This African monarch had sufficient knowledge to know that, if the doctrines of the Bible prevailed among his tribe, his claims to divine honour would for ever cease.  His warriors used to pay him homage as follows:  “O Pezoolu, the king of kings, king of the heavens, who would not fear before the son of Machobane (his father’s name), mighty in battle?” and with other similar marks of adulation.  He also had a shrewd suspicion that the opening of the country for white men to come and settle, would mean, eventually, the downfall of the power of himself and his people? but in his friend Ramary, or Moshete, he had implicit confidence.

As an instance of the power which Moffat had obtained over this despotic chief of a fierce African tribe, it may be related that he prevailed upon Moselekatse to grant deliverance to the heir to the chieftainship of the Bamangwato, a large tribe living at Shoshong, to the north-east of Sechele’s people.  It was after a long conversation that the thing was settled.  Macheng, the heir, who had been detained captive for sixteen years, was called, and Moselekatse addressing him said:  “Macheng, man of Moffat, go with your father.  We have arranged respecting you.  Moffat will take you back to Sechele.  That is my wish as well as his, that you should be in the first instance restored to the chief from whom you were taken in war.  When captured you were a child; I have reared you to be a man.”

The effect of this deliverance on the neighbouring tribes was very great.  It occurred while Moffat was with Moselekatse, arranging for the settlement of the new missionaries.  When he and his charge arrived at Sechele’s town, on his way home, he was met by Sechele and the other chiefs of his tribe, who marched on in front, and led them to a kind of natural amphitheatre, where at least ten thousand of the people, in all their equipments of war, were assembled.  Sechele commanded silence, and introduced the business of the meeting.  Speaker followed speaker, in enthusiastic language giving expression to the joy they felt at seeing the chief of the Bamangwato return from captivity.  In the course of his speech one said as follows:—­

“Ye tribes, ye children of the ancients, this day is a day of marvel....  Now I begin to perceive that those who preach are verily true.  If Moffat were not of God, he would not have espoused the cause of Sechele, in receiving his words, and delivering Macheng from the dwelling-place of the beasts of prey, to which we Bechwanas dared not approach.  There are those who contend that there is nothing in religion.  Let such to-day throw away their unbelief.  If Moffat were not such a man, he would not have done what he has done, in bringing him who was lost—­him who was dead—­from the strong bondage of the mighty.  Moselekatse is a lion; he conquered nations, he robbed the strong ones, he bereaved mothers, he took away the son of Kheri.  We talk of love.  What is love?  We hear of the love of God.  Is it not through the love of God that Macheng is among us to-day?  A stranger, one of a nation—­who of you knows its distance from us?—­he makes himself one of us, enters the lion’s abode, and brings out to us our own blood.”