rice_ early in the March of 1855, and, after a pleasant and prosperous
voyage, entered Durban Bay in the ensuing May.

The first home of the brother and sister was at Durban, among the English
colonists. It somewhat disappointed the Archdeacon, as those who come
out for purely missionary aims always are disappointed, when called to
the equally needful but less interesting field of labour among their own
countrymen; put as he says, he satisfied his mind by recollecting, "I
came out here simply because there was a scarcity of people that could
and would come. I did not come because I thought the work more important
than that I was leaving." So he set himself heartily to gather and
confirm the congregation that had had its first commencement when Allen
Gardiner used to read prayers to the first few settlers; and, at the same
time, Kaffir services were held for the some thousand persons in the town
in the employment of the whites.

The Archdeacon read prayers in Kaffir, and Mr. Robertson preached on the
Sunday evenings. The numbers of attendants were not large, and the most
work was done by the school that the Robertsons collected round them. The
indifference and slackness of the English at Durban made it all the
harder to work upon the Kaffirs; and, in truth, Archdeacon Mackenzie's
residence there was a troublous time. The endeavour, by the wish of the
Bishop, to establish a weekly offertory, was angrily received by the
colonists, who were furious at the sight of the surplice in the pulpit,
and, no doubt, disguised much real enmity, both to holiness of life and
to true discipline, under their censure of what they called a badge of
party. Their treatment of the Archdeacon, when they found him resolute,
amounted to persecution; the most malignant rumours were set afloat, and
nothing but his strength and calmness, perfect forgiveness, and yet
unswerving determination, carried him through what was probably the most
trying period of his life.

Intercourse with the Robertsons was the great refreshment in those
anxious days. A grant from Government had been made for a Church Mission
station upon the coast, and upon the river Umlazi, not many miles from
Durban; and here Mr. and Mrs. Robertson stationed themselves with their
little company of orphans, refugees, and Kaffirs; also a Hottentot
family, whose children they were bringing up.

Their own house had straight walls, coffee-coloured, a brown thatched
roof, and a boa