hers, with more means, had set
up the horse-pack, or the cart, and all aspired, while some had
attained, to the waggon. These penetrated to every part of the
frontier, supplying the Dutch boers with luxuries hitherto undreamed of,
which, ere long, became necessities, obtaining from them sheep and
cattle in exchange, with a fair proportion of their hoarded
_rix-daalers_. The traders then returned to the towns, sold their
stock, purchased fresh supplies, and went back to the interior. Thus
was laid the foundation of a commerce which was destined in future years
to become of great importance not only to the colony but to the world.

The opening of trade with the Kafirs had added materially to the
prosperity of the traders, and those assembled at Fort Wilshire
represented all the different classes.

Among the crowds who encamped under the fort guns, Stephen Orpin, the
Wesleyan, represented those who stood on the first round of the
mercantile ladder. Orpin was stout of limb, broad of shoulder, strong
of heart, and empty of pocket; he therefore carried a pack in which were
to be found not only gloves, neckerchiefs, and trinkets for the women,
as well as gaudy waistcoats, etcetera, for the men, but New Testaments,
tracts, and little books in the Dutch language wherewith Stephen hoped
to do good to the souls of his customers. Orpin had come to the "fair"
with the double view of trading and holding intercourse on spiritual
things with the Kafirs. He longed to preach Christ, the crucified
Saviour, to the heathen. Of such men, thank God, there always have
been, and we believe always will be, many in the world--men in regard to
whom bigots are apt to say, "Lord, forbid him, for he followeth not with
us," but of whom the Lord said, "Forbid him not, for he that is not
against us is on our part."

Among those who had attained to the enviable ox-waggon were our friends
John Skyd and Frank Dobson. Possessing a remnant of their means when
they gave up farming, two of the brothers, James and Robert, established
a small general store in Grahamstown, while John and Frank set up a
joint waggon and took to hunting and trading on a large scale. Of
course they bought all their supplies of brass-wire, beads and buttons,
powder and shot etcetera, from the Skyd store, and sold their ivory,
etcetera, at the same place, with mutual benefit.

It was a strange and stirring sight to behold the long files of Kafir
women, straight and gracef