53 TRAVELS IN 
KafFers, they fay, are a volatile race, extremely good-hu- 
moured, but turn into ridicule all their attempts to convert 
them to Chriflianity. Mr. Kicherer, a regular bred minifter 
of the reformed church, and a gentleman of mild and perfuafive 
manners, proceeded, alone and totally unprotected, into the 
midft of the Bosjefman hordes on the fkirts of the Orange River. 
He confidered, that a folitary being without arms, or any vifi- 
ble means of doing injury to his fellow mortals, would be re- 
ceived without fufpicion, and might enter into the fociety of 
the moft favage hordes without danger. The event proved his 
conjedures to be right. He lived in the midft of a tribe, the 
moft needy and wretched that he could difcover, for many 
years ; fhared with them every inconvenience ; and fuffered a 
total privation of all the comforts, and very frequently even of ^ 
the neceflaries, of life ; with a weak conftitution, he braved the 
vicillitudes of an unfteady climate in fcanty clothing, in tem- 
porary huts and hovels that were neither proof againft wind 
nor water, and oftimes in the open air ; on deferts wild and 
naked as thofe of Arabia j he learned their language ; inftrudted 
them in the benevolent doctrines of Ghriftianity ; and endea- 
voured with enthufiaftic zeal, to afluage their miferable lot in 
this life, by afluring them that there was " Another and a 
" better world :" in a word, he became fo much attached to 
this moft indigent and deplorable race of human beings, who 
poflefs nothing they can call their own, but live from day to 
day on the precarious fpoils of the chace, and commonly on 
the fpontaneous produds of a barren foil, that it was not with-* 
out difficulty, and great diftrefs to his feelings, he muftered re- 
folution to tear himfelf from his little flock: lingering under a 
difeafe 
