190 REASON FOR LEARNING TO READ. Chap. VII. 



native objections to learning to write is, that these men 

 answer the purpose of transmitting intelligence to a dis- 

 tance as well as a letter would ; and, if a person wishes 

 to communicate with any one in the town, the best way 

 to do so is either to go to or send for him. And as for 

 corresponding with friends very far off, that is all very 

 well for white people, but the blacks have no friends to 

 whom to write. The only effective argument for their 

 learning to read is, that it is their duty to know the 

 revelation from their Father in Heaven, as it stands in 

 the Book. 



Our messenger returned on the evening of the follow- 

 ing day with " You speak truly," says Sekeletu, " the 

 disease is old, come on at once, do not sleep in the path ; 

 for I am greatly desirous (tlologelecoe) to see the Doctor." 



After Mochokotsa left us, we met some of Mokompa's 

 men bringing back the ivory, as horses were preferred 

 to the "West-Coast goods. They were the bearers of in- 

 structions to Mokompa, and as these instructions illustrate 

 the government of people who have learned scarcely any- 

 thing from Europeans, they are inserted, though otherwise 

 of no importance. Mashotlane had not behaved so civilly 

 to Mr. Baldwin as Sekeletu had ordered him to do to all 

 Englishmen. He had been very uncivil to the messengers 

 sent by Moselekatse with letters from Mr. Moffat, treated 

 them as spies, and would not land to take the bag until 

 they moved off. On our speaking to him about this, he 

 justified his conduct on the plea that he was set at the 

 Falls for the very purpose of watching these, their natural 

 enemies ; and how was he to know that they had been 

 sent by Mr. Moffat? Our men thereupon reported at 

 head-quarters that Mashotlane had cursed the Doctor. 

 The instructions to Mokompa, from Sekeletu, were to 

 " go and tell Mashotlane that he had offended greatly. 

 He had not cursed Monare (Dr. Livingstone) but Sebi- 



