and a larger question. By whom should the waste
places of the land, the vast areas which were without other occupants
than a few roving Bushmen, be peopled? 'By the white man,' said the
colonists; 'it is to the advantage of the world in all time to come
that the higher race should expand and be dominant here; it would be
treason to humanity to prevent its growth where it can grow without
wrong to others, or to plant an inferior stock where the superior can
take root and flourish.' 'By Africans,' said the missionaries; 'this
is African soil; and if mission stations are established on its
desolate tracts, people will be drawn to them from the far interior,
the community will grow rapidly, those enlightened by Christianity
here will desire in their turn to enlighten their friends beyond, and
thus the Gospel teaching will spread until all Africa stretches out
its hands to God.' Coupled with such arguments, which were constantly
used by missionaries in the early part of this century, before their
enthusiasm was cooled by experience, were calculations that appealed
strongly to the commercial instincts of people in England. A dozen
colonial farmers required something like a hundred square miles of
land for their cattle runs; on this same ground, under missionary
supervision, three or four hundred families of blacks could exist;
these blacks would shortly need large quantities of manufactured
goods; and thus it would be to the interest of trade to encourage
them rather than the colonists. 'Already,' said they, 'after only a
few years' training, many blacks can read as well or better than the
ordinary colonists, and are exhibiting a decided taste for
civilization.'

There was thus a broad line of demarcation between the colonists and
such of the missionaries as held these views, and the tendency on
each side was to make it still broader. It was deepened into positive
antipathy towards those missionaries who, following Dr. Vanderkemp's
example, united themselves in marriage with black women, and
proclaimed themselves the champions of the black population against
the white. Everyone acquainted with South African natives knows how
ready they are to please their friends by bringing forward charges
against anyone whom those friends dislike. Unfortunately the
missionaries Vanderkemp and Read were deceived into believing a great
number of charges of cruelty made against various colonists, which a
little observation would have shown i