CONTENTS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

 Personal Sketch. — Highland Ancestors. — Family Traditions. — Grandfather removes 

 to the Lowlands. — Parents. — Early Labors and Efforts. — Evening School. — Love 

 of Reading. — Religious Impressions. — Medical Education. — Youthful Travels. — 

 Geology. — Mental Discipline. — Study in Glasgow. — London Missionary Society. — 

 Native Village. — Medical Diploma. — Theological Studies. — Departure for Africa. 

 — No Claim to Literary Accomplishments Page 1 



CHAPTER I. 



The Bakwain Country. — Study of the Language. — Native Ideas regarding Comets. 

 — Mabotsa Station. — A Lion Encounter. — Virus of the Teeth of Lions. — Names 

 of the Bechuana Tribes. — Sechele. — His Ancestors. — Obtains the Chieftainship.. 

 — His Marriage and Government. — The Kotla. — First public Religious Services. 

 — Sechele's Questions. — He Learns to Read. — Novel mode for Converting his 

 Tribe. — Surprise at their Indifference. — Polygamy. — Baptism of Sechele. — Oppo- 

 sition of the Natives. — Purchase Land at Chonuane. — Relations with the People. 

 — Their Intelligence. — Prolonged Drought. — Consequent Trials. — Rain-medi- 

 cine. — God's Word blamed. — Native Reasoning. — Rain-maker. — Dispute between 

 Rain Doctor and Medical Doctor. — The Hunting Hopo. — Salt or animal Food a 

 necessary of Life. — Duties of a Missionary 9 



CHAPTER II. 



The Boers. — Their Treatment of the Natives. — Seizure of native Children for 

 Slaves. — English Traders. — Alarm of the Boers. — Native Espionage. — The Tale 

 of the Cannon. — The Boers threaten Sechele. — In violation of Treaty, they stop 

 English Traders and expel Missionaries. — They attack the Bakwains. — Their 

 Mode of Fighting. — The Natives killed and the School-children carried into 

 Slavery. — Destruction of English Property. — African Housebuilding and House- 

 keeping. — Mode of Spending the Day. — Scarcity of Food. — Locusts. — Edible 

 Frogs. — Scavenger Beetle. — Continued Hostility of the Boers. — The Journey 

 north. — Preparations. — Fellow-travelers. — The Kalahari Desert. — Vegetation. — 

 Watermelons. — The Inhabitants. — The Bushmen. — Their nomade Mode of 

 Life. — Appearance. — The Bakalahari. — Their Love for Agriculture and for do- 

 mestic Animals. — Timid Character. — Mode of obtaining Water.— Female Water- 

 suckers. — The Desert. — Water hidden 35 



CHAPTER HI. 



Departure from Kolobeng, 1st June, 1849. — Companions. — Our Route. — Abund- 

 ance of Grass. — Serotli, a Fountain in the Desert. — Mode of digging Wells. — 

 The Eland.— Animals of the Desert.— The Hyaena.— The Chief Sekomi.— 

 Dangers. — The wandering Guide. — Cross Purposes. — Slow Progress. — Want of 



