Robert Moffat, the missionary hero of KurumanDeane, David J.
History
Robert Moffat, the missionary hero of Kuruman
Deane, David J.
Moffat, Robert, 1795-1883
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:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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