Chap. I. 
HIS DESIRE TO CONVERT HIS TRIBE. 
17 
lie knew kow to speak.” Seckele invariably offered me some- 
tliing to eat on every occasion of my visiting him. 
Seeing me anxious that his people should believe the words 
of Chrisb he once said^ “ Do you imagine these people will ever 
believe by your merely talking to them ? I can make them do 
nothing except by thrashing them; and if you like^ I shall call 
my head men^ and with our litupa (whips of rhinoceros-hide) we 
will soon make them all believe together.” The idea of using 
entreaty and persuasion to subjects to become Christians— 
whose opinion on no other matter would he condescend to ask— 
was especially surprising to him. He considered that they ought 
only to be too happy to embrace Christianity at his command. 
During the space of two years and a half he continued to profess 
to his people his full conviction of the truth of Christianity; and 
in all discussions on the subject he took that side, acting at the 
same time in an upright manner in all the relations of life. He 
felt the difficulties of his situation long before I did, and often 
said, “ 0, I wish you had come to this country before I became 
entangled in the meshes of our customs!” In fact, he could not 
get rid of his superfluous wives, without appearing to be ungrateful 
to their parents, who had done so much for him in his adversity. 
In the hope that others would be induced to join him in his 
attachment to Christianity, he asked me to begin family worsliip 
with him in his house. I did so; and by-and-by was surprised 
to hear how well he conducted the prayer in his own simple and 
beautiful style, for he was quite a master of his own language. 
At this time we were suffering from the effects of a drought, 
winch will be described further on, and none except his family, 
whom he ordered to attend, came near his meeting. In former 
times,” said he, ^Avhen a chief was fond of hunting, all his 
people got dogs and became fond of hunting too. If he was 
fond of dancing or music, all showed a liking to these amuse¬ 
ments too. If the chief loved beer, they all rejoiced in strong 
drink. But in this case it is different. I love the Word of God, 
and not one of my brethren will join me.” One reason why we 
had no volunteer hypocrites was the hunger from drought, which 
was associated in their minds with the presence of Christian in¬ 
struction ; and hypocrisy is not prone to profess a creed which 
seems to ensure an empty stomach. 
c 
