mind was thus satisfied to remain God's missionary with

all its attendant hardships.

"25th.-Sat with Dr. Vanderkemp, conversing on metaphysics and divinity. He gave me a Syriac Testament as a remembrance of him.

"Feb. 5.-Dr. Vanderkemp called to take leave. I accompanied him and Brother Smith out of town,. with their two waggons. The dear old man showed much affection, and gave me advice, and a blessing at parting. While we were standing to take leave, Koster, a Dutch missionary, was just entering the town with his bundle, having been driven from his place of residence. Brother Read, also, appeared from another quarter, though we thought he had gone to sea. These, with Yans and myself, made six missionaries, who, in a few minutes, all parted again."

"What an interesting glimpse," said Mr. Campbell, "of that little missionary band,-parting there for ever on earth, but long since re-united for ever in our Father's house above!"

"It is late now, and we must not go on further. I shall tell you of another great missionary to Africa next evening."

"But," said George, "you have not told us how long Vanderkemp lived, or when he died."

"He died in 1811, at the age of sixty-four, after thirteen years of missionary life. He looked a much

older man than he really was, sorrows and hardships having done the work of years on his bodily frame; yet his spirit was ardent as ever, and he was planning a mission to Madagascar, when the Saviour called him, as a ' good and faithful servant,' to rest from his labours."

"Did he die among his Hottentots?"

"No, he had gone to Cape Town on some business for their benefit, and was taken ill there. His illness was very short, and his head being much affected, he could say very little as to his spiritual state. But when a Christian lady, who watched his dying bed, spoke of his nearness to eternity, and asked how he felt in the prospect, he roused himself and replied with a smile, 'All is well.' His death was felt as a heavy loss to the missionary cause. But the Master whom he loved to serve raised up other instruments to carry on the work begun amid so many difficulties, and has fulfilled in that land the word of promise, 'They who sow in tears shall reap in joy.'

III.

ROBERT MOFFAT AND AFRICANER.

JAMMA," said George, "I have been read

M

ing a good deal about the Caffres since last Sabbath. They are a bold, fine people, and I do not think we can blame them much for trying to keep independent, though they have been so troublesome to our colonists. Are the missionaries succeeding among them at last?"

"Yes; both our own Scottish mission and others are now in a very encouraging state. We have now four chief stations, and a number of smaller outposts; and the Christian Caffres, our missionaries write, are taking an active interest in the efforts for the conversion of their heathen countrymen. The Wesleyans are doing much good; the last accounts I read told of forty-three Methodist chapels, and sixty-six preaching stations, in Albany and Caffraria. The Moravians, the London Society, and the Church of England, have also their labourers in the same field. All have been much hin

dered by the sad Caffre wars, but we trust a brighter day has at last dawned on the land, and that soon the blessed influence of the gospel of peace and love will be more and more felt both among the native tribes and the European settlers."

"You promised," said Anne, "to tell us the story of another great missionary this evening. Is he Mr. Moffat!"

"Why do you think so?"

"Because you have mentioned his name so often, and said that he was a Scotchman. Did he go to

Caffraria?"

"No; to a different part of South Africa. Albany and Caffraria, you see by the map, lie along the sea coast. Mr. Moffat was sent to the tribes much further north."

"Who was he sent by?".

"The London Society.

He was born in the south of Scotland, converted by the grace of God in early life, and when quite a young man offered himself to the Society as a missionary. He was ordained along with another youth, whose name will never be forgotten in mission history, although his time of service was comparatively short-John Williams."

"What did he do?"

"I shall tell you of him some future evening, we must go on with Robert Moffat now. The two friends hoped

to have been appointed to the same place, but one of the London Directors, a wise old Christian, said, 'We must separate them, they are too young to be sent together.' So Williams was appointed to the beautiful islands of the South Sea, and Moffat sent to Namaqua Land, which we may well call a thirsty, howling wilderness, inhabited by fierce animals and wild men."

"Were the lions there, mamma?" said little Fanny. "A great many, my dear. When Mr. John Campbell, a missionary traveller, visited that country soon after Mr. Moffat had gone to it, he writes of seeing three or four lions together as quite an ordinary event. Here is an extract from his journal:

66 6

'Travelling among rocks. . . . we got into a narrow descending valley between mountains. About sunset I observed Britannia, one of our Hottentots, standing motionless for some minutes before us. Pointing towards him, I asked my waggon-driver if he could see the reason for his halting in that position. "Oh," said he, "he is looking in the faces of two lions immediately before him!" I begged my driver to make the oxen gallop, as the sound might frighten the lions. He did so, and the noise among the stones made by the waggon being almost equal to that of thunder, the lions walked off, permitting the poor man to join our waggon almost fainting. He kept the lions at bay by looking them steadily in the face. Had he not possessed sufficient fortitude