82 EXTRACTS FROM JOURNAL. them personally. I asked one, "Why do you not do as I tell you? It is because you do not think that what I say is right and true." "Yes," he said, "I do." "Well, then," I replied, "why not do as I say?" "Ah," he answered, "not yet, not yet." Just what hundreds of white people say. 31st. To-day I was struck with something Billy Waukeri said. I had been expostulating with him for persecuting his brother, who is inclined to become a Christian. I told him I should advise Waukeri to break their bad customs. Billy said, "What for you do that? God told us to do these things." I asked him, "Where in the Bible did God tell you to do them? There is only One God, Jehovah, and only one Bible." He answered, "How do you know that Bible is Jehovah’s book ? Did he give it to you? Did he tell you it ? Did not whitefellow make it?" "No," I replied, "Jehovah gave it to my fathers a long time ago." "Well," he said, "and our God told my fathers these customs a long time ago, and so we must do them." The conversation was continued at some length, and I could see that there was more thoughtful opposition to the Divine Word than I expected to find. 17th March. A great fight at Teringi; several were speared, and one man killed outright. This battle was between five tribes. It caused us a great deal of trouble. 22nd April, Sabbath. Worship as usual. In the evening I heard that the hut of a shepherd named T , which is about a mile off, had been robbed in the absence of himself and his wife. It is supposed that some native is the thief. There is a large number of blacks encamped here now. 23rd. This morning, quite unexpectedly, police-trooper Morgan arrived. The shepherd, who was here, immediately informed him of the robbery of his hut, so they and I went to the camps on the hill to make inquiries. After we had looked in several wurleys, a man named Kilkildareetpiri called out very
