Gagup, Johannes * ?, ? † . Date???At half-past four a.m. we resumed our journey, and during the day reached the most distant outpost, called Nieuwe Fontein. Here we found Johannes Gagup, our native teacher, and about two hundred of "William Fransman's tribe settled with him. The people had selected a small valley for their abode, a portion of which Avas enclosed as garden-ground, and under cultivation, whilst their small houses of reed mats were pitched in different parts of the valley, just as the fancy of the owners had dictated. There were a considerable number of members present, all of whom were hard at work. Met by Mr. Tindall and myself, who spent some time in endeavouring to ascertain the religious condition of each. Whilst some appeared to be in a satisfactory state, on the whole, there did not seem to be much depth in their Christian experience ; which is not to be wondered at, considering their opportunities, and the necessity they are under of being confined almost exclusively to the spiritual instruction of their native teacher ; for these, belonging to another tribe, never can settle on the mission station and receive the same instruction as those who have that privilege. Some had fallen into sin, and discipline had to be enforced ; but, notwithstanding some drawbacks, it was delightful to find so many under a real religious influence, sincerely endeavouring to walk according to the Gospel. For want of a chapel, Mr. Tindall and myself assembled the members in two large circles under the shade of some large mimosa trees, thus investing our classmeetings with an air of romance quite new to me. At night, again, the heavens gathered blackness, the rain fell heavily, and the lightnings flashed and the thunders rolled with fearful grandeur. We could not but feel that our waggon, having so much iron about it, was scarcely a refuge, and that we were entirely dependent upon the God of the storm for protection. Wednesday, 20th. This morning the water was running in rills down the slopes of the small valley, though the storm had ceased, the clouds disappeared, and the sun was shining in full splendour. As the morning advanced, and the ground dried under the warmth of the sun, the signal was again given for the people to assemble, as we intended returning in the afternoon. K2 132 CHAPTER III. The horn of an antelope (the koodoo) was taken by an adept in the art, and blown with a strong, steady stream of breath. This produced a low, monotonous sound, which soon found its way to the extremity of the village ; and as the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, the population were seen tending towards the trees beneath the shade of which the service was to be held. The congregation was good, the whole of the inhabitants being there, save those who had gone to the pasturage with their sheep and goats, and one left in some of the houses where there were sick to tend, or where there was a little provision to guard against the depredations of those inveterate robbers, their dogs. We were much interested with our visit, and the people were much cheered, and will feel the beneficial stimulus far longer than those whose privileges abound, and who are always depending on excitements from without to preserve them in vital energy. After a simple repast of roast mutton, bread, and water, eaten beneath the shade of a mimosa tree, we bade them farewell, and turned our faces homeward for our journey of one hundred and twenty miles.1 Date???Then proceeding to Nieuwe Fontein, about forty-five miles further to the north-east, we found our native teacher, Johannes Gagup. He is stationed at this place, and has charge of a portion of the tribe of William Fransman. Here also I remained two days, preaching, inspecting the school, receiving Johannes' report of all matters under his charge, and meeting all the church members in class. Johannes is remarkable for his activity, zeal, and energy, and for the influence he exercises over the people. He once had a remarkable escape from a lion. He fired, when only a mere lad was with him, and, alas, missed ! The lion bounded upon him, and, knowing that any struggling might prove fatal, he endeavoured to lie as quiet as possible. Taking his hand into its mouth, as if playing with it, and placing a paw upon his shoulder, as he lay on his face upon the ground, the lion at length began to crunch the bone of his right arm from the wrist upward. With as much fortitude as he could command, he endured for some time, hoping for some speedy interposition. Meantime, the lad, his companion, had hastened back to the village, where he found all the men away, except one young man. But this brave young man, seizing his gun, hastened to the spot, and, stealthily approaching, knelt down and took aim. He was perceived by Johannes, who saw that if he fired from that position, it would be with great peril to himself. In an undertone, therefore, Johannes ventured to say, " To the other side to the other side." The lion narrowly observed the movements of the young man, but as he made no fuss, HARD AT WORK. 163 instead of leaving Johannes, it merely lifted its head grandly, and stood watching him. With admirable coolness, he took up a new position, and fired, sending the ball right through the head. The lion just gave a quiver with his lower lip, and fell with his full weight upon Johannes. " Then I thought," said Johannes, " that my life would have been crushed out of me." But the young man was soon at hand, and taking a fore-leg of the lion, and by main strength turning him over, released Johannes from the terrible pressure ; and soon obtaining further help, they conveyed him home. The arm was bound in splints, and the bone knit together again ; and when Johannes told me of the escape, rolling up his shirt sleeve, he showed me the marks of the monster's teeth, which he will carry with him to his grave.2 Date ???With many prayers for the blessing of heaven upon the people, we bade them farewell, and proceeded to the next outpost, Nieuwe Fontein, forty miles further to the north-east. Here since my last visit a new and pretty chapel, as it seemed in that country, had been raised under the direction of Johannes Gagup, our native teacher. Until its erection all services had been held beneath the shade of a large spreading camel-thorn tree. Some time before, arrangements had been made with a native builder to erect a stone chapel ; but as, in his estimation, the pay was insufficient, nothing came of the agreement. Before long, serious thoughts were agitating the mind of Johannes. " One night," said he, a as I lay sleepless in my house, I began to ask myself, ' What am I doing for the Lord ? I say that I love God, and yet I am doing nothing for Him ! ' These thoughts so pressed upon his spirit that he called the people together, and told them what his feelings o 194 CHAPTER IV. had been, and what he felt it his duty to do : they saw that he was right, and promised to help : waggons for the fetching of wood, and sleighs for the carriage of stone, were promptly put into requisition : whilst the women assisted by bringing a good supply of grey clay for mortar, and the children found genial employment in fetching water in their bambooses and treading the clay. The result was the building we beheld.3 On March 5th date???, I felt it necessary to leave home on a visit to our two north-eastern stations of 'Amas and INieuwe Fontein, and on the afternoon of the third day reached Wortel. Here I met with the chief Fransman, and a number of his people, on a journey to my station. 230 CHAPTER V. His intention was to complain, as he said, before Abraham, the chief, and myself, of one of our native assistants, Johannes Gagup, who is stationed, with a portion of his people, at Nieuwe Fontein, at some distance from the residence of their chief. He accused him of several things, the most serious ofwhich was that Johannes had appointed another chief in his place, saying that Fransman was no longer chief of the 'Karakikooika ! As I was on the way to Johannes' place, I endeavoured to persuade Fransman to accompany me, when I promised to investigate the matter. This he was unwilling to do, and seemed bent on visiting the Bath Station, and conferring with Abraham, our chief, to whom he had sent notice of his approach. Why an independent chief should wish to have such a cause adjudged by the chief of another tribe, I cannot conceive.4 14th This morning, after the usual service," during which I baptized eight children, I called together Johannes Gagup, the native assistant, Jan Koper, the alleged new chief, and fifteen others, who, as stated by TOILS AND TRIUMPHS. 233 Fransman, were all implicated in the same crime, for the purpose of making known to them the charges brought against Johannes. Not one of the whole company knew anything of the " abominable things " alleged by Fransman to be said and done on the place ; of the election of a new chief, &c. Indeed, the whole of the charges were astounding to them, as they neither knew nor had heard of any of them, till they heard them from my mouth. And I can easily conceive that the origin of all Fransman's suspicions is his jealousy at the flourishing state of the society here, by which a number of his people are induced to attend the services held by Johannes, and to settle en this place, instead of living nearer the chief. Some time since Fransman came to my station to ask permission, as he put it, to remove to a considerable distance north of his present place of residence, and to take with him Johannes and all the members of society who formed his special charge. With regard to his own removal and that of his people who were not members, I said I had nothing to do, he might act as he pleased. But with reference to Johannes and all the members, I said I must decidedly object, especially as they were reluctant to leave. If he 'removed them, which of course he had the power to do, I said it must be in opposition to my wish ; and were he thus causelessly to break up a portion of the Church of Christ after so much labour and expense had been incurred, he would certainly bring upon himself the Divine displeasure. He admitted the truth of all I said, but was still bent on his favourite scheme of removal, which I believe implied nothing less than the plunder of the lands and cattle of 234 CHAPTER V. the tribes of Damaraland. On that occasion he remained for three days at the Bath, visiting me each day in order to obtain my consent. But as he was unable to extort a compliance with his wishes, he has become irritated against Johannes and the members at Nieuwe Fontein, and ready to receive any idle tale that may be repeated to their disadvantage. I have no reason to believe that Fransman is opposed to missionary operations in themselves ; he is very anxious to have a missionary of his own, but he is jealous that so many of his people should prefer living at such a distance from himself in order that the} r may become members of Christ's Church, and enjoy all its privileges. I was, therefore, especially thankful that none of the charges he has brought against .this portion of his people have the appearance of truth. The formal charge has yet to be preferred.5 Tuesday, March 17th. This morning when we were just ready to take our leave, a man arrived saying that the two chiefs, Abraham and Fransman, were approaching ; that their coming was " met scherpte," with severity, Abraham having ordered one of his great men to be flogged at one of the places through which he had 23G CHAPTER V. passed. Not being assured of the truth of the report, I despatched a man on horseback to 'Amas, a distance of more than forty miles, to ascertain its correctness, resolved, if it were true, to stay till their arrival, that I might endeavour to temper the anger of the chieftains, and defend our native assistant from their wrath in case the accusations preferred against him should prove false. At about eleven o'clock at night the messenger returned, having met with the chiefs at the above-named place. He states them to be now on their way, accompanied by a body of men on oxback, armed with guns, so that we expect their arrival on the morrow. Wednesday, 18th. At four o'clock this afternoon the chiefs arrived, preceded by about sixty men on oxback armed with guns. On the two waggons in which the chiefs travelled being drawn up at the entrance of the village, at a distance of six or seven hundred yards from my own, the oxmen wheeled round in quite a fine manoeuvre to the rear of the waggons and dismounted. Soon after, the chiefs left them, and walked at the head of their men towards mine, when, descending from it, I went out and met them half way, saluting each chief, by shaking hands, as usual ; and this ceremony being completed, they sat round the front of the waggon, the chiefs on chairs, and most of the others on the ground. Just at this moment, a smart clap of thunder burst over our heads, and a few drops of rain fell, but subsided as unexpectedly as they came. For some time all sat in silence, when by degrees they glided into a familiar conversation, grouping together into small parties ; but nothing was said on the subject of their visit till I myself alluded to it. This was just TOILS AND TRIUMPHS. 237 as the chiefs were about to return to their waggons for the night, when I intimated a wish that the accusations laid against Johannes might be gone into early on the following morning, as I designed leaving in the afternoon, my stay having been already protracted two days beyond what I had intended, solely in consequence of the reported approach of the chiefs. This being assented to, they all returned to their encampment at the entrance of the village. Thursday, 19th. This morning, just after sunrise, Abraham sent to inquire whether I intended holding the usual morning service before the charges were investigated, to which I replied in the affirmative, and immediately ordered the horn to be blown. The chapel was well filled, and both the chiefs attended. On leaving the chapel and inquiring if they were ready, they said they were ; but as they wished to have a little private conversation with me, before entering on the general business, I accompanied them to a wide-spread camelthorn tree, a short distance from the chapel, beneath the shade of which we seated ourselves : but after some minutes had passed in silence, and they seemed scarcely to know how to commence the solicited conversation, I opened it myself by referring to the serious charges Fransman had made against the native teacher here, and the great surprise and grief I had felt on hearing them. Each of those charges, I said, I wished to be thoroughly searched into, in order that the innocence or guilt of Johannes might be clearly established. At this point Fransman said he wished to see Johannes alone, " that he might understand the man himself: " and both chiefs desired that whilst they should converse with him, 238 CHAPTER V. I would withdraw, adding that if it were found necessary for me to be present, I should be called. As I had reason to suspect that there was some sinister design in the request, I resolved not to comply, and instantly said that as Fransman had brought to me accusations against Johannes, and as Johannes was appointed to his special office by the missionary, I must be present at his examination. Whilst Johannes himself steadily denied any knowledge of the things laid to his charge, Fransman addressed him at some length and in great anger. But all present could see there was no real cause for the exhibition of such a temper; and Abraham, perceiving its unreasonableness, stepped in as moderator, saying to his brother chieftain, " Speak softly ; speak according to justice," when Fransman desisted. After a little conversation amongst themselves, the two chiefs said they " found nothing " in Johannes : they acknowledged that he was " guiltless," and added, " He is now free ; we have done with him." I therefore arose and said, as they had discovered no guilt in Johannes, and had pronounced him free, that was all I wished to know. I had no desire to be present during their examination into other matters, and I would therefore leave the council, which I then did. At three several times the chiefs wished me to leave ; but this I steadily refused to do whilst the case of Johannes was pending, and I am now particularly thankful that I resolved on remaining till that was settled.6 Was t he elder in Rehoboth in 1846 and substituted Kleinschmidt when he travelled to Otjikango during the war?7 Married: Children: Education: Other family members connected to RMS: Mission Stations: History with the RMS: 1 Ridsdale 1883:130-132. 2 Ridsdale 1883:162-163. 3 Ridsdale 1883:193-194. 4 Ridsdale 1883:229-230. 5 Ridsdale 1883:232-234. 6 Ridsdale 1883:235-238. 7 BRMG 1865:166. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------