268 REASON FOR LEARNING TO READ. Chap. XIII. 



as a letter would; and, if a person wishes to communicate 

 with any one in the town, the best way to do so is either to 

 go to or send for him. And as for corresponding with friends 

 very far off, that is all very well for white people, but the 

 blacks have no friends to whom to write. The only effective 

 argument for their learning to read is, that it is their duty 

 to know the revelation from their Father in Heaven, as it 

 stands in the Book. 



Our messenger returned on the evening of the following 

 day with " You speak truly," says Sekeletu, " the disease is 

 old, come on at once, do not sleep in the path ; for I am 

 greatly desirous (tlologeleeoe) to see the Doctor." 



After Mochokotsa left us, we met some of Mokompa's men 

 bringing back the ivory, as horses were preferred to the West- 

 Coast goods. They were the bearers of instructions to Mo- 

 kompa, and as these instructions illustrate the government 

 of people who have learned scarcely anything from Euro- 

 peans, they are inserted, though otherwise of no importance. 

 Mashotlane had not behaved so civilly to Mr. Baldwin, as 

 Sekeletu had ordered him to do to all Englishmen. He 

 had been very uncivil to the messengers sent by Mosele- 

 katse with letters from Mr. Moffat, treated them as spies, 

 and would not land to take the bag until they moved off. 

 On our speaking to him about this, he justified his conduct 

 on the plea that he was set at the Falls for the very pur- 

 pose of watching these, their natural enemies ; and how was 

 he to know that they had been sent by Mr. Moffat ? Our 

 men thereupon reported at head-quarters that Mashotlane 

 had cursed the Doctor. The instructions to Mokompa, 

 from Sekeletu, were to "go and tell Mashotlane that he 

 had offended greatly. He had not cursed Monare (Dr. 

 Livingstone) but Sebituane, as Monare was now in the 

 place of Sebituane, and he reverenced him as he had done 



