71 ARTICLES OF COMMERCE. Chap. V. 



reaching Kuruman that we had returned to civilized life. 

 The people are more stingy and covetous than our poor at 

 home ; but in many respects the two are exactly alike. On 

 asking an intelligent chief what he thought of the converts, 

 he replied, " You white men have no idea how wicked we 

 are ; we know each other better than you ; some feign belief 

 to ingratiate themselves with the missionaries; some profess 

 Christianity because they like the new system, which gives 

 so much more importance to the poor, and desire that the old 

 system may pass away ; and the rest — a pretty large number 

 — profess, because they are really true believers." This 

 account is very nearly correct. 



There is little prospect of their country ever producing 

 much material for commerce with the exception of wool. At 

 present the chief article of trade is karosses or mantles. Ivory 

 is next in importance, but the quantity cannot be great now 

 that the powder for shooting elephants is debarred entrance 

 into the country. A few skins and horns, and some cattle, 

 make up the remainder of the exports. English goods, sugar, 

 tea, and coffee are the commodities received in exchange. 

 The natives soon become extremely fond of coifee. The acme 

 of respectability among the Bechuanas is the possession of 

 cattle and a waggon ; and though the waggon requires frequent 

 repairs, not a man among them has ever learnt to mend it. 

 Forges, tools, and teachers have been at their service, but, 

 beyond putting together a camp-stool they have made nc 

 effort to acquire a knowledge of the trades. They will watch 

 a missionary at work until they understand whether a tire is 

 well welded, and, having pronounced upon its merits with 

 great emphasis, their ambition is satisfied. It was in vain I 

 tried to indoctrinate them with the idea that criticism did not 

 imply any superiority over the workman, or even an equality 

 (15) with him. 



