MARCH.] BETHELSDORP. 101 
expected to travel. Mr. Menzies, a young officer, 
also voluntarily favoured me with an introductory letter 
to a friend. 
Walking to the barracks, I found the storekeeper 
was a native of Sutherland in Scotland, who had been 
fourteen years in the army, and during that time, 
much to his credit, had learned both to read and write. 
He had, however, no books, which want I promised to 
supply from Bethelsdorp, whither we returned in the 
afternoon. 
24th. Mr. Read has a meeting with twenty or 
thirty children, every evening a short time before the 
meeting for worship, when he asks them a few ques- 
tions. This meeting arose from his examining his 
own children ; other children came, then more, till it 
arrived at its present state — it is wholly voluntary on 
the part of the young people. When we came to the 
door of the small house where these children were 
waiting for Mr. Read, they were singing a hymn to- 
gether — we listened behind the door with much 
pleasure till they had finished. I understood all the 
questions that were asked, and the answers given to 
them, though in Dutch, and was much pleased. Kaje, 
a young female Hottentot, who is one of this little 
meeting, is an orphan, eleven years of age, who lived 
at George, about a fortnight's journey distant from 
Bethelsdorp ; but after Mr. Read had preached there 
a while, she cried so much to accompany him home; 
