TEACHING TO READ. 1 75 



having a selection of the severer cases only, and prevented 

 the doctors being offended at my taking their practice out 

 of their hands. When attacked by fever myself, and 

 wishing to ascertain what their practices were, I could 

 safely intrust myself in their hands on account of their 

 well-known friendly feelings. 



The plan of showing kindness to the natives in their 

 bodily ailments secures their friendship ; this is not the 

 case to the same degree in old missions, where the people 

 have learned to look upon relief as a right, a state of 

 things that sometimes happens among ourselves at home. 

 Medical aid is therefore most valuable in young missions,, 

 though at all stages it is an extremely valuable adjunct 

 to other operations. 



I proposed to teach the Makololo to read, but, for the 

 reasons mentioned, Sekeletu at first declined ; after some 

 weeks, however, Motfbe, his father-in-law, and some 

 others determined to brave the mysterious book. To all 

 who have not acquired it, the knowledge of letters is quite 

 unfathomable ; there is nought like it within the compass 

 of their observation ; and we have no comparison with 

 anything except pictures, to aid them in comprehending 

 the idea of signs of words. It seems to them supernatural 

 that we see in a book things taking place, or having 

 occurred at a distance. No amount of explanation conveys 

 the idea unless they learn to read. Machinery is equally 

 inexplicable, and money nearly as much so until they see 

 it in actual use. They are familiar with barter alone % 

 and in the centre of the country, where gold is totally 

 unknown, if a button and sovereign were left to their 

 choice, they would prefer the former an account of its 

 having an eye. 



In beginning to learn, Motibe seemed to himself in the 

 position of the doctor, who was obliged to drink his potion 

 before the patient, to show that it contained nothing 

 detrimental ; after he had mastered the alphabet, and 

 reported the thing so far safe, Sekeletu and his young 

 companions came forward to try for themselves. He must 

 have resolved to watch the effects of the book against his 

 views on polygamy, and abstain whenever he perceived 

 any tendency, in reading it, towards enforcing him to put 

 his wives away. A number of men learned the alphabet 

 in a short time and were set to teach others, but before 

 much progress could be made I was on my way to I^oanda. 



