446 THE RA1N-3IAKEK. 



ing on the top of a hill, he stretched forth his hands, beckon- 

 ing to the clouds to draw near, occasionally shaking his 

 spear, and threatening them with his ire should they disobey 

 liis commands. The populace believed all this, and wondered 

 the rain would not fall. 



Having discovered that a corpse which had been put into 

 the ground some weeks before had not received enough wa- 

 ter at its burial, and knowing the aversion of the Bechuanas 

 to a dead body, he ordered the corpse to be taken up, washed, 

 and re-interred. Contrary to his expectation, and horrible 

 as the ceremony must have been, it was performed. Still 

 the heavens remained inexorable. 



Having exhausted his skill and ingenuity, the impostor 

 began to be sorely puzzled to find something on which to lay 

 the blame. Like all of his profession, lie was a subtle fel- 

 low, in the habit of studying human nature, affable, acute, 

 and exhibiting a dignity of mien, with an ample share of 

 self-complacency, which he could not hide. Hitherto, he 

 had studiously avoided giving the least offense to the mis- 

 sionaries, who he found were men of peace, who would not 

 quarrel. He frequently condescended to visit them, and in 

 the course of conversation would often give a feeble assent to 

 their opinion as to the sources of that element over which 

 he pretended to have sovereign control. However, finding 

 all his wiles unavailing to produce the desired result, and 

 notwithstanding the many proofs of kindness he had received 

 from the missionaries, he began to hint that the reverend 

 gentlemen were the cause of the obstinacy of the clouds! 

 One day it was discovered that the rain had been prevented 

 by Mr. Moffat bringing a bag of salt with him from a jour- 

 ney that he had undertaken to Griqua-town. But finding, 

 on examination, that the reported salt was only white clay 

 or chalk, the natives could not help laughing at their own 

 credulity. 



From insinuations he proceeded to open accusations. Aft- 



