Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-02-04


with only the inconvenience of a false join
in the limb. The man whose shoulder wa
wounded, showed me his wound, actually
burst forth afresh, on the same month of the
following year. This curious point deserves
the attention of inquirers."
The chief of the tribe, called Bechuans
or Bakwaius, was named Sechele. He wa:
a very remarkable man, and had embraced
christianity. His father had been murdered
by his own people. while Sechele was yet Q
child. The friends of the family invited
Tebituaue, the chiefof Makololo, to reinstate
them which he did, and the usurper was pu'
to death. Sechele afterwards married the
daughters of his three under chiefs, and thus
secured the allegiance of his tribe, but he
became polygamist before he was chris
tian. When DR.. Livingstone made his ac
quaiutance, Sechele's authority was fully re-
cogDized; ; and, as it was the custom of the
country when a new subject was introduced
to interrogate the propounder of it, he asked
the teacher if his forefathers knew of fu.
ture judgment, and he answered in the af:
firmative, beginning to describe the scene OF
the "great white throne, aud Him who shall
sit on it, from whose face the heavens and
earth shall flee away" on which the chief
said "You startle me; the words make my
bones to shake; ! have no strength in me
but my forefathers were living at the same
time yours were, and how is it they did not
send them word about these terrible things
sooner? They all passed away in darkness,
without knowing whittier they were going"
Sechele was an apt scholar, studied diligent-
ly, and soon acquired knowledge; but he
had a low opinion OF the moral power of
truth over his tribe, and proposed to fog
them into Christianity, with whips of rhinoc-
eros hide, saying that they ought to be only
too happy to embrace Christianity at his
command For three years he made con-
sistent profession of his faith, but hesitated
to part with his three wives, deeming it un-
grateful, as he owed his power to their faith
ers. At length he made up his mind firmly,
made them presents, and sent them to their
parents, "with intimation that he had no
fault to find with them, but that in parting
with them, he wished to follow the will of
God" He and his children were baptised.
The relations of the wives opposed the new
religion, and both the attendance at school
and church, became greatly diminished. A
very curious dialogue then follows, between
our missionary and a rain doctor, which a
rose from the continued drought. We are
next introduced to hunting scene. The
first is descriptive of the chase, where the
hunters are seen driving into the hopo or
trap; in the second the beasts are entrapped,
and in their confusion and terror, fall an easy
prey to their pursuers:
THE Hopo OR TRAP FOR DRIVING GAME.
"Thc hopo consists of two hedges in the
form of V, which are very high and thick
near the angle. Instead ofthe hedges being
Joined there, they are made to form lane
about fifty yards in length, at the extremity
of which pit is formed six or eight feet
deep, and about twelve or fifteen in breadth
or length. Trunks of trees are laid across
the margins of the pit, and more especially
over that nearest the lane, where the animals
are expected to attempt their escape after
they are in. The trees form an overlapping
border, and render an escape almost i'm.
possible. The whole is carefully decke d
with short green rushes, making the pit like
a concealed pit-fall As the hedges arc
frequently about mile long, and about as
much apart at their extremities, a tribe
making circle three or four miles round
the country adjacent to the opening, and
gradually closing up, are almost sure to en-
close large body of game. Driving it W
with shoots to the narrow part of the hopo
the men throw their javelins into the
affrighted herds, and on the animals rush tc
the opening presented at the convergine
hedges, and into the pit, till that is full of a
living mass. Some escape by running over
the top of others, as Smith6eld dog doe:
over the sleeps backs. 1t is frightfu]
scene. The men, wild with excitement
spear the lovely animals with mad delight
others of the poor creatures, borne down by
the weight of their dead and dying com
pauions, every now and then make the whole
mass heave in their smothering agouics.'
The account given of the Beers of Cashua
mountains, otherwise named Magaliesberg
is highly unfavorablc, but We are cautioned
not to confound them with the Cape colon
lists, nor to imagine that Boar is synonymou:
with our word boor the term, as used in
Africa, simply means farmer. These people
are hostile to missions, and to English law
which places black and white men on term:
of perfect equality. Among them are En-
glish descrters and men of desperate charact
cr. Whenever they gain the ascendency
they reduce the natives into bondage-con
sidering that good government will alway:
enforce compulsory labor They are dcs
cended from Dutch and French Hugueno
ancestors, claim to be among the chosen
and insist that the heather are their inherit
ance, regarding the colored race as blacl
property In 1852 the Beers made war OF
the BokNalns, killed many of the adults
and carried off two hundred of our schoo
children into slavery. In this foray, DR.
Livingstone's house was plundcred, hisstocl
of medicines smashed, leaves torn out o
books in his library, and all his furniture