LECTURE II. 43 



on me, asked for " sleep. 11 Such was also the topic of 

 the songs, and talk of the women. 



All this evidences a certain preparedness for receiv- 

 ing the Gospel, and it is for Christian England to 

 answer the inquiry with the pure Gospel of the Prince 

 of Peace. Already Providence is clearing the way for 

 that Gospel; the hand of God has been at w ? ork in a 

 striking manner. When I first w 7 ent to that country, I 

 found Providence paving the way before me : a chieftain 

 had invaded the central basin, before I went there; 

 had conquered the country, discovered Lake Ngami; and 

 the language of the Bechuanas, into which Mr Moffat 

 had translated the Scriptures, had become diffused in the 

 district. 



The natives formerly used to cut off the heads of 

 strangers, and stick them on poles; but the chief 1 who 

 conquered them had made the country safe, otherwise 

 my cranium might have adorned one of their villages. I 

 am convinced that the Portuguese have never gone into 

 this district, because their maps gave a different course 

 to the Zambesi; and I am strengthened in that opinion 

 from the quantity of ivory tusks I saw adorning the 

 graves of chieftains, and put to other uses, thereby 

 proving that there was no market for them. Another 

 reason is, that they sent all the way to Mozambique for 



1 The chief here referred to is Sebituane ; for an account of him, see 

 p. 20. The natives here referred to are the Batoka, with several of 

 whom our traveller had some difficulties. 



