chap. viii. AGREEABLE VISIT TO GRAAE REINET. 
209 
at intervals, twice crossing the Sunday river, and walking 
a considerable way in the dark 3 we reached Grraaf Eeinet 
at a late hour, having travelled during the day about fifty 
miles. The missionary at the station kindly welcomed us, 
and soon provided food for the horses, and refreshment and 
lodging for ourselves. The rest of the next day, which was 
the Sabbath, was truly welcome after six days’ travelling. The 
driver reported the horses well, but very hungry, so we hoped 
they would hold out, as we had no more deserts to cross. 
In the forenoon I attended public worship, where about five 
hundred coloured people assembled in their neat and spacious 
stone chapel, which had been recently enlarged. It was the 
day on which the claims of those who were fighting the battles 
of England in the Crimea, were, according to previous an¬ 
nouncement, presented by the missionary to the notice of the 
people, and their collection towards the Patriotic Fund in 
England amounted to more than ten pounds. Collections of 
a similar kind were about this time made in most of the 
missionary congregations of people of colour, and this was 
about the sum which several of them contributed, a sum not 
indeed large in itself, but as an expression of sympathy and 
good feeling highly commendable. 
The following day we spent in visiting the school, and de>- 
liberating with the minister and the people on the affairs of 
the station, and the more immediate objects of my visit. On 
the morning of the 21st of February we took our departure, 
the good people furnishing us with a team of eight strong 
oxen to drag our waggon to the top of the Sneuwberg, an 
ascent of eight miles, and afterwards to help us on a day’s 
journey beyond. On our way out of the town we called on 
one of the people, formerly a slave, but now living in a very 
respectable house, and the proprietor of an excellent vineyard, 
orchard, and other property. When taking leave he called 
p 
