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Page 37
This letter reached him just as he had completed the translation and
printing of the Old Testament; and, notwithstanding that he was then
sixty-two years of age, and had already been forty-one years hard at
work for the Society, he determined to go. He felt, however, that it was
necessary for him to start at once, and prepare the minds of Moselekatse
and his people for the coming among them of missionaries. Thus it came
about that once again Robert Moffat quitted Kuruman, and started forward
for the long and trying journey, through the African desert, to visit
his old friend, and obtain his consent to the settlement of missionaries
among his people.
Visiting the chief Sechele on the way, he pursued his course until he at
length reached the headquarters of Moselekatse. The king was not very
enthusiastic about receiving missionaries for himself and his people. He
was somewhat suspicious; and his former experience with the American
missionaries at Mosega had been rather unfortunate, the Boers having
attacked the Matabele, and, after pillaging the mission station, carried
the missionaries away with them. However, he would receive the
new-comers,--but his friend Moshete must come also. "I love you," said
he, "you are my father. These new men I do not know them. All men are
not alike."
This African monarch had sufficient knowledge to know that, if the
doctrines of the Bible prevailed among his tribe, his claims to divine
honour would for ever cease. His warriors used to pay him homage as
follows: "O Pezoolu, the king of kings, king of the heavens, who would
not fear before the son of Machobane (his father's name), mighty in
battle?" and with other similar marks of adulation. He also had a shrewd
suspicion that the opening of the country for white men to come and
settle, would mean, eventually, the downfall of the power of himself and
his people? but in his friend Ramary, or Moshete, he had implicit
confidence.
As an instance of the power which Moffat had obtained over this despotic
chief of a fierce African tribe, it may be related that he prevailed
upon Moselekatse to grant deliverance to the heir to the chieftainship
of the Bamangwato, a large tribe living at Shoshong, to the north-east
of Sechele's people. It was after a long conversation that the thing was
settled. Macheng, the heir, who had been detained captive for sixteen
years, was called, and Moselekatse addressing him said: "Macheng, man of
Moffat, go with your father. We have arranged respecting you. Moffat
will take you back to Sechele. That is my wish as well as his, that you
should be in the first instance restored to the chief from whom you were
taken in war. When captured you were a child; I have reared you to be a
man."
The effect of this deliverance on the neighbouring tribes was very
great. It occurred while Moffat was with Moselekatse, arranging for the
settlement of the new missionaries. When he and his charge arrived at
Sechele's town, on his way home, he was met by Sechele and the other
chiefs of his tribe, who marched on in front, and led them to a kind of
natural amphitheatre, where at least ten thousand of the people, in all
their equipments of war, were assembled. Sechele commanded silence, and
introduced the business of the meeting. Speaker followed speaker, in
enthusiastic language giving expression to the joy they felt at seeing
the chief of the Bamangwato return from captivity. In the course of his
speech one said as follows:--
"Ye tribes, ye children of the ancients, this day is a day of marvel....
Now I begin to perceive that those who preach are verily true. If Moffat
were not of God, he would not have espoused the cause of Sechele, in
receiving his words, and delivering Macheng from the dwelling-place of
the beasts of prey, to which we Bechwanas dared not approach. There are
those who contend that there is nothing in religion. Let such to-day
throw away their unbelief. If Moffat were not such a man, he would not
have done what he has done, in bringing him who was lost--him who was
dead--from the strong bondage of the mighty. Moselekatse is a lion; he
conquered nations, he robbed the strong ones, he bereaved mothers, he
took away the son of Kheri. We talk of love. What is love? We hear of
the love of God. Is it not through the love of God that Macheng is among
us to-day? A stranger, one of a nation--who of you knows its distance
from us?--he makes himself one of us, enters the lion's abode, and
brings out to us our own blood."
On reaching home, from his visit to the Matabele, Moffat found that the
Livingstones were starting for the Zambesi, and were to call at the Cape
on their way; also that a large party of new missionaries had been
appointed to commence the new interior missions. The Moffats at once
started for the Cape, and there met Dr. and Mrs. Livingstone and their
companions. Once more the mother and daughter embraced each other, and
as the latter had suffered much on the voyage, it was arranged that she
should accompany the missionary party, and travel overland to the
Zambesi.
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