1841-43] FIRST TWO YEARS IN AFRICA. 41 



the days immediately preceding the times of the Covenanters. They 

 have a prayer-meeting every morning at four o'clock, and well attended. 

 They began it during a visitation of measles among them, and liked it 

 so much, that they still continue." 



He goes on to say that as the natives had no clocks or 

 watches, mistakes sometimes occurred about ringing the 

 bell for this meeting, and sometimes the people found 

 themselves assembled at twelve or one o'clock instead of 

 four. The welcome to the missionaries (their own mis- 

 sionary was returning from the Cape with Livingstone) 

 was wonderful. Muskets were fired at their approach, 

 then big guns ; and then men, women, and children, 

 rushed at the top of their speed to shake hands and 

 welcome them. The missionary had lost a little boy, and 

 out of respect each of the people had something black on 

 his head. Both public worship and family worship were 

 very interesting, the singing of hymns being very beautiful. 

 The bearing of these Christianised Hottentots was in 

 complete contrast to that of a Dutch family whom he 

 visited as a medical man one Sunday. There was no 

 Sunday ; the man's wife and daughters were dancing 

 before the house, while a black played the fiddle. 



His instructions from the Directors were to go to 

 Kuruman, remain there till Mr. Moffat should return from 

 England, and turn his attention to the formation of a new 

 station farther north, awaiting more specific instructions. 

 He arrived at Kuruman on the 31st July 1841, but no 

 instructions had come from the Directors ; his sphere of 

 work was quite undetermined, and he began to entertain 

 the idea of going to Abyssinia. There could be no doubt 

 that a Christian missionary was needed there, for the 

 country had none ; but if he should go, he felt that pro- 

 bably he would never return. In writing of this to his 

 friend Watt, he used words almost prophetic: "Whatever 

 way my life may be spent so as but to promote the glory 

 of our gracious God, I feel anxious to do it. . . . My life 



