US APPENDIX. [sect 



ception of the each other, perhaps through a child crying ; 

 Gospel. an j t j lat xh en the men would swear at each 



other, and at them, in order to enforce silence. 



He says that these people shew great dislike to religious 

 exercises, service, and subjects, complaining of bad memo- 

 ries, and mixing up frivolous nonsense with the most solemn 

 truths. Yet many were very teachable and attentive, 

 t( beginning to pray to Jesus in secret as soon as they hear 

 of the white man's God, with but little idea of what they 

 are about; and no doubt are heard by Him who, like a 

 father, pitieth his children. Others, waking by night, 

 recollect what has been said about the future world so 

 clearly, that they tell next day what a fright they got by 

 it, and resolve not to listen to the teaching again; and not a 

 few keep to the determination not to believe, as certain 

 villagers in the south, who put all their cocks to death 

 because they crowed the words, ' Tlang lo rapeleng 5 — 

 ' Come along to prayers 1 .'" 



The Bechuanas and Bushmen never pray, in our sense 

 of the word ; they say that they do so by means of their 

 medicines. Mr Moffat gives the following graphic account 

 of the indecorum of these people at public worship. 



"Some would be snoring; others laughing; some 

 working; and others, who might even be styled the noblesse, 

 would be employed in removing from their ornaments cer- 

 tain nameless insects, letting them run about the forms, 

 while sitting by the missionary's wife. Never having been 

 accustomed to chairs or stools, some, by way of imitation, 

 would sit with their feet on the benches, having their 

 knees, according to their usual mode of sitting, drawn up 

 to their chins. In this position one would fall asleep and 

 tumble over, to the great merriment of his fellows. On 

 some occasions an opportunity would be watched to rob, 

 when the missionary was engaged in public service. The 

 1 Travels, p. 236. 



