358 PROCEED TO SOCHE'S. Chap. XVIII. 



to be educated as members of a Christian family. In this 

 way a great difficulty in the commencement of a Mission was 

 overcome. Years are usually^ required before confidence is 

 so far instilled into the natives' mind as to induce them, young 

 or old, to submit to the guidance of strangers professing to be 

 actuated by motives the reverse of worldly wisdom, and inculcat- 

 ing customs strange and unknown to them and their fathers. 



We proceeded next morning to Soche's with our liberated 

 party, the men cheerfully carrying the Bishop's goods. As 

 we had begun, it was of no use to do things by halves, so 

 eight others were freed in~a hamlet on our path ; but a party 

 of traders, with nearly a hundred slaves, fled from Soche's on 

 hearing of our proceedings. Dr. Kirk and four Makololo fol- 

 lowed them with great energy, but they made clear off to 

 Tette. Six more captives were liberated at Mongazi's, and two 

 slave-traders detained for the night, to prevent them from 

 carrying information to a large party still in front. Of their own 

 accord they volunteered the information that the Governor's 

 servants had charge of the next party ; but we did not choose 

 to be led by them, though they offered to guide us to his 

 Excellency's own agents. Two of the Bishop's black men 

 from the Cape, having once been slaves, were now zealous 

 emancipators, and* volunteered to guard the prisoners during 

 the night. So anxious were our heroes to keep them safe, 

 that instead of relieving each other, by keeping watch 

 and watch, both kept watch together, till towards four o'clock 

 in the morning, when sleep stole gently over them both; 

 and the wakeful prisoners, seizing the opportunity, escaped : 

 one of the guards, perceiving the loss, rushed out of the hut, 

 shouting, "They are gone, the prisoners are off, and they 

 have taken my rifle with them, and the women too ! Fire ! 

 everybody fire ! " The rifle and the women, however, were 

 all safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad to 



