e then read.

The Caffre warriors, who had been told that the white men were going to
pray to their God, were very silent and attentive, although they could
not understand what was said; and the native Caffres, men, women, and
children, sat down near and listened. As soon as the service was over,
the Caffre head man of the warriors asked the interpreter to inquire of
our travellers why they struck the bell? was it to let their God know
that they were about to pray, and did he hear what they said?

Swinton replied, that their God heard all that they said, and listened
to the prayers of those who trusted in him.

A great many other questions were put by the Caffres, all of which were
replied to with great caution by Mr Swinton, as he was fearful that
they might not otherwise be understood by the Caffres; but they were, as
it was proved by the questions which followed in consequence. A great
portion of the afternoon was passed away in explaining and replying to
the interrogatories of these people, and our travellers felt convinced
that by having kept the Sabbath in that savage land they had done some
good by the example; for, as Swinton truly observed--

"The missionaries come into the land to spread the gospel of Christ;
they tell the natives that such is the religion and belief of the white
men, and that such are the doctrines which are inculcated. Now white
men come here as traders, or are occasionally seen here as travellers;
and if the natives find, as they have found, that these white men,
stated by the missionaries to hold the same belief, not only show no
evidence of their brief, but are guilty of sins expressly forbidden by
the religion preached, is not the work of the missionary nearly
destroyed?

"I have often thought that the behaviour of the Dutch boors towards the
natives must have had such an effect; indeed, I may say that the colony
has been founded upon very opposite principles to those of `doing unto
others as you would they should do unto you.' I believe that there
never yet was an intercourse between Christians nominal and savages, in
any portion of the globe, but that the savages have with great justice
thrown in the Christians' teeth, that they preached one thing but did
another. Unfortunately the taunt is but too true. Even those who had
left their country for religious persecution have erred in the same way.
The conduct of the Puritans who landed at Salem was as barbarous
towards the Indi