Rolfe, Elias * ?, ? † . Thirty-seven miles further to the north-east, lay Stof Kraal, which was so named from the dusty, impalpable sand, or rather dust, on which the village stands. Here I found a hundred and fifty of our own tribe living. Elias Rolfe, the teacher, holds the school, maintains the services, and regularly meets tho members in class. Elias is a most exemplary man, and though not until recently recognised as a native teacher, he has for some-lime faithfully discharged all the duties of that office ; watching over the members with a solicitude and anxiety rarely equalled. To witness so much care and zeal in the work of the Lord, is particularly delightful, especially in a native. Previous to his conversion he was accustomed to accompany the predatory expeditions which were very common amongst his countrymen a few years ago, M 2 164 CHAPTER III. when they thought little of shooting down those who opposed them, whilst plundering them of their cattle. The thought of his former mode of life was even now very distressing. Standing one day by my waggon, I perceived that he was in a tremor from head to foot, his lips were quivering and his eyes filled with tears. Thinking that something of a very sorrowful kind must have recently happened, I asked what it was that so deeply affected him, when I found it was the thought of his former mode of life, in contrast with what he now felt it ought to have been. And there was one thought that was to him the most bitter of all, the thought of having, in those reckless days, taken the life of his fellow men. " 0, Sir," said he, " I have no doubt that God has forgiven me for the Saviour's sake, and that now I am a child of God ; and yet sometimes, when I remember that I have shed the blood of my fellow men, I am ready to wonder how God canf admit me into the heavenly world." Forgiven by God, he felt that he never could forgive himself. In his general character he was modest and retiring, and in religious matters a man of great sensibility and tenderness. Here at his village I found very interesting occupation. In anticipation of my visit the banns of marriage had been published of fourteen couples, and these were all waiting to be united in holy matrimony in the Christian fashion. This ceremony was performed in the presence of the whole population of the village ; after which thirty-seven persons who had satisfactorily passed through their probation were baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, and admitted into full HARD AT \VORK. 165 church-membership. At the close of this interesting and impressive service, during which many tears were shed, four-and-twenty infants were also dedicated to God in holy baptism. There was so much life and animation amongst this people, and they appeared to be in so prosperous and hopeful a state, that I should have rejoiced to spend a longer time with them had it been practicable. I was already a hundred and fiftyseven miles from Nisbett Bath, and had nearly thirty more to travel over a rugged stony country through which there was only a " baboon's path," as the people call it ; so that I could not stay. Owing to the character of the road we could only travel by day, and as we should be exposed to the sun all the time, we feared a painful journey. At sunrise on Saturday morning, in company with Elias Rolfe and two other members of the society, I left Stof Kraal for Klip Fontein, the present residence of the chief of the Velschoen Draagers. The roads were extremely rugged, the sun intensely hot, and no water to be found. After travelling several hours, unable to endure the sun any longer, we rested for an hour or two in the best shade we could find, which was very poor. About three hours after resuming our journey, whilst passing along the bottom of a narrow, luxuriantly grassy valley, though so strewn all over with loose stones as to make it difficult for our horses to walk, we espied in the distance a few loose ride-oxen approaching, followed by two young natives, carrying their bows and quivers with poisoned arrows. In a minute more the mother of Hendrik Hendriks, the chief of the Velschoen Draagers, made her appearance, 166 CHAPTER III. walking along the valley in true African style. She was about the ordinary height, very stout, with a remarkably erect bearing, considering her age, which must have been above fifty. She was perfectly destitute of clothing, saving a narrow girdle of skin round the loins, which, being fastened in front, left both ends, cut into narrow strips, suspended as far as the knees. A double necklace of very small blue beads, that reached in a loop down to the waist, a white calico cap, fitting close to the head, and a splendid parasol composed of large black and white ostrich feathers, completed her attire. From head to foot she was so thickly besmeared with grease and red dust as entirely to conceal the real colour of the skin. This unguent was to serve as a protection against the sun. Elias, having several times visited the tribe to which we were going, knew the old lady, and introduced me as the missionary. She had long looked for my visit, and now hailed my arrival with great delight. When the first excitement was past, she sat down to continue the conversation, whilst we still remained in our saddles. But soon the flow of feeling returned, and she rose again to renew her expressions of delight, suiting her action to the animation of her feelings. A young woman accompanied her, but tip to this moment she stood a few yards off in silence ; now, however, amidst all the tumultuous eloquence of the old lady's rejoicings, the young woman was overheard to say in broken Dutch, and in a movingly pathetic tone, " 0, I feel great grief to-day to see a missionary come so far." This, in fact, was the burden of the old lady's exclamations. Wonder, with grief and joy commingled, seemed to fill the minds of both to think that I should HARD AT WORK. . 107 have come so far to see and instruct them. After travelling two hours and a half more, we came in sight of the small valley in which the chief and two hundred of his people had pitched their huts ; and as soon as we were seen to descend the hillside sloping down towards tlie village, all the children, assisted by the young men and women, filled the air with a succession of shouts till we arrived at the place ; and these shouts, being accompanied by the barking of dogs, the bleating of sheep and lambs, and the bellowing of cattle just returning home from grazing, produced such a deafenirg tumult as I had never heard before. On dismounting near the chief's hoiise, the chief, Hendrik Hendriks, came to offer his salutations, though with a coldness ofmanner that seemed unaccountable, and tliat almost made me suspect the genuineness of the wish he had expressed to receive a visit. Perhaps he thought it became the dignity of his position to assume a little distance and hauteur in his manner, lest the missionary should bo in danger of thinking himself an equal. The expression of his countenance was by no means prepossessing, and, though firm and manly, it was clouded with a look of sullen sternness. He soon relaxed, however, and became very genial. A chair of native make was brought from his hut and placed by a bush in the open air for my service ; some small poles were driven into the ground in a row, and then some native matting, standing on its edges, was made fast to these poles, that I and the men who had accompanied me might be defended against the cool evening wind. As a mark of distinction he ordered a mat to be placed over the part I was to occupy, to serve as a roof, that the de\v 168 CHAPTER III. might not fall upon me during the night. Whilst these preparations were being made, seeing that the lower part of my trowsers was torn into strips from the knees downwards by the thorn-bushes through which I had had to ride, to my amusement, I suppose at the instigation of one of my companions, he sent me a needle and thread that I might repair them, and make a more seemly appearance at his court ! A simple needle and thread were quite a curiosity in that far distant region, and must have been conveyed there by a native teacher in his visits, or by some of our people, as at that earl;* period no trader had visited his country. As soon as tl.e cows could be milked, a perfectly new and ingeniously carved milk vessel was brought full of frothy milk, fresh from the cow, for my exclusive use. After taking a deep draught I felt refreshed, and my tongue was loosened ; for till then, in consequence of the rough and stony nature of the country through which we had passed, and exposure to the fierce heat of the sun from his rising to his setting, I was so faint and exhausted as scarcely to be able to speak. When the evening had darkened in around us, the whole population assembled where I and my party were located. A large fire was made a few yards off, the company surrounded it, and I preached under the starry canopy on God as the Creator. During the service all were perfectly attentive ; but long after it was over they continued together, making their remarks on the missionary, and laughing with wonder and delight, for I turned out to be a much more curious object to them than I had expected. They had heard of a missionary, they said, but they thought that when he came he would be like HARD AT WORK. 169 themselves ; but I was white. They were also full of wonder to think I should have come so far ; for Elias Rolfe had told them I had crossed the ocean, and that my country was at a very great distance. They said they were troubled that a white man should take so much pains over them who were black. And when they looked at my clothes and saw how they were torn by the angry bushes, they said they were sure I had not come to take away their cattle, but for their souls' good. After most of them had retired to their homes, hearing a loud and angry discussion in the chief's house, I inquired of Elias Rolfe what was the matter. Smiling, he said that one man, very anxious to have a full view of my person during the service, wa,s quarrelling with another, who, by standing before him, had obstructed his view ; and though the other repeatedly affirmed that he did not do so intentionally, but merely to gratify his curiosity, it was with some difficulty that the anger of the offended man could be appeased. At sunrise on the Sabbath morning we held a prayer meeting in the open air. When the time for morning service drew near, men were stationed at distances of two or three hundred yards from each other all down the village, which was situated stragglingly in a long narrow valley, and the moment I intimated my wish for the congregation to collect, Elias shouted, " En ka koo " ("Come together "). The next man repeated, (( En ka koo ; " the next did the same, and " En ka koo " was telephoned in native fashion to the extremity of the village, when simultaneously the whole congregation left their houses and came to the place appointed ; so that in five minutes we were ready to commence. Onlv the three 170 CHAPTER III. men of my party could sing; but their singing very much struck the congregation, who had never heard such singing before. I preached from Romans v. 8. In the afternoon I again preached from Acts xvii. 30, 31, which was interpreted from the Dutch into Namaqua, as were all the services, by Elias, and with good effect. At night, by star and fire light, I read, explained, and enforced the relative duties as contained in Ephesians v. During the services I was particularly struck with the devotional appearance of the chief. Whilst we were singOinoO- he stood rather behind the rest,7 having his evves closed, and seeming by the solemnity of his countenance to be under the influence of deeply serious feelings. Before the evening service I had some serious conversation with him respecting his desire for religious instruction. On asking if he sincerely wished some one to live amongst his people to instruct them, with deep emphasis he said, " yes, I am exceedingly anxious. I must have a missionary, and," he added, " this is the wish of all my people." "But," I said, u if any one should come to live with you, will more of your people come together?" 11 yes," he replied, " the only reason why they are so scattered is because there is no instruction, and nothing to keep them together. I know where they all are, and I would send for them." I then explained to him the sacrifices a missionary would have to make to come and live in such a land ; the heavy expenses incurred by his coming from so great a distance ; and how all these expenses must be paid by the people of England. He looked very thoughtful, thinking, probably, that if such were the expenses and sacrifices, his was a hopeless case. " Now," I said, " if I could procure a missionary, HARD AT WORK. 171 would you and your people try and do something towards meeting this expense ? " He deliberated a moment or two, and then, with a not uncommendable prudence, replied, " I do not exactly understand the matter ; but we would do what we could." I then said that I could not promise to obtain a missionary for him, but I would write on the subject. He then said in an impassioned manner, " 0, I am in haste, for man is a dying thing, and I and my people may die before we have a missionary." I believe he spoke the deep feelings of his heart ; and to me both his serious and earnest manner, and the sentiments he uttered, were inexpressibly affecting ; and I thought, If these people are not prepared for the saving Gospel of Christ, where throughout the length and breadth of this world shall we find any that are ? Already the incipient workings of the Holy Spirit had been felt in the heart of this chief, and in the hearts of many of his people ; a result that, by the Divine blessing, has followed the simple preaching of the Gospel amongst them by our native teacher, Elias Rolfe. On Monday morning, before day, I was awakened by the voice of prayer, several of the people having left their huts, where they can have no privacy, and gone to the bush to pour out their souls. It was a moving sound, and I hope a proof of the good effect of the services of the Sabbath. At about 7 a.m. AVC took our farewell of the chief and people, and, after another very tedious and exhausting journey of nine hours, reached Stof Kraal. I was too much fatigued to hold any service that night, and was glad to retire to the nice new mat house which was assigned to me and my guide. 172 CHAPTER III. A bowl of milk was brought for my evening meal ; my saddle formed my pillow, some new reed matting spread upon the ground served as a mattress, and, folding my kaross around me, I had no doubt, weary as I was, of a good night's rest. The dogs, however, were an intolerable nuisance, and, as soon as all was quiet, made their way in, searching for food. Several times I started up angrily, and put the prowling beasts to flight. Dash they went out at the doorway, which was merely a reed mat, hanging down in front to the ground. At length, tying the mat firmly to the bamboo framework of the doorway, I once more composed myself to rest, taking the precaution of having my right hand at liberty, and my riding-whip, a strip of solid rhinoceros hide, close by, so that at a moment's notice I could grasp and use it. I was just dozing off when one of these pertinacious marauders was at the door, evidently intent on housebreaking. By-and-by the strings were gnawed through, and the animal had gained an entrance, and was sniffing about for anything eatable. Near me was a chair with my manilla hat lying on it, in which I had put a few pieces of rusk, all my store till I could reach home. Standing on his hind legs, the head of the dog was soon in the hat, crunching the biscuit. In an instant I grasped my whip, and dealt a heavy blow across the loins of the thief, and with a terrific yell he dashed through the matting of the doorway and escaped. I had no more intrusions that night, but slept soundly, and later than usual. Early in the morning, almost before any one else was astir, to his consternation, our native teacher saw my hat lying out on the sand of the village, with sundry strips of paper, on which I had HARD AT WORK. 173 been makingO; notes,7 scattered about in all directions. His first care was to make for my abode and see if I was all safe ; so stooping down and peeping inside and finding me and my man still asleep, and all right, he carefully kept all till I was up. I had not observed that anything was absent, till, on going out at the doorway for a morning glance, Elias brought them to me. The mystery, so alarming as it was to Elias, was soon explained. The dog, deeply intent on the biscuit at the bottom of my hat, and electrified by the stroke of the whip, dashed off with my hat upon his head, the ribbon which I had kept attached to it, to slip under the chin, evidently answering a similar purpose in keeping it on the head of canis till he had burst the bounds of my habitation and got into the open village. Bidding adieu early the same day to Elias and his people, and on the return journey calling at Nieuwe Fontein and 'Amas, where we rested for a short time, I reached home safely after an absence of fourteen days, thankful for preservation and for all the comfort I had met with in the work of the Lord.1 [emphasis by HMM] After remaining several days at this place, leaving Mrs. Ridsdale and Martha, the servant girl, I took one of my men and proceeded on horseback to the next outpost, Melk-Boom River, a narrow valley with low mountains on each side, the sandy bed of a river running along the base, in which deep holes were dug for a supply of water. The hills were remarkably verdant to the very top, and the euphorbia abounded. This place I had never seen before, though the community were watched over by Elias Rolfe, who on my last visit was at Stof Kraal. Some of our outposts are very shifting things, more especially that with which Elias is connected, he and his people having no fountain around which they can permanently settle. In a country like this, no stationary mode of existence is practicable. A chapel, something like the Jewish booths erected during the Feast of Tabernacles, was set up for their services, and in this primitive place I preached with great comfort and enlargement. During my stay, as usual, a house was allotted to me and niy man, which, however, was often frequented by Elias, and occasionally by the people.2 Sunday, 15th. Every day since my arrival in this place numbers have come from various surrounding parts, some from a great distance ; and this morning at about seven o'clock Elias Rolfe, our native teacher at Bak River, came with about twenty others, men and women, all riding on oxback. They had left their homes on Saturday at sunrise, but the distance to this place being upwards of fifty miles, they were not able to reach us before this morning, though they had travelled nearly all the night through. In consequence of the arrival of so many persons we have had nearly four hundred people on the place, and the chapel being much too .small for the congregation, we were obliged to erect a shade alonOg one side of it to screen some of those who were unable to gain access to the interior. It being too hot for service in the afternoon, I held none, but TOILS AND TRIUMPHS. 235 had the horn blown for the Sunday school ; and whilst this was being held, I had a conversation with three of our native teachers, who had met me on this place, examining them as to their knowledge of the principal doctrines of Christianity, and giving them some instruction on the subject of preaching.3 May 2nd. At half-past two p.m. yesterday we left for Stof Kraal, Elias's place, and came by the new path he has made. At about five we offsaddled for a short time, and then resumed, riding on and on till we were stiff and out of patience, wondering when we should recognise any part of the country I had previously seen in travelling to this place. Nothing appearing, we travelled on till about ten o'clock, when we came in sight of a hill, beneath the shoulder of which I believed Stof Kraal to lie. Yet we saw and heard nothing that could lead us to suppose that any one was living there. " Here," I said, " we will offsaddle for the night ; " and just when our karosses were spread, and we were ready to sleep, we heard a cow lowing in the distance, from which we concluded the village to be a little further forward. Worn out with fatigue, we soon fell asleep ; but whilst it was yet very early in the morning, and dark, the voice of prayer was heard amongst the grass .and low bushes, the first real indication we had of the vicinity of human beings ; and in such a place it sounded peculiarly grateful, when neither missionary nor native assistant was in their midst; for by hearing it under such circumstances I was persuaded that prayer was engaged in for the love of it, and not made to attract the attention of the missionary, whom they supposed to be at his station a hundred and fifty miles away, but to gain the ear of God. At sunrise all the bustle of a. native village was heard the lowing of calves and cows, the bleating of flocks, the barking of dogs, and the shouting of men a perfect contrast to the stillness of the night. Our horses were soon saddled, when, riding up to one or two men we saw near the village, we found 246 CHAPTER V. it was not the residence of Ellas, but only a cattle post belonging to him and his people, he and they having come nearer than Stof Kraal, and being now at Molkboom River. So after a good draught of milk, which we took as we sat on our horses, and saluting all 'the people at hand without telling them that we had encamped outside their village, we rode forward, and in an hour and a half reached the place a nest of green grass, and green bushes in abundance, encircled with high and noble mountains, whose sides and tops are clothed with verdure, the river running along the base of the mountains. Late last night, as we travelled, a zebra from a high krantz, hearing the clatter of our horses1 hoofs amongst the stones, saluted his supposed mates with a shrill short whistle, which I should not have recognised as the neighing of a zebra but for my man. At Elias's a new house was awaiting my arrival, clean, comfortable, and orderly, qualities that were always highly acceptable to me, never more so than when among the natives. Sunday, May 3rd. A day that the Lord has made. This is true in the general sense, but also in its special signification ; for, being without a chapel, in consequence of this not being a fixed out-station, and also, and chiefly, because of the recent coming of the people, we should have felt it very severe to assemble to worship under the beams of a burning, cloudless sun. But God mercifully " covered the heavens with clouds," so that we were enabled to worship in comfort, .screened by the cooling canopy. My subjects for the (lav were " the Ten Talents'' and " the General Resurrection." At night we assembled by firelight in our circular but roofless chapel, and had some conversation with twenty-eight TOILS AND TRIUMPHS. 247 persons who had long boon candidates for baptism ar.d membership. Having been under the instruction of Elias already, this was immediately preparatory to the administration of the rite. Monday, 4th. This morning, at the close of the service, I baptized twenty-eight adults and thirteen children, and married four couples. Afterwards I met thirty-one members in class, which kept me closely engaged till half-past eleven. After a short rest, and taking some refreshment, the day being cool, clouded, and slightly rainy, we saddled up, and at half-past twelve left, and, the horses travelling briskly, we reached Nieuwe Foutein at nine o'clock p.m. Many had retired for the night, but hearing of our arrival they aroused themselves, and by half-past ten our new house was constructed, and by eleven we lay down to rest.4 Our conversation to-day related chiefly to his [Frederick Buys] being stationed amongst the Veldschoen Draagers. They have been regularly visited by Elias Rolfe, from his outpost, and it is not long since I baptized twelve persons who had been candidates for many months ; but occasional visits, and such services as they have had, have only awakened desires for constant instruction, and fresh requests have recently reached me from the chief.5 Tuesday, 6th. Early this morning we proceeded to Kroon Kran'fz, where Elias Rolfe, our native assistant, is living. After passing through some most rugged ly romantic scenery, we reached it soon after dark, though too late for any public service. This was the place at which I had appointed to meet Frederick Buys ; and, faithful to his engagement, he had arrived, and came with Elias to meet us on our approach.6 Tuesday, 6th. Early this morning we proceeded to Kroon Kran'fz, where Elias Rolfe, our native assistant, is living. After passing through some most rugged ly romantic scenery, we reached it soon after dark, though too late for any public service. This was the place at which I had appointed to meet Frederick Buys ; and, faithful to his engagement, he had arrived, and came with Elias to meet us on our approach.7