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Page 11
Privations and dangers frequently attended these itinerating journeys.
Referring to one of them Robert Moffat states, "After tying my Bible and
hymn-book in a blanket to the back of my saddle, and taking a good
draught of milk, I started with my interpreter, who rode upon an ox. We
had our guns, but nothing in our purse or scrip, save a pipe, some
tobacco, and a tinder-box. After a hot day's ride to reach a village,
the people would give us a draught of sweet milk, and then old and
young, assembling in a nook of the fold, among the kine, would listen to
my address on the great concerns of their soul's salvation. I exhorted
those who could read to read to others and try to teach them to do the
same, promising them a reward in heaven, for I had none to give on
earth. When service was over, having taken another draught of milk, and
renewed my conversation with the people, I lay down on a mat to repose
for the night. Sometimes a kind housewife would hang a bamboos, a wooden
vessel filled with milk, on a forked stick near my head, that I might,
if necessary, drink during the night."
Once he slept on the ground near the hut in which the principal man of
the village and his wife reposed. During the night a noise as of cattle
broken loose was heard. In the morning he remarked upon this to his
host, when that individual replied, "Oh, I was looking at the spoor this
morning, it was the lion!" adding that a few nights previously a goat
had been seized from the very spot on which Moffat had been sleeping.
Upon Moffat asking him why he had put him to sleep there, the man
replied, "Oh, the lion would not have the audacity to jump over on you."
Sometimes it happened that after travelling all day, hoping to reach a
village at night, the travellers would find when they got to the place
that all the people had gone. Then hungry and thirsty they had to pass
the night. In the morning after searching for water, and partaking of a
draught if they were successful in finding it, they would start off
again with their hunger unsatisfied, and deem themselves fortunate if
they overtook the migrating party that evening.
Of his ordinary manner of living at this time, he says, "My food was
milk and meat, living for weeks together on one, and then for a while on
the other, and again on both together. All was well so long as I had
either, but sometimes they both failed, and there were no shops in the
country where I could have purchased, and, had there been any, I must
have bought on credit, for money I had none."
His wardrobe bore the same impress of poverty as his larder. The clothes
received when in London soon went to pieces, and the knowledge of sewing
and knitting, unwillingly learnt from his mother, often now stood him in
good stead. She once showed him how a shirt might be smoothed by folding
it properly and hammering it with a piece of wood. Resolving one day to
have a nice one for the Sabbath, Moffat tried this plan. He folded the
shirt carefully, laid it on a smooth block of stone--not a hearth-stone,
but a block of fine granite--and hammered away. "What are you doing?"
said Africaner. "Smoothing my shirt," replied his white friend. "That is
one way," said he, and so it was, for on holding the shirt up to the
light it was seen to be riddled with holes. "When I left the country,"
said Moffat, "I had not half-a-dozen shirts with two sleeves apiece."
[Illustration]
Robert Moffat's stay in Namaqualand extended to a little over twelve
months. Near its close he made on Africaner's account--with the view of
ascertaining the suitability of a place for settlement--a journey to
the Griqua country, and after a terrible experience, in which he
suffered from hunger, thirst, heat, and drinking poisoned water, he
reached Griqua Town, and entered the house of Mr. Anderson, the
missionary there, speechless, haggard, emaciated, and covered with
perspiration, making the inmates understand by signs that he needed
water. Here he was most kindly entertained, and after a few days started
back again. The return journey was almost as trying as the outward one,
but he reached Vreede Berg (Africaner's village) in safety. The chief
received Moffat's account of his researches with entire satisfaction,
but the removal of himself and people was allowed to remain prospective
for a season.
Missionary labours were resumed. The school flourished, and the
attendance at the Sabbath services was most encouraging. The people were
so strongly attached to their missionary, that although he was
contemplating a visit to the Cape, he dared not mention the subject to
them. In a letter written at this time, alluding to his every-day life,
he says, "I have many difficulties to encounter, being alone. No one can
do anything for me in my household affairs. I must attend to everything,
which often confuses me, and, indeed, hinders me in my work, for I could
wish to have almost nothing to do but to instruct the heathen, both
spiritually and temporally. Daily I do a little in the garden, daily I
am doing something for the people in mending guns. I am carpenter,
smith, cooper, shoemaker, miller, baker, and housekeeper--the last is
the most burdensome of any. An old Namaqua woman milks my cows, makes a
fire, and washes. All other things I do myself, though I seldom prepare
anything till impelled by hunger. I drink plenty of milk, and often eat
a piece of dry meat. Lately I reaped nearly two bolls of wheat from two
hatfuls which I sowed. This is of great help to me. I shall soon have
plenty of Indian corn, cabbages, melons, and potatoes. Water is scarce.
I have sown wheat a second time on trial. I live chiefly now on bread
and milk. To-day I churned about three Scotch pints of milk, from which
there were two pounds of butter, so you may conceive that the milk is
rich. I wish many times that my mother saw me. My house is always clean,
but oh what a confusion there is among my linen."
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