LECTURE II. 33 



to tell you that he is the remote cousin, relation or de- 

 scendant, of some noted man; or some friend or hanger- 

 on will tell you for him. Such alliances too have a politi- 

 cal importance for the chief himself; since they attach 

 powerful men to his interests and service. Hence my dif- 

 ficulties were increased by these facts. But the most dif- 

 cult opponents I had to contend against were the Dutch 

 Boers 1 . 



1 Dr Livingstone often discusses these people, and has little reason 

 to remember them favourably. He is too liberal-minded and straight- 

 forward for them, and hence they threatened his life. They now reside 

 chiefly near the Kalahari desert, being also numerous about the Kuru- 

 man station, where they are characterized for industry and successful 

 irrigation. The more distant or transversal Boers reside behind the 

 Cashan mountains. These were particularly furious against the Doctor. 

 These people increase rapidly, and are sheep-farmers ; being somewhat 

 deservedly held in low estimation by the Cape community. In manners 

 they are kind one towards another, but cruel to the natives. The word 

 "Boer" simply means "farmer." Frequent fights occur between them 

 and the Hottentots, Griquas, and Bechuanas, with varied results. Our 

 traveller considers the British policy of allowing them and the Ka- 

 firs to have arms and ammunition, while the Bechuanas and Griquas are 

 debarred therefrom, to be suicidal. The metal-pot story is amusingly 

 told in the book, pp. 36 — 39. 



The most disaffected are those who have fled from English law. They 

 have set up a republic, in order to carry out what they call "the proper 

 treatment of the blacks," which is making them render compulsory 

 unpaid labour, in return for what they call protection ! These tender- 

 hearted Cliristians have introduced a new species of slavery. The Bechu- 

 anas will not sell their people : hence the Boers seize children for domes- 

 tic slaves. The reason why they do this is a shrewd one. As we have 

 seen, there can be no fugitive slave-law in Africa ; hence if 'a slave runs 

 away, it is not very probable that he will be recovered. If a child is taken 

 away, he does not know his tribe, forgets his mother-tongue, and pos- 

 sibly his very parents ; hence he has less inducement to run away. On 

 the occasion of the attack on Sechele (see Introduction, pp. v — vin), they 

 carried away the two hundred children above-named, with the motives 

 and for the purposes stated. In truth they are inveterate slave-hunters 



