made at the station during the year in which Mr. Moffat was at Cape Town getting his translations printed, and acquiring a knowledge of the art of printing, which, together with that of the blacksmith, the mason, the carpenter, &c., was now brought to the station. A small hymn-book was first printed there. We are told

Among the treasures brought with us from the colony, was a box of materials for clothing, for the encouragement of such as were making efforts to clothe themselves. This was the first supply of the kind, and nothing could be more seasonable to a people just beginning to emerge from barbarism, the impoverished remains of scattered tribes, but the first-fruits of the Gospel among the Bechuanas. The needy were supplied, and many a heart was made glad.

Mr. Moffat contends that "evangelization must precede civilization." Among his converts they seem to have gone hand in hand. It was either made a condition or was a decent custom observed, that those who were baptized should previously procure decent clothing. How much of happy change to a whole people is comprehended in the following passage.

[afforded by the visit of a trader, British inanufactures were eagerly purchased.

For a long period, when a man was seen to make a pair of trowsers for himself, or a woman a gown, it was a sure intimation that we might expect additions to our inquirers; abandoning the custom of painting the body, and beginning to wash with water, was with them what cutting off the hair was among the South Sea islanders, a public renunciation of heathenism.

The garments were, and probably still are, awkward, grotesque, and incongruous enough, according to European ideas; but what an advance from the grease and ochre besmeared persons and filthy customs of former times!

Our congregation now became a variegated mass, including all descriptions, from the lubricated wild man of the desert, to the clean, comfortable, and well dressed believer. The same spirit diffused itself through all the routine of household economy. Formerly a chest, a chair, a candle, or a table, were things unknown, and supposed to be only the superfluous accompaniments of beings of another order. Although they never disputed the superiority of our attainments in being able to manufacture these superfluities, they would however question our common sense in taking so much trouble about them. They thought us particularly extravagant in burning fat in the form of candles, instead of rubbing it on our bodies, or depositing it in our

stomachs.

Hitherto, a sewing school had been uncalled for, the women's work being that of building houses, raising fences and cultivating the ground, while the lords of the creation, for their own convenience and comfort, had from time immemoA bunch of home-made candles hanging rial added to their pursuits the exercise of sewing their garments, which, from their durability from the wall of a hut was now often to be and scanty supply, was any thing but a laborious seen; and afforded the missionary more work. It was a novel sight to observe women gratification than the most charming picand young girls handling the little bright instru- ture; as an indication that instead of mopment, which was scarcely perceptible to the ing over the embers, unable to see what touch of fingers accustomed to grasp the handle of a pickaxe, or to employ them to supply the they were eating, or each other, the inmates absence of trowels. But they were willing, and could now read, work, and converse by the "We have been Mrs. M., in order to encourage them, engaged to steady light of a candle. meet them as often as her strength would per- like the beasts," the poor Bechuanas would mit. She had soon a motley group of pupils, now exclaim; "what shall we do to be very few of the whole party possessing either a saved?" frock or gown. The scarcity of materials was The lovers of Natural History, and juvea serious impediment to progress; and living as we did far beyond the reach of traders, and six nile readers, will find much to gratify their hundred miles from a market town, it was next tastes in this volume, which abounds in anto impossible to obtain them, at least just when ecdotes of lions, elephants, baboons, hyenas, wanted. The same Gospel which had taught buffaloes, &c.; and of the dangers incurred them that they were spiritually miserable, blind, in numerous encounters with them, while and naked, discovered to them also that they the missionary was travelling through the needed reform externally, and thus prepared arid deserts. The perils and adventures of their minds to adopt those modes of comfort, Mr. Catlin among the Red Indians, and the cleanliness and convenience, which they had been accustomed to view only as the peculiarities of a strange people. Thus, by the slow but certain progress of Gospel principles, whole families became clothed and in their right mind. Ornaments which were formerly in high repute, as adorning, but more frequently disfiguring their persons, were now turned into bullion to purchase skins of animals, which being prepared almost as soft as cloth, were made into jackets, trowsers, and gowns. When opportunity was

buffaloes and bisons of the "Far, far west," are not nearly so stirring as those of the missionary Moffat, in the wilds of Africa, while bivouacking or seeking food for him self and his attendants in the chase. And he appears to have handled a rifle quite as bravely and as skilfully as a text. One night, when sorely in want of "a collop," he went with two of his company, to watch

at a place where wild cattle were likely to fit with roaring congratulation. In vain I shouted come to drink, resolving to shoot whatever that it was not dead: a dozen spears were thrust into first appeared, rather than be, next day, ex-it, when up started the animal in a fury, and tearposed to the burning sun, on an arid plain, ing up the ground with his horn, made every one in bunting for food. The hunters lay in a hollow place, close by the fountain.

fy in terror. These animals were very numerous

in this part of the country; they are not gregari ous, more than four or five being seldom seen toIt was half moonlight, and rather cold, though gether, though I once observed nine following each the days were warm. We remained for a couother to the water. They fear no enemy but man, ple of hours, waiting with great anxiety for and are fearless of him when wounded and pursu ed. The lion flies before them like a cat; the something to appear. We at length heard a loud lapping at the water, under the dark sha-moholu, the largest species, has been known even dowy bank, within twenty yards of us. "What to kill the elephant, by thrusting the horn into his is that?" I asked Bogachu. "Ririmala,” (be silent,) he said; "there are lions, they will hear us." A hint was more than enough; and thankful were we, that, when they had drunk, they did not come over the smooth grassy surface in

ribs.

On another occasion, when Moffat was traversing the desert, bound on a distant expedition, he relates

our direction. Our next visitors were two buffa- Our journey lay over a wild and dreary counloes, one immensely large. My wagon-driver, try, inhabited by Balalas only, and but a sprinMosi, who also had a gun, seeing them coming di-kling of these. On the night of the third day's rectly towards us, begged me to fire. I refused, journey, having halted at a pool, (Khokhole,) we having more dread of a wounded buffalo than listened, on the lonely plain, for the sound of an of almost any other animal. He fired; and inhabitant, but all was silent. We could discothough the animal was severely wounded, he ver no lights, and, amid the darkness were unastood like a statue with his companion, within able to trace footmarks to the pool. We let loose hundred yards of us, for more than an hour, our wearied oxen to drink and graze, but as we waiting to see us move, in order to attack us. were ignorant of the character of the company We lay in an awkward position for that time, with which we might have to spend the night, scarcely daring to whisper; and when he at last we took a firebrand, and examined the edges of retired we were so stiff with cold, that flight the pool to see, from the imprints, what animals would have been impossible had an attack been were in the habit of drinking there, and, with made. We then moved about till our blood be- terror, discovered many spoors of lions. We imgan to circulate. Our next visitors were two mediately collected the oxen, and brought them giraffes; one of these we wounded. A troop of to the wagon, to which we fastened them with quaggas next came; but the successful instinct the strongest thongs we had, having discovered of the principal stallion, in surveying the pre- in their appearance something rather wild, indicincts of the water, galloping round in all direc-cating that either from scent or sight, they knew tions to catch any strange scent, and returning danger was near. The two Barolongs had to the troop with a whistling noise, to announce brought a young cow with them, and though I danger, set them off at full speed. The next recommended their making her fast also, they was a huge rhinoceros, which, receiving a mor- very humorously replied that she was too wise tal wound, departed. Hearing the approach of to leave the wagon and oxen, even though a more lions, we judged it best to leave; and after lion should be scented. We took a little supper, a lonely walk of four miles through bushes, hy- which was followed by our evening hymn and enas and jackals, we reached the village, when prayer. I had retired only a few minutes to my I felt thankful, resolving never to hunt by night wagon to prepare for the night, when the whole at a water-pool, till I could find nothing to eat of the oxen started to their feet. A lion had elsewhere. Next day the rhinoceros and buffalo seized the cow only a few steps from their tails, were found, which afforded a plentiful supply. and dragged it to the distance of thirty or forty yards, where we distinctly heard it tearing the animal, and breaking the bones, while its bel lowings were most pitiful. When these were over, I seized my gun, but as it was too dark to see any object at half the distance, I aimed at the spot where the devouring jaws of the lion were heard. I fired again and again, to which he replied with tremendous roars, at the same time making a rush towards the wagon, so as exceed ingly to terrify the oxen. The two Barolongs engaged to take firebrands, advance a few yards, and throw them at him, so as to afford me a degree of light, that I might take aim, the place being bushy. They had scarcely discharged them from their hands, when the flame went out, and the enraged animal rushed towards them with such swiftness, that I had barely time to turn the gun and fire between the men and the lion, and providentially the ball struck the ground immediately under his head, as we found by ex

The thrilling adventures of Mr. Moffat, and other travellers in Africa, throw the feats of our lion-tamers of the theatre into the shade.

In another place our hunter relates

When I had occasion to hunt, in order to supply the wants of myself and people, a troop of men would follow, and as soon as a rhinoceros or any other animal was shot, a fire was made, and some would be roasting, while the others would be cutting and tearing away at the ponderous carcase, which is soon dissected. During these operations dey would exhibit all the gestures of heathenish joy, making an uproar as if a town were on fire. I do not wonder that Mr. Campbell once remarked on a similar occasion, that from their noise and gestures he did not know his travelling companions. Having once shot a rhinoceros, the men surrounded

amination the following morning. From this the marvellous, with which the tales of some trasurprise he returned, growling dreadfully. The vellers are said to abound. I give it as received men darted through some thorn-bushes with countenances indicative of the utmost terror. It was now the opinion of all that we had better let him alone if he did not molest us.

ger,

from men of God, and men who had been experienced Nimrods too. The old lion, when in company with his children, as the natives call them, though they are nearly as big as himself; or, when numbers together happen to come upon game, the oldest or ablest creeps to the object, while the others crouch on the grass; if he be successful, which he generally is, he retires from his victim, and lies down to breathe, and rest, for perhaps a quarter of an hour; in the mean time, the others draw around, and lie down at a

got his rest, he commences at the abdomen and breast, and after making havoc with the tit-bits of the carcase, he will take a second rest, none of the others presuming to move. Having made a second gorge, he retires, the others, watching his motions, rush on the remainder, and it is soon devoured. At other times, if a young lion seizes the prey, and an old one happens to come up, the younger retires till the elder has dined. This was what Africaner called better manners than those of the Namaquas, [who abandon their aged parents.]

Having but a scanty supply of wood to keep up a fire, one man crept among the bushes on one side of the pool, while I proceeded for the same purpose on the other side. I had not gone far, when, looking upward to the edge of the small basin, I discerned between me and the sky four animals, whose attention appeared to be directed to me, by the noise I made in break-respectful distance. When the chief one has ing a dry stick. On closer inspection, I found that the large, round, hairy-headed visitors were lions; and retreated on my hands and feet towards the other side of the pool, when, coming to my wagon-driver, to inform him of our danI found him looking, with no little alarm, in an opposite direction, and with good reason, as no fewer than two lions, with a cub, were eyeing us both, apparently as uncertain about us as we were distrustful of them. They appeared, as they always do in the dark, twice the usual size. We thankfully decamped to the wagon, and sat down to keep alive our scanty fire, while we lis- Passing along a vale, we came to a spot tened to the lion tearing and devouring his prey. where the lion appeared to have been exercising When any of the other hungry lions dared to himself in the way of leaping. As the natives approach, he would pursue them for some paces, are very expert in tracing the manœuvres of aniwith a horrible howl, which made our poor oxen mals by their footmarks, it was soon discovered tremble, and produced any thing but agreeable that a large lion had crept towards a short black sensations in ourselves. We had reason for stump, very like the human form; when within alarm, lest any of the six lions we saw, fearless about a dozen yards, it bounded on its supposed of our small fire, might rush in among us. The prey, when, to his mortification, he fell a foot or two Barolongs were grudging the lion his fat two short of it. According to the testimony of meal, and would now and then break the silence a native who had been watching his motions, with a deep sigh, and expressions of regret that and who joined us soon after, the lion lay for such a vagabond lion should have such a feast on some time steadfastly eyeing its supposed meal. their cow, which they anticipated would have It then arose, smelt the object, and returned to afforded them many a draught of luscious milk. the spot from which he commenced his first leap, Before the day dawned, having deposited nearly and leaped four several times, till at last he the whole of the carcase in his stomach, he col-placed his paw on the imagined prize. On anolected the head, backbone, parts of the legs, the paunch, which he emptied of its contents, and the two clubs which had been thrown at him. and walked off, leaving nothing but some fragments of bones, and one of my balls, which had hit the carcase instead of himself.

When it was light we examined the spot, and found, from the foot-marks, that the lion was a large one, and had devoured the cow himself. I had some difficulty in believing this, but was fully convinced by the Barolongs pointing out to me that the foot-marks of the other lions had not come within thirty yards of the spot, two jackals only had approached to lick up any little leavings. The men pursued the spoor to find the fragments, where the lion had deposited them, while he retired to a thicket to sleep during the day. I had | often heard how much a large, hungry lion could eat, but nothing less than a demonstration would have convinced me that it was possible for him to have eaten all the flesh of a good heifer, and many of the bones, for scarcely a rib was left. and even some of the marrow-bones were broken as if with a hammer. . Much has been written about African lions, but the half has not been told. The following trait in their character may not be intrusive, or partaking of

ther occasion, when Africaner and an attendant were passing near the end of a hill, from which jutted out a smooth rock of ten or twelve feet high, he observed a number of zebras pressing round it, obliged to keep the path, beyond which it was precipitous. A lion was seen creeping up towards the path, to intercept the large stallion, which is always in the rear to defend or warn the troop. The lion missed his mark, and while the zebra rushed round the point, the lion knew well if he could mount the rock at one leap, the next would be on the zebra's back, it being obliged to turn towards the hill. He fell short, with only his head over the stone, looking at the galloping zebra switching his tail in the air. He then tried a second and a third leap, till he succeeded. In the mean time two more lions came up, and seemed to talk and roar away about something, while the old lion led them round the rock, and round it again; then he made another grand leap, to show them what he and they must do next time. Africaner added, with the most perfect gravity, "They evidently talked to each other, but though loud enough, I could not understand a word they said; and, fearing lest we should be the next objects of their skill, we crept away and left them in council."

fortable. At night we came to some old huts, resolved to ascend a steep, where, from a precipice, where were remains of tobacco gardens, which had we might pelt him with stones; for we had only a been watered with wooden vessels from the ad-couple of balls left. On dragging ourselves and joining river. We spent the evening in one of these huts; though, from certain holes for ingress and egress, it was evidently a domicile for hyenas, and other beasts of prey. We had scarcely ended our evening song of praise to Him whose watchful care had guided and preserved us through the day, when the distant and dolorous howls of the hyena, and the no less inharmonious jabbering of the jackal, announced the kind of company with which we were to spend the night; while, from the river, the hippopotami kept up a blowing and snorting chorus. Our sleep was any thing but sweet. the addition of the dismal notes of the hooting owl,tinued to pursue the track, which we had someone of our men remarked, "We want only the lion's roar to complete the music of the desert." "Were they as sleepy and tired as I am," said another, "they would find something else to do." In the morning we found that some of these night scavengers had approached very near the door of our hut.

horses up the steep, we found the supposed refuge too uneven for a standing place, and not one fragment of loose stone to be found. Our situation was now doubly dangerous; for, on descending to the path, the query was, on which side is the lion? My companion took his steel and flint, to try, by striking them, if he could not discover traces of the lion's paws on the path, expecting every moment that he would bound on one of us. The terror of the horses soon told us that the object of our dread was close to us, but on the right side, name. Only, in our rear. We instantly remounted, and con

scending again, we would gladly have laid our weary limbs down to rest; but thirst, and the possibility of the lion's resolving to make his supper on one of us, propelled our weary steps, for our horses were completely jaded.

times great difficulty in tracing along its zig-zag windings, among bushes, stones and sand. The dark towering cliffs around us, the deep silence of which was disturbed by the grunt of a solitary baboon, or the squalling of some of its young ones, added to the coloring of the night's picture. We had not proceeded very far before the lion Having refreshed ourselves with a bath and a gave a tremendous roar, which, echoing from predraught of water, we prepared for the thirsty road cipice to precipice, sounded as if we were within we had to traverse; but, before starting, a council a lion's den. On reaching the egress of the defile was held, whether we should finish the last small through which we had passed, we were cheered by portion of meat, which any one might have devour-the waning moon, rising bright in the east. Deed in a minute, or reserve it. The decision was to keep it till evening. We sought in vain for ixia bulbs. Our only resource, according to the custom of the country, was to fill ourselves with as much water as our bodies could contain. We were obliged to halt during the day, fearing our horses We continued our slow and silent march for would give up, from the excessive heat. When hours. The tongue cleaving to the roof of the the evening drew on, we had to ascend and de-mouth from thirst, made conversation extremely scend several sand-hills, which, weary and faint difficult. At last we reached the long-wished for from two days' fasting, was to us exceedingly fa-"waterfall," so named because, when it rains, tiguing. Vanderbyle and myself were somewhat water sometimes falls, though in small quantities; in advance of the rest, when we observed our three but it was too late to ascend the hill. We allowed companions remaining behind; but supposing they our poor worn-out horses to go where they pleased, staid to strike light and kindle their pipes, we and having kindled a small fire, and produced a thoughtlessly rode forward. Having proceeded little saliva by smoking a pipe, we talked about our some distance we halted, and hallooed, but received lost companions, who happened for their comfort to no reply. We fired a shot, but no one answered. have the morsel of meat, and who, as Jantye We pursued our journey in the direction of the thought, would wander from the position in which high ground near the Long Mountains, through we left them towards the river. We bowed the which our path lay. On reaching a bushless plain, knee to Him who had mercifully preserved us, and we alighted, and made a fire: another shot was laid our heads on our saddles. The last sound we fired, and we listened with intense earnestness; heard to soothe us, was the distant roar of the lion, but gloomy, desert silence reigned around. We but we were too much exhausted to feel any thing conversed, as well as our parched lips would allow, like fear. Sleep came to our relief, and it seemed on what must be done. To wait till morning would made up of scenes the most lovely, forming a glowonly increase the length of our suffering,-to retrace ing contrast to our real situation. I felt as if enour steps was impossible :-probably they had wan- gaged, during my short repose, in roving among dered from the path, and might never overtake us: ambrosial bowers of paradisaical delight, hearing at the same time we felt most reluctant to proceed. sounds of music, as if from angels' harps; it was We had just determined to remain, when we the night wind falling on my ears from the neighthought we would fire one more shot. It was an- boring hill. I seemed to pass from stream to swered-by the lion, apparently close to the place stream, in which I bathed and slaked my thirst at where we stood. No wood was at hand to make a many a crystal fount, flowing from golden moun fire, nothing but tufts of grass; so we ran, and re-tains enriched with living green. These Elysian mounted our horses, urging them on towards a range of dark mountains, the gloom increasing as we proceeded; but as our horses could not go much above a walking pace, we were in dread every moment of being overtaken. If we drew up to listen, his approach in the rear was distinctly heard. On reaching the winding glen or pass through the mountains, despairing of escape from our enemy, we

pleasures continued till morning dawn, when we awoke, speechless with thirst, our eyes inflamed, and our whole frames burning like a coal. We were, however, somewhat less fatigued, but wanted water, and had recourse to another pipe before we could articulate a word.

My companion then directed me to a projecting rock, near the top of the hill, where, if there