26 CONVERSATION ON RAIN-MAKING. 



M. D. But we are distinctly told in the parting words of our 

 Savior that we can pray to God acceptably in his name alone, 

 and not by means of medicines. 



R. D. Truly ! but God told us differently. He made black 

 men first, and did not love us as he did the white men. He 

 made you beautiful, and gave you clothing, and guns, and gun- 

 powder, and horses, and wagons, and many other things about 

 which we know nothing. But toward us he had no heart. 

 He gave us nothing except the assegai, and cattle, and rain- 

 making; and he did not give us hearts like yours. We never 

 love each other. Other tribes place medicines about our country 

 to prevent the rain, so that we may be dispersed by hunger, and 

 go to them, and augment their power. We must dissolve their 

 charms by our medicines. God has given us one little thing, 

 which you know nothing of. He has given us the knowledge 

 of certain medicines by which we can make rain. We do not de- 

 spise those things which you possess, though we are ignorant of 

 them. We don't understand your book, yet we don't despise it. 

 You ought not to despise our little knowledge, though you are ig- 

 norant of it. 



M. D. I don't despise what I am ignorant of; I only think you 

 are mistaken in saying that you have medicines which can influ- 

 ence the rain at all. 



R. D. That's just the way people speak when they talk on a 

 subject of which they have no knowledge. When we first opened 

 our eyes, we found our forefathers making rain, and we follow in 

 their footsteps. You, who send to Kuruman for corn, and irrigate 

 your garden, may do without rain ; we can not manage in that 

 way. If we had no rain, the cattle would have no pasture, the 

 cows give no milk, our children become lean and die, our wives 

 run away to other tribes who do make rain and have corn, and the 

 whole tribe become dispersed and lost ; our fire would go out. 



M. D. I quite agree with you as to the value of the rain ; but 

 you can not charm the clouds by medicines. You wait till you 

 see the clouds come, then you use your medicines, and take the 

 credit which belongs to God only. 



R. D. I use my medicines, and you employ yours; we are 

 both doctors, and doctors are not deceivers. You give a patient 

 medicine. Sometimes God is pleased to heal him by means of 



