REMARKS ON LICHTENSTEIN. 575 
head." Whatever Mr. L. may mean by this strange ex- 
pression, the real cause had not occurred to him. The 
Doctor, as his friend Mr. Read informed me, had no 
knowledge of agriculture; and having formed, early in life, 
habits of close study, he had no taste for field labour; he 
left it to others; and no doubt through this defect the in- 
stitution greatly suffered : but his piety or zeal for the salva- 
tion of the Hottentots had no concern in producing or con- 
tinuing this defect. The religion revealed in the New Tes- 
tament can never be an obstruction to the temporal good of 
mankind, but must have an opposite tendency; at the same 
time defects in its teachers may be unfavourble to these. 
In the same page he informs us that the Hottentots under 
Dr. Vanderkemp sang praises to God, called upon him 
by prayer, were heartily penitent for their sins, and con- 
*' versed of the Lamb of atonement, }et none were really 
the better for it." Will any man who fears God, and 
believes his revelation, believe this ? Impossible ! They 
might not have better houses, more fields, or more cattle; 
but if they were heartily penitent for past sins, and loved to 
talk of the atoning Lamb of God, they must have been 
better men and women in the sight of God, and of all wise 
and good men; but things which appear excellent in the 
sight of God, are often despised by those who are unfriendly 
to true godliness. 
I observe also that from what this author writes, the 
reader might suppose, that persons coming to missionary 
settlements are supported by the missionaries; but the 
public may rest assured that no part of the Society's funds is 
appropriated to such a purpose; and the missionaries are 
unable to do it; of necessity therefore every one coming to 
them must in some way provide for himself. Indeed it 
would be extremely sinful to support in idleness, such as are 
able to w^ork ; but having few wants they can more easily 
support themselves than Europeans. 
The report which Mr. Lichtenstein heard while his wojk 
was in the press, of Dr. V. having married a very young 
slave, whose freedom, with that of her mothers he had 
purchased, is correct; but the rest of the report I believe to 
be incorrect, viz. that they did not live together as man and 
wife, for he has left behind him, by her, two tine boys, one 
I think about eight years of age and the other six, to whom 
and their mother he has bequeathed his property. The 
truth is the Doctor was an eccentric man and did eccentric 
things, which it is not my business to vindicate. 
