anda ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 9 . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁the ▁first ▁party ▁of ▁mission aries ▁under ▁Father ▁Henry ▁Dep el chin , ▁the ▁first ▁superior , ▁started ▁from ▁Graham st own , ▁Cape ▁Col ony ▁by ▁ox en ▁drawn ▁w agon ▁to ▁Bul away o . ▁ ▁The ▁thousand ▁mile ▁journey ▁took ▁five ▁or ▁six ▁months . ▁▁ ▁The ▁first ▁years ▁were ▁difficult . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁efficient ▁transport , ▁prices ▁were ▁very ▁high ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁many ▁lives ▁were ▁lost ▁from ▁fe ver ▁and ▁priv ations . ▁The ▁Mat abe le ▁were ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁host ile ▁to ▁Christian ity , ▁with ▁their ▁king , ▁Lob eng ula , ▁playing ▁a ▁cru cial ▁part ▁in ▁oppos ing ▁the ▁mission . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁un success ful ▁exped itions ▁from ▁the ▁base ▁in ▁Bul away o , ▁one ▁led ▁by ▁Father ▁Dep el chin ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁beyond ▁the ▁Z amb esi ▁and ▁one ▁led ▁by ▁Father ▁August us ▁Law ▁went ▁ 3 0 0 ▁miles ▁east ▁to ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁border . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁British ▁South ▁Africa ▁Company ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁Lob eng ula ▁was ▁over th rown ▁when ▁Bul away o ▁and ▁Mat abe le land ▁were ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁South ▁Africa ▁Company . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁Catholic ▁mission aries ▁entered ▁the ▁new ▁territory ▁with ▁the ▁Sister s ▁of ▁St . ▁Domin ic ▁starting ▁public ▁hosp it als , ▁and ▁later ▁opening ▁schools ▁for ▁the ▁children ▁of ▁the