EETUEN TO THE CAPE. iqj 



month of a Caffre war ; and if those who periodically pay enor- 

 mous sums for these inglorious affairs wish to know how our lit- 

 tle unprotected party could quietly travel through the heart of 

 the colony to the capital with as little sense or sign of danger as 

 if we had been in England, they must engage a "Times Special 

 Correspondent" for the next outbreak to explain where the money 

 goes, and who have been benefited by the blood and treasure ex- 

 pended. 



Having placed my family on board a homeward-bound ship, and 

 promised to rejoin them in two years, we parted, for, as it subse- 

 quently proved, nearly five years. The Directors of the London 

 Missionary Society signified their cordial approval of my project 

 by leaving the matter entirely to my own discretion ; and I have 

 much pleasure in acknowledging my obligations to the gentlemen 

 composing that body for always acting in an enlightened spirit, 

 and with as much liberality as their constitution would allow. 



I have the like pleasure in confessing my thankfulness to the 

 Astronomer Royal at the Cape, Thomas Maclear, Esq., for ena- 

 bling me to recall the little astronomical knowledge which constant 

 manual labor and the engrossing nature of missionary duties had 

 effaced from my memory, and in adding much that I did not know 

 before. The promise he made on parting, that he would examine 

 and correct all my observations, had more effect in making me 

 persevere in overcoming the difficulties of an unassisted solitary 

 observer than any thing else ; so whatever credit may be attached 

 to the geographical positions laid down in my route must be at- 

 tributed to the voluntary aid of the excellent and laborious astron- 

 omer of the Cape observatory. 



Having given the reader as rapid a sketch as possible of events 

 which attracted notice between 1840 and 1852, 1 now proceed to 

 narrate the incidents of the last and longest journey of all, per- 

 formed in 1852-6. 



