148 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. vii. 



at all to be compared to what one may meet among English servant- 

 girls. Some beauties are said to be found among the Caffres, but 

 among the people I have seen I cannot conceive of any European being 

 captivated with them. The whole of my experience goes towards 

 proving that civilisation alone produces beauty, and exposure to the 

 weather and other vicissitudes tend to the production of deformation 

 and ugliness. . . . 



" 28th October. — The conduct of the people whom we have brought 

 from Kuruman shows that no amount of preaching or instruction will 

 insure real piety. . . . The old superstitions cannot be driven out of 

 their minds by faith implanted by preaching. They have not vanished 

 in either England or Scotland yet, after the lapse of centuries of 

 preaching. Kuruman, the entire population of which amounted in 

 1853 to 638 souls, enjoys and has enjoyed the labours of at least two 

 missionaries, — four sermons, two prayer-meetings, infant schools, adult 

 schools, sewing schools, classes, books, etc., and the amount of visible 

 success is very gratifying, a remarkable change indeed from the former 

 state of these people. Yet the dregs of heathenism still cleave fast to 

 the minds of the majority. They have settled deep down into their 

 souls, and one century will not be sufficient to elevate them to the 

 rank of Christians in Britain. The double influence of the spirit of 

 commerce and the gospel of Christ has given an impulse to the civi- 

 lisation of men. The circulation of ideas and commodities over the 

 face of the earth, and the discovery of the gold regions have given 

 enhanced rapidity to commerce in other countries, and the diffusion of 

 knowledge. But what for Africa 1 God will do something else for it ; 

 something just as wonderful and unexpected as the discovery of gold." 



It needs not to be said that his thoughts were very 

 often with his wife and children. A tender letter to the 

 four little ones shows that though some of them might 

 be beginning to forget him, their names were written 

 imperishably on his heart : — 



" SekeUtus Toivn, Linyanti, 2d October. — My dear Bobert, Agnes, 

 and Thomas and Oswell, — Here is another little letter for you 

 all. I should like to see you much more than write to you, and 

 speak with my tongue rather than with my pen ; but we are far from 

 each other — very, very far. Here are Seipone, and Meriye and others 

 who saw you as the first white children they ever looked at. Meriye 

 came the other day and brought a round basket for Nannie. She 

 made it of the leaves of the palmyra. Others put me in mind of you 

 all by calling me Kananee, and Karobert, and there is a little Thomas 

 in the town, and when I think of you I remember, though I am far 

 off, Jesus, our good and gracious Jesus, is ever near both you and me, 

 and then I pray to Him to bless you and make you good. 



