CROSSING RIVERS.

43

seen a slave lead the little stream from one trench to another, zigzag, over the whole garden; which is much easier done with the foot than by stooping down and doing it with the hands. The first time I witnessed this operation, it cleared up, to my satisfaction, the meaning of the above

text.

CROSSING RIVERS.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.-ISAIAH xliii. 2.

In a country such as Britain, where there are bridges over all the rivers at proper parts, the importance of this promise, in its literal sense, cannot be fully appreciated; but in countries where bridges are unknown, it can.

When

travelling by coach, or otherwise, in this country, we never overhear passengers saying, "How shall we get across such a river?-we hope we shall find it low, is it reckoned generally to be a safe ford, like Ox-ford, Hert-ford, Camel-ford, &c.— we hope the late rain has not swelled the river." No! such remarks and questions we never hear, because rivers are no obstructions in this country; for in the sense that Euphrates was to be dried up, our rivers are dried up; we often cross them asleep, in coaches.

It is very different in a bridgeless country. I remember, while crossing a river, when twilight was almost gone, and likely soon to be very dark, my waggon-wheels stuck fast in the mud when

44

WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION.

about half across. yoked to it could not stir the waggon an inch, nor could the addition of twelve more oxen effect a movement, owing to a sudden rise at the opposite side, which prevented their drawing unitedly. After a council held by the Hottentots, respecting the best means to be used for extricating my waggon and self from our awkward position, they untied the oxen from the fore part of the waggon, and fastened them to the hinder part, and by that ingenious method the waggon was drawn backwards out of the river. At another time I was stopped nine or ten days at the side of the Great Orange river, before I was able to get across, being about a quarter of a mile over. If ever I coveted any thing in my life it was then, for I earnestly wished at least the loan of Westminster bridge. Even after discovering a ford, we were two hours hard at work before all the waggons, men, loose oxen, sheep, goats, and dogs, were got safely over. To prevent my grumbling at being detained ten days by that formidable river, I was told of some who had been detained six weeks by the same obstruction, and that many oxen and men have been carried down by the force of the stream, and perished, when attempting to cross it.

The twelve oxen that were

HEATHENS WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION.

The heathens are described as "without natural affection."-Roм. i. 31.

Even bears and lions, when bereaved of their

WITHOUT NATURAL AFFECTION.

45

whelps, show natural affection, being peculiarly enraged and fierce, which makes it very dangerous to approach them while in such a state; and we all know the boldness of the house-hen when she has chickens, to protect them though at other times very timid, yet then she will attack a man.

Among many human beings in South Africa, there appears far less affection for their children than brutes have for their young. The wild Bushmen, in times of scarcity, frequently murder their children. When at the kraal of Kok, a Griqua chief, I saw two Bush-girls, the eldest was ten, and the youngest two and a-half years of age. On the death of their mother, the grandmother insisted that the two children should be thrown into the same grave with her, and buried alive, because, she said, she had nothing to give them; but this was prevented by the interference of Kok. Being thus disappointed in her cruel purpose, she threatened to murder them herself; but Kok threatened her with severe punishment if she did so; which made her desert the kraal, leaving the children to be supported by any who might choose to do it.

A Bushman was pointed out to me, who had been boasting to some Griquas of his having shot his own brother through the heart, while he was asleep, in order to gain his point. I knew another Bushman, whose wife, about a fortnight before I met him, had dragged her aged mother, in the evening, to a little distance from the kraal and, dashing her among stones, left her to be

devoured by the wild beasts during the night, which indeed she was, for only part of her bones were found in the morning.

Should a poor, starving, emaciated dog, in Africa, be observed by other dogs, they will all rush upon it, and worry at it until they have driven it from the town. This is an exact picture of the natives, in their hatred to the aged and infirm. They will even tauntingly say concerning their aged parents," What is the use of them when they can neither travel nor hunt!"

The Gospel completely alters the horrid habits of such Africans, when cordially received; old things pass away, and new principles and habits succeed. Through the long residence of the Gospel among the Griqua nation, they generally are not only kind to their parents and other relatives, but also to the aged and infirm, who take refuge amongst them from other tribes.

THE UNICORN.

Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn ! JOB XXXIX. 9-12.

The existence of the unicorn has been doubted and disputed by writers for more than a thousand years. Some scientific authors have supposed, and justly supposed, that it might be a species of the

rhinoceros, which had either become extinct, or confined to some part of the world at present unknown.

Such an animal must have existed, and been known in the days of Moses, Job, David, and Isaiah, all of whom mention it as a known animal.

About 1200 miles up, in the interior of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope, we shot a large animal, evidently a species of rhinoceros, with a strong horn projecting from its forehead about three feet. Its horn is not like that of the cow, which is hollow within, but is to the very heart, composed of a solid, horny substance, and is capable, from its own strength, and the great weight of the animal (perhaps two tons), with facility to pierce through the most powerful animal known, yea even a brick wall. I brought home the creature's skull, with the horn and massy teeth in it.

The skull, &c., was thrice examined by the late Sir Everard Home, who was reckoned one of the first naturalists in Britain, to whom I gave all the information in my power concerning the animal. He afterwards composed an essay upon it, which he read to the Royal Society, which they printed. He, in the first place, considered all the animals found in a fossil state that approached to the unicorn; then those that were known; and last, the skull I had brought from a latitude in Africa where no European had been before, except one party who were all murdered a little higher up.

After stating various arguments, and particularly attending to the description given of the