54 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. in. 



persuade them, and yet after all many of them by refusing were lost. 

 We now wish to tell all the world about a Saviour, and if men did 

 not believe, the guilt would be entirely theirs. Sechele has been 

 driven to another part of his country from that in which he was 

 located last year, and so has Bubi, so that the prospects I had of 

 benefiting them by native teachers are for the present darkened." 



Among other things that Livingstone found time for 

 in these wanderings among strange people "was trans- 

 lating hymns into the Sichuana language. Writing to his 

 father (Bakwain Country, 21st March 1843), he says : — 



" Janet may be pleased to learn that I am become a poet, or 

 rather a poetaster, in Sichuana. Half-a-dozen of my hymns were 

 lately printed in a collection of the French brethren. One of them is 

 a translation of 'There is a fountain filled with blood;' another, 

 ' Jesus shall reign where'er the sun;' others are on ' The earth being 

 filled with the glory of the Lord,' ' Self-dedication/ ' Invitation to 

 Sinners,' ' The soul that loves God finds him everywhere.' Janet may 

 try to make English ones on these latter subjects if she can, and 

 Agnes will doubtless set them to music on the same condition. I do 

 not boast of having done this, but only mention it to let you know 

 that I am getting a little better fitted for the great work of a mis- 

 sionary, that your hearts may be drawn out to more prayer for the 

 success of the gospel proclaimed by my feeble lips." 



Livingstone was bent on advancing in the direction of 

 the country of the Matebele and their chief Mosilikatse, 

 but the dread of that terrible warrior prevented him from 

 getting Bakwains to accompany him, and being thus 

 unable to rig out a wagon, he was obliged to travel on 

 oxback. In a letter to Dr. Bisdon Bennett (30th June 

 1843), he gives a lively description of this mode of travel- 

 ling : — " It is rough travelling, as you can conceive. The 

 skin is so loose there is no getting one's great-coat, which 

 has to serve both as saddle and blanket, to stick on ; and 

 then the long horns in front, with which he can give 

 one a punch in the abdomen if he likes, make us sit as 

 bolt upright as dragoons. In this manner I travelled 

 more than 400 miles." Visits to some of the villages 

 of the Bakalahari gave him much pleasure. He was 

 listened to with great attention, and while sitting by 



