, and another Lion at night days journey distant, they some- approached our encampment, times attend.* I feel myself un- but was kept off by the fires able to express our own happi- which we kindled for that purness in those days, or to speak pose. After travelling properly of the wonderful bles- days without meeting a human sing the Lord gave to his word being, on the 3d of August we at that time, both among Chris- arrived at a spot where a few tians and Heathens. Boschemen resided, three of whom came to us. When crossing the Zak River on the next day, one of our waggons was overturned, but without much damage. Some of our people shot five Antelopes, two wild Horses, and a Steinbock. The next day we halted, and were visited by about twenty Boschemen. On the 6th we fixed on a spot where we agreed to settle, * What reason have British Chris-Fountain. It is near two fine and called it Happy Prospect tians to rejoice in their superior privileges, and to take care that they im

Here we were strongly solicited to prolong our stay, but being eager to commence our labors among the Boschemen, we fixed the time of our departure for the 22d of July, on which day we left the Karroo, accompanied by our generous host Mr. Fischer, with several other farmers and their servants, to the

prove them!

seven

springs of water, with a good piece of ground for cultivation,

from all I loved in this world, had not urgent business dispers

had not the Lord, whom I served, condescended to pacify my troubled heart, when I spread my complaint before him. This was especially the case one evening, when sitting on a stone, in a circle of Boschemen, I attempted to convey the first instructions to their untutored minds.

but the surrounding country is barren, and the inhabitants few. Here we fell on our knees, de-ed my gloomy reflections, and voting this place, as well as ourselves, to the service of the Lord, requesting his continual presence with us while we dwell in the wilderness, and imploring his blessing on our future labors. We also began immediately to prepare a plot for a garden, and to build a hut of reeds, no other materials offering themselves for that purpose, not a tree growing in that country. In these necessary labors we were assisted by our kind friends the Farmers. Our people shot two Antelopes, but when our Hottentots went to fetch them, they found that one had been claimed by the Lions, the sovereigns of this region. In the evening we distinctly heard their dreadful roar.

It may not be improper here to introduce some account of these wild people. They have no idea whatever of the Supreme Being, consequently they practice no kind of worship. They have however a superstitious reverence for a little insect known by the name of the Creeping-leaf, a sight of which, they conceive, indicates something fortunate, and to kill it, they suppose, will bring a curse upon the perpetrator. They have some notion of an evil spirit which they imagine produces mischief, particularly the diseases which they endure, and to counteract his evil purposes, a sort of men are employed to

On the 12th of August, Mr. Fischer and our other kind friends were obliged to leave us, and return home. This was a time of severe trial. I felt inexpressibly dejected at first, but the Lord comforted me... We soon began to have more company, a party of about thirty Bos-blow, and make a humming chemen arriving to enquire into noise over the sick, which they the reason of our coming. They sometimes continue for many were at first exceedingly shy, hours together. but small presents of the irresistible herb presently rendered them more familiar. Soon after this our Reed-Hut tumbled down, in consequence of our attempt to make it tighter by a covering of clay which it could not support, and we set about building a more suitable dwelling.

I well remember how deeply my spirits were depressed about this time, and how insupportable my situation would have proved, separated, as I found myself,

Their manner of life is extremely wretched and disgusting. They delight to smear their bodies with the fat of animals, mingled with a powder which makes it shine. They are utter strangers to cleanliness, as they never wash their bodies, but suffer the dirt to accumulate, so that it will hang a considerable length from their elbows. Their huts are formed by digging a hole in the earth about three feet deep, and then making a roof of recds, which is howev

children, and never correct them except in a fit of rage, when they almost kill them by severe us

er insufficient to keep off the rains. Here they lie close together like pigs in a stye. They are e.tremely lazy, so that noth-age. In a quarrel between fain, will reuse them to action, b: excessive hunger. They will continue several days together without food, rather than be at the pains to procure it. When constrained to sally forth for prey, they are dexterous in destroying the various beasts which abound in the country ;* but when they cannot procure these, they make shift to live upon Snakes, Mice, and the most detestable creatures they can find. There are some spontaneous productions of the earth of the bulbous kind which they also eat, particularly the Cameron, which is as large as a child's head, and the Baroo, about the size of an apple; there are also some little berries which are eatable, and which the women go out to gather, but the men are too idle to do this.

ther and mother, or the several wives of a husband, the defeated party wreaks his or her revenge on the child of the conqueror, which in general loses its life. Tame Hottentots seldom destroy their offspring, except in a fit of passion, but the Boschemen will kill their children without remorse on various occasions, as when they are ill-shaped, when they are in want of food, when the father of a child has forsaken its mother, or when obliged to flee from the Farmers or others; in which case they will strangle them, smother them, cast them away in the desert, or bury them alive. There are instances of parents throwing their tender offspring to the hungry Lion, who stands roaring before their cavern, refusing to depart till some peace-offering he made to him. In general, their children cease to be the objects of a mothers's care, as soon as they are able to crawl about in the field. They go out every morning, and when they return in the The wild beasts are always evening, an old sheep's skin to "shot with poisoned darts. They lie upon, and a little milk or "take the poison out of the jaw-bone piece of meat, if they have it, is "of the serpent, and put it on the point of the dart or harping iron. all they have to expect. In some "They then creep behind the small few instances, however, you bushes, where they conceal them-meet with a spark of natural af"selves, and attack the beast when fection, which places them on a “about the distance of an hundred level with the brute creation. steps. If the dart wounds him in "the slightest degree, the Hottentot "is sure of his prev; sometimes the "wounded beast falls down dead immediately, in other cases he pursues "it for a time, and at length suc"ceeds. They then take out the "wounded part, and eat the rest "without injury. They can run almost as well as a horse." See Vol. I. p. 332.

They are total strangers to domestic happiness. The men have several wives, but conjugal affection is little known. They take no great care of their

The Boschemen frequently forsake their aged relations, when removing from place to place for the sake of hunting. In this case they leave the old person with a piece of meat and an ostrich egg-shell full of water; as soon as this little stock is exhausted, the poor de