104 wit im sit le ZE 106 NIGHT ASSOCIATES. having had for our breakfast a good draught of milk; and h the evening reach the proposed spot as hungry as hawks to find the whole party removed, leaving nothing but empty folds To follow the spoor, or track, through the night, was folds the question; besides, there was rarely any trace of the direction in which the party had decamped. The only perched on a bush or rock, which were disturbed by our ap proach to the ruins of a mat house, where they had been occupied in picking up bits of skin, and other particles of food. Not knowing the distance to the water, we would sit down hungry and thirsty, with little inclination either to speak or think; and after commending ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father, lie down to repose, not unfrequently disturbed by visits from hyenas, jackals, and sometimes the lion himself; all which come to prowl for bones when a village has been deserted. Next morning our first concern I would be to find water; and, taking our beasts of burden, not very we would seek the track which appeared to lead to that ever delightful beverage. Having breakfasted on a draught of sweet water, we would again set off on our lonely course, proceeding very slowly, in order not to lose the spoor, regarding ourselves fortunate if we succeeded in overtaking the party. The above is a specimen of Namaqua itinerating, and sometimes the missionary is called to suffer much greater privations than have now been described. This may be the most proper place, briefly to introduce a sketch of the general character of my manner of living, while on this station. As before noticed, I had neither bread nor vegetables. Mr. Bartlett, of Pella, once sent me a bag containing a few pounds of salt, but, on examining it, I could scarcely tell whether there was most sand or salt, and having become accustomed to do without it, I hung it upon a nail, where it remained untouched. My food was milk and meat, living for weeks together on one, and then for a while on the other, and again on both together. All was well so long as I had either, but sometimes they both failed, and there were no shops in the country where I could have purchased; and had there been any I must have bought on credit, for money 1 had none. I had purchased some ewes from Mr. Ebner when he left the country, which I spared, hoping to get now and then a lainb. My meals consisted frequently of a draught of milk in the morning, another at noon and a third at night, either THE AUTHOR'S WARDROBE. 107 sweet, sour, or curdled; for the Namaquas had not the art of preparing it in the manner of the Bechuanas, which will afterwards be described. I had frequently pretty long fasts, and have had recourse to the "fasting-girdle," as it is called; on more than one occasion after the morning service, I have shouldered my gun, and gone to the plain or the mountain brow in search of something to eat, and, when unsuccessful, have returned, laid down my piece, taken the Word of Life, and addressed my congregation. I never liked begging, and have frequently been hard put to; but many a time has an unknown friend placed in my hut a portion of food, on which I have looked with feelings better conceived than described. I shall never forget the kindness of Titus Africaner, who, when he visited the station, would come and ask what he could do for me, and, on receiving a few shots, would go to the field, and almost always bring me home something, for he was an extraordinary marksman. The contents of my wardrobe bore the same impress of poverty. The supply of clothes which I had received in London were, as is too often the case, made after the dandy fashion, and I being still a growing youth, they soon went to pieces. There were no laundry-maids there, nor anything like ironing or mangling. The old woman who washed my linen sometimes with soap, but oftener without, was wont to make one shirt into a bag, and stuff the others into it, and I just took them out as they were, and more than once have I turned one to feel the comfort of a clean shirt. My dear old mother, to keep us out of mischief in the long winter evenings, taught me both to sew and knit; and when I would tell her I intended being a man, she would reply, "Lad, ye dinna ken whur your lot will be cast.” She was right, for I have often had occasion to use the needle since. I remember once she showed me how a shirt might be smoothed, by folding it properly, and hammering it with a piece of wood. Resolving one day to have a nice shirt for the sabbath, I folded up one, and having prepared a suitable block, I laid it on, not a smooth hearth-stone, but fine granite, and hammered away in good earnest, when Africaner coming by said, "What are you doing?" "Smoothing my shirt," I replied. "That is one way," said he. So it was, for on holding it up to view, it was riddled with holes, some as large as the point of my finger. When I left the country I had not half a dozen shirts with two sleeves a-piece, having had for our breakfast a good draught of milk; and in the evening reach the proposed spot as hungry as hawks, to find the whole party removed, leaving nothing but empty folds. To follow the spoor, or track, through the night, was out of the question; besides, there was rarely any trace of the direction in which the party had decamped. The only living creatures to be seen were some vultures and crows perched on a bush or rock, which were disturbed by our approach to the ruins of a mat house, where they had been occupied in picking up bits of skin, and other particles of food. Not knowing the distance to the water, we would sit down hungry and thirsty, with little inclination either to speak or think; and after commending ourselves to the care of our heavenly Father, lie down to repose, not unfrequently disturbed by visits from hyenas, jackals, and sometimes the lion himself; all which come to prowl for bones when a village has been deserted. Next morning our first concern would be to find water; and, taking our beasts of burden, we would seek the track which appeared to lead to that ever delightful beverage. Having breakfasted on a draught of .not very sweet water, we would again set off on our lonely course, proceeding very slowly, in order not to lose the spoor, regarding ourselves fortunate if we succeeded in overtaking the party. The above is a specimen of Namaqua itinerating, and sometimes the missionary is called to suffer much greater privations than have now been described. This may be the most proper place, briefly to introduce a sketch of the general character of my manner of living, while on this station. As before noticed, I had neither bread nor vegetables. Mr. Bartlett, of Pella, once sent me a bag containing a few pounds of salt, but, on examining it, I could scarcely tell whether there was most sand or salt, and having become accustomed to do without it, I hung it upon a nail, where it remained untouched. My food was milk and meat, living for weeks together on one, and then for a while on the other, and again on both together. All was well so long as I had either, but sometimes they both failed, and there were no shops in the country where I could have purchased; and had there been any I must have bought on credit, for money 1 had none. I had purchased some ewes from Mr. Ebner when he left the country, which I spared, hoping to get now and then a lainb. My meals consisted frequently of a draught of milk in the morning, another at noon and a third at night, either THE AUTHOR'S WARDROBE, 107 sweet, sour, or curdled; for the Namaquas had not the art of preparing it in the manner of the Bechuanas, which will afterwards be described. I had frequently pretty long fasts, and have had recourse to the "fasting-girdle," as it is called; on more than one occasion after the morning service, I have shouldered my gun, and gone to the plain or the mountain brow in search of something to eat, and, when unsuccessful, have returned, laid down my piece, taken the Word of Life, and addressed my congregation. I never liked begging, and have frequently been hard put to; but many a time has an unknown friend placed in my hut a portion of food, on which I have looked with feelings better conceived than described. I shall never forget the kindness of Titus Africaner, who, when he visited the station, would come and ask what he could do for me, and, on receiving a few shots, would go to the field, and almost always bring me home something, for he was an extraordinary marksman. The contents of my wardrobe bore the same impress of poverty. The supply of clothes which I had received in London were, as is too often the case, made after the dandy fashion, and I being still a growing youth, they soon went to pieces. There were no laundry-maids there, nor anything like ironing or mangling. The old woman who washed my linen sometimes with soap, but oftener without, was wont to make one shirt into a bag, and stuff the others into it, and I just took them out as they were, and more than once have I turned one to feel the comfort of a clean shirt. My dear old mother, to keep us out of mischief in the long winter evenings, taught me both to sew and knit; and when I would tell her I intended being a man, she would reply, "Lad, ye dinna ken whur your lot will be cast." She was right, for I have often had occasion to use the needle since. I remember once she showed me how a shirt might be smoothed, by folding it properly, and hammering it with a piece of wood. Resolving one day to have a nice shirt for the sabbath, I folded up one, and having prepared a suitable block, I laid it on, not a smooth hearth-stone, but fine granite, and hammered away in good earnest, when Africaner coming by said, "What are you doing?" "Smoothing my shirt," I replied. "That is one way," said he. So it was, for on holding it up to view, it was riddled with holes, some as large as the point of my finger. When I left the country I had not half a dozen shirts with two sleeves a-piece. CHAPTER XI. AFTER continuing for many months this manner of life, cheered in a dry and thirsty land, with the early and latter rains on the seeds sown in the hearts of the people, it was resolved to make another attempt to find a more convenient spot on which to conduct the mission; and before closing the account of my sojourn in Great Namaqua-land, I will just add the particulars of a journey undertaken at the request of Africaner. He wished me to visit the Griqua country, to the east of the desert, to inspect a situation offered to him and his people, to which he might remove with the full sanction of the chiefs of the Griquas. Africaner was most anxious to leave Namaqua-land, and the present offer, which had the approval of Mr. Anderson, the missionary at that place, being attended with some political diffi culties, I felt some reluctance, but at the urgent solicitations of the people, I went. David and Simon, the two brothers of Africaner, and Jonker, his son, with Jantye Vanderbyle, the chief guide, were my attendants; we had about eight horses, good and bad, when we started. We each took a caross, or sheepskin blanket, with us, and trusted entirely for food to what we might shoot and obtain from the Corannas on the road. Our course lay principally on the north side of the Orange River. Though we journeyed on the banks of a river in which there was an abundance of water, and though the country was well inhabited, we suffered afflictively from thirst, as well as hunger; few villages being on the north side of the river, along which we travelled. We were sometimes compelled to scramble over rocky passes in the hills, only a fit abode for baboons, which were as plentiful as they were impudent. At other times we had to cross the river, to avoid the mountains on the opposite side, which arose, in the wildest grandeur, from the water's edge. On reaching the waterfalls, we were kindly received and treated by a Coranna chief, called Paul, (to whom I shall have occasion to refer when treating of the Bechuana mission,) and there we halted one day. He had visited our station, |