or in whose church Messrs. Edwards and Edmond were dained on the 27th of May, to the work of the ministry.* The next day the Missionaries separated "with prayer and the tenderest expressions of affection," and Dr. Vanderkemp with Mr. Edmond, departed for Caffraria. After this, as two missions were undertaken, the journals are separate, and that of Mr. Kicherer is inserted first in the transactions of the Society.† An account therefore of his Mission, and of those which branched out from his, may with propriety have the precedence here. MISSION TO THE BOSCHEMEN, (OR BUSHMEN.) FROM Rodezand Messrs. Kicherer and Edwards returned to the Cape, as the waggon which the government had ordered to convey them to the Boschemen, was not ready. They continued at the Cape "receiving the most marked favor from the government, and the most affectionate attention of their brethren," until the 7th of June, when they again commenced their journey, accompanied by a young. Dutchman, by name Kramer, who after much consideration, having offered himself for the missionary service, they accepted as an associate to labor with them among the Boschemen.. Mr. Kicherer preached in Dutch, at all the places where they stopped on their way to Rodezand. There a bastard Hottentot, and his wife, who spoke both the Dutch and the Boschemen's language, offered to join them, and to interpret for them. After this seasonable and useful accession to their number, they on the 25th of June, left Rodezand; at which place the liberality of their friends was so great, in addition to what they had received at the Cape, After they reached Rodezand; the Missionaries, or a part of them, made an excursion to the flourishing settlement of the Moravian Brethren at Bavian's Kloof. On their way to that place the Lord was pleased greatly to bless the labors of Mr. Kitcherer to the peo. ple. Trans. Mis. Soc. vol. ii, p. 3. +Trans Mis Soc vol. i, p 372, 373, 325, 626. This phrase is used, not to denote persons of illegitimate extrac tion, but those only, one of whose parents was an European, the other a native. Trans. Miss. Soc. vol. ii, p. 17. * that their waggon was incapable of containing one half of their conveniences. Many of their friends accompanied them two or three days journey, assisting with oxen; and Mr. Kitcherer preached as often as he had opportunity. On the 2d of July, they came to the house of a valuable friend,* eight days journey, chiefly through a desolate wilderness, from Rodezand. There the fame of their preaching, collected great numbers of people from the surrounding country, who attended with much solemnity, falling on their faces when the Missionaries kneeled to pray, and to whom, as well as to those called Christians, the preaching was greatly blessed. Having tarried at that place about three weeks, they set forward with 13 Christians, 20 Hottentots and slaves, 5 waggons, 34 horses, upwards of 60 oxen, a drove of cows and sheep, and men of several different nations. The Dutch farmers gave them 11 oxen, 180 sheep, 7 cows, and a multitude of other articles, and promised to send more after them. They soon entered a desert, so barren as not to produce a blade of grass, inhabited by lions, tigers, wild horses, antelopes, steinbocks, and ostriches. After travelling seven days without meeting a human being, on August 2d they reached the residence of some Boschemen. The next day they crossed the Zak River, the day following were visited by about 20 Boschemen, and on the 6th arrived at Happy Prospects' Fountain, the place where they determined to reside. Although the adjacent country was barren, and the inhabitants few, this spot was rendered pleasant by two springs of fine water, and a good piece of ground for cultivation. "Here," says Mr. Kicherer, “we fell on our knees, devoting this place, as well as ourselves, to the service of the Lord, requesting his continual presence with us while we dwell in the wilderness, and imploring his blessing our future labors." They began immediately to construct a house of reeds, (as there was no timber in the vicinity,) and to plant a garden; at the same time instructing several Boschemen, who came to live near them. On the 12th the attendants and the waggons which had been sent by the government, returned to Rodezand. The †Mr. Vizier's, or Visser's, (as the different accounts spell the name,) the man who had been employed by the Government, to ne gotiate a peace with the Boschemen, and through whose means the chiefs, Vigilant, &c. visited the Cape. Trans. Miss. Soc. vol. ii, p. 17. number of Heathen increased at the settlement;* but Mr. Kicherer thought that a situation still farther from the European settlements would be preferable.t Mr. Kicherer was greatly depressed and almost discouraged for some time; but he was inclined to constant and fervent prayer, and he was not disappointed in the result. "I began," says he, "to find some encouragement in my work. Often did I feel inexpressibly happy when setting forth to these poor perishing creatures, the infinite grace of our Redeemer. Frequently have I begun my work with sighing, and concluded it exulting with joy and gladness of heart It was very affecting to observe how amazed they were when I told them of a God, and of the resurrection of the dead. They knew not how to express their astonishment in terms sufficiently strong, that they should have lived so long without ever having thought of the Divine Being. Ever after this they would call me their Ebo, or Father. Sometimes the impression which the word made upon the people, was so great, that it appeared as if we had got above all disappointment; but at other times the natural inconstancy of the Boschemen seemed to reverse every promising sign. It is impossible to express what extraordinary, supplies of patience, prudence, and fortitude we needed at the beginning of this work. However, some of the people now began to pray. O Lord Jesus Christ,' they would say, 'thou hast made the sun, the moon, the hills, the rivers, the bushes; therefore thou hast power also to change my heart. O be pleased to make it entirely new!' Some told us that they had not been able to sleep all night for sorrow on account of their sins, and that they had been forced to rise to pray. Others said, that on their hunting parties they had felt a sudden impulse to prostrate themselves before the Lord, and to pray for a renewed heart. We were glad to hear this; yet we thought it our duty to be cautious, and not to take it for granted that all this was true and sincere,"‡ *About thirty Boschemen came to inquire into the reason of the Missionaries' coming. They were at first very shy; but small pres. ents of tobacco soon rendered them more familiar. Those Boschemen who had not been accustomed to see Europeans, could be prevailed upon to approach them at first, only by an offer of tobacco, and when thus induced, their fear was manifested by the trembling of their limbs, Trans. Miss. Soc. vol. ii, p. 3, 6, Trans. Miss. Soc. vol. i, p. 326-328. do. vol. ii, p. 5, 6. Under date March 18th, 1800, Mr. Kicherer writes as follows: "Here, at a place called by us the Happy Prospects, Fountain, situated near Zak River, we have labored from the 6th of August 1799 among this savage people.* For some months brother Edwards continued with us, after which he settled himself a few miles distant from us, with his Boschemen people; notwithstanding which we keep a continual communication with each other. This he thought was most adviseable, as that place was larger and more fruitful than ours; and as it would be more easy to instruct the people in the English language, when they were separated from those who taught the Dutch-At this station he remained until the 15th instant, when he departed to join Dr. Vanderkemp in . Caffraria, in place of brother Edmond, who returned some weeks ago with intention to settle himself among the people of Bengal-I shall now briefly communicate to you, what concerns the situation of our congregation: it is composed of Boschemen and women. These Boschemen have heretofore occupied themselves in little else but murdering and stealing. They are a people accounted the most savage and ferocious of all the people who are known in this countryAlthough they are not idolaters, the doctrine of a Supreme Being was to them entirely unknown; and in one word, we found them resemble the brute beasts, with this exception, that they were capable of instruction, of learning to know, and to honor a deity, which also afterwards appeared. Their manner of living is very horrible. Their dwelling and resting place is between the rocks, where they dig a round den of about three feet deep, în which they lie with their whole family. This den is sometimes covered with a few reeds *This place is about 500 miles north east from the Cape. After two years longer acquaintance with these wild people, Mr. Kicherer in a journal which he composed when in London in 1803, gives the following statement. "They have no idea whatever of the Supreme Being, consequently they practice no kind of worship. They have however a superstitious reverence for a little insect, known by the name of the Creeping leaf, a sight of which they conceive, indicates something fortunate, and to kill it, they suppose, will bring a curse upon the perpetrator. They have some notion of an evil spirit, which they imagine produces mischief, particularly the diseases which they endure; and to counteract his evil purposes, a sort of men are employed to low, and make a humming noise over the sick, which they sometimes continue for many hours together." Trans. Miss. Soc. vol. ii, p. 6, 7. to shelter them from the wind and rain, which, however, seldom answer the design, as they are generally soaked through by the first shower. They mostly lie down and sleep except when hunger greatly torments them; then they go a hunting; but they live many days without any food. When they find no wild beast, then they make shift with a sort of wild onions, and wild potatoes, which the women seek but never the men. They are content to eat snakes and mice. "The wild beasts are always shot with poisoned darts. The poison they take out of the jaw-bone of the serpent, and put a little thereof at the top of the harping iron of the dart; they then creep behind the small bushes where they conceal themselves, to attack the wild beasts when they approach to the distance of about an hundred steps. If the dart wounds in the slightest degree, they are possessors of the stricken animal, if it even run and occasion the shooter an hours' chase. Sometimes the beast tumbles flat down, because the poison runs directly through his blood. As soon as the creature is dead, the poison draws together to the place where the dart penetrated; then they take it out, and eat every part without any hurt. When they are hunting, they can run for several days successively, and hold it out even as well as a horse. This fact I have several times proved. "The unanimity and benevolence which takes place in a párticular manner amongst them, must shame not only nominal but real Christians. As long as I have been amongst them, I cannot remember to have observed any disagreement of consequence to have subsisted between them; and when we give them a little tobacco or any thing else, they divide the same amongst them. We have sometimes invited one or another to our house, and then have given them a piece of meat, with orders to eat it in our presence, but they would not do it; and when they appeared to do it, they put the greatest part thereof in a secret manner, under their sheepskins, (called by them karos) which are their only covering besides a fox-skin which they tie about their waists.* Of *Mr. Kicherer had now been among the Boschemen about eight months. In this sketch of their character he probably alludes to those only, who had resided at the missionary house. The following passage from the journal referred to in the last note, will abundantly show that no people are more savage than the wild Boschemen. "They are total strangers to domestic happiness. The men have several wives, but conjugal affection is little known. They take no |