erits with great emphasis, but
there their ambition rests satisfied. It is the same peculiarity among
ourselves which leads us in other matters, such as book-making, to
attain the excellence of fault-finding without the wit to indite a page.
It was in vain I tried to indoctrinate the Bechuanas with the idea
that criticism did not imply any superiority over the workman, or even
equality with him.

Chapter 6.

Kuruman--Its fine Fountain--Vegetation of the District--Remains
of ancient Forests--Vegetable Poison--The Bible translated by
Mr. Moffat--Capabilities of the Language--Christianity among the
Natives--The Missionaries should extend their Labors more beyond the
Cape Colony--Model Christians--Disgraceful Attack of the Boers on
the Bakwains--Letter from Sechele--Details of the Attack--Numbers of
School-children carried away into Slavery--Destruction of House and
Property at Kolobeng--The Boers vow Vengeance against me--Consequent
Difficulty of getting Servants to accompany me on my Journey--Start in
November, 1852--Meet Sechele on his way to England to obtain Redress
from the Queen--He is unable to proceed beyond the Cape--Meet Mr.
Macabe on his Return from Lake Ngami--The hot Wind of the
Desert--Electric State of the Atmosphere--Flock of Swifts--Reach
Litubaruba--The Cave Lepelole--Superstitions regarding it--Impoverished
State of the Bakwains--Retaliation on the Boers--Slavery--Attachment
of the Bechuanas to Children--Hydrophobia unknown--Diseases of
the Bakwains few in number--Yearly Epidemics--Hasty
Burials--Ophthalmia--Native Doctors--Knowledge of Surgery at a very low
Ebb--Little Attendance given to Women at their Confinements--The "Child
Medicine"--Salubrity of the Climate well adapted for Invalids suffering
from pulmonary Complaints.

The permanence of the station called Kuruman depends entirely on the
fine ever-flowing fountain of that name. It comes from beneath the
trap-rock, of which I shall have to speak when describing the geology of
the entire country; and as it usually issues at a temperature of 72 Deg.
Fahr., it probably comes from the old silurian schists, which formed the
bottom of the great primeval valley of the continent. I could not detect
any diminution in the flow of this gushing fountain during my residence
in the country; but when Mr. Moffat first attempted a settlement here,
thirty-five years ago, he made a dam six or seven miles below the
present one, and led out the stream for