|
Main
- books.jibble.org
My Books
- IRC Hacks
Misc. Articles
- Meaning of Jibble
- M4 Su Doku
- Computer Scrapbooking
- Setting up Java
- Bootable Java
- Cookies in Java
- Dynamic Graphs
- Social Shakespeare
External Links
- Paul Mutton
- Jibble Photo Gallery
- Jibble Forums
- Google Landmarks
- Jibble Shop
- Free Books
- Intershot Ltd
|
books.jibble.org
Previous Page
| Next Page
Page 38
At Cape Town Moffat also had the pleasure of welcoming his own son, the
Rev. John Moffat, who was to proceed to the Matabele as a missionary,
paid for out of Dr. Livingstone's private resources. Sir George Grey,
Her Majesty's High Commissioner, warmly encouraged the proposed plans
for extending Christianity and commerce to the interior tribes, and
arranged with Robert Moffat for establishing a postal communication with
the Zambesi _vi�_ Kuruman.
All arrangements having been completed the missionaries left Cape Town
on their way to Kuruman, from whence they were to proceed to their
respective stations, with the Makololo and the Matabele. Delays,
however, intervened; the Boers had attacked some of the Batlapings, and
threatened to attack the Kuruman station; the difficulties of the road
also prevented some of the party arriving with the others. At last,
however, the way was made clear, the opposition of the Boers to the
advance of the party was, through the intervention of Sir George Grey,
overcome, and on the 7th of July, 1859, the first division started for
their far distant destination. This division comprised Mr. Helmore, a
veteran who for many years had been stationed at Lekatlong, with his
wife and four children, and Mr. and Mrs. Price. There was also a native
teacher from Lekatlong, named Tabe, who determined to accompany his old
missionary, and the usual staff of native attendants. These were all to
proceed to the Makololo. The situation was a grave one. The end of the
journey was a point a thousand miles farther into the interior than any
of them had ever been, except two native servants, who had accompanied
Livingstone on a previous occasion. But they went forward in faith not
knowing what lay before them, but trusting all into the hands of Him,
without whose knowledge not even a sparrow falls to the ground.
A week later Mr. Thomas and John Moffat with their wives left; they were
speedily followed by Robert Moffat and Mr. Sykes. At Sechele's town the
two portions of this latter division were united, and thence they
journeyed onwards towards the Matabele. Disease broke out among some of
their oxen, and, on reaching the first outpost of Moselekatse's people,
a messenger was sent forward to the king explaining the state of
affairs, and proposing that the oxen of the missionaries should be left
in quarantine, and that Moselekatse should supply his own oxen to bring
the party to headquarters. This message was sent so as to avoid
connecting the advent of the Gospel among these people with that of a
pestilence among their herds of cattle; which would inevitably have
been the case had the diseased oxen proceeded onwards and infected those
belonging to the Matabele.
An answer was returned to the effect that the party were to proceed, and
that though the epidemic took effect, they should be held guiltless.
Moffat despatched a second messenger, to say that he had heard the
king's words, and in a couple of days would leave; but that he begged
the monarch to reflect on the consequences of the epidemic being
introduced among his tens of thousands of cattle, and to believe that
the mission party felt the most extreme anxiety upon the subject.
They then proceeded forward very slowly for two or three days, when they
were met by another messenger, who stated that Moselekatse was gratified
with the anxiety expressed for him and his; and that now, fully
convinced of his danger, he desired that all their oxen should return,
and that warriors were advancing to drag the mission waggons to
headquarters.
Every one started with surprise at the strange idea, but soon the
warriors came, shields, and spears, and all, also a number of oxen to be
slaughtered for food. After some war evolutions, the warriors took the
place of the draught oxen, and a start was made. There was many "a
strong pull, a long pull, and a pull all together," as the waggons
rolled onward; but after ten days' hard struggle and slow progress, it
became evident that the men sent were unequal to the task, and the
monarch, who for some unknown reason had kept his oxen back, sent them
at last to bring the waggons to his camp.
Moselekatse received his old friend with his usual cordiality; but it
soon became evident that something was wrong. All kinds of evasions and
delays met the request for a spot of ground on which to found a mission
station; days, weeks, and months passed, during which the missionaries
suffered great hardships; and at last the chief broke up his camp and
left them, without oxen to draw their waggons, saying that he would send
people to guide them to the spot where they were to settle, and at which
place he would join them later on.
His conduct seemed strange, and Moffat began to suspect that he had
repented of giving his permission for the missionaries to settle with
him. This proved to be the case; the Boer inroads, following as they had
done, in several cases, the advent of the missionaries, made him
suspicious, and the fears of himself and people having been aroused, the
question was in debate as to whether the settlement should be allowed or
not.
Previous Page
| Next Page
|
|