ABSTRACT
THE winter having set in, it was tilne to resume 0111" nortllward course. Leaving our muell beloved friellds, the HugIleses, abo1lt the beginllillg of JUlle, and puslling alollg, gellerally througll heavy ~allds, ,ve acconlIjlished a hundrecllniles of our journey, alld arrived at tIle far-falned KurUlnall ill a weel{. Mr. AsIltOll and family Ilad left for tIle Free State, alld ill tIleir Ilouso we, together ,vitll two otller falnilies, tooli up our tOlnpOI"ary abode. Mr. and Mrs. Moffat, al,vays Inost llospitable to wayfarers, and doubly so to missiollaries, ,vere now fully occupied ,vith 11S all; for, ultIl0ugIl MI". and Mrs. MeKellzie had beell obligoed to goive IIp tIle idea, for tIle present, of proceeding llortIlwards, allcl llacl gOlle clOWll for a tilne to Philipolis, in the Free State, we still formed five missiollary families. These were Messrs. Hellnore alld Price, about to leave for the nortIl banI\: of tIle Zalnbesi, to the Makololo; and Messrs. Moffat, jUll., Sykes, and myself, preparillg to follovv tllell1 to tIle old clliof, UInzilikazi,* in the Alllullc1ebole lalHl. 13csides prepur-
ing for the IOllg alld tedious jour11ey to the i11terior a11d back again, Mr. Moffat, S811., had to lllake arra11gell1e11ts upon the statioll for the carrying on of the n1issioll during his intended absellce of n1any months. While we remained there he was unwearied in his activity, rendering labour light by constant cheerfulness. On one occasion, when we were all occupied, some in packing, and others in repairing their wago11s, 11e called my attention to one of our number who was painting his wagon in a very dark colour, saying, as 11e passed along, "No accountillg for taste." Strange it ,vas, that in a few mont11s later, this wagon, wllicl1 appeared hearse-like alnong so many lighter coloured ones, should become the death chambel~ of our frie11d's beloved wife, and a fit outward expression of his feelings during those sad days on the Zambesi, when Mr. and Mrs. Helmore, their two children, and his OWll lovely babe were, one after the other, cut down by the fatal fever, and buried in the wilderness; and when 011 their way southward, she who had left her native country and home for his sake and the gospel's, was found a corpse by his side, and was buried by himself under a stately forest tree. No wOllder that, as he passed through the various native towns on his way back to the Kuruman, the very appearance of the wagon in the distance cOllfirmed the sad rumours w11ich some time previously had reached these places fronl the interior, concerllillg the mission to the Makololo. Ml~. Moffat had been forty years at work 011 his advanced station, and not without substalltial tol{ens of success. A wllole tribe had beell raised out
of the abyss of degradation and heatIlellisln; a barbarous lal1guage had been acquired from tIle mouths of the natives, and reduced il1to a written form; and the whole of the Bible had beel1 translated and put into their hallds. HUl1dreds of those once cruel and superstitious people had died in the faith of tIle Son of God; Ilundreds were at presel1t members of tIle churcll. The daily and Sunday schools, as well as Sunday services, were all well attellded. Th.e printing 1)reS8 had llot beel1 idle; for, besides the ScrilJtures, several religious boo}(s, and evel1 newspapers, llad beell IJril1ted alld issued from it. Il1deed, it was impossible for any Olle to pass this little paradise, with its bealltiflll stream of water, its fertile corll fields, fruitful and well-kept gardens and orchards, its substantial and comInodiollR cIlurc}l, oI'derly worship, alld mission printillg press; and observe the gelleral aspect of things, alld good condllct of the people, without concluding that christian Inissiol1S are a great power for good in heathen lallds. Bllt there was one spot behind Mr. Moffat's house wIlich marred 0111' joy, as ,ve gazed upon it, 011 our arrival at the Kuruman; it was tIle grave of Mrs. Sykes. She was one of those with wholn we llad hoped to be connected for many years alnong tIle far inland Amal1debele. Slle had a heart to ,york for tIle Saviour, and she had long cIlel'ished tIle Ilope of being engaged ill bellefitingo tIle poor bellighted IleatIlell. But she was cut dOWll before reaching Iler destination. It was good, however, tllat s11e llad the desire, alld that 110'V the all-,vise Master ,vas pleased to acce})t tIlis, allc1 to re,vard 11er.
