abundance and very beautiful.  I was much pleased with my visit to Hankey....  The state of the people presents so many features of interest, that one may talk about it and convey some idea of what the Gospel has done.  The full extent of the benefit received can, however, be understood only by those who witness it in contrast with other places that have not been so highly favored.  My expectations have been far exceeded.  Everything I witnessed surpassed my hopes, and if this one station is a fair sample of the whole, the statements of the missionaries with regard to their success are far within the mark.  The Hottentots of Hankey appear to be in a state similar to that of our forefathers in the days immediately preceding the times of the Covenanters.  They have a prayer-meeting every morning at four o’clock, and well attended.  They began it during a visitation of measles among them, and liked it so much that they still continue.”

He goes on to say that as the natives had no clocks or watches, mistakes sometimes occurred about ringing the bell for this meeting, and sometimes the people found themselves assembled at twelve or one o’clock instead of four.  The welcome to the missionaries (their own missionary was returning from the Cape with Livingstone) was wonderful.  Muskets were fired at their approach, then big guns; and then men, women, and children rushed at the top of their speed to shake hands and welcome them.  The missionary had lost a little boy, and out of respect each of the people had something black on his head.  Both public worship and family worship were very interesting, the singing of hymns being very beautiful.  The bearing of these Christianized Hottentots was in complete contrast to that of a Dutch family whom he visited as a medical man one Sunday.  There was no Sunday; the man’s wife and daughters were dancing before the house, while a black played the fiddle.

His instructions from the Directors were to go to Kuruman, remain there till Mr. Moffat should return from England, and turn his attention to the formation of a new station farther north, awaiting more specific instructions, He arrived at Kuruman on the 31st July, 1841, but no instructions had come from the Directors; his sphere of work was quite undetermined, and he began to entertain the idea of going to Abyssinia.  There could be no doubt that a Christian missionary was needed there, for the country had none; but if he should go, he felt that probably he would never return.  In writing of this to his friend Watt, he used words almost prophetic:  “Whatever way my life may be spent so as but to promote the glory of our gracious God, I feel anxious to do it.... My life, may be spent as profitably as a pioneer as in any other way.”