7 
 
 First Year amoko 
 
 on the Zambesi 
 
 IN CONTINUATION OF 
 
 FREDERICK STANLEY ARNOT. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 L'HE PUBLISHING OFFICE, 40 Sauchiehali. St 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 JAMES E. HAWKINS, 36 Baker Street, W., 
 
 AND 21 PATERNOSTER SQUARE, E.C, 
 
 Dublin: Dublin Tract Repository, io D’Olier Street, 
 
 
 ' 
 
 • J. . 
 
 
 PRICE TV/OPENCE. 
 
THE 
 
 First Year among the Barotsi 
 
 IN CONTINUATION OF 
 
 FROM NATAL TO THE UPPER ZAMBESI. 
 
 OF 
 
 FREDERICK STANLEY ARNOT. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 THE PUBLISHING OFFICE, 40 Sauchiehall St. 
 LONDON: 
 
 JAMES E. HAWKINS, 36 Baker Street, W„ 
 
 AND 21 PATERNOSTER SQUARE, E.C. 
 
 Dublin : Dublin Tract Repository, io D’Olier Street. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/firstyearamongthOOarno 
 
THE 
 
 First Year Among the Barotsi 
 
 on 
 
 IN CONTINUATION OF 
 
 FROM NATAL TO THE UPPER ZAMBESI. 
 
 (Extracts from giarg anb letters of Jf. <S. JUnot. 
 
 After twelve months of painful silence in regard to our 
 Brother F. S. Arnot, the Lord has answered prayer and 
 given us tidings of his welfare. It has been, perhaps, a 
 great kindness from the Lord that the dark picture of 
 our young friend’s first sojourn in Lealui was kept from us 
 till we should receive the bright and encouraging details 
 of the latter part of the time he has been among the 
 Barotsi. It is evident the Lord used these very months 
 of suffering, sickness, and want, to prepare the hearts of 
 the people, and by the patient sufferings of the lonely 
 foreigner to speak to them of the patient love of his 
 Master, and by seeing the miseries of sickness and want 
 endured for them,with no selfish interest to serve,tobecome 
 a something that touched the savage breast, and made 
 them feel towards him as probably they never would 
 have felt, if he had not lived and suffered among them. 
 Suffering has strange power to open the heart and draw 
 out its sympathies. Truly as the Editor of the Missionary 
 Echo writes :—“ In his simplicity of faith and steadfast¬ 
 ness of purpose, we may praise God, thanking Him for 
 past answers to prayer, and asking yet more largely. In a 
 short time our brother has probably had a deeper insight 
 into the native character than many, and his estimate of 
 the need of an apostolic /^-testimony, after the pattern 
 of i Cor. iv. 8-13, is very instructive. May God use our 
 brother’s life to shew the necessity of something far 
 deeper, and may he have his heart’s desire in seeing 
 Thessalonian converts, whose faith in the living God shall 
 sound abroad ! ” 
 
From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 We now continue extracts from the diary, which take 
 us back to 16th November, 1882, a few weeks after the 
 last communication received, dated Shesheke, 29th 
 October. These were kindly sent to us by the family of 
 our brother, to whom they were sent. 
 
 I.—ARRIVAL AND SOJOURN IN LEALUI. 
 
 Zambesi River, Nov. 16th, 1882. 
 
 I write this at the town of Matooka, a female chief? 
 who has much power, but who is under the Barotsi King- 
 I would have written a few lines every day on my way up 
 the river, but relapses of fever prevented me. 
 
 Well, to begin my tale. I arrived safely at Leshuma 
 from Panda-ma-tenka in Mr. Westbeech’s waggon, and 
 at once found men to carry my few things. The walk 
 down to the ferry (which I dreaded so much) was very 
 painful, taking the evening and morning of two days to 
 accomplish the twelve miles. We crossed all right. 
 Mbova, seven miles up the river, being my destination, 
 I bargained with the old ferryman to take me up in his 
 canoe. When the time came to start, he insisted on 
 prepayment, which he obtained. He then drew up his 
 oars and went home ! It was no use talking. Though 
 it was so late, I had to start on foot and make the besc of 
 it. On the journey I fell a long way behind my carriers, 
 who did not see me in the darkness. On and on wearily I 
 trudged, feeling my way through rough rocks and thick 
 bush, the river taking a big bend. The path lay across a 
 heavily-wooded, rocky hill. At last I met a man in 
 search of me, having lost my way. Ever since that walk 
 my legs have been almost powerless. At Mbova they 
 had to send some distance for canoes, so I had to wait 
 there four days, glad of the rest and the kindness of the 
 headman’s wife, who provided for me the best she could. 
 She is an exception among the people in that respect. 
 There I saw a poor blind child, a boy of about four years, 
 most intelligent. The parents were anxious to know if 
 he would ever get eyes ; but they are entirely gone. 
 Their custom is in such cases, when a child is grown a 
 little, and found to be useless for life, to drown it quietly, 
 or give it up for some of their human sacrifices. I asked 
 them to keep the child for me, and the next time I went 
 
Arrival and Sojourn in Lealui. 
 
 73 
 
 up the river I would take him with me. This seemed a 
 great relief to the mother. I fear I shall burden myself 
 with such like. 
 
 I was kindly received by the headmen of Shesheke. 
 One or two small presents go a long way with these men. 
 After two days the King’s boats arrived, with four 
 headmen to look after me (!), three boats and fourteen 
 boatmen, besides five boys. All this company I had to 
 provide for, for eighteen days or so. Meanwhile the head¬ 
 men demanded their payment. I gave two woollen 
 blankets to one, a shirt to another, a hat and jacket to 
 another, and only one did anything at all. I am now sadly 
 reduced in stock, and don’t know how I shall get on. If I 
 had my heavy tools with me, I could build boats. How¬ 
 ever, I am not afraid. 
 
 King’s Town, December \c)th, 1882. 
 
 I arrived here on the 20th of November, and have been 
 a sort of invalid white man ever since. We were twenty 
 six days on the way from Shesheke, instead of fourteen 
 or sixteen. The boats were chased several times by 
 hippopotami, and the boatmen had to be kept always 
 on the watch. The men got the boats safely through the 
 raging water of the rapids ; but at the Conye falls the 
 goods had to be carried by land, and they had to carry 
 me also, as my legs quite failed me. We embarked again 
 at Silomba’s town. The country was flat, and teeming 
 with cattle ; no trees, except on a range of hills in the far 
 distance on either side. The population in the Barotsi 
 Valley is thus scattered, tending the cattle. Even the 
 King’s town is small. 
 
 On my arrival, Mr. Westbeech was quickly in my hut, 
 and in a few hours the King himself came to see me. He 
 is a bright, happy-looking man, always smiling. The 
 King had built a hut for me ; but oh, the wet, damp sur¬ 
 roundings ! Water everywhere, nothing dry, except, at 
 times, my fevered tongue. Still, by this time the fever 
 was leaving me, and the after pains were setting in. 
 They continued for some weeks, laying me very flat at 
 times. 
 
 On the way I had seen a good deal of the wickedness 
 and superstition of the people ; but on the third morning 
 I saw more than I liked. A small company gathered in 
 
74 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 front of my hut, and began an animated discussion, which 
 grew hotter and hotter, and shortly a large fire was 
 kindled, and a large pot of water set on it. I was told 
 that this was a trial for witchcraft, and that the persons 
 charged (two) had to wash their hands in the water, and 
 if the skin came off after twenty-four hours, the victims 
 were to be burned alive. First one, then the other, dipped 
 his hands in the fiercely-boiling water, lifting sofne up 
 and pouring it over the wrist. Twenty-four hours told 
 its tale, and I saw the poor fellows marched off to be 
 burned before a howling, cursing crowd. Such scenes 
 are almost of daily occurrence. The King is against this, 
 but can’t stop it. 
 
 March 15 th, 1883. 
 
 Sorry I have not been able to make daily notes. It is 
 only within the last few weeks that I have felt my strength 
 returning in any measure. The first hut the King gave 
 me is now in ruins from the flood. He gave me another 
 in thg centre of the town, but it was dry for one day only. 
 One night of frightfully heavy rains flooded hut and yard, 
 and sadly, sadly wetted my small stock of goods. The 
 rain continued for days. The King could give me no dry 
 hut, so I just had to “lie to,” day after day, in that filthy 
 round hut, scarce wide enough for me to lie across, with 
 my goods rotting by my side, and a perfect swarm of rats 
 devouring everything, and running over me at night. 
 There I sat on my stool in semi-darkness, or lay day and 
 night in perfect inactivity for ten long days. At last the 
 rains ceased a bit, and I went out to seek a hut. I got 
 one from a headman, and at once entered it. It was dry 
 and comfortable ; there I remained other ten days. The 
 damp house, and about a month’s feeding on native 
 porridge (without milk), morning, noon, and night, brought 
 on an attack of dysentery ; but I cannot but recognise the 
 hand of the Lord in preserving me in such a trying 
 climate. 
 
 Towards the end of February the King and almost all 
 the people of the place removed to their summer town, 
 Amafura, to escape the water. The King invited me into 
 his large boat (made of several canoes), and perhaps two 
 thousand canoes accompanied us. At Amafura, I had 
 much discomfort and losses by robbing. The King was 
 taken ill, and shortly after a lot of goods arrived from Mr. 
 
Arrival and Sojoicm in Lealui. 
 
 75 
 
 Westbeech, which the King sent to me to look after, and 
 my hut was packed with them. I had nine men beside 
 my own two to provide for and look after for about twenty 
 days ; I also had a serious relapse of fever. The place is 
 surrounded with marsh. 
 
 Of this time of sickness and suffering, the Editor 
 of the Missionary Echo says :—“His lonely circumstances 
 are so peculiar, that it is important we should understand 
 them in order better to help by prayer. We are very 
 concerned to learn how much of his time has been passed 
 in sore sickness, as well as want, though he does not say 
 very much about it, and we greatly desire that he might 
 carry out his original intention of living among the hills, 
 as his health so improved from a visit there. The 
 despotic sway of the African Kings has probably con¬ 
 strained him to be at Lealui; but when we think of it as 
 a place flooded for two months in the year, during which 
 the people have to go to another town, a little elevated, 
 but surrounded by marshes, we can understand how 
 unhealthy it is even for the black races, and much worse 
 for Europeans. We have not room for Livingstone’s 
 graphic description of the Barotse valley as he passed 
 through it in 1855; “ but plains flooded twenty miles broad, 
 the exuberant vegetation subsequently caused by fervid 
 heat, the prodigious amount of decaying vegetable matter 
 exposed to the rays of the torrid sun, with little wind 
 except at one season, ' all combine,’ as he says, and we 
 can well understand, *to render the climate far frotn 
 salubrious .’ ” 
 
 April 8 th, 1883. 
 
 My sickness is now over, and I am faring well, though 
 food is very dear and scarce. I have had a school here 
 for some little time. The boys learn pretty well; but it 
 requires patience and perseverance to look after them. 
 Hunting a young truant from house to house under a hot 
 sun is not pleasant. The parents show little interest; in 
 fact, they have little influence over their children. The 
 leather thong rules the family above a certain age. A 
 short time after I began teaching, the King cross-ques¬ 
 tioned me as to what I had come to teach. I spoke to 
 him of sin, death, and judgment, and of God’s love in the 
 gift of His Son, and he listened attentively. This, I 
 said, was my first and chief message, besides which I 
 
76 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 wanted to teach the children to read and write, also all 
 about the world they lived in, and other things that the 
 white men know, which are good for all people to know. 
 The king then said, “Yes, yes; that is good, to read, 
 write, and to know numbers. But don’t, don’t teach them 
 the Word of God; it’s not nice. No, no; you must not 
 teach that in this country.” I kept silent till his excite¬ 
 ment was over, and then said that we would talk again 
 when he had thought much. The school went on for 
 two months longer, when it had to be stopped because 
 of the affection of my eyes. We left again for Lealui 
 about May ioth. 
 
 May 3 if/, 1883. 
 
 About a week after our return two Jesuits came to see 
 the King. Four had left Panda-ma-tenka, but one had to 
 return because of sickness. One poor fellow was 
 drowned on the way up through the upsetting of the 
 boat in the rapids. The King and headmen had a large 
 meeting, and told the priests they could not stay. They 
 were friendly with me, and I bought a few small things 
 from them. 
 
 After I wrote in April I was shut up in my hut quite 
 blind. The acute pain in the ball of my eye lasted, with¬ 
 out abatement, night and day, for three weeks. The 
 pain gradually subsided, but left my eyesight very feeble. 
 On my recovery I again had talks with the King, and he 
 never again got excited as before, and would occasionally 
 express his confidence in me, that I had come to teach 
 them good things, that I was one of God’s men because 
 I showed that I loved the people and the children; and 
 one day, without my asking, he said that I could teach 
 all his people and children the Word of God, giving me 
 perfect liberty in his country; and before I left for Panda- 
 ma-tenka many of the Barotse headmen expressed to me 
 their satisfaction with my stay among them, and that 
 they did not fear me now, nor the things I had come to 
 teach. 
 
 I should like to remain here now ; but I am compelled 
 to leave to get goods for food. As yet, with careful 
 planning, I have been able to buy nearly all. The King 
 is always ready to give me food, but I refuse it. I did 
 get some from him for a short time; but it caused the 
 “ baser sort” to remark that I had come to eat the King’s 
 
Journey Down the River and Return to Lealui. 77 
 
 food, and to live upon them. I have parted with every¬ 
 thing saleable, and am sleeping under skins instead of 
 blankets, and my clothes are reduced to theadbareness 
 and rags. I have hopes also that a journey down the 
 river will recruit my health and restore my sight. I have 
 too the deep-down hope that I may hear of or meet with 
 some God-sent companion. 
 
 II.— JOURNEY DOWN THE RIVER AND 
 RETURN TO LEALUI. 
 
 June 12th , 1883. 
 
 The King sent me away in his largest river-boat with 
 good men, and instructions that I was to be landed while 
 the boat was shooting the rapids. We have now been 
 twelve days on the river—constant delays. Oh, these 
 people are slow! We stopped at Litofe two nights, and 
 I was nearly devoured with mosquitoes and vermin. I 
 have had two fever relapses, but not severe ones. 
 
 Shesheke. 
 
 After a very tedious journey we arrived here. My 
 principal food was buffalo meat, as I had not money 
 (goods) enough to buy sufficient corn for the road. The 
 boats got through the rapids without serious damage. I 
 preferred the water to getting my legs cut with rocks and 
 reeds, and did not leave the boat; but we had a narrow 
 escape at one point. 
 
 After remaining a few days at Shesheke I came down 
 the river, and met Mr. Westbeech at Leshuma; and, oh, 
 the joy of getting such a budget of letters after a twelve- 
 month—forty-three, I think, in all! I arrived here in 
 very good health; still my' eyes were weak. I met here 
 a young Englishman, brother of Mr. Selons, with whom 
 I travelled to Mangwato. I have decided to return the 
 first opportunity to the Barotsi, as I find I am too late to 
 get to Shoshong this year. The roads are already dry; 
 so I will go to Panda for what I need and return. 
 
78 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 LESHUMA, July $th, 1883. 
 
 By the time you receive this letter I hope to be again 
 among the Barotsi, as I return in a few weeks; and I do 
 sincerely ask you and the saints with you to join heart 
 and soul with me in prayer that God’s mighty power to 
 save may be made manifest. My heart craves for the 
 sympathy and prayers of God’s people. You, no doubt, 
 will have heard from other sources of my wanderings up 
 to this point. Last October, after first getting the per¬ 
 mission and encouragement of the headmen of Shesheke, 
 I left Panda-ma-tenka (a trading station close to the 
 Victoria Falls) for the Barotsi valley. Although very 
 weak at the time from fever, I felt I could not stay, see¬ 
 ing that the way was made so easy at the time; boats 
 were ready for the journey. Mr. Westbeech, the trader, 
 who had just gone up to see the King, promised to remain 
 there until I arrived, to interpret for me. I was well 
 received by the King and people; they were glad to have 
 among them a teacher (as they call me), more to be like 
 the tribes down south than from any love for the object 
 of my mission. Afterwards, when the King learned a 
 little of what my real errand was, he became uncom¬ 
 fortable, and prohibited me from teaching the Word of 
 God to his people or their children. I took no defensive 
 attitude, but left the matter with the Lord, and confined 
 myself to private conversation and holding a small day- 
 school for children. This the King was pleased with. 
 At last, after many talks and months of waiting, he gave 
 me full permission to preach and teach as I liked among 
 his people, and said that he would help me to gather a 
 large school together; so that I have had much to en¬ 
 courage, though much to try me. Living only, I may 
 say, on native food and in native fashion during some 
 months of famine among the people, tried me much. 
 Often have I lain down on my mat to sleep off the pains 
 of hunger; yet the joy of the Lord was my strength, and 
 I do desire to magnify His grace to me here. I much 
 enjoy the change to this hilly country, and daily feel 
 better and stronger. 
 
 July 17 th, 1883. 
 
 To-day I started for Panda to make purchases. The 
 first day’s walk, twenty-five miles, sadly blistered my 
 
Journey Dow7i the River and Return to Lealui. 79 
 
 feet, making one quite sore. The next two days I 
 laboured on very slowly, and when within about twenty 
 miles of Panda I met a hunter, whose horse I hired, and 
 rode into the town, where I remained five days. I was 
 able to buy enough, I think, to keep me going for six or 
 nine months. The crops have nearly all failed this year 
 at the Barotsi, so that living will be very dear; and, 
 again, I have to pay such a price here for very poor 
 stuff. White calico is the great thing for buying food. 
 
 On the way to Panda, my little boy that I got from the 
 King, to work for me (a most affectionate little fellow) did 
 me of his own accord a very kind turn. Water was very 
 scarce, and I had already gone two days without finding 
 any. That night we travelled on most of the night, and 
 lay down to sleep for a few hours within about six miles 
 of the nearest water. I was very thirsty indeed. Early 
 in the morning Sikaniny (my little boy) was up and off 
 with his load. In a short time I started, and was walk¬ 
 ing, or rather limping, across a long grassy flat, when, to 
 my surprise, I saw my boy coming towards me with a 
 calabash of water over his shoulder and my cup in his 
 hand. He had hurried to the water, and returned at 
 once to me. 
 
 I left Panda-ma-tenka again on the 26th July, and 
 arrived at Leshuma on the fourth day. To show how 
 quickly the water dries up here, I mention that where, 
 ten days before, we found quite a large piece of water, we 
 now had to dig for it, and only got a little muddy stuff 
 for our trouble. 
 
 August ith , 1883. 
 
 Left Leshuma this morning for the Victoria Falls. 
 Had a pleasant day’s walk to the river over desolate 
 country. Camped in the evening on the steep wooded 
 banks of the Zambesi, surrounded by most beautiful 
 scenery. 
 
 8 th .—Walked some distance along the river, stopping 
 opposite to Sepupwa’s town to engage one or two more 
 carriers, and buy corn, &c. 
 
 9 th .—The countrywas very rough and wild; no path,con¬ 
 stant stumbling over big boulders, and ploughing through 
 long grass and reeds. The grass in many places is like 
 long lances, cutting one’s hands and face frightfully at 
 
8o 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 times. Mr. Selons fell into a game-pit, and got hurt 
 slightly. These pits are very cleverly covered over with 
 sticks, grass, &c., so that they become very dangerous to 
 strangers. On the morning of the sixth day after leaving 
 Leshuma we reached the Falls. I had expected some¬ 
 thing grand, but never anything so stupendous and 
 terriffic, yet beautiful in the extreme. The depth of the 
 fall of water is about 400 feet. In some parts it breaks, 
 in descending, over projecting crags, &c. and in other 
 parts comes over in one sheer plump. The cloud of 
 spray, in which beautiful rainbows appear, rises a long 
 way into the air, falling again over the banks as blown 
 by the wind, so that the vegetation close to the falls is of 
 the richest and most tropical character I have yet seen. 
 Here I had a narrow escape from a lion. Walking along 
 alone, a horrid growl and rustle of bushes at my very 
 side startled me. I must have been within a few feet of 
 the monster, whose voice I knew pretty well. I turned 
 and walked slowly backward, with my eyes on the spot 
 where he lay crouching, and then, when well clear of 
 him, went off at a quick walk. I had not a gun with me. 
 When I got back to camp, I found that two large lions 
 had come up in broad daylight to within sixty yards of 
 the camp. They were shot at, and one, which was 
 wounded, again came fiercely up to the camp at night, 
 and would have done mischief had not all been awake, 
 and kept him off with shouting, scattering fire, &c. 
 
 On the north side of the river one Mosotau has a large 
 town. I had met him before, so sent word that I wanted 
 to visit his town. He sent two of his men to greet me, 
 with a large calabash of motocha, a native drink, and 
 asked me to go up the river to his drift or ferry, and I 
 did so next day. He was very glad to see me, and gave 
 me a goat for food. In the evening I crossed over and 
 walked to his town, and spent the evening with the bulk 
 of the people of his town. These Batokas are very open 
 to conversation, more so than to be lectured to. I stayed 
 the next day with them, and left early the following 
 morning, travelling back again on the north bank of the 
 river. We came upon many companies of scattered 
 Batokas and Masubians, with whom I had short talks. 
 Towards the evening of the second day we made for the 
 town of Sepupwa, on an island in the river, and camped 
 there. In the morning we hailed the people, but were 
 
Journey Down the River and Return to Lealui. 81 
 
 told that as the headman of the town was absent they 
 could not speak with us, nor send boats across. I waited 
 and tried to persuade them, but they said they were all 
 slaves, and were afraid to look at strangers. Another 
 day brought us to Mahaha’s town, close to the ferry by 
 which we intended to cross. Our way lay through low, 
 flat country, full of marsh, which we had to wade through, 
 sometimes struggling up to the waist in water and rotting 
 grass for miles." I know Mahaha pretty well, having met 
 him at the King’s. Next morning we crossed over and 
 walked to Leshuma, where I waited for carriers from 
 Shesheke to take me up the river. Mr. Westbeech had 
 been trying to get me two good servants who formerly 
 worked with him, and had arranged with Mgumba, head¬ 
 man of Mbova, that they should go with me. Their 
 names are Goradman (the native way of pronouncing 
 Gordon) and Monare (his father was Dr. Livingstone’s 
 servant, and named him after his master). _ They give 
 me the same name as Livingstone (Monar); in fact, I am 
 known by no other, and am spoken of as his son. Monar 
 will work two years for a gun as wages, so that is not 
 expensive labour. Then I have my little boy Sikaniny, 
 who will take the place of water-boy and wood-gatherer. 
 God bless our little company. Oh that this second trip 
 to the Barotsi may be more fully fraught with the fulness 
 of His blessing 1 I think one of the richest blessings of 
 God is a quiet and peaceful mind under all circumstances. 
 
 Shesheke, September. 
 
 After a very tedious journey, I got here safely two days 
 ago. As we were pulling along, a hippopotamus came 
 after the boat I was in, grunting fiercely, and gnashing 
 his teeth at us. We pulled hard to get to shallow water ; 
 still the beast came on. I had no powder at hand for my 
 gun. The men jumped out ; but I was loath to leave the 
 boat at the mercy of the brute, so took my steel and flint 
 and struck fire in his face ; this stopped him, and he 
 turned back to deep water. 
 
 October 20 th. 
 
 I and my boat have had a very narrow escape from 
 total destruction. We were pulling along against a heavy 
 
82 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 stream, close to a high precipitous bank of heavy soil, 
 when suddenly the whole bank gave way, falling into the 
 river just alongside of our boat, throwing some of the men 
 overboard and filling the boat with earth and water. We 
 instantly began bailing out, and she soon righted. A few 
 feet nearer shore and we should all have been buried alive. 
 
 Lealui, October 22nd. 
 
 Arrived to-day at landing-place for Lealui, and sent 
 word to the King. Next morning ten of the King’s men 
 came down with a horse. They shouted out many a 
 hearty welcome, jumping about, lifting up my bundles, 
 and running here and there. The King received me very 
 kindly, and I got a nice snug hut in the town ; but the 
 King told me he was going to build me a large hut outside 
 the town, on a small mound or hill, a much better site 
 than I had had before. After two days the King sent to 
 me by his private servant eight children (two being his 
 own sons), ranging in age from eight to fifteen. 
 
 30//2.—Boys getting on very well indeed. ... I 
 have been writing for the King a despatch to the King of 
 the Matebele. The men will start to-day, and take it and 
 my letters with them. All is well. F. S. Arnot. 
 
 III.—LETTERS FROM LESHUMA. 
 
 These letters retrace much of the history contained in 
 the extracts already given from the diary, and will be read 
 with no common interest, and will recall the precious 
 truth that “ He that dwelleth in the secret place of the 
 Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” 
 
 The following letter is to Dr. Maclean .•— 
 
 Leshuma, September $th, 1883. 
 
 I enclose six receipts for amounts sent by you to Mr. 
 Beaumont on my behalf up to April 30th, 1883. As I 
 find it impossible to write to all the kind friends who 
 
Letters jrom Leshuma. 
 
 S3 
 
 have forwarded these gifts, I ask you to thank them tor 
 me. As you, no doubt, will understand, sending letters 
 out from this part and getting them in, is a very uncertain, 
 troublesome, and sometimes expensive business. It is 
 impossible to say when they are safe, and many are 
 detained and lost by the way. Several, I fear, that I 
 sent out last year have never reached their destination ; 
 so that friends must not think that a long absence of 
 letters from me means dilatoriness on my part. I quite 
 agree with what you say in your last letter as to the 
 blessedness of companionship in the work of the Lord, 
 and often have I longed for and besought the Lord for a 
 true and simple-hearted companion. However, my being 
 alone has had its advantages, and I leave others to judge 
 whether it has been of God or not. 
 
 The Barotsi are a very strange nat'on. Their country 
 is bounded, as you know, on the south by the Zambesi 
 and Chobe rivers, and this line of demarcation is very 
 strictly guarded against all-comers, especially against white 
 men. No white man is allowed on any condition to hunt 
 or travel across that border. I may say that Mr. West- 
 beech and I are the only two who have by the King’s 
 orders got this permission. The headmen expressed 
 themselves pleased that I had come alone ; and several 
 times when I spoke to the king about bringing a brother 
 back with me the next time I went south, he always 
 objected, and said that neither he nor his people wanted 
 white men in their country. (He, however, at last said 
 to me of his own accord, “ Bring your brother with you 
 when you return, that I may see him.”) True, he sent 
 permission to Mr. Coillard, who went up as far as Shesheke 
 about five years ago, that he might return and live in the 
 country, and Mr. C. has since, as is known, been trying 
 to get up a strong party, at much expense, with native 
 evangelists and also some white missionaries ; but I 
 know well, from the mind and feeling of the people, that 
 any more white missionaries than Mr. Coillard and his 
 wife will not be welcome. I told the King, in answer to 
 his questions, about his party and preparations, never 
 thinking but that it would please him ; but he scowled, 
 and seemed to think that Mr. C. was taking liberties. 
 Another great objection to large mission parties coming 
 to these parts is their bringing, of necessity to some 
 extent, a large quantity of goods, &c., with them. Avarice 
 
8 4 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 is the ruling passion of these natives, and it destroys all 
 other natural feelings. A man will kill another here for 
 his coat. Seeing a defenceless party with, as they think, 
 more of this world’s goods than their share, they will try 
 every means to distress, rob, or even kill them, for the 
 sake of their goods. This was the great cause of the 
 failure of the L. M. S. Mission, sent to the Zambesi 
 fifteen or twenty years ago, at the advice of Livingstone. 
 The things they took with them were too many and too 
 good to be left alone by the natives ; so they tried every 
 means to dispose of the missionaries, and succeeded too 
 well. This is one great cause of the present failure of the 
 Jesuits. One “Father” undoubtedly was poisoned for 
 the sake of a waggon-load of goods of which he was in 
 charge. They have been openly robbed at different 
 places to the amount of many hundred pounds ; and now, 
 as the people are beginning to see they have got all that 
 they are likely to get, they are bent on getting them out 
 of the country as soon as possible. 
 
 I proved this power of avarice over other feelings to a 
 small extent myself, when I first went to the King’s town. 
 I had, of course, a few things on hand for buying food, 
 &c. Well, I was very much troubled by people coming 
 to me simply to beg for presents—headmen and their 
 wives ; even the King and his were not above begging 
 and troubling in the meanest way for a small present. 
 At last my things were gone, and I had to live as my own 
 boys lived—on porridge and corn ; and I could only buy 
 from hand to mouth, tearing up my blankets, sheets, 
 selling my spare clothes, &c., for food. Then, of course, 
 the begging and troubling ceased. Those who came to 
 my hut did not come to beg, or turn about, peering into 
 every corner, to see if I had anything nice that they could 
 ask of me. When I used to try to get their attention in 
 conversation, every now and then I would be ingeniously 
 interrupted by the one miserable request; but when they 
 found me as poor as themselves, if not much poorer, they 
 came to talk, and perhaps would rather bring me a small 
 present than ask for one, and I could get their ears and 
 attention without distraction. This world’s goods are 
 helpful certainly for the gospel, and can be sanctified and 
 accepted by God for that work ; but they also can be 
 made a terrible hindrance. My plan now is to live as 
 much from hand to mouth as possible, taking up the river 
 
Letters from Leshuma. 
 
 35 
 
 just as much goods as will keep me for four or five 
 months, sending down once or twice in the course of a 
 year to Mr. Westbeech’s station for fresh supplies, and 
 living on native food, which I hope daily to become more 
 accustomed to. 
 
 It was well for the lame man sitting at the door of the 
 temple that Peter had neither silver nor gold ; so I think 
 it is well for the people here that he who seeks to bring 
 to them the one priceless treasure should not be burdened 
 with trash and tinsel, which but blinds their eyes to better 
 and heavenly things. I know this idea is quite contrary 
 to the general missionary mind in this country. Mis¬ 
 sionaries have argued with me of the absurdness of 
 trying to take the gospel to any tribe unless the missionary 
 can go in the guise of a great man, with one or more 
 waggons, and many oxen to pull them, lots of servants, 
 goods, &c. Then, I have been told, he gets a position in 
 the tribe, and his voice is listened to. A more fatal 
 blunder in the advancing of the gospel, I think, could not 
 be made. On the one hand, God will not be mocked by 
 man’s foolery ; and, on the other hand, the heathen may 
 be led to believe in the man and in his goods, without 
 having seen or known anything of the meek and lowly 
 Lord Jesus ; he is miserably deceived, leaves the soft 
 mire only to flounder in the quagmire. I am sorry to 
 say that many of the so-called converts that I have met 
 with are heady, high-minded, fond of drink and practising 
 the vices of the white man, and of having a positiofi in 
 the world, which things they seem to think inseparable 
 from their new-found faith. Hymns and psalms are 
 their drunken songs, and woeful extravagance their con¬ 
 stant ruin. The African native is loth to obey, but fond 
 of imitating. The sum of their own native belief is, that 
 according to the position a man has in this life, so will 
 his place, be in the next. Goodness or badness, righteous¬ 
 ness or sin, are not in their creeds. If a man dies a slave, 
 he will have a position akin to that when he is dead ; if 
 one dies a chief, he remains a chief, and so on. Thus 
 the more a missionary seeks to attain and keep up a 
 position of power and greatness, the more does he con¬ 
 firm those who follow him in retaining their old heathenish 
 delusion. 
 
 ; When I tried to explain to King Lebouche of the 
 Barotsi that a man’s position in this world had nothing 
 
86 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 whatever to do with his place in the next; that God dealt 
 with the hearts of men, and not with their skins ; that a 
 poor “matlanka” (lowest slave) might be seated in the 
 palace of God, and a king or chief shut out, he got very- 
 excited, forbade me ever to say such a thing again, or 
 ever to teach such things to his people. I told him not 
 to be angry with me ; these were not my words, but 
 God’s. He didn’t care. I might say so, but he and his 
 fathers knew enough of God, and of dying, and all that. 
 “ Besides,” said he, “ we are not all going to die just now; 
 why then speak about it?” It was some time before he 
 again came round to talk quietly on the things which, he 
 little knows, concern him so much. He at last acknow¬ 
 ledged that it was only good things that I had come to 
 teach them, and gave me full permission to teach and 
 preach as I liked. Their pride of position is consummate, 
 and for a chief or free man to come down to the level of 
 a poor matlanka sinner, is humanly impossible. “Unto 
 the poor the gospel is preached,” and most gladly would 
 I give all my time among the many poor slaves of this 
 country ; but meanwhile I am not allowed. “ Those are 
 not people,” they say ; “ they are our dogs so it is only 
 by stealth that I get amongst them. I have great hope 
 that blessing awaits the declaring of the gospel up this 
 river ; but one thing I desire is, that what may be done 
 may be very real and entirely of God. Let us go in for 
 real out-and-out conversions to God, like the Thessa- 
 lonian saints, who received the Word in much affliction ; 
 that God’s name may be honoured in this country. My 
 heart sickens when I think of the mass of heathen 
 Christianity that one meets with in South Africa, but I 
 refrain. 
 
 In your letter, you ask me to give you some idea of my 
 manner of life. Since leaving Mangwato I have lived 
 very much as the- natives do. In travelling, the gun is 
 the chief source of supply. Hunting at times is difficult 
 and dangerous, but game is always to be got. When a 
 large animal is killed, the flesh that is not eaten is cut up 
 in long strips, called by the Boers “ bell-tongue,” and 
 hung up to dry, and becomes very hard, and will keep any 
 time. For days when travelling I have lived entirely on 
 this. Native corn is the staple food of the country. It 
 is a sort of millet, rather husky, and granular when 
 pounded in their mills ; has nothing of the cohesive 
 
Letters from Leshuma. 
 
 8 7 
 
 nature of wheat flour about it. This I have lived on 
 chiefly. Milk, fowls, eggs, beef, are very scarce; but 
 sometimes one gets thick sour milk. My house is a 
 simple grass hut, which, though strongly built, was nearly 
 all carried away last year by a tornado. Those tornadoes 
 come down the valley with terrific force, carrying every¬ 
 thing before them, tearing up the very ground in their 
 fury. I take up with me this time a shot-gun for wild 
 fowl, and have also an idea of buying one or two milch 
 cows, if I can manage it; they will cost me only about 
 £1 each in goods. The people care little for milk ; so 
 they keep their cattle a long way off, making it impossible 
 for me to buy milk at any price. But one gets such an 
 extraordinary craving for flesh meat in this country, that 
 nothing can take its place. (Livingstone makes the same 
 remark.,) The King often kills cattle, but will not sell or 
 give a small piece to any but his own people. He thinks 
 he would lower himself by giving me a small piece of 
 meat or even a quarter, and always wants to give me an 
 ox. He never would listen to reason, and about once a 
 month I got an ox; but during the summer damp-heat 
 the meat was only good for one day or so, and I could 
 not get it dried or preserved, so had to give it away ; but 
 now I have got a supply of condiments, which will enable 
 me to preserve a supply. I have every intention of 
 taking as much care of myself as possible, at least, more 
 than I have done. My health has improved greatly since 
 coming here. 
 
 On my way up the river I shall pick up quite a family 
 of boys, who are being sent by their fathers to the king’s 
 town, Lealui.* (Loelui is the Barotsi name; the Masubias 
 give it another name.) I have already got one lad, of 
 about ten or twelve years, who will live with me ; the rest 
 will stay with their own friends. Two more are waiting 
 to join me at Shesheke, and some further on ; so that my 
 little school, I expect, will be largely augmented this year. 
 The few that I had teaching, for some months got on very 
 well, and showed great sharpness and intelligence in 
 understanding what I had to say to them. I found it 
 hard work to keep them together, but the King helped me 
 by using his authority. My work as yet among the older 
 
 * We give the spelling of names as adopted by our brother; it differs 
 somewhat from that of Livingstone or the map. 
 
88 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 people has been confined to very quiet efforts, partly 
 because of my imperfect knowledge of the language, and 
 partly because of the strong feeling the King and people 
 have against any new thing being taught or spoken of, 
 which caused him to forbid me speaking at all. I have, 
 however, got a better hearing by talking with little groups 
 of people in my hut, and going to theirs with my Sechuana 
 Bible. If read properly, they understand the Sechuana 
 Bible pretty well, but not so well as if they had one trans¬ 
 lated into their own peculiar mixed language.—Yours in 
 the Lord, F. S. Arnot. 
 
 To Mr. Philips, he writes :— 4 
 
 Leshuma, Zambesi River, 
 Sept. 10th , 1883. 
 
 My Dear Brother,—It sounds somewhat strange to my 
 ears to hear of God’s saints coming together in the 
 spirit of joyful worship, and for prayer together. I often 
 remember the many meetings we used to have at home, 
 and long intensely for just an hour of such blessed fellow¬ 
 ship. Yet I am assured that I am not forgotten at your 
 meetings, and do gladly remain here as your servant and 
 the servant of all men for Jesus’ sake. My own desire is 
 that I may please God by making His Gospel known in 
 all faithfulness and sincerity, so that His name may be 
 glorified by the gathering out 0/" heathendom those whom 
 He may please to make subjects of His sovereign mercy. 
 
 I rejoice to think that for the people we have a full and 
 complete salvation to offer to every one, but towards God 
 we can but cast poor, sinful man upon His sovereign 
 grace and mercy. There has been a little to try here in 
 the work, but much, much to encourage. I am thankful 
 to say that I have received much of the confidence of 
 the people; they trust me now as they did not at first. 
 During the time I was staying at the King’s Town my 
 time was well occupied. Besides having a small day' 
 school, and time spent in conversation on the things of 
 our God with the people, I was much occupied with 
 doctoring, gun-mending, teaching how to sew and make 
 shirts, &c. In the doctoring line I was several times 
 very successful, in some important cases after they had 
 been given up by the native magicians or doctors. The 
 
Letters from Leshuma. 
 
 89 
 
 King himself had been long ill : had been working away 
 with all his doctors, and recovered slightly, but to relapse 
 again. One of his headmen, who gets the honorary title 
 of “ The King’s Mat,” came to me to go and see his 
 majesty. I said I did not think I could do much for him, 
 but if I could not my God could. I told him to go back 
 to the King and that I would follow him, which I did, 
 asking earnestly the blessing of God upon the remedy. 
 The next morning the King was able to attend a large 
 council meeting, and to all appearance looked quite well. 
 Several of the headmen came to congratulate me on my 
 cure, but when I told them how it was God and not man 
 that had restored the King’s health, they gravely shook 
 their heads. “Nambi,” the one great Spirit who made 
 all and rules over all, they believe in, but they only look 
 on Him as an austere person, who only heaps sorrow, 
 death, and punishment upon them. All good that comes 
 to them they trace to the power and intercession of the 
 spirit of some departed chief or forefather. The idea they 
 seem to have is that those departed spirits whom they 
 worship have a sympathy with them that “Nambi” has 
 not ; a sympathy with them in their journeyings, crops, 
 hunts, cattle, wives, etc., and all the joys and sorrows 
 connected with these things, because they, while in the 
 body, experienced the same. Alas, they little know at 
 what a cost our God has provided for us and for them too, 
 a Saviour. A High-Priest who felt as no man felt; 
 suffered and sorrowed as no man ever did, who has verily 
 a fellow-feeling with us and for us. The religion of those 
 upper river people is widely different from that of the 
 other tribes,, it has been known to some that they believed 
 in one supreme God, but no more is known about them. 
 There are many other interesting ceremonies connected 
 with the sacrificing of oxen, corn, beads, and cloth, which 
 I hope to get more information of. They have their 
 diviners, seers, magicians, and doctors, who work with 
 beads, human bones, speaking horns, claws of wild 
 animals, and a whole host of things. All those things 
 together they call “ Lequalo,” and to read them by way 
 of prophesying, &c., is “go qualo;” they give the same 
 name to the Word of God and all other books of the 
 white man. The only difference, they think, between our 
 Lequalo and theirs is, that ours is a confused mass of 
 little black marks on paper, and theirs is surely much 
 
9 ° 
 
 Frovi Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 more sensible, being things and substances. Nothing of 
 importance can be sanctified without a human sacrifice, 
 in most cases a child. First the fingers and toes are cut 
 off, and the blood sprinkled on the boat, drum, house, or 
 whatever may be the subject. The victim is then killed, 
 ript up, and thrown into the river. Burning men alive 
 for witchcraft is carried to a fearful extent ; not a 
 day passes but some one is tried and burnt. The 
 details of scenes that I have been forced to witness in 
 this line are too horrible to put on paper; many a guilt¬ 
 less victim is marched off to the horrid pile. Two 
 hundred yards or so from my hut there lies a perfect 
 Golgotha of skulls and human bones fearful to look 
 upon. Yet one gets somehow used to it and to all their 
 murdering ways. 
 
 The trial for witchcraft is short and decisive. If one 
 man suspects another of having bewitched him, in fact 
 if he has a grudge against him, he brings him before the 
 council; a large pot of water is cooked, and the accused 
 man has to dip his hands three times into the boiling 
 water. If the skin does not come off after twenty-four 
 hours he is innocent, if it does come off he is guilty, and 
 is hurried off to be burnt. My proposal is, that if they 
 consider this a fair trial of whiteness or blackness of heart 
 (as they call it), then let both the accuser and the accused 
 put their hands into the boiling water. The King is 
 strongly in favour of this proposal, and would try any 
 means to stop this fearful system of murder, which is 
 thinning out many of his best men, but the nation is so 
 strongly in favour of the practice that he can do nothing. 
 An old friend of mine, called Wizini, who took quite a 
 fatherly care and interest in me, for some peculiar reason 
 of his own, was charged with witchcraft ; he pleaded 
 earnestly to be spared the terrible trial; because of his 
 years he was spared, but banished from his people and 
 country for life, for no other reason than that a neighbour 
 had an ill-feeling against him. Had he been first to the 
 King with his complaint he might have got his neighbour 
 burned or banished instead of himself. 
 
 I missed old Wizini. When I write you again I hope 
 to be able to give you a fuller and more interesting 
 account of their religion and customs.—Yours sincerely 
 in our Lord, 
 
 Fred. S. Arnot. 
 
Letters from Leshuma. 
 
 9i 
 
 He adds a few further particulars in the following 
 
 letter :— 
 
 Leshuma, Zambesi River, 
 
 September 12 th, 1883. 
 
 My Dear Mr. Groves,—I was very glad to get your 
 kind letter of November, 1882. You, no doubt, will 
 know something of what an unspeakable pleasure it is, 
 after a long blank, to get letters from home. I think I 
 have read all my letters four or five times over. Many 
 thanks for “Notes of Leominster Conference,” the 
 perusal of it was very refreshing. I am thankful that 
 when in Glasgow last autumn you had time to visit my 
 mother, she was glad you did so, and I hope it may 
 not be your last. I may have the joy of meeting my 
 friends again in this life, but I look not to it. The 
 reality of our Lord’s coming and our exaltation with 
 Him, is a prospect so certain, and seems at times so near, 
 that it eclipses all other prospects and hopes in this life. 
 
 I feel more and more that for the “little while” my work 
 is here. Although we are round again to the unhealthy 
 season (the budding of the trees), I keep stronger and 
 healther than ever; the ague has quite left me. I have 
 now been two months down here waiting on boats to 
 take me to the King’s. A civil dispute broke out in the 
 country, and as civil war was threatening, the headmen at 
 Shesheke had to attend at once at the King’s. The 
 smaller rank and file left behind were powerless to supply 
 me with boats and men. However, when word reached 
 the King that I was waiting to return, he sent down his 
 large boat to bring me up. Another boat joined the 
 King’s at Shesheke, and they both arrived yesterday at 
 the Gezingula Ferry, which is at the point of the junction 
 of the Chobe and Zambesi rivers, four hours walk from 
 here. I occupied part of the two months by taking a tour 
 down the Zambesi, crossing at the Victoria Falls and 
 visiting a few Batoka towns on the north side. My 
 reception was varied. At-Sonny where I was known by 
 name I was well received, crowded by scores of inquisitive 
 faces until all hours of the night, serinaded by drummers 
 and dancers, and all sorts of musicians and singers. In 
 fact, it would be impossible to describe the extraordinary 
 and trying nature of the way they seek to make known 
 their pleasure in your presence. Livingstone graphically 
 
92 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 describes a nine weeks’ experience among the Zambesians. 
 He says—“ I had been in closer contact with heathens 
 than I had ever been before, and though all were kind 
 and attentive as could be, yet to endure the dancing, 
 roaring, and singing, the jesting, grumbling, and quarrel¬ 
 ling, the murderings of those children of nature was the 
 severest penance I had yet undergone in the course of 
 my missionary labours.” When Livingstone visited the 
 Zambesi they had a powerful chief over them. The power 
 of the present King is small in comparison, consequently 
 lawlessness and riot have increased. Often have I seen 
 those who have come together to drum, dance, and sing, 
 end the fray with a pitch battle. By habitually maintaining 
 a quiet manner and mind, and allowing them to have 
 their full fling without interruption, is the only way to 
 get a quiet and listening ear afterwards. At one town I 
 went to (Sepupu’s), the headman was from home, so 
 admittance to the town was denied me. I remained near 
 the town that night and half the next day, but it was no 
 use, the people would not let us in, neither would they 
 come out to us. So I and my carrier had to move on. 
 After a long wade through deep marsh, and water coming 
 above ones waist, I got to the ferry at Gezingula, and 
 crossed next morning. 
 
 When I came down this time I intended, if possible, 
 to go out as far as Mangwato, besides hoping to hear of 
 or meet a companion, I wished to bring some of my things 
 that I left there. In fact, all the clothes, books, and other 
 necessary things that I brought out with me from home, 
 I left at Mangwato, finding that when I got as far as the 
 Mababi, I would have to travel light if I wished to get 
 along in here. It is a hard question when I may see my 
 things again. Mr. Westbeech, the only trader who comes 
 in here, and my only white neighbour within 1,000 miles, 
 goes out early next year on a visit to England. He will 
 be away some time, so that there will be no certain oppor¬ 
 tunity of getting out myself, or of sending letters out after, 
 say March, 1884, for eighteen months or two years 
 to come. I am taking up a pound or two in cash, so that 
 I may be able to send out letters by the west coast. 
 However, that route will be even more uncertain and 
 precarious than round by Bamangwato. I am more 
 willing now than ever to wait God’s time for being joined 
 in the work by a companion. Yet I fear if I am much 
 
Letters from Leshuma. 
 
 93 
 
 longer alone, I may prove a very ungenial companion to 
 some that might come out. Solitude, I fear, is making 
 me selfish and disinterested in others, and when one gets 
 accustomed to act very much upon their own counsel in 
 small matters, it makes it hard to listen to the counsel of 
 others. All this' I feel I have to strive against continually. 
 And I ask your help in prayer, that though I cannot exercise 
 my love to and care of my brethren by deeds and words, 
 yet that I may by intercession and prayer. I have great 
 hopes of the prosperity of my school this year. I have 
 got one boy in my care, deserted by his mother, and his 
 father, because of his occupation, is unable to look after 
 the lad, so he gave him to me, a nice bright boy he is, 
 very fond to learn and understand things. My prayer and 
 expectation is that this lad may be one chosen of God to 
 bear to his mother’s people, the Gospel story, His Father 
 is not of the Barutsi nation. 
 
 Men have just come to carry off my things, so I must 
 hasten this letter to a close. I must thank you, dear Mr. 
 Groves, for the kind interest you have shown in me and 
 in the work here. Your letters with others from elder 
 brethren at home have encouraged me much—they assure 
 me that I have the confidence of my brethren at home, 
 and their prayers and sympathy. “ And of Asher, He 
 said, Let Asher be blessed with children —let him be 
 acceptable to his brethren. And let him dip his foot in 
 oil.” Surely this should be the blessing sought for by 
 every evangelist of the Gospel. 
 
 I got quite a budget of Lamps and Echoes this time ; 
 very welcome indeed, though so many letters and papers 
 coming all at once, is apt to be too much of a good thing. 
 Many thanks to the Kendal believers who joined in the 
 gift forwarded to me by Dr. Maclean. 
 
 I may say that the season for traders or travellers 
 coming into the Zambesi is from March to end of June. 
 So letters for me should be posted early in the year. Of 
 course, opportunities may tur-n up for letters being sent in 
 at any time, believe me, 
 
 Yours very sincerely in our Lord, 
 
 Fred. S. Arnot. 
 
94 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 CONTINUATION OF THE DIARY. 
 
 Shesheke, September.— After a very tedious journey I 
 got here safely two days ago. As we were pulling along, 
 a hippopotamus came after the boat I was in, grunting 
 fiercely, and gnashing his teeth at us. We pulled hard to 
 get to shallow water ; still the beast came on. I had no 
 powder at hand for my gun. The men jumped out ; but 
 I was loath to leave the boat at the mercy of the brute, so 
 took my steel and flint and struck fire in his face. This 
 stopped him, and he turned into deep water again. 
 
 October 20th. —I and my boat have had a very narrow 
 escape from total destruction. We were pulling along 
 against a heavy stream close to a high precipitous bank 
 of heavy soil, when suddenly the whole bank gave 
 way, falling into the river just alongside of our boat, 
 throwing some of the men overboard and filling the boat 
 with earth and water. We instantly began baling out, 
 and she soon righted. A few feet nearer shore and we 
 should all have been buried alive. 
 
 October 22nd. —Arrived to-day at landing-place for 
 Loelui, and sent word to the king. Next morning ten of 
 the king’s men came down with a horse. They shouted 
 out many a hearty welcome, jumping about, lifting up my 
 bundles, and running here and there. The king received 
 me very kindly, and I got a nice snug hut in the town ; 
 but the King told me he was going to build me a large 
 hut outside the town, on a small mound or hill, a much 
 better site than I had had before. After two days the 
 King sent to me by his private servant eight children (two 
 being his own sons), ranging in age from eight to fifteen. 
 
 Loelui , October, 2,0th. —Boys getting on very well, besides 
 teaching them the alphabet and numbers, I read a little 
 from the New Testament, and try to explain it to them. 
 We get on famously. How different everything is this year 
 from last. My health could not be better, the people, 
 small and great, are kind and thoughtful, and do their 
 best to make me comfortable. The King has given me 
 a present of a cow and a calf, a parrot from the west coast, 
 a little slave boy, free now, and a handsome waterproof 
 coat brought to him by a Portugese. 
 
 Old Mamwia was very glad to see me. She gave me 
 some corn, and kissed my hand over and over again. I 
 
Incidents and Friends. 
 
 95 
 
 am comfortable and happy, with plenty of work to do, 
 and thank God strength to do it. I have been writing for 
 the King a despatch to the King of the Matebele, which 
 goes along with this letter. The men will start to-day 
 and take my letters with them. All is well. 
 
 INCIDENTS AND FRIENDS. 
 
 A happy incident happened two nights after my talk 
 with Katan. The King had commissioned him to buy 
 for him a very expensive greyhound, which Katan had 
 done, and had the dog with him at Shesheke, intending 
 to send it off to the King. Well, the dog broke loose, 
 and made for the road it came by. It would have to pass 
 through dangerous country for lions, but worst of all, 
 swim a large river wear, and the Zambesi too, both of 
 which are infested with crocodiles, so that Katan gave up 
 all hope of ever seeing the dog again, and was much 
 downcast. Shortly before, a horse in his care belonging 
 to the King had been lost, also some goods ; and now, if 
 this dog did not turn up, he might as well drown himself. 
 He came into my “ skerm ” in great distress. I tried to 
 soothe him, but no, it was of no use—he would never see 
 the dog again. The thought struck me that this was an 
 opportunity given me to prove the reality of the God I 
 had been speaking to him about two nights before. I 
 prayed silently to the Lord about it, and received every 
 confidence in telling Katan for a certainty that the dog 
 would come back. “ No, no,” he said ; “No, no,” and 
 shortly went away. In about an hour afterwards the dog 
 came back— some men cutting firewood had met the dog 
 and turned it back. Poor Katan could not find words to 
 thank me, and express his belief in the reality of my God. 
 The news went all through the’town how that the teacher’s 
 God had sent back the King’s dog. The dog must have 
 been caught just about the time I asked the Lord for it. 
 Quite a lively interest has sprung up. Katan to-night 
 said that he and his wives wanted me to have a large 
 meeting with all his people in the daytime, they all wanted 
 much to hear, we listen to you praying and singing at 
 night. (I forget when alone that the reed walls of my 
 
96 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 house are so thin that every word spoken is heard outside), 
 but we want you to speak to us more during the day. I 
 felt like a horse ready for the race, pawing the ground, 
 but held in with bit and bridle ; most heartily would I not 
 only talk with them all day, but pour out my very soul 
 upon them ; but my little knowledge of the language com¬ 
 pels me to keep to very small companies. But the work 
 is the Lord’s ; not by might, nor by power, by many, or by 
 few. The stammering youthful tongue of Jeremiah could 
 be as useful to God as the voice of Moses. 
 
 I will tell you something of a few of my friends 
 in this country. In Dr. Holut’s book you may have 
 seen what he says about the escape of Gumbela, alias 
 “Silumbia,” from Shesheke to Panda-ma-tenka, with 
 his wife “ Mamwia.” This man is the present King’s 
 Prime Minister ; but it is about his wife I want to speak. 
 She is a Makololo woman, and is intelligent beyond the 
 ordinary run of women here, though now getting old. 
 From the time I arrived, she has been very kind and 
 seemingly very fond of me—never in time of sickness did 
 I lack a helping hand from old mother Mamwia, as I 
 call her. While staying at Panda, she heard of “Jesus, 
 King of Gallilee,” and is always wanting to hear more of 
 Him. She is the only native of this river that I have 
 met who knows anything of the Person and work of 
 Christ, and that only in a very feeble and mysterious way. 
 She speaks sorrowfully of Eve, and wondering why she 
 did not put her foot on the serpent’s neck. I cured her 
 youngest son of a fearful gathering on the shoulder and 
 back, by lancing it deeply. She was very grateful, and 
 paid me handsomely in corn. 
 
 I had another friend, an old man named Wizini, who 
 had a town close to the river, but often came to the King’s 
 town. I never knew him come without bringing me a 
 present of fish, thick milk, or something; and if I happened 
 to be at all sick, he would sit long in my hut, singing one 
 of his mysterious songs to charm the sickness away. He 
 had been long looked upon by his neighbours as a sort of 
 wizard, and at last one brought a charge of witchcraft 
 against him ; but seeing that he was now an old man, at 
 his earnest pleading for mercy, he escaped the boiling 
 water ordeal, but was banished for life to a small village 
 on the outskirts of the country, so I lost this old friend. 
 Another young lad, a slave, used to come often about my 
 
Reflections. 
 
 97 
 
 house. His name is Simboula. My own two servants, 
 Setobi, and a lad the King gave me to work for me were 
 very troublesome, and at times if I I was at all unwell, 
 would be away all day. So this poor slave would come 
 on every opportunity, and sit beside me, always cheerful 
 and willing to do anything for his white “ Bass ” (Master). 
 I took a great liking for him. Well, he was sent down to 
 his old master at Mbova, and when I came down recently, 
 he came to see me. I gave him two and a half yards oi 
 cloth for the way he helped me at Loelui, when I needed 
 help. I had to turn away my head from him and a big 
 tear rolled down my cheeks. Meeting the poor lad 
 brought to my mind many a kind act by night and by day. 
 These cases, with others, stand out more brightly, because 
 of the general feeling of utter indifference and coldness 
 that reign in the hearts of most of the heathen. It was 
 Mamwia’s husband Gambela who took me before the 
 King, and all the Barutsi headmen, asking in the name of 
 the Barutsi, that I might be seen to more carefully, and 
 my wants supplied. I think old mother Mamwia put 
 him up to this. Next morning I got a fat ox to kill. 
 
 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 In conclusion, we give some of our brother’s reflections 
 that the claim of the heathen on them who know Christ, 
 may, by the voice from the regions beyond, stir up the 
 hearts of the people of God. He writes :— 
 
 Heathenism in its nakedness is a fearful thing, a deadly 
 stagnation of wickedness. Surely the power of God alone 
 can prevail over it. Oh for strength to prevail with God 
 for a blessing upon the heathen ! It is said of Jacob, 
 that “ by his strength he had power with God : yea, he 
 had power over the angel, and prevailed : he wept , and 
 made supplication unto Him. . . . Therefore turn thou 
 to thy God : keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy 
 God continually ” (Hosea xii. 3-6). Yes, the supplicating, 
 weeping heart will prevail. 
 
 But we read in Genesis xxxii. that when the angel saw 
 that he prevailed not against Jacob, “he touched the 
 hollow of his thigh ; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was 
 
9 8 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zambesi. 
 
 out of joint, as he wrestled with him.” Jacob still clung, 
 and said, “ I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” 
 Then follow the words, “ Thy name shall be called no 
 more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power 
 with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” For this 
 power with God I long. 
 
 In his prayer, Jacob referred to the time when he had 
 left his home : “ With my staff I passed over this Jordan.” 
 Then his limbs were strong, and doubtless he thought but 
 little of the support of his staff while he journeyed along. 
 But now, methinks, he would lean harder on that staff; 
 its support would be indispensable to him in his maimed 
 condition. 
 
 And is it not so with him who is of a broken spirit ? 
 He leaneth hard upon his Lord, and without Him he 
 cannot go. 
 
 My hope and confidence is, that though the instrument 
 and means be the feeblest, blessing will come. Already 
 there is a rustling among the leaves. At the mention of 
 the things of God a silent solemnity has now among many 
 taken the place of loud laughter and profane questioning. 
 You will not fail to tell all those who are praying for 
 Africa about the happy encouragement I have had since 
 coming again among the people, and stir up all to more 
 prayer and earnestness before God ; so that we may get 
 all that the gracious Lord may please to call out of this 
 nation to Himself—not a hoof left behind. Praise the 
 Lord, His own will be gathered “ from every nation , and 
 tongue , and people .” Then we shall rejoice together, 
 shall we not ? But what have we now to seal our joy ? 
 And what shall be our portion then ? 
 
 Oh, my heart goes beyond these tribes, to the tribes 
 upon tribes, nations upon nations, extending north, west, 
 and east, living to kill and be killed, unknown, and know¬ 
 ing nothing— millions of our fellow-beings, who do not 
 know that there is a God, a Saviour ; and when told in 
 their old age the precious gospel message of life, which 
 was “ for all people,” they marvel at the fact that they 
 have lived so long without having heard it ! I desire that 
 you make this message known. The heathen wonder— 
 they are surprised—they cannot understand—how it is 
 that those who have known these things, and have 
 
Reflections. 
 
 99 
 
 believed in God and in His Son, have never come to warn 
 THEM, and tell them of the true God. These words come 
 from the very heart of Africa ; they are not the words of 
 one man only, but of many. Oh, the comfort and joy our 
 spiritual union with Christ Jesus should and does give us 
 —the present realization of that which “ shall appear,” 
 even our blessed union with Him when we shall meet Him 
 in the air ! Should even death itself separate us, we need 
 not sorrow “ as others 
 
 Fellowship of spirit remains ; we are ever fellow-heirs, 
 fellow-members of the “ same body,” fellow-citizens of the 
 same joyous city ; we partake of the same “ spiritual 
 meat” and “drink”—one in Christ , one with Him, and 
 one with each other. In Him we are called upon to share 
 all His Father’s bounty andglory, and to meet also the 
 desperate enmity of Satan, and rejection and casting out 
 by a godless world. True fellowship with Christ as the 
 man Christ Jesus—the suffering, praying, afflicted, and 
 rejoicing Holy One—can only be shown, I think, by the 
 sincerity of our fellowship with each other in afflictions, 
 distresses, rejections, and joys. As our love to God is 
 shown by our love to our brethren, so our fellowship with 
 Christ Jesus is shown by our fellowship with one another. 
 “ I was naked, and ye clothed me; sick, and ye visited 
 me. . . . Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of 
 these My brethren, ye did it unto Mel This surely is 
 walking “ in love ” in our feeble measure, as “ Christ also 
 loved us and gave Himself for us , an offering and a sacri¬ 
 fice to God for a sweet-smelling savour.” So, surely, the 
 more we give ourselves to and for each other, yea, and 
 for a guilty world, for Christ’s sake, His love constrain¬ 
 ing us, we shall more and more be a living sacrifice to 
 God, and to Him a sweet savour of Christ. I cannot here 
 labour for my brethren and loved ones in Christ by deeds 
 and words of mouth, but I can labour in prayer and 
 in spiritual sympathy for all saints. Let us bind then 
 the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar (Psalm 
 cxviii. 27). 
 
 I have been much troubled lately with a faithless, un¬ 
 believing spirit, doubting if the Lord will any longer care 
 
IOO 
 
 From Natal to the Upper Zatnbesi. 
 
 to support one in His service so feeble and weak, mentally 
 and spiritually, and the future has filled my thoughts, 
 depressing me much. But this morning the Lord has 
 shewn me from several passages in the Psalms that, that 
 which Satan would have me believe to be the outcome of 
 a very humble spirit is mere pride and conceit, and 
 pride is the death of any real confidence in God. 
 am something, and I must be provided for. Does it ever 
 for a moment concern us how we shall be supported, and 
 our needs, if any, supplied during the eternity to come ? 
 We know that we will be “with Him,” and we ask no 
 more ; are we less precious to the Lord now than we shall 
 be then? No, in no wise ; our creature weakness but 
 endears us to His heart, for He knoweth all ; and let us 
 rejoice to know that though he was crucified through 
 weakness, yet He is not weak to usward, but is powerful 
 in us, for He now liveth through the power of God (2 
 Cor. xiii. 3, 4). 
 
 We again commend these pages containing the account 
 of another year’s toil and suffering for Christ to the Church 
 of God, requesting prayer that our brother may be kept 
 in spirit, soul, and body, and preserved unto the coming 
 of the Lord, and that he may win many souls for the 
 Saviour’s kingdom, who may be stars in his crown on 
 that day. 
 
 H. Groves. 
 
 Kendal, April , 1884. 
 

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