FESTIVAL OF THE MOHURRAM. Yet not alone to grace this rite, Have whispered words that all may hear; And now this eager throng doth come, With sound of horn and gong and drum, And most discordant music sent From mouth of horned instrument, Impatient all till day be done And rites of vengeance be begun. "Twas vain! The Christian power, though built On blood and rapine, woe and guilt; And though such deeds of cruel shame Are done in Christ's most blessed name, As almost blast the eye to see ; Yet God permits it still to be; And out of this great sin will plan Some good beyond the power of man! "Twas vain therefore ;—and back they fled The thousands so discomforted; Unto their mountains back they went, In silence, or with low lament; Three days beheld them come and go, Like tempest-driven summer snow! Then inland city, far-off plain, Had swallowed up this host again; And British rule, though red with blood, 101 JAN TZATZOE AND THE AFRICAN WITNESSES.* BEFORE A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Ir was in the July of 1836, that the inhuman treatment of Christians to Caffres was made the subject of inquiry before a Select Committee of the British House of Commons; and the form of words according to which they were appointed was as follows:-" To consider what measures ought to be adopted with regard to the native inhabitants of countries where British settlements are made, and to the neighbouring tribes, in order to secure to them the due observance of justice, and the protection of their rights, to promote the spread of civilization, and to lead them to the peaceful, voluntary reception of the Christian religion." The imperative necessity for such an inquiry becomes at once established by the statement of a few, and these notorious facts. The first lands acquired by the Dutch at the Cape of Good Hope, were paid for by "a few trinkets and flasks of brandy." In consideration of this payment they subsequently possessed themselves of 48,000 square miles, and finally of the entire productive part of the Hottentot territory. The next aggression consisted in seizing the cattle of the aborigines, and appropriating them to their own uses; an injustice which the European governor declined to punish, because so many settlers were implicated in this system of plunder. In addition to the spoliation of their cattle and lands, "when a Hottentot offended a settler, he was tied to a waggonwheel, and severely flogged, or dispatched on an errand, and then waylaid and destroyed." In short, the spirit of extermination seemed to be the influencing power in the government of the Cape, and the survivors were only sure of life, so long as they could contribute by the labour of their hands to enrich the stranger. To arrest the progress of annihilation, a Select Committee was appointed, and amongst other witnesses whom they called, were Dr. Philip, superintendent of the missions of the London Missionary Society in South Africa, and two natives of that unhappy country, who had been converted to Christianity, and carefully educated by Dr. Vanderkemp. With a patriotism that reflects honour on their race, Andries Stoffles and Jan Tzatzoe consented to cross the Atlantic with Dr. Philip, in hopes of creating amongst the English people a kindlier feeling, and a warmer interest in behalf of their country. * The painting, after which the accompanying engraving is made, was procured by a subscription amongst the friends of Dr. Philip, and presented to the Directors of the London Missionary Society. The scene is one of the rooms where the committee, of which T. F. Buxton, Esq., was chairman, usually held their sittings. Tzatzoe is in the act of giving his evidence. At the opposite end of the table is the Rev. James Reaa, jun., interpreter for Tzatzoe, who spoke and wrote before the committee in the Dutch language. Dr. Philip sits a little forward, on the right, and Stoffles occupies a chair behind the table at the end of which Tzatzoe is standing. The Rev. James Read, sen. stands behind Stoffles' chair. |