TERDAY 
 
 RTRUDE R.HANCE 
 
 f 
 
.•'.2./<$' 
 
 ^ PRINCETON, N. J. *'/^ 
 
 Purphased by the Hamill Missionary Fund. 
 
GERTRUDE R. HANCE 
 

 THE ZULU YESTERDAY 
 AND TO-DAY 
 
 Twenty-nine Years in South Afnca 
 
 BY 
 
 GERTRUDE R. HANCE 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 New York Chicago Toronto 
 
 Fleming H. Revell Company 
 
 London and Edinburgh 
 
Copyright, 1916, by 
 FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 
 
 New York: 158 Fifth Avenue 
 Chicago: 17 N. Wabash Ave. 
 Toronto : 25 Richmond St., W. 
 London : 21 Paternoster Square 
 Edinburgh: 100 Princes Street 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 THE charm about Africa lies in what we do 
 not know about it; and it seems to be true 
 that the more we learn of that mysterious 
 country, the more intense becomes our interest in 
 it and in its people. Always there remains some- 
 thing we do not know, so that an almost unaccount- 
 able fascination lingers about a new book dealing 
 with this subject. 
 
 The author of the present work writes from the 
 vantage ground of a personal knowledge of Africa, 
 covering a period of well-nigh thirty years. Urged 
 by an impulse scarcely to be accounted for, save 
 that it was the direct leading of God, Miss Hance, 
 in early life, gave herself to service in the Mission 
 Field, little dreaming that she would be assigned to 
 the Dark Continent, and, as she herself tells us, 
 shrinking at first from the call when it came to go 
 to this, to her then almost unknown, and entirely 
 forbidding territory. With a courage born of love 
 for her fellow men, however, she responded to the 
 summons; and the^e, away beyond the heart of 
 Africa, in the land of the Zulus, she yielded the 
 very best there was in her to the work of carrying 
 the Gospel Light to the people of that country, 
 soon coming to love them more and more, the better 
 she knew them, so that her very soul was wrapped 
 up in her service. 
 
 6 
 
6 INTRODUCTION 
 
 Now, in a charmingly simple way, she tells the 
 story of these years of victory in that far-off field. 
 Others have written entertainingly of the history of 
 Africa; we have many books descriptive of the 
 scenery and the various points of interest of that 
 vast continent. Miss Hance gives us something of 
 these things, but she gives us more. Her great pur- 
 pose, whether consciously or not, does not so much 
 matter, is to reveal to us the heart-life of the people 
 of Africa ; to show us what a strong, earnest, sincere 
 man the African is, even before the light of Chris- 
 tianity shines across his pathway, and to help us 
 to know of what he is capable when his life has been 
 touched by that revivifying power. In doing this 
 she proves herself to be more than a missionary ; 
 she is to the people with whom she comes in contact 
 a true, warm-hearted friend, always seeking to help, 
 to cheer and to guide out into better things. 
 
 In drawing back the curtain revealing to us the 
 inner life of the African, the author shows us how 
 very little there is in his nature which enables him 
 to grasp the thought that he is a part of God's great 
 world, which He loves and for which He cares ; 
 indeed, how almost incomprehensible to him is the 
 idea of a Supreme Being at all, and how difficult it 
 is to bring him to a knowledge of this great truth ; 
 but she also shows us that once the African does 
 grasp the fact of God, as made manifest in the 
 person of His Son, and the purpose of His plan for 
 all the world, as disclosed in the Sacred Book, he 
 becomes the most earnest, devout, and consistent of 
 Christians. 
 
INTRODUCTION 7 
 
 It is to tell us something of this brighter side of 
 the hfe of the man of Africa that the writer devotes 
 her best endeavor, fully believing that if she can do 
 this, others will come to see the man of the dark skin 
 and the white soul as she herself sees him, and that 
 so she will awaken on the part of fair-minded people 
 a determination to think more frequently of the 
 African, to pray for him more earnestly and to give 
 more freely of sympathy and substance to the great 
 cause of his uplifting. 
 
 Edgar L. Vincent, 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Preface . . . . . . ii 
 
 I. Knocking at the Door ... 13 
 
 II. Natal 24 
 
 III. The Zulus and Their White 
 
 Neighbours 34 
 
 IV. The First American Missionaries 
 
 TO South Africa .... 42 
 
 V. Entering the Work .... 52 
 
 VI. Kraal Women 58 
 
 VII. Unomqawe and Other Kraal 
 
 Women 66 
 
 VIII. Basutoland 76 
 
 IX. The Zulu Boy, Velemu ... 96 
 
 X. Umvoti 104 
 
 XI. HOBEANA 116 
 
 XII. Huguenot College — Other Noted 
 
 Events and People . . . .129 
 
 XIII. Incorrect Impressions . , . 142 
 
 XIV. Jubilee Meeting and Visit to 
 
 America 156 
 
 XV. Return to Natal and Changes . 165 
 XVI. The Native Chiefs and Meeting 
 
 TO Call a Pastor . . . .185 
 
 XVII. PiNDiLE 194 
 
 XVIII. The Native Pastor .... 203 
 
 XIX. Sunshine and Shadow . . . 215 
 XX. Esidumbini Rocks and Other 
 
 Stories 231 
 
 XXI. NOHAULA AND UmASKU . . . 242 
 
 XXII. The Leader of the Choir . . . 253 
 
 XXIII. Return to America . . ,. ,. 259 
 
 9 
 
PREFACE 
 
 OUT of the harbour ! Setting toward the open 
 sea ! The clank and clatter of chains and 
 the thump of heavy hawsers are still ! The 
 clang of bells, the dull, half-smothered notes of whis- 
 tles no longer break on the ear! The last farewells 
 have been spoken ! We are beyond the reach of 
 clinging hands ! Love signals of white no longer 
 come to us fluttering across the ever-widening stretch 
 of ocean wave ! Out and away on the long voyage — 
 toward what? Behind, home, dear ones, beloved 
 America ! Here, spirits hushed, lips for the time 
 silent, hearts crowded to the full with the tug of 
 parting! Yonder, uncertainty, expectation, Africa, 
 with its door of opportunity ! Yes, its door, and its 
 heart ; for we feel that the mighty continent which 
 now lies beyond the reach of our vision has a door 
 and a heart, warm, passionate, full of longing for 
 something, it knows not what! May we find that 
 door open, or if shut, may it be given to us with our 
 feeble fingers to push it open, if ever so little, that 
 Light and Truth may enter in ! May we touch, 
 though it be but lightly, the waiting, longing, groping 
 heart of Africa for good! So we turn away from 
 home, away from the fading shore-line of Christian 
 America, to the mysteries of the Dark Continent ! 
 
 G. R. H. 
 
 BiNGHAMTON, N. Y. 
 
 11 
 
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 
 
 WHEN I went out of the New York Har- 
 bour on my way to Natal, South Africa, I 
 was under appointment to the foreign field 
 by the American Board of Commissioners for For- 
 eign Missions, or, as it is usually known, the Amer- 
 ican Board. At that time this Board represented 
 the Presbyterian and Congregational Societies, but 
 at the annual meeting of the joint Societies held in 
 the fall of that year, the Presbyterians withdrew and 
 organized a Board under their own control, while 
 the Congregationalists retained the original name, 
 the American Board. 
 
 As there is always more or less interest in the 
 reasons which lead those who enlist for service in 
 the foreign field to take such action, and as I have 
 been so many times asked why I did so, I may be 
 pardoned for stating, as briefly as I can, the mo- 
 tives which inspired me to go as a missionary to 
 Africa. 
 
 I was about ten years of age when Dr. Scudder's 
 book on India, written especially for children, was 
 given me by a married sister, who died not long 
 afterward. Before reading this I had heard very 
 little about people of other lands who did not know 
 of God. 
 
 13 
 
14 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 From a child I had gone to Sunday School and 
 church, yet in those early days until I was nearly 
 grown to womanhood, I have no recollection of ever 
 hearing a sermon or remarks, in the pulpit, on for- 
 eign missions. Dr. Scudder's book made a never-to- 
 be-forgotten impression on my mind. I dreamed and 
 thought much about it, wondering if when I were 
 grown up, educated and good, I could go and teach 
 those people of the love of God and of Jesus Christ, 
 who came to the world to bless and save all who 
 trust and follow Him. 
 
 Although I sometimes talked of these things in my 
 home, yet I felt afraid to have any one know how 
 full my heart was of the subject, or of what I was 
 really thinking. I often prayed when by myself, 
 hoping that " some day " I might become a real 
 Christian. I was full of life and frequently realized 
 that I had not been good, also that I sometimes ap- 
 peared to others as if I did not care to be; still I 
 longed and prayed for strength greater than my own 
 to guide and keep me. 
 
 I tried to get books on missions, but they were 
 scarce and difficult for me to obtain. As I grew older 
 there were difficulties too, in the way of my getting 
 an education. 
 
 From early childhood I had been a great reader 
 and for a number of years was much helped about 
 making a choice in my reading and studies, by a 
 cousin who was a graduate of Yale and a lawyer. 
 
 I went to Harford Academy, for a year, and 
 then at the age of sixteen began to teach school. 
 After that I taught, studied, and went to school as 
 
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 15 
 
 best I could. When about eighteen years of age I 
 united with the church. That year I heard for the 
 first time, an address on missions. It was given by 
 a lady from China. I was greatly interested and 
 the pent-up feelings of my heart were so strong, I 
 could not keep the tears from my eyes. After the 
 meeting I slipped away and spoke only to God, of 
 my thoughts and desires. However, a few weeks 
 afterward I talked more definitely with my mother 
 than I ever had before, of my wish to become a 
 foreign missionary. I feel that I owe much to her 
 influence, but this idea of mine was so strange and 
 unreasonable to her I saw she did not understand 
 me, but thought I had a dreamy and unpractical 
 fancy. There seemed to be no human being to whom 
 I could freely talk on this subject, or look to for 
 help. Sometimes I lost heart ; a complication of dis- 
 couragements and difficulties made me frequently 
 feel that perhaps I ought to give up all thought of 
 what I wished to do. For nearly two years I avoided 
 reading anything on missions or seeking to keep up 
 my interest in them. But I could not get away from 
 the feeling that God was leading me to see more 
 clearly what He would have me do and that I must 
 follow in His light, or give up my religion. 
 
 When over twenty years of age I went to Dr. 
 G. N. Boardman, who was then pastor of the First 
 Presbyterian Church in Binghamton, N. Y. He 
 was an able and distinguished man. I told him, as 
 well as I could, of my wish to be a missionary. 
 
 As I think of it now, I am amazed that under 
 all the circumstances, I had the courage to do this. 
 
16 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 It came as a great surprise to him, although he had 
 known me for some time. I was then an attendant 
 at his church and a teacher in the Sunday School. 
 He always seemed to look at a subject in a very care- 
 ful and deliberate way. After quite a long talk he 
 spoke the first words of real encouragement that I 
 had received from any one, about my going. I 
 cannot express the comfort they gave me, with the 
 feeling that at least one person whose goodness and 
 wisdom I respected, understood me and my wish. 
 More than three years later, I had a position as 
 teacher in an Orphans' Home at Binghamton, N. Y. 
 Circumstances, after a time, made it necessary for 
 me to take the entire charge of the institution, as 
 the superintendent had been dismissed and another 
 could not be found. Within a few months it was 
 taken over by the State and the committee urged me 
 to accept permanently the position I then held. I 
 was happy in the work ; the thought that I could man- 
 age such an institution encouraged me to feel that 
 I might be successful as a missionary. Still desiring 
 to be one, I wrote the A.B.C.F.M. in Boston regard- 
 ing this wish, and again sought the advice of Dr. 
 Boardman, of whose church I was then a mem- 
 ber, urging him to tell me plainly if he thought 
 I was mistaken. " No," said he, " I do not think 
 you are mistaken, but it is difficult for me to see 
 how you can give up the position of usefulness which 
 you now have here and which you are filling so well, 
 with many friends to stand by you, and go to a new 
 and more difficult field. I could not be a foreign 
 missionary, yet I believe it is God's call to you." 
 
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 17 
 
 From that time to the present, no matter what the 
 discouragements were, at home or in the mission 
 field, I have never doubted but that it was God's 
 call to me, unworthy though I was for such an un- 
 dertaking. 
 
 Having obtained a reluctant consent from my 
 parents, I had further correspondence with the Mis- 
 sion Board. Dr. N. G. Clark, its secretary, a class- 
 mate of Dr. Boardman, came on from Boston to 
 see me, and in due time I received my appointment. 
 
 The missions in various countries where work was 
 being done by the American Board, when divided, 
 as before mentioned, left members of each denomi- 
 nation in all the fields, when the Presbyterians formed 
 their separate board. This caused no friction what- 
 ever, as sectarianism has little weight in our foreign 
 work. The Zulu Mission was one of those allotted 
 to the Congregationalists. Before this separation had 
 been efifected, I had written the Board offering my- 
 self for work where I might be most needed, with 
 no thought of the Zulus or Africa. When this field 
 was first proposed to me, I felt unwilling to go there. 
 I knew very little about the coloured people, and did 
 not quite like them. As I thought and earnestly asked 
 guidance, while learning more of the Zulus and their 
 land, I became much interested, and my prejudices 
 melted away. I shall always be thankful I went 
 there. 
 
 The need at the Orphans' Home was great. The 
 committee urged me to allow them to write to the 
 Board and asked their permission for me to delay a 
 year before going out, on account of the circum- 
 
18 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 stances which seemed almost to compel me to stay 
 at the Home. The Board did not deem it best for 
 me to do that. However, I did not get away from 
 there until within a month of the time of my leaving 
 America. 
 
 My sister Frances was with me until I sailed. 
 Her sympathy and interest in my going and in my 
 work after I reached Africa, with her frequent let- 
 ters, were a source of great comfort and encourage- 
 ment to me all the years I was there. 
 
 On board ship we were a party of four. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Wilder, who were leaving their only son and 
 daughter in America, as they returned to their mis- 
 sion home, where they had lived for many years 
 before visiting their native land. Miss Laura Day 
 and I were both going out for the first time. I could 
 half forget my own loneliness and sadness at leaving 
 friends and native land, as I saw those parents and 
 children bravely bidding each other farewell, when 
 I knew their hearts were almost breaking. Both of 
 those children became missionaries, one in India and 
 the other in South Africa. 
 
 We went by way of England. After spending a 
 few very pleasant days there we took a steamer 
 from Southampton for the Cape of Good Hope, called 
 at the beautiful island of Madeira and at St. Helena, 
 but did not see the coast of Africa until we reached 
 the Cape, with its wonderful Table Mountain stand- 
 ing out, back of the harbour and city. During the 
 voyage a frequent subject of conversation was Dr. 
 David Livingstone, the great African explorer as 
 well as missionary, and Mr. Henry M. Stanley, who 
 
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 19 
 
 had gone in search of him. Nothing had been heard 
 of either of them for a very long time. A majority 
 of the passengers were quite positive in the behef 
 that they could not be living. 
 
 The American consul and one other friend met us, 
 and took us to their comfortable, pleasant homes, 
 where we spent a number of days. Cape Town was 
 settled by the Dutch when New York was still called 
 New Amsterdam. It was a much more interesting 
 city than I had thought it could be. There were 
 many fine residences, large, well-built public build- 
 ings, schools, churches, museum and a large old 
 library of nearly fifty thousand volumes, with many 
 rare and valuable books. It was established in 1818. 
 There were beautiful drives over macadam roads in 
 a number of directions and many vineyards, includ- 
 ing the extensive " Constantias," where that noted 
 wine is made, but we saw little of " Afric's sunny 
 sands." 
 
 The people were mostly English, Dutch, Malays, 
 and Hottentots. The latter's allies, the Bushmen, used 
 to be numerous there, but are now nearly extinct, 
 owing to their having been pushed farther inland 
 by civilization and the loss of many of their people 
 by war and disease. They are pigmies in size, with 
 bright, sparkling eyes that have astonishing power 
 of seeing long distances, and were great hunters 
 with bows and arrows. Their arrows were made 
 of reeds pointed with bone, which was coated with 
 a deadly poison. They made pits for trapping game 
 and poisoned pools of water where animals drank 
 and perished. They were treacherous, warlike, and 
 
20 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 at variance with all other tribes. They often lived 
 in caves and in frailly built huts. 
 
 The Hottentots were frequently to be found living 
 not far from them, yet never together. Their hatred 
 of each other in many cases was inveterate, but they 
 often united in fighting other tribes and the Boers. 
 
 The Bushmen are considered the most uninterest- 
 ing, degraded, and low of all South African tribes, 
 yet they were in advance of others in one respect ; 
 being artists with a peculiar knowledge of dyes that 
 were practically indelible. High up on the rocks 
 and cliffs, near the places where it is known they 
 must have lived for hundreds of years, may now 
 be seen carefully made hieroglyphics, pictures true 
 to life of people and various animals with which 
 they were acquainted. When the human form was 
 delineated a sort of ochre and chocolate colour was 
 used. Besides hunting scenes and animals, there 
 are squares, circles, and crosses, with other strange 
 marks. They are often found at a height very diffi- 
 cult to reach and are so indelible that no storm or 
 time has dimmed them, where undoubtedly they were 
 painted by Bushmen, hundreds of years ago. 
 
 Archaeologists have tried to decipher them, but up 
 to the present time have been unable to do so. The 
 Bushmen can give no light in regard to them, but 
 still know how to make some of those wonderful 
 dyes. 
 
 The first missionary to South Africa landed at the 
 Cape of Good Hope in 1739. His name was Schmidt. 
 He came from Moravia, in Northern Austria, the 
 land of John Huss and Count Zinzendorf, a land 
 
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 21 
 
 that has sent out some of the most noble and self- 
 sacrificing missionaries the world has ever known, 
 within the last two hundred years. At that time the 
 East India Company was in full terrorizing control 
 at the Cape, and no missionary was welcomed by it, 
 or the Dutch colonists. So that quiet, earnest Chris- 
 tian man went inland and remained for six years 
 alone with the uncivilized Hottentots, when the East 
 India Company told him he must leave, as they and 
 the white settlers would not allow the natives to be 
 taught or baptized. 
 
 In the six years of his work a few of the natives, 
 about forty, had learned to read the Dutch Bible. 
 Some of them had learned to speak that language 
 before and he taught them as best he could, of the 
 religion of Jesus Christ. Sadly he left, and for 
 many years, as long as he lived, he daily prayed that 
 the time might come when missionaries could go 
 there and teach the gospel to the people. 
 
 Through the influence of a few gentlemen in Hol- 
 land, the Moravian Society, after forty years' waiting, 
 was again allowed to send missionaries to the Cape 
 of Good Hope. On reaching there, while permitted 
 to remain, yet they were greatly restricted in their 
 work for the natives by the government, as well as 
 by the colonists. 
 
 They heard that an old blind Hottentot woman 
 was still living, who had been taught by the mis- 
 sionary, Schmidt, and that she very much wished to 
 see them. It was quite a distance inland where they 
 found her, living at the place where she had 
 been told of God by him. That place is now called 
 
22 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Genadendal, and is one of the largest German mis- 
 sion stations in South Africa, as those new mission- 
 aries at once began work there. They found the 
 woman old, feeble, and quite blind. When the mis- 
 sionary Schmidt was driven away he gave her a 
 Dutch Bible which he had taught her to read. He 
 told her to keep on reading and teaching others of 
 its good news to them. The truth seems to have 
 gotten into her heart. She and the others had kept 
 up a little service, reading from her precious Bible, 
 and teaching her own family and neighbours what 
 she could. 
 
 Her joy when the new missionaries visited her was 
 great. Soon after they arrived she went to the 
 back part of her hut, and from a box took a bit of 
 sheepskin, in which was wrapped her Bible. With 
 it she had taught her children, her grandchildren and 
 some others to read. Although she was blind, yet 
 from it she still heard the word of God, as a grand- 
 daughter read it to her. 
 
 After her death the missionaries made a neat 
 little box of camphor wood, with a glass top, for 
 the Bible, where it is kept in the large church at the 
 station. 
 
 There was slavery in the Cape Colony for nearly 
 two hundred years. Not only were some of the 
 natives living there enslaved, but people were brought 
 and enslaved from Angola, Madagascar, and other 
 places. In 1833 the English government, then being 
 in power, abolished it. Over thirty-five thousand 
 slaves were set free, much against the wishes and 
 bitter opposition of the Boers. 
 
KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 23 
 
 The slave holders were partly compensated, twenty 
 million pounds sterling, three-fourths of the value of 
 the slaves, being paid them by the government, but 
 the bitterness for that act of liberation is still felt 
 in the minds of some of the Boers, who trek inland 
 to find what they call liberty for themselves with 
 plenty of land. 
 
 A native by the name of Jager Afrikaner, the de- 
 scendant of a line of Hottentot chieftains, driven to 
 fury by slavery, ill-treatment, and persecution, rose 
 against his master, murdered him, and took posses- 
 sion of guns that were in the house. He then raised 
 a band of followers, with whom he fled inland and 
 finally settled in Namaqualand, where he became a 
 terror to neighbouring tribes in that part of the coun- 
 try, as well as to the Boer farmers. At length he 
 was conquered, not by guns or cruelty, but by the 
 influence of Dr. Mofifat, one of the those early mis- 
 sionaries who taught him of the Great Conqueror 
 of mankind, Jesus Christ. He became gentle and 
 kind, under the new name of Christian Afrikaner, 
 a staunch friend and supporter of mission work in 
 that part of the country, as long as he lived. 
 
n 
 
 NATAL 
 
 AFTER our stay in Cape Town we took the 
 steamer for Natal. It does not look very far 
 on the map, but is a thousand miles. The 
 passage is usually rough and often the waves are 
 very high. We were frequently in sight of the coast, 
 with its green hills and trees. We called at two or 
 three ports where were quite large, and some old 
 towns, of English and Dutch settlers. Inland the 
 country is well settled for many miles ; there, too, 
 are larger towns than on the coast. 
 
 One pleasant afternoon, when not many miles 
 from Port Elizabeth and the shore, we saw very 
 plainly a beautiful mirage. It appeared quite sud- 
 denly at a time when many of the passengers were 
 sitting on deck. I had never seen anything of the 
 kind before. It was indeed very wonderful and 
 looked like a great city, with domes, spires, large and 
 small buildings reflected in the sky a little above the 
 horizon, out to sea. Around and back of it was a 
 hazy sunlit cloud. It remained five or ten minutes, 
 then slowly faded away. 
 
 Many years afterward I saw another mirage, when 
 travelling in Natal, at least ten miles from the sea. 
 It was early morning, with the sun near rising, the 
 country all about was green with grass and trees, 
 there was a slight haze in the long stretch of valley 
 
 24 
 
NATAL 25 
 
 just below us. We were on quite a hill, with a 
 winding road of nearly a mile to its foot. It is one 
 of the most beautiful and picturesque places in that 
 part of the country. There is no large city nearer 
 than thirty-five miles. To the south and east of us, 
 above the horizon and the haze, suddenly appeared 
 a very clear and even more beautiful mirage than the 
 first one I had seen when on board the ship. It was 
 fairyland, but very real with its domes and spires, 
 houses, parks, and trees. We almost held our breath 
 watching it, for the few moments, until the sun came 
 up and it faded away. 
 
 The early mornings in Natal are usually so much 
 more pleasant and cooler than other parts of the 
 day, I always enjoyed travelling at that time. The 
 chattering monkeys in the bushes near, the cooing 
 wild doves, the beautiful birds, though not many of 
 them songsters, the startled deer, the fragrance in the 
 air, the variety of dew-laden flowers and the mag- 
 nificent sunrises, all lent a restful charm to wagon 
 travelling in South Africa. 
 
 The sky was bright and the day pleasant, when 
 we landed in beautiful, sunny Natal, with its green 
 hills, fine trees, and rivers. It, together with Zululand, 
 is larger than the State of New York. The land is 
 fertile and well-watered ; also well-wooded in many 
 parts, some of the trees are very large and beautiful. 
 Though always green, yet they are not at all like 
 evergreen trees in America, the leaves being more 
 like the orange or laurel leaf. The foliage is thick 
 so that one may feel quite sheltered from a shower 
 of rain. The climate is much like that of Florida. 
 
26 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Durban, the sea-port town, then had a population 
 of about three thousand white people, mostly Eng- 
 lish ; now it has grown so that it numbers more than 
 80,000 souls. 
 
 Even in those days there were some good public 
 buildings, with stores, schools, churches, and private 
 residences; also a beautiful botanical garden. The 
 town extended back onto a low, green, well-wooded 
 hill that overlooks the bay and has become the resi- 
 dential part of the present large, fine, well-kept city. 
 This upper section is called Berea, so named by 
 Captain Allan F. Gardner, who was the first mis- 
 sionary to the Zulus. He left the English navy and 
 a few years after, at the age of forty, went to Natal 
 in 1835, a year before our missionaries from America 
 reached there. Owing to the unsettled state of the 
 country and having no knowledge of the native lan- 
 guage or books to aid him in mission work, he could 
 do very little, so, after two or three years, returned 
 tO' England. 
 
 His subsequent career as a missionary to Pata- 
 gonia, where he, with six of his companions, starved 
 to death on that barren coast, is well-known to the 
 Christian world and many others. He went against 
 the judgment of wise friends and risked too much 
 in going to a wild, unfriendly people, where he had 
 no means of procuring supplies or of getting away. 
 As Jesus before had shown, stones were not miracu- 
 lously made into bread. However, he was a noble 
 Christian gentleman and his heroism has been an 
 inspiration to many. 
 
 Zulus, in their native dress and blankets, were 
 
NATAL 27 
 
 to be seen on the streets of the town as we passed 
 along. Transport was carried on with large wagons, 
 that would take three or four tons at a load and were 
 drawn by sixteen or twenty oxen. The missionaries 
 had smaller wagons, carrying about a ton and so 
 fitted up that they could travel, and if necessary, sleep 
 in them. There were few who did not learn to ride 
 on horseback. 
 
 The yoke for South African oxen is a round, 
 straight piece of wood which rests on the neck, with 
 four holes, two for each ox, in which flat pieces of 
 smooth, hard wood about a foot long, are put ; leather 
 straps are fastened in notches to the lower part of 
 these, extending underneath the neck from side to 
 side. A long chain is attached to the pole of the 
 wagon and then to a ring in the middle of each yoke. 
 
 After spending three or four days in Durban, meet- 
 ing a number of English and some missionary friends, 
 Mr. Lindley and his eldest daughter, came from their 
 Inanda station, fifteen miles inland, to take me to 
 their home. 
 
 There were at that time three miles of railway 
 in Natal, and perhaps not a hundred in all 
 Africa; now there are ten thousand miles in South 
 Africa alone. We went on the little railway to the 
 place where we found their oxen and wagon out- 
 spanned waiting for us. Soon we and our luggage 
 were packed away, the oxen were inspanned, the 
 driver cracked his long whip in the air, called some 
 of the oxen by their names, and we began to move. 
 It was all so new, wild, and strange ! The half naked 
 driver, as he then appeared to me, the leader boy in 
 
28 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 similar dress, who held a strap tied to the horns of 
 the two front oxen; then there was a boy behind to 
 attend to the brake, dressed like the others. The 
 Zulus have never been slaves and are called one of 
 the most intelligent of the African tribes, superior 
 in their physique, bearing, and language. 
 
 The men consider themselves dressed when their 
 loins are covered with a thick skirt of fringe made 
 from twisted strips of skin, with the hair or fur 
 left on. The women wear skirts that come to their 
 knees, made from nicely tanned skins. They, like 
 the men, think themselves dressed, and after a time, 
 we missionaries get to thinking so, too. 
 
 This reminds me of a little incident that hap- 
 pened after I had been many years in the mission. 
 An American lady, who was teaching in a school 
 for white girls in Cape Colony, came to visit me. 
 While she was there we went to see some friends 
 at another station, about twenty-five miles distant. 
 I then had a little American buggy, in which I some- 
 times drove my horse. We started early in the morn- 
 ing and had a good road for part of the way. The 
 country was beautiful, but the remainder of the road 
 was greatly overgrown by grass, being little more 
 than a faint track at any season of the year. How- 
 ever, there were trees and other landmarks to indi- 
 cate the way, which was not unfamiliar to me. We 
 reached the top of a hill, where the grass had quite 
 overgrown the path so that it was difficult to tell 
 which was the right one, just there. A kraal being 
 near, a man came out dressed in his native costume. 
 I was very glad to see him and learn about the way. 
 
NATAL 29 
 
 As soon as he found who we were and where we 
 came from, he was pleased to see us and to show 
 us the right direction. He knew a number of our 
 missionaries and was much interested to hear about 
 them, and the work at the station. So he, most 
 courteously and kindly, went on with us for quite 
 a distance until the path became more plain. When 
 he had politely waved his hand over his head and 
 said good-bye, and we ours, with thanks, my friend, 
 in a faint voice, said, " Oh, how dreadful ! What 
 would my mother say if she knew this ! " In a flash 
 I then realized that she had not understood a word 
 of all we had been saying or seen how kindly and 
 respectfully this man, in his Zulu fashion, had shown 
 us the way, although a heathen and dressed as such. 
 I am glad to say that she, too, a few years later, 
 became a missionary and ceased to wonder, I trust, 
 what her mother would say when she saw a heathen 
 Zulu, as she spent faithful years of service for them. 
 To go back to my first trip in a big wagon. We 
 travelled on for about twelve miles, over a rough, 
 and gradually ascending, road, seeing little of civiliza- 
 tion, aside from two or three sugar estates owned 
 by English people, until we reached Inanda. There, 
 dear Mrs. Lindley, with her beautiful smiling face 
 and open arms, came out to welcome me to the mis- 
 sion and her home. She was the mother of eleven 
 grown-up children. Only the eldest and youngest 
 were, at that time, with the parents. Although far 
 from strong, yet she was very active. One day I 
 saw her get onto her horse and ride off like a girl, 
 as she went to see a sick woman. Evening after 
 
30 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 evening, she continued as she had done for many 
 years, to teach a few natives in her kitchen. A num- 
 ber of the teachers and preachers in the mission were 
 first influenced and taught by her to become Chris- 
 tians. 
 
 Inanda is one of the oldest stations of the Zulu 
 Mission. At that time there was only a little village 
 of the Christian people, a small church and day 
 school, the missionaries' house, and a one-story brick 
 building for a girls' boarding school, which had been 
 started a little over a year before by Mrs. Mary 
 K. Edwards, who was the first lady tO' be sent out 
 by the Woman's Board of our Mission to any field. 
 
 After spending a week or two at Inanda, I went 
 to Mopumulu, a station about fifty miles inland, 
 where I began the study of the Zulu language with 
 the Rev. Abraham as my teacher. He was often 
 in his study fourteen hours a day working on the 
 translation of the Zulu Bible, seeing natives and at- 
 tending to other affairs, besides hearing my lessons. 
 He would work very early in the morning and late 
 at night. With his wife's assistance he was also 
 educating their three half-grown sons, as there was 
 no school for them to attend. Those boys could 
 speak the Zulu language like natives, and enjoyed 
 taking me out for rides on horseback, to visit the 
 kraals, which was a great help in learning about the 
 Zulus and their language. 
 
 My interest in the people grew and I longed for 
 the time to come when I could talk and influence 
 them to live new and better lives. 
 
 Pretty flowers were in front of the mission home 
 
THE FIRST SINGLE LADIES TO JOIN THE MISSION 
 
 FROM AMERICA 
 
 3 Miss G. R. Hanci" 6 Miss F. M. Morris 
 1 .Mrs. :\L K. Edwards 
 4 Miss M. E. Pinkerton 5 :\riss M. Price 
 
 2 Miss L. A. Dav 
 
NATAL 31 
 
 and many nice orange, banana, and other fruit trees, 
 near, which had been set out by the missionary. 
 The house was on a high ridge with pecuhar deep 
 ravines and uneven hills all about. 
 
 We were far from other white people. The lan- 
 guage was so unlike my own and so difficult I some- 
 times felt as though I could never master it. But I 
 studied hard and tried to talk. If I could learn it 
 I felt I should like to work for the kraal people and 
 knew I could not unless I were able to speak so that 
 they could understand. There is some school work 
 which one might do without knowing much of the 
 language. I did not wish to do that, as the other 
 appealed to me more strongly. 
 
 At the station was a little group of Christian peo- 
 ple, who, with their children, wore European cloth- 
 ing. They came to church on Sunday looking neatly 
 dressed in the garments which the missionary's wife 
 had taught them to make. A good many heathen 
 came also, and we were glad to see them, although 
 in their native dress. Sometimes an amusing start 
 was made to wear a civilized garment with the native 
 costume, a hat, a shirt, a handkerchief, a pair of 
 leggings, a vest, a pair of trousers or a dress. One 
 day an old woman whose name was " Ushiline " 
 (shilling) came to the missionary lady and said she 
 wanted to dress and come to church. Her husband 
 was quite an important chief, but he was old, too, 
 and they had no way of getting a dress as she could 
 not sew. The lady finally gave her a night dress, and 
 with a belt it made quite a good-looking outer gar- 
 ment. The chief, her husband, was a tall man and 
 
'32 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 he also wished to come to church. The next Sunday 
 a white object came striding along the ridge of one 
 of the hills in the distance. As it neared the church 
 it appeared so tall and stately one could see that it 
 was not " Ushiline," but her husband, in the night 
 dress, belt and all. 
 
 The missionary had a very good driver for the 
 ox wagon. His name was Umsela. He must have 
 been forty years old, or more, and was a heathen 
 man. He was always most helpful and kind when 
 he went with the wagon, and wore some European 
 clothes. Although he frequently came to church he 
 appeared to have no desire to become a Christian. 
 Afterward, the following story came out about him : 
 Two or three years before his brother had died, and, 
 according to native custom, Umsela inherited his 
 wives and children. They did not like him and 
 somehow a story was circulated that he was an " Um- 
 takate," (wizard). Hatred and jealousy often cause 
 such an accusation to be made by a person or persons 
 who dislike another. Superstition and fear make 
 others too ready to believe it. 
 
 One of the older girls was taken ill and died of 
 consumption. A year or two later a second one died 
 of the same disease. This made a great stir, and a 
 third girl, nearly grown, ran away, accusing Umsela 
 of being an " Umtakate." As their marriage dowries 
 would have come to him had they lived, it was not 
 a reasonable story, but she and others said they had 
 seen him mixing medicine, and believed he had put 
 it on some meat and given it to the sick girls. " They 
 ate it and it stucl^ in their lungs and months after- 
 
NATAL 33 
 
 ward they threw up with much blood before they 
 died, the very same meat which he had given them, 
 so that was witness against him." They were sure 
 of it and truly believed it. 
 
 All one could say would not take this belief out 
 of their minds, and poor Umsela was crushed and 
 heart-broken over their accusations. He, too, died 
 not many years afterward; but the missionary and 
 some others did not think him at all to blame, or 
 unkind to the girls. 
 
 It is hard to overcome these beliefs, even after 
 the natives become Christians. Most of them think 
 that a kind of bug or cricket gets into their stomachs 
 and causes sickness, and into their heads and causes 
 insanity. Also that walking over medicine which an 
 evil person has sprinkled in the path, or near about, 
 has caused sickness and death. If any one is sick 
 some person is always blamed. 
 
 One of the royal family fell from a tree and broke 
 his arm. A man who was nowhere near him when 
 he fell was accused of having sprinkled medicine 
 under the tree, and so they put him to death. Many 
 other things of that kind were continually, happening 
 amongst the heathen. 
 
 The English government, now being in control, 
 does not allow such penalties. Dozens of the Zulu 
 superstitions are no more absurd than some of those 
 of civilized people, such as thirteen at table, the bad 
 luck of Friday, knocking on wood, and other heathen 
 signs. 
 
Ill 
 
 THE ZULUS AND THEIR WHITE 
 NEIGHBOURS 
 
 THE heathen Zulus do not worship idols, or a 
 supreme being. They know nothing of a 
 creator. Some of those who have become 
 Christians used to tell me again and again how they 
 longed to know who made the sky, the sun, and stars, 
 the Indian Ocean, that came " just so far and no 
 farther," the world, the great world, its people, and 
 who caused their gardens to grow. 
 
 They believe that the spirits of their ancestors 
 hover about them on earth, or go into some animal 
 or snake, and so, under certain circumstances, they 
 must offer sacrifices to them, to appease their wrath. 
 
 If one is ill, they say that his ancestors are hungry, 
 or displeased, and offer meat as a sacrifice. The meat 
 is not cooked, but left in an empty hut over night. 
 The next morning the friends of the sick person take 
 it out, cook it, and eat it. 
 
 There are certain snakes that they do not kill. I 
 remember once finding a large one asleep in my room, 
 as I went in to go to bed. (We always looked under 
 the bed, pillows, and other things before putting out 
 the light.) I rushed out to find some Zulus to come 
 and kill it. Although large and of a peculiar shape 
 it was not one of the most poisonous kind. The boys 
 
 34 
 
ZULUS AND WHITE NEIGHBOURS 35 
 
 hesitated and said, " We do not want to kill your 
 ancestor," I told them to despatch the snake as 
 soon as possible, and we would talk about ancestors 
 afterwards. 
 
 They have a tradition as to the way death came 
 into the world, and say that the first man found him- 
 self in a bed of reeds beside a river. A spirit told 
 a lizard to go and tell the man that he might live 
 forever. Then the spirit sent a chameleon to the 
 man to tell him he must die. Both started on their 
 errands. The lizard hastened at first, but fell asleep 
 by the way. The chameleon went slowly, but steadily 
 plodding on, and was first to reach the man with his 
 message of death. So death came into the world. 
 The Zulus hate both the Hzard and the chameleon, 
 but would not dare to harm either of them. If one 
 urges to know who the spirit was that sent the mes- 
 sages, they say, " Oh, it was only Unkulunkulu," 
 much as we would speak of a fairy, only a fairy. 
 
 The heathen Zulu lives in a kraal, which is com- 
 posed of round grass huts. These huts form a circle 
 about a circular hedge in which the cattle are kept 
 at night. Each wife has her own private hut; the 
 larger boys have their own hut and the larger girls 
 have a hut with a grandmother or some older woman, 
 who has charge of them. A brother, or any near 
 relative, guards and never dishonours the virtue of 
 a woman or girl in their family ; neither will relatives, 
 although very remote, intermarry. 
 
 I remember our having a great deal of trouble 
 once, at Umvoti, because a Christian young man 
 and woman wished to marry. They were very dis- 
 
36 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 tantly related, so distantly they could not quite make 
 out how it was ; but the fathers said it should not be 
 allowed. However, they were finally induced to 
 give their consent. 
 
 The huts are made by driving long limber sticks 
 into the ground, curving them to a height of about 
 seven feet, forming a round top, then neatly weaving 
 in other limber sticks, or reeds. Two or three posts 
 are put underneath and it is nicely thatched over to 
 the ground with grass. The door is about two or 
 two and one-half feet high. 
 
 It is impossible for them to make a square. They 
 sit in circles, and build their houses and kraals in 
 circles. Ask a heathen, who had not been taught, 
 to make a square on a slate, and he would draw a 
 circle every time. 
 
 They have many peculiar customs, among them 
 the marriage engagement and ceremony. The father 
 of the young man and the father of the young woman 
 get together, and if they can make satisfactory ar- 
 rangements, a match is planned. After this meeting 
 the girl is supposed to do the courting. The decision 
 may not be satisfactory to either of the young people, 
 but that does not matter. The girl makes a visit to 
 the kraal of her prospective father-in-law. If she 
 does not wish to go and does not like the young man, 
 they have many ways of persecuting her until she 
 yields. One is to tie her thumb so tight, it some- 
 times drops off; or they will not speak to her, or eat 
 with her, and tie her near the cooking fire on a hot 
 day. 
 
 When the first visit is made the young man is 
 
ZULUS AND WHITE NEIGHBOURS 37 
 
 seldom at home. She goes in, says nothing, but sits 
 down in his mother's hut. His parents, no matter 
 how well they may think, pretend not to approve of 
 her. They talk of their high family standing, etc. 
 After several days, often weeks, the girl sitting and 
 saying little, they may decide to accept her; if so, 
 they send her home with a chief man, two or three 
 women and girls, and seven head of cattle, the least 
 number that is given to bind an engagement. Some- 
 times the chief of a tribe gives as many as three hun- 
 dred head. I knew a woman for whom that number 
 was given. 
 
 A man may have as many wives as he can pay for. 
 The Zulus are not married young. It may be years 
 after the engagement before the marriage takes 
 place, but the girl's father keeps the cattle. At the 
 wedding, at least three more are given. 
 
 The young woman continues to call on the young 
 man, or his family, but he is seldom at home. She 
 takes presents for the future mother-in-law, in order 
 to keep on good terms with her. The young man 
 finally visits her and a feast is given. 
 
 The night before the wedding day, the bride-to-be, 
 often with seventy or a hundred of her people, arrives 
 in sight of the young man's home, a little before sun- 
 set. There they sit, on the nearest hill, and wait for 
 someone to come out and meet them. The older men 
 go with great ceremony and escort them to some 
 nearby kraal, prepared for the party, where food is 
 provided. The young woman appears very unhappy 
 and is supposed to weep. 
 
 Next morning, with the bridesmaids, she goes to 
 
38 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 the river and prepares for the wedding. There are 
 no hairpins, the bride's hair is done up in a top-knot 
 and plastered together with clay. She covers her 
 face with a veil, or bead ornaments, and wears a 
 skirt made of cowhide, that comes about to her knees. 
 Her shoulders are covered with ornaments. Shortly 
 before noon the bridal party starts for the bride- 
 groom's kraal, doing a good deal of singing and 
 dancing by the way. 
 
 Having arrived, her friends form a circle about 
 her, and the groom's friends form a circle around 
 him. The marriage ceremony is completed when the 
 groom's friends succeed in getting the bride into 
 their circle. It always take a long struggle to do 
 this, and the friends of the couple are boisterous and 
 noisy. When they are finally successful the friends 
 of the groom pass before the bride and in a semi- 
 scolding manner tell her how fortunate she has been 
 in becoming a member of such a noble family and 
 how unworthy she is of such a husband. The bride's 
 friends then come before the groom, eulogize her, 
 and tell him that he has been honoured in securing 
 such a wife. 
 
 When this is over, a great feast is prepared and 
 all enjoy it except the bride, who eats nothing, weeps, 
 and pretends to be very unhappy. Finally, all the 
 girls of the company gather around her and sing 
 until morning. At sunrise her friends depart for 
 their homes and she goes with them as far as the 
 nearest river, and returns weeping. 
 
 The Zulus have good voices and some of them learn 
 to sing beautifully ■ but heathen music is very pecu- 
 
READY FOR A PARTY 
 
ZULUS AND WHITE NEIGHBOURS 39 
 
 liar and weird, although they keep perfect time. They 
 have wonderful war songs, wedding songs and funeral 
 marches. I often wonder at the systematic manner 
 in which they conduct funerals. Everything is done 
 in perfect order, no matter how unprepared they are. 
 The grave is dug so that the body, when put in it, 
 will be in a sitting position, facing the east. Blankets, 
 mats, etc., belonging to him are put into the grave. 
 His war weapons are given to his eldest son. Mats 
 are put over all, then the grave is filled with earth 
 and carefully watched for a long time. 
 
 The case of King Tyaka, who was known as the 
 Napoleon of South Africa, was an interesting one. 
 He reigned over all South East Africa, before many 
 English had settled there. Like Nero, he had a 
 mother who was anxious to rule. It is considered 
 very unmanly to be unkind to a mother. His mother 
 took advantage of this and made him much trouble. 
 He wanted to get rid of her and finally caused her 
 death, but no Zulu would dare to say that. 
 
 He determined to show himself worthy of his 
 office by honouring her, after her death, and arranged 
 for the greatest funeral ever known in South Africa. 
 He brought ten girls from different parts of his 
 country and had them put in the grave with her. 
 They knelt about the body and were buried alive. 
 For a whole year ten thousand of his soldiers watched 
 her grave. 
 
 The inhabitants of Natal and Zululand were mostly 
 English, Dutch and Zulus. Later, Indians and 
 Arabs have come there for trade and to work on the 
 sugar estates. 
 
40 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO DAY 
 
 In the northern districts of Natal, as well as in 
 Zululand and many other parts of South Africa, the 
 Boers own large tracts of land, one man often hav- 
 ing hundreds, or even thousands, of acres. 
 
 For many years the white people in Natal paid 
 no land tax. In the majority of cases, before the 
 Boer war, their ideas of progress were not unlike 
 those prevalent two hundred years ago in Europe. 
 They cared little for good roads, schools, railroads, 
 new industries, or the opening of mines. 
 
 On horseback, accompanied by a Scotch lad, I 
 once rode through that part of Natal, where many of 
 the Boers have farms. A Dutch minister gave me 
 a letter of introduction to a farmer, a deacon in his 
 church, at whose home, he said, we would find as 
 comfortable a place as there was, to stay for the 
 night. The man and his wife received us kindly 
 and gave me the best they had. The house was 
 small, with only one bedroom, which I occupied. 
 They, with the smaller children, slept in the living- 
 room adjoining. The Scotch lad slept on the floor 
 of the little room ofif the kitchen with the boys of the 
 family, who did not remove the clothes they had 
 worn during the day. I went to bed early. About 
 ten o'clock I was awakened by a strange, weird, 
 singsong reading of a Psalm. Then a prayer was 
 offered in the same tone, all in Dutch. 
 
 Next morning I said to my host that I would like 
 to see their garden and farm. There was not a 
 flower, shrub, or tree near the house, and almost no 
 garden. The farmer showed me where his land 
 extended, as far as we could see. He had over a 
 
ZULUS AND WHITE NEIGHBOURS 41 
 
 hundred horses, several thousand sheep and hun- 
 dreds of cattle. 
 
 I asked him if he would not like to have better 
 roads and a railroad by which he could take his wool 
 and stock to market. " No," said he, " I can take 
 my wool in my large wagon." And a school, would 
 he not like to have a school for his children? He 
 replied that they did not need a school, but would 
 I help him get a tutor? He would like to get one 
 for about six months, so that his children could be 
 taught the catechism and to read the Bible ! 
 
 I found he was only one of many Boer farmers 
 who had similar opinions, and made no effort what- 
 ever, then, to improve the country or the lives and 
 minds of the natives on their lands. 
 
 How could a people like these, in this twentieth 
 century, rule others themselves, or justly rule and 
 elevate the hundreds of thousands of heathen Zulus 
 and other natives about them, who are naturally in- 
 telligent, and quick to learn good or evil? 
 
 This deacon went to church, twenty miles away, 
 with his family, once in six months, to attend the 
 " Nachmaal " (communion), but not more often. 
 
 The Boer farmers usually settle their quarrels and 
 disputes a few days before communion, but frequently 
 renew them the following week, or soon afterward. 
 
IV 
 
 THE FIRST AMERICAN MISSIONARIES TO 
 SOUTH AFRICA 
 
 IT was December 2.2, 1835, when the first mission- 
 aries from America landed in Natal. They 
 started from the homeland, a party of six 
 ministers and their wives, sent out by the A.B.C.F.M. 
 At the Cape of Good Hope, three of the gentlemen 
 and their wives went with ox wagons far inland to 
 what is now Northern Transvaal. The other three, 
 with their wives, after many delays, went part way 
 to Natal. At Port Elizabeth the ladies remained 
 with English friends, while the gentlemen went on 
 to reconnoitre and build temporary houses. 
 
 The country had not yet been taken over by the 
 English and only a few traders and hunters were 
 living there, besides the Zulus. 
 
 The missionaries were obliged to go a hundred and 
 sixty miles or more inland, to see the then reigning 
 King, a noted warrior by the name of Dingane, who 
 ruled both Natal and Zululand. 
 
 He was sceptical about their being able to make 
 marks on paper tell greater things than his wizards. 
 He had two dogs. Their names were Tyaka and 
 Dingane. He knew that the missionaries had not 
 been told this. He sent a chief man with one of the 
 missionaries to a clump of bushes, out of sight, and 
 
 43 
 
THE AMERICAN MISSIONARIES 43 
 
 so far away as not to be heard at the kraah There 
 the missionary was given the names of the dogs, and 
 told to write them on a paper which was then to 
 be taken to the king, and there read by his companion, 
 while he remained at the clump of bushes. That the 
 names were rightly told greatly astonished the king, 
 and, after more parley, arrangements were made for 
 the missionary to live in his country. Land for sta- 
 tions was allotted to them. 
 
 There was then no alphabet or written characters 
 of the Zulu language. With great difficulty the mis- 
 sionaries began its study, without books or much 
 assistance from the white hunters and traders, al- 
 though they were kind to help what they could. 
 
 Temporary homes were built of reeds, mud, plaster, 
 and thatch, three or four miles from the seaport. 
 Two of the gentlemen went to bring the ladies and 
 returned with them, travelling the six hundred miles 
 in an ox wagon. Before they left Port Elizabeth, 
 they were greatly saddened by the illness and death 
 from consumption, of one of their number, Mrs. 
 Grout. She died full of faith, rejoicing that she had 
 been counted worthy to leave her home and country 
 to aid in bringing the light of the gospel to Africa. 
 
 The missionaries, who had separated from their 
 associates at the Cape of Good Hope and gone inland, 
 suffered great hardships and privations. After 
 spending two years in the part of the country where 
 they had gone, a terrible war broke out there between 
 the Boers and various native tribes. It was impos- 
 sible to carry on missionary work and they were 
 obliged to hastily leave, making the long journey. 
 
44 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 more than a thousand miles, in the inevitable ox 
 wagons, to join their brethren in Natal. At one time 
 while on the journey they had no food for three days, 
 but a little brown sugar. 
 
 They had suffered much from fever, and one of 
 the ladies, Mrs. Wilson, died before they left. " Tell 
 my mother and sister and friends," said she, " that 
 I have never regretted coming to Africa." There 
 was nothing with which to make a coffin for her, 
 except two boards taken from the sides of their 
 wagon. And so was buried one of the first American 
 missionaries to Africa. 
 
 The Martha Washington Club, of Pretoria, in 1914, 
 put up a beautiful and appropriate monument to Mrs. 
 Wilson, near the spot where her grave is supposed 
 to be. It cost seventy pounds, including the land 
 around it. It has two bronze plates, one a reproduc- 
 tion of the rough stone with inscription, which was 
 evidently put at the grave by Dr. Wilson in 1836, 
 before he and the others of that party were obliged 
 to leave the country for Natal. The monument is 
 within sight of the now passing trains of The Cape 
 to Cairo Railroad. 
 
 A hearty welcome awaited the weary, travel- 
 stained party when they reached Natal. As soon as 
 arrangements could be made, the missionaries were 
 located at four points, miles from each other, all 
 studying and preaching as best they could. 
 
 They had a small printing press, and, as fast as a 
 little of the language could be learned, words and 
 sentences were struck off and schools started for old 
 and young who would come. 
 
THE AMERICAN MISSIONARIES 45 
 
 The Zulu language is a very beautiful one, and 
 up to that time it had been kept to a remarkable 
 extent unmixed with the languages of other nations, 
 who since then have invaded the country. 
 
 Through the entanglements of this strange tongue, 
 the missionaries pressed on to scientific study and 
 mastery of it. Grammars and dictionaries, leaflets, 
 school cards, part of the Testament, Psalms, and 
 hymn-books were published. In 1883 the mission 
 succeeded in bringing out the complete Zulu Bible. 
 
 It was found that the grammar of the language 
 could be written as clearly and fully as that of any 
 European language. The vocabulary is more than 
 twice as large as that which was used by the peasants 
 of England. 
 
 It is not harsh, but pleasant to the ear, although 
 it has four " clicks " represented by its alphabet. One 
 of these, and sometimes two, come into a word now 
 and then. This language is not at all like English, 
 but is to South Africa like Latin to Europe, a basis 
 for a variety of tongues. Mr. Stanley said that with 
 a Zulu interpreter he could make himself understood 
 by almost any tribe south of the equator. So we find 
 that the Bible and many other books published in 
 Zulu, by our missionaries, are now being largely 
 sold far inland in places where we did not know of 
 Zulu-speaking tribes thirty or forty years ago. 
 
 The Zulus had a wonderful and most practical 
 system of warfare. Every able-bodied man belonged 
 to a regiment that could be called into service at any 
 time. In battle they formed like the head of a two- 
 horned beast. The horns often extended for miles 
 
46 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 away behind the hills. Gradually they would draw 
 together until suddenly the enemy would find them- 
 selves surrounded, as did the English, at Isandhlwana 
 and other places, before they conquered the Zulus. 
 
 Years before the missionaries from America went 
 to South Africa, generals in the Zulu army would 
 find they had too many jealous enemies in the ranks. 
 For fear of their hatred and treachery they would 
 secretly leave, taking their friends and a company or 
 regiment with them. To get far from their enemies, 
 they often went many hundred miles inland, before 
 they settled down. There they would overcome other 
 tribes and make them learn to speak the Zulu lan- 
 guage. This accounts for its being so extensively 
 spoken in many far-away tribes. 
 
 It is to the everlasting honour of the Zulu nation 
 that, in times of peace, before the influence of evil 
 foreigners had crept in to corrupt the natives and 
 their children, not only missionaries but other white 
 ladies were always treated with respect by them; 
 they had no cause to fear any of the people. 
 
 Frequently where a Zulu man was properly treated, 
 he would work years for a white family, being per- 
 fectly honest and trustworthy in his interest and care 
 for all in the home. They are kind to children and 
 like best those brought up to respect their parents 
 and others. I do not remember ever hearing a Zulu 
 child interrupt his father when speaking. They 
 are a conservative people, have good forms and well- 
 developed heads. It was unusual to see a Zulu man 
 who was other than dignified and courteous. They 
 have a great pride of race, of their courage and self- 
 
THE AMERICAN MISSIONARIES 47 
 
 control. A Zulu father will say to his little son, 
 " You must not scream or make a fuss when you 
 are hurt or in pain; you are a Zulu, a little Zulu 
 man." 
 
 Work was getting well started by our mission in 
 Natal, when another tribal war broke out between 
 the Boers and Zulus. The Zulus, knowing what the 
 Boers had done farther north to the tribes there, 
 determined to drive them from their land. They took 
 them unawares and many hundreds were massacred. 
 
 It was no longer prudent for the missionaries to 
 remain in the country; they sought shelter at Port 
 Elizabeth and Cape Town, where they received great 
 kindness from English friends, as well as from the 
 English government, which urged them not to give 
 up the mission and return to America, although the 
 board in Boston had advised them to do so. Letters 
 were often many months going to and from the 
 home land. In the meantime the English govern- 
 ment had taken over Natal, and things becoming 
 more settled, the missionaries resumed their work 
 there. The government gave twelve grants of land 
 to the American board for mission purposes. There 
 were from five thousand to more than twelve thou- 
 sand acres in each of these Mission Reserves. They 
 extend up and down the eastern part of Natal, from 
 fifteen to twenty-five or thirty miles apart. All our 
 older stations are on them, each having also a glebe 
 of five hundred acres, on which the churches, 
 mission-houses, and school-houses are built. 
 
 The Zulus were slow to accept Christianity. The 
 difficulties of the language, the various wars, the 
 
48 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 extreme prejudices, the superstitions and stubborn- 
 ness of the Zulu mind, delayed the formation of a 
 church for over eleven years after the landing of the 
 first missionaries. 
 
 The light of the Gospel shone into the heart of a 
 Zulu woman and she was the first of that nation to 
 be baptized. Her name was *' Umbulase." In many 
 respects she was a remarkable woman. Her husband 
 had been an influential and powerful chief. He was 
 killed in war at the time of the noted and bloody 
 warrior, King Tyaka. The year following Umbu- 
 lase's baptism, her son, Nembula, was baptized. He 
 became an educated, intelligent Christian man and 
 was ordained as pastor over one of the older churches 
 at the station where he had lived from a child. His 
 son studied in the schools of our mission, came to 
 America, finishing with the study of medicine. After 
 receiving his diploma he returned to Natal, and was 
 employed by the government as district surgeon. 
 All three, mother, son, and grandson, have now 
 passed on to the " Better Land," after living as Chris- 
 tian members of the church for many years. 
 
 Umbulase, the mother, lived for a few years after 
 I reached Natal. When I saw her she was feeble 
 and nearly blind, but still earnest and trustful in her 
 Christian faith. 
 
 Nembula used to tell the story how he and other 
 little boys went to the service, when the Gospel was 
 first preached to the Zulus. Many people came. It 
 was held under a large and beautiful untombe tree, 
 noted as the oldest and largest in the country. More 
 than a thousand people could sit in its shade, on the 
 
THE AMERICAN MISSIONARIES 49 
 
 soft green grass beneath it. When travelling I have 
 often outspanned there. 
 
 The missionary who held the service was the Rev. 
 Dr. Adams. His subject was " The Good Shepherd." 
 He had spent much time and strength to get the best 
 and most of his knowledge of Zulu into that simple 
 address, thinking, hoping, and praying that the people 
 might not fail to comprehend its meaning. The next 
 morning the little boy, Nembula, came to the mis- 
 sionary and said, " Will you not hire me to help 
 herd your cattle? We think you must be a great 
 herdsman wath many cattle, you said so much about 
 it yesterday." He remained, his mother, Umbulase, 
 also came and for many years they lived at the 
 mission-house, and so began some of the first influ- 
 ences for Christianity among the Zulus. 
 
 Still very slowly the number increased of those 
 who were willing to give up heathenism, with its 
 sins and allurements, and accept Christianity. The 
 mission has always been cautious, never hasty in ad- 
 mitting persons to church membership. I think I 
 voice the feeling of most workers when I say that 
 one of the greatest trials to a missionary is when a 
 convert goes back to heathenism; hence the need of 
 caution and delay. 
 
 So our society worked steadily on for the Zulus, 
 their faith and patience often tried, but they were not 
 discouraged. Year by year there was a small, though 
 increasing, number of those who really understood 
 and accepted the truths of the Gospel. Usually such 
 came to the station to live in a more civilized way 
 and send their children to school. 
 
50 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 But in the early eighties of the last century, a 
 great awakening began in our mission and extended 
 to many part of the country. In the year 1899 
 nearly as many united with our churches as had done 
 so in all the first fifty years of the work. 
 
 The American board now has stations in many 
 parts of Natal, as well as in the Transvaal, Zululand, 
 Rhodesia, and Portuguese territory. There are day 
 schools at all the stations, and at many of the out 
 stations. Grants are given for them by the English 
 government. There are two boarding schools for 
 girls and one for boys, besides the normal school 
 and a theological seminary. The latter, as well as 
 the boys' school, has, for the past few years, been 
 unitedly carried on by the Scotch and American mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 Many of the Zulus are quick to learn mathematics 
 and also the English language, which they frequently 
 speak well, with a good accent. They often make 
 excellent teachers, as well as preachers. Trades and 
 industries are taught in the higher schools. 
 
 Various grades of dwellings are built by the more 
 civilized Zulus, some of brick. There are good brick 
 churches and school-houses, with suitable furnishings, 
 at many of the stations. 
 
 In later chapters I shall speak more in detail re- 
 garding some departments of the work which I have 
 here mentioned. 
 
 The missionary's home is usually a comfortable, 
 pleasant, one-story building of brick, which a prac- 
 tical, refined, American woman can make homelike. 
 
 For food they can have chicken, eggs, sometimes 
 
THE AMERICAN MISSIONARIES 51 
 
 meat, fish, bread, beans, green corn, rice, sweet, and 
 other potatoes, witli a few kinds of garden vegeta- 
 bles. Oranges, bananas, and various tropical fruits, 
 tea and sugar cane also grow there. 
 
 Sometimes I thought of things which I would have 
 enjoyed, such as apples and other American fruits. 
 One becomes very tired of rice, sweet potatoes, and 
 chicken, although he may be very grateful for them. 
 We had many ways of cooking chicken; but after 
 my return to America I did not care to see or taste 
 of this kind of meat for more than a year. The 
 greater part of the time while I was in Africa I was 
 many miles from a market ; and yet, I would not like 
 to say that I ever suffered for food or for a com- 
 fortable place in which to live, for that would not 
 be true. The snakes, the white ants, the ticks, and 
 the white tramps were the worst to be dreaded. Dis- 
 sipated second and third sons of distinguished fami- 
 lies, as well as more common people, frequently 
 drifted to that country from England, having little 
 money, ability, or desire to earn an honest living. 
 
ENTERING THE WORK 
 
 AFTER studying the language for a few months, 
 I went to the annual meeting of the mission, 
 when I was assigned to the station at Umvoti, 
 one of the older ones, fifty miles north of Durban, 
 and about six miles from the Indian Ocean. A mis- 
 sionary. Rev. David Rood and his wife, were there; 
 their only children, a son and daughter, had been 
 sent to America. The view was fine as one looked 
 from the house on the sparkling river and across 
 it to the fields of sugar cane, the green hills and trees 
 in the distance. 
 
 In the early days, after the first missionary came 
 to Umvoti, five elephants were seen in the drift below 
 the house, one morning. I never saw any wild ele- 
 phants and they, are no longer found in Natal, but 
 hippopotami were still in the lagoon six miles away, 
 at the mouth of the Umvoti, where the tide comes in. 
 
 An amusing story was told me by an old gentle- 
 man who' was one of the early settlers in Natal. He 
 and a friend went to fish at the mouth of the Umvoti. 
 They slept in their wagon, outspanning across a 
 path. Late at night they were wakened by a great 
 tramping and knew the elephants were coming and 
 that they never turned out of a path, if it were pos- 
 sible to remove any obstruction. The men in terror 
 
 52 
 
REV. DAVID ROOD 
 
ENTERING THE WORK 53 
 
 dared not get out of the wagon and run. On the 
 elephants came, stopped for a moment, tipped the 
 wagon to one side, and marched past. No one was 
 hurt, nor was the wagon badly damaged. 
 
 I had a horse to ride, and as I went about, becom- 
 ing more accustomed to the language and people and 
 seeing the many children with their parents, in 
 heathen homes, I still felt that I wished to work 
 very directly for them, instead of spending all my 
 time in schools and for those at the station. 
 
 A daughter of Dr. Willard Parker, of New York 
 City, had come to the mission as the wife of Rev. 
 Charles Lloyd. He lived only about two years. They 
 had been located at Umvoti, where she remained 
 for a few years after his death, doing faithful and 
 devoted service, being most interested in the kraal 
 people. She worked for them as she could, holding 
 services and having some of the children taught on 
 week days. 
 
 After she left there was no one to continue that 
 work, and it was a good deal run down, yet it had 
 been a helpful start before I went there, for which 
 I was grateful, as I also was for her loving sympathy 
 with the kraal work as long as she lived, and which 
 was helpfully continued for many years by her 
 mother, Mrs. Willard Parker, who, with other 
 friends of hers, sent me money for a very neat little 
 memorial church to be built near where she began 
 the first school for the kraal children. It stands on 
 a gently sloping hill, is built of brick, has a nice bell, 
 and cost, in all, three hundred and fifty pounds. 
 There is now a graded school at that place, which 
 
54 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 receives a grant from the government. On Sunday 
 a good congregation meets for the service and Sun- 
 day School. Besides, prayer and other meetings 
 are held through the week. It was at this out-station 
 that Hobeana attended service. His story will be 
 told later. 
 
 With a native boy from the station to look after 
 my horse, I soon lost all fear of going to the kraals. 
 For miles about they knew of the station and its 
 workers, which made it quite safe for me to visit 
 them, and they always seemed pleased to see me. 
 
 Although they have many bad customs, yet they 
 have remarkable boundaries of conduct and respect, 
 which an old-fashioned Zulu would never step over. 
 In these later years, as I have mentioned in a pre- 
 vious chapter, some of the natives are being greatly 
 corrupted in the towns, mines, and other places, by 
 rum and the influence of bad, white people. 
 
 While a missionary should be friendly and willing 
 to do anything which is necessary for the good of 
 the native, yet it is well to remember that a too 
 familiar person, or an impatient, irritable one, never 
 really gains a Zulu's respect. 
 
 As soon as I could use enough of the language, I 
 began, with a native young man or woman from the 
 station who could read, to hold little services for 
 the people, and schools for the children, under trees 
 and at the kraals, a few miles away in various direc- 
 tions. Sometimes grown people came to the schools, 
 and often little girls with their baby brothers or sis- 
 ters tied on their backs, in a goat skin. After a 
 time I could, in some places, induce the people to 
 
ENTERING THE WORK 55 
 
 help build a school-house of reeds with mud for 
 plaster, and thatch for roof. A door, a window, a 
 table, and some benches made from hewn logs with 
 legs put in, gave us a cooler and more comfortable 
 place for the day schools and for services on Sunday, 
 than under a tree. 
 
 In an evening school at the station, I taught and 
 trained Christian young men to teach such schools, 
 and, as often as I could, visited and helped them with 
 their work. The missionary had a class for men, 
 who took the out-station services on Sunday, he 
 also sometimes going with them. 
 
 The children who came to school from the kraals 
 did not, at first, wear much but a few bead ornaments 
 and occasionally a small blanket. Friends in America 
 sent me shirts for the boys and simple dresses for 
 the girls. Those they wore while in school, but did 
 not take them home. They were left in care of the 
 teacher. Every few weeks the children took them 
 to the river, were given soap and there washed them. 
 They all wanted to have clothes, and by weeding and 
 in some other ways, would earn a little money to 
 buy a garment for themselves, often before many 
 months passed. 
 
 Sometimes a father would come with a stick in 
 his hand on which were carefully cut notches. When 
 I visited the school he would show them to me, and 
 say, " My child has worked for you so many days 
 in coming here to learn from a book. What are you 
 going to pay me ? " It is many years since anything 
 of that kind has been done. They now understand 
 how much an education means to them and for their 
 
56 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 children. The great difificulty in these later years, 
 is to get teachers in sufficient numbers, who are well- 
 trained, to teach in the fast-increasing day schools. 
 
 On Saturdays I had, on the veranda of the mission- 
 house, from fifty to one hundred girls of all sizes, 
 learning to sew. As the schools grew, it was no 
 small task to get the work ready and teach so many, 
 even with one or two native girls, more advanced, 
 to help. Friends in America rendered great assist- 
 ance by sending basted patchwork and basted gar- 
 ments, for this sewing school. I had them put 
 stripes around the skirts of the dresses to show their 
 advancement in school. Grades One, Two, Three. 
 They had three stripes when they could read the 
 Testament, and the boys had long-sleeved shirts. 
 
 There were meetings, classes, visiting, and other 
 work on the station, which I was glad to help about 
 when I could. 
 
 At Christmas time the weather was always ex- 
 tremely hot, and the schools closed. I did not try 
 to have anything then for the children. But in June, 
 when the weather was cool and pleasant, I had a tree 
 and " Christmas " for all the children at the station 
 and out-stations. It was an interesting, yes, and a 
 beautiful sight, too, to see over three hundred chil- 
 dren dressed and marching up through the syringa 
 avenue to the house, singing, and then to the great 
 tree near the church, where the picnic was held. I 
 often found that I was wiping away tears that I 
 could not keep back, as they passed. Singing, recita- 
 tions of chapters from the Testament and other 
 recitations, speeches, with food and plenty of 
 
ENTERING THE WORK 57 
 
 oranges, were enjoyed by all. Then came the Christ- 
 mas tree, with stories of the Christ Child, in the 
 church. Friends in America for many years sent me 
 presents for those trees. There was always some- 
 thing for each child, with a small bag of candy. In 
 that way those friends did a most helpful mission 
 work for the Zulus. 
 
VI 
 
 KRAAL WOMEN 
 
 I BEGAN meetings for the women, in the kraals, 
 with great difficulty. A Christian woman from 
 the station was induced to undertake the work 
 with me. She could not believe that a heathen 
 woman, in a kraal, married, settled down and with 
 children, could become a Christian, if she had not 
 been instructed as she herself was when a child. 
 " Oh," said she, " Inkosazana, you cannot under- 
 stand how hard and dead their hearts are. They are 
 so buried that the truth cannot get to them." 
 
 We would send word to the chief woman of a 
 kraal that we wished to have a meeting in her hut, 
 on a certain afternoon, and desired the women in 
 the neighbourhood to come to it. Usually, we would 
 find the hut swept, and tidied up, the day of the 
 meeting. For a few times the women would come 
 out of curiosity, more than for any other reason. 
 
 As each stooped to pass through the little door, 
 not more than two or two and a half feet high, they 
 would always turn to the left and move along close 
 to the inside wall of the room, if many were there, 
 until they were within two or three feet of the door. 
 There was a superstitious reason for this. The men 
 always turned to the right when they came in, and 
 the seat nearest the door is taken by the chief man 
 
 68 
 
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 HH^H 
 
 ^^^^^^^^^Hk^^' m 
 
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 ^I^H 
 
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 ZULU WOMAN 
 
KRAAL WOMEN 69 
 
 of a kraal or tribe. The first time that I went into 
 a hut, they laid down a mat, giving me that seat, 
 and always continued to do so, when I visited them. 
 Many times a head man or chief, has gotten up to 
 give it to me. 
 
 After I was seated, when he was still standing, 
 he would say, " Sakabona, Inkosazana," then all the 
 others in turn would say the same. He would sit 
 down nearer the middle of the room. They would 
 have given up that seat if any lady of our mission 
 had gone into the hut. When there were not too 
 many people, it was cooler and more quiet, tO' have 
 the meeting in a hut, instead of under a tree. 
 
 The women would sit in a row, or in rows, around 
 the hut, with their babies in their arms, or strapped 
 on their backs. All sorts of questions they would 
 ask about my clothes, gloves, hairpins, etc. I would 
 wait for them to care for their babies and take a 
 pinch of snuff all around, which I could not at such 
 a time ask them to give up, after which we would 
 get quiet and begin the meeting, with a hymn and 
 prayer. Then we would ask them what they remem- 
 bered of last week's meeting. It was months before 
 we could get them to admit that they remembered 
 a word. Finally one would venture to tell a little. 
 This would encourage another, and so on, until a 
 great deal of the Bible story of the week before 
 was told. 
 
 Then we would tell them another, very plain and 
 short, usually from the New Testament. After a 
 hymn and prayer and teaching a verse of Scripture, 
 the meeting would close. 
 
60 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 For more than a year we kept up such meetings, 
 with apparently little result. The weather was often 
 very hot and most trying to me for such work. 
 
 One day I did not take my horse, but walked with 
 the Bible woman, so that we might talk by the way. 
 I became very tired. There was no shade where 
 we could rest from the burning heat of the sun. 
 With my umbrella over me, I sat down on the grass 
 by the path, and shall never forget how tired and 
 discouraged I felt. I began talking discouragingly 
 to my helper, a thing I had never done before. I 
 said, " It is hard, so hard, to work like this, and I 
 see that it is as you told me ; heathen women's hearts 
 are too dead and deeply buried in the things of this 
 world and sin, to see and accept the truths of the 
 Gospel." To my astonishment she replied, " You 
 must not say that, Inkosazana, I see differently than 
 I did at first. Light is creeping into their minds 
 and hearts. I hear them often talking together of 
 what they have heard at the meetings. Don't get 
 discouraged ; wait and you will see." A gleam of 
 happiness and strength came back to me, as we went 
 on to the kraal, where the meeting was to be held. 
 
 The hut was large, quite tidy, and much cooler 
 than outside. We were early. They gave me a 
 clean mat. I asked to be left alone for a quiet little 
 rest until the women came. God seemed very near 
 to me in that heathen hut. I love to visit beautiful 
 cathedrals and greatly enjoy their beauty and music, 
 but God can be no nearer to a person there than in 
 a kraal home. 
 
 When the women began to arrive, I felt rested 
 
KRAAL WOMEN 61 
 
 and refreshed, both bodily and spiritually. As I 
 commenced to talk to them, I had more freedom in 
 speaking their language, than I ever had had before. 
 The women were hushed as I talked to them of 
 Jesus and His love. The room seemed filled with 
 the spirit of the Master. When the meeting closed, 
 I sat quietly while the women, one by one, went 
 softly out without a word. Soon I heard low voices 
 back of the hut. One woman was saying to another, 
 " If this is true, that Inkosazana has told us, and I 
 begin to believe that it is, what are we going to do? 
 What can we do ? " 
 
 As I went out, there were groups of two or three, 
 all about the place, talking in low tones, much the 
 same way. With a word here and there, as the sun 
 was setting, we started for home. A number of the 
 women accompanied me to the little brook at the 
 foot of the hill, all the time talking and trying to 
 excuse themselves from becoming Christians, be- 
 cause of some hindrance, which seemed to them to be 
 too hard to overcome. 
 
 As they turned back to their homes, down the 
 hill came the Bible woman with a beaming face. She 
 was hastening to catch up with me. When she did 
 so, she said, " Inkosazana, these women's hearts 
 are not too hidden and hard for the Spirit of God 
 to get in to give them light and teach them His 
 truth. He is coming, coming to them." 
 
 For quite a time before this, I had noticed an 
 old woman who frequently came to the meetings. 
 She always sat near a large post inside the hut. 
 When I was talking she would work her head and 
 
62 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 body around on my side of the post, so that she could 
 get near and look very closely into my face. If I 
 smiled, she would draw back with an uninterested 
 and annoyed look. If I spoke to her, she would 
 say, " How can I understand? I am an old woman 
 and what you say may be true, but it just goes in 
 one ear and out of the other, as it would out of any 
 old Zulu woman's," and she gave each a little tap 
 with her hand, first on one and then on the other ear, 
 so after that I tried not to let her see when I 
 noticed her. 
 
 A missionary lady was with me one day, at a 
 meeting, and was greatly impressed by this woman's 
 intense and interested face. 
 
 Not long afterward, the Bible woman came to me 
 and said, " Inkosazana, I have some wonderful news 
 to tell you. That old woman who used to sit by the 
 post and listen so earnestly, died last night. She has 
 not been ill very long. Before she died, she called 
 her sons and all the chief men to come and see her." 
 She was an important and much respected woman 
 in the tribe. " I have words to say to you," said 
 she. " You know of the meetings for the women 
 in the kraals, that Inkosazana and the Bible woman 
 have been holding. Well, I believe that it is true, 
 the story they have told us of Jesus ; how he came 
 to earth and is Son of the Great One, who made all 
 things. I pray a little, but I do not know if He 
 hears me. I am an old woman and cannot under- 
 stand very well, but I am asking Him to hear and 
 help me. Yes, women have souls, and so have you 
 men. Many of your wives are not old. They can 
 
KRAAL WOMEN 63 
 
 understand and learn the way of salvation. I want 
 you men to help and encourage them, to go to the 
 meetings, that they may have a chance and learn 
 the way and be sure, quite sure, and know of Jesus 
 Christ, who died for those who trust Him. Soon 
 after that she died. 
 
 Her words and death made a marked impression 
 on her friends and neighbours, besides many others, 
 and greatly helped the kraal work. Words spoken, 
 under such circumstances, are always respected and 
 repeated, so kraal meetings for women became very 
 popular and many, I trust, were directly and indi- 
 rectly influenced to become Christians. The meet- 
 ings also helped the kraal day schools, and God's 
 blessing continued with us. 
 
 A woman who had shown little interest at the 
 meetings, came and urged me to go and see her 
 brother, who was very ill, and lived some miles away. 
 She had tried to tell him, she said, of Jesus, but her 
 brother wanted to know more than she knew or 
 could tell. It was a long, hot ride to the kraal, and 
 no good place to rest when we got there. The Bible 
 woman, " Upahlekaze," was with me. We found 
 the man in the last stages of consumption. Very 
 earnestly he began to talk to me of the new way, that 
 his sister had told him of. 
 
 For a number of years the natives had needed to 
 get passes in South Africa, when going from one 
 place to another, out of their own county. This man 
 had heard a little of the home and country of the 
 soul. He knew that his days on earth were few. 
 With an eager face, that I never can forget, he begged 
 
64 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 me to tell him how he could get a " pass " to that 
 land. Quite simply I told him the old, old story of 
 Jesus and His love for the world, of the cross, and 
 redemption from sin; that Jesus was my pass and 
 could be his also ; I could not enter into the prom- 
 ised land until I accepted His love, His salvation ; 
 that He came to the world to give redemption to all 
 people, who repented of their sins and trusted Him 
 to be their Guide and King. And so, in the plainest 
 ways I could, I answered his questions and tried to 
 comfort and help him. The Bible woman also talked. 
 Then we knelt down in the shadow of the hut, with 
 others about, as we asked the Giver of all things, 
 for this man; that he might find light and receive 
 the " pass " to go through the Valley and Shadow 
 of Death, fearing no evil, because of the Christ, who 
 would be with him. The man was intelligent, with 
 an eager mind for the Truth. He and the others 
 thanked us many times, for coming, and begged us 
 to come again. 
 
 The sun was very hot, and I did not like to drink 
 the water there. They brought me a sweet potato 
 nicely roasted in the ashes. I sat in the shadow of 
 another hut and let it cool on a dish. Then I ate it; 
 it was nice and refreshing, although there was no 
 salt. As we said good-bye, I told the man I would 
 come again, if I could, but in the meantime would 
 send a Christian man from the station to read and 
 explain from the Book in which Jesus' words are 
 written. A bright look was on his face as he told me 
 how his heart rejoiced to hear the good tidings, and 
 that he, too, could pray to the Great One. So I rode 
 
KRAAL WOMEN 65 
 
 away, never again to see him on earth, as he died not 
 many days after that ; but I prayed all the way home 
 for the man, and thanked God for permitting me to 
 go to Africa to work for the Zulus. 
 
 Near our bridle path a little stream of water went 
 singing over the rocks, shaded by trees, while green 
 hills on either side^ dotted with beautiful flowers, 
 came down to the edge of the water. Some of the 
 flowers were very fragrant, but most of them had 
 no perfume at all. The valley broadened as we came 
 within half a mile of one of my out-station school- 
 houses. The sun was nearly down, when, in perfect 
 unison, a strange, weird sound of many voices came 
 to our ears. Looking some distance ahead, high up 
 the side of the hill, we saw more than fifty people at 
 a kraal, singing one of their old war songs as they 
 practiced and were drilled in a favourite dance. They 
 did not see us, or the primitive charm would have 
 been broken. Most of the dancers were men, and 
 all moved their hands and arms steadily and in per- 
 fect harmony with the chant. It was indeed a 
 strange spectacular sight in the golden light of the 
 setting sun. 
 
VII 
 
 UNOMQAWE AND OTHER KRAAL WOMEN 
 
 THERE was a trying epidemic of fever five or 
 six miles from us, near the sea. It was prob- 
 ably caused by drinking bad water; a num- 
 ber of persons took it and some had died. 
 
 A girl from there lived with friends on the sta- 
 tion for awhile and was in my Sunday School class. 
 She was at home when the fever broke out, and tak- 
 ing it, became very ill. One rainy morning her uncle, 
 from the station, came, begging me to go and see 
 her, and said he would accompany me. The mis- 
 sionary was not at home. I very much disliked to 
 go. It was at least six miles away, with no civilized 
 people or dwelling nearer than the station. 
 
 Covering myself with a waterproof and cap, I 
 started, the rain beating in my face as I got on my 
 horse. The man carried a few things that might be 
 needed for the sick girl. When we reached the 
 kraal, which was quite a good-sized one, most of 
 the people had left for fear of the fever. 
 
 One man, a very old, childish woman, and a small 
 child, for which she cared, were all that remained, 
 besides the sick girl, who was nearly dying, and 
 scarcely knew me at first. I did what I could for 
 her; she revived a little and became more conscious, 
 though she was very weak, as the fever was turning. 
 
 66 
 
UNOMQAWE 67 
 
 I remained most of the day. After leaving very 
 strict directions that she must be kept quiet, warm, 
 and given nourishment often, a Httle at a time, I told 
 them I would try to come the next day and bring a 
 woman from the station with me. The following 
 morning was still damp and chilly. We found the 
 girl much worse, and evidently dying. They had 
 taken ofif the good blanket which I had insisted they 
 must keep over her, and put in its place an old, 
 thin one. I at once found the good blanket and cov- 
 ered her with it. She knew me and was pleased. 
 She suffered much for lack of breath, and needed to 
 be frequently raised. The woman from the station 
 was afraid of the fever and did not like to stay in 
 the hut. The man, too, was afraid, but he was her 
 uncle, and, as the girl's father was dead, if she lived 
 and married, he would have had her dowry of ten 
 head of cattle. He would slip out of the room every 
 chance he could get. Many times when she was more 
 quiet, I went out to hunt him up and urge him 
 back to care for her and hold her up when necessary. 
 For a while I sat with my back near to the door, 
 so he could not slip by me. 
 
 As the end was very near for the poor girl, I saw 
 that he was quietly drawing ofif the blanket. I, as 
 quietly, held it down on the other side. At last he 
 said, " Ingubuyami " (it is my blanket). In a low 
 voice I said in Zulu, " No, it is mine just now," and 
 held on. Soon she breathed her last. Then I took 
 the blanket and said, " Take it, do what you like 
 with it." He took it away, and with it, himself. 
 
 The woman from the station then came in and 
 
68 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 did very kindly and nicely what needed to be done. 
 The room was made tidy, the body laid on a clean 
 mat, and a sheet that I had brought was spread 
 over all. This was nearly done when the man came 
 back with a little stool in his hand. He placed it 
 near the door, sat down and began a great wail. 
 When that had gone on a few minutes, about as long 
 as I could stand, I went up to him, and said " Kwa- 
 nela " (enough). At once he stopped, took up his 
 stool and went out. I can see now the Indian Ocean, 
 the fog, the rain, and the lonely place, as I went 
 out to go home. The man came to put me on my 
 horse. As he did so, his only word of thanks was, 
 in a sympathizing tone, " The child of the white man 
 will get wet." 
 
 A Zulu asks many questions that are sometimes 
 very difficult to answer, partly because of their little 
 knowledge of a Supreme Being, and of the lack of 
 Bible words and terms, although their vocabulary is 
 large and rich for many other subjects. There are 
 practically no words for the name of God or for the 
 Holy Spirit. At first a word was borrowed for the 
 former name, which the missionaries, working in 
 another tribe, had used, but in the last revision of 
 the Zulu Bible it has been decided to use a Zulu 
 word which seems to have a more spiritual signifi- 
 cance than any other to be found in that language. 
 
 Once in a kraal meeting for women, I remember 
 speaking to them of Heaven as the home of God 
 and His Son, Jesus Christ, who had for a time lived 
 here on earth in a human body. How He suffered 
 and died, but rose from the dead, was seen by many 
 
UNOMQAWE 69 
 
 people and ascended into Heaven, His home. How 
 He sees us, knows us, and cares about us now, and 
 if we obey Him and trust Him, some day He will 
 take us to His own heavenly home. 
 
 A heathen woman who had been listening very 
 attentively, said, " Oh, Inkosazana, tell us what 
 Heaven is like." For a moment I thought how diffi- 
 cult it would be for me to find words to explain to 
 her so that she could understand much about Heaven, 
 when I, too, knew so little of that promised land, 
 save that God, Jesus, and the redeemed would be 
 there, and sin, sorrow, and tears would be no more. 
 But how little she knew of God ! I was perplexed 
 and breathed a prayer for wisdom. I remembered 
 how Jesus, when He was on earth, made use of 
 everyday things, such as the people knew of, when 
 He was teaching them His truths. Suddenly there 
 came to me an illustration that I had never before 
 used, which I hoped might help to give clearer 
 thought to those women. The Zulus and other tribes 
 also, dig large pits in the ground in dry places, where 
 the rain can easily run off. The hole is very small 
 at the top (about a foot in diameter), it then bulges 
 out at the sides, being made smaller again at the 
 bottom, which is often quite deep. The ground is 
 raised about the mouth, then made hard and smeared. 
 A large, flat stone is used to cover it. Inside, the 
 walls are carefully pounded hard and made smooth. 
 Such places are used for storing grain to keep it 
 away from weevils and other insects. Otherwise 
 every kernel would be stung and become only a 
 hollow shell, if left in the open air for a few months 
 
70 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 and not put into an air-tight tank or such bins as I 
 have here described. Often these are made to hold 
 two or three hundred bushels of grain. When empty 
 they form a good-sized round room. If one is small 
 enough to get in, or if by accident one were to fall 
 in, it would be impossible to get out without help. 
 
 I said to the woman, " Suppose a child were to be 
 born in an ' umgode wombila ' (pit for corn), and 
 that he should have care and food provided for him 
 as he grew to years of maturity there. Suppose that 
 people were to come to him and talk with him, but 
 did not try to help him out ; ' for,' they might say, 
 ' He has plenty to eat and drink and a place to sleep ; 
 why should he not be contented ? ' He might hear 
 them speak of the green grass outside, the trees, the 
 birds, the flowers, the beasts, the sun, the moon, and 
 stars ; and perhaps he might ask, ' What is the green 
 of the grass like, and the flowers — what are their 
 colours? What are trees and birds and beasts? What 
 is the sun?. Tell me about the moon and stars?' 
 And they might try to help him to understand about 
 these things, but they would fail, because he had 
 lived there all his life in the darkness. 
 
 " Then suppose that some day another' visitor 
 should come to him; that a kindly hand should be 
 extended to him and a tender voice say : ' Listen : 
 take hold of my hand; cling tightly; I will hold you 
 fast and will lift you into the light, out of this place 
 where you have lived so long with little light or 
 knowledge : then you will see and know about those 
 things which are now so hard for you to under- 
 stand ! ' Surely, this would be good news. How 
 
UNOMQAWE 71 
 
 gladly would he reach out to grasp that friendly- 
 hand ! How tightly would he cling to it until he was 
 lifted from his glimmering light to the green grass, 
 where he could see the birds, the trees, the flowers, 
 the sky, and many other things that before he could 
 not understand about. So to us all who live here 
 in this world of sin and sorrow, with needed light, 
 which means knowledge to know about many things 
 that we cannot see with these eyes, or hear with 
 these ears, or rightly understand, till we are helped 
 to find God, and He speaks to our hearts. Jesus 
 came to help us, as I have told you, and to lift us 
 out of our darkened minds and give light to our 
 sinful hearts. 
 
 " If we will Hsten and heed His teaching and His 
 voice, which is the hand extended to us, we will 
 grow more and more into His light and knowledge, 
 and see and trust Him. Then some day He will take 
 us to His own heavenly home, where we shall see for 
 ourselves and know what it is like. In His word 
 we are told that it is very beautiful, that there is no 
 sin or sorrow there, and God will wipe away all 
 tears from the eyes of those, who, trusting Jesus to 
 help them, have been lifted into th^ light of the 
 Great One who made Heaven and earth and gave im- 
 mortal souls to white and black people in every land." 
 
 One beautiful winter's day, which was about like 
 a fine October one in New York, we were to have 
 a kraal meeting off toward the Indian Ocean. When 
 we reached the place, a number of women had ar- 
 rived. We heard that a woman was there who had 
 
72 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 been ill for a long time. I said, " Can we not have 
 the meeting in her hut?" A strange look came 
 into their faces. The Bible woman whispered to 
 me, " They have a superstitious fear to go in there, 
 because she has been ill many months, ever since 
 her last baby was born." I learned afterwards that 
 there was nothing at all contagious about her disease. 
 We had a large meeting in another woman's hut. 
 After that I went to see the one who was sick. 
 
 The sun was getting far to the west, as I entered 
 the low door, coming in out of the bright sunshine. 
 I could at first see very little of what was in the 
 room. Gradually I saw two bright, piercing eyes 
 and the extended hand of a woman, who was lying 
 on a mat. " Oh," said she, " Inkosazana, how glad 
 I am to see you ! The women were afraid to come 
 in and have the meeting here." I took her hand and 
 sat down by her side. As she tightly held mine, she 
 continued. " You know about medicine, I have 
 heard that you do. Can you not give me something 
 that will help me to get well? Do you see those 
 children who are playing outside by the door? They 
 are my children. If I die, the people will take me 
 to the hill over there, and put me in a hole and cover 
 me up, and then, never after that speak to the chil- 
 dren of their mother. They will grow up and 
 scarcely remember that they had a mother who loved 
 them. Oh ! if you only would give me some medi- 
 cine so that I could live until they grow a little larger 
 and old enough to remember me. A cow has been 
 slaughtered to appease the wrath of our ancestors. 
 This and that native doctor has come. I have taken 
 
UNOMQAWE 73 
 
 their medicines, and you see nothing has done me 
 any good. There are my children " ; and she tight- 
 ened her hold on my hand. " I will take any medi- 
 cine, Inkosazana, that you may give me, however 
 bitter or bad it may be, if it will only help me to live 
 a little longer for them. I beg you give me your 
 medicine and try, oh, try to make me well ! " With 
 an earnest prayer that God would help me to guide 
 and comfort this woman, I said, " Yes, I know a 
 Great Physician whose medicine can help you. Your 
 body has slowly wasted away, since you have been 
 ill, and still you think and understand. So your hands, 
 feet, and all your body may waste away, but that 
 part of you which knows and thinks and loves your 
 children, your soul, your very self, may have a new 
 body and live on forever in another land; the home 
 of Jesus, the Great Physician, that I want you to 
 know about — a land far better than this, where your 
 children, if they become followers of Jesus, may 
 also live and you may see them there. His medi- 
 cine is, believe, love, trust, and obey. He has been 
 here on earth and lived in a body like yours and 
 mine. Many people saw Him and heard His words. 
 They loved Him, trusted Him, and He healed and 
 comforted many. 
 
 " Then wicked men were jealous of Him. Their 
 hatred was great and they put Him to death, but 
 He arose from the dead, and for a number of days 
 was seen by many people and talked with them. 
 After that they saw Him go away up beyond the 
 sun and stars ; but He still cares for all people, white 
 or black, as when He was here on the earth. He 
 
74 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 hears us if we speak to Him, and sees us. We shall 
 see Him in that heavenly land. He also sends his 
 messengers to help and comfort us. You and I 
 cannot see the sun now, which is going down beyond 
 the Indian Ocean, because we are in this hut, which 
 shuts it from our view, yet we know that it is there, 
 as light from it is still coming into this room. So 
 the spirit of God, of Jesus Christ, can come into 
 your heart and into the hearts of others, and give 
 new light, new knowledge, to help you understand 
 the truth, that Jesus, the Great Physician, is your 
 friend and Saviour. He knows about you. He loves 
 you, and will hear you when you pray to Him." 
 
 Over and over, I tried to make more simple and 
 plain to her the story of the Cross. Still tightly 
 holding my hand, she said, " Will you not speak to 
 the Great Physican for me? I am a poor, ignorant 
 woman. How can I speak with words that are 
 right, so that He will hear me ? " 
 
 God seemed very near, as we spoke to Him in the 
 quiet, humble room of that dying woman, who, I 
 trust, was beginning to see the Light. " Oh ! teach 
 me," said she, " to pray. Words that would be 
 fit, if only a few, that I may speak to Him." Some- 
 thing like this I taught her : " Dear Lord, give me, 
 I pray Thee, Thy Holy Spirit, so that I may under- 
 stand and open my heart to receive and trust Jesus, 
 the Great Physician, as my Saviour and friend." 
 Many times she said this prayer after me. When, 
 with difficulty, I released my hand from hers, and 
 with a quiet good-bye left the room, she was still 
 softly repeating the prayer, in the twilight. 
 
UNOMQAWE 75 
 
 The sky as I went home was golden and beautiful. 
 All nature seemed to speak of God. I sent a Chris- 
 tian woman a few times to comfort and talk with 
 her, but I did not again see her, as she only lived a 
 few days after that. 
 
VIII 
 
 BASUTOLAND 
 
 BASUTOLAND joins the northwestern part 
 of Natal, and has one of the oldest and most 
 noted missions in South Africa, the French- 
 Protestant. They have the old Huguenot faith, cour- 
 age, and perseverance, with a deeply spiritual trust 
 in God, under all circumstances. Their work has 
 branched out into near and far away places, includ- 
 ing the Banyai Mission and the Berotse, north of the 
 Zambezi. 
 
 In the early years, as well as later, the Boers and 
 Basutus had frequent wars, not unlike those between 
 the Boers and other tribes, which again and again 
 greatly hindered mission work in South Africa. 
 
 At one time the French missionaries were obliged 
 to take refuge in Natal, and the Rev. Francis Coil- 
 lard, of that mission, lived and worked at one of our 
 stations for three years. Sesutu, the language of 
 the Basutus, is a little like the Zulu, being one of the 
 Bantu dialects. He soon learned to speak it, and it 
 was a very great help to him in his travels among 
 other tribes, in after years. 
 
 He was a young man when in Natal, and nothing 
 was then known of the Berotse, and no one dreamed 
 that some day his name would be held in little less 
 regard than that of Dr. David Livingstone, as one 
 
 76 
 
BASUTOLAND 77 
 
 of the great missionary pioneers of South Africa. 
 His book, " On the Threshold of Central Africa," 
 is most thrilling and interesting, telling of the jour- 
 ney of over a thousand miles with Mrs. Coillard, 
 in an ox wagon, and of life beyond the great and 
 wonderful Victoria Falls, on the Zambezi, where 
 they established the Berotse Mission, and where 
 now those people have a Christian King. 
 
 While with our mission, he became very suddenly 
 and seriously ill. The nearest doctor was forty miles 
 away, at the seaport town, Durban. It was the rainy 
 season and all the rivers were flooded; there were 
 no bridges then in that part of the country. A native 
 messenger was sent and as soon as possible, the 
 doctor, an old friend, came, he and his horse having 
 been obliged to swim two or three rivers. Mr. But- 
 ler, of our mission, had, a few years before, when 
 crossing one of the rivers on that coast, been nearly 
 dragged from his horse, and badly bitten by a croco- 
 dile. 
 
 The doctor found Mr. Coillard in so critical a con- 
 dition, he felt there was little he could do to help 
 him. " But," said he, " if I only had a few drops 
 of Croton oil here, I might save his life." Rev. Mr. 
 Rood, who was helping to care for the sick friend, 
 remembered that at his station, fifteen miles away, 
 there was a small bottle in which were a few drops 
 of that oil. It had never been opened, having been 
 left, with other medicines, by the late Dr. Adams, of 
 our mission, who had died a number of years before. 
 Mr. Rood got on his horse and rode the fifteen miles, 
 and was back within a few hours, bringing the pre- 
 
78 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 cious medicine, which, with God's blessing, saved Mr. 
 Coillard's Hfe for the great work which he after- 
 ward accomplished. Most calmly and quietly he 
 waited for the doctor to come, and then for the medi- 
 cine, knowing all the time how serious his case was. 
 
 Some years after Mr. and Mrs. Coillard had re- 
 turned to their own work in Basutuland, and before 
 they went to the Berotse, Mr. and Mrs. Rood de- 
 cided to accept their urgent invitation to pay them 
 a visit. I was invited to accompany them, and was 
 much pleased to do so. It was a trip of over two 
 hundred miles, at the opening of the winter season 
 in South Africa. 
 
 We had a wagonette, drawn by twelve oxen. In 
 that we travelled by day, and at night it was Mr. 
 and Mrs. Rood's sleeping room. We also had a 
 covered cart, drawn by six oxen ; this was for part 
 of the luggage, and for my sleeping room. Our 
 native drivers and boys had a tent where they ate 
 and slept. We carried with us a supply of food, and 
 replenished our stock at villages, wayside stores, or 
 Dutch farms, outspanning sometimes two or three 
 hours in the middle of the day for the oxen to eat 
 and rest. We cooked by the side of our wagon, 
 and, when pleasant, sat on mats or the grass, to eat. 
 The air was bracing, and our appetites daily im- 
 proved. We went through Pietermaritzburg, the 
 capital of Natal, about fifty miles from the coast. 
 It was quite a city, but not so large or as beautiful 
 as Durban. Further on, we passed through Colenso 
 and Ladysmith, both noted places, later, in the Boer 
 war. 
 
BASUTOLAND 79 
 
 Our road was a government highway for the most 
 part and fairly good. We went up some steep hills, 
 while all the time we were gradually ascending. 
 There were great stretches of highland, almost tree- 
 less. Here and there a clump of trees had been 
 planted. Now, there are many hundred acres of 
 eucalyptus and wattle trees. The latter grows 
 quickly and yields large crops of valuable bark. 
 
 The atmosphere was so clear we could see great 
 distances. There were deep rivers, not very broad. 
 Often we scarcely saw them till we were on their 
 banks; these were sometimes nearly perpendicular, 
 and, after going down, there was a plunge into the 
 deep water, where the oxen sometimes had to swim. 
 Once we were obliged to wait two days for the water 
 to go down, before crossing. 
 
 At last, we were in sight of the great Drakensberg 
 mountains, a range that runs parallel with, and 
 about a hundred and fifty miles from, the Indian 
 Ocean. They are very grand, and the view from 
 them extensive and beautiful. The highest point is 
 10,367 feet. 
 
 As we came along the green highland, at their 
 foot, we saw what appeared to be a very large flock 
 of sheep, not a mile away. We wondered if a num- 
 ber of Dutch farmers were herding their flocks 
 together. They ate on and did not seem to mind 
 our approach. When we were within a quarter of 
 a mile, we could see plainly that they were not sheep, 
 but a large herd of spring-bok. They are very hand- 
 some and graceful animals, taking their name from 
 their habit of springing, straight into the air, when 
 
80 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 excited. Their backs and sides are of a pale cinna- 
 mon brown color, the under parts a clear, snowy 
 white, and between these colours runs a band of 
 darker shade. Their faces are white, with a brown 
 band from the eyes to the mouth, and a wedge- 
 shaped mark of brown on the forehead. A charac- 
 teristic marking is a peculiar fold of the skin across 
 the haunches, beginning near the middle of the 
 back. It is lined with long hair of the purest white. 
 When the animal is quiet, it is nearly invisible, but 
 in running they expand it, so there appears a white 
 mark on the hinder part of the back, that has a 
 very curious efifect. In the dry season they come 
 down from the mountain in search of green grass, 
 which is not abundant at that time higher up. Those 
 going ahead in the flocks get fat, while those behind 
 are very lean. When they turn to new pastures, the 
 lean ones go first and the others stay behind, taking 
 their turn at the leavings. 
 
 We thought there must be at least three thousand 
 in this flock. I ventured to say so, to a Wesleyan 
 minister, when we had gone up the mountains, and 
 beyond to the pretty town of Harrismith, where he 
 lived and preached to a congregation of English 
 people. " Oh," said he, " you need not be afraid to 
 say three thousand ; that herd comes down every 
 year; I have seen it a number of times. There are 
 over five thousand in it. No one is allowed to shoot 
 one ; they all go back in the spring." Before there 
 was a law to prevent their being killed, very hand- 
 some robes were made of their skins. I was able to 
 procure one to send home, in which are eight skins. 
 
BASUTOLAND 81 
 
 There are terrific thunderstorms in South Africa, 
 and when travelHng in an ox wagon it is not safe to 
 go on, while one is passing over. The chain to 
 which the oxen are yol<ed endangers them, as well 
 as the wagon. I can never forget such a storm that 
 came on us, as we were spending the night under the 
 Drakensberg. The frequent, vivid lightning and 
 the constant echo and re-echo of the thunder from 
 the mountains, was very terrible. 
 
 For a few days we travelled in the Orange Free 
 State, which adjoins both Natal and Basutoland. 
 Here we more frequently passed Boer farms. Word 
 somehow went on ahead that we were missionaries, 
 so when we outspanned, the people would ride up 
 on their horses, often from quite far away, to ask 
 for medicine, to get a tooth pulled, or beg us to go 
 and see a sick person. 
 
 One woman we went to see was very ill, but we 
 found her sitting up in an extremely large arm 
 chair. She was the broadest and most fleshy woman 
 that I ever saw. By her side was a very fine old 
 coflfee-urn, with charcoal fixtures. I presume it had 
 been brought from Holland, many years before. 
 
 There was very little furniture in the house, which 
 was small, although I am quite sure that they were 
 far from being poor, if sheep, cattle, and horses count 
 for wealth. 
 
 The woman's complexion was clear and light, her 
 eyes and hair dark. When young, I think she must 
 have been fine looking, as many of the Boer girls 
 are. 
 
 Mr. Rood had a small medicine chest with him, 
 
82 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 and in it just what was needed for her. They were 
 very grateful. In the evening many came to our 
 camp for medicine and to have teeth pulled. They 
 gave us potatoes, watermelons, milk, and delicious 
 brown bread, made from wheat, which grows well 
 in that part of the country. They grind it in small 
 handmills. 
 
 On our return, ten days later, we again outspanned 
 in the same place. The woman was much better. 
 Many came to see us. Mr. Rood gave them medi- 
 cine, and pulled twenty teeth. 
 
 At another outspan, two or three Boer wagons 
 were stopping a few rods away. Some children 
 played about, in their quaint sun bonnets, with their 
 dresses almost to their ankles. The Boer men had 
 been away and rode up on horseback. One was, we 
 judged, the father of a sweet-faced little girl, not 
 more than ten years of age. As he dismounted, he 
 had in his hand a riding whip, the kind called sjam- 
 bock. He went up to the child and struck her three 
 or four times with that ugly whip. The sight was 
 sickening. The poor little thing cried bitterly, and 
 went by herself, behind the wagon until they left. 
 No woman came to comfort or speak to her. Neither 
 she nor the others would have understood a word 
 had we tried to speak to them. That man looked 
 as if he might have been, and I think he was, of the 
 class of South African Boers who like to live far 
 inland, away from civilization, where he could have 
 freedom to live and treat, not only his own family, 
 but the native people, as he chooses. 
 
 Charles Kingsley once said : " There are two kinds 
 
BASUTOLAND 83 
 
 of freedom, the false, where a man is free to do 
 what he hkes; the true, where a man is free to do 
 what he ought." 
 
 A few days from Harrismith, we reached Lerebe, 
 Mr. Coillard's pleasant home and station, in Basuto- 
 land, where a very warm welcome awaited us. The 
 people were pleased and interested in seeing Mr. and 
 Mrs. Rood, as they said he had saved the life of 
 their missionary. In the afternoon a meeting was 
 held, to welcome us, and we listened to a fine address 
 from one of the people, which was so hearty, so lov- 
 ing and good, it made us feel that much of God's 
 spirit was there, and that we were with congenial 
 friends and earnest Christians. 
 
 A number of the leading men were tall and fine- 
 looking. Some of them belonged to the royal family. 
 The chief lived only a mile or two from the station. 
 He was not a Christian, but dressed in European 
 clothes, and had a good house, built of stone. A 
 number of the rooms were furnished in a civilized 
 way, with nice linen, silver, glass, and china for the 
 dining-room, where he entertained the English 
 officers and others in fine style. He, like some other 
 heathen chiefs in Africa, wished to be on good 
 terms with the missionary, and occasionally came 
 to church, yet he did not like his wives, or others 
 of his people, to become Christians. However, a 
 good many were converted, and among them some 
 of his wives. One was his favourite wife, an in- 
 telligent, interesting woman. He was very angry 
 when he heard of it. 
 
 One Sunday morning he called her to him in the 
 
84 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 large courtyard, and said, " I hear that you pray." 
 " It is true," repHed she ; " I want to know and follow 
 the Saviour, Jesus." In a rage he answered, " Dare 
 you tell me that? I will strike you to the ground 
 with this club ! I will kill you before you shall be- 
 come a Christian." Said she, " I know you are my 
 husband and my chief; you can kill this body, but 
 you cannot kill my soul. I have a Father and a 
 Saviour in heaven. I fear to displease them more 
 than I fear to displease you." He raised the club 
 to strike her. In an agony of prayer to her Father 
 in Heaven, the poor woman fell at the feet of the 
 enraged man. His hand dropped at his side, his 
 voice changed, as he said, " Go away, go away, pray 
 on ; and when you pray to your God, pray for me ! " 
 
 She went to her father, who was a heathen man. 
 He was greatly displeased that his daughter should 
 have left the chief and come back to him. He had 
 received a dowry for her of forty head of cattle, 
 which he did not wish to return. But the woman 
 was so determined to live a Christian life, and so 
 earnest, she at last induced her old heathen father 
 to give up the cattle. Then she was no longer the 
 wife of the chief. But, had she cared to marry 
 again, custom would not have allowed her to do so. 
 I often saw her, and two or three times we went 
 together to see the people. She was refined, and so 
 sensible, I enjoyed talking with her. She became a 
 Bible woman and was a great help and comfort in 
 the work. 
 
 This mission, like ours to the Zulus, is strict in 
 regard to admitting members to the church. One 
 
BASUTOLAND 85 
 
 must have professed Christianity at least two years; 
 if not too old, must be able to read the Testament, 
 and show that he wishes to help and teach others, 
 before being admitted. 
 
 It was surprising to see, not only the number of 
 men who could read, but also the number of women, 
 some of them quite aged. No church member was 
 allowed to be absent from prayer, or other religious 
 meetings of their church more than two or three 
 times, without being inquired after and called upon 
 to give a reason for absence. There were about one 
 hundred church members at that station, and three 
 thousand in the mission, fifteen missionaries, and 
 sixty-four native helpers. The contribution from 
 the people, that year, was between three and four 
 thousand dollars. Besides the station day schools, 
 there was a training school for girls, and also one 
 for boys. 
 
 At the time of the greatest Boer and native war 
 in Basutoland, when Mr. Coillard was in our mis- 
 sion, the people, as well as the missionaries, were 
 driven from their stations, being greatly distressed 
 and cast down. Once, while hiding in the mountains 
 not many miles from their homes, they gathered one 
 Sabbath near a large rock, determined to hold a 
 little service for united prayer. The heathen people, 
 hearing of this, also came to see what the Christians 
 would do in their great trouble. 
 
 One of the oldest members of the church tried 
 to open the meeting with prayer, but could not ex- 
 press his feelings much more than by sobs and tears. 
 The Christians, also unable to control their feelings, 
 
86 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 united with him in that troubled prayer for help. 
 The heathen became frightened, and ran to get away. 
 The Christians being left alone, the Lord drew very 
 near to them, and at that time began a revival which 
 was a wonderful work of grace. In their sorrow, 
 they were greatly strengthened and grew to rely upon 
 God as they never had before. 
 
 Many of the heathen were truly converted and 
 joined them in their homeless lives, until the war 
 was over. So the work continued to grow and ex- 
 tend, as the years went by, not only in Basutoland, 
 but to the far away Banyai and Berotse, although 
 there were again and again sad hindrances caused 
 by wars and their corrupt, demoralizing influences. 
 
 Mr. Coillard told me that he first began to hear 
 about those tribes who could speak the Sesutu lan- 
 guage when men came from them to work at the 
 diamond fields. 
 
 The first South American diamonds were found 
 in 1867. A Boer, plastering his house with mud, 
 found a good-sized pebble, and some smaller ones, 
 that looked peculiar. He gave them to his children 
 to play with. A sharper man came along, guessed 
 what they were, bought them for a small sum, and 
 took them away. I remember that very soon after 
 my arrival the country ran wild with diamond dis- 
 coveries. There was a great rush for what is now 
 Kimberley. It is five hundred miles from the coast 
 in Natal, but many went there on foot, others on 
 horseback or in ox wagons. They fell over each 
 other to reach the place as soon as possible. Often 
 they had little or no shelter by the way, or when 
 
BASUTOLAND 87 
 
 they reached there. Food was very scarce, and sold 
 for unheard-of prices. 
 
 The dust storms were terrible. I have heard a 
 lady tell that she could not make bread because of 
 the dust, unless she got into a packing case, covered 
 with a sheet, while she mixed it. She and her hus- 
 band went there from Natal in an ox wagon, and 
 lived in it after they reached the mine. They made 
 a fortune. I have seen a beautiful diamond, which 
 she found in a chicken's crop, and had set in a ring. 
 A gentleman whom I knew came down from the 
 mines with a large fortune tied up in a handkerchief. 
 He asked me if I would not like him to fill my hand 
 so I could see them better; but my hand could not 
 hold half of them. Each year, before the great 
 European war, half a ton of diamonds were taken 
 from the mines. One of the largest diamonds known 
 was found at the Premier mine, a long way east of 
 Kimberley, the Cullion. That mine has only been 
 open twelve or fourteen years, but, like the older 
 places, is fast becoming a large city with fine build- 
 ings, broad, well-paved streets, streets cars, electric 
 lights, and 10,000 white inhabitants, with many thou- 
 sand natives, who come to work in the mines. 
 
 The people of South Africa presented the large 
 Cullion diamond to King Edward VII. It originally 
 weighed 3,025 carats (one and three-fourths pounds), 
 but has been divided into nine large brilliants and 
 a number of small ones, all remarkable for their 
 purity and lustre. 
 
 But we must go back to the early years and Mr. 
 Coillard's station to continue the story of our visit 
 
88 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 there. He told us that one evening he heard a noise 
 at the door. When he opened it, there stood three 
 men, strangers, who asked for food and a place to 
 sleep. This was granted. They had come from the 
 diamond mines, where they had been working for 
 a year, to get guns and ammunition, to take back 
 to their homes in Barotseland, which was many hun- 
 dred miles inland, near the Zambezi. Like all others 
 working in the diamond mines, they had been kept 
 very closely in the compound and were taught noth- 
 ing there of Christianity, or anything good of civi- 
 lization. 
 
 To his surprise, Mr. Coillard found that they spoke 
 the Sesutu language, and could tell him much of their 
 distant home and people, where the Gospel had 
 never been heard. As they talked on he said to 
 them, " You have come a long way, and worked a 
 long time to get what, to you, seems one of the best 
 things you could possibly have. But I know of 
 something far better for you to take to your home 
 than a gun." Eagerly they asked what the white 
 man had which could be better than a gun? He 
 replied, " You have worked a year for your guns ; 
 you could not expect to give less time to get some- 
 thing better. You would need to stay and be taught 
 that God, He who made all things, still lives. He has 
 given a book to the world that you can learn to 
 read and understand. In it much is told of this 
 greatest of all things, which any person, white or 
 black, may obtain if he truly seeks to do so. 
 It would take time." They were much interested, 
 and sat up late to hear more. The next morning they 
 
BASUTOLAND 89 
 
 were gone, before sunrise. Two days and a night 
 passed, when at evening there was again a knock 
 at the door, and the missionary opened it to find 
 one of the men there. He had returned, he said, 
 to hear more, and to get what would be better than 
 a gun. 
 
 His companions were very angry that he wished 
 to go back, and it was difficult to get away from 
 them. Besides, he did not know when there might 
 be another chance to have company on the journey 
 home. However, he was determined to come back 
 and stay awhile, and stay he did, until he had learned 
 to read and to find what, to him, became far greater 
 than a gun. Then there was a chance for him to 
 return home with others. He went, full of earnest 
 zeal, carrying a Testament and hymnbook. After 
 a year or two he came back to be taught more, beg- 
 ging the missionaries to send some one with him to 
 help teach the Berotse. I was much interested in 
 seeing him, and hearing about the wish of the mis- 
 sion to send helpers there. 
 
 There was a beautiful and impressive custom at 
 this station. Each morning, just at sunrise, came the 
 call, " Tapalo, Tapalo" (prayer), which echoed softly 
 from hill to hill. Soon the people came from all 
 directions, to the church, for morning prayers. 
 
 One day Mr. Coillard said to me, "A few of the 
 chief men of my church have come, and wish to 
 speak to you." Six intelligent-looking Basutu men 
 came into the parlour with their missionary, as in- 
 terpreter. All remained standing, when Eliezer, a 
 tall, fine-appearing man, said something like the fol- 
 
90 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 lowing : " We are much interested in seeing you. 
 I have asked our missionary many questions about 
 you. We have never before seen a white, unmarried 
 lady, who had left her father, mother, friends, and 
 country to teach the people of Africa. We have 
 learned many things about you. We see that you are 
 not old, are not deformed, and if you had lived in 
 America, you might, no doubt, had you wished to 
 do so, have married. We realize that the women 
 of our land are very unlike you, yet you have given 
 up much, and with gladness, to teach and to help 
 them find a better way. We know the missionary 
 and his wife give up a great deal, but they have each 
 other, their homes and children. Some of their chil- 
 dren are grown, teach in the schools and help in 
 the work here. But you have left all and come to 
 this land. It impresses us greatly that you have done 
 this. A few Sabbaths ago our missionary preached 
 from the text : ' Give your bodies a living sacrifice,' 
 and we said, ' How can we do that ? ' We give a 
 little money, and help a little to teach and preach, 
 but to give up all and leave our country, as you 
 have done. Oh, we have not enough of the love of 
 God in our hearts to do that. We have talked much 
 about it since we have seen you, and realize that 
 before becoming Christians we did not think of 
 women as they ought to be thought of, and now we 
 wish in some way to express our appreciation and 
 gratitude to you for coming here. So will you con- 
 sider us not presuming if we present to you this little 
 token, which we found in our own mountains, and 
 now ask you to accept? Please always wear it, re- 
 
BASUTOLAND 91 
 
 membering that we Christian men in Africa respect 
 and honour you for coming to this land." A number 
 of times, while talking, Eliezer had put his hand 
 in his pocket. He now drew out and handed me, a 
 very peculiar and beautiful stone, which I have since 
 had set, in Boston. I am sorry to say it was, by 
 accident, a good deal marred in setting. 
 
 A few years later, when Mr. and Mrs. Coillard, 
 sent by their board, started with native helpers in 
 ox wagons, on that wonderful and often roadless 
 journey of over a thousand miles, to carry the Gospel 
 to the Berotse, Eliezer offered himself to go with 
 them. 
 
 They were very much helped when passing through 
 the country of that large tribe, the Bamangwata, by 
 the chief, Khama. When young, he had been taught 
 by Dr. Moffat, and became an earnest Christian. 
 He is now old and feeble ; but since coming into 
 power, when a young man, he has ruled the country 
 in a civilized manner. He loaned Mr. Coillard and 
 his party oxen and wagons, replenished their stock 
 of food, and sent guides to assist them on their way. 
 He has established an excellent system of schools 
 in his country. Roads, churches, and school-houses 
 have been built. Beer and other strong drinks have 
 been abolished; also taking cattle for daughters, 
 polygamy, rain-making, and other heathen customs. 
 
 Some years ago. Chief Khama was invited to visit 
 England. He went, and was most kindly received, 
 and honoured by being presented to the Queen. A 
 good deal was made of him while he was there, which 
 did not at all turn his head. He was glad to get 
 
92 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO DAY 
 
 back to his own country and people, where he ap- 
 peared the same courteous Christian chief as he had 
 been before going away ; a decided, straightforward, 
 and progressive ruler. 
 
 White traders, with their families, gained per- 
 mission from him to live and trade in his country, 
 on condition that no strong drink would be brought 
 in, to sell or give away. The temptation to break this 
 agreement was too great for the traders. They 
 thought that they could deceive the chief, so slyly 
 brought rum into the country. Khama warned them 
 that he knew what they were doing, and if they per- 
 sisted in their shameful trade he would compel them 
 to leave the country. But they did not think he 
 would turn them out, and after a little time, began 
 again to import rum. Khama sent a small company 
 of his soldiers to search each trading station; rum 
 was found in nearly every one. They rolled the kegs 
 and barrels outside and turned their poisonous con- 
 tents on the ground. Then the chief called the white 
 traders and said, " You do not respect my laws be- 
 cause I am a black man, but I am chief in my own 
 country, and I shall maintain them. I cannot trust 
 you; to-day I make an end of trying to do so. I am 
 striving to lead my people to live according to the 
 teaching of God's word, which we have received from 
 the white people, but you white men show them an 
 example of wickedness such as we never knew. 
 Some of my own brothers you have tempted with 
 this vile drink, and you know that I do not wish 
 them even to see it, that they may forget it, yet you 
 offer it to them." 
 
BASUTOLAND 93 
 
 The chief had always been kind to the wives and 
 children of the traders, so they sent them to him to 
 beg that they might have another chance to stay. 
 The women said, " It means ruin and starvation for 
 us and our children, if you do not allow us to re- 
 main." Said he, " I am very sorry for you and your 
 children, and the trouble this may cause you, but I 
 am more sorry for my country and the thousands of 
 people for whom I am responsible, who will be 
 ruined, if your husbands remain to sell them rum. 
 No, you must go. I cannot trust them, and they can 
 never come back as long as I am chief." So they 
 had to leave. 
 
 The Cape to Cairo Railroad now passes through 
 the country of the Bamangwata, and I hear that, 
 greatly to the sorrow of Chief Khama, the English 
 government has insisted that license to sell strong 
 drink be given on the line, where trains stop. 
 
 The chief is now eighty years of age. At the 
 capital of his country, Serowe, they have just 
 dedicated, after years of labour, a large and 
 fine red limestone church. When the church was 
 dedicated, between 15,000 and 20,000 people were 
 present. 
 
 After weary months of travel, Mr. Coillard and 
 his party reached the great Zambezi River, where 
 they saw those magnificent Victoria Falls, which are 
 higher and have a body of water far greater than 
 Niagara. The river, there over a mile wide, suddenly 
 plunges into a cleft, or chasm, four hundred feet 
 deep, and only from one to three hundred feet 
 broad, which curves and winds in its narrow bed. 
 
94 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO DAY 
 
 for two miles, until it comes back to within three 
 hundred yards of the southwest part of the falls. 
 
 The Cape to Cairo Railroad, with its wonderful, 
 high bridge, crosses the gorge a little below the falls, 
 then goes west, but south of the chasm, through the 
 narrow strip of land that divides the bend of the 
 returning rapids from the corner of the mad cata- 
 ract. 
 
 The falls were discovered and named by the noted 
 African explorer and missionary. Dr. David Living- 
 stone, in 1855. The natives call the falls " Musi-wa 
 Tunga " (Thundering Smoke). 
 
 A number of Mr. Coillard's missionary party had 
 been prostrated by fever and two or three died. He 
 and a part of the helpers, including Eliezer, crossed 
 the river at a place called Sesheke, where the latter 
 was stricken with fever and died. This was another 
 heavy blow to his missionary and the expedition. 
 Before his death, he said to Mr. Coillard, " I know 
 that I cannot recover, yet I am very thankful to God 
 that I have helped in starting this mission to the 
 Berotse, and that we have come as far as this. My 
 tomb will be the finger post for the mission ; the door 
 is open. Tell my friends back in Basutoland I am 
 glad I came. Tell them also the Lord Jesus is just 
 as near to us here as He is to them there." And 
 so Eliezer died, giving himself gladly a living sac- 
 rifice for others. Let us not forget those words, 
 and remember how the Lord Jesus died for the 
 people in Africa, and is as near to them as He is 
 to those of other and more favoured lands. But how 
 shall they learn of the Christ, in that dark, neglected 
 
BASUTOLAND 95 
 
 land, unless more Christian teachers and preachers 
 are sent to them? 
 
 People rush across continents and sacrifice much 
 to get diamonds and gold; but how unwilling they 
 are to sacrifice for that which is far greater than 
 those, or guns. 
 
 Many I have known, who made that first rush for 
 diamonds, have passed away. What would it have 
 meant for them, as well as for Africa, if they had 
 seen the vision of something greater, obeyed it, and 
 been willing to sacrifice and work for a better object, 
 as they did for those things which are not enduring? 
 If any are inclined to doubt the capacity for im- 
 provement of the African races, let them study the 
 history of Lewanika, chief in Barotseland on the 
 Zambezi, whose death is just reported. He won his 
 chieftainship by war and the slaughter of his rivals 
 and their friends. Then came Mr. Coillard and 
 made his friendship. Once his confidence was 
 gained, he asked the missionary to tell him how 
 best to rule his country. Mr. Coillard's answer was : 
 " Take the secret spear from under your cloak and 
 throw it away; renounce vengeance once for all; 
 attach your people to yourself by making their wel- 
 fare your first object; put a stop to theft; give them 
 justice, quiet sleep and good food to eat." Lewanika 
 became a Christian. He journeyed to London to 
 attend the Jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria, 
 where he was an honored guest. He returned to 
 found schools for his people and to confirm them in 
 ways of peace, dying this present year, rejoicing in 
 the Christian faith. 
 
IX 
 THE ZULU BOY, VELEMU 
 
 ONE day I sat at the open window, behind a 
 thin curtain, in the mission-house, while the 
 boys from the day school nearby were at 
 play. The game which they played was one that they 
 all liked, as the boys in America like to play horse. 
 Sixteen or twenty oxen are used in South Africa, to 
 draw each of the big wagons, so those children played 
 ox instead of horse. 
 
 The large boys would go and get a good-sized 
 limb of a tree, with plenty of branches, make a strong 
 rope of grass, and tie it to the butt end of the limb. 
 Then sixteen or more boys would inspan themselves 
 and take hold of the rope. As many as could do so, 
 would get on the limb of the tree. A boy would 
 have a long whip with a very long lash, which he 
 would crack in the air and say " Trek," when away 
 all would go, down the smooth hill, for quite a dis- 
 tance, with great shouting and laughter, to the river. 
 
 In many ways boys are much alike the world over. 
 There are too often those who want to carry the 
 whip and ride, not caring if other boys wish to do 
 so or not, or if they are inspanned and pulling all 
 the time. 
 
 The boys that I am telling you about, stopped play- 
 ing and having a good time, soon after I saw them, 
 
 96 
 
THE ZULU BOY, VELE^NIU 97 
 
 that day. They began quarrelling, some standing on 
 the green grass, and others sitting on the limb of the 
 tree. The boys who had been inspanned the trip 
 before insisted that it was their turn to ride. An- 
 other urged that it was his turn to carry the whip. 
 There was some loud talking and gestures, which the 
 Zulu knows to perfection how to make, without 
 striking; and they do not all talk at once. 
 
 I noticed a boy who stood a little apart from the 
 others, and said nothing. He was about ten years of 
 age, with a delicate, refined face, high forehead, was 
 neatly dressed, and I remember now how manly he 
 looked, as he stood there in the bright sunshine that 
 day. After a little he spoke, very quietly, and every 
 boy kept still. " Boys," said he, " it is not right to 
 quarrel in that way and spoil our good time. It is 
 selfish to want to ride and carry the whip each trip, 
 while others draw. All ought to take turns. You 
 know Jesus sees us, and wants us to be kind to each 
 other. It says so in His book. He was not selfish, 
 and we should try to be like Him. Now, you boys 
 ought to get down from the limb and inspan, 
 while the others ride, and another boy takes the 
 whip." 
 
 For a moment all was still. Without a word the 
 boys who had been riding began slowly to get down 
 and inspan, the others getting on. The boy dropped 
 the whip, and another took it up. He cracked it, 
 cried " Trek," and away they went again, with joy 
 and laughter. The name of the little boy who had 
 quieted the others was " Velemu." 
 
 Not very long before, he had come to Umvoti from 
 
98 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 another station, with his mother and stepfather, who 
 were Christian people. He could read the Testa- 
 ment very nicely, and often visited and read to old 
 people who were unable to read. When he was born, 
 his father and mother lived in the Transvaal, and 
 there learned something about Christianity. They 
 built a little civilized house for themselves, and 
 dressed, hoping some time they could learn more, 
 and to read. They heard of the American mission 
 stations, in Natal, and thought they would try to get 
 there after a while, although it was more than three 
 hundred miles away. 
 
 When Velemu was about a year old, a dreadful 
 sorrow came to the mother. The father was taken 
 very ill ; they could get no good doctor, and he died. 
 Then his heathen brother came and said that Velemu 
 and his mother must come and live in his heathen 
 kraal, and she be his wife. The laws of the natives 
 and the Dutch government upheld this claim. 
 
 The mother, poor Nozindaba, was heart-broken. 
 She had no relatives who could help her, but deter- 
 mined not to be the wife of that brother and bring 
 up her child in a heathen kraal. She had never been 
 in Natal, but knew that it was very far away. Think- 
 ing about what she had heard of the American mis- 
 sionaries there, she almost frantically decided to find 
 them. She boiled some corn, and also made native 
 bread, tying these in a cloth and in the corner of her 
 blanket. Then she put " Velemu " in a goat skin 
 and tied him to her back. A little after dark that 
 night, they started for Natal. She was not a large 
 or very strong woman, but she travelled all night. 
 
THE ZULU BOY, VELEMU 99 
 
 The next day they hid in bushes, where they rested 
 and slept. 
 
 Then they went on, often in great fear of snalces 
 and wild animals, or of being pursued by her hus- 
 band's brother and his friends. Night after night 
 they travelled, and day after day rested and slept, 
 until their food was nearly gone. They then ate 
 very little each day. There were few roots or berries 
 which could be found. At last, after getting over 
 the border into Natal, the mother sometimes ventured 
 to ask for food at a kraal or a Dutch home. 
 
 They continued to travel at night, as there were 
 still many weary miles to go before reaching the 
 coast. Now and then they found a friendly person 
 who gave them food, and referred them to some 
 other friend ; and so they went on until one day they 
 reached the American mission station, at Amanzim- 
 tote, where she sank upon the doorstep ill, and nearly 
 famished. She and her child were taken into the 
 mission home, and kindly nursed and cared for. 
 There they lived for a number of years, but they had 
 suffered too much, and neither of them was ever 
 very strong again. 
 
 The heathen brother searched until he heard that 
 they were in Natal. He came all the way after them, 
 and was determined to get them. In terror, they did 
 not dare to go out of the yard, and often not out 
 of the house. This went on for some time, the man 
 staying in the neighbourhood. 
 
 At last the missionary went to the English magis- 
 trate and told him the woman's story. The magis- 
 trate called the man, and warned him if he did not 
 
100 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 leave the country at once, he would have him im- 
 prisoned, and he was never to come into Natal 
 again. Fortunately, he did not dare to do other than 
 obey. 
 
 After six or eight years, the woman married a 
 Christian man at Umvoti, where I was then living, 
 and she and her little son, " Velemu," came there to 
 live. From the day when I first saw him, I was 
 greatly interested in the child. He often came to see 
 me, and I would go to see him and his mother, in their 
 neat, comfortable home. He liked best to talk about 
 what he read in the Testament, and what he should 
 say to the people to whom he read, and others. There 
 were many days when he was not well enough to 
 go to school, or leave home. Every one loved him. 
 His strength slowly failed, until he was obliged to 
 keep to his bed most of the time. 
 
 One day, when I went to see him, his mother was 
 out, and he was lying alone in his own clean, little 
 room. As I came in, his face brightened, and he 
 said, while I sat down by him and took his thin, little 
 hand, " I am so glad that you have come, Inkosa- 
 zana, and that my mother is out, for there is some- 
 thing that I wish to talk with you about, while we 
 are alone. My mother thinks that I am going to get 
 well, but I am sure that I am not. She loves me 
 dearly, and I do not like to tell her and trouble her. 
 She went to Durban, the seaport town, and saw a 
 doctor there. He sent me some red medicine, in a 
 bottle. She got me a new pair of shoes and a coat. 
 I took the medicine, and wore the shoes and coat, 
 but I did not get any better. Then she took me 
 
THE ZULU BOY, VELEMU 101 
 
 to Stanger, five miles from here, to see another 
 Enghsh doctor. He gave me some more red medi- 
 cine, in a bottle, and some white medicine, and she 
 got a hat for me. It wsls a nice hat, and I have worn 
 it, and taken all the medicine, yet you see, Inkosa- 
 zana, I do not get any better. Now she wants the 
 doctor to come over from Stanger, and operate on 
 me to take the water out of my side. I know it will 
 not do any good, and I do not want to have it 
 done." 
 
 I said, " Your mother loves you and you love her, 
 and she wishes to do everything she can to help you 
 to get well, and would not be happy if she did not. 
 It comforts her, and you want her to be comforted, 
 don't you? So I think you ought to be willing to 
 let the doctor come and do this. It will hurt you a 
 little, but you will have less pain afterwards." 
 Thoughtfully, he said, " Yes, I want to please my 
 mother, and if you will come and sit by me, and hold 
 my hand while the doctor does that, I will no longer 
 refuse. 
 
 " Then, Inkosazana, there is another thing I want 
 to ask you about. I am sure that I am not going 
 to get well, as I have told you. I have never gone 
 away with any one but my mother. I am almost 
 never away from her; and my stepfather, too, is 
 kind. I am sorry to leave her, but I would not be 
 afraid to go, if I were sure that I should see Jesus, 
 who loves all little children, as soon as I cease to see 
 her. There are a great many little boys and girls in 
 the world, and He might not see me at once, and I 
 should be afraid alone. I have looked and looked 
 
102 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 in the Testament, to find something about it, but I 
 did not find much. Please tell me, Inkosazana." 
 
 Then I said, " When you cease to be with your dear 
 mother, you will see Jesus. He will not forget about 
 you. He remembers every little child and has gone 
 to prepare a place for those who love Him. He has 
 promised to be with them when they go from earth 
 to Heaven, through the Valley of Death. He said, 
 'I go to prepare a place for you in my Father's 
 house. I will come again and receive you, that 
 where I am there you may be also. I will not leave 
 you comfortless. I will come to you. I will come 
 to any one who wants me, and opens the door of his 
 heart.' Dear little child, you long ago opened your 
 heart to Jesus. He loves you, and you love Him." 
 So we talked on, until he said, " It is all right now, 
 I will not be afraid. Yes, Jesus loves me and is 
 taking away the fear, because I shall see Him." 
 
 The next day the doctor came. Without any ob- 
 jection from the child, the slight operation to remove 
 the water from his side, was performed. With a 
 scream, as the frail little hand tightened on mine, 
 he said, " Oh, son of the white man, how you do 
 hurt me." He was soon more comfortable, but only 
 lived a few days after that. 
 
 He softly prayed much of the time when awake. 
 If a Christian came into the room he would ask 
 him to read or pray. If an unconverted person, he 
 would pray for him. All night before he died, he 
 was conscious, but scarcely slept at all. When he 
 could not speak above a whisper, his lips would 
 move, and friends would h^ar him praying, as they 
 
THE ZULU BOY, VELEMU 103 
 
 bent to listen; praying for his mother and friends, 
 and telling the Lord that he loved Him, and was not 
 afraid to go and live with Him, although he was 
 sorry to leave his mother, as she would miss him 
 greatly. And so he ceased to see his mother, as the 
 Lord took him to Himself, away from sin and pain, 
 to His own heavenly home. 
 
X 
 
 UMVOTI 
 
 AFTER having been in the mission more than 
 twelve years, I wrote a friend : 
 I wonder what you know about Umvoti? 
 We Hve in an unburned brick house. It is plastered 
 over, then whitewashed; the roof is of galvanized 
 iron. The veranda runs nearly around it. 
 
 As I look out of the window, I see orange trees, 
 loaded with white blossoms, although a little of the 
 golden fruit is still there. I have sometimes seen, 
 hanging from the limbs of orange trees, as well as 
 from others, beautiful orchids, blossoming on a cling- 
 ing vine, or a clump of foliage. 
 
 Fifty yards away, down a little decline, just in 
 front, runs the pretty Umvoti river to the Indian 
 Ocean, six miles distant. 
 
 A few rods back of the house, is a good-sized 
 school-house, of burned brick, where about a hundred 
 children come every day, from the Christian village. 
 There are two native teachers for it. A part of the 
 lessons are in English, the rest in Zulu. The sub- 
 jects taught are much like those in the primary 
 schools of America. The children sing very sweetly, 
 and learn to read music from the " Sol, Fa System." 
 They all dress, clothed by their parents, who live at 
 the station. A little farther up, to the right of the 
 
 104 
 
UMVOTI 105 
 
 school-house, is a fine, large brick church, which cost 
 $6,000, and will seat about four hundred people. 
 
 None of the money for those two buildings came 
 from America. The people grew sugar cane ; from 
 it sugar was manufactured at the government sugar- 
 mill at Umvoti, without charge, which, when sold, 
 paid for the building of the church and school-house. 
 
 A quarter of a mile away is the Christian village. 
 There are seventy or more upright houses, some of 
 which are built of reeds and plaster, with thatched 
 roofs, while others are of burned brick and iron 
 roofs. There are usually three or four rooms in 
 each house, besides a detached kitchen. A few have 
 from five to ten rooms, with neat European furni- 
 ture. In nearly all, there are at least a table, bed- 
 stead, and chairs. 
 
 The food of the people is com, amabele, sweet 
 potatoes, sugar, oranges, bananas, amase (sour 
 milk), sometimes meat, and bread. A beer that they 
 make from corn and amabele is much used by the 
 heathen people and some others, who are half-civi- 
 lized, which does a great deal of harm. They wash 
 their clothes, and ours, at the river on the stones. 
 Each week I give a woman the soap, starch, and 
 bluing required, for my clothes, and she brings them 
 back neatly washed and ironed, for which I give 
 her an English shilling. 
 
 In the winter we do not have much rain, and 
 everything gets very brown and dry. The spring 
 now, in October, is just opening. The hills and trees 
 are lovely in their fresh green dress. 
 
 We have six out-station schools, belonging to Um- 
 
106 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 voti, besides the station school. They are from two 
 to six miles away, over roads that are only bridle 
 paths. I go to them on horseback. We have services 
 at all these out-stations on the Sabbath, and the Bible 
 women have meetings in the kraals there, once a 
 week; I attend them when I can. 
 
 On the lovely hills not more than a mile away are 
 kraals of the heathen people, and from our veranda 
 we can see farther on, two of the out-station school- 
 houses. 
 
 Very interesting and impressive evangelistic serv- 
 ices have, within the year, been held at this station, 
 and also at some of the other stations of our mis- 
 sion, by Mr. David Russell, from Durban. He is 
 an earnest, practical, Christian layman, who was 
 influenced in Scotland by Mr. Moody, and is some- 
 times called the Moody of South Africa. For a long 
 time, until the present year, there has been an ap- 
 parent deadness in the churches of our mission, and 
 but few additions. Yet many could read the Bible, 
 and education in various ways was progressing. 
 
 At the beginning of the year, the service for the 
 week of prayer, which our mission always remem- 
 bers, was well attended. There were also indications 
 of a more thoughtful state in the minds of the people. 
 Following this, was a visit to some of our stations 
 of Dr. Somerville, of Scotland, a -noted Presbyterian 
 divine. His sermons greatly stirred the Europeans 
 in Natal, as well as the natives at our station. As 
 we took the doctor's hand and looked into his ven- 
 erable, intellectual face, the beautiful story came into 
 our minds that is told of St. John, the beloved disci- 
 
UMVOTI 107 
 
 pie of our Lord, when he visited the churches toward 
 the end of his long life. Often it lingered in my 
 thoughts, as the doctor tarried in our home. When 
 his voice rang out in the church the " Whosoever," 
 as he spoke of the love of Jesus, then by word- 
 picture made you see how real it was, you could not 
 help believing it was very real to him, and that there 
 were riches he could tell you how to get which many 
 knew not of. 
 
 As he spoke of sin, sin which we could not get 
 away from, sins that remained, even though our 
 lives were upright, and we try to wash off every stain, 
 still, like Lady Macbeth's, they would remain, as we 
 cry, " Will these hands ne'er be clean ? " We shall 
 never forget the earnest way in which he then asked, 
 " What will you do with sin ; what will you do with 
 it? " or the clear and expressive words that told of 
 a Saviour, who must be obeyed, but just such a 
 loving Saviour as a lost and ruined world, like ours, 
 needed. 
 
 Then he took us in thought, to the hills of Beth- 
 lehem, to the shepherds watching their flocks and 
 to the grandest concert the world has ever known, 
 as the glad tidings were told, and the great orchestra 
 began to sing when the solo had reached the word 
 " manger." Then he led us, as in the still hour of 
 midnight, through the quiet streets of Bethlehem, 
 to search for Jesus and to tell others the glad tidings. 
 
 Those who think that carefully prepared sermons 
 are not appreciated by Zulu audiences would, I am 
 sure, have thought differently, had they been with 
 us and seen our crowded church and the eager, in- 
 
108 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 terested faces of the people, as they listened for 
 nearly two hours ; some of them obliged to stand. 
 
 The doctor remained with us for two days and 
 held four services. Then, Mr. Rood, as interpreter, 
 went with him and his party to visit other stations. 
 Mr. Russell, whom I have before mentioned, was 
 with them. While at Umvoti, he became so inter- 
 ested in the natives and the work, he accepted an 
 invitation to come later for a longer period and hold 
 a series of meetings. With great ease, adaptation, 
 and power, he speaks through an interpreter. He 
 has a wonderful gift of bringing Bible truths to bear 
 on the minds of the unconverted, as well as on those 
 of Christians. 
 
 From the first meeting, the spirit of God was 
 manifestly with us, touching the hearts of many. 
 The members of the church seemed to rise as with 
 new life, and join heartily in the work? Some came 
 long distances, and many sought salvation and for- 
 giveness for their sins, through Jesus Christ. 
 
 The quiet, earnest prayers, the humble confession 
 of sin, with the desire to forsake it and begin a 
 new and better life, with Jesus as their friend and 
 Saviour, was very marked, and made us feel that 
 the Lord was doing great things for us, whereof 
 we were encouraged, and very grateful to Him for 
 sending this friend to help us. After the meeting 
 at Umvoti, Mr. Rood, who is a fine interpreter, ac- 
 companied Mr. Russell, as he had Dr. Somerville 
 and party, to some of the other stations, as helper, 
 where also they had very interesting meetings. 
 
 We pray and trust that this special awakening 
 
UMVOTI 109 
 
 may be much more than " the sound of a going in 
 the tops of the mulberry trees," for the mission cause 
 in Natal. God hears, and in His own good time, 
 answers true prayer for others, and for mission 
 work, although the night of toil is sometimes very 
 long. 
 
 Thus a really great revival began in the mission, 
 which has continued to the present time, with 
 encouragements and discouragements, but also with 
 a steady growth of power and influence for righteous- 
 ness and uprightness in the churches. 
 
 The temperance cause, too, was greatly helped, 
 by the stamping out of the native beer, as well as 
 other sinful, heathen customs, which were creeping 
 into the churches. There was a strong " Blue Rib- 
 bon " movement that has done a great deal of perma- 
 nent good. 
 
 We cannot expect that in less than a century of 
 civilization and Christianity, the Zulus will rise to 
 a higher grade of moral and religious life than is 
 to be found in many churches where the Gospel has 
 been preached for centuries ; although there is a class 
 of people in more favoured lands, who seem to ex- 
 pect this. 
 
 However, of this I am sure, there are as noble, 
 unselfish, and earnest Christians amongst the Zulus 
 as can be found in any country. When one considers 
 the age-long environment of body and mind from 
 which a Zulu comes into God's great light and 
 knowledge, it is truly wonderful the change which, 
 in many instances, is very apparent in him, after he 
 becomes a Christian. 
 
110 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 With the good influences of civilization, there is 
 also much that is corrupting and confusing to the 
 native mind, aside from the evils that are continually 
 about those who work in the mines at Kimberley, 
 Johannesburg, and other places. Too often, when 
 they return to their homes in Natal, or other far- 
 away localities, they are worse than when they left 
 them. Added to heathenism are vices before un- 
 known to this people. 
 
 Mr. Russell has been so often and helpfully con- 
 nected with our mission, I would like to add here 
 a few more words in regard to him? It is many 
 years now, since he was ordained to the ministry. 
 He has been pastor over some of the largest Pres- 
 byterian, as well as Congregational churches, for 
 Europeans, in South Africa, and has also continued 
 to hold evangelistic services, when he could, in vari- 
 ous places, for both English and natives. 
 
 At the time of the " Men and Religion Move- 
 ment " in America, he was invited to come here as 
 one of the helpers. He joined the " team " in which 
 were Mr. Raymond Robbins and Mr. Fred B. Smith. 
 With them he went from East to West, as well as 
 South, in that campaign. At the time of this writing 
 he is back in Natal, and, during the past year, has 
 held meetings at a number of our mission stations, 
 where he is greatly respected and beloved, as he is 
 in many parts of the country, and by all classes of 
 people. 
 
 The schools and out-station at Umvoti continued 
 to grow. As the more advanced pupils were taught 
 
UMVOTI 111 
 
 to read music, one of the teachers at the station 
 school trained them to sing so well, a few times con- 
 certs were given, one of the days of the Christmas 
 festival, to which white colonists within five and 
 ten miles of the station, were very much pleased to 
 come. Once the cantata of " David, the Shepherd 
 Boy," by G. F. Root, which had been learned by the 
 teacher when at the Boys' Training School of the 
 mission, was rendered with such sweetness and in 
 such perfect time, by fifty or more of the young 
 people, it gave great pleasure to all who heard it. 
 I remember an English officer being present, who 
 rushed up to me, after it was over, and said, " Why 
 did you not tell me; why did you not tell me, that 
 you could do a thing like that here ? It is years since 
 I have heard anything so beautifully sung. What 
 voices these Zulus have ! " 
 
 There was a large class for inquirers needing 
 Bible instruction at the station, once or twice a week, 
 taught by the missionary or myself, to which the 
 out-station, as well as station people, came. Many 
 began the Christian life by attending these meetings, 
 getting help also from services, conversations, and 
 the word of God, for which they have great rever- 
 ence. When one's own words fail to convince them 
 of what is not right, a verse pointed out from the 
 Bible seldom fails of doing so. At least they will 
 put their hand to their mouth, shake the head and 
 say no more. After two or three years of careful 
 instruction, if a person continues an earnest, active 
 Christian, and seems worthy, he is admitted to 
 church membership. 
 
112 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 The services at the out-station on Sunday, as well 
 as on week days, were kept up with the voluntary 
 assistance of the church members from the station. 
 Besides, the two faithful Bible women, Tetise and 
 Upahlekaze, had a number of meetings each week 
 with the women at the kraals. 
 
 In one school near which the chief of a tribe 
 lived, for ten years no one came out from heathen- 
 ism and confessed Christ. It was a tribe of over a 
 thousand people. The children came quite well to 
 school, and the people to the services on Sunday. 
 The chief was friendly and now and then attended 
 a service. A blind son, who was very intelligent, 
 was the first to become a Christian at that place. By 
 being taught to commit to memory, he gained a very 
 clear knowledge of the Testament, and could repeat 
 many parts of it, as well as scores of hymns. After 
 a time he attended the theological seminary of the 
 mission, and there, by listening, learned a great 
 deal more, so that he grew to be a very useful 
 preacher. 
 
 Soon after his conversion, others of the tribe be- 
 came Christians. The chief, his father, continued 
 friendly, but died unconverted. The blind man was 
 the only son of the principal wife, and would have 
 been chief, after his father's death, if it had not 
 been for his sightless eyes. Another son, who was 
 not a Christian, was chosen for that place. He often 
 told me he would like to be one, but the older coun- 
 selors of the tribe would not allow him to do so. 
 They chose not only a second wife for him, but a 
 third, and contributed the cattle for their dowries, 
 
UMVOTI 113 
 
 insisting if he were chief he must have more than 
 one wife. 
 
 For quite awhile I had hoped to start a school 
 five or six miles away, near the sea, where some of 
 that tribe lived. One day, when at the chief's kraal, 
 I said to the blind man's mother, that I wished to 
 talk with the chief. I noticed how the women looked 
 at each other, as she said he was in his hut with a 
 number of his councillors. I knew that the men being 
 there not one of the women would venture to go. If 
 the men had been outside, as they more often are in 
 councils, I would not have minded meeting them, but 
 I very much disliked going inside. However, I sent 
 word to the chief that I wished to see him and his 
 councillors, and was invited to come into the hut 
 where they were. I stooped down and passed 
 through the low door into a large, nicely-built room, 
 where, in rows near the inside edge, sat thirty-five 
 or forty men, with rings on their heads, such as I 
 will describe in a later chapter. The chief at once 
 got up and arranged a nice mat for me, where he 
 had sat. I did not say a word. When I was seated, 
 he said, " Sakabona, Inkosazana " (I see you), to 
 which I replied. Then each man, one at a time, said 
 the same, after which the chief sat down near the 
 centre of the room. For many years I had not been 
 a stranger to those people, yet my heart beat wildly 
 and I felt myself a little shaky when I began by 
 saying that I was very glad of this chance to meet 
 the chief and his councillors together, as I wished 
 his people, near the sea, to have a school, and hoped 
 they would build the school-house for it, so that their 
 
114 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 children could be taught, as were children of others 
 in the tribe. The country was changing, and surely 
 they must see that it would be a great disadvantage 
 for their children to grow up without any knowledge 
 of God, or of what books could tell them. The 
 parley was quite long; the chief spoke favourably of 
 there being a school at that place ; others spoke for 
 and against it, but at last they agreed to help, and 
 the school-house was afterward built. I said my 
 " Salakahle " and quietly moved out of the hut, with 
 a sense of relief and thankfulness. 
 
 In the early years of my being in the mission, there 
 was great need of books in the Zulu language, for 
 the primary schools. A very good primer has been 
 published, and that was about all which seemed to 
 me suitable to use in awakening the child mind to 
 become interested in reading. Within a few years, 
 as soon as I could get enough of the language, I 
 began to prepare something to be used in my own 
 schools. The thought grew, until after a year or 
 two, I had a " Zulu Second Reader " written. I had 
 urged the older people to tell me fairy tales, such as 
 they told the children in the evening around the 
 firelight. Some of them were very good, and a few 
 a little like those we have. I added stories of their 
 kings and nation, with others on various subjects, 
 that I hoped might interest them, then finished with 
 a number of Bible stories, mostly from the New 
 Testament. I wrote all, after carefully thinking of 
 each subject and telling it to myself, as if I were 
 a Zulu child. While I wrote them out, I kept that 
 thought uppermost, holding my mind as far as I 
 
UMVOTI 115 
 
 could, within the scope of an intelligent Zulu child's 
 mind. 
 
 When the manuscript was ready, the mission sent 
 it to America to be published, with illustrations, as 
 suitable as we were able to get. There have been 
 a number of editions. It is still extensively used 
 and sold where the Zulu language is spoken. 
 
 In the same way I felt the need of a Zulu pamphlet, 
 very simple, plain, and short, which would 
 comprise the Ten Commandments and the plan of 
 salvation, in the words of the New Testament. This 
 was published, and was a great help in primary 
 work. It was a help also to those who could read, 
 and wished to teach others to find a way, yet had 
 not themselves learned sufficiently to explain clearly 
 much of Bible truths. 
 
 There was a little Zulu newspaper, that for two 
 or three years took more of my extra time and 
 strength than I ought to have spared. I never wrote 
 anything in Zulu without going carefully over the 
 manuscript with Mr. Rood, or some other member 
 of the mission, and also with an educated Zulu, so 
 that the language might be as perfect as possible. 
 
 Miss Dalita Hawes, a lame Zulu girl, who was 
 educated at the Inanda Seminary, was the language 
 critic for the reading book. 
 
XI 
 
 HOBEANA 
 
 IF one were standing on the veranda of the mis- 
 sion-house, at Umvoti, and looking far away 
 across the river to the hills beyond, he would 
 see a small, bright spot gleaming out in the midst 
 of the vivid green of the foliage. It is the roof of 
 one of the out-station school-houses. 
 
 As I recall to-day that little memorial building 
 (erected in memory of Mrs. Lloyd Lindley, by her 
 friends in America), with its many associations, 
 there is one face and figure which stands out from 
 the dusky crowd. 
 
 Years ago, as I was visiting that school, I saw a 
 bright-faced, bright-eyed, intelligent-looking old man, 
 about seventy years of age, whom we might call a 
 splendid old-fashioned, heathen Zulu. His name 
 was Hobeana. I was surprised to see him there. 
 As soon as I had an opportunity, I said. " Why, 
 Hobeana, how do you happen to be here? " " Oh," 
 he replied, " I am coming to church." This was 
 such an unusual thing for one of his age and posi- 
 tion, from that tribe, to do, I wondered what his 
 motives were, and asked, " Why are you coming to 
 church?" Said he, " I want to find out what Chris- 
 tianity is. I have had a dream." " A dream ! What 
 did you dream?" "I dreamed that I must come 
 
 116 
 
HOBEANA 11^ 
 
 down here and find out what Christianity is. I did 
 not wish to do anything slyly, so I called all the 
 chief people together and said, ' I am going down 
 there where the service is held to find out about 
 Christianity ! '" " What did they say ? " " Oh, they 
 consented, so I have come." " Well, what have you 
 found out?" "Not much yet, but I am gomg to 
 learn more. I come to every service, rain or shme, 
 and I am coming right along." 
 
 He kept his word, and did come to every service, 
 the native preacher taking pains to help and instruct 
 him. Seeing him some time later, I said, " Have you 
 found out yet what Christianity is, Hobeana? " " No, 
 but I am going to," he rephed. Then followed a 
 long conversation. He talked about his dream, some 
 of the innumerable superstitions of his people, and 
 a little of what he had learned in church. He mixed 
 it all up together, and I wondered if there could be 
 any place in his mind for the real light; but I be- 
 lieve God was speaking to him, although the light 
 was like a leaf in the air, seeming to have no place 
 
 to '■^st- . ^ u u A 
 
 Some weeks later I saw him again, and he had 
 
 on his first garment. He was sitting on a bench, 
 
 his elbows were akimbo, and he did not quite know 
 
 what to do with his hands and feet. Often when the 
 
 natives first go into a civiHzed house, they do not 
 
 understand about the furniture and other things 
 
 that they see, and do not dare trust themselves to 
 
 the chairs for fear they will fall; so when they begin 
 
 to sit on a bench they are not quite sure about the 
 
 foundations. As soon as Hobeana saw me, he said, 
 
118 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 " You see I am going to be a Christian, Inkosazana." 
 " In what way are you going to be a Christian ? " 
 " Why, don't you see I am dressing now ; I am 
 going to have clothes. I am lii<e other people who 
 wish to be Christians." " Oh, no, Hobeana, it is 
 well to wear civilized garments, if you wish to do 
 so, but clothes do not make you a Christian. God 
 will hear you when you pray to Him, and will help 
 you in your native costume just as well as He will 
 if you have this garment on. You want some cloth- 
 ing for the heart. I cannot now make you under- 
 stand all this, but God can help you to understand 
 down here," and I placed my hand on my heart as 
 I spoke, but Hobeana's face was sad — he could not 
 understand me. 
 
 A few months passed by and he had on a second 
 garment, was sitting straight and dignified on the 
 bench. His elbows were down by his body. He said, 
 " Inkosazana, now you see I am going to be a Chris- 
 tian." " How are you going to be a Christian?" I 
 asked, as before. " Why, don't you see I am 
 dressed ? " " Oh, but, Hobeana, still you need a gar- 
 ment for the heart, away down here," again touch- 
 ing my heart. 
 
 Hobeana put his hand to his mouth, in native 
 fashion, slowly and silently shaking his head. He 
 could not understand; he was perplexed and dis- 
 tressed, to find that these things made him a no 
 better Christian. He must have clothing for his 
 heart; what was this clothing, and how was he to 
 get it? 
 
 His next step was to have his ring cut from his 
 
HOBEANA 119 
 
 head. A Zulu, when old enough to become a sol- 
 dier, has a ring, made of some glutinous substance, 
 fastened around the top of his head. He thinks a 
 great deal of this ring. To him it is like a diploma 
 to a young man when he comes out of college. He 
 wears it all his life. It was this ring that he had cut 
 off. I said, " Why have you cut the ring from your 
 head. You thought so much of it, and it looked 
 nicely." " Oh," said he, " I am going to be a Chris- 
 tian." Again I had to tell him, " Even this will not 
 help you to be a Christian. H you wish to have it 
 cut off, that is all well enough ; if you want to wear 
 a hat you can wear it better without this ring. But 
 many people who do not wear a ring on their heads, 
 are not Christians, and have not the Spirit of God in 
 their hearts." Greatly perplexed he said, " Truly, 
 I am going to be a Christian." " Oh, yes," I said, 
 " I hope you are." Again Hobeana spoke of his 
 dream and the glad news he had heard at the serv- 
 ices, for by this time he had learned many Bible 
 truths. 
 
 It may have been two years later that he came 
 to church dressed in a fine suit of broadcloth clothes. 
 They were very nice. His linen and all parts of the 
 suit w^ere quite perfect. I said, " Why, Hobeana, 
 where did you get this splendid suit of clothes and 
 the linen?" "Oh, my daughter went down to the 
 station and learned to wash and iron ; she takes 
 care of my clothes, brushes them, folds them, and 
 puts them in a box. I shall only wear them when I 
 go to church, and to see you. Other people, who 
 are Christians, wear nicer clothes on Sunday than 
 
120 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 any other clay." Then he straightened up and said, 
 " Now, Inkosazana, I am a Christian." 
 
 Friends, don't you see the same human nature in 
 Africa as in America? People put on their best 
 clothes, go to church, sit comfortably back in their 
 seat, find the right place in the hymn-book, and say, 
 like Hobeana, " I am a Christian." Sometimes this 
 very thing is like an armour, harder to penetrate 
 than real heathenism. We did not want Hobeana 
 to have this armour, and painful as it was, again had 
 to tell him that all these things did not make him a 
 Christian. Oh, how distressed he appeared, al- 
 though we spoke other and more encouraging words 
 to him. 
 
 ^' But," said he, " I look just like other people 
 who go to church, don't you see ? " and he smoothed 
 down the broadcloth. More and more we felt con- 
 vinced that the real truth was dawning in his heart, 
 and one day he said to me, " Inkosazana, we have 
 had prayers at our kraal." " I am pleased to hear 
 that," I replied. " Your sons and grandsons, what 
 do they say? Will they come into your hut when 
 you have prayers ? " The feeling of filial respect 
 is very strong among the Zulus. Hobeana seemed 
 astonished that I should ask if his grown-up sons 
 were respectful. " Oh," said he, " they come in 
 unless they can make an excuse to stay away; they 
 sit still and listen, but yet do not wish to be Chris- 
 tians. I repeat something I have heard in church, 
 and have learned the Lord's prayer; besides, Inko- 
 sazana, I have learned, too, some words of my own 
 to say to the Lord." 
 
HOBEANA 121 
 
 So, month by month, Hobeana improved and was 
 taught more Bible truths, always coming to every 
 service, till at last we felt he had the clothing for 
 his heart, that was so necessary. He applied for 
 church membership, but there were difficulties to 
 overcome. In the first place, he had three wives. I 
 shall never forget the day when he came to talk this 
 matter over with us. We knew it was coming. I 
 said to him, " Hobeana, I have advised you about 
 many things, but now I have no advice to give you ; 
 only God can help you. These wives are the mothers 
 of your children ; you took them in heathenism. It 
 is your duty to provide for them, and, if separated, 
 to be separated in a Christian way. God can guide 
 you, and we must be very earnest in asking Him to 
 help you to do what is best." 
 
 By this time Hobeana had learned to take the 
 truths of the Bible as direct messages from God 
 to himself. He often said, " They are like a letter 
 from God to me." He took them to his heart, be- 
 lieved them, and prayed, expecting God would hear 
 and answer. And He did. 
 
 Strange as it may seem, the answer came through 
 heathen customs. Reference has already been made 
 to the Zulu custom, that when a man is first engaged 
 he gives a certain number of cattle to the father of 
 his betrothed. They are not married young; en- 
 gagements often continue for several years, and the 
 rest of the cattle are given at the final marriage 
 ceremony. All this time, the girl is at her father's 
 kraal. We had supposed that Hobeana had really 
 taken his youngest wife to his kraal, that the final 
 
122 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 ceremony had been performed ; but we found that 
 she was still living with her father. Without wish- 
 ing to help him to be a Christian, in fact we think it 
 was because he was a Christian, she was deter- 
 mined that the engagement should be broken. It is 
 a very unusual thing to break a Zulu marriage 
 engagement, and almost impossible for a heathen 
 woman to separate from her husband, or be married 
 again ; but the girl urged her heathen father, till at 
 last he consented to return the cattle to Hobeana. 
 The engagement was broken, and he was separated 
 from his young wife ; but there were still two re- 
 maining. Another Zulu custom is, that when a 
 woman has a grown-up son, who is married and 
 wishes his mother to come and live with him, heathen 
 law allows her to do this, but not to marry again. 
 One of Hobeana's wives had a grown-up son, and 
 while opposed to his father becoming a Christian, 
 yet he very much wished to have his mother come 
 and live with him. She did so, and thus all was 
 pleasantly arranged. Hobeana was very happy in the 
 thought that it had been arranged without any un- 
 pleasantness, and he was free to live with his first 
 and best loved wife. Again he applied for church 
 membership, but there was still another difficulty. 
 Some people in America may think the action of 
 the mission, of which I am about to speak, was very 
 narrow, but if they knew the difficulties we had to 
 contend with, because of strong drink, they would 
 modify their opinion, I am sure. All that is vile, 
 and much that hinders the Christian work, goes on 
 at their beer drinks, which are sometimes attended 
 
HOBEANA 123 
 
 by three or four hundred people. Aside from such 
 gatherings, the beer itself injures the natives, mak- 
 ing them stupid and indolent at their homes. 
 
 Our mission had done what it could, for years, 
 to influence the Christian and station people to give 
 it up. But the Zulus are born lawyers, and can 
 plead their cases well, using strong arguments in 
 favour of their beer. They would say, " It is our 
 food, we have not the variety that white people 
 have ; besides, our beer does not intoxicate like the 
 white man's rum and brandy." Many of our best 
 Christian people were determined not to be con- 
 vinced that they should give it up. 
 
 The mission called a meeting, which continued 
 several days, to talk over this question. All of the 
 native pastors, the chief native Christians and mis- 
 sionaries came together. In many respects it was 
 a most trying ordeal. But after much patience, 
 prayer, and talk for and against the beer, as well as 
 against taking cattle for daughters, the people were 
 induced to take a vote that in future whoever came 
 into the church should give up those customs. At all 
 our stations there were many who opposed those 
 rules. For over a year we did not have the Com- 
 munion in a church of our mission. It was like a 
 great wave of trouble, annoyance, and anxiety ; but 
 it passed, and there came a wave of blessing such 
 as we had never before known. I frequently felt 
 that we could only stand and see what the Lord 
 would do. 
 
 We had, unconsciously almost, grown to think that 
 there could not be a revival in our Zulu churches. 
 
124 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 But it came, beginning first at Umvoti, and swept 
 through our whole mission field, as told in another 
 chapter. For this God-given blessing we owed much 
 to the temperance movement, and to the stand taken 
 by our mission, not only in regard to beer, but also 
 in regard to other heathen customs, which were 
 creeping into the churches. A steady growth of 
 spiritual life continued in all departments of the 
 work. Five years afterward, one of our older ladies 
 wrote, " This last year has been the most blessed 
 of our mission." 
 
 Those church rules were made before Hobeana 
 applied for membership ; he was an old man when 
 he first desired to become a Christian. He had never 
 been a drunkard, nor did he often care to go to large 
 beer parties, but he felt he could not give up that 
 food, as he called it. I remember one of our pre- 
 paratory lectures, when he stood in all his native 
 dignity, and pleaded his case. He said, " I am old, 
 my teeth are gone, I have not a variety of food. I 
 walk a long way to church ; I have never been in- 
 toxicated, I do not wish to go to beer drinks. I have 
 given up my heathen customs ; I have given up my 
 ring ; I have given up my wives, but how can I give 
 up this little cup of beer that I need?" (Ipikile 
 encane engaka.) 
 
 Our hearts had grown very tender towards Ho- 
 beana, but the rule was a good and necessary one, 
 which was to become a great blessing to our 
 churches. We saw ao way but that he must suffer 
 for the good of others. 
 
 The missionary asked him to reconsider and wait 
 
HOBEANA 125 
 
 until the next Communion. When the next Com- 
 munion came, he had seen many who seemed to 
 have made this a test question, and brought forward 
 new arguments. We beheved that he was a Chris- 
 tian, we felt that he had sacrificed much, but that 
 he really could not see how he was to glorify God 
 by giving us his beer. '* No," said he, " I will never 
 give up my beer." 
 
 The missionary's heart yearned over him, and he 
 said to the members of the church, " It may be we 
 are asking too much. We know Hobeana is a Chris- 
 tian, yet seems unable to understand the necessity 
 of this sacrifice. If we make an exception and allow 
 him to come into the church, we here will all under- 
 stand it and perhaps other church members may also. 
 We will vote upon it, and, if you as a church decide 
 that he can come in, I shall say nothing more against 
 it." They voted to admit him, and the next Sunday 
 he came to his first Communion. 
 
 Two or three weeks after that, while standing 
 on the veranda, I saw Hobeana coming across the 
 river, resplendent in his broadcloth suit. As he 
 came near he took hold of the side of his coat, and 
 said, " Inkosazana." "Well, what is it, Hobeana?" 
 " I want that little blue ribbon put right here in my 
 buttonhole." " But what do you want of the blue 
 ribbon? You say you cannot give up your native 
 beer." " Oh," said he, ** Inkosazana, to think that I 
 am a child of God, that I have come to the table of 
 the Lord, and can't give up a little thing for Christ's 
 sake, can't give it up for Him, who has done so 
 much for me ! I said that my teeth were gone, and 
 
126 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 that I could not get on without my beer; but I'm 
 old, and I cannot get on without my sleep. I do 
 not sleep nights when I remember that I have not 
 given it up. Can't give up a thing that I love, when 
 He has done so much for me ! Now I have tried 
 to do without it. For two or three days I have not 
 to^iched a bit of beer." Then, straightening his body, 
 he safd, " I've walked all the seven miles down here 
 and I am not hungry, I am not over tired. It was 
 just an excuse. If I haven't teeth, there are other 
 things that I can eat. Don't you see how well I 
 am, and yet I have not had a bit of beer for several 
 days. I can do without it. Now get the ribbon 
 quick. I want it in this buttonhole, so that all the 
 world may know that Hobeana loves to do this 
 thing for Christ's sake." 
 
 That was a year before I came to America, for my 
 only furlough. I often saw him, and would some- 
 times say, "Well, Hobeana, what about the beer? 
 When you get home tired and smell it and see great 
 pots of it, don't you wish you could have some?" 
 " Oh, no ! " said he, " I go and I look at it and I 
 smell it and I say ; ' Hobeana, now don't you wish 
 you had some ? It is nice ; it would taste nicely, 
 smells nicely,' and I say, ' No, if it is nice, I am 
 glad I can give up nice things — a thing that I love — 
 for Him who has done so much for me.' No, no, 
 Inkosazana, a thing that I love — for His sake — I 
 can do." 
 
 Some years after, when I was no longer living 
 at Umvoti, but at another station, in writing to a 
 friend, I said : " I have been for over a week at 
 
HOBEANA 127 
 
 my old home, Umvoti. I decided quite suddenly 
 to go, on hearing how much the schools there are 
 needing supervision. I would have liked to stay a 
 month, but could not do so. It was a drive across 
 country, over a bad road, of twenty-five or thirty 
 miles, in my little American buggy, with one horse. 
 I had with me a native boy, about ten years of age. 
 I found the schools in great need of help. I went 
 to one each day, and in the afternoon held a meet- 
 ing in the school-house, there, for the people. It 
 was delightful to be with them again ; old and young, 
 men, women, and children came. ' Now, you have 
 come at last,' they said, ' we shall again live.' 
 
 " I wish you could have seen Hobeana. He has 
 grown much older, but is as bright and interesting 
 as ever. If I sat down, he wished to sit close by 
 me. If I moved to speak to another, he moved, so 
 that, as he said, he might hear every word. He 
 cannot give up the thought but that I may yet come 
 back to Umvoti to live. I think it was one of the 
 happiest, most thankful moments of my life when 
 he told me of his continual joy in the Lord. ' Oh ! ' 
 said he, ' I am an old man ; my strength is going ; 
 I have not much longer to live on the earth. I am 
 happy here because Jesus makes me glad; but I 
 shall be more happy if I may soon go where I can 
 see Him.' * Have you ever been sorry or troubled 
 because you gave up beer and other things for 
 Christ's sake?' I asked. 'No, no, never,' he re- 
 plied. ' I do not remember the beer ; I do not want 
 it. I have just been glad all the time to have given 
 up anything I have for Him.' " 
 
128 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 I did not see Hobeana again. A year or two after 
 that he grew more feeble in health and died, but 
 to the last he appeared to maintain his love for God 
 and faith in Jesus Christ. A native Christian, in 
 writing to me, said, " Hobeana is, as usual, grow- 
 ing more and more to know and love and trust the 
 Lord." 
 
 Well has some one said : " The Dark Continent 
 is transfigured to many eyes by the treasure it pro- 
 duces ; they see the gold of the Transvaal and the 
 diamonds of the Cape. How, then, must Africa 
 look to the Lord of Hosts, as He makes up His 
 jewels ? " 
 
XII 
 
 HUGUENOT COLLEGE — OTHER NOTED 
 EVENTS AND PEOPLE 
 
 IN the early seventies, when Rev. Andrew Mur- 
 ray, of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape 
 Colony, a distinguished minister, evangelist, and 
 author, was taking his leave for a vacation, a friend 
 loaned him a book to read. It was the life of Mary 
 Lyon, the founder of Mt. Holyoke College. As he 
 read it he became greatly interested, and said, " That 
 is just such a school as we need here in South 
 Africa, for our English and Dutch girls." He talked 
 it over with a few of his friends, like-minded with 
 himself. There were not many ways of getting 
 money for such an undertaking. However, after 
 much prayer and consultation together, he wrote to 
 Mt. Holyoke, telling the circumstances and asking 
 if they could send a graduate from that institution 
 to come and start a school on the Holyoke plan, at 
 Wellington, a few hours by train from Cape Town. 
 The letter, on reaching its destination, received 
 due consideration. There also was careful thought 
 and prayer for guidance, after which it was decided 
 that it would not be best for a lady to go alone. 
 Then Dr. Andrew Murray and his writings were 
 not so well known as they became a few years 
 
 129 
 
130 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 later, neither was South Africa. Therefore, it was 
 arranged to ask two to go. 
 
 In the Zulu mission, a thousand miles farther on, 
 they knew there were friends. The wives of some 
 of the missionaries were daughters of Holyoke. 
 
 At length two ladies were found who were will- 
 ing to respond to this call: Miss Abbie Ferguson 
 and Miss Annie Bliss. Both were consecrated, capa- 
 ble graduates, who had already been teaching for 
 a few years. On their reaching the Cape Colony 
 they found the accommodation for the opening of 
 the school much better than they had anticipated. 
 
 A strange thing was happening, a marked answer 
 to prayer for this school, which was being started 
 in faith and dependence on God. A peculiar com- 
 munity of Europeans had been established at Well- 
 ington, a few years before, by a man whose fanati- 
 cism, greed, ambition, and lack of principle were 
 notorious. He had quite a following at first. Some 
 good, though mistaken, people had been induced to 
 give him all that they had, and discovered when too 
 late, the great unworthiness and immorality of their 
 leader. 
 
 Land had been bought, a large community-house 
 built, and the cult established there, while still the 
 people in Wellington and the surrounding country 
 scarcely realized who and what their neighbours were. 
 Some of the time the leader was going about the 
 country spending money freely for his own comfort, 
 and introducing himself as a Christian philanthropist, 
 at the head of a Christian institution. He came to 
 Natal and spent a night at our station. We had 
 
HUGUENOT COLLEGE 131 
 
 little confidence in him, or respect for what he said, 
 and wondered who and what he could be. Strange 
 and dreadful things began to be known of the life 
 in that community-house. The people in that part 
 of the country were aroused, and the leader of the 
 sect was obliged to make a hurried departure. Some 
 of the inmates had become insane ; many little graves 
 were afterward found in the garden. The com- 
 munity was completely broken up, and the property 
 sold at a low price. 
 
 The committee, headed by Dr. Murray, bought it 
 for the projected seminary. With some changes, 
 repairs, and furnishings, it was opened, after the 
 ladies reached there, as the Huguenot Seminary for 
 Girls. 
 
 Started as it was in faith, the religious influence, 
 from the first, has been very marked and its growth 
 rapid. Soon other teachers were called from 
 America, also some from European countries. Now 
 it has, for a number of years, been a college with 
 fine buildings, and a staff of thirty or thirty-five 
 instructors, from America and other countries. 
 Those first two teachers are still living; Miss Fergu- 
 son, after being the principal for many years, retired, 
 but resides there, while Miss Bliss is now president 
 of the college. Branch schools were started in other 
 places, some with teachers from America, but more 
 often, in later years, with those who have graduated 
 from Wellington. Indirectly as well as directly, 
 the school has done much for missions. I once heard 
 Dr. Murray say that the American ladies had ac- 
 complished more in influencing ministers and people 
 
132 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 to be interested in work for the coloured people, than 
 all other efforts at the Cape. 
 
 A missionary society was formed in the Dutch 
 church, and has for a long time been conducting 
 work for the natives in different regions south of 
 the Zambezi River, through the faithfulness of a 
 small group of broad-minded Christians. The Dutch 
 settlers manifested little sympathy for, or interest 
 in, the work. Their hostility towards the natives, 
 for more than a century before the last Boer and 
 English war, as well as at that time, is well known. 
 
 But among the Boers captured by the English and 
 exiled to prison camps in India, great revivals broke 
 out, through the influence of English and American 
 missionaries, working in that country. There were 
 revivals, too, in prison camps at other places. Many 
 were converted and several hundred Boer converts 
 volunteered for mission work, on being released and 
 returned to their native land. They did much to 
 influence and build up the mission interest in their 
 home churches. The churches responded, and now 
 many of those Boer fighters have become soldiers 
 of the Cross, and are doing good work in various 
 places for the King of Kings. 
 
 When I had been for some years in Natal, I 
 went, one vacation, for a little needed rest and 
 change, to Cape Colony, to visit the friends and 
 schools at Stellenbosch and Wellington; the prin- 
 cipal of the former place then being our own Miss 
 H. J. Gilson, in recent years of the mission in Rho- 
 desia. The voyage was rough and trying. The 
 night after reaching Stellenbosch, I became seri- 
 
HUGUENOT COLLEGE 133 
 
 ously ill, and was not able to leave my room for a 
 few weeks. Most tenderly those dear friends cared 
 for me. I can never forget or cease to be grateful 
 to them for their kindness and love at that time. 
 The Christian fellowship, the change for me of 
 being with them, the privilege of spending a week 
 in Dr. Murray's home, of hearing him preach and 
 talk, and of seeing the schools, were all a great en- 
 couragement and blessing. 
 
 While in Cape Town for a few days, a distin- 
 guished-looking, elderly gentleman, who spoke ex- 
 cellent English, called to see me. He said, in sub- 
 stance : " I am a Moravian missionary, from Nama- 
 qualand, and in Cape Town to look after some 
 printing. Hearing that a missionary of the Ameri- 
 can board was here, from Natal, I felt I must call. 
 We, as a mission, owe much to yours. We came to 
 Namaqualand, a few years after they began work 
 in Natal. The natives, where we were, had never 
 before heard of God, were very superstitious, and 
 determined we should not stay. They became most 
 bitter against us. 
 
 " The king and chiefs would not allow any of the 
 people to be taught. Sometimes they would work 
 for us and bring food to sell. We studied their 
 language, as best we could, and reduced it to writ- 
 ing, all the time taking every opportunity to explain 
 the true light, vvhich Jesus, the Son of the great 
 God, had brought to the world, and how, for that 
 reason, we had come to their land to tell them 
 about it. Some listened, but were afraid to let it 
 be known. At length the king became so super- 
 
134 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 stitious and bitter against us, he ordered his men 
 to inspan the oxen to our wagons and take us out 
 of the country. They put our belongings into the 
 wagon and we followed, in no way protesting or 
 arguing with them. It would have been useless. 
 We trusted in the Lord and prayed. They drove 
 on until the oxen could go no farther, then they out- 
 spanned and left us, but did not return. 
 
 " We were still in Namaqualand, and there re- 
 mained. That very place is now our oldest station. 
 Some of the people would gladly have been friendly, 
 and were, but fear kept them back. For ten years 
 we worked on in that discouraging way, getting quite 
 a knowledge of the language, but, as it often seemed 
 to us, not getting much hold on the people. Our 
 committee at home had written advising us to give 
 up the field. Strange as it may seem to an outsider, 
 we were reluctant to do so. We had become greatly 
 interested in those wild people. 
 
 " Two of us determined to take a trip across the 
 country and see what encouragement other missions 
 were having. We had heard of the American mis- 
 sion, in Natal, and hoped to reach it. It was a great 
 undertaking, on horseback, through that wild coun- 
 try, of more than eight hundred miles. We visited 
 all the mission stations that we could, and found 
 little encouragement. Not only the opposition from 
 chiefs, but wars between the Boers and the natives, 
 and wars between the natives themselves, hindered 
 better influences among the people. 
 
 " At length we reached Natal and ]\Iopumolo, one 
 of the American board stations. This station, like 
 
HUGUENOT COLLEGE 135 
 
 our own, had been established about ten years. The 
 missionary, Rev. Andrew Abraham, said he had not 
 yet formed a church, and only a few of the people 
 about him had become Christians. Quite a number 
 were being taught in a day school and also in an 
 evening school. We asked him if he did not get 
 discouraged with no larger results. ' Oh, no,' said 
 he, ' I have not thought of being discouraged.' " (As 
 this was the same station to which I was sent to 
 study the language, years afterward, and the same 
 missionary who taught me, I can fancy his saying that 
 with a smile on his face.) 
 
 " After supper," continued the Moravian mission- 
 ary, " he asked us to go with him for a little walk 
 about the place. He showed us a few civilized 
 houses that some of his people had built for them- 
 selves. Then, besides the mission-house, there was 
 a small brick building, where school was held on 
 week days, and services on Sunday and at other 
 times. He took us to see a very fine field of grow- 
 ing corn, and said, ' Do you not think we are likely to 
 have a good crop ? Yet no ears are to be seen. We 
 had to work hard to get out the roots and stones 
 and make the soil ready for the seed. It is not two 
 feet high now, but God sending the rain and sun- 
 shine, we trust there will be a good harvest. It will 
 still need care to protect it from weeds, birds, mon- 
 keys, and other wild animals. So it is with mission 
 work. There is great need of patience and much 
 toil to prepare the hearts of the people for the 
 seed of God's truth, and then the need of watching 
 and care. Oh, no, why should we be discouraged 
 
136 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 in mission work? The day is coming, I trust, when 
 these hills and valleys will be populated with Zulus 
 who are true believers, trusting in the living God, 
 instead of their own superstitions.' 
 
 " We returned to the house, and that night talked 
 and prayed till a late hour, for guidance and cour- 
 age to continue in the work for the natives of South 
 Africa. We reconsecrated our hearts to the Mas- 
 ter's service, and there decided that we should not 
 give up the mission to the Namaquas. New courage 
 and trust in the mighty God came to us ; we did 
 not care to continue our journey in search of en- 
 couragement by visiting other mission stations. 
 However, we called at a few, as we went homeward 
 by a more southern route. On reaching our station, 
 our associates seemed also to have received a new 
 vision of God, and were very ready to unite with us 
 in prayer for more faith, strength, and guidance. 
 The people, too, suddenly seemed to awaken and 
 open their hearts for the light to come in. Persecu- 
 tion and opposition from the chief were greatly les- 
 sened ; many threw aside their fears, confessing their 
 determination to become Christians. 
 
 " Our committee at home, as I have already stated, 
 having written advising our withdrawal from the 
 field, we wrote them of our fresh courage and wish 
 to remain in Namaqualand, which they permitted 
 us to do. And now, I am here in Cape Town, to 
 look after the printing of the entire Bible in the 
 Namaqua language. We have ten thousand mem- 
 bers in our churches and some excellent schools at 
 our stations." 
 
HUGUENOT COLLEGE 137 
 
 It is years since the above was told me. I do 
 not see their mission reports or magazines, which 
 are printed in another language. They were so far 
 from us we had little chance to see or hear of their 
 work, but I have no doubt that the Christian influ- 
 ence of that faithful band of missionaries has con- 
 tinued in all parts of Namaqualand. We know that 
 in these later years they have had many persecu- 
 tions and bitter trials from the wars, and the inva- 
 sion of white settlers. The country was taken over 
 by the German government, and many hard and 
 exacting laws were made to control the people and 
 collect taxes. We cannot know what changes the 
 great European war may bring to that and other 
 parts of the country which have been taken by South 
 Africa for England since the beginning of the pres- 
 ent war. 
 
 From Cape Town, on my return to Natal, the 
 steamer was crowded with officers and men of the 
 English army, going there, as the British had made 
 war on the last of the Zulu kings, Cetewayo, and his 
 people. Later, they met with a great disaster at 
 Isandhlwana, where a regiment was surrounded by 
 the Zulus and killed. They also were besieged for 
 some time by them at Eshowe in Zululand. At 
 last the Zulus were repulsed and their capital 
 taken. 
 
 At that time there was a large hospital for English 
 soldiers, about five miles from Umvoti. I often went 
 over there to take fruit and eggs for the sick. Many 
 died from typhoid and dysentery. 
 
 Prince Louis Napoleon (son of Emperor Napoleon 
 
138 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 III, and his wife, the Empress Eugenie), was con- 
 nected with the British army. One day, when out 
 with a small party reconnoitering, they were sur- 
 prised, and he was killed by a party of Zulus. They 
 supposed he was an English officer, and would not 
 have killed him had they known who he was. His 
 remains were taken to the Catholic Church in Dur- 
 ban, and from there to the steamer, which conveyed 
 them to England and to his greatly afflicted, widowed 
 mother. A tablet has been erected at the spot where 
 he was killed, and is cared for by Zulus. After the 
 war, his mother, the ex-Empress Eugenie, visited 
 Natal, and the place where he died, alsO' Durban, 
 and the church where his body had been. 
 
 Cetewayo, the Zulu king, was captured, and his 
 country taken over by the English government. 
 After two or three years he was released, but died 
 in 1884. 
 
 On the coast south of Natal, in the Cape Colony, 
 is a great tract of land called Kaffraria, where a 
 number of large tribes of natives are settled. They 
 have been very warlike, and within the past century 
 have caused the English government much trouble. 
 Mission work has been carried on there by Scotch 
 and English missionaries ; fine schools have been es- 
 tablished, one at Lovedale, which is the largest in 
 South Africa, for the natives. 
 
 A tribe called Fingoes, of Zulu origin, has become 
 practically civilized. I quote from a report given 
 by an English officer: "Most of the people are 
 well-dressed in European clothes. They cultivate 
 the ground extensively, using plows, and raising 
 
HUGUENOT COLLEGE 139 
 
 large quantities of grain for sale. Fine flocks of 
 sheep and cattle graze on their pastures, they get 
 quite a large income from their wool, and have oxen 
 and wagons ; nearly every man owns a horse and 
 saddle. Their agricultural shows would be a credit 
 to any division of the colony. They have made roads 
 and built a number of churches and school-houses, 
 although they are not all Christians. Some of the 
 young men have learned trades. The tribe has vol- 
 untarily raised three thousand pounds towards es- 
 tablishing an industrial school." 
 
 Another large tribe in that part of the country, 
 the Amaxoze, clung to old heathen superstitions. In 
 spite of all that could be done to prevent it, by the 
 English magistrate, a Christian man, other English 
 officers and the missionaries, the tribe brought upon 
 itself the greatest tragedy that has ever been known 
 south of the equator, which nearly destroyed it. This 
 happened about fourteen years before my going to 
 Africa. Mr. Brownley, who was for many years 
 the English magistrate there, visited our station at 
 Umvoti, some years later, and told us the story of 
 that dreadful time. 
 
 A native girl, the daughter of one of the council- 
 lors to the chief of the tribe, went one morning to 
 get water at a stream near her home, and, on return- 
 ing, told her father that strange men were at the 
 Stream. The father went there and also saw them. 
 He claimed one of them to be his brother, who had 
 died years before, and that they told him they all 
 came from across the sea and brought a great secret 
 to the tribe, which he and his daughter would be the 
 
140 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 medium through which they would convey it to the 
 people. 
 
 The call went out, the chief was pleased, and 
 multitudes flocked to the place, while the girl, stand- 
 ing in the river, said she heard voices under her feet. 
 Her father interpreted those voices. He said the 
 spirits demanded they kill their cattle and destroy 
 their grain ; then when this had been done, in all parts 
 of the country where the tribe lived, on a certain 
 day the sky would fall and crush the white people 
 and the Fingo tribe ; as the sun rose myriads of 
 cattle, finer and larger than those killed, would come 
 up out of the ground and cover the pastures far 
 and wide. Great fields of grain would spring up in 
 an instant, ready to eat, and the ancient heroes of 
 the race would be restored to life; trouble and sick- 
 ness would be no more. 
 
 The people were completely carried away with this 
 unreasonable, unaccountable and fanatical tale. The 
 killing of cattle and the destruction of grain began, 
 and went steadily on for months. Some refused to 
 kill all their cattle, or destroy all their grain, hiding 
 them in the mountains. They would be searched out, 
 and compelled to obey the order. One, a noted 
 councillor of the chief, did all that he could to stop 
 this mad frenzy, and, not being able to do so, killed 
 himself. Some of the smaller, adjoining tribes joined 
 in the delirium ; others refused to do so ; many were 
 threatened with death. It is estimated that two 
 hundred thousand cattle were killed. 
 
 At length the day dawned that had been so long and 
 ardently looked for. The night before had been one 
 
HUGUENOT COLLEGE 141 
 
 of joy to the people, although they were nearly 
 starving. They waited and watched for the sunrise. , 
 It came, bright and clear, flooding the country with 
 light, as the hearts of the famished people sank 
 within them. But still they waited, hoping that at 
 midday the great resurrection would appear. Then 
 until sunset they continued to wait, when they awoke 
 to their dreadful position. 
 
 The horrors that succeeded can be only partly told. 
 Men who were then heathen and now are Christians, 
 say they do not like to think or speak of it ; the 
 whole scene comes home to them like a hideous 
 nightmare, or as if one were in a delirium. Whole 
 families lay down and died together. Fifteen or 
 twenty skeletons were frequently found under one 
 tree. 
 
 With no railroad, the difficulties of getting food 
 into the country were great. The English govern- 
 ment did all it could to help the people in their dis- 
 tress ; but more than sixty thousand of that tribe 
 died of starvation and disease. Many died by the 
 wayside, trying to get out of the country and find 
 food. The skeletons of others were found where 
 people died looking down into the great pits which 
 they had made to receive the expected grain, no 
 doubt still hoping it would come. 
 
 The girl who started this wild fanaticism escaped, 
 but her father perished. She never returned to that 
 part of the country or to her tribe. She lived for a 
 number of years, but preserved an unbroken silence 
 concerning the deeds in which she had played so 
 prominent a part. Her name was Nomqause. 
 
XIII 
 INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 
 
 PEOPLE who are not in close touch with the 
 foreign mission field, whether living in those 
 lands, or in our homeland, too often seem 
 to have false impressions of what is being done, and 
 appear to be incredulous as to the sincerity of those 
 who have come out from heathenism and professed 
 Christianity. Not infrequently those wrong impres- 
 sions lead to unjust criticisms in regard to what is 
 actually and widely accomplished. 
 
 It is found that such reports usually start with 
 people who have very little interest in any philan- 
 thropic work and who take less interest in finding 
 out the truth in regard to the uplift of others. There 
 is so much that crowds into my mind of what I have 
 known of those incorrect impressions of mission 
 work, that I venture to add to these pages a few 
 thoughts on the subject, with the hope that I may, 
 so far as possible, correct some of those erroneous 
 ideas. 
 
 To show how a false story may live and grow, 
 with little or no foundation, I will choose the fol- 
 lowing from many that could be told. 
 
 On board the steamer, from England to Natal, 
 when I first went to Africa, I heard some strange 
 tales of mission work, and the uselessness of such 
 
 142 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 143 
 
 efforts for that land. A sugar planter, returning 
 to his estate in Natal, one day at table, told how one 
 of the oldest of our missionaries there, after having 
 spent many years trying to help the natives, had 
 said he v^as not sure that one Zulu had become a 
 Christian. The story-teller took pains to explain 
 what a fine cultured and very much respected man this 
 missionary was, and what a shame he thought it for 
 such a person to sacrifice his life and the lives of his 
 family for no better object. Apparently he did not 
 tell this to be rude, but to strengthen his contention 
 that mission work for the Zulus was not worth the 
 effort made to civilize and Christianize them. 
 
 I was perplexed to understand how that story 
 could be true, although the narrator passed for a 
 gentleman on board ship. He said he had never 
 been to a mission station, and did not often go to 
 church. After that I heard him boast how he gave 
 what he made in gambling, on a voyage, to the little 
 English church near his estate. I will not stop to 
 tell the history of this man, as I afterward heard it, 
 or of his subsequent career before he died. 
 
 After reaching Natal and becoming acquainted 
 with that missionary, I ventured one day to tell 
 him of what I had heard on board ship. He got 
 up and walked the floor for a few moments, and 
 said, " Then that groundless falsehood is still being 
 circulated ! I have denied and explained how false 
 it is, again and again, in public as well as in private. 
 It started in this way: An English officer of the 
 civil service stopped at my station one day about 
 noon, I asked him to stay for dinner and to get his 
 
lU ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 horse fed. As he talked, one could soon see that 
 he had no real sympathy with mission work, in fact 
 knew very little about it; but was ready to express 
 his opinion on this subject, as well as on others. He 
 wondered how I could be interested in the develop- 
 ment of the Zulus and willing to devote my life to 
 such an object. As he got on his horse to ride away, 
 he said, ' You know I would like to ask you if, on 
 your station, there is one Zulu whom you believe to 
 be a real Christian ? ' In reply I pointed to a Zulu 
 man a little distance away, and asked, ' Do you see 
 that man? Well, if any one is a Christian, he is.' 
 
 " Apparently the guest did not comprehend the 
 reply, or he may not have wished to tell the truth. 
 However, he rode away and told far and near, that 
 the missionary had himself told him he was not sure, 
 after all those years, if one native on the station was 
 a Christian ! At the time, ' Scobongo,' the native 
 referred to, with a number of others, had been a 
 member of the church for several years and was 
 an earnest Christian." 
 
 He lived many years after I went to Natal, and 
 I knew him quite well. I never heard but that he 
 was a good man. When he died, he had been a 
 member of the church for over fifty years. Yet 
 again and again I heard this story, or of its being 
 told to others. Explain or deny it, still it would be 
 told to new arrivals, as a fact. 
 
 When aged and feeble, the missionary returned 
 to his native land. Before he left Natal, a large 
 farewell meeting was held for him by English 
 friends, in Durban. Just at the close of the meet- 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 145 
 
 ing, an old acquaintance said to him, " We, who have 
 known you so well and also known the great work 
 you have done for white colonists, as well as for 
 the Zulus, want to ask you to explain once more, 
 for others, who have not heard you as we did years 
 ago, that false and unfounded slander in regard to 
 what you said of native conversions, which is still 
 circulated so incorrectly. Without doubt the reason 
 for its being so persistently repeated is because of 
 the prejudice against missions, in some minds, and 
 if you will pardon me for saying so, the very high 
 regard in which you have always been held in the 
 colony, has helped to make the story popular." 
 
 I was present, and, for the second time, heard it 
 plainly and simply denied, as a false and groundless 
 statement. Not a year later, while at dinner in a hotel 
 in Durban, I heard it most glibly told by a person 
 who was a stranger to me, as I was to nearly all 
 present. Newcomers appeared to be taking it in. 
 How useless to try to say anything ! I have no doubt 
 but that it is still frequently told in South Africa. 
 Newspapers in Natal occasionally print encouraging 
 and appreciative accounts of mission work in the 
 country ; but, too often, there are published views 
 which are narrow, one-sided, and incorrect. 
 
 A statement was published in a Durban paper, to 
 the effect that the great majority of educated native 
 men, turned out to be criminals. On investigation 
 it was found that in one jail there were forty-seven 
 natives confined ; of these only one could read or 
 write. In one of the larger towns there were a hun- 
 dred and sixty-eight natives and only ten of these 
 
146 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 could either read or write. " In looking over the 
 Statistical Year Book," said the investigator, " I was 
 startled at the number of white criminals in propor- 
 tion to the population of the colony, as compared 
 with the coloured. During that year one white out 
 of every six hundred and fifty, was convicted of 
 felony, while only one out of one thousand and 
 thirty-nine, of the coloured population, was so con- 
 victed." 
 
 In Durban the employers of forty-six young Zulu 
 men, who had been in the training school of the 
 mission at Amanzimtote, were interviewed. Out of 
 forty-six there was unqualified approval of forty- 
 three. They were employed by lawyers, in telephone 
 ofifices, for electric work, in post offices, in shipping 
 and other large firms, city markets, grocery stores, 
 carpenter, shoe, and harness shops. In a number 
 of cases they had been employed in the same places 
 for from five to fifteen years. 
 
 " I will make only a few quotations. Large firm : 
 ' Have had five boys for twelve years, no complaint.' 
 Post office : ' Not a word of complaint.' Large 
 firm : ' One hundred times better than uneducated 
 natives. No drinking, no swearing, or quarrelling 
 with anybody. Always ready for work.' 
 
 " Of those who have attended the mission train- 
 ing school and seminary for native boys, at Aman- 
 zimtote for over fifty years, the history of eight hun- 
 dred is known. Of this number, only eleven have 
 been convicted of any crime, which is less than one 
 and a half per cent. Of these figures need we be 
 ashamed ? And yet we do not by any means con- 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 147 
 
 sider those working in the towns our best product. 
 There are teachers, pastors, evangehsts, and many- 
 others, who are looked upon with pride and satisfac- 
 tion, by missionaries, as well as by Christian people 
 and honest critics." 
 
 No one, I am sure, is more quick to see the faults 
 of station natives, or feels more keenly their fall 
 into temptation and sin, than does the missionary. 
 How then, can he fail to regard and quickly recog- 
 nize exaggerated and untruthful statements of facts, 
 in regard to the carrying out of Jesus' last com- 
 mand. 
 
 The bad influence of the wars in South Africa, 
 of the mines and of drink, with the civilization in all 
 parts of the country selfishly crowding its claims 
 upon the natives, who, in small proportion, as yet, 
 have had a chance to receive a true knowledge of 
 right principles or Christian teaching, adds greatly 
 to the evils of their heathenism. 
 
 Can one wonder that the difficulties the missions 
 have to meet on every side, are great ? Or that there 
 is an increasing number of natives, who, as I have 
 said in a previous chapter, dress in a civilized way 
 and have learned many vices of civilization to add 
 to their heathenism and carry back to their homes, 
 without any ideas of real Christianity? 
 
 Such persons are too often called " Christians " 
 by people who do not care to know otherwise. Yet 
 that class of natives is far more difficult to reach and 
 influence than the raw heathen. 
 
 As a writer has said, " The teaching of the Bible 
 does not degrade, spoil, or demoralize. It uplifts, 
 
148 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 improves, purifies. The real sources of antipathy 
 towards missions are to be found in the appaUing 
 ungodliness, class prejudice, ignorance, and selfish- 
 ness of the dominant powers." 
 
 But human nature is much the same the world 
 over, and natives from mission stations, like other 
 people, will sometimes make bad use of their ability 
 to read and write. Yet the proportion is small, as 
 has been proven by statistics gathered from the most 
 reliable sources obtainable in Natal, such as the 
 Government Statistical Year Book, the superinten- 
 dent of police, in Durban, magistrates, jail superin- 
 tendents, and others. 
 
 In a letter from the superintendent of police, to 
 one of our missionaries, who made the investigation, 
 he said : " My remarks about writing are borne out 
 daily in our court. Orders for liquor, passes to be 
 out after nine, and letters both in English and Zulu, 
 are constantly found upon natives, written by na- 
 tives. 
 
 " It is the usual result of education amongst the 
 lower classes of both whites and blacks. The good 
 seed of Christianity will fall upon some bad ground, 
 no matter how careful the sower may be. It takes 
 the best husbandman many years of toil and care 
 to make new ground fit to bear good seed only ; we 
 must expect weeds. I am a believer in Christianity 
 for all men, and I look upon our natives as the finest 
 race of blacks in the world. My eighty native con- 
 stables are the backbone of my force. My own ser- 
 vants for many years have been, and now are, the 
 children of a mission native. They can read and 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 149 
 
 write almost as well as my own. So you must not 
 imagine that I do not appreciate missionary work. 
 The investigator makes the following comment m 
 regard to natives who can write: "These orders 
 and passes are probably written by very few natives. 
 The reports published from time to time, seem to 
 indicate that such is the fact. The number of let- 
 ters does not indicate the number that can write. 
 It is a matter of constant observation at a mission 
 station, that many heathen people, who can neither 
 read nor write a word themselves, still receive and 
 send letters through the help of friends who can." 
 
 I once heard a beautiful story of a person who 
 went to see a wonderful and noted picture. It was 
 in a room made for it. The guide went far into 
 the room, and stood waiting for the visitor to follow 
 him, but he remained at the threshold and said, " I 
 see no beauty in the canvas which is here on the 
 wall." The guide said, " Come in, oh ! come into 
 the Hght where you can see the beauty of it." He 
 did so, and it was all transformed from an ugly 
 canvas to the most exquisite painting that he had 
 
 ever seen. 
 
 I sometimes feel that not only selfish and irre- 
 ligious people dislike and criticize foreign mission 
 work, but those also who beUeve in God and the 
 Christ. Surely they must be standing at the 
 threshold and have not followed the Guide far 
 enough into the light of the teaching of the Master 
 to see the beauty that may be found in the character 
 of those whose appearance is unlike their own. 
 
 When in England it was my privilege to visit the 
 
150 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Lake country. One day we stood on a lonely hilltop, 
 about a mile from Derwentwater, where is one of 
 those wonderful old Druidical circles made of great 
 boulders, still standing in some degree as it used 
 to be when, perhaps, our ancestors worshipped there, 
 dancing round their human sacrifices in their war 
 paint. They then had fewer cooking utensils, fewer 
 implements of agriculture, than the heathen Zulu of 
 to-day has in his kraal home. 
 
 In the first century there was " plenty tO' do at 
 home," in wicked Jerusalem, yet Paul, the educated 
 Pharisee, he who had sat at the feet of the great 
 teacher, Gamaliel, was sent with Barnabas to the 
 Gentiles. With them went also " chosen men." Be- 
 cause the early church gave up such choice helpers 
 for mission work, we have the Gospel to lead us 
 into the clearer light, where we can see the beauty 
 of the risen Lord. Many an intelligent Roman, per- 
 haps, in the early days, asserted over and over again 
 that it would be better to leave the Britons in their 
 original barbarism. 
 
 When we, the descendants of Britons, put our- 
 selves out of the way to express our lack of interest 
 in missions and catch at a criticism which we can pass 
 on to others, it is well to remember that we come 
 of a race that was not quick to accept Christianity; 
 that relapsed many times into heathenism, and years 
 went by before the nation accepted the truth. 
 Think of the wonderful development of Christianity 
 through the influence of missions, during the past 
 fifty years, and of the unselfish zeal and earnestness 
 shown by converts made in many foreign lands. 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 151 
 
 Then, too, their martyrdom ever shows to the 
 world how Christians under most barbarous and 
 cruel circumstances can go down into the valley 
 and shadow of death trustingly and bravely meeting 
 it rather than deny their Lord. 
 
 How can a Christian woman say she is not inter- 
 ested in missions ? Not interested in missions ! How 
 strange ! Can she be a Christian and not willing to 
 give to others that which has done so much for her? 
 Does she read history? Can she afford not to be 
 interested in missions, in this twentieth century? 
 
 It is true, contact with sin is never inviting. 
 Christ-like service for the low and degraded is not 
 sentimentality. It means love for God, prayer, toil, 
 patience, and obedience. But Christ died for us 
 when we were yet sinners. Through the ages to the 
 present time, sinful human nature in dominant per- 
 sons and nations, does not willingly permit others 
 less favoured to rise. 
 
 One hears the oft-repeated tale from many lands, 
 as well as in South Africa, that the Christianized 
 natives are made no better by being taught. This is 
 so foolishly false and so easily proven untrue, one 
 wonders what regard a person who makes such state- 
 ments, has for justice and truth. 
 
 The Gospel sieve the world over is doing its work 
 among both white and coloured peoples, the edu- 
 cated and the uneducated. Some accept the truth, 
 and their whole lines of thought and purpose are 
 changed, as they live new and better lives ; others 
 reject Christ and His teachings and become more 
 and more hardened in selfishness and sin. 
 
152 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Is it fair to point only to the chaff, in any coun- 
 try, and say, " Behold the Christian ? " 
 
 In travelling, as well as at other times, one is sure 
 to meet a class of people who may have visited other 
 lands beside their own, and who are eager for lis- 
 teners, to whom they can tell their stock stories, 
 among which are sure to be some on the failures 
 of mission work and the uselessness of societies 
 sending missionaries to unchristianized countries. 
 They are like the man who said there were no tigers 
 in India, because he had not seen one, or gone where 
 they were. Such people pick up their information 
 from travellers, like themselves, who know little of 
 tigers or missionaries, and do not care to go out of 
 their way to find out. What would those same people 
 be able to tell of Christian work in London, New 
 York, or any other large city? Yet they could tell 
 you some big stories about the evils of such cities 
 and of what they think the churches are not 
 doing. 
 
 If they happen to hear them, how quickly they 
 can forget to tell of the Christians in the Fiji Islands, 
 Korea, Japan, India, Turkey; of Uganda, since Mr. 
 Stanley's visit there, and about the Christians in 
 many other parts of Africa, or the following from 
 rulers in other lands : 
 
 The King of Siam has said publicly : " American 
 missionaries have done more to advance the welfare 
 of my people than any other foreign influence." 
 
 The prime minister of Japan has stated that 
 " Japan's progress and development are largely due 
 to the influence of missionaries, exerted in right 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 153 
 
 directions when Japan was first studying the outer 
 
 world." 
 
 The Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal says : "In 
 my judgment, Christian missionaries have done more 
 real and lasting good to the people of India than 
 all other agencies combined. They have been the 
 salt of the country and the saviours of the 
 
 empire." 
 
 A late British Ambassador to Turkey affirmed: 
 " The one bright spot in the darkness that has cov- 
 ered Asiatic Turkey has been the heroism and com- 
 mon sense of the American missionaries." 
 
 A Persian Minister to America said : " I have 
 always considered the presence of your missionaries 
 in Persia a providential blessing." 
 
 After the Boxer movement in China, our Am- 
 bassador there, E. H. Conger, wrote to the Ameri- 
 can missionaries who had been besieged with his 
 Embassy : " I beg in this hour of our deliverance, 
 to express what I know to be the universal senti- 
 ment of the diplomatic corps, the sincere apprecia- 
 tion of and profound gratitude for the inestimable 
 help which you and the native Christians under your 
 charge have rendered toward our preservation. 
 Without your intelligent and successful planning 
 and the uncomplaining execution of the Chinese, I 
 believe our salvation would have been im- 
 possible." 
 
 A gentleman who travelled round the world 
 with ex-Vice-President Fairchild, said to a member 
 of the " Men and Religion Movement " in America : 
 " One mission station can do more good than a 
 
154 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 fleet of warships." The listener quoted this remark 
 at a dinner in Princeton, N. J. A United States 
 Admiral was present. " Yes," said the Admiral, 
 after quietly thinking a moment, " that is true." 
 
 We who have been in the mission work know 
 how it opens up to us in ways that the world does 
 not. In spite of its trials, discouragements, and hard- 
 ships, it grows upon us as a great need that is worth 
 working for. That is why we love it and why our 
 hearts are filled with regret when it is necessary 
 for us to give it up. Frequently, some of the most 
 noble and cultured men and women of our land, go 
 out as missionaries and become so imbued with the 
 work and its needs, that after many years of service, 
 they return to their native country only when 
 obliged to do so. 
 
 Such and many other facts well-known in our day 
 and age to the average reader, ought to make even 
 the thoughtless critic stop to realize how weak his 
 patronizing and inaccurate words must sound to an 
 intelligent and fair-minded person, who compre- 
 hends the greatness of what missions are doing for 
 the world. 
 
 Hamilton W. Mabie, D.D., has very truly said : 
 " Our interest in missions is the mark of our Chris- 
 tian character; our knowledge of missions is the 
 measure of our Christian attainment; our participa- 
 tion in missions is the measure of our Christian effi- 
 ciency." 
 
 And George A. Gordon adds this impressive 
 word: "What are Foreign Missions? The flying 
 shuttle that weaves and weaves and weaves the 
 
INCORRECT IMPRESSIONS 155 
 
 seamless robe of the Lord Christ, till it is ample 
 enough to cover those at home and those abroad; 
 till it is great enough to overshadow our entire 
 humanity with the sense of the Infinite Compassion 
 and the Eternal Love." 
 
XIV 
 
 JUBILEE MEETING AND VISIT TO 
 AMERICA 
 
 THERE is no malaria in Natal, unless it is 
 brought there by some one who has contracted 
 it before he comes, but there are other fevers 
 and diseases that are very severe, sometimes coming 
 without any known cause, and occasionally an epi- 
 demic, such as typhoid, meningitis, grippe, and dysen- 
 tery. 
 
 Although the weather is very hot nine months in 
 the year, yet Natal is by no means considered an un- 
 healthy country in which to live. In the pleasant 
 winter months there are days of hot winds from the 
 north, which are very trying. Some people claim 
 they cannot help being cross when such winds are 
 coming, the air is so fatiguing. There is a dead still- 
 ness, not a leaf moves or a bird sings, as the red sun 
 rises in a cloudless sky. The doors and windows of 
 houses are closed to keep in what cool morning air 
 there may be, and keep out the hot air. After a few 
 hours, if you open a door or window, the heat strikes 
 your face as it would if you were near a hot oven. 
 I have seen fine, large beds of balsams drop to the 
 ground as if hot water had been thrown on them. 
 Other shrubs are wilted and spoiled, but there are 
 few crops at that season to be injured. Usually, 
 
 156 
 
JUBILEE MEETING 157 
 
 before noon, a strong scorching wind begins to blow, 
 which may become cooler toward night, or bring rain. 
 A person who kept count, said there were thirty such 
 days one year. I think that generally there are 
 not more than twenty in a year. 
 
 The winters are frequently a succession of cool, 
 pleasant days, with little rain, when the grass and 
 trees lose their pretty green hue for lack of moisture, 
 but not many of the leaves drop ofif. There is plenty 
 of rain at other seasons. About October things be- 
 gin to look fresh and green again, and continue so 
 till May. January and February were the most hot 
 and trying months of the year, to me. That, with 
 the moss on the south side of the trees and the 
 change of stars in the sky, are some of the things, 
 which, for a long time, one does not get accustomed 
 to. But the stars were beautiful, and the Southern 
 Cross, a joy to be seen, shining in its radiant glory. 
 After having been in Africa for fifteen years, I 
 was quite suddenly, in May, stricken down with the 
 worst form of typhoid fever. There was then a good 
 English doctor five miles from us. The missionary's 
 wife was not young or strong ; but an English woman 
 could come for a time, and she, the missionary and 
 a native girl, took excellent care of me. One of the 
 single ladies of our mission came more than a hun- 
 dred miles, and greatly helped in caring for me, 
 two of the most trying weeks. All was very lovingly 
 and kindly done. Dear mission associates, how I 
 love to remember them! Not any of us were per- 
 fect, and we could not always see alike, yet there 
 was a charity, a family feeling for each other, not 
 
158 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 unlike Christian brothers and sisters of a home, scat- 
 tered in their work, yet interested in what each is 
 doing, with care and a feeUng of responsibility one 
 for the other. After three weeks the fever turned, 
 and for days I lay almost lifeless; then, with the 
 continued blessing of God and the kind care of 
 friends, I began to gain strength. 
 
 That was the Jubilee Year of the mission, which 
 was to be celebrated in December at Amenzimtoti 
 Station, where also a new building was to be 
 dedicated for the boys' seminary, and named " Jubilee 
 Hall." Long before I was ill I had been urged by 
 the mission to take charge of the cuisine depart- 
 ment for the occasion. The ladies of the mission 
 kindly offered to aid me, if I would undertake it. 
 I finally consented to do so, knowing that they would, 
 as far as possible, relieve me of many of the details. 
 
 Not only was our own mission to be entertained, 
 with their families, for a week, but English ministers 
 and old friends in the colony were to be invited for 
 a day or two at a time, through the meeting, so that 
 the daily average of persons to plan for would be 
 fifty or sixty. One day was to be set apart as the 
 public day of the series, with the opening of the 
 new building by the Governor of Natal, and then 
 its dedication, after which lunch was to be served, 
 when perhaps seventy-five would be present, includ- 
 ing the Governor, other officers, and friends, with 
 the missionaries, their wives, and the single ladies. 
 No one could be found, after my illness, to undertake 
 what I had expected to do. A special meeting was 
 called by the mission in September. I had gained 
 
JUBILEE MEETING 159 
 
 in strength a good deal, and hoped to gain much 
 more before December, so, not being able to go to 
 the meeting, I sent word that as no one had been 
 found to take my place, they could go on with their 
 plans, as I trusted I should be well enough to be 
 present and do my part. It came as a surprise and 
 relief to them, and many kind words of appreciation 
 were sent me. 
 
 The Jubilee was celebrated December 20-27, 1885, 
 with fitting services, addresses, reminiscences, and 
 meetings, some by ourselves, and others also with 
 the natives. 
 
 On the day of the visit of Sir Charles Mitchell, 
 the Governor of Natal, all assembled in front of the 
 new seminary building, which had cost nearly two 
 thousand nine hundred pounds, when His Excellency 
 turned the key in the lock of the door, opened it wide 
 and declared the Jubilee Hall formally opened. 
 
 Then, in the library of the building, there was a 
 short dedicatory service and an address to the Gover- 
 nor by the chairman of the mission, Rev. D. Rood, to 
 which His Excellency replied in a most appreciative 
 manner. After that about seventy persons repaired 
 to the large, airy, and beautifully decorated dining- 
 room (the future recitation room), a native choir 
 singing with fine efifect, " Awake the Jubilee." The 
 tables were served by Christian young men, students 
 from the school, whose aptitude and manners won 
 the admiration of all who observed them, through the 
 whole Jubilee season. The choir sang a number 
 of times before the luncheon was over, and at its 
 close gave a much appreciated concert. 
 
160 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Many practical housewives will ask how we could 
 arrange for such a meeting, a part of the people 
 staying all the time, besides having the lunch for so 
 many. 
 
 To start with, there was a large new building. 
 Two of the single ladies and two daughters of the 
 mission went there, with me, a week before the meet- 
 ing, to get the house in order, with natives to help. 
 There were new bedsteads, mattresses, and blankets. 
 Each lady of the mission, when she came, brought 
 what linen and silver she could. The two or three 
 families at the station loaned furniture for reception 
 rooms, etc. We hired dishes from a store in Durban. 
 
 More than a month before the meeting, I wrote 
 each lady asking her if she would make a dessert 
 for a certain day of the Jubilee and something, that 
 I named, for the lunch on reception day. I asked the 
 daughters of the missionaries, headed by Miss Tyler, 
 now the wife of Rev. James Gray, of Grahamtown, 
 South Africa, to take entire charge of the dining- 
 room. Other ladies were asked to see that the work 
 was done in the halls, reception rooms, and bedrooms. 
 Then long before I left home, I made out a tentative 
 bill of fare for each meal, as a basis to plan from, 
 with changes as necessary. One of the missionaries 
 took charge of getting the meat and bread from 
 Durban ; most of the vegetables, milk, eggs, and 
 fowls we could get at the station. I had good native 
 helpers for all departments. The night before the 
 luncheon, two of my lady helpers and I did not get 
 to bed until after midnight ; but we had lots of fun 
 and good times writing the place cards, arranging 
 
JUBILEE MEETING 161 
 
 " who should go in with whom," and the order in 
 which each person should sit at table. 
 
 At the close of the Jubilee meeting, it seemed to 
 be the unanimous feeling of those present, that the 
 ten days had been passed very pleasantly and profit- 
 ably. It did not make me ill, I enjoyed it all, and 
 was very thankful to be able to do what I could, and 
 felt most grateful to those who had so kindly and 
 lovingly aided me in making it possible. 
 
 Not having visited America since coming to South 
 Africa, in 1870, I decided, in 1886, to ask our mission 
 in Natal and the board in Boston, to allow me to do 
 so that year. I was not tired of the work and felt 
 reluctant to leave it; but I was very tired in it and 
 greatly needed a change and rest. 
 
 Mrs. Abbie Wilder came to Umvoti, to aid in 
 looking after my department there. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Rood also decided, the following year, to go to 
 America, and other changes were then made, by the 
 mission, for that station. 
 
 I went to Cape Town, and joined Miss Bliss, of 
 the Huguenot Seminary at Wellington, who also was 
 going to America, at that time. Three grown chil- 
 dren of the Rev. Andrew Murray were to accompany 
 us to England, there to continue their education for 
 a year. As we were starting in the train from Well- 
 ington, to take the steamer at Cape Town, I remember 
 Mr. Murray came and sat by me, as he said, " that 
 we might have a little visit." My stay at the seminary 
 had given small chance for friends to call, or see me, 
 before we sailed. At this writing he is aged and 
 feeble. For the many who have known Mr. Mur- 
 
162 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 ray, through his writings, but have never seen him, 
 I would like to say here, that his manner was genial, 
 yet dignified, and gentlemanly, quickly seeing the 
 fitness of things, natural and easy in all his ways, 
 noticing and doing little things for the comfort of 
 others; always rising if a lady came into the room, 
 and not sitting down until a seat was found for her. 
 He never talked cant or intruded his words upon 
 others, yet I do not think one could ever be ten 
 minutes in his presence without the feeling that God 
 was uppermost in his thought. Much of his talk, 
 during the forty miles' ride into Cape Town, was of 
 the fulness of redemption through Jesus Christ, in 
 this life as well as for the life to come, and of the 
 rest and peace one may have here, by simply and 
 earnestly trusting in that salvation. His good-bye 
 on the steamer was a beautiful prayer, in one of our 
 cabins, where our little party were assembled. 
 
 On our reaching London we went to Keswick, to 
 attend the convention which is held there each year, 
 as Dr. Murray had arranged for us to do. Rev. 
 Dr. Cummings, of Scotland, heard of my being there, 
 and looked me up, because of what his son had told 
 him of Umvoti. The son, when a theological stu- 
 dent, went as travelling companion to South Africa 
 with the venerable Dr. Somerville, whose visit to us 
 I have before mentioned. Dr. Cummings was a dear 
 old Scotch minister, and one of the committee at 
 the convention. He did much to make our stay pleas- 
 ant at Keswick. One morning he took me to a 
 minister's breakfast. It was indeed a privilege to 
 see such distinguished people and hear them talk. 
 
JUBILEE MEETING 163 
 
 This I also felt very often in the meetings of the 
 convention. Only the most noted Christian leaders 
 speak from that platform ; the very cream of Eng- 
 land's religious v^orld is said to attend those conven- 
 tions. I can never feel thankful enough for the 
 opportunity of attending one of those wonderful 
 gatherings, which are now so well-known throughout 
 the Christian world. I also greatly appreciated see- 
 ing the beautiful Lake country, in that part of 
 England. 
 
 From Keswick our party visited France and Switz- 
 erland. Through the kindness of Dr. Murray, 
 writing to his friends in the latter country, I was 
 invited, with a part of our party, to the private home 
 of a dear elderly lady and her two daughters, who 
 belonged to one of the old, noble families of Switzer- 
 land. The pleasure of being in such a home was 
 greatly enjoyed. One could understand the people 
 and country so much better than if only staying at 
 hotels. With the advice of those friends, a plan for 
 our trip was made out which was a great advantage 
 and help to us. 
 
 From Switzerland, Miss Bliss and I went on 
 through Germany into Holland. In Amsterdam, we 
 spent a delightful week with a friend of Miss Bliss, 
 who had taught at the Huguenot Seminary, in South 
 Africa. We reached America in September. A niece 
 from Long Island met me in New York. After 
 spending a few days with her and in Boston, I went 
 to my old home near where my father was born, at 
 Corbettsville, N. Y., although we were just over the 
 border in Susquehanna County, Penn. My only 
 
164 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 brother, and my sister Frances, were living there. 
 My father and mother had both died while I was 
 away, and two sisters, younger than myself, had mar- 
 ried. Children had grown into man and womanhood 
 and many friends had died. The changes were 
 great, and some of them very sad to me. Tired and 
 nerve-racked, it was difficult to throw ofif the de- 
 pression and loneliness that I felt, which wore upon 
 me until I could no longer keep up, and finally broke 
 down completely. 
 
 I went to Clifton Springs, and was there for five 
 months. That wonderful place, where Christian 
 kindness and tender care do so much, not only for 
 tired and ill missionaries, but for ministers and many 
 others. I cannot speak too gratefully of what that 
 institution did for me then, as well as in later years. 
 I feel sure that no single influence, or organization 
 in America, has done so much for foreign missions, 
 as that sanitarium has, by Christian influence, medi- 
 cal treatment and care for missionaries, who, while 
 in this country, need just what they get there. 
 
 After regaining some degree of health, I left Clif- 
 ton, and as soon as I was able, could not resist the 
 temptation to speak. The need of that great land 
 of Africa, including the special need of our own mis- 
 sion, for reinforcements, was so great. I spoke from 
 Boston to Chicago, in many churches and meetings. 
 
XV 
 RETURN TO NATAL AND CHANGES 
 
 BEFORE leaving America to return to South 
 Africa, the Board in Boston had allowed me 
 to look for some young lady, who, I thought, 
 might be suitable for work like mine, to go with me. 
 
 I was fortunate in finding, at Oberlin College, Miss 
 Mary McCornack, who seemed to be just the one 
 that I needed. After due consideration, she con- 
 sented to go, was appointed by the board, and ac- 
 companied me when I returned. For many years 
 she has proved herself a most useful and efficient 
 missionary in that land. 
 
 My sister Frances and a niece were with us in 
 New York, as, at 6 130 A. M., we went on board the 
 Aurania, Miss McCornack, Miss Pixley, and myself. 
 Through the mist in my eyes, as well as in the air, 
 I watched friends on the wharf, as our ship glided 
 past Bedloe's Island and out of the harbour. 
 
 Prof. B and a young student from Oberlin 
 
 were on board. Miss McCornack knew them, and 
 they at once became a part of our party, a very 
 pleasant part, too. Their society and kindness 
 added much to the pleasure and comfort of our 
 voyage. 
 
 We reached Oueenstown Saturday, and Liver- 
 pool the next morning. Although it was Sunday, 
 
 165 
 
166 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 we had to go through the custom-house. When that 
 disagreeable task was over, a train was waiting to 
 take us to London. It seemed best to go on, so we 
 came from there, that afternoon, a ride of four and 
 a half hours, reaching the city in time to go to 
 church. The country was very beautiful at that 
 season of the year, and the twilights long. One could 
 plainly distinguish a person across the street, at nine 
 o'clock in the evening. 
 
 The following day we went to Westminster Abbey. 
 
 Through the influence of Prof. B , we saw the 
 
 Jerusalem Chamber, where the committee met when 
 translating the King James version of the English 
 Bible. The table which was then used is still there, 
 and was also used for the last revision. The bishops 
 of the Church of England meet here once or twice 
 a year, when the important business of the church 
 is done. There is a great deal of historical interest 
 connected with this room, which I had not before 
 seen, although I had previously visited the Abbey 
 a number of times, when in London. There were 
 two tables, the small one given by Queen Elizabeth. 
 Henry Fourth died in front of the fire-place. All 
 the crown jewels, with the crown, are put in this 
 room, the night before a king or queen is crowned. 
 
 We attended a full choral service in the Abbey; 
 at 3 P. M. the Dean of Westminster preached, it 
 being Whit-Sunday. The music was very fine. I 
 again saw the chair in which the kings and queens 
 are crowned. Just under the seat, framed in, is that 
 famous stone which looks like a common, large sand- 
 stone. 
 
MRS. MARY M CORMICK THOMPSON 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 167 
 
 After a few very enjoyable days in London, Prof. 
 
 B and his companion left for the Continent, and 
 
 we took the Grantully Castle at Dartmouth, for 
 South Africa. By rail, for some miles on the way 
 down, the scenery was very fine. We passed through 
 Torquay, that noted English watering place, and saw 
 some of the pleasant parts of it, also some fine 
 estates not far from there. 
 
 When we reached the ship we found everything 
 nicely settled in our cabins, as our luggage had been 
 put on board at London. Outside rooms, with good 
 portholes, were given us. 
 
 We stopped at Lisbon, and spent a day there. 
 Mrs. Fessenden (a friend from Chicago, who joined 
 us in London and went to Natal to spend a year 
 with her English sister, whose home was there), and 
 I, went on shore. We heard scarcely a word of Eng- 
 lish spoken ; visited the market, that covers about 
 an acre of land, heard the noted chiming bells, and 
 visited a large, old church, then drove all through 
 the wonderful, ancient fortifications, in and out, in 
 and out, smelled the dreadful smells of the open 
 ditches and the badly-kept streets. We also went to 
 the Zoological Gardens and the King's Palace, see- 
 ing many interesting things. 
 
 A great many of the women we met wore hand- 
 kerchiefs on their heads, and their complexion was 
 very dark. The cobble-stone pavements were tire- 
 some to drive over, and we were glad to get back to 
 the ship. We called at beautiful Madeira Island. 
 The people from the shore swarmed about us, with 
 
168 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 their delicious fruit and the many pretty things they 
 had to sell. It was very interesting to watch the 
 boys dive. They would jump from the ship for a 
 coin, thrown into the sea, and come up with it in their 
 mouth. Sometimes they would dive under the ship 
 and catch a coin thrown on the other side. 
 
 I was sorry not to call at St. Helena, as the first 
 time I went out I greatly enjoyed a visit there. How 
 well I remember as we were taken from our ship to 
 the shore, in a small boat, that we stepped from it 
 onto the old stone steps over which Napoleon went, 
 with the great, gloomy, mountain-like rocks, looming 
 up near and about him. The whole place now, I am 
 told, has an added desolate appearance, as the many 
 ships that used to call there for supplies, go by way 
 of the Suez Canal. 
 
 We called at Teneriffe, but it was in the night. 
 Just at daybreak we had a fading glimpse of the 
 wonderful Tenerifife mountain peak, over 12,000 feet 
 high. At that island some very large turtles were 
 taken on board, weighing from two to three hundred 
 pounds each. Turned on their backs near an air- 
 hole, they were a sight to see. Turtle steak is dark, 
 but very good. I did not care for the soup, it having 
 too strong a flavour. I remember once, at sea, seeing 
 a very large turtle sailing along with a bird on its 
 back. 
 
 The weather in the tropics was extremely trying. 
 Sometimes there was a dead calm, the sea being 
 smooth as glass. Most of the ladies, and all the 
 children, were sick, the heat was so terrible. Some 
 fine musicians were on board and gave concerts. 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 169 
 
 South Africa is quite a resort for such people. A 
 service was held every Sunday. A number of 
 the passengers were Jews, going to the diamond 
 fields. 
 
 For two days before reaching Cape Town, we had 
 dreadful weather. No one could sleep on the ship. 
 It rolled fearfully. On reaching there, we lay at 
 anchor, and could not land until the next morning, 
 when we came into dock. 
 
 Miss Campbell, an old friend from America, who 
 taught at the Huguenot Seminary, came to meet us 
 and took me home with her. Another lady took the 
 rest of our party. We remained for two days, then 
 went on the same ship to Natal. All the way up the 
 coast, we had bad weather. The ship rolled so it 
 sometimes seemed as if it must tip over. I never saw 
 higher waves. I think there are few places where 
 waves are higher than, at times, on that coast. 
 
 We called at Mossil Bay, taking off cargo, in- 
 cluding rum, which, I am sorry to say, was sent 
 from America. The young ladies went on shore 
 to visit an ostrich farm, but as I had seen a number 
 of them, I preferred to stay on the ship and rest. 
 
 We made quite a stop at Port Elizabeth, which 
 is an important port and town. It had then about 
 30,000 white inhabitants. 
 
 At last, after a week of tossing about, we came 
 into less troubled waters, and in sight of the lovely 
 hills of Natal. We ran close along the shore for 
 many miles, and anchored in the afternoon outside 
 the bay. The ball was up on the lighthouse ; this 
 meant that no boat could come out to us, over the 
 
170 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 bar, until the sea was more calm. There we lay for 
 twenty-four hours, with a heavy swell, which makes 
 one very seasick. The next day the tug came out 
 with oneiof the missionaries on board, who took us 
 in charge, baggage and all. When we came to the 
 bar, the waves were kind, lifting us gently over, 
 away from the seasickness, the musty smells, the 
 gold and diamond seekers, and some very pleasant 
 friends, into beautiful Port Natal. Bad as this land- 
 ing was, I once before had a worse one, when taken 
 from the ship in what might be called a good-sized 
 covered clothes basket, with a small door in the side. 
 It swung up and out many feet into the air, and over 
 the water, before landing me on the tug. Only one 
 could be taken each time. Now a very fine break- 
 water has been built, and large ships are able to go 
 over the bar and into one of the safest and most 
 picturesque of harbours. A noted traveller said it 
 was the most beautiful that he had ever seen. 
 
 We found, on reaching Natal, that not only had 
 three of the older gentlemen of the mission died, 
 but two or three others were very much out of health, 
 and, as I had known before, reinforcements were 
 greatly needed. While in America, I had made every 
 effort I could to get new recruits. There was some 
 delay in their going out, yet I am thankful to say 
 two gentlemen and their wives did go in response 
 to that appeal. 
 
 To our astonishment, soon after we landed, my 
 associate and I began to hear talk of our being asked 
 to take charge of a station forty miles by wagon and 
 twenty or more by bridle path, from Umvoti, my 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 171 
 
 old station, and a longer distance, at that time, from 
 any other missionary of our board. It was Esidum- 
 bini, one of the older stations in the mission. For 
 twenty years no white missionary had been located 
 there. It was run down, and had been badly de- 
 moralized by the influence of an unworthy native 
 helper. The place was much higher, and in a more 
 healthy locality than Umvoti, situated, as it is, in a 
 broad, beautiful valley of the highlands, and thickly 
 populated by parts of four tribes. There are between 
 five and six thousand acres of land, also a glebe 
 of five hundred acres, in this mission reserve, where 
 were living over two thousand Zulu people ; besides, 
 in every direction adjoining, were thousands of the 
 natives. 
 
 The mission-house, the church, and school-house, 
 are all built on the glebe. At a distance of seven 
 miles, in two directions from the station, there was 
 an English family. One had a store for natives; 
 the other a large stock farm, and a small store of the 
 same kind as the other. The post office was at one 
 of those places, and the nearest physician, twenty- 
 five miles away. 
 
 I felt that I could not give up my work at Umvoti 
 to go to that place, which would, I knew, be a hard 
 field, even for a man and his wife. Besides, there 
 was a station fifteen miles beyond, by wagon, with 
 school and church, that would need to be looked 
 after from Esidumbini, as well as an out-station, 
 between those two places. My heart rebelled against 
 this arrangement. It did not seem right that we 
 
172 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 should be asked to go there, nor could I feel it was 
 what God would like us to do. 
 
 A meeting of the mission was called, when the 
 matter was discussed and strongly urged by two or 
 three. Not any of the unmarried ladies favoured this 
 change. 
 
 There is a rule of the board, that all missionaries 
 shall be governed and appointed to stations, by a 
 majority vote of the mission. However, it is not 
 often unreasonably pressed contrary to the wish of 
 a member. The mission in this case, delayed to vote 
 and refused to do so, unless my associate and I voted. 
 A day or two passed ; from time to time other busi- 
 ness was taken up. My almost constant prayer had 
 been, " Oh, Lord, carry us not up hence if Thy 
 presence go not with us. Make us willing to see 
 as Thou seest." The third day wore on ; the sun 
 was setting; a vote on this subject had not yet been 
 taken. Finally I said : " We can take no responsi- 
 bility of our being sent to Esidumbini. That is 
 yours. Should we go there, whatever mistakes or 
 failures are made by us, remember you are respon- 
 sible for putting such a field in our care. We trust 
 that God will help us wherever we are sent, and, 
 considering all the circumstances, have decided to 
 vote with the majority of the mission." I remember 
 one gentleman would not stay in while the vote was 
 taken. 
 
 So we were sent to Esidumbini ! My associate 
 was without the Zulu language, or much knowledge 
 of the work, but she made rapid progress in both. 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 173 
 
 and within a year or two, was getting on finely and 
 becoming a great comfort and blessing to us all. 
 
 It was promised that some gentlemen of the mis- 
 sion should come every few months to help us. Also, 
 that as soon as reinforcements came from America, 
 a man and his wife should be stationed there. The 
 needs were so great in other parts of the field, it was 
 often months before any one could come to help, and 
 there was no missionary and his wife sent to live at 
 that station as long as I remained in Natal. 
 
 The mission-house at Esidumbini needed repairing. 
 In the meantime, we were sent to Umsunduze sta- 
 tion, to look after things there until our house was 
 ready for us. A native preacher had been sent to 
 that station a short time before. He and the church 
 were not getting along well together, and needed a 
 missionary's help. It was a bad and trying state of 
 affairs. The preacher was not fit for the place, and 
 eventually had to be dismissed by the mission. 
 
 We were a number of miles from any white family. 
 After a few weeks one of the missionaries came to 
 help us for two or three days, and, as he also had 
 to go to Esidumbini, proposed that we go with him, 
 to see the place and how the house was getting on. 
 We were pleased to do so. It is a long journey 
 round by the wagon road, but across country, over 
 a hilly, rough, unworked track, it is not more than 
 fifteen or twenty miles. We decided to go the short 
 way. As yet we had no horses and my wagonette 
 had not arrived ; the only one we could get was old, 
 and drawn by ten oxen. Taking what food we re- 
 quired for three or four days, we started early one 
 
174 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 pleasant morning, three of us, besides a native driver 
 and leader. About two miles from the station we 
 came to a hill which we had to go down ; it was at 
 least two hundred feet high, and so steep all the 
 oxen but two were taken off, and the wheels chained. 
 Four or five men from the station came along and 
 helped get the wagon down the hill, by ropes tied to 
 it, which they held on to, after winding them once 
 around a tree. It took more than half an hour, but 
 all came down safely. We got in and rode for a 
 mile or two, when we came to a kind of mud hole, 
 in a swampy place we could not walk across. Down 
 we came from a steep bank, everything pitching for- 
 ward, then up the opposite bank, when everything 
 shoved back, and we had to hold on to them, lest 
 they fall out. 
 
 We went through places where thorns and bram- 
 bles caught the wagon, making the old top look older 
 than before; then up a long, rocky hill, which had 
 been dug a little. The ground was red, there were 
 no trees, while the bank off the side was so steep 
 one did not like to look to the bottom. In Mr. 
 Grout's book on South Africa, there is the picture 
 of a wagon and oxen travelling over this hill. Once, 
 when he was riding on horseback down that same 
 hill, he was chased by a large, dreadful hoop snake, 
 from which he barely escaped. As we reached the 
 top of the last-mentioned hill, we were on a beautiful 
 highland, which was nearly level. We could see far, 
 far away, for many miles. Nearly two hours we 
 travelled on this highland, then outspanned for din- 
 ner and rest, ourselves and the oxen needing both. 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 175 
 
 Resuming our journey, we went up another long 
 hill, when we came to scenery very unlike anything 
 that I ever saw in America. For miles we went on 
 ridges of hills ; sometimes there was little more than 
 room enough for a wagon, the hills sloping off each 
 way, down, down, so far that the cattle and goats 
 looked almost like toys, in the valleys below. It 
 seemed as if God just left those ridges for the road. 
 We came safely through, and soon into a good gov- 
 ernment road. Going on a few miles, we reached 
 Esidumbini, before sundown. A little furniture had 
 always been kept in the mission-house, and with 
 what we brought in the wagon, there was enough 
 to make us comfortable for our short visit. It was 
 nearly two months before the house was ready to 
 really live in. 
 
 We enjoyed our visit. After our return to Um- 
 sumduze many of the people from Umvoti came 
 to see us, and we went there for a short visit. A 
 kind friend, the industrial teacher at Amanzimtote, 
 was sent by the mission to repair the house at 
 Esidumbini. When we went there he remained and 
 helped us get settled. The Mt. Vernon church in 
 Boston, Massachusetts, assumed my support all the 
 time I was in Africa. I can never forget or cease 
 to feel grateful for the very direct personal interest 
 shown to me and to my work by a number of the 
 people of that church. Their letters, their prayers, 
 their close friendship, their hearty welcome when 
 I came home, the pleasant, restful visits I had with 
 them in their homes, enjoying the services at their 
 churches, the symphony concerts and the many 
 
176 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 things there are in that city to enjoy, all helped to 
 build me up physically and spiritually for future 
 mission work. When I left to return to Natal, they 
 gave me for my use, and insisted that I should take 
 with me more comfortable furniture than I had 
 when away before. This reached Esidumbini by 
 the time the house was in readiness for it. The 
 first evening after it was in order, we had a little 
 dedicatory service in the parlour. It seemed home- 
 like, and we began to feel we were not going to be 
 depressed and lonely, for God would be with us. 
 It may appear strange, but I do not remember that 
 we were often lonely. We had too much to do. We 
 made the home as pretty and comfortable as we 
 could. The grounds, also, in a few months, were 
 clean, with nicely weeded lawns, carefully pruned, 
 shady orange trees, and a flower garden with roses 
 and some other flowers, every month in the year. 
 I enjoyed working there early in the morning. 
 
 The people received us gladly, and seemed very 
 thankful to have a white missionary with them again, 
 although we were only women. That I knew about 
 their ways, language, and affairs, was a great satis- 
 faction to them. I had been there a number of times 
 before, and knew many of them quite well. The 
 field was truly very needy and interesting. Within 
 a few weeks Mr. and Mrs. Pixley, of our mission, 
 came and spent ten days or more with us. In meet- 
 ings with the people, we carefully went over the 
 names of every church member, asking a report from 
 each. Sad to say, we found that nearly every one 
 had slipped away, more or less, from the right path, 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 177 
 
 and the church was really in a very unsatisfactory 
 condition, having been too long like " sheep without 
 a shepherd." A number confessed their sins and 
 were very penitent, but it was some time before it 
 seemed best to have the communion service there. 
 
 The school, too, was greatly run down, and the 
 out-stations nearby had been for some time closed. 
 A friend of the mission, Rev. Fernie, the pastor of 
 a Congregational Church, for English people, near 
 Durban, was pleased to visit us, after a few weeks, 
 and hold services for the people, speaking through 
 an interpreter. 
 
 A Christian young man, a Zulu from Umvoti, 
 whom I had brought up and educated, came, with 
 his wife and child, to live in a little house near ours, 
 and teach in the day school. He also assisted about 
 the meetings on Sunday, and was a great help in 
 the work. He has since then studied in the theo- 
 logical school at Amanizintote, been ordained and 
 installed as pastor over a native church in Johannes- 
 burg. When at Esidumbini, he understood English, 
 and was a very good interpreter. He interpreted for 
 Mr. Fernie, and others, who could not speak Zulu, 
 but when visiting us they were glad to assist in 
 the work by taking services. 
 
 It was a great encouragement to us as well as to 
 the people, to have Mr. Fernie's help. He and his 
 wife were old friends of mine, who had come out to 
 Natal about the time I first reached there. He was 
 finely educated, spiritually minded, and much inter- 
 ested in mission work, knowing how to adapt his 
 thoughts to the Zulu mind, although unable to speak 
 
178 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 their language. He enjoyed the work and the change 
 of being on the station. 
 
 There was a sunrise and an afternoon meeting, 
 and many came to each from long distances. In the 
 afternoon we had the meetings under the shady 
 orange trees, with the people sitting on the grass. 
 Usually there were no meetings in the evening at our 
 stations. 
 
 From the first, the Spirit of God seemed to be 
 with us. Many who could read and who had pro- 
 fessed Christianity but had fallen away, confessed 
 their sins and expressed an earnest desire to make 
 a new start, while numbers of the heathen, also, ex- 
 pressed their determination to become Christians. 
 From that time, God very plainly blessed His truth 
 in the hearts of the people, at the station, and about 
 us. This revival continued from year to year, in 
 greater or less pronounced ways. 
 
 At each of our stations it is thought best, as I 
 have before said, for all who join the church to be 
 well instructed, first in Bible truths, and, if possible, 
 learn to read the Testament. Also have time to prove 
 their fitness for membership and willingness to help 
 others to hear the truth. As far as I could, I always 
 taught these classes. It took at least a week, with 
 meetings every day, to get ready for the communion. 
 There was a roll call, when each member was sup- 
 posed to report how he had been living, and what 
 he had tried to do for the Master. Then, as time 
 went on, there were many to be examined for church 
 membership, only a part of whom would be consid- 
 ered eligible. 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 179 
 
 There were children's meetings, prayer, and other 
 services, school to look after, sick people who came 
 for medicine, people who came to talk, and others 
 to have disputes settled. 
 
 Many of the four tribes on the reserve were 
 heathen. They were frequently getting into quar- 
 rels with each other about land that they wished to 
 cultivate, as well as about other things. Many such 
 disputes were brought to me, often by a chief and a 
 number of his men, who, each in turn, would go into 
 the details of the circumstances. One had to listen 
 carefully, sometimes for two or three hours, to get 
 at the facts so as to decide what would be best ; all 
 of which was very fatiguing, particularly if the day 
 was hot. I remember a trying and long-drawn out 
 quarrel that was caused simply by a man of one 
 tribe burning some rubbish from his garden, when 
 the fire ran through the dry grass over the graves 
 that belonged to another tribe. Superstition made 
 that a great affair. 
 
 One day a man came, very excited, to tell me that 
 his neighbour was ploughing over the line on his land. 
 I called the other man. He said, " The oxen, in 
 turning, made the plough just slip a little to the other 
 side." I got on my horse and went to see. Both 
 men were greatly excited. I found the " slip " was 
 about an acre of land, which he had ploughed, that 
 did not belong to him. Other quarrels, smaller and 
 larger, frequently took my time and strength ; but 
 in trying to assist them, it all helped us to gain an 
 influence over them, to learn a better way than that 
 which they had before known. They would get very 
 
180 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 excited sometimes, but generally cool down if I 
 suggested that they take their case to the English 
 magistrate, twenty miles away, where all really im- 
 portant cases were tried, and where I insisted they 
 should go, if I could not get them to compromise 
 and stop their contention. 
 
 Marriages, baptisms, communion, and some land 
 disputes, were always held back until a missionary 
 could come. Those expected visits, when delayed, 
 as they were a few times, without our getting a 
 message, were sometimes very trying, particularly 
 for the communion, after weary days of meetings 
 with the people, some from a distance, assembled for 
 the preparatory lecture and communion, with no or- 
 dained missionary to do the part that we could not do. 
 
 I remember a party once coming forty miles to be 
 married. There was no ordained missionary there. 
 But the Rev. Fernie, from Durban, happened to come 
 to spend the night, and then go on next day to attend 
 the dedication of a church. He was very tired, had 
 ridden fifty miles, and, not understanding Zulu, I 
 knew he would not like to marry them, as there was 
 no interpreter. However, when a little rested, and 
 at supper, I told him the circumstances. At first 
 he was sure he could not do it, but finally was in- 
 duced to, if I would read the Scripture lesson and 
 interpret the prayer. " But," I said, " you must 
 ask, ' Do you take,' etc., and then you must pronounce 
 them man and wife ! " Many times I went over those 
 few sentences with him in Zulu and wrote them out. 
 Then the bride and groom came in neatly dressed ; 
 she in white stockings, as her feet were so swollen 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 181 
 
 from walking she could not get on her shoes. (I 
 think Mr. Femie did not notice that.) I got on with 
 my part ; had to put the bride's hand into that of the 
 bridegroom. They could not understand a word of 
 what Mr. Fernie tried to say in Zulu, so it was neces- 
 sary for me to go over all and at last pronounce 
 them man and wife ! It was hard to keep down the 
 risibles. I cannot think of it now without a smile. 
 
 I quote from a letter to a friend : " Last Sunday 
 we had over four hundred at the services. We have 
 a day school of seventy children, which is growing 
 larger each week. Every Sunday now we are obliged 
 to have overflow meetings in the school-house. There 
 is no native pastor. Two Christian men help about 
 the preaching on Sunday. 
 
 " Sunday morning we have a sunrise prayer meet- 
 ing; at eleven o'clock a Sunday School, that nearly 
 fills the church ; at twelve is the regular preaching 
 service. After that we go to the house for a rest 
 of twenty minutes and a little lunch, with a cup of 
 tea. Then I have a Bible class for men and women, 
 all who wish to stay. This is a very interesting part 
 of my work. We have the same lesson the following 
 Sabbath, in Sunday School, so the Bible class is a 
 kind of teacher's class. We are obliged to have the 
 services near together in this way, as many of the 
 people come long distances. They are not accus- 
 tomed to have a meal in the middle of the day. Their 
 greatest meal is in the evening. 
 
 " On Tuesday afternoons I have an inquirers' 
 meeting. Wednesday afternoons we have a women's 
 prayer meeting. Last week I talked to them about 
 
182 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 the gifts of God and what He had done for them, 
 urging them to do more for Him, and make an 
 effort to help raise money to support a native pastor. 
 Saturday afternoons I have a class for those who 
 help about the preaching. Miss McCornack has a 
 class in Sunday School, looks after the station-school, 
 and takes some classes in it. Just now we both teach 
 all the forenoon, and have a good helper in our native 
 schoolmaster. 
 
 " Our house is small, but comfortable. It is one- 
 story high, the roof of corrugated iron. There is a 
 veranda in front and on part of one side. We have 
 three rooms in front, parlour, dining-room, and bed- 
 room, and two side bedrooms, and the kitchen, 
 pantry, and girls' room, back of the other rooms. 
 The dining-room is the room of the house. In it 
 we eat, have sewing classes, evening schools, morn- 
 ing and evening prayers, with those who are in our 
 family. Here also, and on the veranda, if the weather 
 is not too hot, we see Christian and heathen people, 
 have inquirers' classes for women, see those who 
 come for medicine, and those who come to get their 
 disputes settled. Once a large, puff adder, a very 
 poisonous snake, came in and got to sleep under a 
 chair, where I sat, as we had family prayers that 
 morning. After prayers, a girl, when sweeping the 
 room, saw it, and the natives killed it. 
 
 " You can have no idea of the variety of things 
 there are to do and look after. We are far from any 
 market, but have nice, home-made bread, plenty of 
 eggs and fowls, with milk from our own cows. Some- 
 times the people give us beef, or we get mutton now 
 
RETURN TO NATAL 183 
 
 and then, when the weather is not too hot, from the 
 market twenty-five miles away. We become very- 
 tired of fowls, although we have many ways of cook- 
 ing them, and canned meats, as Prof. Drummond 
 said when in Africa, ' All come to taste alike.' 
 
 " We are greatly troubled about water. It is 
 brought from a quarter of a mile away and is not 
 fit to use, until boiled. It looks like weak tea and 
 a shiny scum rises on it, before it is boiled. The 
 roof of our house being corrugated iron, if we had 
 proper guttering for it, and tanks, we should have 
 all the good water we require. We hope this will 
 be done soon." 
 
 The church rose to a higher standard of right 
 living and usefulness. As fast as we could do so, 
 we started out-stations, with day schools, and serv- 
 ices on Sunday, the Christian people helping with 
 the services one afternoon of a week day, as well as 
 on Sunday. There were a few who had been taught 
 at the station-school, whom we hired to teach at 
 the out-stations. 
 
 With one of the missionaries to help us, we went 
 over the membership roll at Noodsberg, the station 
 fifteen miles away, as conditions there were even 
 worse than at Esidumbini, also being caused by lack 
 of needed supervision, that the mission had been 
 unable to give. The church, school, and station 
 aflfairs were reorganized. It, too, took a new start. 
 Before every communion, we had to go there for a 
 few days, and at some other times, besides. After 
 a while, with a little help, they built a stone church, 
 roofed with galvanized iron, where both school and 
 
184 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 services could be held. So many children came to 
 this school we were obliged to have two teachers 
 for it, who had been trained in the girls' school at 
 Inanda. 
 
 A little stone mission cottage was built, in which 
 we could stay while there, and we went in the 
 wagonette, that had been made near my home in 
 America, and sent out to me. We could carry all 
 that we required for food and clothes while away, 
 and sleep most comfortably in it, if we wished. It 
 was drawn by six, more often by eight, oxen, and 
 was a great comfort and help in the work. In fact 
 I do not see how we could have lived at Esidumbini 
 without it. 
 
 The Noodsberg out-station was on a large high- 
 land ; higher and much cooler than any of our sta- 
 tions, with a grand view of the Indian Ocean, twenty- 
 five or more miles away. I enjoyed the people, the 
 work, and the more bracing air. I was glad to go 
 there when I could do so. 
 
XVI 
 
 THE NATIVE CHIEFS AND MEETING TO 
 CALL A PASTOR 
 
 QUOTED from a letter to children : " I think 
 I promised to tell you about two chiefs who 
 ^^_f sometimes come to see us. The name of one 
 is Deliwayo. He is over six feet tall, but not kingly- 
 looking, or as much like a Zulu as he is like a West 
 Coast African. He visits us quite frequently, and 
 a few weeks ago came to church, bringing with him 
 fifty of his men. He and one of his brothers were 
 dressed in civilized clothes; the others in native cos- 
 tumes. 
 
 " That day we had over seven hundred people at 
 the service, as an institute for native pastors was 
 being held at our station. The church was not large 
 enough to hold them, so we had the meeting under 
 the orange trees in front of the house. 
 
 " Besides the institute classes, there were two big 
 services each day. Two of our missionaries and Mr. 
 Russell, from Maritzberg, were with us ; also Miss 
 Murray and Miss Palmer were visiting us from 
 Huguenot Seminary, Cape Colony. So our little 
 house was quite full with our five guests. Some had 
 to sleep in the cottage near, which we made com- 
 fortable for them. The people were very kind in 
 giving food, both chiefs sending us meat. 
 
 185 
 
186 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 " Mr. Russell preached at the sunrise service, 
 also in the afternoon, Gardner, the native teacher, 
 interpreting for him. One of the missionaries 
 took a photograph of a large meeting under the 
 orange trees. When it is finished, I will send you 
 a copy. 
 
 " A number of the children of the school, as well 
 as many of the adults, said at the meetings that they 
 would like to become Christians. Since then we have 
 had an inquirer's class, for children, every Tuesday, 
 and two classes for older people. There are over 
 eighty children in the day school. On Sundays Miss 
 McCornack has them in the school-room, when the 
 large service is being held, as there is not room for 
 them in the church. Last Sunday she said the room 
 was packed. 
 
 " A part are station children, the others are from 
 the kraals. The kraal children have not yet learned 
 to sew, nor have their mothers, so you see how much 
 it helps us to get boxes from America in which are 
 garments cut and basted for the children to work on 
 in the sewing class. A great many would not have 
 garments to wear to school and church, if we did 
 not help them. We insist on having the children 
 work or pay something before taking the garment 
 home, using what little we get for buying other 
 material or books. 
 
 " We try to teach them to give, as well as receive. 
 They learn the same Bible stories and verses in Zulu 
 that children learn in America, and look so happy 
 and are so glad to come to school, I am sure you 
 would enjoy seeing them. The Lord Jesus came into 
 
NATIVE CHIEFS AND MEETING 187 
 
 the world to save ' Whosoever,' the Zulu children, 
 with the many besides of other nations. 
 
 " Now I must tell you about the other chief. His 
 name is ' Swayimane.' He is also tall, but not too 
 tall, is fine-looking, has a well-shaped head, a pleas- 
 ant face, and bright, expressive eyes. He is very 
 intelligent and gentlemanly, as far as nature and 
 Zulu customs can teach him. He has been a number 
 of times to see us, and attended church. A son 
 of his, ten or twelve years of age, has come to live 
 with us and go to school. The chief has told all his 
 people that when they kill a beast they must give 
 us some of the meat. A number of times he himself 
 has sent us very nice beef. This is a great help, as 
 we are so far from a meat market. We have a gun, 
 and if we could go out shooting, like the boys, could 
 have plenty of birds and venison. 
 
 " Swayimane lives about twelve miles from here. 
 He very much wished to have me visit his. kraal. It 
 is around over dreadful hill and precipices, and I 
 have been afraid that such a journey would be too 
 hard for me, but have been anxious to go. 
 
 " Mr. Russell, who has charge of the Industrial 
 Department of the Boys' Board School at Aman- 
 zimtote, came up here to spend his last vacation, of 
 nearly two weeks, and helped us what he could. 
 
 " He said he would go with me to visit the chief, 
 if I felt able for such a trip. We sent word that 
 we were coming. Very early, one nice, cool morn- 
 ing, we started on horseback, Gardner, the school 
 teacher, and Plant, a lay helper, accompanying us, 
 I do not think I ever before went over such a bad 
 
188 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 road as this was. It was more difficult than any- 
 thing I experienced in Switzerland. Many times we 
 had to get off our horses ; they could not hold their 
 footing, and it was not safe to ride up and down 
 such steep places. Again and again I slipped and 
 ran and caught hold of bushes, to keep from 
 falling, nearly ruining my last pair of American 
 shoes. 
 
 " Natives led our horses. The chief's brother and 
 two or three others were sent to escort us. At last, 
 after passing round the spur of an abrupt mountain, 
 we came in sight of ' Swayimane's ' kraal, about two 
 miles away in the valley below us. We sat down and 
 ate some oranges we had brought. 
 
 " After a little rest we went on. The kraal was 
 a very large one. On reaching it, we were con- 
 ducted to a nice large hut in the upper part of the 
 enclosure. A mat was put down for me to kneel on, 
 as I stooped to go in the door. I could scarcely 
 see when I first got in ; but there stood the chief. He 
 took my hand in both his and told me in Zulu how 
 very glad he was to see me. Then he spoke to Mr. 
 Russell and gave us seats on the men's side of the 
 house, after nice mats had first been spread there. 
 He sat down in the middle of the room, and then 
 said, ' Saka bona, Inkosazana.' 
 
 " I took off my hat and gloves and the chief or- 
 dered a little mat to be spread on which to put 
 them. Native food was brought us. It is always 
 too rich for me and I can eat very little of it, but I 
 tried to eat this. We had a small lunch with us, 
 which we asked the chief to excuse our eating, and 
 
NATIVE CHIEFS AND MEETING 189 
 
 he very politely did so, asking several times if there 
 were anything he could get for me. 
 
 " After resting we asked him to call the people to- 
 gether for a service. About fifty or more came. Mr. 
 Russell, the native helper, and I, each addressed them. 
 The audience was very attentive. I spoke to them 
 about having a school. They seemed pleased, and 
 said they would build a school-house. It being so far 
 away, I could not look after it properly at present, 
 I told them, having so much to do at the station, 
 therefore it might be best to place a school about 
 half way. 
 
 " ' But,' I said, ' you can send a few of your boys 
 and girls to live with us that they may be better 
 taught ; then when they have learned they can come 
 back to their homes to teach others.' 
 
 "While in the hut, after the meeting, we heard 
 a little noise outside. Then appeared in the door, a 
 fine, cream-coloured goat. It was pushed right in, 
 while ' Swayimane ' said, in his politest manner, 
 ' Elako, Inkosazana' (it is yours, Inkosazana.) 
 Pleased and surprised as I was, I could not help 
 seeing that the pretty goat was very much fright- 
 ened at being passed over to a new owner ; so after 
 my best thanks it was taken out. A few days later, 
 the chief sent it to me. I have given it to Miss Mc- 
 Cornack, as she could not go to see the chief. We 
 think a great deal of it. 
 
 " We started for home about 3 P. M. It was 
 still cool, and we could ride more coming home than 
 going. I rode up one dreadful hill, more than a 
 mile long. Sometimes we had to lie right down on 
 
190 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 our horses' backs to get under the branches of the 
 trees. Once I barely escaped being dragged from 
 my horse by a projecting branch. As it was, my 
 face received quite a scratch. 
 
 " When nearly four miles from home, it became 
 dark and cloudy. The days are very short at this 
 season. It was so dark we did not know the way, 
 and feared we should need to stay in a kraal all 
 night; but found a man there who knew the right 
 path very well. 
 
 " We walked behind, the guide and natives going 
 ahead and leading our horses, as it did not seem 
 safe to ride. I was dreadfully afraid of snakes. 
 We came into a valley, and a stream of water run- 
 ning over a rocky bed. Then we rode, following up 
 the stream, our guide still going ahead to tell us of 
 holes and bad places. 
 
 " We went on for a mile or more in this way, when 
 obliged to again get off to search for a safe place to 
 cross. We left the stream and went up and down 
 hill. 
 
 " At last, about eight o'clock, we came in sight 
 of the lights of our little Esidumbini home. Here 
 we found Miss Murray, Miss Palmer, and Miss Mc- 
 Cornack, anxiously waiting for us. The bright tea- 
 table, the pleasant room, and friends, were a welcome 
 sight. What help a cheery, comfortable home gives 
 to a missionary ! 
 
 " I was too tired to answer their many questions, 
 but Mr. Russell made up for that, telling them all 
 he could. It is very good of him to come and help 
 us some of his vacations. He is an earnest, Chris- 
 
NATIVE CHIEFS AND MEETING 191 
 
 tian, a Scotchman, and has a wife and two children 
 at Amanzimtoti. It took me two or three days to 
 get rested from our trip, but it did not make me ill, 
 so you see I am much stronger than when I left 
 America. 
 
 " Since our visit, when he had the meeting here, 
 ' Swayimane ' came with many of his people, to the 
 services, staying two or three days in a nearby kraal, 
 that he might attend them. He seems much inter- 
 ested. I shall hope to tell you more sometime, about 
 his little son, who has come to live with us." 
 
 In less than two years I began to feel that we must 
 have an ordained native pastor at Esidumbini, who 
 would be supported by the people. But to find the 
 right man, get the people to call him and promise 
 to raise the salary, was no easy undertaking. 
 
 The quite influential, contrary member was there, 
 as he is sometimes found in churches of a more civi- 
 lized country. He had a following, too, principally 
 of those who were not members of the church. They 
 were ready to help him in opposing almost anything 
 it attempted to do. 
 
 With the advice of the mission, we had decided 
 that Mr. Sivetye, one of the best educated and finest 
 graduates from the Theological School of our mis- 
 sion, was the most suitable man for Esidumbini, if 
 we could get him. He had become well-known to the 
 people, while at the various schools of the mission, 
 but his home was more than a hundred and fifty 
 miles away, in the southern part of Natal. Every- 
 where he was much respected and liked. But our 
 contrary member said, " No, he is not the man to 
 
192 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 choose." But there was no other suitable person 
 that he or we knew of. They could give no good 
 reason for not wishing to call Mr. Sivetye. I think 
 they just had the spirit of opposition, and did not 
 like to promise to help raise his salary. Besides, 
 they did not really care for the higher growth of the 
 church. 
 
 At all of our larger stations, there are those to 
 be found, who, while liking to live at the station and 
 have their children taught, yet themselves have a 
 leaning toward heathenism, and oppose good influ- 
 ences, often causing the church and missionaries much 
 trouble with their half-civilized ways. We never 
 failed to have such, and all the trouble they could 
 make, at Esidumbini. 
 
 Meeting after meeting was held to see if we could 
 not get them to yield and sign the call, as Mr. Sivetye 
 would not come unless it was unanimous. I think 
 my courage reached its limit when there was a large 
 meeting of the church, and others also came. It 
 began at 9 A. M, I said something like the fol- 
 lowing, when I opened the meeting : " We cannot 
 go on like this ; it must be decided soon, or we shall 
 lose the chance to get a good man for our pastor. 
 Now, you who oppose, tell us plainly what is in your 
 hearts and what you truly know, as a good reason, 
 why we should not have a native pastor, and why 
 not Mr. Sivetye. Then you who know him, and you 
 who know of him and see the great need we have for 
 a pastor, speak the things that are in your hearts. Let 
 us pray often in our thoughts, to God to-day, as well 
 as together, that He will help us to come to a right 
 
NATIVE CHIEFS AND MEETING 193 
 
 understanding of what we should do and then to 
 do it. You know that the mission, as well as I, 
 think that he is by far the best man we can call, and 
 we will be most fortunate if we can get him. Some 
 of you have yet to learn how you can and should 
 give more for the Lord's work. I know you can 
 raise the salai-y of a native pastor, and will be better 
 men and women for doing so. This station ought 
 to grow and become one of the largest in the mission ; 
 and it will, if you Christian men and women rise up 
 and do your part." 
 
 Noon came and passed. I would not let a break 
 come to the meeting by going to lunch. A girl 
 brought me a cup of cofifee. Most of them signed 
 the paper ; at times all seemed ready to sign ; words 
 of opposition grew less ; but the contrary man and 
 his followers delayed and delayed, seeming to feel 
 quite important that they could cause so much trou- 
 ble. It was after four in the afternoon, when I felt 
 I could stand no more, so closed the meeting ; but 
 you will hear in another chapter how in a peculiar 
 way the people were united in sending a unanimous 
 call to Mr. Sivetye to become their pastor. 
 
XVII 
 PINDILE 
 
 I NOTICED a bright-looking, young heathen girl, 
 who came quite regularly to church. I knew 
 that she was engaged to be married, as her hair 
 was plastered up in a topknot with red clay, and she 
 wore a skirt made of skin, such as a betrothed Zulu 
 girl wears. 
 
 She was quite slight, with a very good form and 
 an interesting face. Her hands and feet were small, 
 and she was really one of the finest-looking Zulu 
 girls I had ever seen. I spoke to her, when I had 
 a chance, and she often came to see me. As I talked 
 with her about becoming a Christian, she would hang 
 her head and say, " Yes, I would very much like to 
 be one ; but my friends refuse." She learned some 
 verses of Scripture, and the Lord's Prayer. 
 
 The first verse that I always taught them was from 
 John 3 : i6. " Utixo wa li tanda izwe kangaka wa 
 nika indodana yake i zelwa i yodwa, ukuba bonke 
 aba kolwa iyo ba nga bube, ba be noku pila o pakade." 
 
 When in her home, before they retired at night, 
 she wanted to say the Lord's prayer. Her father 
 was willing, but her mother would not allow her 
 to do so. 
 
 At last she told me the greatest of her difficulties. 
 She was engaged to a young man who was not a 
 
 194 
 
PINDILE 195 
 
 Christian, and he did not wish her to become one. 
 The dowry, of seven head of cattle, had been given, 
 and were with her father's herd. Their horns were 
 long and their bodies fat. What could she do? 
 
 The young man's home was not far away, but he 
 worked in Durban. We could not ask her to give 
 him up, yet we could teach her God's word and 
 pray that He would guide her. After a few months 
 she came and urged me to write a letter for her, to 
 her intended, as she wished to tell him again her 
 great desire to become a Christian. He could get 
 a friend in Durban to read the letter for him. She 
 told us just what to write, and the letter was sent. 
 Soon a reply came back. In it was this sentence: 
 " Choose ! Choose me, and I will marry you. Choose 
 the religion of Jesus Christ and I will give you up; 
 then the cattle shall be returned by your father to us." 
 Sadly she went home, while we often continued to 
 pray for her. 
 
 I do not think that from the first she had cared 
 deeply for him. Her friends had wished the match, 
 and she had drifted into their plans. 
 
 She usually came to church and was earnest in 
 seeking to hear and learn all she could of the truth. 
 Her home was about three miles from the station. 
 A few months after the letter-writing, I found her, 
 just at sundown, in our kitchen. I said, " Oh, Pindile, 
 you ought not to be here so late. It will be dark 
 before you get home." Her blanket was over her 
 head, she looked up into my face, with a bright, 
 happy smile, then threw it back and said, " Ngi 
 ketile" (I have chosen) " Inkosazana." 
 
196 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 The clay was all washed out of her hair, and with 
 the thorough bath which she had given her face and 
 body, her appearance was greatly changed. She had 
 come to stay, if we would keep her. We found a 
 dress and some other garments that she could put 
 on. Her face was radiant, and from that time she 
 never seemed to regret the step which she had taken. 
 
 But I dreaded the next morning, when her father 
 and friends would come, and, with stormy, bitter 
 words try to make her return home, as they 
 usually do in such cases. The father came, and to 
 my surprise and relief, not with bitter words. In a 
 kind, courteous, manly way, he said it would be very 
 trying for him if the engagement were broken off 
 and the cattle given up. The whole affair would 
 greatly anger the young man's friends. " But," said 
 he, " I will not force my daughter as some heathen 
 people do, to marry a man whom she does not wish 
 to marry, nor will I hinder her from becoming a 
 Christian." This was so unusual, we could hardly 
 believe what we heard, thanking God for it all. The 
 man proved true to what he had said, and was always 
 our friend. I have a very pretty war shield that he 
 gave me when I came to America. Not many days 
 after that morning, he came to tell me how the 
 young man's friends had arrived the day before, 
 and driven away the cattle, which had been the dowry 
 gift for his daughter. 
 
 Pindile continued to seem happy. She soon 
 learned to sew, and, after a while, to read the Testa- 
 ment. I allowed her to work in the house more 
 quickly than I ever did any other raw Zulu girl. 
 
PINDILE 197 
 
 From the first she was tidy and painstaking, wanted 
 to learn to cook and to take care of the dining-room. 
 She had a nice way of her own in arranging flowers, 
 keeping fresh ones on the table and in other parts 
 of the house. 
 
 An uncle of hers, who had died some years before, 
 painted animals, trees, and bits of landscape, on 
 pieces of gourds and bark, in quite a remarkable way 
 for a heathen man who had, very likely, never seen 
 a picture. I have some of them now. 
 
 Pindile was so slight and refined, an EngHsh lady, 
 who was visiting us, called her " the little lady." 
 Other friends caught the' name, and, seeing her, con- 
 tinued to call her so. It did no harm, as she could 
 not understand English. She was too old when she 
 began to learn to make a good scholar in books, and 
 did not try to study any but those in her own lan- 
 guage. She loved to read the Testament and have 
 it explained to her. 
 
 The Zulus have a curious superstition about milk- 
 ing a cow. A woman never milks, and a man will 
 not unless the calf is let out and goes to the cow, 
 for a few moments, before he begins. They say she 
 will not give down her milk properly, unless she 
 sees the calf. We were very dependent on the milk 
 which our own cows gave. The calf of our best cow 
 died, and I knew there would be trouble about the 
 milking; so I had them skin the calf. We made a 
 little frame with four legs and put it in the skin with 
 grass for stuffing. When it was sewed up it looked 
 quite like a calf. English friends called it a Yankee 
 invention. However, it was brought out and stood 
 
198 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 by the cow at every milking. She would appear 
 pleased and nose it over, after which there was no 
 more trouble. For many months the cow was milked 
 with that prelude. 
 
 Most of the cattle in South Africa have very long, 
 broad horns. We had a cow whose horns were more 
 than four feet from tip to tip. One morning the 
 boys were having trouble to get her new calf away 
 from her and into the stable. I was afraid they 
 would be hurt, so went out the kitchen door, which 
 was five or six rods from the stable, and called to 
 them to be careful. I walked a little way to a large 
 log of wood, on the other side of which Pindile was 
 washing clothes. Then a strange thing happened, for 
 which we could never account. I had on nothing 
 bright ; my dress was a navy blue. The cow, hearing 
 me call to the boys, turned her head, shook it, left 
 the boys and her calf and came madly toward me ! 
 My mind was perfectly clear, but I could not move. 
 I thought many things in that half-moment. I hoped, 
 her horns being so broad and I so near the log, 
 that they might hit it, and her nose strike me. They 
 did so, and as I fell, she kicked and trampled my 
 body. I remember putting my arm over my head 
 to save that. It was many years before I ceased 
 to see her feet over me in my dreams, or when my 
 eyes were closed. 
 
 The boys rushed with their sticks to beat her ofT, 
 but before they could reach me, Pindile, the slight 
 girl, had run around the log, and, as the cow, pawing, 
 released her horns from it and tossed her head for 
 another chance at me, the girl rushed in between her 
 
PINDILE 199 
 
 horns and held each for half a moment, startling her, 
 until the boys could beat the wild beast away. I was 
 quite conscious as they carried me into the house, 
 my head not being hurt. They had to beat the cow 
 back from following us, almost to the kitchen door. 
 The arm that I had held over my head, and all that 
 side was badly bruised, and some ribs broken. The 
 other side of my body that struck the ground, was 
 paralyzed, and continued so for a few days. 
 
 We could not know how badly I was hurt, inter- 
 nally, until the doctor reached us. As soon as 
 possible, a native was sent the twenty-five miles to 
 the nearest one. He reached us a little after noon, 
 the next day, which was Sunday. In the meantime 
 I remembered what I would give a native, if hurt, 
 and I took that. I lay very weak and in much pain, 
 scarcely able to talk or have the least noise or jar 
 in my room, or even the bed touched. The people 
 wanted to see me, but I felt too ill to have them 
 come into my room. They were unable to under- 
 stand not being allowed to do so and begged just 
 to see my face and know that I was truly alive. 
 Mr. Goodenough, one of our missionaries, happened 
 to be with us, and was a great comfort and help. 
 
 The bell rang for church ; I knew that many of 
 them were about and in the yard. Miss McCornack 
 was, for a few minutes, in another part of the house, 
 when Hannah, one of the Bible women, quietly slipped 
 into my room. She raised her hand and said, " Don't 
 speak, Inkosazana, I must come in, I must speak to 
 the Lord, here with you." She knelt down and 
 began to pray, softly. Miss McCornack came in. 
 
200 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 We have always regretted that we could not have 
 taken down that remarkable prayer of faith, word 
 for word. 
 
 She reminded the Lord of their needs ; of the state 
 they were in as a church and people when we came 
 there ; of their gratitude to Him for making us will- 
 ing to come ; of the improvement in the church and 
 on the station, and of His promises. Then she 
 summed it all up, saying, in substance, " Seeing, dear 
 Lord, how things are with us at this stage, knowing, 
 as you must, how great is our need, now that we are 
 beginning to live, also that there is no one else to 
 come to our help, you surely will let Inkosazana stay 
 with us a few years longer. I am sure. Lord, that 
 you love us, and will let her stay for our sakes ; even 
 if she wants to go to heaven, you can give her life 
 and health to stay a little longer." When she had 
 finished, I motioned her to me, and, as I took her 
 hand, I told her that her prayer had brought faith 
 and courage to me and I felt that it would be an- 
 swered. When she had gone I said to my dear as- 
 sociate, '' We do not know how badly I may be hurt, 
 but I am sure that prayer will be answered." 
 
 When the doctor came at last, he found, as we 
 had thought, that there were no bones broken, aside 
 from some of the ribs, although the shock to my 
 nervous system was very great. I have, in fact, 
 never recovered from it, but a month or two after 
 was able to take up some of the work again. The 
 following year, however, I was seriously ill, and 
 once again before I left Natal, as the result of that 
 accident. 
 
PINDILE 201 
 
 After it happened, as soon as I was a little better, 
 one bright morning, a delegation of the Christian 
 men came and urged that they might come in to see 
 me. With many expressions of sympathy, they said 
 they had come to tell me their eyes were now 
 open, making them ready to vote unanimously to call 
 Mr. Sivetye to be their pastor. All were there, even 
 the contrary deacon. This was indeed good news 
 and helped me to bear the pain I was suffering, 
 because it had brought the church to call and agree 
 to support a pastor. 
 
 Pindile never seemed quite to understand how 
 great and noble her act had been in risking her own 
 life to save mine. Whenever we tried to talk with 
 her about it and express our gratitude, she would 
 say : " What else could I do ? I did not have time 
 to think that the cow might kill me, I only thought 
 how I could save Inkosazana from being killed. I 
 saved her and I was not hurt, only frightened, be- 
 cause I feared the cow would toss her." 
 
 When friends in America sent her presents with 
 expressions of gratitude, she would say : " It is kind 
 of them to send me loving words and these nice 
 things; I am pleased; I thank them; but I cannot 
 understand why they think it was so much for me 
 to do. I could not help it ; I am very glad I could do 
 it ; God gave me the strength." 
 
 She lived with us for a number of years. Then 
 a new missionary and his wife greatly needed some 
 one upon whom they could rely, to help in the house. 
 Living with them, Pindile could have lessons with 
 the wives of the preachers, who were studying in 
 
202 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 the Theological School at Amanzimtote, so we re- 
 luctantly let her go to them. They thought much of 
 her, and she was a great help in their home. Some- 
 times she came back to see us and visit her parents. 
 After a few years she was married to a young man, 
 who was there in school for a time, and they went 
 to live at a station farther away. 
 
 One of her brothers became a Christian, and is 
 well educated. Her mother, who would not allow 
 her to pray the Lord's prayer in the home, also ac- 
 cepted Jesus. I remember how she used to walk 
 the three miles, morning after morning, once a week, 
 to come to the sunrise inquirers' class I had for the 
 women. She was too old to learn to read, but eagerly 
 learned many gospel truths and remembered them. 
 She came very regularly to church and to prayer 
 meeting, and was finally admitted to the church as 
 a member. The father came to church, but was not 
 a member, when I left. 
 
 I will tell more about Hannah, who prayed that 
 wonderful prayer, in another chapter. 
 
XVIII 
 THE NATIVE PASTOR 
 
 THERE was no house in which the native 
 pastor and his wife could Hve, after reaching 
 Esidumbini. We called a large meeting of 
 the people, the Christian men and women, the heathen 
 chiefs, with men of their tribes, and laid the case 
 before them, asking that they give money, or work, 
 to aid in building a suitable residence for him. 
 
 Some of the Christian people were urged to give 
 at least a pound apiece in money, and also the heathen 
 chiefs the same. Others were asked to give half as 
 much as that, or, according to their means. Even 
 the children in the schools were expected to do some- 
 thing. Considerable was raised or promised that 
 day ; within a few months we had over forty pounds, 
 and the house was commenced. 
 
 Then began a most wearing undertaking, which I 
 very much dreaded. There was no one to look after 
 the building but myself, and no native builders to 
 take charge of the work. We could not afford to 
 hire a white man. In the mission were native car- 
 penters, who had been trained in the Industrial School 
 of the mission, but they were in great demand, and 
 at that time we could not get one, as only a few had 
 yet been trained. 
 
 Some of the material, such as doors, windows, and 
 203 
 
204> ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 roof timbers, had to be brought from Durban, fifty 
 miles away. Then the draggling jobs of work, here 
 a little and there a little, as we could get it done, 
 wore on one's patience until it was in threads. We 
 had to watch that every spot on the posts was well- 
 covered with tar, to keep out the white ants. A place 
 no larger than a common nail hole left untarred, as 
 I have known in a number of instances, might lead 
 to the post, beam, or door casing being made only 
 a shell, before we knew the ants were at work. In 
 our houses we put tar on the wood next the wall, 
 and paint the doors and casings which appear in the 
 room, as that also is some protection from the ants. 
 
 We would go over to the house, sometimes, to find 
 a good and needed timber sawed as it should not 
 have been, or a weak timber put where it must be 
 replaced by a stronger one. The walls were of reeds 
 and plaster; the roof of thatch. The frame was 
 strong and substantially made, partly of timber that 
 we bought, and partly of that procured in the bush 
 on the Reserve. 
 
 At last it was finished, but not before the pastor 
 came. Until it was ready, we gave up for their use, 
 the primary school-room and our storeroom, which 
 were under the same roof near our house. The rail- 
 way had been brought to within twenty-five miles 
 of Esidumbini. We united with the people in fur- 
 nishing oxen sufficient for a wagon, that one of the 
 men loaned, to bring the pastor and his family from 
 the railway to Esidumbini. I do not think I have 
 mentioned that the name, Esidumbini, means " In the 
 caladiums ; " a large variety of this plant grows 
 

 
 ^^^^ w ' 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
THE NATIVE PASTOR 205 
 
 abundantly there, and the tubers are greatly enjoyed 
 for food. 
 
 The pastor, his wife, and three nice children, ar- 
 rived a little after dark. As I write, I find myself 
 wiping tears of joy from my eyes as I remember 
 how pleased and grateful we were to see them, realiz- 
 ing that at last they had arrived to stay, and to help 
 us in the work. We had a nice supper for them, and, 
 after prayers, showed them to the little cottage, made 
 ready for their use, until their house was completed. 
 A few days after we had what we chose to call a 
 kind of " Installation " for the pastor, although he 
 was not yet ordained. I trust that under the cir- 
 cumstances, we may be excused for our use of that 
 word, and not thought of as unorthodox. No one of 
 our missionaries could come to our aid. We hoped 
 that Mr. Goodenough would be there, but in the 
 morning we got a letter from him saying that he 
 was very sorry, but it would be impossible for him 
 to leave home. 
 
 There was not a native man in the church who 
 could be of much help in conducting such a service, 
 making it pleasant to all, and give a cordial welcome 
 to the new pastor; I had to do it myself. I asked 
 the oldest member to sit up on the platform with me. 
 His eyes were too dim to read, but he was a good 
 old man. He had on his Sunday clothes, and did his 
 very best to rise to the occasion. We asked the new 
 pastor to sit up there with us. A very large con- 
 gregation of people came together, from far and near. 
 To add to the embarrassing position I was in, four 
 Swedish missionaries, two ladies and two gentlemen. 
 
206 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 came just before the service. I could not ask them 
 to help, as they did not know enough Zulu, and only 
 a little English. 
 
 However, I trusted that help would be given us. 
 After a prayer, we read the Charity Chapter, in First 
 Corinthians, and sang; then I introduced our new 
 pastor to the people, and gave them a little charge 
 in regard to their relations and duty to him. The 
 old man followed with a few nice words of welcome, 
 and others, both men and women in the congrega- 
 tion, continued with grateful and pleasing words. I 
 called on three old heathen chief men to speak. They 
 were pleased to respond, and did so with intelligent, 
 hearty expressions of friendly welcome. 
 
 A number of prayers were offered between the 
 speeches. The young people and children sang nicely, 
 five or six times. 
 
 The pastor made a touching and earnest speech. 
 After the meeting, the church members all came to 
 our house to lunch with the pastor and his wife. The 
 people were very much pleased, and appeared so 
 nicely, it gave us encouragement and hope for the 
 future of the work. At the close, we sang a hymn, 
 and the pastor offered prayer. 
 
 I must now tell you a little of Pastor Sivetye, and 
 his history. He was neat in his person and dress, 
 had a good form and a very intelligent face, was 
 reserved, and did not talk unless he had something 
 worth saying. His manners were natural and re- 
 fined, while he seemed to see quickly the fitness of 
 things, when with cultured people, as well as when 
 with those who were not. He treated the unedu- 
 
THE NATIVE PASTOR 207 
 
 cated heathen with much kindness and consideration. 
 They all seemed to like him, while the Christian 
 Zulus throughout the mission, with the missionaries 
 and many English people in the colony, had high 
 regard for him. He had always been honest, upright, 
 and just, studiously embracing every opportunity he 
 could of gaining knowledge. For one who could only 
 attend the schools in Natal, he had a fairly good 
 education, spoke English, and gained a remarkable 
 familiarity of the Bible, was not conceited, but an 
 earnest, practical, Christian man, and a good 
 preacher. 
 
 I first saw him when he was a boy, and had since 
 seen him a few times, but knew more about him from 
 what I had been told by others in the mission. He 
 was born of heathen parents, and his full name was 
 Mvakwendhlu Sivetye. His father was a chief man 
 of their tribe. A grown daughter of one of our 
 missionaries, who knew him and his family well, told 
 me that though his mother was a heathen when she 
 first knew her, yet she was refined in her manners, 
 intelligent, kindly, and, as the impulsive girl said, 
 " She seemed like a real lady to me. I was always 
 glad to see and talk with her. She never told any- 
 thing before me, or spoke a word that a child should 
 not hear." 
 
 When Mr. Sivetye was a boy, he had on his shoul- 
 der what is commonly called a " Natal Sore." Such 
 sores are very difficult to heal, and the natives, in 
 many parts of the country, sometimes have them. 
 At his home all the incantations and arts of the 
 medicine doctors, with their drugs, only made the 
 
208 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 painful sore worse. At last his friends brought him 
 thirty miles or more, to one of our missionaries, who 
 was very successful in treating such cases. It took 
 months, and sometimes years, to cure a difficulty of 
 that kind and get the disease out of the blood. 
 
 The boy enjoyed staying at the station, and soon 
 became interested in going to school and church. It 
 was not long before he learned to read in his own 
 language. When he becam.e well and strong, his 
 friends said he must return home. He did not wish 
 to go ; they urged and at last compelled him, dragging 
 him away and tearing off the clothes that he had 
 so much enjoyed wearing. 
 
 Although his home was at such a distance from 
 the station, yet, after a while, he ran away and came 
 back, as he said, " To learn more." Again they came 
 after him, beat and dragged him away as they had 
 before. When they got him home, that time, they 
 tied him in a hut to a post, which was near the place 
 where the fire is built. It was a very hot day; they 
 kept the fire going all the time, while he was tied 
 there, and told him they would do something worse 
 than that if he ran away again, but he did, after a few 
 months, and for quite a while they delayed to come 
 for him. Every day he lived in fear of their coming, 
 yet went to school and learned as much as he could, 
 always hoping that some day he might do as he 
 wished and openly become a Christian. 
 
 He was getting to be quite a big boy when again 
 his family got hold of him, tore off his clothes, treat- 
 ing him so badly he became discouraged and said 
 there was no use of trying to learn, or be anything 
 
THE NATIVE PASTOR 209 
 
 but a heathen. So he went to their dances, beer 
 drinks, and other doings, in his native dress. He 
 Hved in that way till he was about eighteen years of 
 age. All the time, as he told me, he had a " uvalo " 
 in his heart, a feeling that he was fighting against 
 God and truth. Many nights he was unable to sleep 
 for sorrow when thinking of these things. At last 
 he could endure it no longer, and went back to the 
 station. This time his friends let him remain. After 
 he had learned all that he could there, he went for 
 four years to the training school at Amanzimtote, 
 from which he graduated. Then he returned to his 
 home and taught a school at an English mission 
 station, not many miles away. In the school was a 
 girl, who afterward became his wife. He earned 
 money by teaching; they were married and with her 
 he went back to Amanzimtote, and for four more 
 years attended the Theological School of the mission ; 
 his wife also being taught in a department for the 
 wives of students. 
 
 After his graduation from that school, several 
 churches would have been glad to get him, but, as 
 before stated, he accepted our call. Having a family 
 to support may have had some influence in his de- 
 ciding to come to us, as we were the only church 
 where they felt, at that time, they could promise his 
 full salary. Our church, giving as it had agreed, 
 friends in America, at Dorchester, Mass., added to 
 that enough for a more comfortable support than he 
 had expected to receive when he came. 
 
 Now, since 1894, all ordained native pastors have 
 been supported by the churches over which they are 
 
210 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 installed. In 191 1, the seventy-fifth anniversary of 
 the mission, the total contributed by the natives for 
 church, school, evangelistic, missionary, and all other 
 purposes, was about $12,100 for that year. 
 
 Within a year after Mr. Sivetye came to us, my 
 associate. Miss Mary McCornack, whose loss to me 
 and to Esidumbini was deeply felt by all, was mar- 
 ried to Dr. W. L. Thompson, in the church, by Rev. 
 H. D. Goodenough, of our mission. A few of our 
 American friends were present, as well as many 
 natives. The church and house were decorated with 
 palms and flowers. After the ceremony, lunch was 
 served in our pleasant dining-room. 
 
 Within a few days the annual meeting of the mis- 
 sion was held at Amanzimtote. From there Dr. and 
 Mrs. Thompson, with the other three missionaries 
 and their wives, left for Beira, up the East coast 
 of Africa, where, on leaving the steamer, they pro- 
 ceeded inland to Mt. Silinda, in Rhodesia ; the whole 
 journey being about a thousand miles from Natal. 
 The last half, after they left the steamer, was most 
 fatiguing and trying. When they reached Mt. Silinda 
 they had no houses, but native huts, in which they 
 lived for two or three years. Now, great progress 
 has been made in that mission ; good brick houses 
 have been built, fruit trees and gardens planted ; day, 
 boarding, and industrial schools established, a church 
 with evangelists of character and consecration, who 
 are making large personal sacrifices to help carry the 
 gospel into the surrounding and distant country. 
 
 My associate having left, I procured an English 
 lady to come and assist me. She was not very strong 
 
THE NATIVE PASTOR 211 
 
 or able to take much responsibility, although kind 
 and willing to do what she could. 
 
 More and more Mr. Sivetye, the native pastor, be- 
 came a help and comfort in the work. In July, 1895, 
 he was ordained. Missionaries, native pastors, and 
 delegates from other stations were present. It was 
 an impressive service. The examination of the candi- 
 date took some time; he replied to the questions in 
 a remarkably clear and interesting manner. Some 
 of the missionaries said they had never heard a more 
 intelligent, spiritual, and practical statement of faith 
 given at an ordination. Just at the time of the laying 
 on of hands and the offering of the prayer, a little 
 patter of rain could be heard on the roof, which was 
 the only rain that day. 
 
 After a time I was able to secure another English 
 lady, Miss Jessie Crocker, who took the place of the 
 first one that I had. She was more helpful, taking 
 almost entire charge of the station-school and the 
 native teachers in it, but did not wish to take other 
 responsibilities. She liked teaching, understood Zulu, 
 and was enjoyed in our home. 
 
 The station-school, church, and the out-stations 
 at Noodsburg still had to be supervised by those in 
 charge at Esidumbini. Mr. Sivetye, after he was 
 ordained, assisted at church meetings, administered 
 the communion, and officiated at marriages there, as 
 he did at Esidumbini. They now have an ordained 
 pastor at that station. No white missionary could 
 have been more kind or considerate than he was and 
 continued to be, as the years went by. 
 
 He had good, decided, and practical plans of his 
 
212 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 own for work, yet always liked to come and talk 
 them over before mentioning them to the people. He 
 used great caution, as well as kindness and wisdom, 
 when admitting persons to the church. If necessary 
 to discipline a member for slyly taking cattle for his 
 daughters, or beer drinking, and practicing other 
 heathen customs, he understood the people and their 
 ways, and could find out the truth better than a mis- 
 sionary was able to do. Then he would gently and 
 firmly insist on the church rules being obeyed, al- 
 though at times great opposition might be shown by 
 some, who very likely had a tendency in thought, if 
 not in deed, in the same direction as the one under 
 discipline. Oh, unless you are a missionary, you 
 can never know how much there is to do, and think 
 about, at a mission station, besides holding a Bible 
 in your hand, preaching to and teaching such a 
 people as the Zulus ! 
 
 The native annual meeting of the mission was 
 held at Esidumbini a year after Mr. Sivetye was or- 
 dained. It is a great event which is largely attended, 
 and usually held at some other station directly 
 after our annual meeting closed. Native pastors 
 meet with the missionaries for a day or two of our 
 meeting, and some of the missionaries attend the 
 native meeting. The Christian people and others at 
 the station entertained guests. The pastor took as 
 many as he could, and we, at the mission house, pro- 
 vided husk beds in the school-room and meals, for 
 most of the older preachers. Besides, we gladly 
 entertained half a dozen or more of our missionaries, 
 who could come to the meeting. We had plenty of 
 
THE NATIVE PASTOR 213 
 
 native girls whom we had trained to make bread, 
 cook and do other work, to help us. 
 
 Although a long way from market, it was the cool 
 winter weather, so we had a fat cow killed, and with 
 plenty of sweet potatoes, beans, rice, bread, oranges, 
 and bananas, we did not lack for food, and got on 
 with our part all right, as I think the natives did 
 with theirs. 
 
 It was a very fine sight to see the church filled 
 each day of the meeting with well-dressed, bright, 
 intelligent native pastors, and the delegates from 
 their churches, as well as many others. Such meet- 
 ings are conducted in an orderly and systematic man- 
 ner, both for devotion and business. A sunrise 
 prayer and conference meeting, each morning, I have 
 sometimes felt surpassed any meeting of that kind I 
 have ever attended, in other lands, for quiet, practical 
 words, and spiritual uplift in prayer. 
 
 The first evening, at the opening of the conference, 
 Pastor Sivetye was to give the address of welcome. 
 I was too busy, as I thought, to go, but the mission- 
 aries and native pastors kept urging me until I 
 finally went. To my great surprise I found that one 
 of the older pastors, whom I had known for many 
 years, after reading from II John, most beautifully 
 addressed me. One of the missionaries took down 
 the address in shorthand, and when copied, gave it 
 to me. I was too touched to say a word, but Mr. 
 Pixley kindly helped me by replying. 
 
 Rev. David Russell, the evangelist of whom I have 
 before spoken, came for Sunday and a part of the 
 meeting. While with us, he took the sunrise and 
 
214 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 afternoon meetings. Each afternoon large numbers 
 assembled under the orange trees for the service. 
 This was a great help to the native pastors and other 
 visitors, as well as to our station and the heathen 
 people, for many miles around. 
 
 A goodly number, as we trust, renewed their faith 
 and gained a stronger hold on God's promises for 
 help and blessing, while others accepted Christ for 
 the first time, and began new and better lives. 
 
XIX 
 SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 
 
 HANNAH, whom I have hefore mentioned as 
 coming into my room and praying after I 
 was hurt by the wild cow, was so contin- 
 ually a comfort and help, all the time we were at 
 Esidumbini, I must tell you a little more about her. 
 
 She was born, married, and the mother of children, 
 nearly all grown, while still living in heathenism. 
 Her husband was a polygamist and a chief man in 
 his tribe. When he was about sixty and she over 
 forty years of age, they began to talk to each other 
 in their kraal home, of what they were hearing from 
 others of the truths taught at the mission station, a 
 few miles away. 
 
 Becoming troubled about the salvation of their 
 souls, they together decided to go and find out what 
 they could, of the new way. On hearing the story 
 of redemption through Jesus Christ, and other Bible 
 truths, they were deeply touched and convicted of sin. 
 After due consideration they forsook their old life, 
 with its heathen ways, determined to begin a new 
 one, though not all of their children were willing to 
 accept Christianity, at that time, with them. The 
 man, Untombo, made arrangements for his other 
 wives and their children, so that they could have 
 homes and become Christians, if they wished. Some 
 
 215 
 
216 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 of the wives had married sons, with whom they went 
 to live. 
 
 Untombo and Hannah built a civihzed house at 
 Esidumbini, which became their home. They were 
 most earnest in seeking to be taught of God and of 
 his words in the Bible, never seeming to swerve from 
 that desire, or from trying to live up to the light 
 that they received. 
 
 They were much respected and listened to by the 
 heathen people, as well as the Christians. After 
 they had lived at the station for ten or twelve years, 
 Untombo died, a most happy and triumphant death. 
 Hannah had grown to be like a mother in Israel to 
 those who knew her. She had great faith in prayer, 
 and frequently visited the troubled, the sick, and 
 dying, talking and praying with them. The intelli- 
 gent and beautiful simplicity and directness of her 
 prayers, with her earnest faith, did not often fail to 
 help and comfort others. 
 
 She was very happy in Mr. Sivetye coming to us. 
 At his ordination and the meetings I have mentioned, 
 her face was beaming. It was a great joy to her 
 to meet pastors and Christians from other stations, 
 also to see Esidumbini blessed and many coming to 
 Christ. She became quite lame, and did not Hke to 
 sit on a form at church ; so she would bring a mat 
 to sit on, spread it down in a corner, where, with 
 two or three of her grandchildren, she remained 
 through the service. The children's father worked at 
 Durban. Some bonnets were given him to bring 
 home. They were small and made for grown peo- 
 ple, but the children wore them. The little boy wore 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 217 
 
 one upside down. They were white straw with 
 velvet trimming. It was sometimes hard to keep 
 back a smile ; they were a picture worth seeing. I 
 have always regretted we did not have one taken of 
 the group, just as they sat there. 
 
 The children would get a little restless, then out 
 of Hannah's pocket would come an orange, banana, 
 a cake, or piece of bread, to be divided. When their 
 hands were wiped, out would come some good-sized 
 Christmas cards, which were used as fans. Soon the 
 children's eyes, beginning to close, they would lie 
 quietly down on the mat and go to sleep. 
 
 For a number of years Hannah was one of our 
 Bible women. She understood and could tell much 
 of Bible truth, yet coming to the station so late in 
 life, had not been able to learn to read and could not 
 sing; so I decided to send with her some one who 
 could read and help about the singing. This pleased 
 her very much, as we were able to get a young girl 
 in whom she was interested. Her name was " Tom- 
 begite." She was about sixteen years of age. Four 
 years before, when the Rev. David Russell had held 
 special meeting at Esidumbini, I saw her for the 
 first time. She rose in a large meeting under the 
 orange trees, and said she would like to be a Chris- 
 tian, then sat down. Her only garment was a boy's 
 shirt, that came nearly to her knees. Her face was 
 most interesting; she had a high forehead, well- 
 shaped head, and bright, beautiful eyes. When talk- 
 ing with her, after the services, we were all much 
 impressed with her earnest manner and what she 
 said. She continued to come regularly to the meet- 
 
218 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 ings and to church. I soon learned much of her 
 story and her true desire to become a Christian. 
 
 Her father and mother both died when she was 
 only a few years of age, leaving her to the care of a 
 heathen uncle. Knowing nothing about Christianity, 
 and being often lonely and sad, feeling the need of 
 something, but not knowing what; hearing others 
 talk of praying to the spirits of their ancestors, she, 
 when about ten years of age, also began to pray, in 
 her loneliness, for comfort and help. It was the 
 feeble reaching out of a child in the darkness for 
 light, for God ; but she found no comfort and grew 
 more lonely, also more earnest to know the mystery 
 of her being, and of the world about her ; then hear- 
 ing in a vague way, of Christianity, wondered if that 
 would help her. She knew no one who could tell 
 her much about it, but learning that we were at the 
 station, determined that if she could get a chance to 
 go there, would do so. Her visit happened to be at 
 the time when we were holding those extra meetings, 
 with Mr. Russell to help us. 
 
 She heard the preaching, heard answers to her 
 questions, heard the wonderful story of Christ's love, 
 of His salvation for sinners, of His being a friend 
 and helper, and a prayer-answering God. Her face 
 became changed with an expression of happy calm 
 and earnestness that never afterward seemed to leave 
 it, as long as she lived, which was only a few years. 
 Her manner was gentle, dignified, and reserved, un- 
 selfishly doing anything that she could, to help others. 
 She quickly learned to read, write, and sing, was 
 admitted to the church sooner than was usually done, 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 219 
 
 because of her intelligent, earnest piety. Friends 
 allowed her to come and live with an uncle, who was 
 near enough to the station for her to attend church 
 and school. After a time she came to live with us. 
 Before that she had weeded in gardens, earning 
 money with which to buy clothes, learning to 
 make them in, school, and always looked neatly 
 dressed. 
 
 In the mornings, after the work was done, she and 
 the other children in our home would go to school. 
 In the afternoon she went with Hannah to help in 
 the meetings at the kraals, and was very happy doing 
 direct work for the heathen people with her. She 
 died of pneumonia, a trustful and really joyful death. 
 It was at a time when I, too, was very ill and could 
 not see her or do anything for her. I had a very 
 sudden and severe attack of neuralgia of the heart; 
 she was taken to her uncle's and died there before I 
 recovered. Three or four of the children who were 
 then living with us, were also very ill. Their friends 
 came and took them home. Two of them died within 
 a few days. We think their illness was caused by 
 drinking impure water, which we learned about after- 
 ward. My native driver and his wife, who were 
 Christians and living near us, had also both died a 
 few months before : she very suddenly at her con- 
 finement, he of consumption. 
 
 When taken ill, aside from the natives. Miss 
 Crocker and I were alone. She was very brave, doing 
 most kindly and lovingly what she could. The 
 pastor, Mr. Sivetye, and his wife, were a great help 
 and comfort, night and day. A little girl about eleven 
 
220 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 years of age, who had come to us a year before from 
 a heathen home, would not go to bed that first night, 
 though urged to do so. " No," said she, " I can fan 
 Inkosazana, and I know she breathes better when I 
 do this." Others insisted on taking her place, but 
 in a few minutes back she would come, and, after 
 carefully wiping the beads of perspiration from my 
 forehead, would stand using her fan and handker- 
 chief almost continuously, again and again telling 
 us she was not tired, and could not stay away. Her 
 name was Umncane (which means little.) 
 
 When the doctor reached us, he was unable to do 
 much to help, as he said he did not have with him 
 the medicine needed. But the earnest prayers of the 
 pastor and others, brought to us all a sense of the 
 nearness of the Great Physician, and heaven did 
 not seem far away. Many times Hannah would 
 quietly slip into my room and say a few com- 
 forting words or offer a prayer, in her gentle tone of 
 voice. 
 
 I did not sleep, so said those who watched over me, 
 nor did I lie down, from Tuesday until Saturday, 
 when our own American Dr. Bridgeman, from sev- 
 enty-five miles away, came and injected morphine into 
 my arm. Dear Mrs. Edwards, from Inanda, thirty- 
 five miles distant, came the next day. The doctor 
 got a trained nurse from Durban to care for me for 
 a few weeks. 
 
 Since my return to America, Hannah has gone to 
 her reward, being greatly missed and mourned by 
 many. Mr. Sivetye wrote me in regard to her last 
 illness and death : " As I have written you of Han- 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 221 
 
 nah's illness, you will not now be greatly surprised to 
 hear that she has left us. Yes, Hannah is gone, 
 Inkosazana. She died the third of September, in the 
 afternoon, and we buried her the following day, 
 toward evening. 
 
 " The last weeks of her illness she was in much 
 pain and almost helpless. Her children were very 
 kind and did all that they could for her. She suf- 
 fered much, but with great quietness and peace. Her 
 face looked beautifully. Before the last days, while 
 she had strength, she spoke many loving words to 
 those about her and said, ' li the Lord calls me I am 
 ready to go to Him. I do not fear; may the will 
 of the Lord be done.' Toward the last she could not 
 talk much, but it was plain to see she was happy 
 in her heart and, like a lamb, was quiet. 
 
 " She was a witness to the people for Jesus, which 
 was blessed to us all. Our sadness is turned into 
 joy when we remember the words of the Lord, 
 ' They rest from their labours and their works do 
 follow them.' She is at peace, and has entered into 
 the joy of the Lord. 
 
 " At the funeral we took her body into the church. 
 A great many people came and the children of the 
 school. I conducted the service there, the Rev. Mr. 
 Taylor assisting at the grave. And so it is, Inkosa- 
 zana, Hannah has left us, which is our loss but her 
 gain." 
 
 For a number of years I had a sunrise meeting 
 Tuesday morning, for heathen women. Frequently 
 there were in it, those who had been influenced 
 directly or indirectly by Hannah. How well I re- 
 
222 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 member those mornings, and the interest I felt for 
 the women as I heard of their struggles and heart 
 yearning for light and truth. 
 
 One, an elderly woman who had first expressed a 
 desire to become a Christian a few months before 
 and dressed in a civilized way only a few weeks, said, 
 at a meeting, in a forced, trembling voice : "I have 
 carried a burden for years, I must tell it this morn- 
 ing, I do want a clean heart. I want to be free 
 from this dreadful sin that I committed when a girl. 
 I stole three pumpkins from our missionary, Mr. 
 Tyler, and my heart has never been at rest since. I 
 stole them after a meeting when I had heard him 
 pray and speak words about God. It made my sin 
 so much worse because I went out and stole the 
 pumpkins after I had heard those words. I confess 
 it now for the first time (it must have been thirty 
 years), and I pray God and you all to forgive me. 
 I have a grown-up son, married. I am an old woman, 
 but I want a clean heart. I want to learn about God 
 and the salvation of Jesus." 
 
 Another woman said her husband had two wives. 
 The second wife was very jealous, told stories about 
 her, and so influenced the husband that he left her 
 many times destitute and alone, in an old hut not 
 fit to live in, where she was afraid to stay with 
 only her three little children. She had no friends to 
 whom she could go and wanted to be a Christian, 
 having wished this for more than two years. Poor 
 thing, life was very hard for her! Her mind being 
 so filled with darkness and heathen customs which 
 hid the light. She had not yet learned to look up. 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 223 
 
 away from herself and troubles, to her friend and 
 Saviour. 
 
 Quite an old woman said she had lived all her life 
 for the world and Satan. She was tired of it, " very 
 tired," she said, as she struck her head with its 
 heathen " top knot " polished up with red clay. " I 
 want to give up sin and live a new life, leaving all 
 the old ways." She had on her heathen dress, but 
 was getting civilized garments made for underwear. 
 I gave her one of my old dresses, which she tried on, 
 and it was quite a good fit. I like to remember her, 
 top knot and all. Her face was a study. Light, 
 joy, thankfulness, and such a look as one never sees 
 in the faces of the native women who have not learned 
 something of the love of God, through Jesus Christ. 
 
 Another woman said she was greatly troubled, as 
 her husband kept making her go to heathen doctors 
 and take their vile medicine, because she had no chil- 
 dren. She wanted to be a Christian, but it was hard 
 for her to keep in the right path, with no friends to 
 help. Earnestly I urged her to trust the Great 
 Friend for strength. 
 
 A middle-aged woman, whose name means 
 " wagon," said that great peace had come into her 
 heart. For some time she had tried to live a Chris- 
 tian life, but beer had been a great temptation and 
 snare to her and very hard to give up. At the native 
 annual meeting, held at another station, she had re- 
 ceived new light and blessing, with strength to over- 
 come. Now it was not hard to give up beer. She 
 did not care for it, and was very happy. 
 
 This woman's history is a most interesting one. 
 
224 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 She was married and lived in Zululand, the one wife 
 of her husband. They had three children. Her hus- 
 band seemed to be very kind to her and the children. 
 One day he was murdered near his own kraal by his 
 brothers, who were jealous of their father's fond- 
 ness for him. The murderers were brought to jus- 
 tice. The English magistrate was most kind to her, 
 but she told him and her father, that she could not 
 stay in Zululand, so they let her come to a sister of 
 her husband, in Natal, though trying to keep her 
 children ; but she brought them with her, hoping the 
 sister would be kind, but she was not and tried to 
 make her marry again so that they could get the 
 cattle paid for her. One day the sister-in-law was 
 away from home, and she took that chance to run 
 aw^y, with her children. She had once heard a 
 visitor tell a little about Christianity and Esidumbini, 
 but did not know in which direction the station lay. 
 She went onto a hill and looked to see if there was 
 any path. Being greatly troubled, in bewilderment 
 and despair, she threw herself on the ground and 
 prayed, " Oh, Lord, show me the way ; I do not 
 know you very well, but oh, will you not help me, 
 and show me the way to Esidumbini ? " She said she 
 got up comforted and with the feeling that God was 
 going to help her. It was her first prayer. She 
 walked about a little and soon found a path. She 
 believed it was the right one, and it proved to be so. 
 It was over twenty miles, but she reached our station 
 safely and found the people she had known. They 
 were very kind to her and brought her to me. She 
 began to come to church, and soon to my inquirers' 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 225 
 
 class. Her three nice little children came to school. 
 I gave her some land for a garden, and her friends 
 helped her to build a small house, where she lived 
 with her children. They all dressed. The mother 
 did what she could to get clothes, and we helped her 
 a little. Her friends (?) did not come to trouble her 
 again. She became a member of the church. I will 
 finish this chapter, mostly of direct work for the 
 heathen, by adding an account of a kraal meeting, 
 and visit of friends. 
 
 A new missionary and her husband, while spending 
 a few weeks with us, wrote a friend in America some 
 first impressions of mission life and a kraal meeting, 
 from which I now quote a part : 
 
 " By rail and post cart we came within twenty 
 miles of Esidumbini, where Miss H's wagonette met 
 us. She had it made in America and sent out to her. 
 It is all fitted up for travel in this country, and drawn 
 by eight oxen. 
 
 " She had sent as driver, a Christian man, who 
 spoke English nicely. He was a teacher, and not 
 the one she usually had to go with the wagon. This 
 made it very pleasant for us. A little woolly-headed 
 youngster was along to lead the oxen. We travelled 
 until dark, when stopping near a small stream, we 
 spent the night. The wagon contained everything 
 necessary for eating and sleeping. The driver and 
 boy slept under it, rolled up in their blankets. 
 
 " In the morning a nice, warm breakfast gave us 
 a good send-off for the day. The little boy could 
 not speak English, so I aired my Zulu, much to his 
 amusement. We passed one white man's estate, met 
 
226 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 a number of natives, and saw some of their kraal 
 homes. 
 
 " It was up hill most of the way. The scenery- 
 was beautiful, quite different from any I had seen 
 in America. On the brow of a big and very steep 
 hill, down which wound our road, we could see the 
 mission-houses and church, over an hour before we 
 reached them. 
 
 " We were warmly welcomed to Esidumbini by 
 Miss H. and Miss M., and are spending a very pleas- 
 ant time with them. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler began this 
 station and lived here for many years, but for twenty 
 years no white missionary had been stationed there 
 until these ladies came. 
 
 " We were very much interested in attending our 
 first kraal meeting. Miss H. sent word, one morning, 
 to a kraal three miles away, that we would hold a 
 meeting there in the afternoon. We had an early 
 dinner and started as soon after that as we could. 
 Most of the way was along a pretty little stream, 
 with green hills and trees on either side. We passed 
 several kraals. Arriving at our destination, we saw 
 children taking a bath in the river, preparatory to 
 coming to the meeting. Most of the kraals are built 
 on the side of a hill ; I presume you have seen pic- 
 tures of them. 
 
 " For the first time I got down on my knees and 
 crawled into a hut. We were given seats of honour 
 on the right side of the door. Miss H., Miss M. and 
 Mr. B. leaning against the side of the hut, while I, 
 on a bag of corn, leaned against a post. 
 
 " I had time to look around. The floor was hard 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 227 
 
 and clean, with a round indentation in the middle 
 for the fire. It was a few inches in depth and about 
 two feet in diameter. The fire had been put out on 
 our account. It was much cooler inside the hut 
 than out. Beyond where we sat were two immense 
 pots for beer. This is the season of beer drinks. Miss 
 H. said beforehand that we might find ourselves in 
 the midst of one. But, fortunately, most of the men 
 were away. A few dishes, made of gourds, also 
 baskets and mats hung here and there in the room, 
 besides some shields, canes, and -assegais. 
 
 " On the other side of the hut lay an invalid girl, 
 with a light blanket over her. As I looked at her, I 
 forgot her surroundings in the attractiveness of her 
 face, though she was an ignorant, heathen girl, who 
 could not read or write, and had only once before 
 been told of Jesus, in a way that made the truth 
 plain to her. In spite of her dark skin, her face was 
 very interesting, especially her large, expressive eyes, 
 with their gentle, appealing look, as she talked, telling 
 us how pleased she was that we had come. Near her 
 sat another girl, very unlike her in looks and appear- 
 ance. A small girl was shelling corn, while the 
 mother put down mats and made ready for those who 
 were coming to the meeting. 
 
 " A number of children were about, most of them 
 without a single article of clothing, unless it were 
 a little bead fringe. Some of them came in with 
 babies on their backs almost as large as themselves. 
 They seemed kind to each other. One black-faced 
 youngster, not more than four years old, sat on 
 the rim of the fireplace, not as a child but as a man 
 
228 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 sits, wherever he may be. There he perched, hold- 
 ing out his hands to the dead coals. His attitude 
 and solemn face caused a ripple of merriment 
 throughout the hut, but not a shadow of a smile dis- 
 turbed the patriarchal serenity of his countenance. 
 Only one native man was present. Seeing a little 
 urchin stark naked, he called him to him and benevo- 
 lently tied around him his handkerchief. There 
 are few Zulu men who have not for years carried a 
 handkerchief. Women and girls came in, in various 
 stages of dress. Five women had on civilized clothes. 
 Not one in the neighbourhood had worn them when 
 the ladies began to have meetings in that vicinity, 
 less than a year ago. 
 
 " After talking with those present, until the babies 
 were quiet and put to sleep on their mothers' backs, 
 or in their arms, the meeting began and continued 
 for over an hour and a half, with various interrup- 
 tions. The closest attention was paid, and their 
 earnest faces as they looked at Miss H. must have 
 been an inspiration to her. 
 
 " The sick girl scarcely took her eyes from the 
 speaker's face, drinking in her words as if they were 
 life-giving, as indeed they were. When leaving we 
 gave her the oranges we had brought for our lunch, 
 and she immediately divided them with the children. 
 They have hearts and souls just as precious as ours. 
 Kind hearts, too, when we know how to find them. 
 
 " At first the natives all looked alike to me, but 
 now I am beginning to see individual looks and traits, 
 just as much as among white people. The mothers 
 are loving and kind to their little children, but do 
 
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW 229 
 
 not know how to give them proper care. They will 
 feed a child, only a few days old, stewed pumpkin 
 or a curd made of sour milk. For superstitious rea- 
 sons, they will not allow it to nurse the mother's 
 breast till nearly a week old. I wish you could see 
 some of the young men. Perhaps you have read that 
 the Zulus are noted for their fine physique. Aside 
 from ornaments, their only dress is a thick fringe, a 
 foot or more long, made of twisted, furry skin, show- 
 ing off to advantage their well-rounded shining 
 bodies. Their every movement is graceful, espe- 
 cially as they run. The manner in which they hold 
 a spear or throw an assegai is perfect. 
 
 " Now our pleasant visit at Esidumbini is draw- 
 ing to a close. Preparations must be made for going 
 to the annual meeting, to be held this year at Aman- 
 zimtoti, seventy-five miles away. There are many 
 things for the ladies here to arrange for and look 
 after before leaving. I will mention one item, as 
 it was so new to me. All the furniture had to be 
 moved away from the walls to prevent the white ants 
 from eating anything that could be eaten by them. 
 
 " We started bright and early Monday morning in 
 the wagonette, which had been gotten ready and 
 nearly packed Saturday. Miss H.'s patience was 
 somewhat tried because the driver went off the night 
 before to a beer drink and goat feast, not returning 
 until morning, and then looking very unfit for his 
 duties. He is a good driver when not sleepy, and 
 we hope that some day he may become a Christian 
 and give up heathen parties. He dresses and has 
 learned to read. Annoying as it was to have him so 
 
230 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 stupid, we could not help laughing at his ambling 
 along and the good-natured way in which he re- 
 ceived the sarcasms and jokes of a bright, fun-loving 
 boy, Maheana by name, the son of a chief, who had 
 brought him to Miss H. to be educated. He went 
 with us to lead the oxen. 
 
 " We passed the day without any serious accident, 
 though we experienced several narrow escapes be- 
 cause of the driver; but Miss H. was all the time 
 looking after him. We went twenty miles that first 
 day, outspanning for breakfast and for the oxen to 
 feed, again outspanning for two or three hours in 
 the middle of the day, while we ate our dinner and 
 rested under the shade of a large tree near the wagon. 
 
 " At sundown we reached a house where two of 
 us could sleep for the night, the other two sleeping 
 in the wagon, which is most comfortable. After sup- 
 per we waited for the moon to come up and for the 
 oxen to feed, as long as they could, before being tied 
 to near-by trees. Sitting in the wagon it was inter- 
 esting to watch the dusky faces around the fire, as 
 they ate their evening meal, with quiet chatter and 
 laughter, in which we sometimes joined." 
 
XX 
 
 ESIDUMBINI ROCKS AND OTHER STORIES 
 
 ON the Reserve, two or three miles from the 
 mission-house, was a pretty green hill, slop- 
 ing down from the government road to a 
 deep ravine and a little stream of water. About 
 halfway down the grassy hill, bursting out from its 
 smooth side, is a wonderful formation of rocks. No 
 other rocks, or even large stones, are in sight. There 
 they stand alone against the bright background of 
 the hill, one gracefully towering forty or fifty feet 
 high ; another is over five rods in length to the point 
 where it extends into the hill. It lies horizontally 
 supported by rock pillars. Underneath a part of it 
 is a table rock and an area where five hundred people 
 or more could easily be sheltered. Other large rocks 
 and boulders are connected with the group. To- 
 gether it is considered one of the most peculiar and 
 interesting places in Natal. It is far-famed and 
 eagerly visited by those who can do so. A few trees 
 below and about give added shade and beauty. 
 
 It is difficult to get a photograph of a place sit- 
 uated, as this is, on the side of a hill. However, a 
 number of views have been taken, but unless one 
 can see them from different points he gets only a 
 vague idea of this peculiar spot. The natives are 
 quite superstitious in regard to it. Grown people, 
 
 231 
 
232 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 born and living within a mile, told me that they had 
 never been there. This feeling was greatly over- 
 come by our having picnics at the rocks, once a year. 
 
 When the first fruits of the season are eaten, the 
 Zulus call it " Ilibo." We arranged to have at that 
 time a picnic for the school children, but the grown 
 people, also wishing to go, we made it general, for 
 young and old, Christian and heathen. 
 
 All were expected to furnish something for the 
 dinner, not cake, but their own native food, including 
 chickens or other meat. We took chickens, a few 
 hundred ginger cookies, and coffee for the crowd. 
 The people grow a reedy sugar cane which is quite 
 sweet and much liked by them. It makes a good 
 substitute for candy, and is called " Imfe." 
 
 At the time of this festival we always planned to 
 have some of our mission or English friends with us. 
 Usually one or two of the ladies from Inanda came, 
 when they could, at vacation time. The school chil- 
 dren would march, singing as they went, carrying 
 food on their heads in baskets or dishes, others carry- 
 ing bundles of the long " Imfe." Then we followed 
 with the wagonette and oxen, while the people came 
 along as they liked, the women also carrying food. 
 
 I remember once at such a time, when the children 
 were marching and singing so happily, two heathen 
 men dashed out from a clump of bushes and caught 
 a little girl, a relative of theirs, who had come to 
 the station to be taught. They did not wish her to 
 learn, and had taken this chance to get her, drag- 
 ging her away and tearing off her dress as she 
 screamed and cried to escape from them. When 
 
ESIDUMBINI ROCKS 233 
 
 we reached the clump of bushes the men and child 
 were gone over a distant hill and out of sight. There 
 was nothing we could do to help, but pray God to 
 give her another chance to learn. Her home was 
 miles away. 
 
 On reaching the place for the picnic we would sit 
 down in the shade of the big rock, with the large 
 table rock at our backs. Then the children and 
 people came, bringing the food and setting it down 
 in front of us, standing the " Imfe " against the rock, 
 making a pretty background. 
 
 Some of the larger boys went to the streams for 
 pails of water ; the larger girls gathered wood to 
 build a fire, and the women made the cofTee. When 
 all was ready, they sat down in shady places under 
 the trees or rocks, while the teachers and older pupils 
 gave each person a piece of a banana leaf for a 
 plate, and, after the blessing, passed the food. It 
 was a happy time for all and a good chance for the 
 people to meet in a happy, social way. 
 
 After the dinner we had little speeches and pray- 
 ers of thanksgiving for the blessings of the year, 
 then games. The joy of the children was greatest 
 when they could get up on the table rock, with the 
 larger one over them, which was like a sounding 
 board, and there sing as loud as they could. The 
 racket was dreadful ; again and again I had to send 
 the teachers to get them down and take them to play 
 some game on the grass. 
 
 There was a beautiful little grotto higher up in 
 the rocks, shaded by trees where, after dinner and 
 speeches, we got away from some of the noise and 
 
234 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 had a nice lunch, tea, and rest. We did not go home 
 until late in the afternoon. It was a day long looked 
 forward to by many, and greatly enjoyed and re- 
 membered by them. 
 
 Boys and girls frequently came to us, sometimes 
 from homes fifteen or twenty miles away from the 
 station, begging to stay and learn. The nearest board- 
 ing school for native girls was at Inanda, forty 
 miles distant. We had made bricks and built a 
 little two-roomed house with a fireplace for the 
 boys, while the girls had an outside kitchen and 
 fireplace, where they cooked their food, their bed- 
 room being in the back part of our house. We did 
 not have room for the many who came, and often 
 needed to send them back to their heathen homes 
 but we usually had from ten to fifteen with us. They 
 went to the day school, worked nights and mornings 
 in the house, about the grounds, or in the garden. 
 We raised corn, sweet potatoes, and beans, which 
 helped in providing food for them. Evenings they 
 had lessons and sewing. 
 
 One day a little girl, about ten years of age, with 
 a timid, frightened manner, slipped into the kitchen 
 and sat down on a bench near the door. Her cloth- 
 ing was an old blanket over her shoulders ; she 
 looked very sad, delicate, and forlorn, having walked 
 nearly twenty miles to get to us. Her father was 
 not living, her mother had told her she might come 
 to us, but an uncle was unkind to them and would 
 be very angry with her for running away. She 
 begged us to let her stay and learn. I told her there 
 was no room, as the house was now too full, but 
 
ESIDUMBINI ROCKS 235 
 
 she could stay a few days and get rested. The next 
 day her mother came to see me. After a long talk 
 she put the child's hand in mine and begged me to 
 keep her. I said, " I will see." 
 
 Within a few days the uncle found out where she 
 was, and came to get her. The child was dread- 
 fully frightened and hid under a bamboo bed, not 
 more than a foot high, in the girls' room. He had 
 a very ugly-looking face, and stamped back and 
 forth in front of the house talking loudly and wildly. 
 He said the girl's father was dead and she belonged 
 to him, body and soul, if she had a soul; that when 
 she was married he could get cattle for her; would 
 rather she died than become a Christian and he fail 
 to get what he expected. If he could find her, he 
 said, he would drag her home and she would not 
 get away again. We did not feel frightened, but 
 very sorry. There was little use trying to talk with 
 him. He did not dare come into the house nor 
 would I make the girl go out to see him, but told 
 him she could go with him if she wished, yet I 
 would not compel her to do so. He stayed about, 
 nearly all day, and then went home, but came back 
 again and again. The boys and girls were always 
 watching for him. At daybreak they would find him 
 hiding behind the lemon hedge, the cattle kraal, or 
 some other place, from which he could rush out and 
 seize the child, if he saw her. This went on for a 
 few weeks, when I told him he could see and talk 
 with her in our dining room, and if she would con- 
 sent to go home with him, I would not prevent her 
 doing so. I gave him a chair near the door, then 
 
236 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 made the little girl come in and sit the other side 
 of the room, while I sat between them. He talked 
 strongly to her. She was too frightened to say much 
 more than that she wished to stay ; he went away 
 without her. 
 
 I had noticed he had a very nice and rare native 
 snufifbox. I knew the cost of one I had before seen ; 
 the next time he came I decided to try a native 
 custom for making peace. I said, " You have a 
 very nice snuffbox, I wonder where you got it? I 
 have been trying for a long time to get one for my 
 curio collection of native things." I held out my 
 hand and said, " Please give yours to me. Yes, I ask 
 you for it." He was greatly surprised and startled, 
 putting his hand to his mouth and shaking his head, 
 he said, '* I love it greatly, we mamo, we mamo." 
 " Yes," I said, " I know, but I ask you to give it 
 to me." With his hand extended to mine, he did 
 so, and in a subdued voice said, " I am surpassed, 
 I am surpassed ; the child may stay." He never made 
 any more trouble or tried again to get her. The next 
 time he came I did not refer to the snuffbox or to his 
 allowing the child to stay, but said I would like to 
 make him a present, and gave him five English 
 shillings, which was more than the snuffbox could 
 have cost him. He seemed pleased, and thanked me. 
 
 The child's name was Nomazolo, which means 
 dew. She lived with us a long time, was always 
 slight and not strong, a most grateful, devoted, and 
 loving little girl. I grew very fond of her, and she 
 seemed happy when able to do anything for me or 
 be in my room. Strange as it may seem, children 
 
ESIDUMBINI ROCKS 237 
 
 like those, from heathen homes, who Hved with us, 
 did not steal ; nothing was locked up and nothing 
 stolen. A Zulu child is taught to think of stealing 
 as a very great disgrace, unworthy of a Zulu. But, 
 sad to say, as they grow up and go to work in the 
 towns and at the mines, they sometimes learn to 
 steal and many other vices. 
 
 Sunday evenings in our home, we had a little 
 meeting for those who were with us. They repeated 
 Bible verses and sang, then we told them Bible 
 stories. Before the close each could say a few 
 words or pray, if he wished. Nomazolo, having 
 learned to read, one Sunday evening prayed the 
 following prayer. My associate took it down in 
 Zulu and translated it into English. The child 
 was then not more than eleven years of age and 
 had been away from her heathen home about a year. 
 I have left out a few words of repetition. Aside 
 from those it is a translation of her own expressions 
 as she prayed : " Lord, Thou who art good, we 
 kneel before Thee to-night and ask Thee to teach 
 us. I thank Thee because Thou art willing a child 
 should come, giving myself to Thee. I have not 
 much that I can say; I ask Thee to teach me how 
 to pray. We thank Thee for Thy word which we 
 have heard this day and ask Thee to help us re- 
 member it, and to be true Christians and not afraid. 
 Lord, Thou who art good, I do thank Thee for all 
 Thy goodness to me. I beseech Thee to bless the 
 people at home and teach them to love Thee, believe 
 in Thee and not think we have gone crazy because 
 we believe in Thee. But oh, dear Lord, let Thy 
 
238 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 word sown in their hearts spring up and bear fruit. 
 I thank Thee and ask Thee to have us in Thy keep- 
 ing this night and wake us in the morning, if it be 
 Thy will. Help us in school, dear Lord, to get our 
 lessons and to listen to our teachers when they tell 
 us Thy word, and never be provoked, remembering 
 that Thy Son was not offended, but bore our sins 
 that we, dear Lord, might be saved. I have not many 
 words I can say to Thee, for I am only a little child, 
 but I pray to Thee, Lord, who art good, through the 
 One who bore our sins, whose name is Jesus Christ. 
 Amen." 
 
 Through it all there was extreme shyness, an 
 earnest, quiet, childHke tone of voice and spirit of 
 joy. I left her in the care of my associate, when I 
 returned to America, having made arrangements for 
 her to go to Inanda Seminary, when a little older. 
 She was not yet strong, and the following year was 
 ill a great deal, so she could not go to school very 
 much. There were changes at Esidumbini ; it is 
 now a long time since I have heard of Nomazolo. 
 I think she may not be living, but trust the dear 
 Lord did not forget her. 
 
 The Zulus may not always show gratitude in the 
 same way that more civilized nations ought to show, 
 but even when heathen, I have frequently known 
 them to do many acts of grateful kindness, as inter- 
 esting as the following. One morning a sick child, 
 a little boy five or six years of age, was brought to 
 our door by heathen parents. He was so very ill 
 with bronchitis that he seemed to be dying. We 
 were told how witch doctors had been consulted, a 
 
ESIDUMBINI ROCKS 239 
 
 goat and a cow sacrificed, but still the child was 
 no better. I almost refused to try to do anything 
 for him, as they had delayed so long I did not think 
 anything would avail. But they pleaded very ear- 
 nestly, and, feeling sorry for them as, well as the 
 child, I finally said they could bring him in if they 
 would do just as I directed and every one but the 
 mother and father go home. 
 
 They were very ready to do all I wished. For 
 hours I sat near him, using the simple remedies that 
 I knew for that disease. To our great joy he at 
 last began to breathe better, and finally quite recov- 
 ered. After a few weeks his happy and grateful 
 parents took him home. 
 
 For a long time I had been trying to get some 
 war shields to send to America, but had found it 
 almost impossible to secure such as I wished. The 
 father learned of this. One day, weeks afterward, 
 I saw him coming wdth four or five of his tribe. 
 Each had a beautiful shield in his hand. All came 
 dancing and shaking their shields as they do when 
 they go to their chief with some important message. 
 As they came near they handed them to me, asking 
 me to accept them. The father made a brief speech 
 of thanks, because of what we had done in saving 
 the life of his child. He and many of his tribe have 
 since become Christians. The government has now 
 made him the chief man to look after the secular 
 affairs of the station. 
 
 While living at Esidumbini, two strange and dread- 
 ful calamities came into the country and extended 
 over all South Africa. One was rinderpest, which 
 
240 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 destroyed thousands and thousands of cattle, as well 
 as some kinds of the wild animals. It was fine 
 grazing land at our station ; hundreds of cattle were 
 owned both by the Christians and heathen people, 
 on the Reserve. All of them died ; so did my cows 
 and the oxen for my wagon, save two. An English 
 neighbour, seven miles away, had taken my cattle 
 to his ranch, to innoculate them with serum, as had 
 been prescribed by the noted specialist, Dr. Koch, 
 who had been called from Germany to South Africa 
 by the government, to see if anything could be done 
 to check the terrible plague. It would suddenly 
 appear in a herd that had not been within miles 
 of any other. The air or insects seemed to carry 
 the infection. The natives were so dependent on 
 their cattle for milk and meat, the loss to them was 
 very great, as well as to the white colonists. 
 
 The other great calamity was locusts, in 1895. 
 Never before had they been in the country since the 
 arrival of our missionaries. I had not even learned 
 the Zulu name for them, when a native came to tell 
 me that a few had been seen not far away; but it 
 was not not long before we knew only too well, the 
 name and its meaning. They appeared to us to 
 come from the east. Two or three miles from the 
 station towards the sea, was a high ridge. We always 
 first saw them coming, on the horizon, just over 
 that ridge. Where they started from no one could 
 tell; suddenly they would appear, swarms and 
 swarms of them, darkening the sky. The swarms 
 varied in size. The largest one I saw was over 
 three hours in passing, like a great thick, black 
 
ESIDUMBINI ROCKS 241 
 
 moving cloud ; then gradually it grew lighter. When 
 they came we made every possible effort to keep 
 them from lighting. We built fires near the gardens 
 of material that would make plenty of smoke, used 
 everything we could get hold of that would make 
 a noise, such as horns, tin dishes, and the voices 
 of the school children. They would crack very long 
 whips, near the orange trees, and usually kept them 
 from lighting on those. Sweet potato tops and the 
 leaves of a few trees, they would not eat; but corn, 
 most vegetables, and leaves that they liked, they 
 would completely devour when they lighted for a 
 few hours. It was very difficult to make them rise, 
 if they once stopped. They destroyed a nice field 
 of about five acres of corn for us, one year. It 
 being a very hot day, we did not get a start on them 
 before they settled. 
 
 The government paid the people for collecting the 
 eggs, which were usually laid at each place where 
 they lighted. Tons of them were gathered and de- 
 stroyed the first year they came, but it did very 
 little good. Larger and larger swarms continued 
 to appear for two or three years, then grew smaller. 
 I do not know if a swarm occasionally appears there 
 now or not. We usually saved our orange trees 
 and the garden and corn. The very large swarm that 
 I mentioned did not come down near us, but plenty 
 of others did. 
 
XXI 
 
 NOHAULA AND UMASUKU 
 
 " ^^ AST thy bread upon the waters for thou 
 m shalt find it after many days." 
 
 ^^ We started a Sunday service under a 
 
 tree about four miles from the station, and soon 
 after began a day school for the children. It was 
 not many months before we induced the people to 
 help build a school-house where services and school 
 could be held. 
 
 Living near was a heathen man, Nohaula by name, 
 about sixty years of age, who appeared greatly in- 
 terested and ready to do anything that he could to 
 help and encourage the work. He did not dress in 
 a civilized way, yet there was something unusual 
 in his quiet manner and the eager expression of his 
 face. I knew nothing of his history. 
 
 From the first the services on Sunday and the 
 day school were well attended, as was a mid-week 
 service. It may have been a year after we started 
 work at that place, when Nohaula began to wear 
 civilized clothes. He then told me, to my great 
 surprise, that he could read. I found he read the 
 Testament well and knew a good deal of its truths. 
 
 Never before had he hinted to me of that knowl- 
 edge. He said when he was large enough to herd 
 cattle he came to live with Mr. and Mrs. Tyler. 
 
 243 
 
NOHAULA AND UMASUKU 243 
 
 While there he learned to read and to understand 
 a great deal about Christianity. He saw that it was 
 good, and thought he, too, would like to be a Chris- 
 tian. He returned to his home at an age when the 
 society of other young people lured him to their 
 dances and beer drinks. All his environments were 
 heathen. When still a young man his father died, 
 and he was left head of the kraal, inheriting the 
 cattle and property. The tribe did not wish him to 
 be a Christian, and he, having plenty of cattle, they 
 almost compelled him to take more than one wife. 
 He tried to shake off the influence of what he had 
 been taught at the station and forget it all by plung- 
 ing into heathen ways, dances, and beer drinks, but 
 he could not do so. Again and again it would come 
 to him like a message that he was unable to get 
 away from, and many times kept him awake at night. 
 As years went by, the meshes of heathenism wound 
 about him, making it more and more difficult to 
 extricate himself. Never, said he, during all those 
 long years of heathenism, had he doubted the truth 
 of that which Mr. and Mrs. Tyler had taught him. 
 As he grew to be an old man, in the silence of his 
 heart there whs a constant yearning to live a Chris- 
 tian life and have his children taught. The " uvalo," 
 which, as I think I have before explained, means 
 more than the word conscience does in English, 
 would not be silenced. When we began to have 
 services near his home a ray of hope and gladness 
 returned to him. He rejoiced to again hear the 
 truth and to have his people taught. He commenced 
 to read the Testament and to pray God to help and 
 
244 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 forgive him. At that time he had two wives. They 
 also went to the services and their children, who 
 were not grown up, to the school. The wives and 
 children began to dress in a civilized way. One of 
 them came to me and said, " We all want to be 
 Christians and we want Nohaula to join the church, 
 which he cannot do with two wives, nor can we, 
 as the wives of one husband. So we have talked it 
 over, and because I wish to be a Christian, I shall 
 be happy to go with my children and live by our- 
 selves. Nohaula will build us a house and give us 
 land for gardens and some cows, so that we may 
 have milk. You see, Inkosazana, that will free us 
 all. We can then be Christians and join the 
 church." 
 
 This was done and for two or three years they 
 were instructed in the inquirers' class, looked after, 
 and helped in other ways. In the meantime, quite a 
 serious epidemic broke out among the people there, 
 which was caused by impure water from a spring 
 where the cattle drank in the dry season. A number 
 of persons died, including a daughter of Nohaula 
 and a brother. The daughter was a very promising 
 girl, nearly grown, who was getting on nicely in 
 school, and we hoped had become a Christian. I 
 feared that the epidemic would rouse the supersti- 
 tion of the people, hinder the work, and discourage 
 Nohaula and those who were beginning to live in 
 the light. Oh, if we had faith to trust God more 
 often, when the way seems clouded and the path not 
 plain, how much worry and unhappiness we would 
 save ourselves ! 
 
NOHAULA AND UMASUKU 245 
 
 Nohaula sent almost daily to us for medicine and 
 advice, but urged that I must not come to them, as 
 he feared I, too, might take the disease. He him- 
 self became very ill, but was conscious all the time 
 and sent word that he was trusting God and thank- 
 ful that he knew they were not forgotten by Him. 
 As soon as he was able to walk, while still appear- 
 ing very weak and feeble, he came to see me. He 
 spoke of the native pastor's visits, of their grati- 
 tude for what he and others had done for them, also 
 of God's presence and mercy in all their trials. 
 He told us of his daughter's death. How she 
 seemed to feel the dreadfulness of sin in the sight 
 of God, yet that Jesus was able to save all who 
 trusted in Him. She said, " Dear Lord Jesus, I 
 am not afraid to die. Let me, I pray Thee, die now 
 while all these people are about, so they may see 
 that I do truly trust Thee and long to be with Thee." 
 Again she said to the people, "Weep not for me; 
 weep for yourselves that you do not repent and be- 
 lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, Lord, help 
 them to believe." They raised her up; she looked 
 steadfastly toward Heaven and said, " Lord Jesus 
 come for me now that I may be a witness for Thee." 
 As she looked away and did not again speak, they 
 laid her down, but she had gone from the pain- 
 racked body, gone from the wailing heathen friends, 
 gone from the humble home, to the home of many 
 mansions. 
 
 The father said that no joy had ever come to him 
 so great as when he thought that his child had died 
 Relieving on the Lord Jesus Christ, and now saw 
 
246 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Him face to face in heaven. He finished by saying, 
 " The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away ; 
 blessed be the name of the Lord." 
 
 Nohaula was gentle in manner, intelligent, with a 
 bright, peaceful face. The Bible became more and 
 more dear to him. He got some glasses and they 
 aided him very much in reading. He was so earnest 
 and practical it was helpful to hear him talk or pray. 
 Before he and the wife he was living with united 
 with the church we asked them to stand up before 
 the congregation, and there promise to accept each 
 other as man and wife, in a Christian way, agreeing 
 that as long as they were living they would conform 
 to that rule. This they were very much pleased to 
 do. It was a pleasant little ceremony, closing with 
 a prayer. Years before they had been married, ac- 
 cording to the heathen customs, with a license from 
 the English government, and could not get another 
 to be re-married. 
 
 I do not think that any one often lives a more 
 blameless life than Nohaula did, after he became a 
 Christian. He had many severe trials of sickness 
 and death in his family, with losses of property. 
 Finally a serious rebellion of some of the people 
 was brought about against the government, by a 
 chief who was joined by a few other chiefs. Nohaula 
 was never accused, in any way, of being connected 
 with it; was old and feeble. The government had 
 given him a white flag. The English soldiers were 
 passing near. He went to his door and waved the 
 flag. One of them shot at him, badly wounding his 
 
NOHAULA AND UMASUKU 247 
 
 ear. He fell on the grass and they did not shoot at 
 him again. 
 
 I will quote a few extracts from a letter he sent 
 me here in America. " Inkosazana, I am well in 
 my body although I am not with much strength, but 
 in the way of the Lord I am truly happy all the 
 time. I love to dwell in His strength and do any- 
 thing that I can for Him while I live. I try to tell 
 the people of God and His love for them, but my 
 strength is small and not sufficient for what I long 
 to do. How greatly I blame myself that I threw 
 away time given me when I was young and strong, 
 and then turned my back on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 who afterward brought me in mercy to Himself. 
 Now I gladly give all that I am and have to the 
 Lord and beg Him to forgive and strengthen me to 
 work for Him. We are still alive, but there is much 
 trouble in our country. We are sustained by the 
 word of the Lord. I was saved from the soldiers. 
 My ear was hit by a bullet while I was standing 
 near my door with the white flag in my hand. An 
 English soldier shot at me. I am too old to run 
 much and fell in the grass. They did not shoot at 
 me again. Oh, Inkosazana, pray for our country 
 and our chiefs. Do not forget us though you are 
 far away. If you could only come back to us ! We 
 need you and remember you always." 
 
 Once when the Rev. Mr. Fernie was preaching at 
 a large sunrise meeting in our church, I noticed in 
 the audience a middle-aged intelligent Zulu man, 
 whom I had not before seen. He appeared to be 
 much interested in what was being said. The 
 
248 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 preacher used as an illustration the most prized of 
 Zulu war weapon, an assagai. He spoke of the 
 pains a man took to keep it always bright and quite 
 free from spot or tarnish, never failing, so long as 
 he was able, to give it proper care, and at his death 
 his eldest son received it to keep and care for as 
 his father had taught him. Said the speaker, " While 
 so much attention is given a lifeless object, why does 
 a person not care for his soul, which is of such 
 great value and can live forever, is his very self, 
 that thinks and knows and understands? A man's 
 soul is given to him by the great God, to care for 
 and keep untarnished, yet he will allow it to become 
 spotted and corrupted by evil thoughts and ways 
 that he does not try to remove. He remembers to 
 keep his assagai bright, and forgets his soul. 
 
 " Life here may be short, but this is not the end ; 
 there is another land, the land of peace and joy, the 
 home of God, where all may live whose souls have 
 been made pure by following and trusting the great 
 Guide and Saviour, Jesus Christ. He came from 
 heaven to earth to show the way so that all who will 
 may find it. This book. His book, tells us about it. 
 Come, come, and learn of Him to care for your 
 souls." When the meeting closed I hastened down 
 the aisle to see and speak with the stranger who 
 had seemed so interested. He said he was very glad 
 to hear the sermon and would come again. He spoke 
 of his soul and wished the tarnish could be removed, 
 as he was tired of sin and heathenism. 
 
 He came to church once, after that, then a long 
 time passed before I saw him again. I did not re- 
 
NOHAULA AND UMASUKU 249 
 
 member his name, or know just the place where his 
 kraal was, although I knew the direction and that 
 it was four or five miles away. One day I had been 
 to a kraal meeting a few miles from us, when re- 
 turning in my wagonette we saw several heathen 
 women come out of a wooded kloof near the road. 
 They had heavy, long bundles of small sticks of fire- 
 wood, bound together, which they earned on their 
 heads. We were going up a hill and they hastened 
 to overtake us. We stopped to talk with them. 
 One, as she came panting up with her load said 
 -Why do you not have a meeting at our kraal. 
 We see you going to many places, but you do not 
 come to us. My husband is very ill he great y 
 wishes to see you ; will you not come ? She showed 
 me where they lived. I said, '' The hill is so steep and 
 long to get up to your place I could not go with my 
 wagonette, and it is too hard for me to walk ther 
 while the weather is hot; but when it is cooler I will 
 ride to the foot of the hill and then walk to see you, 
 your husband, and others at your home." It was not 
 long before there was a cool day when Miss Mc- 
 Cornack and I could go to see them. I did not 
 know that I had ever seen the sick man, although 
 his wife said he had been to church before he was 
 ill and had seen me. 
 
 When we reached the kraal, they took us to a 
 large, well-built, neatly-kept hut; the sick man was 
 on a mat with nice blankets over him. He looked 
 very ill and emaciated, but I recognized him as the 
 man who seemed so interested when Mr. Fernie 
 used the illustration about the care of an assagai. 
 
250 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Although looking very ill, he was perfectly con- 
 scious and his intelligent face was almost radiant as 
 he welcomed us and began to ask that we tell him 
 more about Jesus. He said, " A long time ago I 
 heard about Him, when Mr. Tyler lived at Esidum- 
 bini, I knew that what I heard must be true, but I 
 drifted back into heathen ways and let the spots of 
 sin grow larger and larger on my soul, but I did not 
 forget what I learned at the station and many times 
 have been troubled when I remembered how far I 
 was living from God and His light. Then I heard 
 that wonderful sermon about the assagai and the 
 ' uvalo ' of my heart became great with sorrow 
 and the desire to find the Saviour. My disease in- 
 creased so that I could not go to church ; my strength 
 grew less and less until I am as you see me. I 
 hoped you would come here, when I heard you went 
 to other kraals, but you did not. Now you have 
 come, oh tell me of God and of His Son, Jesus 
 Christ, coming into the world. Please read from 
 His book and pray to Him for me, that the tarnish 
 of my soul may be taken away." 
 
 His active, eager mind made it not difficult to 
 explain the truth and read to him. He seemed to 
 comprehend and grasp every word. When I ex- 
 pressed the fear that he was tired, he insisted he was 
 not and would not be if I talked till the sun went 
 down. That day stands out in my memory with the 
 brightest ones of my African life. His grown-up 
 married sons took care of him and seemed to antici- 
 pate every wish of their father. They, with the 
 heathen wives of the sick man, eagerly listened as 
 
NOHAULA AND UMASUKU 251 
 
 we talked and heard him say he was sorry to have 
 turned away from God and Hved a useless heathen 
 life ; how he greatly desired that his wives and chil- 
 dren should become Christians, and a school-house 
 be built in that neighbourhood, so the children could 
 be taught, and services held on Sunday. His name 
 was Umasuku. 
 
 I went to see him two or three times. He had 
 Bright's disease and lingered for several weeks, often 
 in great pain, which we could do little to relieve. Mr. 
 Fernie was able to pay us a short visit and go to 
 see him. The native pastor, too, went a number of 
 times. The sick man greatly appreciated such visits. 
 His earnest faith in the Saviour, who could remove 
 the tarnish from his soul and give him peace, joy, 
 and forgiveness, was very real to him as the bread 
 of life which alone could satisfy his hunger. He 
 often urged his family and friends to become Chris- 
 tians and build a school-house. He bore his pain 
 patiently to the last and died a peaceful, trustful 
 death. 
 
 His sons came to ask me how the funeral should 
 be conducted ; they did not wish to have any heathen 
 rites, and begged me to say just how I would like 
 to have it arranged. It took place next day, not far 
 from his former home. A coffin had been procured 
 from some distance ; when it was Ibwered into the 
 well-dug grave they put in a few things, according 
 to their ancient custom, as I had before told them to 
 do if they wished. I noticed one old heathen wife 
 quietly moaning off by herself because they would 
 not let her put in a garment that he had worn. I 
 
252 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 told her to bring it and we saw that she put it in. 
 A very large number of people, mostly heathen, 
 gathered at the grave, where the native pastor, Mr. 
 Sivetye, conducted the services and preached an 
 excellent sermon. Some of the Christian people 
 were present and sang two or three hymns. It was 
 a bright, pleasant day, and I can still remember the 
 extensive view from that hill top, with the many 
 heathen kraals to be seen, where little was known 
 of the Gospel which had given such comfort and hope 
 to the man whose body we were laying to rest. We 
 prayed that the light which had come to him might 
 shine in the hearts of many who stood about that 
 grave. The family and friends appeared to appre- 
 ciate the Christian funeral, and expressed much 
 gratitude to us for all we had done to help them. 
 
 The school-house was built in that neighbourhood, 
 services were held, and the children taught. Some 
 of the family became Christians before I returned 
 to America, and I trust others of them also have 
 found the Light that does not fail. 
 
XXII 
 THE LEADER OF THE CHOIR 
 
 WHEN I was living at Umvoti, a somewhat 
 civilized man came to see me, bringing his 
 little son, then about seven years of age. 
 The father did not look well, and the child seemed 
 delicate, but had a very nice, interesting face. I 
 knew them and the mother, who was a Christian, 
 and at that time ill with consumption. The father 
 said that he, the mother, and the boy had together 
 talked it over and all wished me to take him to live 
 at the Mission Home, so that he could be cared for, 
 taught, and learn what was right. Then taking his 
 hand, he put it into mine and begged me to keep 
 him. For a long time I had been interested in the 
 child, and so said he might stay. 
 
 Their home was not far away and he could often 
 go to see his mother. She did not live long after 
 that, but when I saw her expressed much gratitude 
 that I had taken her little son and would care for 
 him. She was a quiet, gentle woman, and had tried 
 to live a Christian life, although sickness, poverty, 
 and other things had been a heavy burden for her. 
 
 One of my Bible women, Tetise, was a distant 
 relative of hers, and had been a comfort and guide 
 to her. The father also died, not more than a year 
 or two after the mother's death, so the little boy, 
 
 253 
 
254 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 whose name was " Ngazana," had no one to care 
 for him but myself. 
 
 In school he was quick to learn, yet was strangely 
 quiet and talked very little. His eyes were bright, 
 but at times he seemed to have a dreamy, far-away 
 look, which I could not understand, although I felt 
 quite sure that he was contented and happy. I asked 
 friends, who had known him from a child, why he 
 was so quiet, talked so little, and did not care to 
 play with the other children. They said, " He is 
 not strong, and it is just his way." I never remember 
 hearing him sing with others, or alone, until he was 
 quite a large boy. I was at the sea beach for a few 
 days and took him with me, to help the girl in the 
 kitchen. He was very much pleased to go, and ready 
 to do all that was required of him. 
 
 When the work was done, he would go to the 
 beach and lie on the sand, watching the waves and 
 sky. I now think it was the music of the sea, which, 
 at such times, often made the dreamy, far-away look 
 come into his eyes. One day I said to him, " Nga- 
 zana, what are you thinking about when you lie 
 here half dreaming, alone?" He sat up, smiled, as 
 a bright, happy look came into his face, and said, 
 " Oh, Inkosazana, nothing, just nothing, I cannot 
 tell. I do not know. I do not know how to tell." 
 Again and again I would ask him something like 
 that, and he would give much the same answer. I 
 knew he was intelligent and getting on fast in his 
 books, but he puzzled me greatly. 
 
 He had a gentle, kind disposition. When about 
 twelve years of age, he talked more and seemed 
 

THE LEADER OF THE CHOIR 255 
 
 stronger, but was not yet very robust. He began to 
 develop a sweet voice for singing. Soon he could 
 read music, and his voice steadily improved. When 
 about fifteen, he had made such progress at the 
 Station Day School, I decided to send him to the 
 Boys' Training School of our Mission, at Aman- 
 zimtoti. There, he soon won the love of the teachers 
 and pupils. He became more sociable, and made 
 rapid progress in music, as well as in other studies. 
 
 After a few years he taught, and earned money 
 to continue his studies, then finally went to the 
 Scotch Mission School at Lovedale, which is about 
 five hundred miles from Natal. He made good use 
 of all those opportunities. 
 
 When he returned home, our mission employed 
 him to teach in the Boys' Training School. Some 
 time before, he had united with the church, and his 
 Christian influence over the boys was good and help- 
 ful. Besides, he was an excellent teacher in that 
 school, which is one of the best in South Africa, for 
 the Zulus. His voice and taste in music continued 
 to develop, with the culture which he received, so 
 it was very apparent to us all that he had more than 
 an ordinary gift in music, as well as the gift of teach- 
 ing it to others. 
 
 In 191 1, the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Ameri- 
 can Board's Mission to South Africa, was celebrated 
 in Natal. It wss a great event, not only for mis- 
 sionaries and natives, but many English friends and 
 officials helped to carry out the programme. Large 
 meetings were held at Inanda and other mission 
 stations, when thousands of Christian natives assem- 
 
256 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 bled and took part in the various exercises, with 
 missionaries of other societies, as well as our own. 
 
 An exhibition was held in Durban, the seaport town 
 of Natal, where the work of uncivilized natives was 
 shown, which came from many parts of South 
 Africa ; much of it being rare, finely done, and very 
 interesting to see. At the same time, there was an 
 exhibition of the industrial and educational work of 
 the Christian natives, and copies of the many books 
 published in Zulu and other South African languages, 
 by various societies and our own, all of which 
 astonished those who, before then, had known very 
 little of what is being done at mission schools and 
 stations, of carpentry, cabinet and shoemaking, tailor- 
 ing, dressmaking, fancy work, laundry, housework, 
 agriculture, gardening, tree planting, building, as well 
 as preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
 A school with its teacher, was also one of the ex- 
 hibits. The exhibition was kept open the third day, 
 at the urgent request of many Europeans in the 
 city. 
 
 The greatest event of the anniversary was the pub- 
 lic meeting in the town hall, when the Governor-Gen- 
 eral of South Africa, Lord Gladstone, the son of the 
 former Premier of England, came up from Cape 
 Town, a thousand miles, to Natal, and was chairman 
 of that meeting. He was supported on the platform 
 by Senators, Members of Parliament, officers of the 
 municipality, ministers, and missionaries, while the 
 great choir of three hundred and fifty native young 
 men and women made a solid bank of black faces 
 in the orchestra at the back of the platform. The 
 
THE LEADER OF THE CHOIR 257 
 
 girls were dressed in white, with a Httle pink or 
 blue at waist and neck, and the boys wore black 
 suits. The leader of that great orchestra was Mr. 
 Ngazana Lutule, the quiet little Zulu boy, who, years 
 before, loved to lie half dreaming on the seashore, 
 listening to the waves. He had trained this choir, 
 going from station to station, long distances from 
 each other, and never having it together in Durban 
 only two or three days before the meeting. 
 
 The town hall is a large, beautiful building, 
 which cost £350,000 or $1,750,000. Before 
 the hour set for the meeting the doors of the 
 auditorium had to be closed, as every seat of the 
 three thousand was occupied, mostly by white peo- 
 ple, while hundreds were standing. (I quote from 
 newspapers, letters, reports, etc.) The meeting 
 opened with the singing of " Crown Him," to the 
 tune of '' Diadem," and from the first the choir 
 captivated the vast audience. Responsive to every 
 movement of the baton, they sang with magnificent 
 time, power, and expression. The perfect control 
 of the conductor over them was really wonderful. 
 
 Before any speeches, a committee of native minis- 
 ters, in the name of sixty thousand Christian natives, 
 presented to His Excellency, the Governor-General, 
 a splendidly illuminated address, expressing their 
 loyalty to the King of England, and their apprecia- 
 tion of what had been done for them by the govern- 
 ment and by the missionaries ; after which the choir 
 gave the Zulu salute, '' Bayete." 
 
 The Governor-General, the Bishop of Natal, Dr. 
 Patton, from the Board in Boston, and the Rev. 
 
258 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 John Dube, a Zulu pastor (who spoke in excellent 
 English), all gave fine addresses. The speeches were 
 interspersed with selections from the choir, most 
 beautifully rendered. The enthusiasm of the audi- 
 ence had grown, as one selection after another was 
 sung, and, although many were unable to get seats 
 and had stood through the evening, yet scarcely 
 one could be induced to leave, until the last number 
 was given. Just before the close and " God Save the 
 King," they sang two selections so finely, " Trust Ye 
 in the Mighty God," and, " Who Are These in White 
 Array?" that there was scarcely a dry eye in the 
 room. Lord Gladstone, before leaving the platform, 
 shook hands with the director, expressing most hearty 
 thanks and appreciation of what the choir had ac- 
 complished under his direction. 
 
XXIII 
 RETURN TO AMERICA 
 
 ABOUT the time that we had such serious ill- 
 ness at Esidumbini, Miss Laura Mellen was 
 on her way to join our mission. When 
 reaching Natal she was appointed to Esidumbini. 
 Her parents having been missionaries of the Ameri- 
 can Board to the Zulus, in former years, she was 
 born in South Africa, but had been away from the 
 country, in America, more than twenty years, and 
 needed to study the language. However, she kindly 
 consented to go with Miss Crocker to Esidumbini 
 and there study and help in the work as she could. 
 It was a great comfort that these ladies were willing 
 to do that, as it was necessary for me to be away 
 from the station for some time. When I did return, 
 although improved in health, my strength and nerves 
 were unable to bear the strain of work and care as 
 before. I remained about two years longer, and 
 then, deeply regretting to do so, felt compelled to 
 give up the work and return to America. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Thompson were going home for 
 their first furlough. They came down to Natal, and 
 we went together, by way of the East Coast. At 
 that time there was a fine line of German steamers, 
 as well as one or two other lines, on that coast. For 
 
 259 
 
2G0 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 a number of years after I went to Africa, there 
 were no regular steamers going that way. 
 
 We took a German ship and were four weeks from 
 Natal to Port Said, as we stopped a number of tim.es 
 at interesting, and to me, new places, to take on cargo. 
 We were three days at Zanzibar, taking on tons of 
 cloves, ivory, rubber, and other exports. 
 
 As our ship neared that strange old Mohammedan 
 city of 200,000 people, which is built on an island, 
 it looked like a fairy-land in the bright sunlight, 
 which, reflecting on the water, made brilliant tints 
 from the seaweed and corals in the bay. 
 
 Miles of the streets are very narrow, not wide 
 enough for a carriage ; the houses are close together 
 and high, so that glimpses of the sky can only be 
 seen far above you. It is interesting to visit the 
 shops ; they are so small you do not often go in, but 
 stand outside at the window, the sill serving as a 
 counter. 
 
 One must have a guide in going about, or soon be 
 lost in the labyrinth of narrow streets. At the wharf 
 were a number of men and boys, ready for a job. 
 They could not speak much English, or other lan- 
 guage than Arabic ; but they all had foreign names, 
 such as King Edward, Kaiser, George Washington, 
 and many others. We took George Washington. 
 
 There is a very fine and well-equipped English hos- 
 pital, with an English mission church near, that are 
 built on the ground where the old slave market used 
 to be, when slaves were sold and shipped to America. 
 The hospital is high, and so built that there is an open 
 space of four or five feet between the outer wall 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 261 
 
 and the roof, which makes a cooler and more sightly 
 place for some of the living rooms. A number of 
 offices and European buildings were built in that 
 way, as also the Sultan's palace. One would think 
 the roofs might easily be blown off, but we were told 
 they were not; although only a short time before, 
 the roof of the Sultan's palace had been partly 
 blown off by English guns, because he would not 
 keep the agreement made with that government. 
 
 He was an exile in German East Africa, and, when 
 our ship was at anchor at Dar-es-Salaam, he came 
 off to it to attend a " hop " given one evening on the 
 deck. There he sat, beautifully robed in his flow- 
 ing garments, decked with costly jewels, never 
 smiling and scarcely moving or speaking all the 
 evening. 
 
 In a corner where two of the less narrow streets 
 met and the houses were not quite so near and loft>', 
 was a little Mohammedan school of fifteen or twenty 
 children, with their white-robed teacher, all right in 
 that corner of the street. He had a long stick which 
 he used a good deal in his zeal to show off his pupils 
 to us. They all seemed to be reading aloud at the 
 same time, and if one stopped, the stick reminded 
 him to go on. A few had small books, parts of tlie 
 Koran, which they were reading, others had cards, 
 while quite a number held in their hands the flat 
 shoulder blade of an ox or cow. on which their les- 
 son was printed. On such tablets, tradition says, 
 Mohammed first wrote parts of the Koran. 
 
 From Natal, until we reached the Red Sea, no 
 heavier covering than a cotton sheet was required 
 
262 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 for the bed. We were twelve hours going through 
 the Suez Canal. The charge for toll on our large 
 steamer was much greater than we had supposed 
 was ever paid for any ship passing through, even if 
 much larger than ours. 
 
 We found we could leave our luggage at Port 
 Said and stop over a steamer, without extra expense 
 from the voyage on to Naples. We did so, and went 
 to Palestine. It was only a few hours' journey by 
 steamer to Joppa ; from there we proceeded by rail 
 to Jerusalem. The weather was very chilly and the 
 stone houses cold, with little means of warming 
 them. There was a slight fall of snow, it being the 
 month of February. I felt the sudden change of 
 weather greatly, and was obliged to stay in bed 
 some days, when the others were sightseeing. But 
 there were warmer days, and when better, I went 
 with our party to see much that is there to see and 
 enjoy. 
 
 We journeyed up the coast by steamer, stopping 
 off at Haifa to visit Galilee; then returned and 
 took another steamer to Beirout, where we greatly 
 enjoyed meeting the American missionaries, seeing 
 something of the work of the Presbyterian Board 
 there and that wonderful Beirout College, which was 
 opened in 1866 as a Christian interdenominational 
 institution and has seven departments. The instruc- 
 tion and administration corps numbers eighty people, 
 of whom forty are American professors. Its two 
 thousand graduates occupy positions of influence as 
 civil and military physicians and pharmacists, physi- 
 cians of military and general hospitals, judges, teach- 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 263 
 
 ers, preachers, educators, authors and merchants. By 
 rail we went to Damascus. On the way, in the higher 
 altitude, we found quite deep snow. I think I never 
 felt the cold more than I did at Jerusalem and 
 Damascus. Not that the temperature was so ex- 
 tremely low, but there was a strange chill in the 
 air, which one felt to his very bones, in the un- 
 healed houses. We returned to Beirout and took 
 a steamer to Port Said, where we met our ship, which 
 took us on to Naples. 
 
 After spending ten days there and at Rome, where 
 Dr. Thompson took most of his time to see and 
 consult with Dr. Grassi, who has done so much to 
 find out the relation of mosquitoes to malaria, we 
 took a steamer direct from Naples tO' New York, 
 crossing our former line of travel on the West coast 
 and so completing the circuit of Africa. 
 
 When I left Natal, Miss Mellen had made good 
 progress in the Zulu language and gained a knowl- 
 edge of the work. She and Miss Crocker continued 
 at Esidumbini the rest of the year, when they went 
 to another part of the field. Since then three mis- 
 sionaries and their wives have, at different times, 
 been stationed there for longer or shorter periods. 
 
 Mr. Sivetye remained at the station for a number 
 of years, then accepted a call to another station of 
 our mission. About two years after that he died of 
 pneumonia. To the last he remained a loyal and 
 faithful servant in the Master's vineyard, a wise 
 counsellor, a true friend, and a peacemaker, when- 
 ever it was possible for him to be so and maintain 
 that which was just and right. His death was deeply 
 
264 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 mourned in the mission and by many who knew him. 
 
 After I came to America, as long as he was able 
 to write, he sent me frequent and very interesting 
 letters, telling much that he knew I would be glad 
 to hear in regard to the people and work. The ladies 
 at Inanda and others of our missionaries, have been 
 most kind in writing to me, yet they cannot keep 
 track of the people at Umvoti and Esidumbini to tell 
 me of them as he used to. I miss his letters very 
 much. When dying his last words were, " For me 
 to live is Christ, and to die is gain." 
 
 There have been a great many changes in the mis- 
 sion, with trying hindrances from various sources, 
 yet there is a steady growth in adherents, evangelistic 
 work, and education. 
 
 From the first, as soon as a station was started 
 by the mission, a day school was commenced. All 
 such schools are now taught by natives. A boys' 
 training school was begun at Amanzimtoti, in 1853, 
 with Rev. D. Rood in charge. That school has de- 
 veloped into a fine commodious and practical institu- 
 tion that is doing untold good in the country under 
 the supervision of Rev. A. E. LeRoy. 
 
 The Girls' Boarding School opened in 1869, at 
 Inanda, by Mrs. Mary K. Edwards, who, as before 
 stated, was the first lady to be sent to any field by 
 the Women's Board of our society. Inanda Semi- 
 nary is now the largest and highest graded school 
 for Zulu girls in South Africa. Many of those girls 
 have become teachers, pastors' wives, and eflficient 
 helpers in many parts of the country. Until 1916 the 
 school has had but two principals, Mrs. Edwards, 
 
MISS FIDELIA PHELPS 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 265 
 
 who is still living at Inanda, eighty-seven years of 
 age, and Miss Fidelia Phelps, who has been in the 
 school for over thirty years, and its efficient principal 
 for more than twenty. Miss Martha E. Price for 
 nearly forty years has been an able and devoted 
 assistant in the school ; others also have taught and 
 greatly aided in the work there. 
 
 Miss Evelyn Clark is the present principal. Mrs. 
 Edwards, while feeble in body, is still active in mind, 
 with continued interest in the work. She has visited 
 America but once since she first went to Africa. 
 After withdrawing from the principalship of the 
 school, she has, while taking some classes, devoted 
 much of her time to the agricultural department and 
 tree planting. Under her supervision the girls of the 
 school have planted many acres of wattle trees, which 
 now supply the needed firewood for the institution; 
 while orange, banana, and various fruit trees, with 
 the fields of corn, potatoes, beans, and other vegeta- 
 bles, aid much in the support of the seminary. At 
 Umzumbe there has been a smaller boarding school 
 for girls, since 1873; now under the supervision 
 of Rev. and Mrs. G. B. Cowles. Industries are 
 taught at all the boarding schools, for both boys and 
 girls, in connection with other studies. 
 
 The Theological Department of the school at 
 Amanzimtoti was kept there for many years ; but 
 has now been removed to Impolweni, a station of the 
 Scotch Presbyterian Church, where our mission unite 
 with that society in this department of work and they 
 with ours in the Boys' Seminary at Amanzimtoti. 
 
 At the latter place our mission also has a growing 
 
266 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 Normal School which is sending out well-trained 
 native young men and women with certificates from 
 the government as teachers for the various Zulu 
 schools. The English government give grants to 
 aid in supporting the boarding schools and graded 
 day schools. All are under the supervision of a 
 specially appointed government inspector, who is a 
 member of our own mission. In connection with 
 extensive work for the natives, by our Society in 
 Durban, the seaport town of Natal, there is also 
 tinder the able supervision of J. B. McCord, M. D., 
 a medical department and hospital which has a broad 
 and most beneficial influence, not only there, but 
 throughout the entire mission. 
 
 From a letter of recent date, written by one of the 
 Zulu mission, I quote a few extracts : 
 
 " Our American Board missions are strategically 
 located and doing a splendid work. Their great school 
 system is reaching out to its thousands. The Normal 
 Training School cannot supply enough teachers for 
 the demand. The same is true of the Theological 
 School. There is a great need for native ordained 
 pastors. This need is partially traceable to the lack of 
 adequate missionary supervision. The work is too 
 large for the missionaries on the field. The call has 
 been so great they have spread themselves over a 
 greater territory than they can overlook, unless the 
 mission is reinforced. At present they are compelled 
 to leave unlooked after and undone that which would 
 greatly add to the growth and spiritual strength of 
 the work." 
 
 Fields opened up by our mission in Durban, 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 267 
 
 Johannesburg, Pretoria, Zululand, Rhodesia, Beira, 
 and other places, have now grown into substantial 
 and far-reaching centres of mission work. 
 
 Dr. F. B. Bridgeman, in charge of the Johannes- 
 burg field, and who has been called to America this 
 year to aid in the campaign of the Laymen's Mis- 
 sionary Movement, says : 
 
 " The story of the Transvaal gold fields reads like 
 fiction. Only thirty years ago a typical Boer in 
 Johannesburg, discovered that the rocky ledges which 
 crop up here and there in those rolling uplands con- 
 tained gold. At that time thousands of acres could 
 be purchased for the value of seven or eight yoke of 
 oxen. To-day this land is sold by the foot, as in 
 New York or Chicago. Where roamed herds of 
 antelope, there has arisen a modem city. In the 
 background, stretching thirty miles east and thirty 
 miles west, there are the mines, marked by belching 
 smokestacks and the pyramidal mounds of ' tailings ' 
 (waste rock) glistening in the sunlight. The effect 
 of the war has been to stimulate the gold industry. 
 The mines are now yielding $15,000,000 each month 
 for the replenishment of Britain's war chest. Forty 
 per cent, of the world's gold comes from this region. 
 Greater Johannesburg, popularly called ' The Rand,' 
 with its nearly half-million inhabitants, is one of 
 the most cosmopolitan cities of the empire. The 
 Golden City is not only the financial, industrial, and 
 political hub of South Africa, but also its storm 
 centre. 
 
 " While the world's greatest gold field has been 
 developed by the; white man's brains, capital, and 
 
268 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 energy, yet these mines would have been a hopeless 
 proposition except for the bone and sinew of the 
 black man. Cheap labour was an absolute necessity 
 if gold was to be extracted on a paying basis. Hence 
 it is that nearly 300,000 Africans have been drawn 
 to the great industrial centre of Johannesburg. These 
 natives come from every point of the compass — 
 from a thousand miles south, another thousand miles 
 north right up to Lake Nyassa, eastward as far as 
 the Indian Ocean, and westward as far as the At- 
 lantic. These labourers work for a term of from 
 six to twelve months, so that in the course of a year 
 about half a million blacks come under the spell of 
 Johannesburg. Sooner or later they all return to the 
 distant village or kraal located in unknown wilds. 
 But let this be pondered, namely, that no native who 
 visits Johannesburg ever goes back to his home the 
 same man that he was. Those months in the strange 
 surroundings of city and mines have proved an edu- 
 cation. The question is, What lessons has he been 
 learning and who are the teachers? 
 
 " Johannesburg presents a unique and fascinating 
 opportunity for the rapid, widespread extension of 
 the Kingdom in Africa. The manhood of thirty tribes 
 was not brought to the gold fields for its confusion 
 and further debauchery. If the Church accepts the 
 magnificent challenge, Babel will be turned into 
 Pentecost; these tens of thousands will each year 
 scatter to their distant kraals, not emissaries of foul 
 habit and loathsome disease, but heralds of life and 
 light. That this hope is no idle fancy is abundantly 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 269 
 
 proved by what missions have already accomplished 
 at this strategic centre." 
 
 I will now briefly mention the work of other so- 
 cieties in South Africa : 
 
 The Rev. John Dube was born at Inanda Mission 
 Station, his father being the first native pastor there. 
 The son was educated in the mission and America. 
 Returning to his native land, Natal, he started the 
 Ohlanga Industrial School. It has prospered under 
 his supervision and now has over a hundred girls 
 and boys to be trained in industries and other studies. 
 He has raised money to erect commodious buildings 
 for the institution, which is also aided by a govern- 
 ment grant, and is showing himself an efficient and 
 worthy product of mission work. 
 
 The Presbyterian Church of Scotland has done 
 and is still doing an extensive and practical work 
 in many parts of South Africa. Their stations and 
 evangelistic work in Eastern Cape Colony include 
 Lovedale, a large and noted boarding school of five 
 or six hundred pupils, native young men and girls 
 from various tribes. A native unsectarian college 
 has been opened this present year, 1916, not far from 
 that institution and in sight of the handsome monu- 
 ment recently erected in memory of the late Dr. 
 James Stewart, who did so much for the natives, 
 and who is so widely remembered for his great work 
 as an educator and missionary in many parts of the 
 land. 
 
 The college stands on a beautiful elevation of land 
 where once was an old fort. There many battles 
 
270 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 in bygone days have been fought between the white 
 and the coloured people. 
 
 The English government gives a grant in aid of 
 the college, while Europeans, as well as natives, 
 have made large contributions. The natives from a 
 division of Cape Colony called the Transkein alone 
 gave $50,000 the day it was opened by General 
 Botha, the Prime Minister of United South Africa, 
 who, at a great gathering at that place, spoke in 
 most appreciative terms of the need of such an in- 
 stitution and of what had been done for the uplift 
 of the natives. 
 
 Many years the above-mentioned Scotch Society 
 has also done good work in Natal, as well as in its 
 very large and interesting mission field at Lake 
 Nyassa, which has extensive industrial and evange- 
 listic opportunity for usefulness. 
 
 Distant tribes have been reached from there, 
 among them the Ngoni, more than two hundred miles 
 from the Lake. It is a large tribe of Zulu origin, 
 and a very interesting people ; but scarcely heard of 
 forty years ago. It is about thirty-five years since 
 the missionaries first went to them from Nyassa. 
 A powerful and cruel chief then ruled the Ngoni. 
 He would not allow any of his people to be taught, 
 or influenced by the missionaries. Had he known of 
 their doing so, death would have been the penalty. 
 
 The missionaries did not go away. Secretly, late 
 at night, three men came and begged to be told of 
 the white man's God. Night after night they con- 
 tinued to come and learned to read the New Testa- 
 ment. After about three years, the tyrannical chief 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 271 
 
 was deposed and more kindly rulers took his place. 
 Then the people flocked to the missionaries to be 
 taught. Now thousands of those wild Ngoni have 
 become Christians. Several years ago there were 
 seven thousand children in the schools, and on Sun- 
 day over three hundred Christians now go out to the 
 heathen about them, to teach and preach the good 
 news of salvation. Those helpers receive no mone- 
 tary compensation whatever. 
 
 The English Wesleyans have for a century had 
 mission-stations with many adherents in South 
 Africa. That society and the Church of England, in 
 later years, frequently send missionaries to supervise 
 work for both white people and natives. When 
 they have done so the divided strength has not al- 
 ways helped the better development and extension of 
 their mission fields. To understand the native and 
 become a successful missionary, one still needs to 
 understand their language. 
 
 The Norwegian missionaries are a fine class of 
 earnest. Christian people, and have done excellent 
 work in Zululand and Natal, as has the Berlin Mis- 
 sion. The German, the Cape General, with societies 
 before mentioned, and other smaller societies, have 
 in various ways and places helped in the great work 
 for the uplift and Christianization of the Zulus. 
 
 Since 1799, the London Missionary Society has 
 done much earnest mission work for various tribes 
 of South Africa. Dr. Robert Moffat and his wife, 
 Mary, of that board, did a great work in Bechuana- 
 land. Their station was like a beacon-light in the 
 darkness, when our first missionaries arrived in the 
 
272 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 country. Those who went inland found a haven of 
 rest there for the ladies, while the gentlemen, going 
 many miles farther on, built temporary houses in 
 which the party could live, for a time. The influence 
 of Dr. Moffat and his son-in-law, Dr. David Liv- 
 ingstone, seems boundless, when one thinks of what 
 they have done for Africa. 
 
 In Rhodesia, where Cecil Rhodes lies buried, the 
 former noted cruel chief of that land, Lobengulu, 
 has died. He, his father, and grandfather before 
 him, opposed Christianity and would not receive mis- 
 sionaries. Cetewayo also, as before stated, has passed 
 on. He was the last of a noted line of Zulu warrior 
 chiefs, who cruelly oppressed their people and 
 greatly hindered civilization and Christianity in the 
 land. So it is with many others, who, Hke them, 
 were rulers in the last century. They can no longer 
 massacre whole families if one of their number be- 
 comes a Christian, nor can the Boers, in many places, 
 now beat to death, if they choose, their heathen 
 neighbours and servants, whose land and cattle they 
 have taken, while allowing them no hearing, against 
 a white man, in a so-called court of justice. 
 
 In many parts of the country good and helpful 
 laws have been made, by which the natives are gov- 
 erned, and Christianity has reached a few of the 
 dark places of the great land of Africa, that is so 
 large Christians of others nations do not realize it 
 to be five thousand miles long, and four thousand 
 four hundred broad, and that much, very much, re- 
 mains to be done. 
 
 In the more civilized parts, there are yet many 
 
RETURN TO AMERICA 273 
 
 hard and discouraging circumstances that a native 
 has to meet, which are unjust and demorahzing. The 
 greatest of these is being deprived of much of his 
 land and at the same time heavily taxed, while his 
 sons and daughters are tempted and too often cor- 
 rupted by drink and bad influences. Besides all the 
 harm which American rum has done in the past 
 century in many parts of Africa, with the increas- 
 ing quantity that is being poured into the country 
 it is doing much more now to demoralize the natives 
 and injure the good work done by the American and 
 other missionaries. Yet in many ways, as has been 
 shown, within the last century, God is remembering 
 the African people in a very marked manner. He 
 has heard their cry from the Congo to the uttermost 
 tribes of the land, where not only the hands of their 
 own chiefs, but also those of other nations, have 
 been heavy upon them. 
 
 Within the past few years Mohammedanism has 
 steadily been reaching out into every corner of 
 Africa, but natives influenced by Christianity will 
 not, I feel sure, become to any extent followers of 
 Mohammed. 
 
 Looking back over less than half a century, it is 
 difficult to realize many of the changes that have 
 come to South Africa, within that time. Not only 
 the great diamond mines of Kimberley and other 
 places, with the gold mines of Johannesburg, have 
 been discovered, but over ten thousand miles of rail- 
 road built, south of the equator, with the Cape to 
 Cairo road well on its way. 
 
 A United States of South Africa has been formed ; 
 
274 ZULU YESTERDAY AND TO-DAY 
 
 large and modern cities built and the older ones 
 improved, while the white population has now in- 
 creased to one million. 
 
 All parts of the land are open to receive civiliza- 
 tion and the Christian religion. One does not need 
 to pray for open doors ; as some one has said, " they 
 are off the hinges." We cannot know what changes 
 the great European war may make in Africa, but 
 we wait, trusting in the living God for that great 
 continent and its people, as we pray that the ter- 
 rible turmoil, now overshadowing the world, may not 
 blind the eyes of Christians, in any land, from see- 
 ing and remembering how large the need and how 
 important the present opportunity is for the enlight- 
 enment of the Dark Continent. 
 
 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
DATE DUE 
 
 PRINTED IN U.S.A. 
 
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