6 Seven Years in Ce^ttral Africa. [Oct. 
Colonial life is unfavourable to thoughtfulness, either as to the 
things of this life or of the life to come. I have found, however, 
several with open ears at the hospital. 
A WAR CLOUD. 
October i^th. — The colony is getting into a disturbed state. 
War with the Boers seems inevitable. General Wood leaves 
Maritzburg to-day for the front with a regiment of cavalry. 
The hot weather of last week ended in a tremendous thunder- 
storm. Going down to the meeting I had a narrow escape of 
my life. Just as we approached the door the lightning was 
becoming wonderfully vivid, lighting up the black darkness so 
clearly that one could see everything around, and even the hills 
in the distance. An electric ball fell just at my feet, the small 
stones and dust caused by its coming in contact with the ground 
flying up all round me. The shock passed through my whole 
body. Several who saw the ball of fire fall said it seemed to 
come right down where I was standing, and they described the 
noise when it struck the ground as like the crash of a cannon 
ball. I was, however, none the worse, and was quite able to 
take the meeting, which was smaller than usual. 
I cannot think of starting until this Transvaal difficulty is 
settled; but it certainly will be decided before you get this, 
either for war or peace.*' If war does break out, it may last for 
some little time, and then you must not be surprised if you hear 
that I have gone to some of the camp hospitals as dresser. It 
would be too valuable an opportunity for "speaking words in 
season " to be thought lightly of The Lord has shown me, by 
the experience of last night, how near He can bring me to death, 
and yet preserve me without a hair of my head being touched ; 
for I can only say, with those who were looking on, that the 
hand of the Lord was round about me. That verse which you 
sent me has been made doubly precious : " Are not two sparrows 
sold for a farthing ? and one of them shall not fall on the ground 
without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all 
numbered." 
* Only when the fullest preparations for war had been made by England a 
peaceable solution was happily arrived at. 
