Ifyoumeetapartyofstrangers，andtheheadman’srelationshiptosomeuncleofacertainchiefisnotatonceproclaimedbyhisattendants，youmayhearhimwhispering，“TellhimwhoIam。”Thisusuallyinvolvesacountingonthefingersofapartofhisgenealogicaltree，andendsintheimportantannouncementthattheheadofthepartyishalf-cousintosomewell-knownruler。
SechelewasthusseatedinhischieftainshipwhenImadehisacquaintance。
OnthefirstoccasioninwhichIeverattemptedtoholdapublicreligiousservice，heremarkedthatitwasthecustomofhisnation，whenanynewsubjectwasbroughtbeforethem，toputquestionsonit；
andhebeggedmetoallowhimtodothesameinthiscase。
Onexpressingmyentirewillingnesstoanswerhisquestions，heinquiredifmyforefathersknewofafuturejudgmentIrepliedintheaffirmative，andbegantodescribethesceneofthe“greatwhitethrone，andHimwhoshallsitonit，fromwhosefacetheheavenandearthshallfleeaway。”&cHesaid，“Youstartleme：thesewordsmakeallmybonestoshake；Ihavenomorestrengthinme；
butmyforefatherswerelivingatthesametimeyourswere，andhowisitthattheydidnotsendthemwordabouttheseterriblethingssooner？
Theyallpassedawayintodarknesswithoutknowingwhithertheyweregoing。”
IgotoutofthedifficultybyexplainingthegeographicalbarriersintheNorth，andthegradualspreadofknowledgefromtheSouth，towhichwefirsthadaccessbymeansofships；andIexpressedmybeliefthat，asChristhadsaid，thewholeworldwouldyetbeenlightenedbytheGospelPointingtothegreatKalaharidesert，hesaid，“Younevercancrossthatcountrytothetribesbeyond；
itisutterlyimpossibleevenforusblackmen，exceptincertainseasons，whenmorethantheusualsupplyofrainfalls，andanextraordinarygrowthofwatermelonsfollowsEvenwewhoknowthecountrywouldcertainlyperishwithoutthem。”ReassertingmybeliefinthewordsofChrist，weparted；anditwillbeseenfartheronthatSechelehimselfassistedmeincrossingthatdesertwhichhadpreviouslyprovedaninsurmountablebarriertosomanyadventurers。
Assoonashehadanopportunityoflearning，hesethimselftoreadwithsuchcloseapplicationthat，frombeingcomparativelythin，theeffectofhavingbeenfondofthechase，hebecamequitecorpulentfromwantofexerciseMrOswellgavehimhisfirstlessoninfigures，andheacquiredthealphabetonthefirstdayofmyresidenceatChonuane。
Hewasbynomeansanordinaryspecimenofthepeople，forIneverwentintothetownbutIwaspressedtohearhimreadsomechaptersoftheBibleIsaiahwasagreatfavoritewithhim；
andhewaswonttousethesamephrasenearlywhichtheprofessorofGreekatGlasgow，SirDKSandford，onceusedrespectingtheApostlePaul，whenreadinghisspeechesintheActs：“Hewasafinefellow，thatPaul！”
“Hewasafineman，thatIsaiah；heknewhowtospeak。”Secheleinvariablyofferedmesomethingtoeatoneveryoccasionofmyvisitinghim。
SeeingmeanxiousthathispeopleshouldbelievethewordsofChrist，heoncesaid，“Doyouimaginethesepeoplewilleverbelievebyyourmerelytalkingtothem？Icanmakethemdonothingexceptbythrashingthem；andifyoulike，Ishallcallmyheadmen，andwithourlitupawhipsofrhinoceroshidewewillsoonmakethemallbelievetogether。”TheideaofusingentreatyandpersuasiontosubjectstobecomeChristianswhoseopiniononnoothermatterwouldhecondescendtoaskwasespeciallysurprisingtohim。
HeconsideredthattheyoughtonlytobetoohappytoembraceChristianityathiscommandDuringthespaceoftwoyearsandahalfhecontinuedtoprofesstohispeoplehisfullconvictionofthetruthofChristianity；
andinalldiscussionsonthesubjecthetookthatside，actingatthesametimeinanuprightmannerinalltherelationsoflife。
HefeltthedifficultiesofhissituationlongbeforeIdid，andoftensaid，“Oh，IwishyouhadcometothiscountrybeforeIbecameentangledinthemeshesofourcustoms！”Infact，hecouldnotgetridofhissuperfluouswives，withoutappearingtobeungratefultotheirparents，whohaddonesomuchforhiminhisadversity。
InthehopethatotherswouldbeinducedtojoinhiminhisattachmenttoChristianity，heaskedmetobeginfamilyworshipwithhiminhishouse。
Ididso；andby-and-bywassurprisedtohearhowwellheconductedtheprayerinhisownsimpleandbeautifulstyle，forhewasquiteamasterofhisownlanguageAtthistimeweweresufferingfromtheeffectsofadrought，whichwillbedescribedfurtheron，andnoneexcepthisfamily，whomheorderedtoattend，camenearhismeeting。
“Informertimes。”saidhe，“whenachiefwasfondofhunting，allhispeoplegotdogs，andbecamefondofhuntingtooIfhewasfondofdancingormusic，allshowedalikingtotheseamusementstooIfthechieflovedbeer，theyallrejoicedinstrongdrinkButinthiscaseitisdifferent。
IlovetheWordofGod，andnotoneofmybrethrenwilljoinme。”Onereasonwhywehadnovolunteerhypocriteswasthehungerfromdrought，whichwasassociatedintheirmindswiththepresenceofChristianinstruction；
andhypocrisyisnotpronetoprofessacreedwhichseemstoinsureanemptystomach。
Sechelecontinuedtomakeaconsistentprofessionforaboutthreeyears；
andperceivingatlastsomeofthedifficultiesofhiscase，andalsofeelingcompassionforthepoorwomen，whowerebyfarthebestofourscholars，Ihadnodesirethatheshouldbeinanyhurrytomakeafullprofessionbybaptism，andputtingawayallhiswivesbutone。
Hisprincipalwife，too，wasaboutthemostunlikelysubjectinthetribeevertobecomeanythingelsethananout-and-outgreasydiscipleoftheoldschoolShehassincebecomegreatlyaltered，Ihear，forthebetter；butagainandagainhaveIseenSechelesendheroutofchurchtoputhergownon，andawayshewouldgowithherlipsshotout，theverypictureofunutterabledisgustathisnew-fanglednotions。
Whenheatlastappliedforbaptism，Isimplyaskedhimhowhe，havingtheBibleinhishand，andabletoreadit，thoughtheoughttoact。
Hewenthome，gaveeachofhissuperfluouswivesnewclothing，andallhisowngoods，whichtheyhadbeenaccustomedtokeepintheirhutsforhim，andsentthemtotheirparentswithanintimationthathehadnofaulttofindwiththem，butthatinpartingwiththemhewishedtofollowthewillofGodOnthedayonwhichheandhischildrenwerebaptized，greatnumberscametoseetheceremonySomethought，fromastupidcalumnycirculatedbyenemiestoChristianityinthesouth，thattheconvertswouldbemadetodrinkaninfusionof“deadmen’sbrains“，andwereastonishedtofindthatwateronlywasusedatbaptism。
Seeingseveraloftheoldmenactuallyintearsduringtheservice，Iaskedthemafterwardthecauseoftheirweeping；theywerecryingtoseetheirfather，astheScotchremarkoveracaseofsuicide，“SOFARLEFTTOHIMSELF“TheyseemedtothinkthatIhadthrowntheglamouroverhim，andthathehadbecomemine。
Herecommencedanoppositionwhichwehadnotpreviouslyexperienced。
Allthefriendsofthedivorcedwivesbecametheopponentsofourreligion。
Theattendanceatschoolandchurchdiminishedtoveryfewbesidesthechief’sownfamilyTheyalltreatedusstillwithrespectfulkindness，buttoSechelehimselftheysaidthingswhich，asheoftenremarked，hadtheyventuredoninformertimes，wouldhavecostthemtheirlives。
Itwastrying，afterallwehaddone，toseeourlaborssolittleappreciated；
butwehadsownthegoodseed，andhavenodoubtbutitwillyetspringup，thoughwemaynotlivetoseethefruits。
Leavingthissketchofthechief，Iproceedtogiveanequallyrapidoneofourdealingwithhispeople，theBakena，orBakwains。
Asmallpieceofland，sufficientforagarden，waspurchasedwhenwefirstwenttolivewiththem，thoughthatwasscarcelynecessaryinacountrywheretheideaofbuyinglandwasquitenew。
Itwasexpectedthatarequestforasuitablespotwouldhavebeenmade，andthatweshouldhaveproceededtooccupyitasanyothermemberofthetribewouldButweexplainedtothemthatwewishedtoavoidanycauseoffuturedisputewhenlandhadbecomemorevaluable；
orwhenafoolishchiefbegantoreign，andwehaderectedlargeorexpensivebuildings，hemightwishtoclaimthewhole。
ThesereasonswereconsideredsatisfactoryAbout5Poundsworthofgoodsweregivenforapieceofland，andanarrangementwascometothatasimilarpieceshouldbeallottedtoanyothermissionary，atanyotherplacetowhichthetribemightremove。
Theparticularsofthesalesoundedstrangelyintheearsofthetribe，butwereneverthelessreadilyagreedto。
InourrelationswiththispeopleweweresimplystrangersexercisingnoauthorityorcontrolwhateverOurinfluencedependedentirelyonpersuasion；andhavingtaughtthembykindconversationaswellasbypublicinstruction，IexpectedthemtodowhattheirownsenseofrightandwrongdictatedWeneverwishedthemtodorightmerelybecauseitwouldbepleasingtous，northoughtourselvestoblamewhentheydidwrong，althoughwewerequiteawareoftheabsurdideatothateffectWesawthatourteachingdidgoodtothegeneralmindofthepeoplebybringingnewandbettermotivesintoplayFiveinstancesarepositivelyknowntomeinwhich，byourinfluenceonpublicopinion，warwasprevented；andwhere，inindividualcases，wefailed，thepeopledidnoworsethantheydidbeforewecameintothecountry。
Ingeneraltheywereslow，likealltheAfricanpeoplehereaftertobedescribed，incomingtoadecisiononreligioussubjects；
butinquestionsaffectingtheirworldlyaffairstheywerekeenlyalivetotheirowninterestsTheymightbecalledstupidinmatterswhichhadnotcomewithinthesphereoftheirobservation，butinotherthingstheyshowedmoreintelligencethanistobemetwithinourownuneducatedpeasantryTheyareremarkablyaccurateintheirknowledgeofcattle，sheep，andgoats，knowingexactlythekindofpasturagesuitedtoeach；andtheyselectwithgreatjudgmentthevarietiesofsoilbestsuitedtodifferentkindsofgrain。
Theyarealsofamiliarwiththehabitsofwildanimals，andingeneralarewellupinthemaximswhichembodytheirideasofpoliticalwisdom。
TheplacewherewefirstsettledwiththeBakwainsiscalledChonuane，andithappenedtobevisited，duringthefirstyearofourresidencethere，byoneofthosedroughtswhichoccurfromtimetotimeineventhemostfavoreddistrictsofAfrica。
ThebeliefinthegiftorpowerofRAIN-MAKINGisoneofthemostdeeply-rootedarticlesoffaithinthiscountryThechiefSechelewashimselfanotedrain-doctor，andbelievedinitimplicitlyHehasoftenassuredmethathefounditmoredifficulttogiveuphisfaithinthatthaninanythingelsewhichChristianityrequiredhimtoabjure。
Ipointedouttohimthattheonlyfeasiblewayofwateringthegardenswastoselectsomegood，never-failingriver，makeacanal，andirrigatetheadjacentlandsThissuggestionwasimmediatelyadopted，andsoonthewholetribewasonthemovetotheKolobeng，astreamaboutfortymilesdistantTheexperimentsucceededadmirablyduringthefirstyearTheBakwainsmadethecanalanddaminexchangeformylaborinassistingtobuildasquarehousefortheirchief。
Theyalsobuilttheirownschoolundermysuperintendence。
OurhouseattheRiverKolobeng，whichgaveanametothesettlement，wasthethirdwhichIhadrearedwithmyownhandsAnativesmithtaughtmetoweldiron；andhavingimprovedbyscrapsofinformationinthatlinefromMrMoffat，andalsoincarpenteringandgardening，Iwasbecominghandyatalmostanytrade，besidesdoctoringandpreaching；
andasmywifecouldmakecandles，soap，andclothes，wecamenearlyuptowhatmaybeconsideredasindispensableintheaccomplishmentsofamissionaryfamilyinCentralAfrica，namely，thehusbandtobeajack-of-all-tradeswithoutdoors，andthewifeamaid-of-all-workwithinButinoursecondyearagainnorainfellInthethirdthesameextraordinarydroughtfollowed。
Indeed，notteninchesofwaterfellduringthesetwoyears，andtheKolobengrandry；somanyfishwerekilledthatthehyaenasfromthewholecountryroundcollectedtothefeast，andwereunabletofinishtheputridmassesAlargeoldalligator，whichhadneverbeenknowntocommitanydepredations，wasfoundlefthighanddryinthemudamongthevictimsThefourthyearwasequallyunpropitious，thefallofrainbeinginsufficienttobringthegraintomaturity。