One of your kind and interesting letters I received in November, and the other in December for which I do heartily thank you. They cannot be too long for me while the matter which they contain is so interesting. I feel greatly revived and quickened by them. May this be an inducement to you to write often. I do highly appreciate you as a faithful correspondent. Doubtless before this you have learned from the Dr's letters to Ma and Sister of God's goodness to us in bestowing upon us a precious little gift. Our dear little Martha Smithey was born on the 15th of January, and is of course regarded by her Father and myself as a very sweet and interesting child. The Dr. enclosed some of her hair in his letter that you all might see its color. She has so much hair that we laid aside her caps at 3 weeks old. She has black eyes, and a pretty prominent nose, but she very strikingly resembles her dear Aunt Susan. We do daily I hope in the sincerity of our hearts consecrate her to the service of our Redeemer. Will you pray that she will be made a blessing to the poor heathen if her life should be spared? Lucy also has a sweet little daughter 3 months older than mine. I cannot express to you my beloved uncle the gratification which I felt at hearing that my dear Mother and Sister were cheerful and that you were all happy in each other's society. May the Lord continue to bless you abundantly, and grant you a rich regard for all the kindness and affection which you show to the beloved ones in your family. I confidently believe that you and Aunt Joanna do and will continue to enjoy a foretaste of the compensation God bestows upon those who show kindness to them who love him. There is no family in America in which I would so much love to live as in yours and I feel truly happy that my own dear Mother and Sister are there. I thank you very much for the extracts from your Journal. I would so much love to read all your journal. Is it too much to ask you for it? Your little prayer meetings are precious privileges. If I could enjoy them, how highly I feel I would appreciate them. Besides our little female prayer meeting (Which we do very much enjoy) the Brethren have a prayer meeting every Thursday night. I suppose you will be surprised to see from this letter that 16 months after leaving home we are yet 200 miles from the place of our destination. The Brethren Lindsey and Venable left us about a week after the birth of our little daughter for Mosiko [sic], the residence of Moselekatsi for the purpose of building a house for us all. From letters which we received from them about a week since we learned that they are making such progress in their work that they hoped to be able to accomplish it and return to us about the close of next month, when we shall make ready to proceed immediately to our new home. Three French Brethren who are still labouring in different parts of Africa once commenced a station at Mosiko . As some of the walls of the house which they left, the Brethren Lindsey and Vendable found still good they concluded to rebuild it. They have not seen Moselekatsi as he was three days distant from Mosiko , his home, but they sent messengers to acquaint him of their arrival, who on their return brought with there one of his principal counselors, named Kalipi, who welcomed them very heartily and said that Moselekatsi's heart was glad, glad,glad. The Brethren asked Kalipi where Moselekatsi wished them to live, he replied, wherever you choose. Mos. sent them an ox to slaughter and told Kailpi to provide them with food for the work; he also sent them word that as he would remain where he was for some time, they could visit him there, or finish their work, and then visit him, as they pleased. They told Kalipi they wished to see him before they commenced their work, but Kalipi told them that he must accompany them, and he was move tired and wished them to wait till he had rested, and prepared some food and some beer for his majesty. It is customary to send him beer from every village wherever he may be. Kalipi visits them almost every day and is quite familiar. He and a very interesting young man Tibere, who is said to be Moselekatsi's brother, have dined with them once or twice. To use Bro. Venable's own words he says "Kalipi is a very gentlemanly savage, and had he been brought up in civilized society might have made a figure in the world." The people seem confident that they are preparing to live among them and many of them carry them thick milk and beer. They say nothing of the quality of the beer, or whether they drank it.
You would probably like to know something about the house. I shall be better able to tell you when I get into it. It is however made of brick, with a thatched roof, has 6 room, 2 for each family. The Brethren could form no estimate of the number of inhabitants within the territory of Moselekats , but they say there are 10 or 12 verfs (or villages) within a few miles of the house, containing 80 or 100 houses each. The native houses are made of mats generally, in the form of a haystack with a door large enough to get in by creeping on your hands and knees. At this place however the doors are much larger, but none of them have windows. The houses are built by the women, indeed they do all the drudgery, the men hunt, and sew, but they do not seem to consider their wives their equals nor treat them with much affection. They do not however (with the exception of church members) here regard polygamy as sinful. It is quite common for a man to have 4 or 5 wives, and sometimes more.
The drought of which I spoke in one of my letters, which has prevailed for many years past, is very distressing. Many of the fountains by which irrigation was carried on have failed, and many very many of the people in this region, and in the vicinity of Grigua Town are suffering for want of food. The interesting station at Grigua Town is about to be abandoned on account of the failure of their last fountain. The Missionaries with all their people are removing near the Great [words missing] river and hope to be able to settle there. Moselekatsi's country is well watered and the people have an abundance of food. Bro [word missing] says he has seen no country like that in South Africa.
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