striking and pleasing fact, that the surplus of these collections was given to the Philanthropic Society at Cape Town-a society which was established for the admirable purpose of purchasing and emancipating young female slaves.

The settlement at Kat River, commencing about fifty miles north-east of Graham's Town, was established on a large portion of country, called the ceded territory, because said to have been ceded by the late Caffer chief Gaika to the British nation. It was thought desirable to have this ground occupied by our own subjects, so that the tracts of country just beyond our frontier might be in a peaceful state, amenable to our jurisdiction, and advantageous to our interests. After much hesitation, the Government, at the suggestion of those who were favorable to the Hottentots, resolved to settle on it such of them as would accept of the proposed terms. Many did so immediately, as the scheme seemed to promise, what it has indeed realized, a great amelioration of their circumstances, and about 4000 individuals were soon located on the ground; many of them came from the old Missionary institutions of Bethelsdorp, Theopolis, and Hankey, and have proved, by their steadiness and good example, a leaven of great value. Each man receives a portion of ground, and if, at the end of five years, he should be found to have built on it a good substantial dwelling house, of a size fixed by Government, he is to receive the land in perpetuity, rent free. They have of course to pay the customary taxes; but the payment of these, and their serving as their own militia in case of necessity, are the only conditions required of them. The experiment was a noble one; and has succeeded as well as its best wishers could have expected. The Hottentots, who are settled there, are fast becoming industrious and intelligent cultivators of the soil; from a state in many cases of helpless and abject poverty, they have been put in the way of becoming, if not rich, yet above want; and on this settlement it may now be seen, how much the character and religion of a people may be improved by making them feel that they are men, and putting them in possession of the civil rights which belong to them. It is really remarkable to witness the difference between them and the Hottentots of Cape Town, and in the service of the Boors: well clothed, intelligent, comfortable, they seem almost another race of beings. That this account is not overwrought, will be believed when I mention the fact, that during the four years it has existed, there has not been a single criminal case among the 4000 people on the settlement. Up to the time I left it, there was not a single justice of the peace or constable in the whole territory; and as a proof of their diligence and success in cultivating the soil, I may mention that they supplied the Government with corn, &c. for all the neighbouring military posts. Much of this pleasing state of things is doubtless owing to there being no public houses,

or means of purchasing spirituous liquors; but then it ought to be recollected, that it was at the special request of the people themselves that this precaution was taken. I may just add, that the whole of the settlement, especially the valley of the Kat River, is beautiful in the extreme, abounding in springs of water, large forests, the finest I ever saw, and diversified with beautiful hills and valleys, presenting altogether as fair a prospect to the natural, as to the moral, eye.

But it is to the spiritual state of this settlement that I now revert, and happy shall I be, if I can succeed in communicating to others, any portion of that high and holy delight I experienced myself, from all I saw and heard. I have mentioned that several of the people from the old Missionary institutions came and settled themselves at the Kat River. Soon after their arrival, they became anxious for the ministry of those whom they had formerly been under, and whose interest in them had been long and deeply tried; and arrangements were made for their wishes being gratified. Mr. Read accordingly came from Bethelsdorp, and fixed himself at Philiptown, a position as central as circumstances would admit. It would perhaps have been difficult to make a better selection than this. He is a man who from an early period of life has been engaged in the Missionary work, (having been one of the Missionaries on board the " Duff," in its disastrous voyage,) who had been the companion of Vanderkemp, and who possesses in a long experience of 33 years, and in his great influence over the Hottentots, advantages almost peculiar to himself. Under his labors the power of divine grace soon began to shew itself in the conversion of numbers, and in the gradual formation of a large church, many of whom are seals of his ministry. On my arrival at Philiptown I was particularly struck the first Sunday at seeing the multitudes both of men and women, who were pouring down the hills, arriving from their various locations, and assembling for Divine Service; many of them coming on foot a distance of eight or ten miles "to draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation," while those at a greater distance arrived on the previous evening, to be ready for the Sabbath services. One elderly woman I remember in particular, who finding, as she expressed it, her heart getting cold, set off alone on Saturday evening, walked all night a distance of 28 miles, and arrived just in time for service. The beauty of the whole scene was increased by seeing them all sitting in groups upon the grass between services, talking doubtless of the Lord, and speaking good of his name. The church, which is a neat building, erected by the voluntary labor of the people, is capable of containing between four and five hundred persons, but is getting much too small for the numbers who assemble. On the Sundays I spent there, it was not only completely filled inside, vestry and all, but the windows were

surrounded outside by numbers who were unable to find room within; and, about a hundred yards off, the infant school-room was filled with the young people of both sexes, for whom it was necessary to have this separate service. I cannot easily describe the devout and serious attention marked in the countenances of the people. It cannot indeed be supposed that all present were equally in earnest; but even those who were not seemed to catch the feeling and manner of those who were, till the whole congregation presented the appearance of one mass of sincere and attentive worshippers. The number of services is the same as at the other institutions. There is also a meeting on Wednesday afternoons for those who are candidates for baptism; of these the number remains generally about 100, notwithstanding the frequent drains of 10 or 12 at a time which are made from it, of those who are admitted to that ordinance. Soon after my arrival there, 10 adults were baptized with all their children, being the most promising out of the above mentioned hundred inquirers; all of whom, but for the very strict rules he has laid down to himself, Mr. Read would have baptized in the full belief, that as far as man can judge, they had also been baptized with the Holy Ghost. One of the baptized was a poor Bushman, whose feelings were most powerfully and deeply agitated, having been previously in a state bordering on despair, in consequence of his convictions of sin, so that they had feared his mind would have been affected. Nor is this a work that stands still. What I have just related took place in May 1833; and I have now a letter by me which I have just received from Mr. Read, dated April 1834, in which he gives the following interesting account of its progress.

"That you take an interest in our spiritual affairs I am fully convinced, and I bless God for it, as in that case we shall be continually remembered by you in your prayers at a throne of grace; and my dear Mr. —, 1 hope you will not forget me particularly. I can assure you I feel now, more than ever I did in my life, my need of divine grace; I feel my insufficiency to conduct the great work committed to me, to direct sinners to Christ in public preaching; so to divide the Word of God that every one may receive his portion in due season, and under the excitement which has long prevailed, to act according to the will of God, receiving into the church only such as are proper persons. Tares and wheat are much alike while growing, and whatever care is taken, the enemy will sow some tares; it was so even in the time of the Apostles, who were endued with such superior gifts and graces. I never think of proposing one to the church who does not give signs of sorrow and contrition on account of sin, and who has not a clear view of the way of atonement, and of acceptance with God through Jesus Christ. Hitherto we have reason to be thankful that but very few, among the many who have been received into the church the last three years, have disgraced their profession. The number of adults baptized in that time is 163. With these and others from different churches, Bethelsdorp, Theopolis, Chumie, Kliplaat, &c. our church is about 300 strong, so that on sacramental occasions the church is filled with members alone; and still there are vast numbers coming forward apparently under great concern for their souls, and desiring to be the followers of Christ. Oftentimes in

hearing them state the dealings of God with their souls, I am ashamed of myself, and wish I enjoyed what they enjoy. Of such we still have from 70 to 80; although a number have been received to baptism since you left. Last week 10 or 12 new ones came forward for the first time. I was struck with the short statement of a poor female a few weeks ago. She had no clothes to wear to go to church in on Sunday, and therefore had spent the day in the bushes in prayer and meditation; and while there, lamenting the loss of the public worship of God, Christ, she said, revealed himself to her, and said to her soul, Although you have not clothes to appear before man in, I have clothed you with the robe of my righteousness. She said her joy was inexpressible, and the remembrance of it still gave her comfort. I was called to visit a Caffer woman, a member of the church, who had been baptized a few months before. She was very ill, not likely to recover, but on hearing my Caffer name, Congola, she made a quick effort to rise, stretched out her hand, and said in her broken Dutch, "Good day, brother.' I was rather astonished, but pleased, and she soon began to relate the goodness of God to her soul on her sick bed. She stated that she had requested God to try her by some means, for she was afraid she had stolen the name she bore as a follower of Christ. In the beginning she had been driven almost to despair; sins had been shown her she knew nothing of before, and she thought that destruction was near; but when at the last point, Christ appeared to her, shewed her what he had done for her, and asked her if his sufferings and death were not sufficient for her sins. O, said she, I wanted to embrace, I wanted to be with him, and not to return to the world again; and I felt such a union to him and his people, that I was resolved that the first time I saw you, I would not address you as Sir, but as Brother. These, my dear Mr., are two specimens; God's people will understand them, and see that it is one and the self-same Spirit, that teaches a Caffer, and that teaches the best informed European. The great object in all is to attract the soul to Christ, so as to forsake all, and follow Him."

It will be seen from the above extract how mightily the word of God grows and prevails. Many cases of a similar nature came under my own observation; two in particular struck me as remarkable illustrations of that passage in Hebrews, "for the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." One was that of a member of the church, who had fallen into a cold and lifeless state, and while in this condition heard Mr. Read preach on the sin and danger of backsliding; when he was so powerfully impressed with the sermon, and its applicability to himself, that he afterwards declared, he was on the point of standing up in the middle of the congregation, and begging Mr. Read to stop, and not expose him further by mentioning his name. On this being subsequently told to Mr. Read, he said that so far from having the man in his mind during the sermon, he did not even know that he was in a state to require it. The other is the case of a man who was supposed to know something regarding an article, that had been either lost or stolen from one of his neighbours. On reply to the inquiry made of him, he said, "I

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can tell you nothing about it, but I know who can-Go and ask Mr. Read. He will be able to tell you." Reference being in consequence made to Mr. Read, he professed his ignorance, expressing surprise that they should have come to him. returning to the man, and asking him what could have induced him to implicate Mr. Read, he very simply replied, that Mr. Read having so often told him in his sermons what was going on in his own heart, secrets which no one else knew, he concluded that he must be equally acquainted with the affairs of others, and so, said he, “I told you to go to him."

The locations, as I have mentioned, are about forty in number, and are distinguished by appropriate names, such as, Philiptown, (which may be considered the little capital of the settlement,) Wilberforce, Buxton, Readsdale, &c. &c. At the larger ones there are separate schools both for the elder young people and infants, and at these the children from the neighbouring smaller locations assemble, many walking daily from four to six miles to attend them. They may be considered in the light of branch schools, being all superintended by the school-master at Philiptown, Mr. James Read, and conducted by the most forward and efficient of his pupils. When the locations are very far from Philiptown, the people from three or four, generally assemble at one on the Sundays, and form a congregation, the worship being conducted by some one of their number qualified to do so.

The general morality prevailing throughout the whole settlement is very remarkable, even in the absence of decided piety. The influence of the church-members, who are scattered throughout the locations, is so great, that their salt may be said to season the whole mass; and I must say that in my frequent rides in every direction, during which I saw the people in their own houses, at different times and under a variety of circumstances, coming upon them often quite unexpectedly, I never witnessed any thing like quarrelling, swearing, or any other thing that is "contrary to sound doctrine." This I consider worthy of being noted, for the Hottentots in the various towns and villages I passed through within the Colony, were the most drunken, quarrelsome and degraded set of human beings I almost ever saw. The Temperance Society has been a great benefit to Kat River; quarterly meetings are held, and at one which I attended, the extreme anxiety to exculpate himself manifested by a person who was accused of having broken his engagement, proved the judgment which he knew would have been passed on his conduct, and the strength of the general feeling on the subject.

The spirit of prayer seems to prevail very generally, and I remember being told an anecdote which I thought very interesting. During one of his rides Mr. R. passed a hut, in which he heard some one praying very fervently; not recognising the voice and being sur