vi PREFACE. 



I beg to offer my hearty thanks to my friend Sir Eoderick 

 Murchison, and also to Dr. Norton Shaw, the secretary of the 

 Koyal Geographical Society, for aiding my researches by every 

 means in their power. 



His Faithful Majesty Don Pedro V., having kindly sent out 

 orders to support my late companions until my return, relieved 

 my mind of anxiety on their account. But for this act of 

 liberality, I should certainly have been compelled to leave 

 England in May last ; and it has afforded me the pleasure of 

 travelling over, in imagination, every scene again, and recalling 

 the feelings which actuated me at the time. I have much 

 pleasure in acknowledging my deep obligations to the hospi- 

 tality and kindness of the Portuguese on many occasions. 



I have not entered into the early labours, trials, and successes 

 of the missionaries who preceded me in the Beclmana country, 

 because that has been done by the much abler pen of my father- 

 in-law, Eev. Robert Moffat, of Kuruman, who has been an 

 energetic and devoted actor in the scene for upwards of forty 

 years. A slight sketch only is given of my own attempts, and 

 the chief part of the book is taken up with a detail of the efforts 

 made to open up a new field north of the Bechuana country to 

 the sympathies of Christendom. The prospects there disclosed 

 are fairer than I anticipated, and the capabilities of the new 

 region lead me to hope, that, by the production of the raw mate- 

 rials of our manufactures, African and English interests will 

 become more closely linked than heretofore — that both countries 

 will be eventually benefited — and that the cause of freedom 

 throughout the world will in some measure be promoted. 



Dr. Hooker, of Kew, has had the kindness to name and classify 

 for me, as far as possible, some of the new botanical specimens 

 which I brought over ; Dr. Andrew Smith (himself an African 

 traveller) has aided me in the zoology ; and Captain Need has 

 laid open for my use his portfolio of African sketches : for all 

 which acts of liberality my thanks are deservedly due ; as well 

 as to my brother, who has rendered me willing aid as an 

 amanuensis. 



Although I cannot profess to be a draughtsman, I brought 

 hoine with me a few rough diagram-sketches, from one of 

 which the view of the Falls of the Zambesi has been prepared 

 by a more experienced artist. 



October, 1857. 



