34 DISCOVERIES IN SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICA. [MARCH, but that it shall be opened to the message of the Gospel. Dr. Livingston's discoveries go to confirm an opinion long since expressed by Dr. Krapf, that interior Africa possesses great facilities of communication, in its numerous lakes and mighty rivers. A great part of his wonderful journeys was accomplished in canoes, along the course of mighty streams One region through which he passed was called "rivers upon rivers: it consisted, for hundreds of miles, of a "dead level, interlaced by a perfect labyrinth of rivers, with their countless tributaries and numerous entering and re-entering branches." Dr. Livingston's first journey commenced on June 1, 1849. The starting point was Kolobeng, his Missionary station, situated 200 miles north of Kuruman, the station of the Rev. R. Moffat. The object was to reach a large lake, which had been often heard of, lying to the northwest, across the great Kalehari desert. After 300 miles travelling across a dreary region, a noble river, the Zouga, was reached, along the windings of which, in a native canoe, our traveller proceeded, until the great lake Ngami was reached. The second journey, undertaken the following year, was in the same direction, but extended only a little beyond the Zouga, the prevalence of marsh-fever, and the destruction caused to the cattle by a venomous fly called tzetze, compelling the exploring party to turn back. Early in 1851 a new effort was made, the river Zouga crossed, and, after traversing a region abounding with springs and inhabited by Bushmen, a new river, large and deep, was reached, called the Chobe, thirty miles down the course of which brought them to Linyanti, the town of Sebitoané, the chief of the Makololo. From this place Dr. Livingston first saw the great trunk river of this part of Africa, called by diverse names in different parts of its course the Secheke, Leeambye, and Zambesi, and which he eventually succeeded in tracing from Linyanti to the eastern coast, where it enters the sea. Dr. Livingston now prepared himself for a still more arduous undertaking. His first care was to accompany Mrs. Livingston and his children to Cape Town, shipping them from thence for England, that, during his long absence, they might be under the care of Christian friends; and this being done, he turned his face towards the interior, on June 8, 1852; resolved, if possible, to penetrate through the great centre, until he succeeded in coming out on the west coast, in the direction of the Portuguese territories. The first point to be reached was Linyanti. This, however, was not so easily accomplished as on the previous occasion: the waters were at their height, and the country was inundated. It is very probable that to such seasons of inundation may be ascribed the reports which have reached us of a great inland sea. In the direction where the great sea is supposed to be there are probably large lakes, of considerable magnitude, and numerous rivers, and, when the waters rise, they all unite, and assume the appearance of one great sea. Through the inundated country Dr. Livingston and one native companion splashed, until they came near, once more, to the river Chobe, from which they found themselves separated "by a broad chevaux de frise of papyrus reeds and other aquatic plants;" and, after these had been broken through, by a still more formidable barrier, "a horrid sort of grass, about six feet high, and having serrated edges, which cut the hands 1857.] SPECIMENS OF PREACHING IN NORTH INDIA. 35 most cruelly, wore my strong moleskin unmentionables quite through at the knees, and my shoes, nearly new, at the toes." In this mass of reeds, constantly wading, and wet up to the middle, yet, through the goodness of God, sleeping soundly at night, the voyagers were detained three days until the river was gained; and, the pontoon which they carried being launched, they paddled down the stream, and, after twenty miles, reached a first village of the Makololo. Nothing could exceed the astonishment of the natives at his re-appearance. They marvelled how he had come amongst them, cut off, as they supposed themselves to be, from all the rest of the world, by the waste of waters. "The only explanation they could devise for so strange an event was, that he had fallen on them from a cloud, yet came riding on a hippopotamus (pontoon)." The wondrous tidings soon reached Linyanti, and a number of canoes, with 140 people, were forthwith despatched by the chief to bring up his waggons and people, which he had left at some distance behind. Here, at this point, we must interrupt, until next month, our tracery of these wonderful explorations. SPECIMENS OF PREACHING IN NORTH INDIA. : Dec. 9th Lord's day-I had a great deal of preaching, and no arguing. I spoke on the text, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that be sick;" a capital text for a bazar sermon. I spoke first of the literal meaning of these words, to which all the people assented; then on the nature of the spiritual sickness, sin. I dwelt also upon the folly of receiving medicine from physicians who cannot help us, and never help any one, but under whose treatment the disease increased. They all assented. I then pointed out how the Hindús had had the same physicians for ages, but that, according to their own showing, the sickness had increased; for in the Sutyug (golden age) there were nineteen parts of health and one part of sickness; in the Talta, the sickness increased; in the Dwafar, the patients became worse; and now, in the Kaliyug (iron age), there were nineteen parts of sickness, and one of health or righteousness; and in a short time there would evidently be nothing left but sickness. Now, under these circumstances, I advised the people, as wise men, to dismiss their physicians, and turn to Him who alone can and does cure people. The people fully understood what I meant, and the crowd was large and the attention deep. May the Lord Jesus bless His word! Dec. 17th-I proceeded to the centre of the town. I had instantly a crowd of people, many of whom I had seen several times. I gave four addresses, and argued for some time with a Mahommedan about the prophet mentioned in Deut. xv. 18, and about the Comforter. We had two things this morning, much noise and much attention. In describing the character of a true Christian, and speaking on prayer, the attention was deep, and even the cavillers listened profoundly. And when I told them what I had been praying, before I met them, and that one of my petitions to the Lord had been to send me willing hearers, truth-searching and truth-loving hearers, and such as would open their hearts and ears to receive the word, they looked at me with astonishment. I then taught them how to pray that God might open their hearts, and make them willing to receive the truth. 36 AN INDIAN MOTHER'S LAMENT. [MARCH, In the evening, commenced at the entrance of the street, from west to east. We stopped at a potter's place, and I endeavoured to prove to the people that the potter and his vessels were one, and that there was no difference between them. Several of the bystanders laughed, and thought my argument strange. When, however, I turned the subject, and showed them that my foolishness, in supposing that the vessel and the potter were the same, was exactly their case, they supposing that God and the creature were one, the impression was good, and the subject understood and felt. The crowd was large and attentive, and we might have spent the whole afternoon among them. AN INDIAN MOTHER'S LAMENT. THE following paraphrase of a Dakota mother's lament, containing passages of great heauty, was prepared some years since for the "Dakota Friend"-"My daughter! my daughter! Alas! alas! My hope, my comfort, has departed: my heart is very sad. My joy is turned into sorrow, and my song into wailing. Shall I never behold thy sunny smile? Shall I never more hear the music of thy voice? The Great Spirit has entered my lodge in anger, and taken thee from me, my firstborn and only child. I am comfortless, and must wail out my grief. The pale-faces repress their sorrow; but we children of nature must give vent to ours, or die. My daughter! my daughter! "The light of my eyes is extinguished. All, all is dark. I have cast from me all comfortable clothing, and robed myself in comfortless skins; for no clothing, no fire, can warm thee, my daughter. Unwashed and uncombed, I will mourn for thee, whose long locks I can never more braid, and whose cheeks I can never again tinge with vermilion. I will cut off my dishevelled hair; for my grief is great, my daughter! my daughter! How can I survive thee? How can I be happy, and you a homeless wanderer to the spirit land? How can I eat, if you are hungry? I will go to the grave with food for your spirit. Your bowl and spoon are placed in your coffin, for use on the journey. The feast for your playmates has been made at the place of interment. Knowest thou of their presence? My daughter! my daughter! "When spring returns, the choicest of ducks shall be your portion. Sugar and berries also shall be placed near your grave. Neither grass nor flowers shall be allowed to grow thereon. Affection for thee will keep the little mound desolate, like the heart from which thou art torn. My daughter, I come, I come! I bring you parched corn. Oh, how long will you sleep? The wintry winds wail your requiem. The cold earth is your bed, and the colder snow thy covering. I would that they were mine! I will lie down by thy side. I will sleep once more with you. If no one discovers me, I shall soon be as cold as thou art; and together we will sleep that long, long sleep from which I cannot wake thee, my daughter, my daughter!" Poor disconsolate mother! Had she known the gospel, and had its blessed truths illuminated the heart of her dying daughter, she would have had hope in the midst of sorrow. VOL. VII. NEW SERIES. JAPAN. JAPAN has been for several centuries a shut-up land, jealously excluding all intercourse with foreigners. It cannot be denied that in so acting the Japanese have preserved themselves from some evils, such as the dire use of the opium amongst the Chinese; but they have inflicted on themselves one injury which more than counterbalances any good that WOMEN OF SIMODA, JAPAN. 38 JAPAN. [APRIL, may have resulted from their jealous restrictions-they have shut out the Gospel, of which they have such need, and shut themselves in with the leprous plague of their own corrupt nature. This rigid exclusion of foreigners, and refusal of intercourse with them, the Dutch excepted, have of late yielded a little. Conventions have been entered into, on the part of Japan, with the Governments of Great Britain and the United States, whereby permission is given to vessels needing repair, or requiring supplies, to enter two ports, the local authorities, according to a regulated tariff, supplying workmen and materials: ships in distress are free to enter any harbour. The communications which have been necessary in order to secure these concessions, have afforded to English and Americans more than usual opportunity of making themselves acquainted with Japanese customs. One magnificent book has been published by order of Congress, containing the proceedings of the American expedition, beautifully illustrated, and presenting a very remarkable contrast to the Parliamentary Blue Books at home; and from this we shall glean from time to time instruction for our readers, which may lead to interest and prayer on behalf of the secluded Japanese. The American ships lay at anchor for a considerable time off a village called Yoku-hama, in the Bay of Yedo. Here they were accustomed to get on shore, and, in their walks, embrace a circuit of five miles, which afforded them a good opportunity of seeing the country and people. "The early spring, in that temperate latitude, had now much advanced, and the weather, though never very severe-the thermometer having varied during the stay of the squadron from 38' to 64'-had become more warm and genial. The fields and terraced gardens were now carpeted with a fresh and tender verdure, and the trees, with the full growth of renewed vegetation, spread their shades of abounding foliage in the valleys and on the hill-sides of the surrounding country. The camellias, with the immense growth of forty feet in height, which abound everywhere on the shores of the Bay of Yedo, were in full bloom, with their magnificent red and white blossoms, which displayed a purity and richness of colour, and a perfection of development, unrivalled elsewhere. As soon as a village or hamlet was approached, one of the Japanese attendants would hurry in advance, and order the women and rabble to keep out of the way. This did not suit the purpose of the commodore, who was desirous of seeing as much as possible of the people, and learning all he could of their manners, habits, and customs. He accordingly spoke to the interpreter, and took him to task, particularly for dispersing the women. Yenoske pretended that it was entirely for the benefit of the ladies themselves, as their modesty was such that they could not endure the sight of a stranger. "The commodore did not believe a word of this interpretation, however adroit, and plainly told Yenoske so. The imputation, though it expressed a doubt of his truthfulness, did not offend the interpreter in the least, but was taken rather as a compliment to his duplicity, which is one of the most cherished accomplishments of a Japanese official. Finding that the commodore was quite alive to Japanese cunning, and was not to be baulked of any of his privileges as a sight-seer, Yenoske promised that, at the next town, where some refreshments had been |