butdeclinedthetestwhichIproposed，namely，toexaminewhethertheyormynativeattendantscouldreadbestTwooftheirclergymencametobaptizethechildrenoftheBoers；so，supposingthesegoodmenwouldassistmeinovercomingtherepugnanceoftheirflocktotheeducationoftheblacks，Icalledonthem；butmyvisitendedina`ruse’practicedbytheBoerishcommandant，wherebyIwasled，byprofessionsofthegreatestfriendship，toretiretoKolobeng，whilealetterpassedmebyanotherwaytotheothermissionariesinthesouth，demandingmyinstantrecall“forlendingacannontotheirenemies。”Thecolonialgovernmentwasalsogravelyinformedthatthestorywastrue，andIcametobelookeduponasamostsuspiciouscharacterinconsequence。
ThesenoticesoftheBoersarenotintendedtoproduceasneerattheirignorance，buttoexcitethecompassionoftheirfriends。
Theyareperpetuallytalkingabouttheirlaws；butpracticallytheirsisonlythelawofthestrongestTheBechuanascouldneverunderstandthechangeswhichtookplaceintheircommandants“Why，onecanneverknowwhoisthechiefamongtheseBoersLiketheBushmen，theyhavenoking
theymustbetheBushmenoftheEnglish。”Theideathatanytribeofmencouldbesosenselessasnottohaveanhereditarychiefwassoabsurdtothesepeople，that，inordernottoappearequallystupid，IwasobligedtotellthemthatweEnglishweresoanxioustopreservetheroyalblood，thatwehadmadeayoungladyourchief。
Thisseemedtothemamostconvincingproofofoursoundsense。
Weshallseefartherontheconfidencemyaccountofourqueeninspired。
TheBoers，encouragedbytheaccessionofMrPretorius，determinedatlasttoputastoptoEnglishtradersgoingpastKolobeng，bydispersingthetribeofBakwains，andexpellingallthemissionaries。
SirGeorgeCathcartproclaimedtheindependenceoftheBoers，thebestthingthatcouldhavebeendonehadtheybeenbetweenusandtheCaffres。
AtreatywasenteredintowiththeseBoers；anarticleforthefreepassageofEnglishmentothecountrybeyond，andalsoanother，thatnoslaveryshouldbeallowedintheindependentterritory，weredulyinserted，asexpressiveoftheviewsofhermajesty’sgovernmentathome“Butwhataboutthemissionaries？”inquiredtheBoers。
“YOUMAYDOASYOUPLEASEWITHTHEM。”issaidtohavebeentheanswerofthe“Commissioner“Thisremark，ifutteredatall，wasprobablymadeinjoke：designingmen，however，circulatedit，andcausedthegeneralbeliefinitsaccuracywhichnowprevailsalloverthecountry，anddoubtlessledtothedestructionofthreemissionstationsimmediatelyafterTheBoers，fourhundredinnumber，weresentbythelateMrPretoriustoattacktheBakwainsin1852。
BoastingthattheEnglishhadgivenupalltheblacksintotheirpower，andhadagreedtoaidthemintheirsubjugationbypreventingallsuppliesofammunitionfromcomingintotheBechuanacountry，theyassaultedtheBakwains，and，besideskillingaconsiderablenumberofadults，carriedofftwohundredofourschoolchildrenintoslavery。
ThenativesunderSecheledefendedthemselvestilltheapproachofnightenabledthemtofleetothemountains；andhavinginthatdefensekilledanumberoftheenemy，theveryfirsteverslaininthiscountrybyBechuanas，IreceivedthecreditofhavingtaughtthetribetokillBoers！
Myhouse，whichhadstoodperfectlysecureforyearsundertheprotectionofthenatives，wasplunderedinrevenge。
Englishgentlemen，whohadcomeinthefootstepsofMrCummingtohuntinthecountrybeyond，andhaddepositedlargequantitiesofstoresinthesamekeeping，andupwardofeightyheadofcattleasrelaysforthereturnjourneys，wererobbedofall，and，whentheycamebacktoKolobeng，foundtheskeletonsoftheguardiansstrewedallovertheplace。
Thebooksofagoodlibrarymysolaceinoursolitude
werenottakenaway，buthandfulsoftheleavesweretornoutandscatteredovertheplaceMystockofmedicineswassmashed；
andallourfurnitureandclothingcarriedoffandsoldatpublicauctiontopaytheexpensesoftheforay。
Idonotmentionthesethingsbywayofmakingapitifulwailovermylosses，norinordertoexcitecommiseration；for，thoughIdofeelsorryforthelossoflexicons，dictionaries，&c。，whichhadbeenthecompanionsofmyboyhood，yet，afterall，theplunderingonlysetmeentirelyfreeformyexpeditiontothenorth，andIhaveneversincehadamoment’sconcernforanythingIleftbehindTheBoersresolvedtoshutuptheinterior，andIdeterminedtoopenthecountry，andweshallseewhohavebeenmostsuccessfulinresolution，theyorI。
AshortsketchofAfricanhousekeepingmaynotproveuninterestingtothereaderTheentireabsenceofshopsledustomakeeverythingweneededfromtherawmaterialsYouwantbrickstobuildahouse，andmustforthwithproceedtothefield，cutdownatree，andsawitintoplankstomakethebrick-moulds；
thematerialsfordoorsandwindows，too，arestandingintheforest；
and，ifyouwanttoberespectedbythenatives，ahouseofdecentdimensions，costinganimmenseamountofmanuallabor，mustbebuilt。
Thepeoplecannotassistyoumuch；for，thoughmostwillingtolaborforwages，theBakwainshaveacuriousinabilitytomakeorputthingssquare：likeallBechuanas，theirdwellingsaremaderoundInthecaseofthreelargehouses，erectedbymyselfatdifferenttimes，everybrickandstickhadtobeputsquarebymyownrighthand。
Havinggotthemealground，thewifeproceedstomakeitintobread；
anextemporeovenisoftenconstructedbyscoopingoutalargeholeinananthill，andusingaslabofstoneforadoorAnotherplan，whichmightbeadoptedbytheAustralianstoproducesomethingbetterthantheir“dampers“，istomakeagoodfireonalevelpieceofground，and，whenthegroundisthoroughlyheated，placethedoughinasmall，short-handledfrying-pan，orsimplyonthehotashes；
invertanysortofmetalpotoverit，drawtheashesaround，andthenmakeasmallfireonthetopDough，mixedwithalittleleavenfromaformerbaking，andallowedtostandanhourortwointhesun，willbythisprocessbecomeexcellentbread。
Wemadeourownbutter，ajarservingasachurn；andourowncandlesbymeansofmoulds；andsoapwasprocuredfromtheashesoftheplantsalsola，orfromwood-ashes，whichinAfricacontainsolittlealkalinematterthattheboilingofsuccessiveleyshastobecontinuedforamonthorsixweeksbeforethefatissaponifiedThereisnotmuchhardshipinbeingalmostentirelydependentonourselves；thereissomethingofthefeelingwhichmusthaveanimatedAlexanderSelkirkonseeingconveniencesspringingupbeforehimfromhisowningenuity；andmarriedlifeisallthesweeterwhensomanycomfortsemanatedirectlyfromthethriftystrivinghousewife’shands。
Tosomeitmayappearquitearomanticmodeoflife；
itisoneofactivebenevolence，suchasthegoodmayenjoyathome。
TakeasingledayasasampleofthewholeWeroseearly，because，howeverhotthedaymayhavebeen，theevening，night，andmorningatKolobengweredeliciouslyrefreshing；coolisnottheword，whereyouhaveneitheranincreaseofcoldnorheattodesire，andwhereyoucansitouttillmidnightwithnofearofcoughsorrheumatism。
Afterfamilyworshipandbreakfastbetweensixandseven，wewenttokeepschoolforallwhowouldattendmen，women，andchildrenbeingallinvitedSchooloverateleveno’clock，whilethemissionary’swifewasoccupiedindomesticmatters，themissionaryhimselfhadsomemanuallaborasasmith，carpenter，orgardener，accordingtowhateverwasneededforourselvesorforthepeople；
ifforthelatter，theyworkedforusinthegarden，oratsomeotheremployment；skilledlaborwasthusexchangedfortheunskilled。
Afterdinnerandanhour’srest，thewifeattendedherinfant-school，whichtheyoung，whowereleftbytheirparentsentirelytotheirowncaprice，likedamazingly，andgenerallymusteredahundredstrong；
orshevariedthatwithasewing-school，havingclassesofgirlstolearntheart；this，too，wasequallywellrelishedDuringthedayeveryoperationmustbesuperintended，andbothhusbandandwifemustlabortillthesundeclinesAftersunsetthehusbandwentintothetowntoconversewithanyonewillingtodoso，sometimesongeneralsubjects，atothertimesonreligionOnthreenightsoftheweek，assoonasthemilkingofthecowswasoverandithadbecomedark，wehadapublicreligiousservice，andoneofinstructiononsecularsubjects，aidedbypicturesandspecimensTheseserviceswerediversifiedbyattendinguponthesickandprescribingforthem，givingfood，andotherwiseassistingthepoorandwretched。
Wetriedtogaintheiraffectionsbyattendingtothewantsofthebody。
Thesmallestactsoffriendship，anobligingwordandcivillook，are，asStXavierthought，nodespicablepartofthemissionaryarmor。
Noroughtthegoodopinionofthemostabjecttobeuncaredfor，whenpolitenessmaysecureitTheirgoodwordintheaggregateformsareputationwhichmaybewellemployedinprocuringfavorfortheGospel。
ShowkindattentiontotherecklessopponentsofChristianityonthebedofsicknessandpain，andtheynevercanbecomeyourpersonalenemiesHere，ifanywhere，lovebegetslove。
WhenatKolobeng，duringthedroughtswewereentirelydependentonKurumanforsuppliesofcornOncewewerereducedtolivingonbran，toconvertwhichintofinemealwehadtogrinditthreetimesover。
Weweremuchinwantofanimalfood，whichseemstobeagreaternecessaryoflifetherethanvegetarianswouldimagine。
Beingalone，wecouldnotdividethebutcher-meatofaslaughteredanimalwithaprospectofgettingareturnwithregularitySechelehad，byrightofchieftainship，thebreastofeveryanimalslaughteredeitherathomeorabroad，andhemostobliginglysentusaliberalshareduringthewholeperiodofoursojournButthesesupplieswerenecessarilysoirregularthatweweresometimesfaintoacceptadishoflocustsThesearequiteablessinginthecountry，somuchsothattheRAIN-DOCTORSsometimespromisedtobringthembytheirincantationsThelocustsarestronglyvegetableintaste，theflavorvaryingwiththeplantsonwhichtheyfeedThereisaphysiologicalreasonwhylocustsandhoneyshouldbeeatentogether。
Someareroastedandpoundedintomeal，which，eatenwithalittlesalt，ispalatableItwillkeepthusformonthsBoiled，theyaredisagreeable；
butwhentheyareroastedIshouldmuchpreferlocuststoshrimps，thoughIwouldavoidbothifpossible。
Intravelingwesometimessufferedconsiderablyfromscarcityofmeat，thoughnotfromabsolutewantoffoodThiswasfeltmoreespeciallybymychildren；andthenatives，toshowtheirsympathy，oftengavethemalargekindofcaterpillar，whichtheyseemedtorelish；
theseinsectscouldnotbeunwholesome，forthenativesdevouredtheminlargequantitiesthemselves。
Anotherarticleofwhichourchildrenpartookwitheagernesswasaverylargefrog，called“Matlametlo“。*
*ThePyxicephalusadspersusofDrSmithLengthofheadandbody，5-1/2inches；forelegs，3inches；hindlegs，6inches。
Widthofheadposteriorly，3inches；ofbody，4-1/2inches。
Theseenormousfrogs，which，whencooked，looklikechickens，aresupposedbythenativestofalldownfromthunder-clouds，becauseafteraheavythunder-showerthepools，whicharefilledandretainwaterafewdays，becomeinstantlyalivewiththisloud-croaking，pugnaciousgameThisphenomenontakesplaceinthedriestpartsofthedesert，andinplaceswhere，toanordinaryobserver，thereisnotasignoflifeHavingbeenoncebenightedinadistrictoftheKalahariwheretherewasnoprospectofgettingwaterforourcattleforadayortwo，IwassurprisedtohearinthefinestilleveningthecroakingoffrogsWalkingoutuntilIwascertainthatthemusicianswerebetweenmeandourfire，Ifoundthattheycouldbemerryonnothingelsebutaprospectofrain。
FromtheBushmenIafterwardlearnedthatthematlametlomakesaholeattherootofcertainbushes，andthereensconceshimselfduringthemonthsofdroughtAsheseldomemerges，alargevarietyofspidertakesadvantageofthehole，andmakesitswebacrosstheorifice。
Heisthusfurnishedwithawindowandscreengratis；andnoonebutaBushmanwouldthinkofsearchingbeneathaspider’swebforafrog。
Theycompletelyeludedmysearchontheoccasionreferredto；
andastheyrushforthintothehollowsfilledbythethunder-showerwhentherainisactuallyfalling，andtheBechuanasarecoweringundertheirskingarments，thesuddenchorusstruckupsimultaneouslyfromallsidesseemstoindicateadescentfromtheclouds。