161 CHAPTER IX. Caffer Mission.-Effects of Dr. Vanderkemp's labours.-Renewal of the Mission in 1816.-Exploratory Excursion.-Anxiety of the Caffers to obtain Missionaries.-Unfriendly sentiments of the Colonists.-Settlement of Mr. Williams at the Kat River.Progress of his labours.-Visit of the Governor, and his conference with Gaika.-Conduct of Colonel Cuyler. HAVING noticed the Bechuana mission, I now return to offer some account of that originally commenced by Dr. Vanderkemp, among a kindred people, the Southern Caffers, whose country comes into immediate contact with the colony, on its eastern extremity*. The success which attended Dr. Vanderkemp's attempt among this people, though not at the time very encouraging, was quite as great, considering the disadvantages under which he laboured, as could be expected during the short period he was among them †. * The native appellation of this tribe is Ammakosæ, and that of their country Ammakosina. Lichtenstein has described them under the name of Koosas. An interesting sketch of their history, and peculiar manners and customs, from the pen of our excellent missionary, Mr. Brownlee, is inserted in the APPENDIX to Mr. Thompson's Travels. The following remark is taken from the journal of Mr. Read, subsequently referred to in this chapter :— "The labours of our late brother, Vanderkemp, did not then appear to be very useful; but he has made the name of a missionary so valuable, by his disinterested behaviour, that a missionary is safer there than, perhaps, he would be in many parts of England; VOL. II. M At the commencement of his mission, the Caffers were in a very distracted state; and the minds of the king and of the principal chiefs were filled with prejudice against the English, and against our missionary, by the rebellious colonists on the frontier,-and especially by such as had taken shelter among the Caffers, from the reach of the English government. These prejudices were, however, so far conquered, during Vanderkemp's short residence in their country, that Gaika and many of his people regretted his departure, and several of the other chiefs, (as has been mentioned in a former part of this work,) during the first years of the mission at Bethelsdorp, and before the Caffers were driven from the Zuurveld, were in the habit of paying occasional visits to that institution. On those occasions, they usually remained at Bethelsdorp two or three days at a time, and Vanderkemp never allowed such opportunities to slip without strongly impressing upon their minds their duty, in avoiding any causes of offence, and of cultivating the relations of peace with the colony. For fifteen years subsequent to 1800, although many solicitations for a renewal of the mission had been made by the Caffers themselves, this fine field remained unoccupied. In 1815, however, a dangerous rebellion having broken out among the rude and ignorant African boors on the eastern frontier, it was discovered, on its suppression, that the rebels had used great exertions to persuade the Caffer chiefs to aid them in a projected attack upon the English troops; but that the Caffers, from a suspicion of their sincerity, had refused. With and the Caffers were no more afraid of us than of one another. They said, 'These are our friends; because they are Jankanna's children.' Jankanna was the name they gave Dr. Vanderkemp." a view to prevent such machinations in future, by having an Englishman stationed in the Caffer territory, and in immediate intercourse with the principal chiefs, the renewal of this mission, which had been previously discouraged, was at length approved of by the colonial government, and permission was given for our missionary, Mr. Williams, who had just arrived in South Africa, to proceed into Cafferland. Before commencing a new settlement, it was considered advisable, by the missionaries on the frontier, to make an exploratory excursion into the country, with the view of ascertaining more distinctly the sentiments of the Caffer chiefs, and of selecting a favourable situation for a missionary station. Accordingly, in April 1816, Mr. Williams, accompanied by Mr. Read, John Tzatzoe, (the young Caffer chief educated at Bethelsdorp,) and a small party of Hottentot attendants, crossed the Great Fish River, (then the boundary of the colony,) and held a conference with several of the principal chiefs, convened for that purpose, S'Lhambi, Makanna, Congo, Habanna, old Tzatzoe, and several others. They afterwards visited Gaika (the chief recognized as king by the colonial government) in his own territories; and they were every where received with great cordiality, the rival chiefs contending with each other to induce the missionaries to fix their residence in their respective domains. A journal of this excursion, by Mr. Read, is inserted in the fourth volume of the Missionary Transactions, in which, among other interesting matter, will be found some curious details of the conduct and character of the chief Makanna-a very singular and extraordinary man, who at that period possessed an almost unlimited influence over the Caffer people, and who professed (though after a peculiar fashion of his own) to be a disciple and apostle of Christianity.. Although the great anxiety and emulation which then prevailed among the Caffer chiefs to obtain missionaries to reside with them, is doubtless to be ascribed, in a great degree, to political views, rather than to any just notions of the proper objects of missionary labours; yet it is obvious, at the same time, that a very extraordinary sensation had been produced among this people, generally, by the harangues of Makanna, which, mingled as they were, in many respects, with absurdity and imposture, were nevertheless distinguished by a higher and purer tone of morality than had ever been previously inculcated by any native teacher. Makanna had, in fact, obtained the knowledge he possessed by conversing with Mr. Vander Lingen and other missionaries, whom he had visited in the colony; and, had a missionary been at that time placed near him, so that he might have had an opportunity of acquiring a more thorough acquaintance with the doctrines and spirit of Christianity, he might, in all human probability, have been a mediator of peace and mercy between his countrymen and the colonial government, instead of what he eventually became a false prophet to the Caffers, and a fearful scourge to the frontier colonists*. But the jealousies which prevailed between Gaika and the party of confederate chiefs associated with Makanna prevented, at that time, any steps being taken for attempting a missionary settlement in the country For an interesting account of this extraordinary man, his wars with the colony, and ultimate fate, see New Monthly Magazine for January 1827; and also Mr. Pringle's notes, referred to at p. 124. occupied by the latter; and a spot on the Kat river, near the usual residence of Gaika, and about fifty or sixty miles beyond the Fish river, then the colonial boundary, was fixed upon as the most suitable situation for the settlement of Mr. Williams. About two months subsequent to this excursion, Mr. Williams proceeded, with his wife and family, from Bethelsdorp, to occupy the new station appointed for him. The following extract of a letter, written by Mrs. Williams to a friend in London about this time, will show what sort of encouragement the Caffer mission received from the colonists and the British officers on the frontier : "While on our way to Cafferland, many, who beheld our undertaking, expressed their great surprise that we were not afraid to go among such savages, thieves, and murderers as the Caffers were well known to be. The general opinion, avowed by both the boors and British officers, was, that nothing but powder and ball would do to bring such savages to their senses; and that (as they profanely expressed it) after they had sent a good lot of them to hell, then would be the time to go and preach salvation to them, and not before.'Indeed, so far were the boors from aiding us, that we could not purchase from them the small quantity of provisions which we considered necessary; and, although we tarried a week at Captain Andrews' post for this purpose, we were obliged, at length, to proceed without them, and to leave money in Captain Andrews' hands to purchase for us. I leave you, from this, to judge of their disposition towards us and the Caffers. Miserable comforters were they all;-and I was truly thankful when we crossed the frontier, and escaped from the clamour of bloody and vengeful men." |