LOVE OF CHILDREN. 73 



been allowed to roll into the fire, and there were three largo 

 unbound open sores upon different parts of his body. His 

 mother and the women received him with a flood of silent 

 tears. 



Slavery is said to be mild and tender-hearted in some 

 places. The Boers assert that they are the best of masters, 

 and that, if the English had possessed the Hottentot slaves, 

 they would have received much worse treatment than they 

 did : what that would have been it is difficult to imagine. 

 I took down the names of some scores of boys and girls, 

 many of whom I knew as our scholars; but I could not 

 comfort the weeping mothers by any hope of their ever 

 returning from slavery. 



The Bechuanas are universally much attached to children. 

 A little child toddling near a party of men while they are 

 eating is sure to get a handful of the food. This love of 

 children may arise in a great measure from the patriarchal 

 system under which they dwell. Every little stranger 

 forms an increase of property to the whole community, 

 and is duly reported to the chief, — boys being more wel- 

 come than girls. The parents take the name of the child, 

 and often address their children as Ma, (mother,) or Ea, 

 (father.) Our eldest boy being named Robert, Mrs. Living- 

 stone was, after his birth, always addressed as Ma-Robert, 

 instead of Mary, her Christian name. 



CHAPTER TIL 



LIVINGSTONE LEAVES THE COUNTRY OP THE BAKWAINS. 



Having remained five days with the wretched Bakwains, 

 seeing the effects of war, of which only a very inadequate 

 idea can ever be formed by those who have not been eye- 

 witnesses of its miseries, we prepared to depart on the 

 15th of January, 1853. Several dogs, in better condition 

 by far than any of the people, had taken up their residence 



