114 BECHU ANAS' I,OVE OF CHILDREN. 



of development in which the natives have found out that 

 the hide-and-seek system is the most successful. 



The Boers, in alarm, sent four of their number to ask 

 for peace ! I, being present, heard the condition : " Se- 

 chele's children must be restored to him." I never saw 

 men so completely and unconsciously in a trap as these 

 four Boers were. Strong parties of armed Bakwains 

 occupied every pass in the hills and gorges around ; 

 and had they not promised much more than they intended 

 or did perform, that day would have been their last. 

 The commandant Scholz had appropriated the children 

 of Sechele to be his own domestic slaves. I was present 

 when one little boy, Khari, son of Sechele, was returned 

 to his mother ; the child had been allowed to roll into 

 the fire, and there were three large unbound open sores 

 on different parts of his body. His mother and the women 

 received him with a flood of silent tears. 



Slavery is said to be mild and tender-hearted in some 

 places. The Boers assert that they are the best of masters, 

 and that, if the English had possessed the Hottentot 

 slaves, they would have received much worse treatment 

 than they did : what that would have been it is difficult 

 to imagine. I took down the names of some scores of 

 boys and girls, many of whom I knew as our scholars ; 

 but I could not comfort the weeping mothers by any 

 hope of their ever returning from slavery. 



The Bechuanas are universally much attached to 

 children. A little child toddling near a party of men 

 while they are eating is sure to get a handful of the food. 

 This love of children may arise, in a great measure, from 

 the patriarchal system under which they dwell. Every 

 little stranger forms an increase of property to the whole 

 community, and is duly reported to the chief — boys 

 being more welcome than girls. The oarents take the 

 name of the child, and often address their children as Ma 

 (mother), or Ra (father). Our eldest boy being named 

 Robert, Mrs: Livingstone was, after his birth, always 

 addressed as Ma-Robert, instead of Mary, her Christian 

 name. 



I have examined several cases in which a grandmother 

 has taken upon herself to suckle a grandchild. Masina 

 of Kuruman had no children after the birth of her daughter 

 Sina, and had no milk after Sina was weaned, an event 

 which usually is deferred till the child is two or three 



