It was therefore settled later on, by Bishop
Webb and the then Dean of Bloemfontein, as well
as by our own Rural Dean of Basutoland, that I,
after some twenty-four years of absence in South
Africa, should pay a visit to England in order to
seek help towards the building of a large church for
our native congregation.
The mission income is only about three pounds,
arising from sixty pounds ten shillings which I
once collected towards a Catechist Endowment
Fund.
Our Basutos are mostly of a poor class.
The Government does indeed help educational
work ; but it gives the Church a lump sum, which
has to be sub-divided according to the needs and
requirements of the Schools.
Out of this fund we receive £16 per annum,
which is granted to the " school-of-work." During
my absence, this school has had to be closed, but
I believe the grant is still given to the mission for
the general school, to be transferred to the school-
of-work on its reopening.
In spite of the brave efforts of the earliest
missionaries, Basutoland still needs earnest work
to be done in it by the Church of its guardian
country, and the liberal help of the Society for the
Propagation of the Gospel is, if I mistake not,
mainly applied to the stipends of clergy, etc.
The proposed church is not only to be a gift to
the Basutos, but also a memorial to the holy
Bishop from whom death has lately separated us.
If, however, we need a church for our Basutos,



A SAINTLY BISHOP. 63

we also need educated, refined English gentle-
women as missionaries.
