The Mission

ugh the Caffre country to the borders of the Undata River, near or whereabout it was reported that the descendants of the whites would be found located; an

try, with the exception of lions and elephants in the forest, and hippopotami in the river

nxious to increase his stock and knowledge of the animal kingdom. There was little to be feared in their advance through the Caffre country, as the missionaries had already planted two missions,

ns having ceased, and the pasturage was now luxuriant; the wagons proceeded at a noiseless pace over the herbage, the sleepy Hottentots not b

from his chains. I breathe the air of independence and liberty now. After the bustle, and noi

t stars scattered over the heavens, and shining down upon us; no sound to meet our ears but the creaking of the wagon-wheels in the slow an

n search of adventure. To be clear of the bustle of the town, and no longer cooped up in the fort, is ple

haps

w's dinner was to depend wholly upon what you might procure with your gun. There

or; "but still there is solitude eve

a solitary individual," rejoined Swinton; "however, we have not come to solit

n into some kind of order and discipline, and also that we may find out whether there are any who will not suit us; we can di

sides, we shall not have our wagons properly laden an

ht," said Swinton; "and there ought to be two men on guard at a time; for on

r account," said Alexander; "however,

ttentots; some are very faithful, and do t

ageous?" inqui

race of men; but occasionally there is a poltroon,

kind among our hunters," replied Henderson; "howev

vertheless," said Alexander; "it is th

ee corroborated my opinion of him. But the day is

some grease put to those wa

those in India; but this I know, that the creaking of the carts and hackeries there is fifty times worse than this

raveling through grass higher than our heads, we shall not be able to stop behin

e we must save our gr

med to it," said the Major, "that if it we

I feel as if the loss would be gain. There is the sun ju

amine the traces and the wagons by daylight, and

is there not, on the rising g

k so," repli

not think that we had got on so fast. It is about three miles off, so it will just be convenient for our bre

teen are following with the sheep

lop on," sa

g spurs to their horses, they soon arriv

-horns, and other bones of animals which were strewed about. He then requested them to dismount. The old boor soon appeared, and gave them a hearty welcome, handi

he now poured out for the visitors, handing a box, with some sugar-candy in it, for them to put a bit into their youths, and keep there as they drank their tea, by way of sweetening it

scription of a Dutch farmer's

e roof was thatched with a hard sort of rushes, more durable and less likely to catch fire than straw. There was no ceiling under the roof, but the rafters overhead were hung with a motley

. The windows were not glazed, but closed with skins every night. There was no ch

h teacups, a teapot, and a brass kettle, with a heater. The large, brass-clasped, family Dutch Bible occupied a small tabl

nd stewed, butter, milk, fruits, and good white bread. Before breakfast was over the caravan arrived, and the oxen were unyoked. Our travelers passed away two hours in going over the garden and o

ive travelers in this friendly way?"

s on the road, and every traveler finds a we

never tak

hing. One peculiarity you will observe as you go along, which is, that the Dutch wife is a fixture at the little tea-table all d

asions the good woman t

e day is from the bedroom to the teapot,

ured and hospitable people could have been guilty of su

ospitable to an excess. Their cruelty to the Hottentots and other natives arises from the prejudices of education: they have from their childhood beheld them treated as slaves,

h renowned for cruelt

in money, men, under the influence of that passion, will stop at nothing. Their cruelties in the East are on record; but the question is, whether the English, who followed the path of the Dutch, would not, had they gone before them, have been guilty of the same crimes to obtain the same ends? The Spaniards were j

e Lord's Prayer, 'Lead us not into temptation

ating that it was their intention to reward those who did their duty, and to punish severely those who did not. They then collected wood for the fires, and had their supper,-the first meal which they had taken out of doors. Mahomed, the Parsee servant of Major Henderson, cooked very much to their satisfaction; an

with the Caffre language and country; so that they were serviceable both as interpreters and guides. The day after their arrival, when they were out in the skirts of the town, Mr. Swinton perceived something moving in the bushes. He advanced cautiously, and discovered that it was a poor little Bushman boy, about twelve years old, quite naked, and evidently in a state of starvation, having been left there in a high fever by his people. He was so weak that he could not stand, and Mr. Swinton desired the Hottentot who was with him to lift him up, and carry him to the wagons. Some medici

ll we give him

ess, I think we can not create him les

r. Swinton, "until we can nam

Begum to amuse him, and our travelers