They sailed in the barque _Jane Morice_ early in the March of 1855, and, after a pleasant and prosperous voyage, entered Durban Bay in the ensuing May.
The first home of the brother and sister was at Durban, among the English colonists.

It somewhat disappointed the Archdeacon, as those who come out for purely missionary aims always are disappointed, when called to the equally needful but less interesting field of labour among their own countrymen; put as he says, he satisfied his mind by recollecting, "I came out here simply because there was a scarcity of people that could and would come.

I did not come because I thought the work more important than that I was leaving." So he set himself heartily to gather and confirm the congregation that had had its first commencement when Allen Gardiner used to read prayers to the first few settlers; and, at the same time, Kaffir services were held for the some thousand persons in the town in the employment of the whites.
The Archdeacon read prayers in Kaffir, and Mr.Robertson preached on the Sunday evenings.

The numbers of attendants were not large, and the most work was done by the school that the Robertsons collected round them.

The indifference and slackness of the English at Durban made it all the harder to work upon the Kaffirs; and, in truth, Archdeacon Mackenzie's residence there was a troublous time.