Formerly men of one tribe could not travel through another’s territory, and wars were frequent.  During my early mission life, I often heard of men of one tribe going to trade with another, and being murdered.  I was at a native place when a thing of that sort once occurred.  A party of men had come two hundred miles to dispose of some articles.  The resident natives, taking a dislike to them, set upon them and killed two of their number.  I asked them why they had done this, and tried to show them it was wrong.  They seemed to know that; and from that time I have never heard of anything of the sort.

“The influence of Christianity in that country is now very great, and constantly increasing.  Where one station was scarcely tolerated, there are now several.  The Moravians have their missionaries.  The Berlin Society have theirs, and others are engaged in the good work, besides numerous native Gospel teachers.  Our advanced station at the Matabele is in a very prosperous state, and I quite expect that the Matabele will become one day a great nation.  They sternly obey their own laws, and I have noticed that when men of fixed principles become convinced of the great truths of Christianity they hold firmly to the faith, and their fidelity is not lightly to be shaken.”

In the same speech he also mentioned the fact that whereas at first the natives would not buy anything, not even a pocket handkerchief, now, when he was speaking, no less than sixty thousand pounds worth of British manufactures passed yearly into the hands of the native tribes around Kuruman.

Thus the missionary prepared the way for the merchant, and the Gospel for the progress of civilisation.

Of Moffat’s character we have had frequent glimpses in the preceding pages; of his personal appearance and dignified mien our portrait and pictures give some idea.  A few words may, however, be added, based upon the facts recorded by his son in the last chapter of “Robert and Mary Moffat.”

Tall and strong, with dark piercing eyes, he stood, a man of dauntless courage, quick and energetic in action, with a resolution in the performance of duty that no opposition could thwart; yet, withal, of gentle manner, and of an even temper, proof against the many attacks made upon it.  His disposition was to think well of men, and to believe what they said.  Deceit he hated, it was the one thing he could not forgive.  He trusted men implicitly; and this probably accounted for the fact that the Bechwanas, who carried the art of lying to perfection, seldom lied to him.  They knew it was the one thing that would make him angry.

His reverence for holy things was very great.  He relished a joke as well as any man, indeed, there was a good deal of humour in him; but woe to that man who spoke jestingly of the things pertaining to God.  The Word of the Lord was too real and too important for any triviality.  God was ever present to him, and he lived for God.  His son says:  “Even when I was alone with him, on some of his itinerating journeys, no meal was commenced without a reverent doffing of the Scotch bonnet, his usual head-dress in those days, and the solemn blessing; and our morning and evening worship was never missed or hurried.”