246 
VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 
CHAP. IX. 
of commerce, is gathered by the natives of Bethelsdorp, and 
sold to the traders. I had also sketched a zamia tree, grow¬ 
ing near the Gfamtoos river. Leaving Zuurbraak I proceeded, 
in company with Messrs. Helm and Anderson, to Swellendam, 
where, after a short rest under the hospitable roof of Dr. 
Kobertson, I was able, notwithstanding some indisposition, to 
continue the journey with my friends to Cape Town, which 
place we reached in safety on the 19th of May, thankful for 
preservation throughout our wanderings and for the blessings 
by'which the journey had been attended. 
Amongst the many impressions which the journey now 
closed has left upon my mind, few are more agreeable than 
those produced by the hospitality which we almost invariably 
experienced. With the families of the missionaries at the 
various stations I naturally felt at home; but at other places, 
especially amongst the Dutch boers, or farmers, we were 
perfect strangers, and, excepting in one or two instances, 
when the companionship of a missionary from the neigh¬ 
bourhood indicated in some degree the object of our journey, 
we appeared as ordinary travellers, yet we were always re¬ 
ceived courteously, and kindly helped on our way. 
Our journey was in furtherance of a religious object, and 
our intercourse chiefly with the coloured people. The Lon¬ 
don Missionary Society, by which I had been requested to 
undertake this journey, had been for many years engaged in 
endeavours to effect the conversion of the heathen races in 
the country by educating them and teaching them in the 
simplest manner the truths of the Christian religion. These 
endeavours had not been in vain. In the several places 
occupied by the missionaries numbers of the coloured people 
were now united in organised Christian communities, having 
respectively their churches or chapels, schools, and other 
means of religious and social improvement. The efforts 
directed to the accomplishment of these ends had been 
