BAPTISM OF EIGHT NATIVE CONVERTS. 573 



conservative, awfully lazy, trained from infancy to tell lies and to deceive, 

 morally corrupt to the very core, and superstitious to such a degree as to 

 justify us in saying that the nation is ruled by superstition. I met with a 

 witch doctor in my visits ; I came upon him in the very act of finding out the 

 iihrfi (poison) that had bewitched some people. On seeing me he fled into 

 his house. We followed and told him to proceed with his work. ' No ; do not 

 speak to me, I will not dispute with you. You are the servant of God.' 

 ' And you,' I said, ' are the servant of the devil, I think.' I made him 

 ashamed of himself before all the people, and saved some poor innocent soul 

 from the rapacious grasp of the vile wretch. 



" When we have taken possession of our hut for the night we have plenty 

 of visitors, many looking for a little of the fat sheep they have just given us. 

 About eight o'clock all, young and old, assemble for worship. This over, we 

 converse with those interested to all hours in the night. The most good is 

 done by these conversations. One man said on leaving us, ' I am thankful 

 that you have come to my kraal, and I will be very happy to entertain you 

 again. I do think that if I were near any preaching place I would soon be 

 among the professors.' And I believe that many feel in the same way ; but 

 they are ignorant of the way of salvation, and are far from any regular place 

 of worship, and must be taught before we can expect to see them brought in 

 as a nation. At one kraal we came on the grave of a chief who had recently 

 died, and two men were seized and compelled to watch that grave for at 

 least twelve months. The poor creatures complained that it was very hard 

 to be taken from their families, and never permitted to see them. I reported 

 the matter to the Government agent ; but when he sent, the men were fright- 

 ened to speak, and said that they were contented. 



" At one place three persons gave themselves to the Lord — husband, wife, 

 and eldest son. The son has been attending school for some time, and is 

 doing well, and I believe that it is through him that the parents have been 

 moved. We joyfully gave thanks to the Lord that even these three had been 

 willing to say that they wished to be instructed in the way of salvation. It 

 seemed like a pure beam of heavenly light on the dark cloud, assuring us 

 that the ear of Jehovah is still open and a voice saying : I will give the hea- 

 then to my Son for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for 

 His possession.' 



" You will be glad to hear that a few Sabbaths ago I baptised eight 

 persons, admitting them to the fellowship of the Church here. One man, 

 recently from the ranks of the heathen, was among the number. He had two 

 or three little children, who were baptised at the same time. His wife, who 

 still holds out against the gospel, was present, and very nearly broke down 

 when handing her baby to her husband to be baptised. It was a solemn and 

 joyful sight to the whole Church ; even the heathen present seemed to be im- 



