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CONCLUDING REMARKS.

at last received to glory, a monument of what grace can do even in the eleventh hour."

In reference to this pleasing event, Mr. Hamilton remarks, "Things are now coming to close quarters. The surrounding heathen chiefs are in a state of consternation at the father of their cause embracing the faith, and becoming a little child in the kingdom of God; and on being assured that this is really the case, shake their heads as mournfully as if he were dead."

It is a remarkable fact, that some of the heathen chiefs, upwards of one hundred miles distant, are opposed to the introduction of the Gospel among their people, though they view missionaries as their benefactors, receive them with civility, and attend upon their ministry; when, at the same time, those of more distant tribes are anxiously desiring to have missionaries both for themselves and their people. To us this is not at all surprising, the latter being sensible only of the temporal benefits enjoyed by those who have received the Gospel, but comparatively ignorant of the strict requirements of the word of God; while such as live nearer, and have mingled with Christians, often have the enmity of their carnal hearts aroused by witnessing the havoc it makes among their heathenish customs and darling sins, without having tasted the blessedness of being turned from them to serve the living God.*

* Mr. Edwards, accompanied by one of the younger missionaries, has lately gone into the interior, with the prospect of commencing a mission among the Bakone tribes.

CHAPTER XXXII.

The Basuto Mission-The speech of Mosheshe-Extended operations-Omnipotence of the Gospel-Hope for Africa-The Niger expedition-The duty of the Church of Christ-Anticipated results-Potency of the Scriptures-Agreeable surprise-Christian hospitality.

HAVING already exceeded the limits of the present work, the author feels it necessary to confine the different subjects on which he intended to dilate, within a very narrow compass. It is with the greatest satisfaction he refers to the French and Wesleyan brethren in the Basuto country, south-east of the Kuruman, whose labours have been abundantly blessed not only in that district but to the borders of the Colony. Mosheshe, king of the Basutos, had long desired to receive a missionary, in order to procure for his subjects those advantages which he had heard other tribes had derived from the residence of a missionary among them. After long reflection, in 1833, he sent two hundred oxen to some of his servants, ordering them to go and find the great chief of the white people, and obtain from him, in exchange for the cattle, men capable of instructing his subjects. His servants obeyed; but, after a few days' march, they fell in with some Corannas who deprived them

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of their cattle. This adverse circumstance did not discourage Mosheshe; for, having heard that a Griqua from our missionary station at Philippolis was hunting in his dominions, he sent for him, inquired respecting the object and labours of the missionaries, and entreated the stranger's assistance in the accomplishment of his wishes. This was promised; and on the Griqua's return to Philippolis, he related the affair to his missionary; and it is worthy of remark, that just at this juncture three missionaries from the Paris Society arrived at the station. They were on their way to the Bechuanas beyond the Kuruman; but, on learning this circumstance, they could not but consider it as an unequivocal call, which they were bound to obey. That was a part of the country which had been but little traversed by Europeans, and had been made the theatre of crime and bloodshed by the Bergenaars. The brethren arrived in July, 1833, when Mosheshe gave them a them a most friendly reception, and assisted in selecting a suitable spot for a mission station, which they called Morija. Messrs. Casalis, Arbousset, and Gosselin, commenced this important mission, and they now exert an influence over at least twelve thousand souls. Public worship is well attended, and the Sabbath punctually observed, by those of the people who make a profession of the Christian religion. The unremitting and self-denying labours of these valuable men have been remarkably blessed, and their hands have been strengthened by additional labourers from the same Society. They have translated portions of the word of life into the native language. The influence exerted by Mosheshe over the minds of the people has

THE SPEECH OF MOSHESHE.

611

been a most effective auxiliary to the labours of our brethren. The following remarks, in a speech of his, taken from the journal of J. Backhouse, Esq., who himself heard it, will show that he is a man of considerable talent :

"Rejoice, you Makare and Mokatchani! you rulers of cities, rejoice! We have all reason to rejoice on account of the news we have heard. There are a great many sayings among men. Among them some are true, and some are false; but the false have remained with us, and multiplied; therefore we ought to pick up carefully the truths we hear, lest they should be lost in the rubbish of lies. We are told that we have all been created by one Being, and that we all spring from one man. Sin entered man's heart when he ate the forbidden fruit, and we have got sin from him. These men say that they have sinned; and what is sin in them is sin in us, because we come from one stock, and their hearts and ours are one thing. Ye Makare have heard these words, and you say they are lies. If these words do not conquer, the fault will lie with you. You say you will not believe what you do not understand. Look at an egg! If a man break it, there comes only a watery and yellow substance out of it; but if it be placed under the wings of a fowl, there comes a living thing from it. Who can understand this ? Who ever knew how the heat of the hen produced the chicken in the egg? This is incomprehensible to us, yet we do not deny the fact. Let us do like the hen. Let us place these truths in our hearts, as the hen does the eggs under her wings; let us sit upon them, and take the same pains, and something new will come of them."

Mosheshe's son is a convert, and several have been admitted into church fellowship. In 1840 they had a large number of candidates. "Thus," they write, "the hope of the missionary has not been deceived; for under the influence of Christianity there has been effected a sensible amelioration in the mind, character, and manners of the natives." Nor can we overlook the remarkable successes which have crowned the

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EXTENDED OPERATIONS.

labours of Messrs. Rolland and Pellisser, of the same Society, located among the Bechuanas of the Caledon River.

The Wesleyans had laboured among the Barolongs alternately at Makuase, Platberg, and Boochap, on the Yellow River, and eventually removed with their people to the Newlands, in the country of the Basutos. Among the Barolongs, Basutos, Mantatees, and Corannas, they have flourishing stations, and the Divine blessing evidently rests upon their labours. Chapels have been erected at all the principal places. A printing-press is in operation, the work of civilization is advancing, and youths are under tuition for native agency; on which subjects copious information is before the public.

It is impossible to look to the noble band of Church, Wesleyan, and Baptist missionaries, on the west coast, without being compelled to acknowledge the special blessing from on high which has rested upon their labours; and to admire the zeal of these men of God, who, with their lives in their hands, venture on those pestiferous shores. The result of their truly self-denying labours at once solves the problem it is now demonstrated that the Gospel can transform these aceldamas, these dens of crime, weeping, and woe, into abodes of purity, happiness, and love.

I leave these details of missionary labour to the judgment of the reader, who must now be in some measure acquainted with the character and extent of the operations of the London Missionary Society, as well as those of others, on behalf of the greatly injured and still suffering tribes of Southern Africa. From what has been stated, it must be evident, that