Page:Life of Africaner.pdf/11

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
life of africaner.
11

roots, wild berries, and whatever they could find.

The succeeding year, 1812, when Mr Campbell first visited Africa on the affairs of the London Missionary Society, he found it necessary to cross that continent from the eastern to the western side. During this journey, he found every town through which he passed well acquainted with the name of Africaner, and all trembling lest he should pay them a visit: he was the only person whom Mr Campbell was afraid of meeting during this part of his journey. However, on arriving safe at the missionary station at Pella, on the western side of Africa, he wrote a letter to Africaner, expressing 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 he must be an unhappy man, by being the cause of so much unhappiness to others. And as the Word of God taught forgiveness, he offered to send a missionary to instruct 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. Indeed, for a long time after these Namaquas had fled to Pella, across the Orange River, from the dread of Africaner, the least rising of dust or sand at a distance frightened them