Moffat The Missionary And Other Stories Illustrated

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887 edition. Excerpt: ... XX. Clouds Gathering--No New Story--Boees Destroy Mission StaTions--Troubled Hearts. WE have now reached, in the life of the Kuruman mission, under Mr. Moifat, the twenty-ninth or thirtieth year, and the few years just passed had been those of almost uninterrupted tranquil prosperity; but now and for a little time previous to this date, 1848 and '49, there had been creeping into the horizon of its sky a cloud that threatened its future. This cloud grew out of the gradual, and bold encroachments of the Dutch farmers (Boers) upon the possessions of the natives. To us Americans it is no new story, but much the same as that of our own unjust dealings with the Indians. What, to those white men, were the rights of the native black pagans? And the government did not raise its hands to protect those who were of no profit to it; those who seemed even to be the property of any one who could capture them. Whose heart does not chill when reading of the slave trade of the African coasts? And many of the slaves there sold and shipped were stolen from interior tribes. As there was protection for these natives nowhere but in their own power, which was but small against a superior enemy, it came to pass that the Boers spread themselves all over the land, where they would, beyond the colony's possessions driving the rightful owners they cared not where; dispelling from their minds the little esteem for the whites the missionaries had been able to inspire. The Kuruman station itself, on accent of its situation and lack of some of the advantages possessed by other parts of the country, --possibly because it was the Lord's ground, --was never subject to an invasion, though several times threatened; but its work and influence in time were much restricted. The.