"It was in 1810 that the missionaries came into the Namaqua-land, and it unfortunately happened that a dispute arose about some of Africaner's property which was seized, and at the same time Africaner lost some cattle. The parties who were at variance with Africaner lived near to the Mission station, and very unwisely the people at the Mission station were permitted to go to their assistance. "This roused the anger of Africaner, who vowed vengeance on the Mission and the people collected around it or connected with it. As Africaner had commenced his attacks upon the Namaquas, and was advancing towards the Mission, the missionaries were compelled to abandon the station and return to the colony. The Mission station was soon afterwards taken possession of by Africaner, and the houses burnt to the ground. "A curious circumstance occurred during this affair: his followers were seeking everywhere for plunder, when some of them entered the burial-ground, and one of them, treading on an apparently new-made grave, was astonished by soft notes of music proceeding from the ground beneath. "Superstitious as the natives are, and having most of them, in former days, heard something of the Christian doctrines, they started and stood transfixed with astonishment, expecting the dead to arise, as they had been once told. One of them mustered courage to put his foot again upon the spot, and the reply was soft and musical as before. Away they all started to Africaner, to inform him that there was life and music in the grave. "The chief, who feared neither the living nor the dead, went to the burial-ground with his men, and jumped upon the spot, which immediately gave out the soft notes as before. Africaner ordered an immediate exhumation, when the source of the mystery proved to be the pianoforte of the missionary's wife, which, being too cumbrous an article to take away, had been buried there, with the hope of being one day able to recover it. Never having seen such an instrument before, Africaner had it dissected for the sake of the brass wires; and thus the piano was destroyed." "I doubt if it would ever have been dug up in Caffre-land," observed Alexander. "I am convinced it never would have been, but have remained as a wonder and object of fear as long as it held together," replied Swinton; "but to proceed:-- "The Mission station having been for some time broken up by this attack of Africaner, Mr C, a missionary, anxious to restore it, wrote a letter to Africaner on the subject, and received a favourable reply, and a Mr E was sent to the residence of Africaner himself. After a short time, Africaner and his two brothers, with a number of others, were baptised.