24 
 
 UFE OK AFRICANS*. 
 
 you a missionary, you may be ready to receive 
 him. Behave to the teacher sent you as one 
 sent of God, as I have great hope that God 
 will bless you in this respect when I am gone 
 to heaven. I feel that I love God, and that 
 he hath done much for me, of which I am 
 totally unworthy. 
 
 " My former life is stained with blood, but 
 Jesus Christ has pardoned me, and I am going 
 to heaven. Oh I beware of falling into the 
 same evils into which I have led you frequently; 
 but seek God, and he will be found of you to 
 direct you." 
 
 . Soon after delivering the above address, he 
 died in peace, a monument of redeeming mercy 
 and grace. 
 
 From the time of his conversion to God to 
 the day of his death, he always conducted him- 
 self in his family and among his people in a 
 manner very honourable to his profession of 
 Christianity, acting the part of. the Christian 
 parent and Christian master. 
 
 While his people were without a missionary, 
 he continued with much humility, zeal, dili- 
 gence, and prayer, to supply as well as he 
 could the place of a teacher. On the Lord's da v 
 he expounded to them the Word of God, for 
 which he was well fitted, having considerable 
 natural talents, un dissembled piety, and much 
 experimental acquaintance with his Bible. 
 
 He had considerable influence among the 
 different tribes of Namaquas by whom he was 
 surrounded, and was able to render great ser- 
 vice to the missionary cause among them. 
 
 James Brydone, Printer, 17 South Hanover Street, Edinburgh. 
 
 i 
 
 [No. 13. 
 
 THE LIFE 
 
 01' 
 
 AFRICANER, 
 
 THE TERROR 
 
 OF 
 
 THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 
 
 EDINBURGH: 
 PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY J. BRYDONE, 
 
 SOUTH HANOVER STREET. 
 
12 
 
 htm 01' Ai lJK AXKR. 
 
 very much, and they were sure it was Africa- 
 ner coming after them. At length, however 
 a person was obtained to carry & the letter to 
 Africaner, who was his relation, and who had 
 crossed the continent with Mr Campbell. S,\ 
 years afterwards, when Africaner met Mr Camp- 
 bell _at Gape Town, he said, "that the offer of 
 a missionary, which the letter contained, made 
 km ghul-that in his heart he had long vishe 1 
 for a teacher-that his brother Jager, wh 
 could write, had written an answer, Si as 
 •sent across to the Griqua country and fro 
 
 t0 ft! C ° ,0ny ' that h -fe^t Procee o 
 Mr Campbell at the Cape, desiring to see a 
 
 missim^ry, ,nd that he might be 1 English 
 
 mam lh,s letter never reached Cape Town 
 
 Africaner, receiving no answer from the Cane' 
 
 «en a messenger to the missionary station at! 
 
 • , ln „ L,tt «Namaqua-land, about two <W 
 journey from Ins own kraal, requesting that the 
 
 nssionary promised to him might be sent 
 
 *f>m as poss.ble; m conscience of which 
 
 mossa ge , Mr Ebner one of the missionarie at 
 
 • 0,Ia \ Proceeded to Africaners kraal, where he 
 immediately commenced his labours. We are 
 not acquainted with the particulars of what 
 passed, but the preaching and conversation o 
 tins missionary were blessed of God ; for some 
 
 ? I am gla<l that I am delivered. I havo 
 been long enough engaged in the service of the 
 
 Jesus has delivered me; him will I servo and 
 with h.m will I abide." ' 
 
 .Several other natives were converted to God, 
 a Cln.stian congregat.on was formed, and Afri- 
 
 LIFE OF Al [(!( AXKR. 
 
 13 
 
 caner was taught to read the sacred Scriptures 
 in which he took much pleasure. 
 
 The missionary, Mr Ebner, who first went 
 to Africaners kraal, after continuing there up 
 wards of two years, returned to his former sta- 
 tion, and was succeeded by Mr Moffat who 
 was instrumental in building up the new con- 
 verts in their faith, and adding to their num- 
 ber and maintaining peace amongst them, 
 ndeed from the day the gospel entered the 
 kraal they ceased to disturb the peace of the 
 neighbouring tribes ; for, so far as the truths of 
 that precious gospel are influential on the minds 
 ot men, they produce peace on earth, and love 
 towards each other. The first effect of the 
 gospel at the city of Lattakoo, towards the 
 • astern side of Africa, was to dispose the kin-, 
 and duels of that nation to come to a publ.V 
 resolution, to go no more upon plundering ox . 
 peditions against other tribes. Many of the 
 converted heathens also in South Africa have 
 contributed very liberally of their little pro- 
 perty to assist in sending the gospel to other 
 legions where it has not penetrated 
 
 In the latter end of the ye^r 1818, Mr 
 Moffat contemplated visiting Capo Town, and 
 the idea darted into his mind, that Africaner 
 would do well to accompany him, and accord- 
 ingly ho made the proposal to him. « The frood 
 man, says Mr Moffat, "looked at me again 
 and again, gravely asking whether I were in 
 earnest, and seemed fain to ask if I were in 
 my senses too; adding, with great fervour, 'I 
 had thought you loved me, and do you advise 
 mo to go to the government, to be hung up as 
 a spectacle of public justice V and putting his 
 hand to Ins head, he asked, ' Do vol. not know 
 
4 LIFE OF AFRICANER. 
 
 frosty morning, and, for the first time, observ- 
 ing that his breath was like smoke proceeding 
 from his throat, he was seized with extreme 
 horror, supposing there was a fire in his sto- 
 mach, ran to his master, crying, " Fire ! fire !" 
 
 Ethiopia or Abyssinia, Egypt, and the 
 countries bordering on the "Mediterranean 
 Sea, viz., the coast of Barbary, all situated at 
 the north part of Africa, were well known in 
 the early ages ; but the immense regions be- 
 yond them to the south were entirely unknown 
 till a few hundred years ago, when the Portu- 
 guese discovered the way to the East Indies 
 by sailing round the Cape of Good Hope, which 
 is at the southern part of Africa. 
 
 The father of Africaner, the subject of the 
 present memoir, was a Hottentot, born in the 
 J lottentot country now called the colony of the 
 Cape of Good Hope. He, with his family, were 
 in the service of a Dutch boor, or farmer, in 
 the district of Tulbagh, and were employed 
 in attending the farmer's cattle. These, for the 
 sake of pasture when it was scarce in that dry 
 and sandy part of Africa, were sent higher up 
 the country, beyond the limits of the colony, to 
 the vicinity of the Great Orange River, where, 
 ' as in the days of Abraham and Lot, the natives 
 consider it is no intrusion for strangers to bring 
 their flocks and feed them as long as they 
 please. It is the same in all the interior of 
 Southern Africa that is yet known. 
 
 Afterwards, the family lived with another 
 bo or, named Piemaar, at a farm on the banks 
 of the Elephant's River, which is the largest, 
 except the Great Orange River, on the western 
 side of South Africa ; and in such a country 
 
 I.IFK OF AFRICANER. 21 
 
 of persons whom this woman had drawn to- 
 gether still following him, his only remarks 
 were — " This is hard to bear ; but it is part 
 of my cross, and I must take it up»" 
 
 At Tulbagh, Africaner took an affectionato 
 farewell of his missionary friend, Mr Moffat, 
 who was on his way, with the deputation, to 
 visit the Society's stations on the eastern coast 
 of the colony ; after which he was to proceed 
 to Lattakoo, to assist in the mission which had 
 been for some time established in that city. 
 Africaner travelled along the western side of 
 the colony towards his own country, where he 
 arrived in safety a few weeks after, to the 
 great joy of his friends at home. 
 
 This was the first time he had been entirely 
 without a missionary since his conversion to 
 Christianity. Now, the rule and the religious 
 instruction of his people entirely devolved on 
 himself. He, being by grace an humble man, 
 felt it a weighty concern, and saw it necessary 
 to look constantly to God for wisdom to direct 
 and grace to support him in fulfilling the 
 duties connected with his double character of 
 ruler and teacher. 
 
 Africaner continued to labour amongst his 
 people for about a year, when he believed Mr 
 Moffat must by that time have taken up his 
 residence at Lattakoo. He therefore resolved 
 fco pay him a visit, and carry with him, in his 
 waggon, tho books and furniture Mr Moffat 
 had left behind hiin at the kraal. This was a 
 long journey across the continent, and a great 
 part of it was over deep sand ; but the season 
 encouraged him, being June, which is the 
 middle month in a South African winter, con- 
 sequently the coolest season in the year. He 
 
20 LIFE OF AFRICANER. 
 
 him the valuable present of a waggon which 
 the government had made to him, remarked 
 that he must be very thankful for such a mark 
 of their esteem. 
 
 " I am," said he, " truly thankful to govern- 
 ment for the favour they have done me in thi.s 
 instance ; but favours of this nature to persons 
 like me are heavy to bear. The farmers be- 
 tween this and Namaqua-land would much 
 rather hear that I had been executed at Cape 
 Town, than that I had received any mark of 
 favour from government. This circumstance 
 will, I fear, increase their hatred against me : 
 under the influence of this spirit, every disturb- 
 ance which may take place on the borders of 
 the colony will be ascribed to me ; and there 
 is nothing I more dread, than that the govern- 
 ment should suppose mo capable of ingrati- 
 tude/ 1 & 
 
 These were singular remarks from a man 
 who, only six years before, had been the savage 
 leader of a savage tribe, far from the resi- 
 dence of civilized men, and seeking to destroy 
 them. 
 
 While halting for a few days at Tulbagh, a 
 town sixty miles from Cape Town, on his re- 
 turn to his own country. Africaner was exposed 
 to a severe trial of temper, which afforded an 
 opportunity of shewing his Christian spirit. A 
 woman, under the influence of prejudice, ex- 
 cited by his former character, meeting him on 
 the public street, followed him for some time, 
 as Shimei followed king David, calling after 
 him with all her might, and heaping upon him 
 all the coarse and bad names which she could 
 t hink of. Reaching the place where his people 
 were standing by his waggon, with a number 
 
 LIFE OF AFRJCAXKR. 
 
 may literally be called a river of life, for trees 
 grass, &c, for a little distance from its bankfe 
 look green, healthy, and lively ; but beyond, 
 all is a barren waste. 
 
 It was about this time that the Cape colony 
 first came under the government of the English, 
 by being captured from the Dutch. A report 
 was circulated by evil-minded persons, that all 
 the Hottentots were to be forced to become 
 soldiers, and to be sent out of Africa. This 
 report made old Africaner and his sons resolve 
 to retire beyond the bounds of the colony, to 
 escape being forced into the army. However, 
 they still continued in the service of Piemaar, 
 the boor, who sometimes employed them on 
 plundering expeditions against the dofenceless 
 natives of the interior, furnishing them with 
 muskets and powder for that purpose. In this 
 way, they were taught to rob for their master, 
 and thus, after a time, they learned to rob for 
 themselves. 
 
 From some circumstances which occurred, 
 suspicions arose in the minds of the old Hotten- 
 tot and his sons that their employer acted un- 
 faithfully to them during their absence, and 
 his sending them more frequently from home 
 confirmed their suspicions ; and they deter- 
 mined to refuse to leave home any more on 
 such expeditions. 
 
 Infoimation having come to Piemaar that 
 the Ihishmen pirates had carried off some cattle 
 belonging to the district over which he was field- 
 cornet, (a kind of justice of peace,) he, in his 
 official character, commanded them to pursue 
 the Bushmen, in order to re-capturo the cattle. 
 This order they positively refused to obey, say- 
 ing, that his only motive for sending them on 
 
16 
 
 LIFE 01- AFRICANER. 
 
 worthy people on the borders of the colony 
 congratulated me on returning alive, having 
 often heard, as they said, that I had been long 
 since murdered by Africaner. Much wonder 
 was expressed at my narrow escape from such 
 a monster of cruelty, the report having been 
 spread that Mr Ebner had but just escaped 
 with the skin of his teeth. While some would 
 scarcely credit my identity, my testimony as 
 to the entire reformation of Africaner's charac- 
 ter and his conversion was discarded as the 
 effusion of a frenzied brain. It sometimes af- 
 forded no little entertainment to Africaner and 
 the Namaquas to hear a farmer denounce this 
 supposed irreclaimable savage. There were 
 only a few, however, who were sceptical on 
 this subject. At one farm, a novel sccno ex- 
 hibited the state of feeling respecting Afri- 
 caner and myself, and likewise displayed the 
 power of Divine grace under peculiar circum- 
 stances. It was necessary, from the scarcity 
 of water, to call at such houses as lay in our 
 road. The farmer referred to was a good man 
 in the best sense of the word ; and he and his 
 wife had both shewn me kindness on my way 
 to Namaqua-land. On approaching the house, 
 which was on an eminence, I directed my men 
 to take the waggon to the valley below, while 
 I walked toward the house. The farmer, see- 
 ing a stranger, came slowly down the descent 
 to meet me. When within a few yards, I ad- 
 dressed him in the usual way. and, stretching 
 out my hand, expressed my pleasure at seeing 
 him again. He put his hand behind him, and 
 asked me, rather wildly, who I was. I replied 
 that I was Moffat, expressing my wonder that 
 he should have forgotten me. ' Moffat I 1 ho 
 
 Life ok Africaner. 
 
 
 
 caner, in a supplicating attitude, entreating 
 parties ripe for a battle to live at peace with 
 each other : ' Look, 1 said the wondering chief, 
 pointing to Africaner, ' there is the man, once 
 the lion, at whose roar even the inhabitants of 
 distant hamlets fled from their homes ! Yes, 
 and if (patting his chest with his hand,) 'have, 
 for fear of his approach, fled with my people, 
 our wives and our babes, to the mountain 
 glen, or to the wilderness, and spent nights 
 among beasts of prey, rather than gaze on the 
 eyes of this lion, or hear his roar. 1 
 
 Africaner and his brother Jager dared not 
 to visit Cape Town themselves after the mur- 
 ders and plunders they had committed in the 
 colony, and they were obliged to employ others 
 to procure for them what they wanted from 
 thence. On one occasion, about the beginning 
 of the year 1811, they employed a man, named 
 Hans Drayer, to purchase a waggon for them 
 at the Cape, which is a vehicle of great value 
 in such countries for travelling, &c. For this 
 purpose, they entrusted him with three span or 
 teams of oxen, ten in each span : with two 
 span he was to purchase the waggon, and with 
 the third, to bring the waggon home to Nama- 
 qua-land. On his way to Cape Town, Hans 
 met a boor to whom he was indebted for a 
 considerable sum : for payment of this debt the 
 boor seized the whole of the oxen ; and Hans 
 was obliged to return to the missionary- station 
 at Kamies Fountain, in Little Namaqua-land, 
 where he usually resided, and ho refused to 
 give to Africaner any satisfactory account of 
 the oxen. Africaner was so angry at his loss, 
 and so exasperated against Hans, that ho pur- 
 sued him to Kamies, where ho and his peoplo 
 
8 
 
 UFE OK AFRICANER. 
 
 habit ot visiting the colony from the upper 
 regions of the Orange Biver. This gave rise 
 to a long series of severe and sometimes bloody 
 conflicts between the Africaners and the chief 
 Berend and his associates, Berend bein^ im- 
 pelled by a twofold reward, and Africaner In 
 a desire to wreak his vengeance on the farmers 
 who were once his friends, the instigators of 
 the deeplydaid scheme. Though these two 
 chiefs dreadfully harassed each other, neither 
 conquered ; but continued to breathe against 
 each other the direst hatred, till, by the gDfipe] 
 of peace, they were brought to " beat their 
 swords into ploughshares, and their spears in- 
 to pruning-hooks. 11 
 
 As soon as Africaner bad discovered the 
 origin of the plot, which had well nigh over- 
 thrown his power, he visit, -d the boundaries of 
 the colony. A farmer, named Engelbrecht, 
 and a Bastard Hottentot, fell the victims to 
 ins fury, ami their cattle and other propertv 
 were carried off, to atone for the injuries in- 
 flicted by the machinations of the farmers. 
 Africaner now became a terror, not only to 
 the colony on the south, but also to the tribes 
 on the north. The original natives of the 
 country justly viewed him as a dangerous 
 neighbour, even though he had obtained, by 
 lawful means, a portion of their country. 
 Ihey considered him as the common enemy. 
 ms led to pilfer.ng and provocation on their 
 part—conduct which he was suro to pay back 
 m then- own way, with large interest, The 
 tribes Hod at his approach. Ui s name carried 
 dismay even to the solitary wastes. "At a sub- 
 sapient period," says Moffat, - as I was stand- 
 ing with a Namaqua chief, looking at Afri- 
 
 I.IFE OF AFKIC.W'FR. 
 
 17 
 
 rejoined, in a faltering voice ; w it is your (jht,st P 
 and moved some steps backward." - l am no 
 ghost. 1 ' Don't come near me P he exclaimed ; 
 ' you have been long murdered by Africaner.' 
 f But 1 am no ghost, 1 I said, feeling my hands, 
 as if to convince him and myself, too, of my 
 materiality ; but his alarm only increased. 
 ' Everybody says you were murdered ; and a 
 man told ine he had seen your bones; 1 and he 
 continued to gaze at me, to the no small asto- 
 nishment of the good wife and children, who 
 were standing at the door, as also to that of 
 my people, who were looking on from the wag- 
 gon below. At length, he extended his trem- 
 bling hand, saying, 1 When did you rise from 
 tho dead V As he feared my presence would 
 alarm his wife, we bent our steps towards the 
 waggon, and Africaner was the subject of our 
 conversation. I gave him in a few words my 
 views of his present character, saying, 'He is 
 now a truly good man. 1 To which he replied, 
 ' I can believe almost any thing you say, but 
 that I cannot credit; there are seven wonders 
 in the world, that would be the eighth. 1 I 
 appealed to the displays of Divine grace in a 
 Paul; a Manasseh, and referred to his own ex- 
 perience. He replied, these were another de- 
 scription of men, but that Africaner was one 
 of the accursed sons of Ham, enumerating 
 some of the atrocities of which he had been 
 guilty- By this time we were standing with 
 Africaner at our feet, on whose countenance 
 sat a smile, well knowing the prejudices of 
 some of the farmers. The farmer closed the 
 conversation by saying, with much earnestness, 
 Well, if what you assert be true respecting 
 that man, I have only one wish, and that is, to 
 
G uri of ArajcANEii. 
 
 snoh au expedition was that they might bo 
 killed. 
 
 They had, on the previous night, received 
 authentic information that it was a deep-laid 
 scheme to get them to go to another farm, where 
 some of the party were to be seized. Fired 
 with indignation at the accumulated woes 
 through which they had passed, a tempest was 
 brooding in their bosoms. They had before 
 signified their wish, with the farmer's permis- 
 sion, to have some reward for their often gall- 
 ing servitude, and to be allowed peaceably to 
 remove to some of the sequestered districts be- 
 yond, where they might live in peace. This 
 desire had been sternly refused, and followed 
 by severity still more grievous. Jt was even- 
 tide, and the farmer, exasperated tohnd his com- 
 mands disregarded, ordered them to appear at 
 the door of his house. This was to them an 
 awfuL moment ; and, though accustomed to 
 scenes of barbarity, their hearts beat hard. 
 It had not yet entered their minds to do vio- 
 lence to the farmer. Jager, with his brothers 
 and some attendants, moved slowly up towards 
 the door of the house. Titus, the next brother 
 to the chief, dreading that the farmer in his 
 wrath might have recourse to desperate mea- 
 sures, took his gun with him, which he easily 
 concealed behind him, being night. When 
 they reached the front of the house, and Jager, 
 the chief, had gone up the few steps leading to 
 the door, to state their complaints, the farmer 
 rushed furiously on the chieftain, and with one 
 blow precipitated him to the bottom of the 
 steps. At this moment, Titus drew from be- 
 hind him his gpn, fired on Piemaar, who stag- 
 gered backward; and fell. They then entered 
 
 LIKE OJ? AFHICAXF.K. { y 
 
 dently much struck with this result of mission- 
 ary enterprise, the benefit of which he had 
 sometimes doubted. I remembered, when I 
 first arrived at Cape Town, the reply to my 
 memorial for permission to proceed to my des- 
 tination in Great Namaqua-land was, that his 
 Excellency had cogent reasons for not comply- 
 ing with my request, and I was obliged to re- 
 main eight months in the colony: this time 
 was not, however, lost, for it was turned to ad- 
 vantage by learning the Dutch language, and 
 attending to other preliminaries for a mission- 
 ary campaign. Whatever he might think of 
 his former views, his Excellency was now con- 
 vinced that a most important point had been 
 gained ; and, as a testimony of his good feel- 
 ing, he presented Africaner with an excellent 
 waggon, value eighty pounds sterling." 
 
 Africaner's appearance in Cape Town ex- 
 cited considerable attention, as his name and 
 exploits had been familiar to many of its in- 
 habitants for more than twenty years. Many 
 were struck with the unexpected mildness and 
 gentleness of his demeanour, and others with 
 his piety and accurate knowledgo of the Scrip- 
 tures. Id is New Testament was a cheering 
 object of attention, it was so completely 
 thumbed and -worn by use. 
 
 As Mr Moffat, who had brought him to Cape 
 Town, was to join the mission at the city <pf 
 Lattnkoo, Africaner was asked to attend to 
 the instruction of his people himself, till tho 
 M issionary Society should be able to send out 
 a teacher to supply the place of Mr Moffat. 
 With great modesty and diffidence he gave his 
 consent. 
 
 A friend in Cape Town, when noticing to 
 
 Jl " MFE OF AFRICANER, 
 
 see him before I die ; and when vou return, as 
 sure as the sun is over our heads, I will go with 
 you to see him, though he killed mv ownuncle. 1 
 I was not before aware of this fact, and now 
 felt some hesitation whether to discover to him 
 the object of his wonder ; but knowing the sin- 
 cerity of tho farmer, and the goodness of his 
 disposition, I said, 'This, then, is Africaner f 
 He started back, looking intensely at the man, 
 as if ho had just dropped from the clouds! 
 'Are you Africaner? 1 he exclaimed. He aroso, 
 doffed his old hat, and, making a polite bow, 
 answered, < I am. 1 The farmer seemed thun- 
 der-struck ; but when, by a few questions, he 
 had assured himself of the fact, that the for- 
 mer bugbear of tho border stood before him, 
 now meek and lamb-like in his whole deport- 
 ment, ho lifted up his eyes, and exclaimed, ' O 
 God, what a miracle of thy power ! what can- 
 not thy grace accomplish V The kind farmer, 
 and his no less hospitable wife, now abundantly 
 supplied our wants; but wo hastened our de- 
 parture, lest the intelligence might get abroad 
 that Africaner was with me, and bring un- 
 pleasant visitors. 
 
 " On arriving nt Cape Town, I waited on his 
 Excellency the Governor, Lord Charles Somer- 
 set, who appeared to receive with considerable 
 scepticism my testimony that I had brought 
 the far-famed Africaner on a visit to his Ex- 
 cellency. The following day was appointed for 
 an interview, when the chief was received by 
 Lord Charles with great affability and kind- 
 ness ; and he expressed his pleasure at seeing 
 thus before him, one who had formerly been 
 the scourge of the country, and the terror of 
 tho bol der colonists. His Excellency was evi- 
 
 t.iff or AFiurAXF.a. 9 
 
 the house, the wife having witnessed the murder 
 of her husband, shrieked, and implored mercv. 
 They told her on no account to be alarmed, 
 for they had nothing against her. They asked 
 for the guns and ammunition which were in 
 the house, which she promptly delivered to 
 them. They then straitly charged her not to 
 leave the house during the night, as they could 
 not ensure her safety from others of the ser- 
 vants, who, if she and her family attempted to 
 flee, might kill them. 
 
 This admonition, however, was disregarded. 
 Overcome with terror, two children escaped by 
 a back-door. These were slain by two Bush- 
 men, who had long been looking out for an 
 opportunity of revenging injuries they had suf- 
 fered. Mrs Piemaar escaped in safety to tho 
 nearest farm. Africaner, with as little loss of 
 time as possible, rallied the remnant of his tribe, 
 and, with what they could take with them, di- 
 rected their course to tho Orango River, and 
 were soon beyond the reach of pursuers, who, 
 m a thinly scattered population, required time 
 to collect. He fixed his abode on the banks 
 of the Orange River; and afterwards, a chief 
 ceding to him his dominion in Great Namaqua- 
 land, it henceforth became his by right, as well 
 as by conquest. 
 
 Attempts were made on the part of the 
 colonial government and the farmers to punish 
 this daring outrage on the Piemaar family; 
 but, though rewards were offered, and com- 
 mandoes went out for that purpose, Africaner 
 darod them to approach his territories. Some 
 of the farmers had recourse to another strata- 
 gem to rid the frontiers of such a terror : they 
 bribed some of the Bastards, who were in the 
 
 V 
 
10 UFK OF AFRICANER. 
 
 put him to death, and committed great enor- 
 mities. 
 
 Not long after this painful occurrence, the 
 friends of Hans, with the assistance of some 
 Namaquas, in their turn, attacked the kraal 
 or town of Africaner; who, to bo revenged up- 
 on the Namaquas for aiding the friends of 
 Hans against him, afterwards fell upon their 
 kraal. Finding themselves too weak to resist 
 him, they implored assistance from the Nama- 
 quas at Warm Bath ; who, complying with 
 their request, sent out a large armed party to 
 defend them. This conduct so enraged Afri- 
 caner, that he threatened destruction to the 
 settlement at Warm Bath. 
 
 Under the apprehension of certain destruc- 
 tion from so resolute a savage, Mr Albrecht, 
 the missionary and his wife left that station^ 
 removing what goods they could, and burving 
 t he rest in the earth in hope of returning at a 
 future period : but the mission was never re- 
 sumed ; for, after enduring some fatiguing 
 journeys, Mrs Albrecht, (formerly Miss Berg- 
 man, from Holland,) died at Silver Fountain, 
 in Little Nainaqua-land, as some thought of a 
 broken heart. After this, Mr Albrecht took 
 up his residence at Kamiesberg and Bella. He 
 died, not long after, of a dropsy, probably occa- 
 sioned by the bad water in that part of the 
 country. 
 
 Airicaner accomplished his threat, for ho at- 
 tacked the Namaquas at Warm Bath, and 
 carried off a great number of their cattle, and 
 continued to molest them, till at length the 
 mission house and the chapel were burnt, and the 
 inhabitants of the village almost entirely dis- 
 persed, and most of them obliged to live upon 
 
 LIFE OF AFRICANER. 15 
 
 or spear, and each bosom swelled with purest 
 friendship, and exhibited another trophy des- 
 tined to adorn the triumph of the Brince of 
 Beace. Here I ;igain met with Mr Bartlett 
 and family, who, with the chief and people of 
 the station, loaded us with kindness. 
 
 "We spent some pleasant days, while tho 
 subject of getting Africaner safely through tho 
 territories of the farmers to the Cape was the 
 theme of much conversation. To some, tho 
 step seemed somewhat hazardous. Africaner 
 and I had fully discussed the point before 
 leaving the station; and I was confident of 
 success. Though a chief, there was no need 
 of laying aside any thing like royalty with a 
 view to travel in disguise. Of two substantial 
 shirts left, I gave him one; he had a pair of 
 leather trowsers, a duffel jacket much the 
 worse for wear, and an old hat neither white 
 nor black ; and my own garb was scarcely more 
 refined. Asa farther precaution, it was agreed 
 that for once 1 should be the chief, and ho 
 should assumo the appearanco of a servant, 
 when it was desirable, and pass for one of my 
 attendants. 
 
 " Ludicrous as the picture may appear, the 
 subject was a grave one, and the season 
 solemn and important. Often did I lift up my 
 heart to Him in whose hands are the hearts of 
 all men, that his presence might go with us. 
 It might here be remarked once for all, that 
 the Dutch farmers, notwithstanding all that 
 has been said against them by some travellers, 
 are, as a people, exceedingly hospitable and 
 kind to strangers. Exceptions thero are, but 
 these are few, and perhaps more rare than in 
 any country under tho sun. Somo of these 
 
 14 LIFE OF Al'lilC ANER. 
 
 that I am an outlaw, and that 1000 rix-dollars 
 have been offered for this poor head V These 
 difficulties I endeavoured to remove, by assur- 
 ing him that the results would be most satis- 
 factory to himself, as well as to the Governor 
 of the Cape. Here Africaner exhibited his 
 lively faith in the gracious promises of God, by 
 replying, ' I shall deliberate, and commit, (or, 
 as he used tho word according to the Dutch 
 translation,) roll my way upon the Lord ; I knbw 
 ho will not leave me. 1 
 
 " During three days, this subject was one of 
 public discussion, and more than one came to 
 me with grave looks, asking if I had advised 
 Africaner to go to the Cape. On the third day 
 the point was decided, and we made prepar- 
 ations for our departure, after having made 
 the necessary arrangements for continuing the 
 means of instruction during my absence. Nearly 
 all the inhabitants accompanied us half a day's 
 journey to tho banks of the Orange lliver, 
 where we had to wait several davs, it having 
 overflowed all its banks. The kindness of the 
 people, and the tears which were shed when 
 we parted from them, were deeply affecting. 
 
 "Arriving at Bella, (the place as before stated, 
 to which some of the people from Warm Bath 
 had retired when the latter was destroyed by 
 Africaner,) we had a feast fit for heaven-born 
 souls, and subjects to which the seraphim above 
 might have tuned their golden lyres. Men 
 met who had not seen each other since they 
 had joined in mutual combat for each other's 
 woe ; met — warrior with warrior, bearing in 
 their hands tho olive branch, secure under the 
 panoply of peace and love. They talked of 
 Him who had subdued both without a sword 
 
 LIFE OF AFRICANKH. 1 1 
 
 roots, wild berries, and whatever they could 
 find. 
 
 The succeeding year, 1812. when Mr Camp- 
 bell first visited Africa on the affairs of the 
 London Missionary Society, he found it neces- 
 sary to cross that continent from the eastern to 
 the western side. During this journey, In- 
 found every town through which he passed well 
 acquainted with the name of Africaner, and all 
 trembling lest he should pay them a visit : ho 
 was the only person whom Mr Campbell was 
 afraid of meeting during this part of his jour- 
 ney. However, on arriving safe at the mission- 
 ary station at Bella, on the western side of 
 Africa, he wrote a letter to Africaner, express- 
 ing regret that he should be the occasion of so 
 much misery and oppression in that part of 
 Africa — that as he knew there was a God, and 
 a judgment to come, he stated his belief to 
 Africaner that ho must be an unhappy man. 
 by being the cause of so much unhappiness to 
 others. And as the Word of God tausrht for- 
 giveness, he offered to send a missionary to in- 
 struct him and his people, notwithstanding all 
 he had done against the missionary institution 
 at Warm Bath, if he expressed a desire to 
 have one sent to him. 
 
 So great was the terror of both Namaquas 
 and Bushmen at the name of Africaner, that, 
 though a present was to accompany the letter, 
 and payment to be given to the bearer of it, a 
 considerable time passed before a person could 
 be found of sufficient courage to undertake it. 
 Indoed, for a long time after these Namaquas 
 had fled to Bella, across the Orange Bivor, 
 from the dread of Africaner, the least risinc: of 
 dust or sand at a distance frightened them 
 
LIFS Of A BRICH XEH. 2'> 
 
 throne of the Redeemer; when Bercnd. the 
 ■senior chief, offered bp a prayer to God. The 
 scene was highly interesting ; they were like 
 lions changed into lambs, their hatred and fe- 
 rocity having been removed by the power of 
 the gospel ; indeed, when the Naniaqua chief 
 was converted, he sent a message to tho Gri- 
 qua chiefs, confessing the injuries lie had done 
 them in the days of his ignorance, and asking 
 them, at the sanio time, to unite with him in 
 promoting universal peace among the different 
 tribes. 
 
 The two chiefs were much together till tho 
 afternoon of the next day, when, after Cwfefiig 
 an affecting farewell, Africaner, with his wag- 
 gon and people, set off to the westward in 
 order to cross over to Namacpia-land, and Hhe 
 rest of the caravan travelled south, in the 
 direction of Cape Town, from which they were 
 distant about seven hundred miles. 
 
 On reaching home, Africaner again resumed 
 the religious instructions of his people, and re- 
 mained constantly with them till his final re- 
 moval to the everlasting world. 
 
 How long his last illness continued we are 
 not informed ; but when he found his end ap- 
 proaching, like Joshua, he called all his people 
 around him, and gave them directions concern- 
 ing their future conduct. 
 
 "We are not, 11 said he, " what we once were, 
 savages, but men professing to be taught ac- 
 cording to the gospel : let us, then, do accord- 
 ingly. Live peaceably with all men, if possible ; 
 and if impossible, consult those who are placed 
 over you before you engage in any thing, lie- 
 main together as you have done since I knew 
 you, that when the directors think fit to send 
 
 22 tW9 OK AFRICANER. 
 
 reached Lattakoo in the middle of July 1 820, 
 where he received a most hearty welcome from 
 the missionary brethren and sisters there, and 
 he ^ delivered, in good condition, the books 
 which he had brought with him. 
 
 This kind service was done from gratitude 
 and pure Christian affection towards the mis- 
 sionary. It was, indeed, a rare instance of dis- 
 interested benevolence, as the journey to and 
 from Lattakoo occupied full three months, lie 
 made no boast of it, and looked for no recom- 
 pence. While remaining at Lattakoo, he con- 
 ducted himself with much Christian meekness 
 and propriety, and waited patiently till the de- 
 putation finally left that city. 
 
 He and his people made part of the caravan 
 for upwards of a hundred miles, until they 
 reached BerendVPlaee, which is the town near- 
 e t to Lattakoo, in the Griqua country : it 
 chiefly belonged to Berend, an old Griqua chief. 
 The meeting between Africaner and this chief 
 was truly interesting, they having not seen one 
 another for four-and-twenty years, when at the 
 head of their tribes they had fought for five 
 days on the banks of the Great Orange lliver. 
 Being now both converts to the faith of Christ, 
 and having obtained mercy of the Lord, all 
 their former animosities were laid aside, they 
 saluted each other as friends, and friends of 
 the gospel of Christ. 
 
 These chiefs, followed by their people, walk- 
 ed together to the tent, when all united in sing- 
 ing a hymn of praise to God, and listening to 
 an address from the invitation of God to the 
 ends of the earth to look to him, and to him 
 alone, for salvation. After which, the two chiefs 
 knelt at the same stool before the peaceful 
 
 TnE i .hit/*, ,-nfinorn v,)i 
 
 LIFE OF AFRICANER. 
 
 Before entering on the history of this noted 
 individual, it may be necessary to give a short 
 outline of the continent of Africa, which forms 
 one of the four quarters of the world. Its 
 length, from north to south, is between 4000 
 ami 5000 miles, and its greatest breadth, from 
 east to west, is about 4000 miles. The Medi- 
 terranean Sea separates it from Europe, and 
 the lied Sea from Asia. It is divided into 
 North and South Africa; North Africa being 
 that division which lies north of the equator, 
 and South Africa that which lies south of the 
 equator. The greater portion of this continent 
 lies under a vertical sun. Within the tropics, 
 or middle part of Africa, the aborigines, or 
 natives, arc generally jet black, and to the north 
 or south they are of a dark-olive colour. In 
 tho whole of that vast continent, no natives of 
 a white complexion are to be found. When a 
 white person appears in any of the African 
 countries for the first time, he is an object of 
 groat terror to tho natives, especially to the 
 women and children, who immediately run from 
 his presence. 
 
 Most of its inhabitants are totally unac- 
 quainted with snow and ice ; indeed, they 
 would as soon expect to see the flinty rock dis- 
 solve into water, as to see water changed into 
 hard ice. Some years ago, one of the natives, 
 sailing in a ship to England, happened, when 
 near that country, to go hastily on deck on a