An instance of his forbearance under provocation is afforded in the following:—­

“On our return from England in 1843,” says the writer just quoted, “we were a large party, with three or four waggons.  One night we outspanned in the dark, not knowing that we were on forbidden ground—­within the limits of a farm, but a half-mile short of the homestead.  In the early morning a young man rode up, and demanded to know what we were doing there without leave.  My father gently explained that we had done it in ignorance, but his explanation was cut short by a harangue loud and long.  The stripling sat on his horse, my father stood before him with bowed head and folded arms, whilst a torrent of abuse poured over him, with a plentiful mixture of such terse and biting missiles of invective as greatly enrich the South African Dutch language.  We stood around and remembered that only a few months before the man thus rated like a dog was standing before enthusiastic thousands in England, who hung with bated breath upon his utterances.  Something of shame must have arrested the wrath of the young man, for he suddenly rode away without impounding our cattle, as he had threatened to do.  We inspanned and proceeded, calling on our way at the house, and there we found ourselves received by a venerable white-haired farmer and his wife with open arms, for they and my parents proved to be old friends.  Right glad were we that nothing had been done on our side to make us ashamed to meet them.”

In his home he was a true father, and the influence that surrounded his children must have been a happy one, seeing that so many of them embraced the missionary calling, and followed in the footsteps of their venerated parents.  Mary, the eldest daughter, married Dr. Livingstone; Ann, the French missionary, Jean Fredoux; Bessie, a younger daughter, was united to the Rev. Roger Price; and a son, the Rev. John Moffat, became for a time his father’s coadjutor at the Kuruman station.

In bringing this memoir to a conclusion, we may be permitted to glance at South Africa as it is at the present time, and to note some of the contrasts between its condition now, and that as stated in our opening chapter, prior to Robert Moffat’s arrival.

At the time when he first landed at Cape Town, the work of evangelising the heathen was confined principally to two Societies—­the Moravian Mission and the London Missionary Society.  Now the Societies exceed twelve in number, and represent the following nationalities:  English, American, French, Swiss, Norwegian, and the people of Finland.

First, in order of date, may be noticed the work of the Moravian Brethren, which is chiefly carried on among the Hottentots and Kafirs.  Their chief station is Genadendal, eighty miles east of Cape Town, which has several smaller stations grouped around it.  Besides these, still farther east, among the Kafir tribes, is the station of Shiloh, also having a number of out-stations gathered round it.