nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the colony from the attempt: and much as I wish them success, I am doubtful of the issue; but the attempt itself indicates a very great change for the better, when compared with their former habits of life. One of the leading literary journals of the present day, when speaking of the improvements made by missionaries in another quarter of the globe, remarks, " But we may drop all other considerations; this alone,-the advancement of a people from the pastoral to the agricultural state, is the grandest and most important step in civilization.

When the labours of the missionaries began to produce their legitimate effects on the minds of the Griquas, promiscuous intercourse between the sexes was instantly abandoned, and since that period, every man has confined himself to one wife. The state of polygamy, as it exists among savage tribes, is one of the greatest obstacles to the success of the missionaries; and when the Christian religion operates so powerfully upon their minds, as to enable them to make the sacrifice which its abandonment requires, the missionaries are furnished with one of the most unquestionable evidences of the efficacy of the instrument they employ, and have the best securities for the future triumph of their principles.

As a corroboration of the preceding statement, the following extract of a letter from the Rev. Wm. Anderson, formerly of Griqua Towns and now of Pacaltsdorp, dated 23d December, 1825, will be perused with interest:

"When I went among the Griquas, and for some time after, they were without the smallest marks of civilization. If I except one woman, (who had by some

means got a bit of colonial raiment,) they had not one thread of European clothing among them; and their wretched appearance and habits were such as must have excited in our minds an aversion to them had we not been actuated by principles which led us to pity them, and served to strengthen us in pursuing the object of our missionary work,-to restore beings sunk in many instances below the brutes. It is a fact, that we were among them at the hazard of our lives. This became evident to us by their own acknowledgments afterwards, they having confessed to us, that they had frequently premeditated to take away our lives, and that for that purpose they had taken weapons into their hands, and were prevented from executing their purposes by what they now considered an Almighty

power.

"When we went among them, and for some time after, they lived in the habit of plundering each other, and they saw no moral evil in this, nor in any of their actions. Violent deaths were common; and I recollect many of the aged women told me their husbands had been killed in this way. Their usual manner of living was truly disgusting, and they were void of shame. However, after a series of hardships which required much faith and patience, our instructions were attended with a blessing which produced a great change. The people became honest in their dealings, they came to abhor those acts of plunder which had been so common among them; nor do I recollect a single instance for several years prior to their late troubles, which could be considered as a stain upon their character. They entirely abandoned their former manner of life, and decency and modesty prevailed in their families.

"One of the late chiefs of the Griquas told me one day, the following story. 'Sir,' said he,' when you first came among us, I thought by myself-Come, I have no objections to have these Dutchmen among us; what they have will be ours; but if they think to persuade me to leave my wives and live as they do, that they shall never be able to effect. I will oppose it to the last. Little did I then think that my mind would ever be disposed to do such an act voluntarily; you never forced me to do this, it was my own act. Through hearing the word of God, I was convinced of sin, and induced to renounce it. Sir,' added he, you know little of the abominable lives we led, as we did all we could to keep you in the dark. When I look on my cattle, and think of my former life, I am ashamed.' The exemplary lives they then lived (adds Mr. Anderson) often made me ashamed of my own deficiencies.

"When we first settled among them we had some Hottentots with us from the Zak river. With their assistance we began to cultivate the ground about Riet Fonteyn; but notwithstanding our exhortations, remonstrances, and example, the Griquas manifested the greatest aversion to such work, and appeared deter mined to continue their wandering and predatory habits. At the end of six months the Hottentots left us, and our prospects as to the future cultivation of the ground became very gloomy. We determined, however, to abide by them; and in wandering about with them, we constantly endeavoured to impress upon their minds the superior advantages they would derive from cultivating the ground, and having fixed habitations. After a considerable time had elapsed, we prevailed upon them to try the experiment, and a com

mencement was made. This event was preceded and followed by a great and visible improvement upon them as a body. It was soon after our location in this place, that we were visited by Vandergraaf, landdrost of Tulbagh, Mr. Vanderbyl and Professor Lichtenstein. On this occasion, the landdrost expressed himself thus: 'I find every thing different from the reports which have reached the ears of the Governor; and I shall state to him the satisfaction I have felt, on finding things so different as they have been represented, on my return.'

"Considering the circumstances of the people, much land was cultivated at this time, and in the following years the land under cultivation was much increased. I have seen the whole valley from the Fountain down to Lion's Den (which must have included nearly four square miles) covered with corn and barley.

"This refers to Griqua Town alone, and the ground around the neighbouring fountains was in a similar state of improvement."

Before the Griquas were induced to give up their nomadic life and locate themselves in their present situation, the missionaries travelled about with them nearly five years, during which period such were their privations that they were often six months at a time without tasting bread. After they got the people to give up their wandering life, and they began to have bread and garden stuffs with their flesh, to use their own expression, "We seemed scarcely to have an earthly wish left that was not gratified." When, in addition to this improvement in their table, they got comfortable houses and clothing, and saw the people improving in their understandings, in piety and industry, they'

found their cup running over, and felt themselves repaid for all their sufferings and sacrifices.

This pleasing state of things continued till 1814, when Mr. Anderson received an order from the colonial government requesting him to furnish twenty men from his institution for the Cape regiment. The following is a copy of this order contained in a letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Reynolds, colonial secretary, addressed to Mr. Anderson, missionary at Griqua Town.

"REV. SIR,

"I am commanded by his Excellency, Lieutenant-General Sir John Cradock, general and commander-in-chief of this colony, to communicate with you upon the following subject:

"The landdrost of Tulbagh, having been directed to provide a certain number of the Hottentots from the population of his district, as the prescribed quota of a new levy for the Cape regiment, which the hostile proceedings of the Caffer tribes have rendered necessaryrepresented the extreme difficulty he should experience in finding the number of suitable Hottentots required, without having recourse to the different farmers by. whom such people are employed, and from whose ser-, vice he must necessarily take them, to their great inconvenience, and the prejudice of cultivation, a point of the first consideration.

"His Excellency, with a view to remedy so serious an evil, requests assistance from the institution over which you preside, perfectly confident of your disposi tion to meet his wishes, as well as the inclination you, cannot fail to possess to promote an object of general utility to the state.