108 
JOURNAL OF A 
ture generations. Brother Leitner then showed me the foundation 
of a sohool-room, which I had previously directed to be added to the 
new house, destined for the use of his wife, who, like her country- 
woman, Sister Sclnnitt of Groenekloof, has instructed a number of 
Hottentot girls in working satin-stich, which they do with great 
neatness. Thunder-storms and heav}^ rains prevented our meeting 
at the church this evening, but we held a conference, relating to 
various outward concerns of the settlement, concluding with the 
usual evening-worship. The weather grew very boisterous towards 
night, with hghtning, thunder, rain, and hail. 
23d. I was busily engaged all day, and among other employments, 
undertook to assist Brother Bonatz in making grave-stones for two 
of his children, who died on one day, of the hooping cough. How 
distressing this bereavement proved to the parents, no pen can de- 
scribe, but they sought and found comfort in resignation to the will 
of God. AVerc it but for these effects of true religion, how eagerly 
ought men to seek to become possessed of it. A heart truly devoted 
to, and relying upon, a gracious heavenly Father, can never be- 
come a prey to despair. 
Having been charged fifty-eight rix-dollars for a grave-stone from 
the Cape, Brother Bonatz, anxious to save that expense to the Mis- 
sion, procured two squares of good sand-stone, and was endeavour- 
ing to do the work himself. As 1 had, when a boy, sometimes 
■watched a mason near our school, cutting in stone, I was able to 
assist, and in due time, though but dilettanti in the art, we produced 
well-executed inscriptions, and placed the stones on the graves, to 
the great admiration of the Hottentots, with whom ability to work 
with the hands is far more highly esteemed, than any learning and 
laljour of the mind. In the evening, two pair were betrothed. 
When a Hottentot wishes to marry, he mentions his intention to 
the missionaries, with the name of the person he has chosen. A 
time being fixed for the purpose, they promise each other mar- 
riage, in presence of all the missionaries, and receive suitable exhor- 
tations respecting their conduct, the precepts given in the word of 
