said to our men, "The others tied and starved
us, you cut the ropes and tell us to eat; what sort of people are
you?--Where did you come from?" Two of the women had been shot the day
before for attempting to untie the thongs. This, the rest were told, was
to prevent them from attempting to escape. One woman had her infant's
brains knocked out, because she could not carry her load and it. And a
man was dispatched with an axe, because he had broken down with fatigue.
Self-interest would have set a watch over the whole rather than commit
murder; but in this traffic we invariably find self-interest overcome by
contempt of human life and by bloodthirstiness.

The Bishop was not present at this scene, having gone to bathe in a
little stream below the village; but on his return he warmly approved of
what had been done; he at first had doubts, but now felt that, had he
been present, he would have joined us in the good work. Logic is out of
place when the question with a true-hearted man is, whether his brother
man is to be saved or not. Eighty-four, chiefly women and children, were
liberated; and on being told that they were now free, and might go where
they pleased, or remain with us, they all chose to stay; and the Bishop
wisely attached them to his Mission, to be educated as members of a
Christian family. In this way a great difficulty in the commencement of
a Mission was overcome. Years are usually required before confidence is
so far instilled into the natives' mind as to induce them, young or old,
to submit to the guidance of strangers professing to be actuated by
motives the reverse of worldly wisdom, and inculcating customs strange
and unknown to them and their fathers.

We proceeded next morning to Soche's with our liberated party, the men
cheerfully carrying the Bishop's goods. As we had begun, it was of no
use to do things by halves, so eight others were freed in a hamlet on our
path; but a party of traders, with nearly a hundred slaves, fled from
Soche's on hearing of our proceedings. Dr. Kirk and four Makololo
followed them with great energy, but they made clear off to Tette. Six
more captives were liberated at Mongazi's, and two slave-traders detained
for the night, to prevent them from carrying information to a large party
still in front. Of their own accord they volunteered the information
that the Governor's servants had charge of the next party; but we did not
choose to be led by them, though they