past; the children in general were assisting their mothers in watching the corn where any still remained from the great drought. The want of a day school is greatly to be deplored, as only very small inroads upon the existing ignorance can be made. The good cause here seems to be suffering severely in the absence of a Missionary. On the Sabbath day the meetings consisted of all the remaining believers in the town, and all the heathen who have been and are still regular in hearing the word of God. In the prayer meeting on the Sunday morning, it was indeed interesting to hear the members praying for the Boers who are now, it is said, preparing for an attack to become masters of them and their land. At the preaching meetings, Mahura, his eldest son, and several of those in power attended, but with all that mustered we could only have about a fifth part of what usually met at Mamusa. On Monday morning Mahura asked me when I could come and reside among them as formerly, for he did not love to be without a teacher. I answered him by asking him, where can I build? I have not seen any proper place for this near the town, but I shall visit you as often as I can. He did not speak of the fountain of Lithakoaneng, as their great wisdom lies in concentrating their forces just now for fear of the Boers.

"From Mahura's town I now travelled to the Bamairas by way of Mohangkoe, where so many of them dwell for the purpose of raising food for their families. It is truly pitiful that Motlabani, their chief, has so little influence over his people, and that they have so little respect for him as their ruler. When I came to the village where the native teacher Gasaborioe, and most of the believers dwell, I found them busily preparing to go to a great picho at Taung, to consult how to defend themselves against an immediate attack of the rebel Boers. They all received me joyfully as their friend and Missionary. On the Sabbath day our meetings were, as usual, large. The believers go on steadily and make consider. able impression on some of the Heathen; they also make progress in reading, and in the knowledge of divine things. Several children of the members were baptized. On

Monday the fruits of preaching the Gospel among them were seen in bringing forth offerings to the Auxiliary Society, and, upon the whole, there was more to satisfy and please me there than in any other part of the Mission formerly under my care. As the chief and most of his men in the village were starting to go to the great picho, after I had finished the business connected with my visit to them, I also prepared to return to Griqua Town, but bad news in the evening of the first day made them all return home. There were six wagons, and perhaps about seventy people. The news were that they had cause to fear an attack of some colony Boers, on account of Bechuanas in the neighbourhood stealing cattle from them on the previous Sunday. It looked somewhat alarming to observe in our road that cattle spots were removed that the Boers might not so easily lay hold of them. By travelling diligently and speedily, we came to Campbell Town for the services of the Sabbath day. Here the people are very needy as they have altogether cut themselves off from other churches around. I had a good congregation, and if they had a settled and active schoolmaster the meetings might be pretty large, and there might be an excellent Day School. On the Monday following I arrived at Griqua Town, having been absent four Sabbaths, and busily engaged throughout my long journey. May the precious fruits of righteousness soon appear, that the Lord's work may be continued in these most trying times.

"On the following Sabbath here, I had very large congregations, two adults, Bechuanas, were baptized and admitted to the Lord's table. On Monday three couples of Bechuanas were married. It is pleasing to find that while so many troubles are in the country at the present time, the Bechuanas here and in the district around, are apparently doing well, inquiring concerning the salvation of their souls, and some entering the church both at the principal and the out stations. I have taught the Day School here for some months past; the number of scholars has been between forty-five and fifty, but since I returned from my long journey they have not been so many, as it is at present the harvest of the Indian corn."

"During the unsettled state of the country at the time of this revolution, a greater number of refugees entered this district than at any previous or subsequent period.

"The manner in which they have been permitted to enter for so long a period, and the readiness with which they have been received into service by the colonists, are sufficient reasons for the government to pause before it suddenly turns upon these people to remove them from the country, as having no claims upon the soil.......

"The position of the natives of this part of Africa, as connected with ourselves, is, that certain uncivilised tribes, occupying an extensive country, become, from the European system of colonization, our border neighbours ; opposite in colour, laws, manners, and customs, with a total ignorance of each other's language, their first meeting is naturally attended with suspicion, which is frequently the foundation of misunderstandings resulting in serious consequences.

"From the varied representations given by the white inhabitants to their government, in which the native tribes must be misrepresented, from the absence of a correct knowledge of their laws, customs, &c., the British government professed to take upon itself the guardianship of these tribes, whom they believe to require its protection, but from the absence of that knowledge already mentioned, of the people under their charge, the government remains for years in a state of ignorance as to their true position.

"It is necessary to view these tribes under two different aspects :

"1st. In their primitive condition as entirely unaffected by European influence. "2nd. Under a state of transition from their pure native condition to that which is sought to be obtained.

"On the plans of the government, and the conduct of the Europeans having transactions with the natives, the improvement of these tribes, or their extermination, necessarily depends.

"It therefore follows that, should the plans adopted be so based as not to produce the desired result, the very causes of failure will become the means of bringing the guardians and the guarded into collision.

Europeans and the Kafir tribes on the frontier, the latter cannot be said to be completely conquered, the patience of the British government must eventually be exhausted. The tribes must fall before the sword, until, feeling they are a conquered people, they become humble, obedient, and willing to be instructed.......

THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEF.

"I made it a point of early inquiry as to any belief that might be entertained among these tribes regarding a future state and the existence of a Supreme Being.

"I am fully convinced that up to the period of their becoming acquainted with white men, they had but a very confused idea of a Deity.

"The opinion held by the most intelligent natives, during the reign of Chaka, was, that at death they would enter a world of spirits, occupying it in the same position they had held in this: the last departed spirit of a person who had held the highest rank in a family becoming its ruling spirit.

"As long as health or prosperity was enjoyed by a family its ancestral guardian spirit was said to be lying on his back, but when misfortunes came upon them, on his face.

"These expressions were evidently used in a figurative sense.

"Some few Kafirs may be found who state their belief that Umkulunkulu (the great great) shook the reeds with a strong wind, and there came from them the first man and woman.

"When I consider the perfection of their language, the remarkable suitability of their laws to their circumstances, and the nature of their offerings to their ancestral spiritsto say nothing of the resemblance of many of their customs to those of the ancient Jews, as prescribed in the ceremonial law, under Levitical priesthood, I am led to form the opinion that the Kafir tribes have been very superior to what they are at the present time. On examining some memoranda many years since, I was surprised to find a considerable resemblance between many of the Kafir customs and those of the Jews. The following are the most striking:

"War offerings. "Sin offerings.

"Propitiatory offerings. "Festival of first fruits.

"The proportion of the sacrifice given to the Isanusi (or witch doctor, as he is termed

by Europeans).

"Periods of uncleanness on the decease of relatives and touching the dead. "Circumcision.

"Rules regarding chastity.
"Rejection of swine's flesh.

"It has been a very popular error that the natives believe that after death their fathers become snakes.

"I have previously stated that they believe in the existence of departed spirits; they also believe that the ancestral spirit visits their houses internally or externally, inhabiting for the time the body of a snake; that this occurs when some member of the family has omitted a known duty or committed some offence, and this visit of the spirit has for its object to treat the offence with lenity. If, however, on such appearance, a sacrifice is not offered, some severe punishment, such as sickness or death, will follow.

THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS.

"Those natives who exercise the healing art professionally, (or make pretensions to it,) are designated Izinyanga, but, the term is not given to such persons only.

"I have frequently purchased a knowledge of native herbs from native doctors, and embraced every opportunity that occurred of witnessing their medical practice and surgical operations.

"Their knowledge of medicinal plants is considerable, though not very extensive, nor is it confined to them alone. A knowledge of the virtues of particular plants, when possessed by private families, is considered as an heir-loom-hence, on a native being attacked by disease, he obtains the opinion of a native doctor as to the nature of his complaint, and is recommended to apply to the family which possesses a knowledge of the appropriate remedy for the fever, dropsy, rheumatism, or whatever the complaint may be. But the doctors frequently purchase a knowledge of such remedies for their own practice.

"These practitioners always receive a fee

in advance, but with regard to full remuneration for their services, it is an admitted point of law, that where there is no cure there is no pay, beyond the retaining fee.

"I have found that many of their plants are really valuable medicines. But it is rarely that these healing plants are given to the patient without being mixed with others possessing no such property,-the object of this, doubtless, was originally to prevent a knowledge of the remedial plant from becoming general. The useless additions are now believed to be an essential part of the remedy.

"In acquiring a knowledge of plants possessing healing properties, it is evident that the natives would also become acquainted with others of a poisonous nature. With several of the latter description I have an acquaintance, and I am of opinion that Europeans generally do not give sufficient credence to the fact that there are many nations who possess a knowledge of poisons of a most destructive character, perfectly unknown to themselves.

"As, on the one hand, additional herbs are employed with healing plants, so also we may conclude that innocent plants are used to conceal those which are destructive......

THEIR MARRIAGES.

"It frequently happens that marriages are entered into with the full consent of the female, that is, when the age of the intended husband is at all proportionate to hers.

"It sometimes occurs that marriages between young people are arranged by themselves solely, or by their parents, and it does not unfrequently happen that marriages are effected by the father of the female proposing to the intended husband or his parents. In some cases, without any previous intimation, the girl is sent to the party so selected by her parents.

"Of such intention of the parent, however, the daughter is generally informed a month or more before she is sent.

"In some cases the husband selected by the parent is unsuitable by reason of age or infirmities, and there are cases in which the young woman is harshly treated by her parents if she opposes their will. It does

not unfrequently occur that in the interval between her being first acquainted with her father's intention and the period when she is to leave her home, the young woman will elope to the man of her own choice, from whom she may be forcibly brought back by her parents and sent to the one chosen by her father; but it generally happens that if she persists in eloping, her parent, either of his own will, or at the intercession of the girl's mother, gives up his original intention, and he does so frequently when the amount of cattle which he receives from the husband chosen by the girl is much less than he would have obtained from the other party, and this is a point of serious consideration with a Kafir......

"The ties of consanguinity controlling marriages are very strictly observed.

"A man cannot marry any female who is a relative by blood. Such an offender would at once be termed Umtagati,'-i. e. evil doer-the marriage would be dissolved, and a general belief expressed that the offspring of such a connection would be a monstera punishment inflicted by his ancestral spirit.

"As an exemplification of the laws of marriage, of the inheritance of property, and of the resemblance which many of the Kafir customs bear to those of the ancient Jews, I submit the following case:-A Kafir dies leaving seven wives, with their children, and three brothers. The period for mourning (a circle of the seasons) having been completed (during which the widows and fatherless children have been under the protection of the brothers of the deceased), it becomes the duty of these brothers to provide for the future management of their brother's family. They take the wives of the deceased to be their own, adjusting the number to each as may be mutually agreed.

"The property of the deceased brother does not become the property of the surviving brothers, unless he has died without issue. In all other cases the brothers are only the guardians of the property on behalf of the children of the deceased, and they are liable by law to make restitution for any cattle disposed of by them (which was their brother's property, or the offspring thereof) during the minority of the children, unless such cattle had been used for the benefit of

the children or their mother, and then only to a reasonable extent.

Evidence of T. SHEPSTONE, Esq.

"Query. Have the missionaries been very successful in evangelizing the Kafirs within the district, or have they failed in all their efforts to make any perceptible change in the habits and character of the people? if the former, name the locality, tribes, and particular missions that have made the greatest progress.-Answer. I should not say that the missionaries have been very successful, nor, on the other hand, that they have failed in all their efforts. I have witnessed instances of a very perceptible change in the habits and characters of individuals, the result of missionary labours in this district, and residing on missionary institutions. But as there are many mission stations in the district which I have not visited, I feel that by drawing distinctions or mentioning names, I might subject myself to the charge of making invidious comparisons or even injustice.

"Q. Have the Kafirs any religious creed, or any notion of a supreme power; and does this exercise any moral influence over them? -A. They have no religious creed. To my mind, they have a very vague and indistinct notion of a great original, to which they apply the words 'Umkulunkulu' (the great great), and ‘Umvelangangi' (the first appearer or exister). They believe in the influence of spirits on the material world, and this belief exercises a very considerable influence on their conduct.

"Q. What are the capacity, intelligence, and moral feelings of the Kafir as compared with Europeans; and are they such as to afford promising hopes, both of his own civilization and of his future usefulness as a member of British colonial society?—A. I do not think them wanting in capacity or intelligence. In moral feelings they are necessarily so, as compared with civilized and educated Europeans. I see no absolute bar to their civilization or to their usefulness, in any position in which their intelligence and capacity may hereafter place them.

"Q. Do they exhibit signs of curiosity, ambition, powers of observation and imitation? A. Yes.

"Q. Are they intelligent in the mode of cul