38 LIFE OF DA YID LIVINGSTONE, LL.R 



dispensed with, was a source of anxiety, and an addition to our cares ; for 

 any individual might not only threaten, but carry a rash purpose into effect. 

 For instance, Mrs. Moffat, with a babe in her arms, begged, and that very 

 humbly, of a woman, just to be kind enough to move out of a temporary 

 kitchen, that she might shut it as usual before going in to the place of 

 worship. The woman seized a piece of wood to hurl it at Mrs. M.'s head, 

 who, of course, immediately escaped to the house of Grod, leaving her the 

 undisputed occupant of the kitchen, any of the contents of which she would 

 not hesitate to appropriate to her own use. ... As many men and 

 women as pleased might come into our hut, leaving us not room even to 

 turn ourselves, and making everything they touched the colour of their greasy 

 attire ; while some were talking, others would be sleeping, and some pilfering 

 whatever they could lay their hands on. This would keep the house-wife a 

 perfect prisoner in a suffocating atmosphere, almost intolerable ; and when 

 they departed, they left ten times more than their number behind — company 

 still more offensive. As it was not pleasant to take our meals amongst such 

 filth, our dinner was often deferred for hours, hoping for their departure ; but, 

 after all, it had to be eaten when the natives were despatching their game at 

 our feet. 



" Our attendance at public worship would vary from ten to fifty ; and 

 these very often manifesting the greatest indecorum. 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 

 certain 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 thief would first 

 put his head within the door, discover who was in the pulpit, and, knowing 

 he could not leave his rostrum before a certain time had elapsed, would go to 

 his house and take what he could lay his hands upon." 



Tools, household utensils, and even the meat out of the pot were stolen, 

 and the cattle driven away, and possibly one of them killed and eaten. 

 Slowly but surely the devoted missionaries made their way to the hearts and 

 better natures of the natives, until their trials and difficulties would become 

 less and less and then finally disappear; but the above is no over-drawn picture of 

 missionary experience for the first few months of residence with a native tribe. 

 All this, and much more, would be well known to David Livingstone long 

 before he set foot in Africa, or penetrated into the interior from Kuruman. 



At Kuruman and neighbourhood he found Moffat and his coadjutors 



