the missionary party were met by David Livingstone, who had
ridden forth to bid them welcome.

From this point onwards friends both white and black emulated each other
in testifying their gladness at their friend's return, until as the
Moffats drew near to Kuruman their progress became like a royal one. At
last between two and three o'clock on the 10th of December, 1843, they
sat down once again in their own home, amongst those for whom they had
toiled so zealously, and over whom their hearts yearned with a holy
love. The delight of the natives at having their missionary and his wife
among them again was unbounded. In a letter published in the _Missionary
Magazine_, October, 1844, Moffat thus writes, giving an account of their
reception:--"Many were the hearty welcomes we received, all appearing
emulous to testify their joy. Old and young, even the little children,
would shake hands with us. Some gave vent to their joy with an air of
heathen wildness, and some in silent floods of tears; while others,
whose hearts had sickened with deferred hope, would ask again and again,
'Do our eyes indeed behold you?' Thus we found ourselves once more among
a people who loved us, and who had longed for our return."

The mission having been largely reinforced, it was arranged that Mr, and
Mrs. Ross should go to Taung, about one hundred miles east of Kuruman,
where a portion of the Bechwana tribe had settled under Mahura, a
brother of Mothibi; while Edwards and Livingstone were to commence work
among the Bakhatla, two hundred miles to the north-east. Inglis was to
go to the same neighbourhood; thus the regular missionary staff of the
Kuruman station comprised after their departure, the venerable Mr.
Hamilton, who had seen the commencement of the Bechwana Mission in 1816,
Mr. and Mrs. Ashton, and the Moffats.

The place to which Edwards and Livingstone had gone was a large native
town near to the haunts of lions. These greatly harassed the cattle and
deprived the missionaries of sleep. One day a hunt was arranged.
Livingstone joined the party, was attacked by the lion, and was only
rescued with a broken and mangled arm by the bravery and devotion of his
native servant, Mebalwe, who himself got severely bitten.

[Illustration: LIVINGSTONE ATTACKED BY A LION.]

During his recovery from this injury Livingstone visited the Kuruman,
and there won the heart of Moffat's eldest daughter, her mother's
namesake, who soon afterwards exchanged