Mission Stations

APPENDIX B

EIGHT MONTHS IN AN OX-WAGGON - Reminiscences of Boer Life, 1880

EF Sandeman

EDITORIAL INTRODUCTION

Sandeman visited Botshabelo Mission Station in about 1879 and a description of his sojourn with Merenski may be found on pages 152-171 of his book (1880). Although this text is being reproduced here in its entirety, some minor editorial changes were found to be necessary. Terminology of a dated racial nature has been replaced with words reflecting a more current usage, while incorrect ethnographic or architectural references have been amended. However, all such changes have been indicated by means of brackets. Some of Sandeman’s views on women and indigenous marriage practices, which may be found on pages 164-5 have also been omitted. However no effort has been made to amend the author’s opinions in any way.

ARRIVAL AT BOTSHABELO

I had lunch at the camp, and left one of the horses there before riding up to the Mission Station, which I reached at five o’clock, and was met, at the door of his house by Herr Marensky in person, who, after I had seen my horse stabled, took me into his little study to get a cigar and cup of coffee before accompanying me in a stroll round the workshops, which would be closed on Sunday. We first visited the blacksmiths, where probably the best work in the Transvaal is turned out. There is only one (white man), a German, in the shop as master and overseer, and the same applies to the waggon-making, and general carpenters’ shop. All the work is performed by (indigenous workers) themselves, many of whom are thoroughly efficient smiths and carpenters. About twenty (men) are constantly employed in the shops, and when there is a press of work there are twice that number, who are competent to do the rougher kinds of work. The master smith and master wheelwright have each of them substantial well-built dwelling-houses close to their work, and I expressed my surprise to Herr Marensky at their having had the means at hand to build such excellent houses, for they far surpass the best houses in Middleburg; but he answered me with an English proverb which well expresses the spirit which pervades his whole policy and management: “What is worth doing at all is worth doing well.”

We returned to the house to get ready for tea. I was shown to my bedroom, opening out of the little courtyard attached to the back of the house. A snow-white little bed, a carpet of spring-bok skins sewn together, an ewer and water-jug, were the sole furniture, and on the wall hung a roughly-painted sacred picture. At tea I was introduced to Herr Marensky’s wife and family; and a very kindly welcome they gave me, and took every opportunity of showing me any little attention, besides taking the most lively interest in our plans, which I discussed at tea with the Herr Pastor, as there is no man in the Transvaal who knows better the temper and probable movements of the (indigenous population). I was also anxious, if possible, to obtain a (man) from him as a guide, who was acquainted with the district and other tribes we might meet. On learning my wish Herr Marensky at once sent down into the village below for a man who he thought would suit me, and who had very lately returned from the very district we intended making our head-quarters. After tea the pastor took me back again to his sanctum and after presenting me with another excellent cigar - one of a box lately presented to him by a gentleman he had nursed gratuitously through a long fever - he proceeded to give me some account of the station from its beginning, and which made a great impression upon me at the time, as much from the clear, straight forward matter-of-fact manner, which left not a shadow of a suspicion as to the minute veracity of every word he uttered, as from the indomitable pluck and perseverance that had been characteristic throughout of the missionary and his little band.

HISTORY OF BOTSHABELO

Twenty years ago the pastor, first with only one companion, settled down in the territory, and close to the (capital) of Secocoeni, and for some months he was in great favour with that chief, until the numbers of those who flocked to him - more, as he is the first to own, to obtain protection and means of making a quiet livelihood, than with any thought or care of becoming Christians - made Secocoeni jealous of the new power. For a couple of years he was exposed to nothing worse than petty annoyances; but at last Secocoeni, growing alarmed at the steady increase of the little colony, ordered him to quit his territory. Herr Marensky, however, managed to conciliate him and obtained his permission to stay on, the chief perhaps being more influenced by the wishes of many of his principal head men (Indunas), who had received benefits from the medical skill and remedies of the missionary, and whom they regarded as a great medicine-man, than from any goodwill towards the pastor himself. The third year passed peacefully away, and Herr Marensky had now been joined by his wife; but there arose many slight squabbles, until at last came a climax, in the demand for a fugitive, whom the missionary refused to give up to the messengers from the chief. Next day a large party, led by two Indunas personally unfriendly to Herr Marensky, surrounded the house, and in the most threatening manner demanded not only the fugitive, but also that the missionary should accompany them to the (capital). On his refusal they forcibly searched the house and neighbouring (homesteads) for the man, killing many of the harmless inhabitants, but failed to find whom they sought, for he was hidden under the bed on which Frau Marensky, in a very delicate state was lying. As Herr Marensky had gathered from their behaviour that they were not now authorized to kill him, he assumed, a still bolder demeanor, and after soundly rating them for their cruel behaviour, sent a message by them to their chief that he could not leave his wife to visit him. The party then returned to the chief’s (capital); but just before night the pastor received a message from an Induna whose life he had saved, and whose integrity he could rely on, that his house was to be surrounded, and himself and family slain before morning. Luckily he had a couple of horses at hand, left by a German farmer who was himself only some twenty miles away, across the stream; so after calling together all the (mission residents), he told them to join him as best they could, beyond the river; and putting Mrs. Marensky on one horse and mounting the other himself, he set out for the ford. Before the had gone many miles the flames announced that the (Pedi) were at their deadly work, and more than half the inoffensive station (men) were butchered before they had time to make good their escape. The horrors of that night are still too vividly before his mind for the pastor to speak lightly of them: his wife in a fainting condition, and unable to sit her horse without support, and the yells of the pursuing demons ringing in his ears, before at last the river was reached, and only just in time, for a heavy flood was coming down and the channel was already swollen and dangerous. Some of his own (men) were there before him, and with their assistance his wife was brought over in safety; and that very night, as the stars were giving way to the morning, his eldest child was born; and before his pursuers reached the stream it was a huge cataract, with masses of turbid water bearing down rocks and trees in their furious course, and utterly impassable by man or beast.

For many weeks he and his wife were protected and cared for by his compatriot. Everything had been left behind in his flight, and they were homeless and penniless, but anything but hopeless or repining, and he soon fixed upon the spot where the station now rests for another attempt, and had soon gathered the remnants of his little flock around him at the new home, where they were speedily joined by other fugitives from the surrounding chiefs. Thirteen years ago there was nothing but a barren waste; now he has a fine church - certainly the finest in the Transvaal - 600 acres under cultivation, stores, dwelling houses, workshops, and a huge (indigenous) village, all built by himself and the (local black residents). The Society owns in all 39,000 acres of land. 30,000 acres cost them £500, and the 6000, of which the station and most of the cultivated land form a part, cost only £758; there are besides 3000 acres which have been bought, but not yet paid for by the (Black residents) themselves.

The total population of the station is about 1600, of whom 1029 are baptized, 168 are under instruction, and 359 are children at school.

MISSIONARY EFFORTS

Herr Marensky could, if he chose, baptise every man, woman, or child in his village; but he makes baptism the reward of a good and virtuous life, and not easy to be obtained. Children of Christian parents are naturally baptized as soon after their birth as convenient. The work of conversion is carried on almost entirely by the old converts; but the pastor observed, “More is done by example than by anything else “. When a stranger comes and announces his wish to join the community, he is at once given a piece of land, and is assisted to build his (homestead), and is given land to till, and seed to sow in it. But he is made to clearly understand the laws of the community; that idleness will not be allowed, and will be visited by expulsion; that theft will be punished by lashes and expulsion too; drunkenness, the first offence a flogging, and the next a still more severe flogging, and expulsion into the bargain; smoking daka is also visited with heavy penalties. After a time the new comer will naturally have his curiosity aroused by the, to him, mysteries of the Church, and the altered subjects of conversation amongst the baptised; and, little by little, will himself wish to learn something of the knowledge which he sees makes the others enjoy life in a way that is utterly strange and new to him. He will also wish to be able to understand the curious signs he sees the others reading, and to share in the ideas which enable his associates to bear their troubles more easily, and which makes their domestic relations so infinitely more happy; the wife and children obedient, cleanly, and industrious, and the husband thoughtful and tolerant. Then the new comer will apply to some of the (local) teachers, who will instruct him as far as they are capable; and, at last, if he behaves well, he is admitted to one of the classes taught and looked after by either Herr Marensky or his assistant, Mr. Watson. If, at the end of five years, the man or woman, as the case may be, appears to thoroughly understand the ceremony, and be fit to benefit by it, he is at last baptised. If not, he enters into the body of catechumens, who are allowed to be present in the church during the first part of the service, while the communion-table is hid from their gaze by curtains, but are sent out before the curtains are drawn aside for the commandments to be read from the table. He remains a catechumen until such a time as Herr Marensky is convinced that he is worthy of baptism - sometimes as long a time as fifteen years; and any misdeed during this time puts it off indefinitely.

The above are, as nearly as possible, the identical words of Herr Marensky in answer to my questions as to the means of conversion used. No man is ever under any circumstances solicited to embrace Christianity, and if he conforms to the laws of the society he might live and die in whatever belief he may happen to hold. Herr Marensky has nothing at all to do directly with the interior economy of the settlement, which is left entirely to the management of four chiefs, one of whom is a cousin of Secocoeni, and takes precedence of the other three. These chiefs apportion to each man as much, or as little, land as he can till to advantage, and settle what rent he shall pay for it; they settle all their disputes, and investigate any cases of crime or drunkenness that may occur. If any unusual difficulty arise, they at once refer it to Herr Marensky; and also render him an account, at stated intervals, of their proceedings. His consent has to be given before any man can either be flogged or expelled. He is always ready to see and advise any of this people in any misfortunes that may come upon them.

RELATIONS WITH THEIR NEIGHBOURS

It must not be supposed that it was all fair sailing for the little settlement, when they had once taken up their quarters at Botsabelo. From the very first they met with a most bitter opposition from the Boers, and were also liable to frequent raids upon them by (marauding groups). Their very first task was to build a laager, or fort, large enough to hold the entire population and their stock; and on several occasions they defended it against large odds, under Herr Marensky.

The fort is situated upon the summit of a high knoll, and with steep ascent to it on all sides. Walls, fifteen feet high and two feet thick, pierced with loop-holes, and built of ironstone, enclose a space of seventy yards square; there are flank defences, and a turret over the entrance, which gives a clear look-out over to the surrounding country. Their first collision with the Boers was caused by almost the same incident which drove them from the territory of Secocoeni. A (man) who had been desperately ill-treated by his Boer master, escaped, and fled for protection to Herr Marensky. On careful inquiry it turned out that there was absolutely no agreement of any description between the (man) and his master, and that he had only been kept by force for many months past. Herr Marensky refused to acknowledge any such legal slavery, as giving up the (man) would imply, and told the Boers who came to demand his extradition, that they would have to take him by force if they took him at all. The Boers retired to talk it over, and presently returned in still larger numbers, bent on mischief; but the missionary had meanwhile called out all his forces, and showed such a strong front, that the Dutchmen very soon gave it up as a bad job, and retreated, vowing vengeance. However, as they respected his strength and evident determination of holding his own, they never more openly molested him.

Only four years ago, while in the middle of the Sunday morning service, the men in charge of the flocks burst in with the intelligence that a large impey had suddenly come upon them, and driven away the whole herds. The pastor, after one very short prayer (“Nach einem sehr Kurzen Gebet”) for success, dismissed his congregation, with orders to instantly fetch their arms; and in a very few minutes, himself at their head, they were on the trail of their flocks. Just before dusk they came up with the enemy, who had been impeded by having to drive the stock and were completely successful in the engagement which ensued, inflicting heavy loss on the invaders, and rescuing all but a few of the oxen which had lagged behind and had been assagaied out of the wanton love of slaughter which characterizes (some people) when on the war-path.

Not long after this, one of the head men, coming up in the evening to consult with his pastor on some domestic difficulty, detected a strange (man) with a gun in is hands creeping in the shadow of the trees, towards the open window at which Herr Marensky sat writing. Stealthily crawling along behind him he was just in time to knock the gun out of his hands, as the murderous wretch pulled the trigger, and the charge lodged harmless in the window-sill. The would-be assassin, greased all over, and slippery as an eel, wriggled himself free from his captor, who was at the time weak and ill, and made good his escape before Herr Marensky could render any assistance in detaining him; and, assisted by the darkness, managed to get clear away from the enraged (residents), who were after him instantly to avenge the murderous attack on their pastor.

THE BERLIN MISSION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Throughout South Africa there are fifty-six missionaries and thirty-four stations belonging to the Berlin Society; and although it may be a doubtful point whether the work carried on by missionaries in the aggregate is beneficial or the reverse to the interests of the country and the morals of the (indigenous population) as a whole, yet there cannot be two opinions about the improvement in the condition both mentally and physically of those who are under the care of this particular society, which again almost entirely owes its success to the common sense and practical principles which Herr Marensky himself carries out and lays down for the guidance of the other missionaries of the Society. The pay of these men, who carry their lives in their hands from day to day, amidst hardships, ill-treatment, suspicion, and disappointments almost incredible, is miserably inadequate, not only to their wants, but to their absolute necessities. An unmarried man receives £80 per annum, and a married £100, and also draws £3 per annum for each child when education becomes necessary. It is almost imperative, however, for a missionary to be married, or otherwise he is completely looked down upon by all (indigenous men) who have wives, and who do not consider a man of any importance unless married, and in fact have no hesitation in calling them “worthless boys “. When Captain Clarke, as her Majesty’s Commissioner, first sent to Secocoeni, that mighty chief replied “that Captain Clarke was only an unmarried boy, and what could such a worthless fellow have to do with him”. Herr Marensky was himself unmarried for three years, and only obtained a degree of respect by the intimation that he was just on the point of being married, and would soon bring his wife to show them that he was.

The most difficult question a mission has to deal with is the treatment of (indigenous men) who wish to be baptized, but have more than one wife. Personally Herr Marensky would not make it a sine qua non that the man should put away all over the number of one, but the (converts) themselves insisted on it, because they could not understand anything but one fixed hard and fast line, and could see no reason at all why, if a man was baptized who had several wives, a baptized man should not marry several. This feeling on their part induced Herr Marensky to decree that when a man with several wives wished to be baptized he should choose the wife he was most loath to part with, irrespective of whether she was his first married or last married, and keep her as his only one …

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

Missionaries in general, are more opposed on account of the stores, they often have attached to their station, than on any other ground; and, in fact, nearly all the objections to their operations may be traced to this source. I was anxious to hear what Herr Marensky had to say in favour of the practice, which it was evident he approved of by the large store at his own station.

(Merensky asked) “Can you tell me any reason why a mission station should not have a store? You and all others who have travelled, even through the more civilized parts of the country, must be aware that it is absolutely necessary for a traveller or hunter to trade to obtain any of their ordinary produce from either Dutch or (Black farmers), and that money will not buy what a tenth part of its value in merchandise will easily bring in. Why, then, should the missionary be the only one who may not avail himself and his people of this convenience? Again, if the (residents) of the station have no store of their own to deal with, they will go to the nearest and there run into debt, which ought at all times to be prevented; they will also be in the way of obtaining spirits, which they can never do at the mission store “. There are only two stores in all kept by the Berlin Society, and all the profits, if there be any, are employed exclusively in building new mills or workshops. The very houses the missionaries build for themselves are not their own property, but the Society’s, and belong of right to the next man who is appointed to the station.

Herr Pastor Marensky himself appears to be about forty-five years of age, of a medium height, but powerfully built. He wears a beard, which, with his hair, is iron grey in colour. His most striking feature is a fine broad forehead, and very quick bright eyes give him a peculiarly vivacious, humorous expression, and it needs but one glance to read the energy and determination in his character, which have carried him through a life of such varied dangers and difficulties. He is one of the most pleasant and amusing companions I have ever come across.

CHURCH SERVICES AT BOTSHABELO

On Sunday morning we had breakfast at half-past seven, and then the bell began to toll for the (indigenous language) service. The church is within a few paces of the pastor’s dwelling-house. The foundation-work is white stone and the walls of red brick, and it has a thatched roof. It has a pretty little steeple of galvanized iron, which in the sunlight shines like burnished silver. The building is in the form of a cross, and capable of holding 1000 people.

The service commenced at nine o’clock, and by that time some 800 were collected in the church; the men on one side and the women on the other: the catechumens seated nearest to the door. There are no seats, except two pews for visitors and (Whites) of the station; so nearly all the (Blacks) bring their stools with them but some prefer squatting on the ground. All who come to church have to be decently clothed. The younger portion of the small congregation were particularly smart and gaudy, but none of the girls wore anything more gay than plain cotton dresses. Many of the old men and women contented themselves with a blanket closely wrapped round them. One group, in particular, attracted my attention among the males. A young fellow, with a long blue shirt reaching to his knees, and above it a rather well-cut Eton jacket, sat next to a very old fellow with snow-white wool, who considered himself sufficiently got up in a blanket of many colours; and next him a fine, tall, well-built man, clad in what had evidently been at one time an embroidered lady’s night-shirt, and under it a pair of well born tweed knickerbockers, was taking charge of some blind aged relation, and looking after his comfort most energetically by poking any body in the ribs who seemed to be pressing him in too close.

The singing was perhaps the most astonishing part of the whole service, and would have done credit to any ordinary church choir in England. The (indigenous population) take to part singing very quickly and Mr. Watson, the under-missionary, an enthusiastic musician, spends all his leisure in teaching the large choir he has been able to select from among the (youths) and women, which accounts for their wonderful proficiency. When Sir Theophilus Shepstone visited the station, the school children greeted him by singing “God save the Queen” in English.

In the afternoon there was a German service for those of the neighbourhood who cared to come, but in all the congregation only numbered twelve, including children. Afterwards Herr Marensky took me for a walk through the settlement, and we paid visits to many of the (homesteads), all of which were in the highest possible degree of cleanliness and order. Every (household) had its store of mealie cobs hanging outside to dry, and many had large pockets of (maize) as well. A funeral took place in the evening, and the whole population followed the coffin to the God’s acre, just outside the boundaries. The singing was very touching and sweet, and no one could again call (sePedi) an ugly language after hearing the hymns sung over the grave. When the service was concluded, the men all stayed behind gathering stones, with which they filled the poor fellow’s grave, to prevent the jackals and hyenas unearthing the coffin.

During the day the newspapers by the post-cart arrived, and in them was an account of the attempted assassination of the Kaiser. The indignation and horror expressed by all sufficiently showed that distance had not dimmed their loyalty for “Vaterland “. In the evening the ladies gave us some music selected from Moody and Sankey’s hymns, and several national airs, before the whole family retired to rest at ten o’clock.

MOVING ON

Next morning, after breakfast, I was obliged to leave, although I should have much liked to make a longer stay. While I was saying good-bye to Herr Marensky, a (Black resident) came to the study, and made some complaint to him the nature of which I did not understand till I saw him open his mouth wide, and then squat down on the ground outside. Herr Marensky took down a case of instruments, selected one, and for a second leant over the man; but before I had time to see the operation he had extracted a huge black, three-fanged tooth in the most masterly style, and without even removing the large pipe from his lips. The wretched (man) never moved a muscle of his countenance, or uttered a groan, but for a long time sat disconsolately in the same spot, spitting out the blood which, however, he carefully covered over with sand before he went away. Herr Marensky is as good a doctor, and perhaps the best surgeon, to be found in the Transvaal, with the exception of those at present with the troops, and who are called in whenever their assistance is procurable.

As a parting present Herr Marensky gave me various photographs of his station and family, all of whom came out to wish me God-speed on my journey as I rode away.

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