Logic Is
Out Of Place When The Question With A True-Hearted Man Is, Whether
His Brother Man Is To Be Saved Or Not.
Eighty-four, chiefly women
and children, were liberated; and on being told that they were now
free, and might go where they pleased, or remain with us, they all
chose to stay; and the Bishop wisely attached them to his Mission, to
be educated as members of a Christian family.
In this way a great
difficulty in the commencement of a Mission was overcome. Years are
usually required before confidence is so far instilled into the
natives' mind as to induce them, young or old, to submit to the
guidance of strangers professing to be actuated by motives the
reverse of worldly wisdom, and inculcating customs strange and
unknown to them and their fathers.
We proceeded next morning to Soche's with our liberated party, the
men cheerfully carrying the Bishop's goods. As we had begun, it was
of no use to do things by halves, so eight others were freed in a
hamlet on our path; but a party of traders, with nearly a hundred
slaves, fled from Soche's on hearing of our proceedings. Dr. Kirk
and four Makololo followed them with great energy, but they made
clear off to Tette. Six more captives were liberated at Mongazi's,
and two slave-traders detained for the night, to prevent them from
carrying information to a large party still in front. Of their own
accord they volunteered the information that the Governor's servants
had charge of the next party; but we did not choose to be led by
them, though they offered to guide us to his Excellency's own agents.
Two of the Bishop's black men from the Cape, having once been slaves,
were now zealous emancipators, and volunteered to guard the prisoners
during the night. So anxious were our heroes to keep them safe, that
instead of relieving each other, by keeping watch and watch, both
kept watch together, till towards four o'clock in the morning, when
sleep stole gently over them both; and the wakeful prisoners, seizing
the opportunity, escaped: one of the guards, perceiving the loss,
rushed out of the hut, shouting, "They are gone, the prisoners are
off, and they have taken my rifle with them, and the women too!
Fire! everybody fire!" The rifle and the women, however, were all
safe enough, the slave-traders being only too glad to escape alone.
Fifty more slaves were freed next day in another village; and, the
whole party being stark-naked, cloth enough was left to clothe them,
better probably than they had ever been clothed before. The head of
this gang, whom we knew as the agent of one of the principal
merchants of Tette, said that they had the license of the Governor
for all they did. This we were fully aware of without his stating
it. It is quite impossible for any enterprise to be undertaken there
without the Governor's knowledge and connivance.
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