Sotho Bible History (3)

**List: Sotho Ministry Bible ( Bibele ) Sotho... SISUTA, OR SESUTO. "THE Basutos, by whom the Sisuta language is spoken, form part of the Bechuana nation, and dwell between the Winterberg Mountains and the higher branches of the Yellow River.   There are also numerous tribes occupying extensive regions to the north-east of this district, as far as Sofala, by whom dialects are spoken differing but little from Sisuta; it is therefore anticipated that the Sisuta Scriptures will be found intelligible to these widely scattered tribes.    The Sisuta is the eastern branch of the Sechuana language, and is distinguished from the western dialects by certain consonantal changes: thus, the h, sh, and th of the latter become f in Sisuta; is becomes p, r is changed into l, and sometimes into s, and the strong guttural of the west is converted into a soft aspirate.   These changes have the effect of rendering Sisuta a soft and harmonious language, and comparatively easy of enunciation.   In these respects Sisuta resembles the Caffre language.    The Gospel of St. Matthew was translated and printed in Sisuta in the year 1837, by M. M. Pelissier, Arbousset, and Casalis, three mies. of the French Protestant Evangelical My. Society.   Small detached portions of the New Testament were afterwards given to this people at irregular intervals; but in 1849 they were in possession only of the Four Gospels in their own lan- guage.   The perusal of the Gospels excited in them an ardent desire to read the whole Word of God, and induced them to seek earnestly instruction in the English language.   "Having already (says their my.) tasted the fruit of the tree of life, as offered them in the portions of Scripture translated into Sisuta, they naturally wish for more; and many of them take the shortest way of obtaining their desire, by studying the language which contains the whole Bible, thus plucking the fruit without the assistance of others."   It is satisfactory to know that aid has been afforded to this interesting people by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and that the entire New Testament, in Sisuta, has since been printed in Africa, at the press of the French Society.   An edition of 4000 copies of the Psalms has subsequently been printed at the Plaatberg Wesleyan mission-press, at the cost of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and 2500 copies of the Sesuto Pentateuch are at the present time (1860) in course of execution there, also at the cost of the Society.   The mies. assure us, that "the seed of the Divine word has not been scattered in vain among the Basuto tribes;" and that "great is already the number of those who delight in reading the oracles of God.""--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only] SISUTA, OR SESUTO.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: n.d. John 1:1-14 unknown.]

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