Robert Moffat, the missionary hero of KurumanDeane, David J.
History
Robert Moffat, the missionary hero of Kuruman
Deane, David J.
Moffat, Robert, 1795-1883
Upon Moffat replying that he was unaware of having rendered him any such
service, he said, pointing to his two ambassadors: "These are great men;
Umbate is my right hand. When I sent them from my presence to see the
land of the white men, I sent my ears, my eyes, my mouth; what they
heard I heard, what they saw I saw, and what they said it was
Moselekatse who said it. You fed them and clothed them, and when they
were to be slain you were their shield. You did it unto me. You did it
unto Moselekatse, the son of Machobane."
Moffat explained to this African king the objects of the missionary, and
pressed upon him the truths of the Gospel. On one occasion the king came
attended by a party of his warriors, who remained at a short distance
dancing and singing. "Their yells and shouts," says Moffat, "their
fantastic leaps and distorted gestures, would have impressed a stranger
with the idea that they were more like a company of fiends than men." As
he looked upon the scene, his mind was occupied in contemplating the
miseries of the savage state. He spoke to the king on man's ruin and
man's redemption. "Why," said the monarch, "are you so earnest that I
abandon all war, and do not kill men?" "Look on the human bones which
lie scattered over your dominions," was the missionary's answer. "They
speak in awful language, and to me they say, 'Whosoever sheddeth man's
blood, by man also will his blood be shed.'" Moffat also spoke of the
Resurrection, a startling subject for a savage and murderer like
Moselekatse.
The kindness of the king extended to the missionary's return journey.
Food in abundance was given to him, and a number of warriors attended
his waggon as a guard against lions on the way. After an absence of two
months he reached home in safety, where he found all well, and the
Divine blessing still resting upon the Mission. Copious showers had
fallen, and the fields and gardens teemed with plenty. The converts and
many others, leaving their old traditions as to horticulture, imitated
the example of the missionaries in leading out water to their gardens,
and raised crops, not only of their native grain, pumpkins,
kidney-beans, and water-melons, but also vegetables, such as the
missionaries had introduced, maize, wheat, barley, peas, potatoes,
carrots, onions, and tobacco--this latter they had formerly purchased
from the Bahurutsi, but now it became a profitable article of traffic.
They also planted fruit trees.
As an illustration of their zeal, which was not always according to
knowledge, the following may be given. The course of the missionary's
water-trench along the side of a hill, appeared as if it ascended,
therefore several of the natives set to work in good earnest, and cut
courses leading directly up hill, hoping the water would one day follow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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