file which includes the original illustration4 ,see #bhjbe-;h4htm or #bhjbe-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#b_/ h_/j_/b_/bhjbe_/bhjbe-;h_/#bhjbe-;h4htm7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#b_/ h_/j_/b_/bhjbe_/bhjbe-;h4zip7 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,john ,g4 ,,paton ,or ,thirty ,years ,among ,south ,sea ,cannibals by ,,rev4 ,,james ,,paton1 ,b4,a4 ,illustrated ,a4 ,l4 ,burt ,company1,publishers1 ,new ,york ,,preface4 ,,ever since the story of my brother's life first appeared 7,january #ahhi7 it has been constantly pressed upon me that a ,,young ,,folks' ,,edition would be highly prized4 ,the ,autobiography has therefore been re-cast and illustrated1 in the hope and prayer that the ,lord will use it to inspire the ,boys and ,girls of ,christendom with a wholehearted enthusiasm for the ,conversion of the ,heathen ,world to ,jesus ,christ4 ,a few fresh incidents have been introduced2 the whole contents have been rearranged to suit a new class of readers2 and the service of a gifted ,artist has been employed1 to make the book every way attractive to the young4 ,for full details as to the ,missionary's work and life1 the ,,complete ,,edition must still of course be referred to4 ,,james ,,paton4 ,,glasgow1 ,sept1 #ahib4 ,,contents4 ,,chap4 #a4 ,our ,cottage ,home #b4 ,our ,forebears #c4 ,consecrated ,parents #d4 ,school ,days #e4 ,leaving the ,old ,home #f4 ,early ,struggles #g4 ,a ,city ,missionary #h4 ,glasgow ,experiences #i4 ,a ,foreign ,missionary #aj4 ,to the ,new ,hebrides #aa4 ,first ,impressions of ,heathendom #ab4 ,breaking ,ground on ,tanna #ac4 ,pioneers in the ,new ,hebrides #ad4 ,the ,great ,bereavement #ae4 ,at ,home with ,cannibals #af4 ,superstitions and ,cruelties #ag4 ,streaks of ,dawn amidst ,deeds of ,darkness #ah4 ,the ,visit of ,h4,m4,s4 ,cordelia #ai4 ,noble ,old ,abraham #bj4 ,a ,typical ,south ,sea ,trader #ba4 ,under ,axe and ,musket #bb4 ,a ,native ,saint and ,martyr #bc4 ,building and ,printing for ,god #bd4 ,heathen ,dance and ,sham ,fight #be4 ,cannibals at ,work #bf4 ,the ,defying of ,nahak #bg4 ,a ,perilous ,pilgrimage #bh4 ,the ,plague of ,measles #bi4 ,attacked with ,clubs #cj4 ,kowia #ca4 ,the ,martyrdom of the ,gordons #cb4 ,shadows ,deepening on ,tanna #cc4 ,the ,visit of the ,commodore #cd4 ,the ,war ,chiefs in ,council #ce4 ,under ,knife and ,tomahawk #cf4 ,the ,beginning of the ,end #cg4 ,five ,hours in a ,canoe #ch4 ,a ,race for ,life #ci4 ,faint yet ,pursuing #dj4 ,waiting at ,kwamera #da4 ,the ,last ,awful ,night #db4 ,sail ,o6 ,sail ,o6 #dc4 ,farewell to ,tanna #dd4 ,the ,floating of the ,dayspring #de4 ,a ,shipping ,company for ,jesus #df4 ,australian ,incidents #dg4 ,amongst ,squatters and ,diggers #dh4 ,john ,gilpin in the ,bush #di4 ,the ,aborigines of ,australia #ej4 ,nora #ea4 ,back to ,scotland #eb4 ,tour through the ,old ,country #ec4 ,marriage and ,farewell #ed4 ,first ,peep at the ,dayspring #ee4 ,the ,french in the ,pacific #ef4 ,the ,gospel and ,gunpowder #eg4 ,a ,plea for ,tanna #eh4 ,our ,new ,home on ,aniwa #ei4 ,house-,building for ,god #fj4 ,a ,city of ,god #fa4 ,the ,religion of ,revenge #fb4 ,first ,fruits on ,aniwa #fc4 ,traditions and ,customs #fd4 ,nelwang's ,elopement #fe4 ,the ,christ-,spirit at ,work #ff4 ,the ,sinking of the ,well #fg4 ,rain from ,below #fh4 ,the ,old ,chief's ,sermon #fi4 ,the ,first ,book and the ,new ,eyes #gj4 ,a ,roof-,tree for ,jesus #ga4 ,knock the ,tevil out6 #gb4 ,the ,conversion of ,youwili #gc4 ,first ,communion on ,aniwa #gd4 ,the ,new ,social ,order #ge4 ,the ,orphans and their ,biscuits #gf4 ,the ,finger-,posts of ,god #gg4 ,the ,gospel in ,living ,capitals #gh4 ,the ,death of ,namakei #gi4 ,christianity and ,cocoa-,nuts #hj4 ,nerwa's ,beautiful ,farewell #ha4 ,ruwawa #hb4 ,litsi #hc4 ,the ,conversion of ,nasi #hd4 ,the ,appeal of ,lamu #he4 ,wanted6 ,a ,steam ,auxiliary #hf4 ,my ,campaign in ,ireland #hg4 ,scotland's ,free-will ,offerings #hh4 ,england's ,open ,door #hi4 ,farewell ,scenes #ij4 ,welcome to ,victoria and ,aniwa #ia4 ,good ,news from ,tanna1 #ahia ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,john ,g4 ,,paton4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,our ,,cottage ,,home4 ,,my early days were all spent in the beautiful county of ,dumfries1 which ,scotch folks call the ,queen of the ,south4 ,there1 in a small cottage1 on the farm of ,braehead1 in the parish of ,kirkmahoe1 ,i was born on the #bdth ,may1 #ahbd4 ,my father1 ,james ,paton1 was a stocking manufacturer in a small way2 and he and his young wife1 ,janet ,jardine ,rogerson1 lived on terms of warm personal friendship with the gentleman farmer1 so they gave me his son's name1 ,john ,gibson2 and the curly-haired child of the cottage was soon able to toddle across to the mansion1 and became a great pet of the lady there4 ,on my visit to ,scotland in #ahhd ,i drove out to ,braehead2 but we found no cottage1 nor trace of a cottage1 and amused ourselves by supposing that we could discover by the rising of the grassy mound1 the outline where the foundations once had been6 ,while yet a mere child1 five years or so of age1 my parents took me to a new home in the ancient village of ,torthorwald1 about four and a quarter miles from ,dumfries1 on the road to ,lockerbie4 ,at that time1 say #ahcj1 ,torthorwald was a busy and thriving village1 and comparatively populous1 with its cottars and crofters1 large farmers and small farmers1 weavers and shoemakers1 doggers and coopers1 blacksmiths and tailors4 ,fifty-five years later1 when ,i visited the scenes of my youth1 the village proper was extinct1 except for five thatched cottages where the lingering patriarchs were permitted to die slowly away1--soon they too would be swept into the large farms1 and their garden plots plowed over1 like sixty or seventy others that had been blotted out6 ,from the ,bank ,hill1 close above our village1 and accessible in a walk of fifteen minutes1 a view opens to the eye which1 despite several easily understood prejudices of mine that may discount any opinion that ,i offer1 still appears to me well worth seeing amongst all the beauties of ,scotland4 ,at your feet lay a thriving village1 every cottage sitting in its own plot of garden1 and sending up its blue cloud of peat reek1 which never somehow seemed to pollute the blessed air2 and after all has been said or sung1 a beautifully situated village of healthy and happy homes for ,god's children is surely the finest feature in every landscape6 ,looking from the ,bank ,hill on a summer day1 ,dumfries with its spires shone so conspicuous that you could have believed it not more than two miles away2 the splendid sweeping vale through which ,nith rolls to ,solway1 lay all before the naked eye1 beautiful with village spires1 mansion houses1 and white shining farms2 the ,galloway hills1 gloomy and far-tumbling1 bounded the forward view1 while to the left rose ,criffel1 cloud-capped and majestic2 then the white sands of ,solway1 with tides swifter than horsemen2 and finally the eye rested joyfully upon the hills of ,cumberland1 and noticed with glee the blue curling smoke from its villages on the southern ,solway shores4 ,there1 amid this wholesome and breezy village life1 our dear parents found their home for the long period of forty years4 ,there too were born to them eight additional children1 making in all a family of five sons and six daughters4 ,theirs was the first of the thatched cottages on the left1 past the miller's house1 going up the village gate1 with a small garden in front of it1 and a large garden across the road2 and it is one of the few still lingering to show to a new generation what the homes of their fathers were4 ,the architect who planned that cottage had no ideas of art1 but a fine eye for durability6 ,it consists at present of three1 but originally of four1 pairs of oak couples 7,scottice kipples7 planted like solid trees in the ground at equal intervals1 and gently sloped inwards till they meet or are coupled at the ridge1 this coupling being managed not by rusty iron1 but by great solid pins of oak4 ,a roof of oaken wattles was laid across these1 till within eleven or twelve feet of the ground1 and from the ground upwards a stone wall was raised1 as perpendicular as was found practicable1 towards these overhang-wattles1 this wall being roughly pointed with sand and clay and lime4 ,now into and upon the roof was woven and intertwisted a covering of thatch1 that defied all winds and weathers1 and that made the cottage marvelously cozy1--being renewed year by year1 and never allowed to remain in disrepair at any season4 ,but the beauty of the construction was and is its durability1 or rather the permanence of its oaken ribs6 ,there they stand1 after probably not less than four centuries1 japanned with peat reek till they are literally shining1 so hard that no ordinary nail can be driven into them1 and perfectly capable of service for four centuries more on the same conditions4 ,the walls are quite modern1 having all been rebuilt in my father's time1 except only the few great foundation boulders1 piled around the oaken couples2 and parts of the roofing also may plead guilty to having found its way thither only in recent days2 but the architect's one idea survives1 baffling time and change--the ribs and rafters of oak4 ,our home consisted of a but and a ben and a mid room1 or chamber1 called the closet4 ,the one end was my mother's domain1 and served all the purposes of dining-room and kitchen and parlor1 besides containing two large wooden erections1 called by our ,scotch peasantry box beds2 not holes in the wall1 as in cities1 but grand1 big1 airy beds1 adorned with many-colored counterpanes1 and hung with natty curtains1 showing the skill of the mistress of the house4 ,the other end was my father's workshop1 filled with five or six stocking-frames1 whirring with the constant action of five or six pairs of busy hands and feet1 and producing right genuine hosiery for the merchants at ,hawick and ,dumfries4 ,the closet was a very small apartment betwixt the other two1 having room only for a bed1 a little table and a chair1 with a diminutive window shedding diminutive light on the scene4 ,this was the ,sanctuary of that cottage home4 ,thither daily1 and oftentimes a day1 generally after each meal1 we saw our father retire1 and shut to the door2 and we children got to understand by a sort of spiritual instinct 7for the thing was too sacred to be talked about7 that prayers were being poured out there for us1 as of old by the ,high ,priest within the veil in the ,most ,holy ,place4 ,we occasionally heard the pathetic echoes of a trembling voice pleading as if for life1 and we learned to slip out and in past that door on tiptoe1 not to disturb the holy colloquy4 ,the outside world might not know1 but we knew1 whence came that happy light as of a new-born smile that always was dawning on my father's face3 it was a reflection from the ,divine ,presence1 in the consciousness of which he lived4 ,never1 in temple or cathedral1 on mountain or in glen1 can ,i hope to feel that the ,lord ,god is more near1 more visibly walking and talking with men1 than under that humble cottage roof of thatch and oaken wattles4 ,though everything else in religion were by some unthinkable catastrophe to be swept out of memory1 or blotted from my understanding1 my soul would wander back to those early scenes1 and shut itself up once again in that ,sanctuary ,closet1 and1 hearing still the echoes of those cries to ,god1 would hurl back all doubt with the victorious appeal1 ,he walked with ,god1 why may not ,i8 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,our ,,forebears4 ,a ,,few notes had better here be given as to our ,forebears1 the kind of stock from which my father and mother sprang4 ,my father's mother1 ,janet ,murray1 claimed to be descended from a ,galloway family that fought and suffered for ,christ's ,crown and ,covenant in ,scotland's killing time1 and was herself a woman of a pronouncedly religious development4 ,her husband1 our grandfather1 ,william ,paton1 had passed through a roving and romantic career1 before he settled down to be a douce deacon of the weavers of ,dumfries1 like his father before him4 ,forced by a press-gang to serve on board a ,british man-of-war1 he was taken prisoner by the ,french1 and thereafter placed under ,paul ,jones1 the pirate of the seas1 and bore to his dying day the mark of a slash from the captain's sword across his shoulder for some slight disrespect or offense4 ,determining with two others to escape1 the three were hotly pursued by ,paul ,jones's men4 ,one1 who could swim but little1 was shot1 and had to be cut adrift by the other two1 who in the darkness swam into a cave and managed to evade for two nights and a day the rage of their pursuers4 ,my grandfather1 being young and gentle and yellow-haired1 persuaded some kind heart to rig him out in female attire1 and in this costume escaped the attentions of the press-gang more than once2 till1 after many hardships1 he bargained with the captain of a coal sloop to stow him away amongst his black diamonds2 and thus1 in due time1 he found his way home to ,dumfries1 where he tackled bravely and wisely the duties of husband1 father1 and citizen for the remainder of his days4 ,the smack of the sea about the stories of his youth gave zest to the talks round their quiet fireside1 and that1 again1 was seasoned by the warm ,evangelical spirit of his ,covenanting wife1 her lips dropping grace4 ,on the other side1 my mother1 ,janet ,rogerson1 had for parents a father and mother of the ,annandale stock4 ,william ,rogerson1 her father1 was one of many brothers1 all men of uncommon strength and great force of character1 quite worthy of the ,border ,rievers of an earlier day4 ,indeed1 it was in some such way that he secured his wife1 though the dear old lady in after days was chary about telling the story4 ,she was a girl of good position1 the ward of two unscrupulous uncles who had charge of her small estate1 near ,langholm2 and while attending some boarding school she fell devotedly in love with the tall1 fair-haired1 gallant young blacksmith1 ,william ,rogerson4 ,her guardians1 doubtless very properly1 objected to the connection2 but our young ,lochinvar1 with his six or seven stalwart brothers and other trusty lads1 all mounted1 and with some ready tools in case of need1 went boldly and claimed his bride1 and she1 willingly mounting at his side1 was borne off in the light of open day1 joyously married1 and took possession of her but and ben1 as the mistress of the blacksmith's castle4 ,janet ,jardine bowed her neck to the self-chosen yoke1 with the light of a supreme affection in her heart1 and showed in her gentler ways1 her love of books1 her fine accomplishments with the needle1 and her general air of ladyhood1 that her lot had once been cast in easier1 but not necessarily happier1 ways4 ,her blacksmith lover proved not unworthy of his lady bride1 and in old age found for her a quiet and modest home1 the fruit of years of toil and hopeful thrift1 their own little property1 in which they rested and waited a happy end4 ,amongst those who at last wept by her grave stood1 amidst many sons and daughters1 her son the ,rev4 ,james ,j4 ,rogerson1 clergyman of the ,church of ,england1 who1 for many years thereafter1 and till quite recently1 was spared to occupy a distinguished position at ancient ,shrewsbury and has left behind him there an honored and beloved name4 ,from such a home came our mother1 ,janet ,jardine ,rogerson1 a bright-hearted1 high-spirited1 patient-toiling1 and altogether heroic little woman2 who1 for about forty-three years1 made and kept such a wholesome1 independent1 ,god-fearing1 and self-reliant life for her family of five sons and six daughters1 as constrains me1 when ,i look back on it now1 in the light of all ,i have since seen and known of others far differently situated1 almost to worship her memory4 ,she had gone with her high spirits and breezy disposition to gladden as their companion1 the quiet abode of some grand or great-grand-uncle and aunt1 familiarly named in all that ,dalswinton neighborhood1 ,old ,adam and ,eve4 ,their house was on the outskirts of the moor1 and life for the young girl there had not probably too much excitement4 ,but one thing had arrested her attention4 ,she had noticed that a young stocking-maker from the ,brig ,end1 ,james ,paton1 the son of ,william and ,janet there1 was in the habit of stealing alone into the quiet wood1 book in hand1 day after day1 at certain hours1 as if for private study and meditation4 ,it was a very excusable curiosity that led the young bright heart of the girl to watch him devoutly reading and hear him reverently reciting 7though she knew not then1 it was ,ralph ,erskine's ,gospel ,sonnets1 which he could say by heart sixty years afterwards1 as he lay on his bed of death72 and finally that curiosity awed itself into a holy respect1 when she saw him lay aside his broad ,scotch bonnet1 kneel down under the sheltering wings of some tree1 and pour out all his soul in daily prayers to ,god4 ,as yet they had never spoken4 ,what spirit moved her1 let lovers tell--was it all devotion1 or was it a touch of unconscious love kindling in her towards the yellow-haired and thoughtful youth8 ,or was there a stroke of mischief1 of that teasing1 which so often opens up the door to the most serious step in all our lives8 ,anyhow1 one day she slipped in quietly1 stole away his bonnet1 and hung it on a branch near by1 while his trance of devotion made him oblivious of all around2 then1 from a safe retreat1 she watched and enjoyed his perplexity in seeking for and finding it6 ,a second day this was repeated2 but his manifest disturbance of mind1 and his long pondering with the bonnet in hand1 as if almost alarmed1 seemed to touch another chord in her heart--that chord of pity which is so often the prelude of love1 that finer pity that grieves to wound anything nobler or tenderer than ourselves4 ,next day1 when he came to his accustomed place of prayer1 a little card was pinned against the tree just where he knelt1 and on it these words3 ,she who stole away your bonnet is ashamed of what she did2 she has a great respect for you1 and asks you to pray for her1 that she may become as good a ,christian as you4 ,staring long at that writing1 he forgot ,ralph ,erskine for one day6 ,taking down the card1 and wondering who the writer could be1 he was abusing himself for his stupidity in not suspecting that some one had discovered his retreat and removed his bonnet1 instead of wondering whether angels had been there during his prayer1--when1 suddenly raising his eyes1 he saw in front of old ,adam's cottage1 though a lane amongst the trees1 the passing of another kind of angel1 swinging a milk-pail in her hand and merrily singing some snatch of old ,scottish song4 ,he knew1 in that moment1 by a ,divine instinct1 as infallible as any voice that ever came to seer of old1 that she was the angel visitor that had stolen in upon his retreat--that bright-faced1 clever-witted niece of old ,adam and ,eve1 to whom he had never yet spoken1 but whose praises he had often heard said and sung--,wee ,jen4 ,i am afraid he did pray for her1 in more senses than one1 that afternoon2 at any rate1 more than a ,scotch bonnet was very effectually stolen2 a good heart and true was there virtually bestowed1 and the trust was never regretted on either side1 and never betrayed4 ,often and often1 in the genial and beautiful hours of the autumntide of their long life1 have ,i heard my dear father tease ,jen about her maidenly intentions in the stealing of that bonnet2 and often have heard her quick mother-wit in the happy retort1 that had his motives for coming to that retreat been altogether and exclusively pious1 he would probably have found his way to the other side of the wood1 but that men who prowled about the ,garden of ,eden ran the risk of meeting some day with a daughter of ,eve6 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,consecrated ,,parents4 ,,somewhere in or about his seventeenth year1 my father passed through a crisis of religious experience2 and from that day he openly and very decidedly followed the ,lord ,jesus4 ,his parents had belonged to one of the older branches of what is now called the ,united ,presbyterian ,church2 but my father1 having made an independent study of the ,scotch ,worthies1 the ,cloud of ,witnesses1 the ,testimonies1 and the ,confession of ,faith1 resolved to cast in his lot with the oldest of all the ,scotch ,churches1 the ,reformed ,presbyterian1 as most nearly representing the ,covenanters and the attainments of both the first and second ,reformations in ,scotland4 ,this choice he deliberately made1 and sincerely and intelligently adhered to2 and was able at all times to give strong and clear reasons from ,bible and from history for the principles he upheld4 ,besides this1 there was one other mark and fruit of his early religious decision1 which looks even fairer through all these years4 ,family ,worship had heretofore been held only on ,sabbath ,day in his father's house2 but the young ,christian1 entering into conference with his sympathizing mother1 managed to get the household persuaded that there ought to be daily morning and evening prayer and reading of the ,bible and holy singing4 ,this the more readily1 as he himself agreed to take part regularly in the same1 and so relieve the old warrior of what might have proved for him too arduous spiritual toils6 ,and so began in his seventeenth year that blessed custom of ,family ,prayer1 morning and evening1 which my father practised probably without one single avoidable omission till he lay on his deathbed1 seventy-seven years of age2 when ever to the last day of his life1 a portion of ,scripture was read1 and his voice was heard softly joining in the ,psalm1 and his lips breathed the morning and evening ,prayer1--falling in sweet benediction on the heads of all his children1 far away many of them over all the earth1 but all meeting him there at the ,throne of ,grace4 ,our place of worship was the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church at ,dumfries1 under the ministry1 during most of these days1 of ,rev4 ,john ,mc,dermid--a genuine1 solemn1 lovable ,covenanter1 who cherished towards my father a warm respect1 that deepened into apostolic affection when the yellow hair turned snow-white and both of them grew patriarchal in their years4 ,the ,minister1 indeed1 was translated to a ,glasgow charge2 but that rather exalted than suspended their mutual love4 ,dumfries was four miles fully from our ,torthorwald home2 but the tradition is that during all these forty years my father was only thrice prevented from attending the worship of ,god--once by snow1 so deep that he was baffled and had to return2 once by ice on the road1 so dangerous that he was forced to crawl back up the ,roucan ,brae on his hands and knees1 after having descended it so far with many falls2 and once by the terrible outbreak of cholera at ,dumfries4 ,each of us1 from very early days1 considered it no penalty1 but a great joy1 to go with our father to the church2 the four miles were a treat to our young spirits1 the company by the way was a fresh incitement1 and occasionally some of the wonders of city-life rewarded our eager eyes4 ,a few other pious men and women1 of the best ,evangelical type1 went from the same parish to one or other favorite ,minister at ,dumfries2 and when these ,god-fearing peasants forgathered in the way to or from the ,house of ,god1 we youngsters had sometimes rare glimpses of what ,christian talk may be and ought to be4 ,we had1 too1 special ,bible ,readings on the ,lord's ,day evening1--mother and children and visitors reading in turns1 with fresh and interesting question1 answer1 and exposition1 all tending to impress us with the infinite grace of a ,god of love and mercy in the great gift of ,his dear ,son ,jesus1 our ,saviour4 ,the ,shorter ,catechism was gone through regularly1 each answering the question asked1 till the whole had been explained1 and its foundation in ,scripture shown by the proof-texts adduced4 ,it has been an amazing thing to me1 occasionally to meet with men who blamed this catechizing for giving them a distaste to religion2 every one in all our circle thinks and feels exactly the opposite4 ,it laid the solid rock-foundations of our religious life4 ,after-years have given to these questions and their answers a deeper or a modified meaning1 but none of us has ever once even dreamed of wishing that we had been otherwise trained4 ,of course1 if the parents are not devout1 sincere1 and affectionate1--if the whole affair on both sides is taskwork1 or worse1 hypocritical and false1--results must be very different indeed6 ,oh1 ,i can remember those happy ,sabbath evenings2 no blinds down1 and shutters up1 to keep out the sun from us1 as some scandalously affirm2 but a holy1 happy1 entirely human day1 for a ,christian father1 mother and children to spend4 ,others must write and say what they will1 and as they feel2 but so must ,i4 ,there were eleven of us brought up in a home like that2 and never one of the eleven1 boy or girl1 man or woman1 has been heard1 or ever will be heard1 saying that ,sabbath was dull and wearisome for us1 or suggesting that we have heard of or seen any way more likely than that for making the ,day of the ,lord bright and blessed alike for parents and for children4 ,but ,god help the homes where these things are done by force and not by love6 ,as ,i must1 however1 leave the story of my father's life--much more worthy1 in many ways1 of being written than my own--,i may here mention that his long and upright life made him a great favorite in all religious circles far and near within the neighborhood1 that at sick-beds and at funerals he was constantly sent for and much appreciated1 and that this appreciation greatly increased1 instead of diminishing1 when years whitened his long1 flowing locks1 and gave him an apostolic beauty2 till finally1 for the last twelve years or so of his life1 he became by appointment a sort of ,rural ,missionary for the four nearest parishes1 and spent his autumn in literally sowing the good seed of the ,kingdom as a ,colporteur of the ,tract and ,book ,society of ,scotland4 ,his success in this work1 for a rural locality1 was beyond all belief4 ,within a radius of five miles he was known in every home1 welcomed by the children1 respected by the servants1 longed for eagerly by the sick and aged4 ,he gloried in showing off the beautiful ,bibles and other precious books1 which he sold in amazing numbers4 ,he sang sweet ,psalms beside the sick1 and prayed like the voice of ,god at their dying beds4 ,he went cheerily from farm to farm1 from cot to cot2 and when he wearied on the moorland roads1 he refreshed his soul by reciting aloud one of ,ralph ,erskine's ,sonnets1 or crooning to the birds one of ,david's ,psalms4 ,his happy partner1 our beloved mother1 died in #ahfe1 and he himself in #ahfh1 having reached his seventy-seventh year1 an altogether beautiful and noble episode of human existence having been enacted1 amid the humblest surroundings of a ,scottish peasant's home1 through the influence of their united love by the grace of ,god2 and in this world1 or in any world1 all their children will rise up at mention of their names and call them blessed6 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,school ,,days4 ,,in my boyhood1 ,torthorwald had one of the grand old typical ,parish ,schools of ,scotland2 where the rich and the poor met together in perfect equality2 where ,bible and ,catechism were taught as zealously as grammar and geography2 and where capable lads from the humblest of cottages were prepared in ,latin and ,mathematics and ,greek to go straight from their ,village class to the ,university bench4 ,besides1 at that time1 an accomplished pedagogue of the name of ,smith1 a learned man of more than local fame1 had added a ,boarding ,house to the ordinary ,school1 and had attracted some of the better class gentlemen and farmers' sons from the surrounding country2 so that ,torthorwald1 under his rgime1 reached the zenith of its educational fame4 ,in this ,school ,i was initiated into the mystery of letters1 and all my brothers and sisters after me1 though some of them under other masters than mine4 ,my teacher punished severely--rather1 ,i should say1 savagely--especially for lessons badly prepared4 ,yet1 that he was in some respects kindly and tender-hearted1 ,i had the best of reasons to know4 ,when still under twelve years of age1 ,i started to learn my father's trade1 in which ,i made surprising progress4 ,we wrought from six in the morning till ten at night1 with an hour at dinner-time and half an hour at breakfast and again at supper4 ,these spare moments every day ,i devoutly spent on my books1 chiefly in the rudiments of ,latin and ,greek2 for ,i had given my soul to ,god1 and was resolved to aim at being a ,missionary of the ,cross1 or a ,minister of the ,gospel4 ,yet ,i gladly testify that what ,i learned of the stocking frame was not thrown away2 the facility of using tools1 and of watching and keeping the machinery in order1 came to be of great value to me in the ,foreign ,mission field4 ,one incident of this time ,i must record here1 because of the lasting impression made upon my religious life4 ,our family1 like all others of peasant rank in the land1 were plunged into deep distress1 and felt the pinch severely1 through the failure of the potato1 the badness of other crops1 and the ransom-price of food4 ,our father had gone off with work to ,hawick1 and would return next evening with money and supplies2 but meantime the meal barrel ran low1 and our dear mother1 too proud and too sensitive to let any one know1 or to ask aid from any quarter1 coaxed us all to rest1 assuring us that she had told ,god everything1 and that ,he would send us plenty in the morning4 ,next day1 with the carrier from ,lockerbie came a present from her father1 who1 knowing nothing of her circumstances or of this special trial1 had been moved of ,god to send at that particular nick of time a love-offering to his daughter1 such as they still send to each other in those kindly ,scottish shires--a bag of new potatoes1 a stone of the first ground meal or flour1 or the earliest homemade cheese of the season--which largely supplied all our need4 ,my mother1 seeing our surprise at such an answer to her prayers1 took us around her knees1 thanked ,god for ,his goodness1 and said to us3 ,o my children1 love your ,heavenly ,father1 tell ,him in faith and prayer all your needs1 and ,he will supply your wants so far as it shall be for your good and ,his glory4 ,perhaps1 amidst all their struggles in rearing a family of eleven1 this was the hardest time they ever had1 and the only time they ever felt the actual pinch of hunger2 for the little that they had was marvelously blessed of ,god1 and was not less marvelously utilized by that noble mother of ours1 whose high spirit1 side by side with her humble and gracious piety1 made us1 under ,god1 what we are to-day4 ,i saved as much at my trade as enabled me to go for six weeks to ,dumfries ,academy2 this awoke in me again the hunger for learning1 and ,i resolved to give up that trade and turn to something that might be made helpful to the prosecution of my education4 ,an engagement was secured with the ,sappers and ,miners1 who were mapping and measuring the county of ,dumfries in connection with the ,ordnance ,survey of ,scotland4 ,the office hours were from #i ,a4 ,m4 till #d ,p4 ,m42 and though my walk from home was above four miles every morning1 and the same by return in the evening1 ,i found much spare time for private study1 both on the way to and from my work and also after hours4 ,instead of spending the mid-day hour with the rest1 at football and other games1 ,i stole away to a quiet spot on the banks of the ,nith1 and there pored over my book1 all alone4 ,our lieutenant1 unknown to me1 had observed this from his house on the other side of the stream1 and after a time called me into his office and inquired what ,i was studying4 ,i told him the whole truth as to my position and my desires4 ,after conferring with some of the other officials there1 he summoned me again1 and in their presence promised me promotion in the service1 and special training in ,woolwich at the ,government's expense1 on condition that ,i would sign an engagement for seven years4 ,thanking him most gratefully for his kind offer1 ,i agreed to bind myself for three years or four1 but not for seven4 ,excitedly he said1 ,why8 ,will you refuse an offer that many gentlemen's sons would be proud of8 ,i said1 ,my life is given to another ,master1 so ,i cannot engage for seven years4 ,he asked sharply1 ,to whom8 ,i replied1 ,to the ,lord ,jesus2 and ,i want to prepare as soon as possible for ,his service in the proclaiming of the ,gospel4 ,in great anger he sprang across the room1 called the paymaster and exclaimed1 ,accept my offer1 or you are dismissed on the spot6 ,i answered1 ,i am extremely sorry if you do so1 but to bind myself for seven years would probably frustrate the purpose of my life2 and though ,i am greatly obliged to you1 ,i cannot make such an engagement4 ,his anger made him unwilling or unable to comprehend my difficulty2 the drawing instruments were delivered up1 ,i received my pay1 and departed1 without further parley4 ,hearing how ,i had been treated1 and why1 ,mr4 ,maxwell1 the ,rector of ,dumfries ,academy1 offered to let me attend all classes there1 free of charge so long as ,i cared to remain2 but that1 in lack of means of support1 was for the time impossible1 as ,i would not and could not be a burden on my dear father1 but was determined rather to help him in educating the rest4 ,i went therefore to what was known as the ,lamb ,fair at ,lockerbie1 and for the first time in my life took a fee for the harvest4 ,on arriving at the field when shearing and mowing began1 the farmer asked me to bind a sheaf2 when ,i had done so1 he seized it by the band1 and it fell to pieces6 ,instead of disheartening me1 however1 he gave me a careful lesson how to bind2 and the second that ,i bound did not collapse when shaken1 and the third he pitched across the field1 and on finding that it still remained firm1 he cried to me cheerily3 ,right now1 my lad2 go ahead6 ,it was hard work for me at first1 and my hands got very sore2 but1 being willing and determined1 ,i soon got into the way of it1 and kept up with the best of them4 ,the male harvesters were told off to sleep in a large hayloft1 the beds being arranged all along the side1 like barracks4 ,many of the fellows were rough and boisterous2 and ,i suppose my look showed that ,i hesitated in mingling with them1 for the quick eye and kind heart of the farmer's wife prompted her to suggest that ,i1 being so much younger than the rest1 might sleep with her son ,george in the house--an offer1 oh1 how gratefully accepted6 ,a beautiful new steading had recently been built for them2 and during certain days1 or portions of days1 while waiting for the grain to ripen or to dry1 ,i planned and laid out an ornamental garden in front of it1 which gave great satisfaction--a taste inherited from my mother1 with her joy in flowers and garden plots4 ,they gave me1 on leaving1 a handsome present1 as well as my fee1 for ,i had got on very pleasantly with them all4 ,this experience1 too1 came to be valuable to me1 when1 in long-after days1 and far other lands1 ,mission buildings had to be erected1 and garden and field cropped and cultivated without the aid of a single ,european hand4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,leaving ,,the ,,old ,,home4 ,,before going to my first harvesting1 ,i had applied for a situation in ,glasgow1 apparently exactly suited for my case2 but ,i had little or no hope of ever hearing of it further4 ,an offer of #ej per annum was made by the ,west ,campbell ,street ,reformed ,presbyterian ,congregation1 then under the good and noble ,dr4 ,bates1 for a young man to act as district visitor and tract distributor1 especially amongst the absentees from the ,sabbath ,school2 with the privilege of receiving one year's training at the ,free ,church ,normal ,seminary1 that he might qualify himself for teaching1 and thereby push forward to the ,holy ,ministry4 ,the candidates1 along with their application and certificates1 were to send an essay on some subject1 of their own composition1 and in their own handwriting4 ,i sent in two long poems on the ,covenanters1 which must have exceedingly amused them1 as ,i had not learned to write even decent prose4 ,but1 much to my surprise1 immediately on the close of the harvesting experience1 a letter arrived1 intimating that ,i1 along with another young man1 had been put upon the short leet1 and that both were requested to appear in ,glasgow on a given day and compete for the appointment4 ,two days thereafter ,i started out from my quiet country home on the road to ,glasgow4 ,literally on the road1 for from ,torthorwald to ,kilmarnock--about forty miles--had to be done on foot1 and thence to ,glasgow by rail4 ,railways in those days were as yet few1 and coach-travelling was far beyond my purse4 ,a small bundle contained my ,bible and all my personal belongings4 ,thus was ,i launched upon the ocean of life4 ,i thought on ,one who says1 ,i know thy poverty1 but thou art rich4 ,my dear father walked with me the first six miles of the way4 ,his counsels and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are fresh in my heart as if it had been but yesterday2 and tears are on my cheeks as freely now as then1 whenever memory steals me away to the scene4 ,for the last half mile or so we walked on together in almost unbroken silence1--my father1 as was often his custom1 carrying hat in hand1 while his long1 flowing yellow hair 7then yellow1 but in later years white as snow7 streamed like a girl's down his shoulders4 ,his lips kept moving in silent prayers for me2 and his tears fell fast when our eyes met each other in looks of which all speech was vain6 ,we halted on reaching the appointed parting-place2 he grasped my hand firmly for a minute in silence1 and then solemnly and affectionately said3 ,god bless you1 my son6 ,your father's ,god prosper you1 and keep you from all evil6 ,unable to say more1 his lips kept moving in silent prayer2 in tears we embraced1 and parted4 ,i ran off as fast as ,i could2 and1 when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me1 ,i looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where ,i had left him--gazing after me4 ,waving my hat in adieu1 ,i was round the corner and out of sight in an instant4 ,but my heart was too full and sore to carry me farther1 so ,i darted into the side of the road and wept for a time4 ,then1 rising up cautiously1 ,i climbed the dyke to see if he yet stood where ,i had left him2 and just at that moment ,i caught a glimpse of him climbing the dyke and looking out for me6 ,he did not see me1 and after he had gazed eagerly in my direction for a while he got down1 set his face towards home1 and began to return--his head still uncovered1 and his heart1 ,i felt sure1 still rising in prayers for me4 ,i watched through blinding tears1 till his form faded from my gaze2 and then1 hastening on my way1 vowed deeply and oft1 by the help of ,god1 to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonor such a father and mother as ,he had given me4 ,the appearance of my father1 when we parted1--his advice1 prayers1 and tears--the road1 the dyke1 the climbing up on it and then walking away1 head uncovered--have often1 often1 all through life1 risen vividly before my mind1 and do so now while ,i am writing1 as if it had been but an hour ago4 ,in my earlier years particularly1 when exposed to many temptations1 his parting form rose before me as that of a guardian angel4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,early ,,struggles4 ,i ,,reached ,glasgow on the third day1 having slept one night at ,thornhill1 and another at ,new ,cumnock2 and having needed1 owing to the kindness of acquaintances upon whom ,i called by the way1 to spend only three halfpence of my modest funds4 ,safely arrived1 but weary1 ,i secured a humble room for my lodging1 for which ,i had to pay one shilling and sixpence per week4 ,buoyant and full of hope and looking up to ,god for guidance1 ,i appeared at the appointed hour before the examiners1 as did also the other candidate2 and they having carefully gone through their work1 asked us to retire4 ,when recalled1 they informed us that they had great difficulty in choosing1 and suggested that the one of us might withdraw in favor of the other1 or that both might submit to a more testing examination4 ,neither seemed inclined to give it up1 both were willing for a second examination2 but the patrons made another suggestion4 ,they had only #ej per annum to give2 but if we would agree to divide it betwixt us1 and go into one lodging1 we might both be able to struggle through1 they would pay our entrance fees at the ,free ,normal ,seminary1 and provide us with the books required2 and perhaps they might be able to add a little to the sum promised to each of us4 ,by dividing the mission work appointed1 and each taking only the half1 more time also might be secured for our studies4 ,though the two candidates had never seen each other before1 we at once accepted this proposal1 and got on famously together1 never having had a dispute on anything of common interest throughout our whole career4 ,as our fellow-students at the ,normal were all far advanced beyond us in their education1 we found it killing work1 and had to grind away incessantly1 late and early4 ,both of us1 before the year closed1 broke down in health2 partly by hard study1 but principally1 perhaps1 for lack of nourishing diet4 ,a severe cough seized upon me2 ,i began spitting blood1 and a doctor ordered me at once home to the country and forbade all attempts at study4 ,my heart sank2 it was a dreadful disappointment1 and to me a bitter trial4 ,soon after1 my companion1 though apparently much stronger than ,i1 was similarly seized4 ,he1 however1 never entirely recovered1 though for some years he taught in a humble school2 and long ago he fell asleep in ,jesus1 a devoted and honored ,christian man4 ,i1 on the other hand1 after a short rest1 nourished by the hill air of ,torthorwald and by the new milk of our family cow1 was ere long at work again4 ,renting a house1 ,i began to teach a small school at ,girvan1 and gradually but completely recovered my health4 ,having saved #aj by my teaching1 ,i returned to ,glasgow1 and was enrolled as a student at the ,college2 but before the session was finished my money was exhausted--,i had lent some to a poor student1 who failed to repay me--and only nine shillings remained in my purse4 ,there was no one from whom to borrow1 had ,i been willing2 ,i had been disappointed in attempting to secure private tuition2 and no course seemed open for me1 except to pay what little ,i owed1 give up my ,college career1 and seek for teaching or other work in the country4 ,i wrote a letter to my father and mother1 informing them of my circumstances2 that ,i was leaving ,glasgow in quest of work1 and that they would1 not hear from me again till ,i had found a suitable situation4 ,i told them that if otherwise unsuccessful1 ,i should fall back on my own trade1 though ,i shrank from that as not tending to advance my education2 but that they might rest assured ,i would do nothing to dishonor them or my own ,christian profession4 ,having read that letter over again through many tears1 ,i said1--,i cannot send that1 for it will grieve my darling parents2 and therefore1 leaving it on the table1 ,i locked my room door and ran out to find a place where ,i might sell my precious books1 and hold on a few weeks longer4 ,but1 as ,i stood on the opposite side and wondered whether these folks in a shop with the three golden balls would care to have a poor student's books1 and as ,i hesitated1 knowing how much ,i needed them for my studies1 conscience smote me as if for doing a guilty thing2 ,i imagined that the people were watching me like one about to commit a theft2 and ,i made off from the scene at full speed1 with a feeling of intense shame at having dreamed of such a thing6 ,passing through one short street into another1 ,i marched on mechanically2 but the ,lord ,god of my father was guiding my steps1 all unknown to me4 ,a certain notice in a window1 into which ,i had probably never in my life looked before1 here caught my eye1 to this effect--,teacher wanted1 ,maryhill ,free ,church school2 apply at the ,manse4 ,a coach or bus was just passing1 when ,i turned round2 ,i leapt into it1 saw the ,minister1 arranged to undertake the ,school1 returned to ,glasgow1 paid my landlady's lodging score1 tore up that letter to my parents and wrote another full of cheer and hope2 and early next morning entered the ,school and began a tough and trying job4 ,the ,minister warned me that the ,school was a wreck1 and had been broken up chiefly by coarse and bad characters from mills and coal-pits1 who attended the evening classes4 ,they had abused several masters in succession2 and1 laying a thick and heavy cane on the desk1 he said3 ,use that freely1 or you will never keep order here6 ,i put it aside into the drawer of my desk1 saying1 ,that will be my last resource4 ,there were very few scholars for the first week--about eighteen in the ,day ,school and twenty in the ,night ,school4 ,the clerk of the mill1 a good young fellow1 came to the evening classes1 avowedly to learn book-keeping1 but privately he said he had come to save me from personal injury4 ,the following week1 a young man and a young woman began to attend the ,night ,school1 who showed from the first moment that they were bent on mischief4 ,on my repeated appeals for quiet and order1 they became the more boisterous1 and gave great merriment to a few of the scholars present4 ,i finally urged the young man1 a tall1 powerful fellow1 to be quiet or at once to leave1 declaring that at all hazards ,i must and would have perfect order2 but he only mocked at me1 and assumed a fighting attitude4 ,quietly locking the door and putting the key in my pocket1 ,i turned to my desk1 armed myself with the cane1 and dared any one at his peril to interfere betwixt us4 ,it was a rough struggle--he smashing at me clumsily with his fists1 ,i with quick movements evading and dealing him blow after blow with the heavy cane for several rounds--till at length he crouched down at his desk1 exhausted and beaten1 and ,i ordered him to turn to his book1 which he did in sulky silence4 ,going to my desk1 ,i addressed them and asked them to inform all who wished to come to the ,school1--,that if they came for education1 everything would be heartily done that it was in my power to do2 but that any who wished for mischief had better stay away1 as ,i was determined to conquer1 not to be conquered1 and to secure order and silence1 whatever it might cost4 ,further1 ,i assured them that that cane would not again be lifted by me1 if kindness and forbearance on my part could possibly gain the day1 as ,i wished to rule by love and not by terror4 ,but this young man knew he was in the wrong1 and it was that which had made him weak against me1 though every way stronger far than ,i4 ,yet ,i would be his friend and helper1 if he was willing to be friendly with me1 the same as if this night had never been4 ,at these words a dead silence fell on the ,school3 every one buried face diligently in book2 and the evening closed in uncommon quiet and order4 ,the attendance grew1 till the ,school became crowded1 both during the day and at night4 ,during the mid-day hour even1 ,i had a large class of young women who came to improve themselves in writing and arithmetic4 ,by and by the cane became a forgotten implement2 the sorrow and pain which ,i showed as to badly-done lessons1 or anything blameworthy1 proved the far more effectual penalty4 ,the ,school ,committee had promised me at least ten shillings per week1 and guaranteed to make up any deficit if the fees fell short of that sum2 but if the income from fees exceeded that sum1 all was to be mine4 ,affairs went on prosperously for a season2 indeed1 too much so for my selfish interest4 ,the ,committee took advantage of the large attendance and better repute of the ,school1 to secure the services of a master of the highest grade4 ,the parents of many of the children offered to take and seat a hall1 if ,i would remain1 but ,i knew too well that ,i had neither education nor experience to compete with an accomplished teacher4 ,their children1 however1 got up a testimonial and subscription1 which was presented to me on the day before ,i left and this ,i valued chiefly because the presentation was made by the young fellows who at first behaved so badly1 but were now my devoted friends4 ,once more ,i committed my future to the ,lord ,god of my father1 assured that in my very heart ,i was willing and anxious to serve ,him and to follow the blessed ,saviour1 yet feeling keenly that intense darkness had again enclosed my path4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,a ,,city ,,missionary4 ,,before undertaking the ,maryhill ,school1 ,i had applied to be taken on as an agent in the ,glasgow ,city ,mission2 and the night before ,i had to leave ,maryhill1 ,i received a letter from ,rev4 ,thomas ,caie1 the superintendent of the said ,mission1 saying that the directors had kept their eyes on me ever since my application1 and requesting1 as they understood ,i was leaving the ,school1 that ,i would appear before them the next morning1 and have my qualifications for becoming a ,missionary examined into4 ,praising ,god1 ,i went off at once1 passed the examination successfully1 and was appointed to spend two hours that afternoon and the following ,monday in visitation with two of the directors1 calling at every house in a low district of the town1 and conversing with all the characters encountered there as to their eternal welfare4 ,i had also to preach a trial discourse in a ,mission meeting1 where a deputation of directors would be present1 the following evening being ,sunday2 and on ,wednesday evening they met again to hear their report and to accept or reject me4 ,all this had come upon me so unexpectedly1 that ,i almost anticipated failure2 but looking up for help ,i went through with it1 and on the fifth day after leaving the ,school they called me before a meeting of directors1 and informed me that ,i had passed my trials most successfully1 and that the reports were so favorable that they had unanimously resolved to receive me at once as one of their ,city ,missionaries4 ,deeply solemnized with the responsibilities of my new office1 ,i left that meeting praising ,god for all ,his undeserved mercies1 and seeing most clearly ,his gracious hand in all the way by which ,he had led me1 and the trials by which ,he had prepared me for this sphere of service4 ,man proposes--,god disposes4 ,i found the district a very degraded one4 ,many families said they had never been visited by any ,minister2 and many were lapsed professors of religion who had attended no church for ten1 sixteen1 or twenty years1 and said they had never been called upon by any ,christian visitor4 ,in it were congregated many avowed infidels1 ,romanists1 and drunkards1--living together1 and associated for evil1 but apparently without any effective counteracting influence4 ,in many of its closes and courts sin and vice walked about openly--naked and not ashamed4 ,after nearly a year's hard work1 ,i had only six or seven non-church-goers1 who had been led to attend regularly there1 besides about the same number who met on a week evening in the ground-floor of a house kindly granted for the purpose by a poor and industrious but ill-used ,irishwoman4 ,she supported her family by keeping a little shop1 and selling coals4 ,her husband was a powerful man--a good worker1 but a hard drinker2 and1 like too many others addicted to intemperance1 he abused and beat her1 and pawned and drank everything he could get hold of4 ,she1 amid many prayers and tears1 bore everything patiently1 and strove to bring up her only daughter in the fear of ,god4 ,we exerted1 by ,god's blessing1 a good influence upon him through our meetings4 ,he became a ,total ,abstainer1 gave up his evil ways1 and attended ,church regularly with his wife4 ,as his interest increased1 he tried to bring others also to the meetings1 and urged them to become ,abstainers4 ,his wife became a center of help and of good influence in all the district1 as she kindly invited all and welcomed them to the meeting in her house1 and my work grew every day more hopeful4 ,by and by ,meetings and ,classes were both too large for any house that was available for us in the whole of our district4 ,we instituted a ,bible ,class1 a ,singing ,class1 a ,communicants' ,class1 and a ,total ,abstinence ,society2 and1 in addition to the usual meetings1 we opened two prayer-meetings specially for the ,calton division of the ,glasgow ,police--one at a suitable hour for the men on day duty1 and another for those on night duty4 ,the men got up a ,mutual ,improvement ,society and ,singing ,class also amongst themselves1 weekly1 on another evening4 ,my work now occupied every evening in the week2 and ,i had two meetings every ,sabbath4 ,by ,god's blessing they all prospered1 and gave evidence of such fruits as showed that the ,lord was working there for good by our humble instrumentality4 ,the kind cowfeeder had to inform us--and he did it with much genuine sorrow--that at a given date he would require the hay-loft1 which was our place of meeting2 and as no other suitable house or hall could be got1 the poor people and ,i feared the extinction of our work4 ,at that very time however1 a commodious block of buildings1 that had been ,church1 ,schools1 ,manse1 etc41 came into the market4 ,my great-hearted friend1 the late ,thomas ,binnie1 persuaded ,dr4 ,symingrton's congregation1 ,great ,hamilton ,street1 in connection with which my ,mission was carried on1 to purchase the whole property4 ,its situation at the foot of ,green ,street gave it a control of the district where my work lay2 and so the ,church was given to me in which to conduct all my meetings1 while the other ,halls were adapted as ,schools for poor girls and boys1 where they were educated by a proper master1 and were largely supplied with books1 clothing1 and sometimes even food1 by the ladies of the congregation4 ,availing myself of the increased facilities1 my work was all reorganized4 ,on ,sabbath morning1 at seven o'clock1 ,i had one of the most deeply interesting and fruitful of all my ,classes for the study of the ,bible4 ,it was attended by from seventy to a hundred of the very poorest young women and grown-up lads of the whole district4 ,they had nothing to put on except their ordinary work-day clothes1--all without bonnets1 some without shoes4 ,beautiful was it to mark how the poorest began to improve in personal appearance immediately after they came to our ,class2 how they gradually got shoes and one bit of clothing after another1 to enable them to attend our other ,meetings1 and then to go to ,church2 and1 above all1 how eagerly they sought to bring others with them1 taking a deep personal interest in all the work of the ,mission4 ,long after they themselves could appear in excellent dress1 many of them still continued to attend in their working clothes1 and to bring other and poorer girls with them to that ,morning ,class1 and thereby helped to improve and elevate their companions4 ,my delight in that ,bible ,class was among the purest joys in all my life1 and the results were amongst the most certain and precious of all my ,ministry4 ,i had also a very large ,bible ,class--a sort of ,bible-,reading--on ,monday night1 attended by all1 of both sexes and of any age1 who cared to come or had any interest in the ,mission4 ,wednesday evening1 again1 was devoted to a prayer-meeting for all2 and the attendance often more than half-filled the ,church4 ,there ,i usually took up some book of ,holy ,scripture and read and lectured right through1 practically expounding and applying it4 ,on ,thursday ,i held a ,communicants' ,class1 intended for the more careful instruction of all who wished to become full members of the ,church4 ,our constant text-book was ,paterson on the ,shorter ,catechism 7,nelson and ,sons71 than which ,i have never seen a better compendium of the doctrines of ,holy ,scripture4 ,each being thus trained for a season1 received from me1 if found worthy1 a letter to the ,minister of any ,protestant ,church which he or she felt inclined to join4 ,in this way great numbers became active and useful communicants in the surrounding congregations2 and eight young lads of humble circumstances educated themselves for the ,ministry of the ,church--most of them getting their first lessons in ,latin and ,greek from my very poor stock of the same6 ,friday evening was occupied with a ,singing ,class1 teaching ,church music1 and practising for our ,sabbath meetings4 ,on ,saturday evening we held our ,total ,abstinence meeting1 at which the members themselves took a principal part1 in readings1 addresses1 recitations1 singing hymns1 etc4 ,great good resulted from this ,total ,abstinence work4 ,many adults took and kept the pledge1 thereby greatly increasing the comfort and happiness of their homes4 ,many were led to attend the ,church on the ,lord's ,day1 who had formerly spent it in rioting and drinking4 ,but1 above all1 it trained the young to fear the very name of intoxicating drink1 and to hate and keep far away from everything that led to intemperance4 ,i would add my testimony also against the use of tobacco1 which injures and leads many astray1 especially lads and young men1 and which never can be required by any person in ordinary health4 ,but ,i would not be understood to regard the evils that flow from it as deserving to be mentioned in comparison with the unutterable woes and miseries of intemperance4 ,to be protected1 however1 from suspicion and from evil1 all the followers of our ,lord ,jesus should in self-denial 7how small67 and in consecration to ,his service1 be pledged ,abstainers from both of these selfish indulgences1 which are certainly injurious to many1 which are no ornament to any character1 and which can be no help in well-doing4 ,praise ,god for the many who are now so pledged6 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,glasgow ,,experiences4 ,,on one occasion1 it becoming known that we had arranged for a special ,saturday afternoon ,temperance demonstration1 a deputation of ,publicans complained beforehand to the ,captain of the ,police--that our meetings were interfering with their legitimate trade4 ,the ,captain1 a pious ,wesleyan1 who was in full sympathy with us and our work1 informed me of the complaints made1 and intimated that his men would be present2 but ,i was just to conduct the meeting as usual1 and he would guarantee that strict justice would be done4 ,the ,publicans having announced amongst their sympathizers that the ,police were to break up and prevent our meeting and take the conductors in charge1 a very large crowd assembled1 both friendly and unfriendly1 for the ,publicans and their hangers-on were there to see the fun1 and to help in baiting the ,missionary4 ,punctually1 ,i ascended the stone stair1 accompanied by another ,missionary who was also to deliver an address1 and announced our opening hymn4 ,as we sang1 a company of ,police appeared1 and were quietly located here and there among the crowd1 the sergeant himself taking his post close by the platform1 whence the whole assembly could be scanned4 ,our enemies were jubilant1 and signals were passed betwixt them and their friends1 as if the time had come to provoke a row4 ,before the hymn was finished1 ,captain ,baker himself1 to the infinite surprise of friend and foe alike1 joined us on the platform1 devoutly listened to all that was said1 and waited till the close4 ,the ,publicans could not for very shame leave1 while he was there at their suggestion and request1 though they had wit enough to perceive that his presence had frustrated all their sinister plans4 ,they had to hear our addresses and prayers and hymns2 they had to listen to the intimation of our future meetings4 ,when all had quietly dispersed1 the ,captain warmly congratulated us on our large and well-conducted congregation1 and hoped that great good would result from our efforts4 ,this opposition also the ,lord overruled to increase our influence1 and to give point and publicity to our assaults upon the kingdom of ,satan4 ,though ,intemperance was the main cause of poverty1 suffering1 misery1 and vice in that district of ,glasgow1 ,i had also considerable opposition from ,romanists and ,infidels1 many of whom met in clubs1 where they drank together1 and gloried in their wickedness and in leading other young men astray4 ,an ,infidel1 whose wife was a ,roman ,catholic1 became unwell1 and gradually sank under great suffering and agony4 ,his blasphemies against ,god were known and shuddered at by all the neighbors4 ,his wife pled with me to visit him4 ,she refused1 at my suggestion1 to call her own priest1 so ,i accompanied her at last4 ,the man refused to hear one word about spiritual things1 and foamed with rage4 ,he even spat at me1 ,i mentioned the name of ,jesus4 ,the natural receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god2 for they are foolishness unto him6 ,there is a wisdom which is at best earthly1 and at worst sensual and devilish4 ,i visited the poor man daily1 but his enmity to ,god and his sufferings together seemed to drive him mad4 ,towards the end ,i pleaded with him even then to look to the ,lord ,jesus1 and asked if ,i might pray with him8 ,with all his remaining strength he shouted at me1 ,pray for me to the devil6 ,reminding him how he had always denied that there was any devil1 ,i suggested that he must surely believe in one now1 else he would scarcely make such a request1 even in mockery4 ,in great rage he cried1 ,tes1 ,i believe there is a devil1 and a ,god1 and a just ,god too2 but ,i have hated ,him in life1 and ,i hate ,him in death6 ,with these awful words he wriggled into ,eternity2 but his shocking death produced a very serious impression for good1 especially amongst young men1 in the district where his character was known4 ,how different was the case of that ,doctor who also had been an unbeliever as well as a drunkard6 ,highly educated1 skilful1 and gifted above most in his profession1 he was taken into consultation for specially dangerous cases1 whenever they could find him tolerably sober4 ,after one of his excessive bouts he had a dreadful attack of delirium tremens4 ,at one time wife and watchers had a fierce struggle to dash from his lips a draught of prussic acid2 at another1 they detected the silver-hafted lancet concealed in the band of his shirt1 as he lay down1 to bleed himself to death4 ,his aunt came and pleaded with me to visit him4 ,my heart bled for his poor young wife and two beautiful little children4 ,visiting him twice daily1 and sometimes even more frequently1 ,i found the way somehow into his heart1 and he would do almost anything for me and longed for my visits4 ,when again the fit of self-destruction seized him1 they sent for me2 he held out his hand eagerly1 and grasping mine said1 ,put all these people out of the room1 remain you with me2 ,i will be quiet1 ,i will do everything you ask6 ,i got them all to leave1 but whispered to one in passing to keep near the door4 ,alone ,i sat beside him1 my hand in his1 and kept up a quiet conversation for several hours4 ,after we had talked of everything that ,i could think of1 and it was now far into the morning1 ,i said1 ,if you had a ,bible here1 we might read a chapter1 verse about4 ,he said dreamily1 ,there was once a ,bible above yon press2 if you can get up to it1 you might find it there yet4 ,getting it1 dusting it1 and laying it on a small table which ,i drew near to the sofa on which we sat1 we read there and then a chapter together4 ,after this ,i said2 ,now1 shall we pray8 ,he replied heartily1 ,yes4 ,i having removed the little table1 we kneeled down together at the sofa2 and after a solemn pause ,i whispered1 ,you pray first4 ,he replied1 ,i curse1 ,i cannot pray2 would you have me curse ,god to ,his face8 ,i answered1 ,you promised to do all that ,i asked2 you must pray1 or try to pray1 and let me hear that you cannot4 ,he said1 ,i cannot curse ,god on my knees2 let me stand1 and ,i will curse ,him2 ,i cannot pray4 ,i gently held him on his knees1 saying1 ,just try to pray1 and let me hear you cannot4 ,instantly he cried out1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou knowest ,i cannot pray1 and was going to say something dreadful as he strove to rise up4 ,but ,i took up gently the words he had uttered as if they had been my own and continued the prayer1 pleading for him and his dear ones as we knelt there together1 till he showed that he was completely subdued and lying low at the feet of ,god4 ,on rising from our knees he was manifestly greatly impressed1 and ,i said1 ,now1 as ,i must be at ,college by daybreak and must return to my lodging for my books and an hour's rest1 will do you one thing more for me before ,i go8 ,yes1 was his reply4 ,then1 said ,i1 it is long since you had a refreshing sleep3 now1 will you lie down1 and ,i will sit by you till you fall asleep8 ,he lay down1 and was soon fast asleep4 ,after commending him to the care and blessing of the ,lord1 ,i quietly slipped out1 and his wife returned to watch by his side4 ,when ,i came back later in the day1 after my ,classes were over1 he1 on hearing my foot and voice1 came to meet me1 and clasping me in his arms1 cried1 ,thank ,god1 ,i can pray now6 ,i rose this morning refreshed from sleep1 and prayed with my wife and children for the first time in my life2 and now ,i shall do so every day1 and serve ,god while ,i live1 who hath dealt in so great mercy with me6 ,after delightful conversation1 he promised to go with me to ,dr4 ,symington's church on ,sabbath ,day2 there he took sittings beside me2 at next half-yearly ,communion he and his wife were received into membership1 and their children were baptized2 and from that day till his death he led a devoted and most useful ,christian life4 ,he now sleeps in ,jesus2 and ,i do believe ,i shall meet him in ,glory as a trophy of redeeming grace and love6 ,in my ,mission district ,i was the witness of many joyful departures to be with ,jesus1--,i do not like to name them deaths at all4 ,they left us rejoicing in the bright assurance that nothing present or to come could ever separate them or us from the love of ,god which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,many examples might be given2 but ,i can find room for only one4 ,john ,sim1 a dear little boy1 was carried away by consumption4 ,his child-heart seemed to be filled with joy about seeing ,jesus4 ,his simple prattle1 mingled with deep questionings1 arrested not only his young companions1 but pierced the hearts of some careless sinners who heard him1 and greatly refreshed the faith of ,god's dear people4 ,it was the very pathos of song incarnated to hear the weak quaver of his dying voice sing out-- ,i lay my sins on ,jesus1 ,the spotless ,lamb of ,god4 ,shortly before his decease he said to his parents1 ,i am going soon to be with ,jesus2 but ,i sometimes fear that ,i may not see you there4 ,why so1 my child8 said his weeping mother4 ,because1 he answered1 if you were set upon going to ,heaven and seeing ,jesus there1 you would pray about it1 and sing about it2 you would talk about ,jesus to others1 and tell them of that happy meeting with ,him in ,glory4 ,all this my dear ,sabbath ,school teacher taught me1 and she will meet me there4 ,now why did not you1 my father and mother1 tell me all these things about ,jesus1 if you are going to meet ,him too8 ,their tears fell fast over their dying child2 and he little knew1 in his unthinking eighth year1 what a message from ,god had pierced their souls through his innocent words4 ,one day an aunt from the country visited his mother1 and their talk had run in channels for which the child no longer felt any interest4 ,on my sitting down beside him1 he said1 ,sit you down and talk with me about ,jesus2 ,i am tired hearing so much talk about everything else but ,jesus2 ,i am going soon to be with ,him4 ,oh1 do tell me everything you know or have ever heard about ,jesus1 the spotless ,lamb of ,god6 ,at last the child literally longed to be away1 not for rest1 or freedom from pain--for of that he had very little--but1 as he himself always put it1 to see ,jesus4 ,and1 after all1 that was the wisdom of the heart1 however he learned it4 ,eternal life1 here or hereafter1 is just the vision of ,jesus4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a ,,foreign ,,missionary4 ,,happy in my work as ,i felt through these ten years1 and successful by the blessing of ,god1 yet ,i continually heard1 and chiefly during my last years in the ,divinity ,hall1 the wail of the perishing ,heathen in the ,south ,seas2 and ,i saw that few were caring for them1 while ,i well knew that many would be ready to take up my work in ,calton1 and carry it forward perhaps with more efficiency than myself4 ,without revealing the state of my mind to any person1 this was the supreme subject of my daily meditation and prayer2 and this also led me to enter upon those medical studies1 in which ,i purposed taking the full course2 but at the close of my third year1 an incident occurred1 which led me at once to offer myself for the ,foreign ,mission field4 ,the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church of ,scotland1 in which ,i had been brought up1 had been advertising for another ,missionary to join the ,rev4 ,john ,inglis in his grand work on the ,new ,hebrides4 ,dr4 ,bates1 the excellent convener of the ,heathen ,missions ,committee1 was deeply grieved1 because for two years their appeal had failed4 ,at length1 the ,synod1 after much prayer and consultation1 felt the claims of the ,heathen so gently pressed upon them by the ,lord's repeated calls1 that they resolved to cast lots1 to discover whether ,god would thus select any ,minister to be relieved from his home-charge1 and designated as a ,missionary to the ,south ,seas4 ,each member of ,synod1 as ,i was informed1 agreed to hand in1 after solemn appeal to ,god1 the names of the three best qualified in his esteem for such a work1 and he who had the clear majority was to be loosed from his congregation1 and to proceed to the ,mission field--or the first and second highest1 if two could be secured4 ,hearing this debate1 and feeling an intense interest in these most unusual proceedings1 ,i remember yet the hushed solemnity of the prayer before the names were handed in4 ,i remember the strained silence that held the ,assembly while the scrutineers retired to examine the papers2 and ,i remember how tears blinded my eyes when they returned to announce that the result was so indecisive1 that it was clear that the ,lord had not in that way provided a ,missionary4 ,the cause was once again solemnly laid before ,god in prayer1 and a cloud of sadness appeared to fall over all the ,synod4 ,the ,lord kept saying within me1 ,since none better qualified can be got1 rise and offer yourself6 ,almost overpowering was the impulse to answer aloud1 ,here am ,i1 send me4 ,but ,i was dreadfully afraid of mistaking my mere human emotions for the will of ,god4 ,so ,i resolved to make it a subject of close deliberation and prayer for a few days longer1 and to look at the proposal from every possible aspect4 ,besides1 ,i was keenly solicitous about the effect upon the hundreds of young people and others1 now attached to all my ,classes and ,meetings2 and yet ,i felt a growing assurance that this was the call of ,god to ,his servant1 and that ,he who was willing to employ me in the work abroad1 was both able and willing to provide for the on-carrying of my work at home4 ,my medical studies1 as well as my literary and divinity training1 had specially qualified me in some ways for the ,foreign field1 and from every aspect at which ,i could look the whole facts in the face1 the voice within me sounded like a voice from ,god4 ,it was under good ,dr4 ,bates of ,west ,campbell ,street that ,i had begun my career in ,glasgow--receiving #be per annum for district visitation in connection with his ,congregation1 along with instruction under ,mr4 ,hislop and his staff in the ,free ,church ,normal ,seminary--and oh1 how ,dr4 ,bates did rejoice1 and even weep for joy1 when ,i called on him1 and offered myself for the ,new ,hebrides ,mission6 ,i returned to my lodging with a lighter heart than ,i had for sometime enjoyed1 feeling that nothing so clears the vision1 and lifts up the life1 as a decision to move forward in what you know to be entirely the will of the ,lord4 ,i said to my fellow-student1 ,joseph ,copeland1 who had chummed with me all through our course at college1 ,i have been away signing my banishment 7a rather trifling way of talk for such an occasion74 ,i have offered myself as a ,missionary for the ,new ,hebrides4 ,after a long and silent meditation1 in which he seemed lost in far-wandering thoughts1 his answer was1 ,if they will accept of me1 ,i am also resolved to go6 ,i said1 ,will you write the ,convener to that effect1 or let me do so8 ,he replied1 ,you may4 ,a few minutes later his letter of offer was in the post-office4 ,next morning ,dr4 ,bates called upon us1 early1 and after a long conversation1 commended us and our future work to the ,lord ,god in fervent prayer4 ,at a meeting of the ,foreign ,missions ,committee1 held immediately thereafter1 both were1 after due deliberation1 formally accepted1 on condition that we passed successfully the usual examinations required of candidates for the ,ministry4 ,and for the next twelve months we were placed under a special committee for advice as to medical experience1 acquaintance with the rudiments of trades1 and anything else which might be thought useful to us in the ,foreign field4 ,when it became known that ,i was preparing to go abroad as ,missionary1 nearly all were dead against the proposal1 except ,dr4 ,bates and my fellows-student4 ,my dear father and mother1 however1 when ,i consulted them1 characteristically replied1 that they had long since given me away to the ,lord1 and in this matter also would leave me to ,god's disposal4 ,from other quarters we were besieged with the strongest opposition on all sides4 ,even ,dr4 ,symington1 one of my professors in divinity1 and the beloved ,minister in connection with whose congregation ,i had wrought so long as a ,city ,missionary1 and in whose ,kirk ,session ,i had for years sat as an ,elder1 repeatedly urged me to remain at home4 ,to his arguments ,i replied1 that my mind was finally resolved2 that1 though ,i loved my work and my people1 yet ,i felt that ,i could leave them to the care of ,jesus1 who would soon provide them a better pastor than ,i2 and that1 with regard to my life amongst the ,cannibals1 as ,i had only once to die1 ,i was content to leave the time and place and means in the hand of ,god who had already marvelously preserved me when visiting cholera patients and the fever-stricken poor2 on that score ,i had positively no further concern1 having left it all absolutely to the ,lord1 whom ,i sought to serve and honor1 whether in life or by death4 ,the house connected with my ,green ,street ,church was now offered to me for a ,manse1 and any reasonable salary that ,i cared to ask 7as against the promised #abj per annum for the far-off and dangerous ,new ,hebrides71 on condition that ,i would remain at home4 ,i cannot honestly say that such offers or opposing influences proved a heavy trial to me2 they rather tended to confirm my determination that the path of duty was to go abroad4 ,amongst many who sought to deter me1 was one dear old ,christian gentleman1 whose crowning argument always was1 ,the cannibals6 you will be eaten by cannibals6 ,at last ,i replied1 ,mr4 ,dickson1 you are advanced in years now1 and your own prospect is soon to be laid in the grave1 there to be eaten by worms1 ,i confess to you1 that if ,i can but live and die serving and honoring the ,lord ,jesus1 it will make no difference to me whether ,i am eaten by cannibals or by worms2 and in the ,great ,day my resurrection body will arise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen ,redeemer4 ,the old gentleman1 raising his hands in a deprecating attitude1 left the room exclaiming1 ,after that ,i have nothing more to say6 ,my dear ,green ,street people grieved excessively at the thought of my leaving them1 and daily pleaded with me to remain4 ,indeed1 the opposition was so strong from nearly all1 and many of them warm ,christian friends1 that ,i was sorely tempted to question whether ,i was carrying out the ,divine will1 or only some headstrong wish of my own4 ,but conscience said louder and clearer every day1 ,leave all these results with ,jesus your ,lord1 who said1 ',go ye into all the world1 preach the ,gospel to every creature1 and lo6 ,i am with you alway4' ,these words kept ringing in my ears2 these were our marching orders4 ,some retorted upon me1 ,there are ,heathen at home2 let us seek and save1 first of all1 the lost ones perishing at our doors4 ,this ,i felt to be most true1 and an appalling fact2 but ,i unfailingly observed that those who made this retort neglected these ,home ,heathen themselves2 and so the objection1 as from them1 lost all its power4 ,on meeting1 however1 with so many obstructing influences1 ,i again laid the whole matter before my dear parents1 and their reply was to this effect3--,heretofore we feared to bias you1 but now we must tell you why we praise ,god for the decision to which you have been led4 ,your father's heart was set upon being a ,minister1 but other claims forced him to give it up6 ,when you were given to them1 your father and mother laid you upon the altar1 their first-born1 to be consecrated1 if ,god saw fit1 as a ,missionary of the ,cross2 and it has been their constant prayer that you might be prepared1 qualified1 and led to this very decision2 and we pray with all our heart that the ,lord may accept your offering1 long spare you1 and give you many souls from the ,heathen ,world for your hire4 ,from that moment1 every doubt as to my path of duty forever vanished4 ,i saw the hand of ,god very visibly1 not only preparing me for1 but now leading me to1 the ,foreign ,mission field4 ,well did ,i know that the sympathy and prayers of my dear parents were warmly with me in all my studies and in all my ,mission work2 but for my education they could of course1 give me no money help4 ,all through1 on the contrary1 it was my pride and joy to help them1 being the eldest in a family of eleven2 though ,i here most gladly and gratefully record that all my brothers and sisters1 as they grew up and began to earn a living1 took their full share in this same blessed privilege4 ,for we stuck to each other and to the old folks like burs1 and had all things in common1 as a family in ,christ--and ,i knew that never again1 howsoever long they might be spared through the peaceful autumn of life1 would the dear old father and mother lack any joy or comfort that the willing hands and loving hearts of all their children could singly or unitedly provide4 ,for all this ,i did praise the ,lord6 ,it consoled me beyond description1 in parting from them1 probably forever1 in this world at least4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,to ,,the ,,new ,,hebrides4 ,,on the first of ,december #aheg--;being then in my thirty-third year--the other ,missionary-designate and ,i were licensed as preachers of the ,gospel4 ,thereafter we spent four months in visiting and addressing nearly every ,congregation and ,sabbath ,school in the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church of ,scotland1 that the people might see us and know us1 and thereby take a personal interest in our work4 ,on the #bc;d ,march #aheh1 in ,dr4 ,symington's church1 ,glasgow1 in presence of a mighty crowd1 and after a magnificent sermon on ,come over and help us1 we were solemnly ordained as ,ministers of the ,gospel1 and set apart as ,missionaries to the ,new ,hebrides4 ,on the #afth ,april of the same year1 we left the ,tail of the ,bank at ,greenock1 and set sail in the ,clutha for the ,foreign ,mission field4 ,our voyage to ,melbourne was rather tedious1 but ended prosperously1 under ,captain ,broadfoot1 a kindly1 brave-hearted ,scot1 who did everything that was possible for our comfort4 ,he himself led the singing on board at ,worship1 which was always charming to me1 and was always regularly conducted--on deck when the weather was fair1 below when it was rough4 ,i was also permitted to conduct ,bible ,classes amongst both the crew and the passengers1 at times and places approved of by the ,captain--in which there was great joy4 ,arriving at ,melbourne1 we were welcomed by ,rev4 ,mr4 ,moor1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,samuel ,wilson1 and ,mr4 ,wright1 all ,reformed ,presbyterians from ,geelong4 ,mr4 ,wilson's two children1 ,jessie and ,donald1 had been under our care during the voyage2 and my young wife and ,i went with them for a few days on a visit to ,geelong1 while ,mr4 ,copeland remained on board the ,clutha to look after our boxes and to watch for any opportunity of reaching our destination on the ,islands4 ,he heard that an ,american ship1 the ,frances ,p4 ,sage1 was sailing from ,melbourne to ,penang2 and the ,captain agreed to land us on ,aneityum1 ,new ,hebrides1 with our two boats and fifty boxes1 for #ajj4 ,we got on board on the #abth ,august1 but such a gale blew that we did not sail till the #agth4 ,on the ,clutha all was quiet1 and good order prevailed2 in the ,f4 ,p4 ,sage all was noise and profanity4 ,the ,captain said he kept his second mate for the purpose of swearing at the men and knocking them about4 ,the voyage was most disagreeable to all of us1 but fortunately it lasted only twelve days4 ,on the #bith we were close up to ,aneityum2 but the ,captain refused to land us1 even in his boats2 some of us suspecting that his men were so badly used that had they got on shore they would never have returned to him6 ,in any case he had beforehand secured his #ajj4 ,he lay off the island till a trader's boat pulled across to see what we wanted1 and by it we sent a note to ,dr4 ,geddie1 one of the ,missionaries there4 ,early next horning1 ,monday1 he arrived in his boat1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,mathieson1 a newly arrived ,missionary from ,nova ,scotia2 bringing also ,captain ,andersen in the small ,mission schooner1 the ,john ,knox1 and a large ,mission boat called the ,columbia1 well manned with crews of able and willing ,natives4 ,our fifty boxes were soon on board the ,john ,knox1 the ,columbia1 and our own boats--all being heavily loaded and built up1 except those that had to be used in pulling the others ashore4 ,dr4 ,geddie1 ,mr4 ,mathieson1 ,mrs4 ,paton1 and ,i were perched among the boxes on the ,john ,knox1 and had to hold on as best we could4 ,on sheering off from the ,f4 ,p4 ,sage1 one of her davits caught and broke the mainmast of the little ,john ,knox by the deck2 and ,i saved my wife from being crushed to death by its fall1 through managing to swing her instantaneously aside in an apparently impossible manner4 ,it did graze ,mr4 ,mathieson1 but he was not hurt4 ,the ,john ,knox1 already overloaded1 was thus quite disabled2 we were about ten miles at sea1 and in imminent danger2 but the captain of the ,f4 ,p4 ,sage heartlessly sailed away1 and left us to struggle with our fate4 ,we drifted steadily in the direction of ,tanna1 an island of cannibals1 where our goods would have been plundered and all of us cooked and eaten4 ,dr4 ,geddie's boat1 and mine had the ,john ,knox in tow2 and ,mr4 ,copeland1 with a crew of ,natives1 was struggling hard with his boat to pull the ,columbia and her load towards ,aneityum4 ,as ,god mercifully ordered it1 though we had a stiff trade wind to pull against1 we had a comparatively calm sea2 yet we drifted still to leeward1 till ,dr4 ,inglis going round to the harbor in his boat1 as he had heard of our arrival1 saw us far at sea1 and hastened to our rescue4 ,all the boats now1 with their willing ,native crews1 got fastened to our schooner1 and to our great joy she began to move ahead4 ,after pulling for hours and hours1 under the scorching rays of a tropical sun1 we were all safely landed on shore at ,aneityum1 about six o'clock in the evening of #cjth ,august1 just four months and fourteen days since we sailed from ,greenock4 ,we got a hearty welcome from the ,missionaries' wives1 ,mrs4 ,geddie1 ,mrs4 ,inglis1 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson1 and from all our new friends the ,christian ,natives of ,aneityum2 and the great danger in which both life and property had been placed at the close of our voyage1 made us praise ,god all the more that ,he had brought us to this quiet resting-place1 around which lay the ,islands of the ,new ,hebrides1 to which our eager hearts had looked forward1 and into which we entered now in the name of the ,lord4 ,mr4 ,copeland1 ,mrs4 ,paton1 and ,i went round the island to ,dr4 ,inglis's ,station1 where we were most cordially received and entertained by his dear lady1 and by the ,christian ,natives there4 ,as he was making several additions to his house at that time1 we received for the next few weeks our first practical and valuable training in ,mission house-building1 as well as in higher matters4 ,soon after1 a meeting was called to consult about our settlement1 and1 by the advice and with the concurrence of all1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson from ,nova ,scotia were located on the south side of ,tanna1 at ,umairarekar1 and ,mrs4 ,paton and ,i at ,port ,resolution1 on the same island4 ,at first it was agreed that ,mr4 ,copeland should be placed along with us2 but owing to the weakly state of ,mrs4 ,mathieson's health1 it was afterwards resolved that1 for a time at least1 ,mr4 ,copeland should live at either ,station as seem most suitable or most requisite4 ,dr4 ,inglis and a number of his most energetic ,natives accompanied us to ,umairarekar ,tanna4 ,there we purchased a site for ,mission ,house and ,church1 and laid a stone foundation1 and advanced as far as practicable the erection of a dwelling for ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson4 ,thence we proceeded to ,port ,resolution1 ,tanna1 and similarly purchased a site1 and advanced1 to a forward stage1 the house which ,mrs4 ,paton and ,i were to occupy on our settlement there4 ,lime for plastering had to be burned in kilns from the coral rocks2 and thatch1 for roofing with sugar-cane leaf1 had to be prepared by the ,natives at both ,stations before our return2 for which1 as for all else1 a price was duly agreed upon1 and was scrupulously paid4 ,unfortunately we learned1 when too late1 that both houses were too near the shore1 exposed to unwholesome miasma1 and productive of the dreaded fever and ague1--the most virulent and insidious enemy to all ,europeans in those ,southern ,seas4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,first ,,impressions ,,of ,,heathendom4 ,,my first impressions drove me1 ,i must confess1 to the verge of utter dismay4 ,on beholding these ,natives in their paint and nakedness and misery1 my heart was as full of horror as of pity4 ,had ,i given up my much-beloved work and my dear people in ,glasgow1 with so many delightful associations1 to consecrate my life to these degraded creatures8 ,was it possible to teach them right and wrong1 to ,christianize1 or even to civilize them8 ,but that was only a passing feeling2 ,i soon got as deeply interested in them1 and in all that tended to advance them1 and to lead them to the knowledge and love of ,jesus1 as ever ,i had been in my work at ,glasgow4 ,we were surprised and delighted at the remarkable change produced on the ,natives of ,aneityum through the instrumentality of ,drs4 ,geddie and ,inglis in so short a time2 and we hoped1 by prayerful perseverance in the use of similar means1 to see the same work of ,god repeated on ,tanna4 ,besides1 the wonderful and blessed work done by ,mrs4 ,inglis and ,mrs4 ,geddie1 at their ,stations1 filled our wives with the buoyant hope of being instruments in the hand of ,god to produce an equally beneficent change amongst the savage women of ,tanna4 ,mrs4 ,paton had been left with ,mrs4 ,inglis to learn all she could from her of ,mission work on the ,islands1 till ,i returned with ,dr4 ,inglis from the house-building operations on ,tanna2 during which period ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson were also being instructed by ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,geddie4 ,to the ,tannese1 ,dr4 ,inglis and ,i were objects of curiosity and fear2 they came crowding to gaze on our wooden and lime-plastered house2 they chattered incessantly with each other1 and left the scene day after day with undisguised and increasing wonderment4 ,possibly they thought us rather mad than wise6 ,party after party of armed men going and coming in a state of great excitement1 we were informed that war was on foot2 but our ,aneityumese ,teachers were told to assure us that the ,harbor people would only act on the defensive1 and that no one would molest us at our work4 ,one day two hostile tribes met near our ,station2 high words arose1 and old feuds were revived4 ,the ,inland people withdrew2 but the ,harbor people1 false to their promises1 flew to arms and rushed past us in pursuit of their enemies4 ,the discharge of muskets in the adjoining bush1 and the horrid yells of the savages1 soon informed us that they were engaged in deadly fights4 ,excitement and terror were on every countenance2 armed men rushed about in every direction1 with feathers in their twisted hair1--with faces painted red1 black1 and white1 and some1 one cheek black1 the other red1 others1 the brow white1 the chin blue--in fact1 any color and on any part1--the more grotesque and savage-looking1 the higher the art6 ,some of the women ran with their children to places of safety2 but even then we saw other girls and women1 on the shore close by1 chewing sugar-cane and chaffering and laughing1 as if their fathers and brothers had been engaged in a country dance1 instead of a bloody conflict4 ,in the afternoon1 as the sounds of the muskets and the yelling of the warriors came unpleasantly near to us1 ,dr4 ,inglis1 leaning against a post for a little while in silent prayer1 looked on us and said1 ,the walls of ,jerusalem were built in troublous times1 and why not the ,mission ,house on ,tanna8 ,but let us rest for this day1 and pray for these poor ,heathen4 ,we retired to a ,native house that had been temporarily granted to us for rest1 and there pled before ,god for them all4 ,the noise and the discharge of muskets gradually receded1 as if the ,inland people were retiring2 and towards evening the people around us returned to their villages4 ,we were afterwards informed that five or six men had been shot dead2 that their bodies had been carried by the conquerors from the field of battle1 and cooked and eaten that very night at a boiling spring near the head of the bay1 less than a mile from the spot where my house was being built4 ,we had also a more graphic illustration of the surroundings into which we had come1 through ,dr4 ,inglis's ,aneityum boy1 who accompanied us as cook4 ,when our tea was wanted next morning1 the boy could not be found4 ,after a while of great anxiety on our part1 he returned1 saying1 ,missi1 this is a dark land4 ,the people of this land do dark works4 ,at the boiling spring they have cooked and feasted upon the slain4 ,they have washed the blood into the water2 they have bathed there1 polluting everything4 ,i cannot get pure water to make your tea4 ,what shall ,i do8 ,dr4 ,inglis told him that he must try for water elsewhere1 till the rains came and cleansed away the pollution2 and that meanwhile1 instead of tea1 we would drink from the cocoa-nut1 as they had often done before4 ,the lad was quite relieved4 ,it not a little astonished us1 however1 to see that his mind regarded their killing and eating each other as a thing scarcely to be noticed1 but that it was horrible that they should spoil the water6 ,how much are even our deepest instincts the creatures of mere circumstances6 ,i1 if trained like him1 would probably have felt like him4 ,next evening1 as we sat talking about the people1 and the dark scenes around us1 the quiet of the night was broken by a wild wailing cry from the villages around1 long-continued and unearthly4 ,we were informed that one of the wounded men1 carried home from the battle1 had just died2 and that they had strangled his widow to death1 that her spirit might accompany him to the other world1 and be his servant there1 as she had been here4 ,now their dead bodies were laid side by side1 ready to be buried in the sea4 ,our hearts sank to think of all this happening within ear-shot1 and that we knew it not6 ,every new scene1 every fresh incident1 set more clearly before us the benighted condition and shocking cruelties of these ,heathen people1 and we longed to be able to speak to them of ,jesus and the love of ,god4 ,we eagerly tried to pick up every word of their language1 that we might1 in their own tongue1 unfold to them the knowledge of the true ,god and of salvation from all these sins through ,jesus ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,breaking ,,ground ,,on ,,tanna4 ,,our small ,missionary schooner1 the ,john ,knox1 having no accommodation for lady passengers1 and little for anybody else except the discomfort of lying on deck1 we took advantage of a trader to convey us from ,aneityum to ,tanna4 ,the ,captain kindly offered to take us and about thirty casks and boxes to ,port ,resolution for #e1 which we gladly accepted4 ,after a few hours' sailing we were all safely landed on ,tanna on the #eth ,november1 #aheh4 ,dr4 ,geddie went for a fortnight to ,umairarekar1 now known as ,kwamera1 on the south side of ,tanna1 to assist in the settlement of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson1 and to help in making their house habitable and comfortable4 ,mr4 ,copeland1 ,mrs4 ,paton1 and ,i were left at ,port ,resolution1 to finish the building of our house there1 and work our way into the good will of the ,natives as best we could4 ,on landing1 we found the people to be literally naked and painted ,savages2 they were at least as destitute of clothing as ,adam and ,eve after the fall1 when they sewed fig-leaves for a girdle1 and even more so1 for the women wore only a tiny apron of grass1 in some cases shaped like a skirt or girdle1 the men an indescribable affair like a pouch or bag1 and the children absolutely nothing whatever4 ,at first they came in crowds to look at us1 and at everything we did or had4 ,we knew nothing of their language2 we could not speak a single word to them1 nor they to us4 ,we looked at them1 they at us2 we smiled and nodded1 and made signs to each other2 this was our first meeting and parting4 ,one day ,i observed two men1 the one lifting up one of our articles to the other1 and saying1 ,nungsi nari enu8 ,i concluded that he was asking1 ,what is this8 ,instantly1 lifting a piece of wood1 ,i said1 ,nungsi nari enu8 ,they smiled and spoke to each other4 ,i understood them to be saying1 ,he has got hold of our language now4 ,then they told me their name for the thing which ,i had pointed to4 ,i found that they understood my question1 ,what is this8 or1 ,what is that8 and that ,i could now get from them the name of every visible or tangible thing around us6 ,we carefully noted down every name they gave us1 spelling all phonetically1 and also every strange sound we heard from them2 thereafter1 by painstaking comparison of different circumstances1 we tried to ascertain their meanings1 testing our own guess by again cross-questioning the ,natives4 ,one day ,i saw two men approaching1 when one1 who was a stranger1 pointed to me with his finger1 and said1 ,se nangin8 ,concluding that he was asking my name1 ,i pointed6 to one of them with my finger1 and looking at the other1 inquired1 ,se nangin8 ,they smiled1 and gave me their names4 ,we were now able to get the names of persons and things1 and so our ears got familiarized with the distinctive sounds of their language2 and being always keenly on the alert1 we made extraordinary progress in attempting bits of conversation and in reducing their speech for the first time to a written form--for the ,new ,hebrideans had no literature1 and not even the rudiments of an alphabet4 ,i used to hire some of the more intelligent lads and men to sit and talk with us1 and answer our questions about names and sounds2 but they so often deceived us1 and we1 doubtless1 misunderstood them so often1 that this course was not satisfactory1 till after we had gained some knowledge of their language and its construction1 and they themselves had become interested in helping us4 ,amongst our most interesting helpers1 and most trustworthy1 were two aged chiefs--,nowa and ,nouka--in many respects two of ,nature's noblest gentlemen1 kind at heart to all1 and distinguished by a certain native dignity of bearing4 ,but they were both under the leadership of the war-chief ,miaki1 a kind of devil-king over many villages and tribes4 ,the ,tannese had hosts of stone idols1 charms1 and sacred objects1 which they abjectly feared1 and in which they devoutly believed4 ,they were given up to countless superstitions1 and firmly glued to their dark heathen practices4 ,their worship was entirely a service of fear1 its aim being to propitiate this or that ,evil ,spirit1 to prevent calamity or to secure revenge4 ,they deified their chiefs1 like the ,romans of old1 so that almost every village or tribe had its own ,sacred ,man1 and some of them had many4 ,they exercised an extraordinary influence for evil1 these village or tribal priests1 and were believed to have the disposal of life and death through their sacred ceremonies1 not only in their own tribe1 but over all the ,islands4 ,sacred men and women1 wizards and witches1 received presents regularly to influence the gods1 and to remove sickness1 or to cause it by the ,nahak1 i4 e4 incantation over remains of food1 or the skin of fruit1 such as banana1 which the person has eaten on whom they wish to operate4 ,they also worshiped the spirits of departed ancestors and heroes1 through their material idols of wood and stone1 but chiefly of stone4 ,they feared these spirits and sought their aid2 especially seeking to propitiate those who presided over war and peace1 famine and plenty1 health and sickness1 destruction and prosperity1 life and death4 ,their whole worship was one of slavish fear2 and1 so far as ever ,i could learn1 they had no idea of a ,god of mercy or grace4 ,but these very facts--that they did worship something1 that they believed in spirits of ancestors and heroes1 and that they cherished many legends regarding those whom they had never seen1 and handed these down to their children--and the fact that they had ideas about the invisible world and its inhabitants1 made it not so hard as some might suppose to convey to their minds1 once their language and modes of thought were understood1 some clear ideal of ,jehovah ,god as the great uncreated ,spirit ,father1 who ,himself created and sustains all that is4 ,it could not1 however1 be done offhand1 or by a few airy lessons4 ,the whole heart and soul and life had to be put into the enterprise4 ,but it could be done--that we believed because they were men1 not beasts2 it had been done--that we saw in the converts on ,aneityum2 and our hearts rose to the task with quenchless hope6 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,pioneers ,,in ,,the ,,new ,,hebrides4 ,a ,,glance backwards over the story of the ,gospel in the ,new ,hebrides may help to bring my readers into touch with the events that are to follow4 ,the ever-famous names of ,williams and ,harris are associated with the earliest efforts to introduce ,christianity amongst this group of islands in the ,south ,pacific ,seas4 ,john ,williams and his young ,missionary companion ,harris1 under the auspices of the ,london ,missionary ,society1 landed on ,erromanga on the #cjth of ,november #ahci4 ,alas1 within a few minutes of their touching land1 both were clubbed to death2 and the savages proceeded to cook and feast upon their bodies4 ,thus were the ,new ,hebrides baptized with the blood of ,martyrs2 and ,christ thereby told the whole ,christian world that ,he claimed these ,islands as ,his own4 ,his cross must yet be lifted up1 where the blood of ,his saints has been poured forth in ,his name6 ,the poor ,heathen knew not that they had slain their best friends2 but tears and prayers ascended for them from all ,christian souls1 wherever the story of the martyrdom on ,erromanga was read or heard4 ,again1 therefore1 in #ahdb1 the ,london ,missionary ,society sent out ,messrs4 ,turner and ,nisbet to pierce this kingdom of ,satan4 ,they placed their standard on our chosen island of ,tanna1 the nearest to ,erromanga4 ,in less than seven months1 however1 their persecution by the savages became so dreadful1 that we see them in a boat trying to escape by night with bare life4 ,out on that dangerous sea they would certainly have been lost1 but the ,ever-,merciful drove them back to land1 and sent next morning a whaling vessel1 which1 contrary to custom1 called there1 and just in the nick of time4 ,they1 with all goods that could be rescued1 were got safely on board1 and sailed for ,samoa4 ,say not their plans and prayers were baffled2 for ,god heard and abundantly blessed them there1 beyond all their dreams4 ,after these things1 the ,london ,missionary ,society again and again placed ,samoan ,native ,teachers on one or other island of the ,new ,hebrides2 but their unhealthiness1 compared with the more wholesome ,samoa or ,rarotonga1 so afflicted them with the dreaded ague and fever1 besides what they endured from the inhospitable savages themselves1 that no effective ,mission work had been accomplished there till at last the ,presbyterian ,missionaries were led to enter upon the scene4 ,christianity had no foothold anywhere on the ,new ,hebrides1 unless it were in the memory and the blood of the ,martyrs of ,erromanga4 ,the ,rev4 ,john ,geddie and his wife1 from ,nova ,scotia1 were landed on ,aneityum1 the most southerly island of the ,new ,hebrides1 in #ahdh2 and the ,rev4 ,john ,inglis and his wife1 from ,scotland1 were landed on the other side of the same island1 in #aheb4 ,an agent for the ,london ,missionary ,society1 the ,rev4 ,t4 ,powell1 accompanied ,dr4 ,geddie for about a year1 to advise as to his settlement and to assist in opening up the work4 ,marvelous as it may seem1 the ,natives on ,aneityum1 showed interest in the ,missionaries from the very first1 and listened to their teachings2 so that in a few years ,dr4 ,inglis and ,dr4 ,geddie saw about #cejj savages throwing away their idols1 renouncing their ,heathen customs1 and avowing themselves to be worshipers of the true ,jehovah ,god4 ,slowly1 yet progressively1 they unlearned their ,heathenism2 surely and hopefully they learned ,christianity and civilization4 ,when these ,missionaries came to this ,island1 there were no ,christians there2 when they left it1 there were no ,heathens4 ,further1 these poor ,aneityumese1 having glimpses of the ,word of ,god1 determined to have a ,holy ,bible in their own mother tongue1 wherein before no book or page ever had been written in the history of their race4 ,the consecrated brain and hand of their ,missionaries kept toiling day and night in translating the book of ,god2 and the willing hands and feet of the ,natives kept toiling through fifteen long but unwearying years1 planting and preparing arrowroot to pay the #abjj required to be laid out in the printing and publishing of the book4 ,year after year the arrowroot1 too sacred to be used for their daily food1 was set apart as the ,lord's portion2 the ,missionaries sent it to ,australia and ,scotland1 where it was sold by private friends1 and the whole proceeds consecrated to this purpose4 ,on the completion of the great undertaking by the ,bible ,society1 it was found that the ,natives had earned as much as to pay every penny of the outlay2 and their first ,bibles went out to them1 purchased with the consecrated toils of fifteen years6 ,let those who lightly esteem their ,bibles think on those things4 ,eight shillings for every leaf1 or the labor and proceeds of fifteen years for the ,bible entire1 did not appear to these poor converted savages too much to pay for that ,word of ,god1 which had sent to them the ,missionaries1 which had revealed to them the grace of ,god in ,christ1 and which had opened their eyes to the wonders and glories of redeeming love6 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,great ,,bereavement4 ,,my first house on ,tanna was on the old site occupied by ,turner and ,nisbet1 near the shore1 for obvious reasons1 and only a few feet above tide-mark4 ,so was that of ,mr4 ,mathieson1 handy for materials as goods being landed1 and1 as we imagined1 close to the healthy breezes of the sea4 ,alas6 we had to learn by sad experience1 like our brethren in all untried ,mission fields4 ,the sites proved to be hot-beds for ,fever and ,ague1 mine especially2 and much of this might have been escaped by building on the higher ground1 and in the sweep of the refreshing trade-winds4 ,for all this1 however1 no one was to blame2 everything was done for the best1 according to the knowledge then possessed4 ,our house was sheltered behind by an abrupt hill about two hundred feet high1 which gave the site a feeling of coziness4 ,it was surrounded and much shaded1 by beautiful breadfruit trees1 and very large cocoa-nut trees2 too largely beautiful1 indeed1 for they shut out many a healthy breeze that we sorely needed6 ,there was a long swamp at the head of the bay1 and1 the ground at the other end on which our house stood being scarcely raised perceptibly higher1 the malaria almost constantly enveloped us4 ,once1 after a smart attack of the fever1 an intelligent ,chief said to me1 ,missi1 if you stay here1 you will soon die6 ,no ,tanna man sleeps so low down as you do1 in this damp weather1 or he too would die4 ,we sleep on the high ground1 and the trade-wind keeps us well4 ,you must go and sleep on the hill1 and then you will have better health4 ,i at once resolved to remove my house to higher ground1 at the earliest practicable moment2 heavy though the undertaking would necessarily be1 it seemed our only hope of being able to live on the island4 ,alas1 for one of us1 it was already too late6 ,my dear young wife1 ,mary ,ann ,robson1 landed with me on ,tanna on the #eth ,november #aheh1 in excellent health and full of all tender and holy hopes4 ,on the #abth ,february #ahei ,god sent to us our first-born son2 for two days or so both mother and child seemed to prosper1 and our island-exile thrilled with joy6 ,but the greatest of sorrows was treading hard upon the heels of that joy6 ,my darling's strength showed no signs of rallying4 ,she had an attack of ague and fever a few days before2 on the third day or so thereafter1 it returned1 and attacked her every second day with increasing severity for a fortnight4 ,diarrhea ensued1 and symptoms of pneumonia1 with slight delirium at intervals2 and then in a moment1 altogether unexpectedly1 she died on the #c;d ,march4 ,to crown my sorrows1 and complete my loneliness1 the dear baby-boy1 whom we had named after her father1 ,peter ,robert ,robson1 was taken from me after one week's sickness1 on the #bjth ,march4 ,let those who have ever passed through any similar darkness as of midnight feel for me2 as for all others1 it would be more than vain to try to paint my sorrows6 ,i knew then1 when too late1 that our work had been entered on too near the beginning of the rainy season4 ,we were both1 however1 healthy and hearty2 and ,i daily pushed on with the house1 making things hourly more comfortable1 in the hope that long lives were before us both1 to be spent for ,jesus in seeking the salvation of the perishing ,heathen4 ,in our mutual inexperience1 and with our hearts aglow for the work of our lives1 we incurred this risk which should never have been incurred2 and ,i only refer to the matter thus1 in the hope that others may take warning4 ,stunned by that dreadful loss1 in entering upon this field of labor to which the ,lord had ,himself so evidently led me1 my reason seemed for a time almost to give way4 ,ague and fever1 too1 laid a depressing and weakening hand upon me1 continuously recurring1 and reaching oftentimes the very height of its worst burning stages4 ,but ,i was never altogether forsaken4 ,the ever-merciful ,lord sustained me1 to lay the precious dust of my beloved ,ones in the same quiet grave1 dug for them close by at the end of the house2 in all of which last offices my own hands1 despite breaking heart1 had to take the principal share6 ,i built the grave round and round with coral blocks1 and covered the top with beautiful white coral1 broken small as gravel2 and that spot became my sacred and much-frequented shrine1 during all the following months and years when ,i labored on for the salvation of these savage ,islanders amidst difficulties1 dangers1 and deaths4 ,whensoever ,tanna turns to the ,lord1 and is won for ,christ1 men in after-days will find the memory of that spot still green1--where with ceaseless prayers and tears ,i claimed that land for ,god in which ,i had buried my dead with faith and hope4 ,but for ,jesus1 and the fellowship ,he vouchsafed me there1 ,i must have gone mad and died beside that lonely grave6 ,dr4 ,inglis1 my brother ,missionary on ,aneityum1 wrote to the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,magazine3--,i trust all those who shed tears of sorrow on account of her early death will be enabled in the exercise of faith and resignation to say1 ',the ,will of the ,lord be done2 the ,lord gave and the ,lord hath taken away3 blessed be the ,name of the ,lord6' ,i need not say how deeply we sympathize with her bereaved parents1 as well as with her sorrowing husband4 ,by her death the ,mission has sustained a heavy loss4 ,we were greatly pleased with ,mrs4 ,paton during the period of our short intercourse with her4 ,her mind1 naturally vigorous1 had been cultivated by a superior education4 ,she was full of ,missionary spirit1 and took a deep interest in the ,native women4 ,this was seen further1 when she went to ,tanna1 where1 in less than three months1 she had collected a class of eight females1 who came regularly to her to receive instruction4 ,there was about her a maturity of thought1 a solidity of character1 a loftiness of aim and purpose1 rarely found in one so young4 ,trained up in the fear of the ,lord from childhood1 like another ,mary she had evidently chosen that good part1 which is never taken away from those possessed of it4 ,when she left this island1 she had to all human appearance a long career of usefulness and happiness on ,earth before her1 but the ,lord has appointed otherwise4 ,she has gone1 as we trust1 to her rest and her reward4 ,the ,lord has said to her as ,he said to ,david1 ',thou didst well in that it was in thine heart to build a ,house for ,my ,name4' ,let us watch and pray1 for our ,lord cometh as a thief in the night4 ,soon after her death1 the good ,bishop ,selwyn called at ,port ,resolution1 ,tanna1 in his ,mission ,ship4 ,he came on shore to visit me1 accompanied by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,o4 ,patteson4 ,they had met ,mrs4 ,paton on ,aneityum in the previous year soon after our arrival1 and1 as she was then the picture of perfect health1 they also felt her loss very keenly4 ,standing with me beside the grave of mother and child1 ,i weeping aloud on his one hand1 and ,patteson--afterward the ,martyr ,bishop of ,kakupu--sobbing silently on the other1 the godly ,bishop ,selwyn poured out his heart to ,god amidst sobs and tears1 during which he laid his hands on my head1 and invoked ,heaven's richest consolations and blessings on me and my trying labors4 ,sorrow and love constrain me to linger over her last words4 ,she cried1 ,oh1 that my dear mother were here6 ,she is a good woman1 my mother1 a jewel of a woman4 ,then1 observing ,mr4 ,copeland near by1 she said1 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,copeland1 ,i did not know you were there6 ,you must not think that ,i regret coming here1 and leaving my mother4 ,if ,i had the same thing to do over again1 ,i would do it with far more pleasure1 yes1 with all my heart4 ,oh no6 ,i do not regret leaving home and friends1 though at the time ,i felt it keenly4 ,soon after this1 looking up and putting her hand in mine1 she said-- ,j4 ,c4 wrote to our ,janet saying1 that young ,christians under their first impressions thought they could do anything or make any sacrifice for ,jesus1 and he asked if she believed it1 for he did not think they could1 when tested2 but ,janet wrote back that she believed they could1 and 7added she with great emphasis7 ,i believe it is true6 ,in a moment1 altogether unexpectedly1 she fell asleep in ,jesus1 with these words on her lips4 ,not lost1 only gone before to be forever with the ,lord--my heart keeps saying or singing to itself from that hour till now4 ,it was very difficult to be resigned1 left alone1 and in sorrowful circumstance2 but feeling immovably assured that my ,god and ,father was too wise and loving to err in anything that ,he does or permits1 ,i looked up to the ,lord for help1 and struggled on in ,his work4 ,i do not pretend to see through the mystery of such visitations1--wherein ,god calls away the young1 the promising1 and those sorely needed for ,his service here2 but this ,i do know and feel1 that1 in the light of such dispensations1 it becomes us all to love and serve our blessed ,lord ,jesus so that we may be ready at ,his call for death and ,eternity4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,at ,,home ,,with ,,cannibals4 ,,in the first letter1 sent jointly by ,mr4 ,copeland and myself from ,tanna to the ,church at home1 the following statements occur3-- ,we found the ,tannese to be painted ,savages1 enveloped in all the superstition and wickedness of ,heathenism4 ,all the men and children go in a state of nudity4 ,the older women wear grass skirts1 and the young women and girls1 grass or leaf aprons like ,eve in ,eden4 ,they are exceedingly ignorant1 vicious1 and bigoted1 and almost void of natural affection4 ,instead of the inhabitants of ,port ,resolution being improved by coming in contact with white men they are rendered much worse2 for they have learned all their vices but none of their virtues1--if such are possessed by the pioneer traders among such races6 ,the ,sandal-wood ,traders are as a class the most godless of men1 whose cruelty and wickedness make us ashamed to own them as our countrymen4 ,by them the poor defenseless ,natives are oppressed and robbed on every hand2 and if they offer the slightest resistance1 they are ruthlessly silenced by the musket or revolver4 ,few months here pass without some of them being so shot1 and1 instead of their murderers feeling ashamed1 they boast of how they despatch them4 ,such treatment keeps the ,natives always burning under a desire for revenge1 so that it is a wonder any white man is allowed to come among them4 ,indeed1 all ,traders here are able to maintain their position only by revolvers and rifles2 but we hope a better state of affairs is at hand for ,tanna4 ,the novelty of our being among them soon passed away1 and they began to show their avarice and deceitfulness in every possible way4 ,the ,chiefs united and refused to give us the half of the small piece of land which had been purchased1 on which to build our ,mission ,house1 and when we attempted to fence in the part they had left to us1 they tabooed it1 i4 e4 threatened our ,teachers and us with death if we proceeded further with the work4 ,this they did by placing certain reeds stuck into the ground here and there around our house1 which our ,aneityumese servants at once knew the meaning of1 and warned us of our danger2 so we left off making the fence1 that we might if possible evade all offense4 ,they then divided the few breadfruit and cocoa-nut trees on the ground amongst themselves1 or demanded such payment for these trees as we did not possess1 and threatened revenge on us if the trees were injured by any person4 ,they now became so unreasonable and offensive1 and our dangers so increased1 as to make our residence amongst them extremely trying4 ,at this time a vessel called2 ,i bought from the ,captain the things for payment which they demanded2 on receiving it1 they lifted the ,taboo1 and for a little season appeared to be friendly again4 ,this was the third payment they had got for that site1 and to yield was teaching them a cruel lesson2 all this we felt and clearly saw1 but they had by some means to be conciliated1 if possible1 and our lives had to be saved1 if that could be done without dishonor to the ,christian name4 ,after these events1 a few weeks of dry weather began to tell against the growth of their yams and bananas4 ,the drought was instantly ascribed to us and our ,god4 ,the ,natives far and near were summoned to consider the matter in public assembly4 ,next day1 ,nouka1 the high chief1 and ,miaki1 the war-chief1 his nephew1 came to inform us that two powerful ,chiefs had openly declared in that assembly that if the ,harbor people did not at once kill us or compel us to leave the island they would1 unless the rain came plentifully in the meantime1 summon all the ,inland people and murder both our ,chiefs and us4 ,the friendly ,chiefs said1 ,pray to your ,jehovah ,god for rain1 and do not go far beyond your door for a time2 we are all in greatest danger1 and if war breaks out we fear we cannot protect you4 ,but this friendliness was all pretense2 they themselves1 being ,sacred ,men1 professed to have the power of sending or withholding rain1 and tried to fix the blame of their discomfiture on us4 ,the rage of the poor ignorant ,heathen was thereby fed against us4 ,the ,ever-,merciful1 however1 again interposed on our behalf4 ,on the following ,sabbath1 just when we were assembling for worship1 rain began to fall1 and in great abundance4 ,the whole inhabitants believed1 apparently1 that it was sent to save us in answer to our prayers2 so they met again1 and resolved to allow us to remain on ,tanna4 ,alas6 on the other hand1 the continuous and heavy rains brought much sickness and fever in their train1 and again their ,sacred ,men pointed to us as the cause4 ,hurricane winds also blew and injured their fruits and fruit-trees1--another opportunity for our enemies to lay the blame of everything upon the ,missionaries and their ,jehovah ,god6 ,the trial and the danger daily grew1 of living among a people so dreadfully benighted by superstition1 and so easily swayed by prejudice and passion4 ,the ,natives of ,tanna were well-nigh constantly at war amongst themselves1 every man doing that which was right in his own eyes1 and almost every quarrel ending in an appeal to arms4 ,besides many battles far inland1 one was fought beside our houses and several around the ,harbor4 ,in these conflicts many men were bruised with clubs and wounded with arrows1 but few lives were lost1 considering the savage uproar and frenzy of the scene4 ,in one case1 of which we obtained certain information1 seven men were killed in an engagement2 and1 according to ,tannese custom1 the warriors and their friends feasted on them at the close of the fray1 the widows of the slain being also strangled to death1 and similarly disposed of4 ,besides those who fell in war1 the ,natives living in our quarter had killed and feasted on eight persons1 usually1 in sacrificial rites4 ,it is said that the habitual ,cannibal's desire for human flesh becomes so horrible that he has been known to disinter and feast upon those recently buried4 ,two cases of this revolting barbarism were reported as having occurred amongst the villagers living near us4 ,on another occasion the great chief ,nouka took seriously unwell1 and his people sacrificed three women for his recovery6 ,all such cruel and horrifying practises1 however1 they tried to conceal from us2 and many must have perished in this way of whom we1 though living at their doors1 were never permitted to hear4 ,amongst the ,heathen1 in the ,new ,hebrides1 and especially on ,tanna1 woman is the down-trodden slave of man4 ,she is kept working hard1 and bears all the heavier burdens1 while he walks by her side with musket1 club1 or spear4 ,if she offends him1 he beats or abuses her at pleasure4 ,a savage gave his poor wife a severe beating in front of our house and just before our eyes1 while in vain we strove to prevent it4 ,such scenes were so common that no one thought of interfering4 ,even if the woman died in his hands1 or immediately thereafter1 neighbors1 took little notice1 if any at all4 ,and their children were so little cared for1 that my constant wonder was how any of them survived at all6 ,as soon as they are able to knock about1 they are left practically to care for themselves2 hence the very small affection they show towards their parents1 which results in the aged who are unable to work being neglected1 starved to death1 and sometimes even more directly and violently destroyed4 ,a ,heathen boy's education consists in being taught to aim skilfully with the bow1 throw the spear faultlessly at a mark1 to wield powerfully the club and tomahawk1 and to shoot well with musket and revolver when these can be obtained4 ,he accompanies his father and brothers in all the wars and preparations for war1 and is diligently initiated into all their cruelties and lusts1 as the very prerequisite of his being regarded and acknowledged to be a man and a warrior4 ,the girls have1 with their mother and sisters1 to toil and slave in the village plantations1 to prepare all the materials for fencing these around1 to bear every burden1 and to be knocked about at will by the men and boys4 ,oh1 how sad and degraded is the position of ,woman where the teaching of ,christ is unknown1 or disregarded though known6 ,it is the ,christ of the ,bible1 it is ,his ,spirit entering into humanity1 that has lifted ,woman1 and made her the helpmate and the friend of ,man1 not his toy or his slave4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,superstitions ,,and ,,cruelties4 ,,about the time of my dear wife's death1 our brother ,missionary1 ,mr4 ,mathieson1 also became exceedingly unwell4 ,his delicate frame fast gave way1 and brought with it weakness of the mind as well2 and he was removed to ,aneityum apparently in a dying condition4 ,these sad visitations had a bad effect on the natives1 owing to their wild superstitions about the cause of death and sickness4 ,we had reason to fear that they would even interfere with the precious grave1 over which we kept careful watch for a season2 but ,god mercifully restrained them4 ,unfortunately1 however1 one of my ,aneityumese ,teachers who had gone round to ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station took ill and died there1 and this rekindled all their prejudices4 ,he1 poor fellow1 before death said1 ,i shall not again return to ,port ,resolution1 or see my dear ,missi2 but tell him that ,i die happy1 for ,i love ,jesus much1 and ,i am going to ,jesus6 ,hearing these things1 the natives insolently demanded me to tell them the cause of his death1 and of ,mr4 ,mathieson's trouble1 and of the other deaths4 ,other reasoning or explanation being to them useless1 ,i turned the tables1 and demanded them to tell me why all this trouble and death had overtaken us in their land1 and whether they themselves were not the cause of it all8 ,strange to say1 this simple question turned the whole current of their speculations4 ,they held meeting after meeting to discuss it for several days1 and returned the message1 ,we do not blame you1 and you must not blame us1 for causing these troubles and deaths2 but we believe that a ,bushman must have got hold of a portion of something we had eaten1 and must have thrown it to the great ,evil ,spirit in the volcano1 thereby bringing all these troubles and curses4 ,another ,chief vindicated himself and others thus3--,karapanamun1 the ,aurumanu or great ,evil ,spirit of ,tanna1 whom we all fear and worship1 is causing these troubles2 for he knows that if we become worshipers of your ,jehovah ,god1 we cannot continue to fear him1 or present him with the best of everything1 as our forefathers have always done2 he is angry at you and at us all4 ,the fear of the deaths and troubles being ascribed to them silenced their talk against us for a season2 but very little made them either friends or foes1 as the next event will too painfully show4 ,nowhat1 an old ,chief of the highest rank from ,aneityum1 who spoke ,tannese and was much respected by the natives all round the south side of ,tanna1 came on a visit to our island4 ,after returning home1 he became very ill and died in a few days4 ,the deluded ,tannese1 hearing of his death1 ascribed it to me and the ,worship1 and resolved to burn our house and property1 and either murder the whole ,mission party1 or compel us to leave the island4 ,nowhat's brother was sent from ,aneityum to talk to the ,tannese and conciliate them1 but unfortunately he could not speak the language well2 and the ,aneityumese ,teachers felt their lives to be at this time in such danger that they durst not accompany him as interpreters1 while ,i1 on the other hand1 did not understand his language1 nor he1 mine4 ,within two days after landing1 he had a severe attack of ague and fever2 and1 though the vessel he came in remained eight days1 he was prostrated all the time1 so that his well-intentioned visit did us much harm4 ,the ,tannese became furious4 ,this was proof positive that we were the cause of all their sickness and death6 ,inland and all along the weather side of the island1 when far enough away from us1 they said that the natives were enjoying excellent health4 ,meeting after meeting was held2 exciting speeches were delivered2 and feasts were given1 for which it was said that several women were sacrificed1 cooked and eaten1--such being the bonds by which they entered into covenant with each other for life or death4 ,the inhabitants for miles around united in seeking our destruction1 but ,god put it into even savage hearts to save us4 ,old ,nowar1 the ,chief under whom we lived1 and the ,chief next under him1 ,arkurat1 set themselves to rescue us4 ,along with ,manuman and ,sirawia they opposed every plan in the public assembly for taking our lives4 ,some of their people also remained friendly to us1 and by the help of our ,aneityumese ,teachers1 warned us of danger and protected our lives4 ,determined not to be baffled1 a meeting of all our enemies on the island was summoned1 and it was publicly resolved that a band of men be selected and enjoined to kill the whole of those friendly to the ,mission1 old ,nowar among the rest1 and not only to murder the ,mission party1 but also a trader who had lately landed to live there1 that no one might be left to give information to the white men or bring punishment on the ,islanders4 ,frenzy of excitement prevailed1 and the blood-fiend seemed to override the whole assembly2 when1 under an impulse that surely came from the ,lord of ,pity1 one great warrior ,chief who had hitherto kept silent1 rose1 swung aloft a mighty club1 and smashing it earthwards1 cried aloud1 ,the man that kills ,missi must first kill me1--the men that kill the ,mission ,teachers must first kill me and my people1--for we shall stand by them and defend them till death4 ,instantaneously1 another ,chief thundered in with the same declaration2 and the great assembly broke up in dismay4 ,all the more remarkable was this deliverance1 as these two ,chiefs lived nearly four miles inland1 and1 as reputed disease makers and ,sacred ,men1 were regarded as amongst our bitterest enemies4 ,it had happened that1 a brother of the former ,chief having been wounded in battle1 ,i had dressed his wounds and he recovered1 for which perhaps he now favored us4 ,but ,i do not put very much value on that consideration2 for too clearly did our dear ,lord ,jesus interpose directly on our behalf that day4 ,i and my defenseless company had spent it in anxious prayers and tears2 and our hearts overflowed with gratitude to the ,saviour who rescued us from the lions' jaws4 ,leaving all consequences to the disposal of my ,lord1 ,i determined to make an unflinching stand against wife-beating and widow-strangling1 feeling confident that even their natural conscience would be on my side1 ,i accordingly pled with all who were in power to unite and put down these shocking and disgraceful customs4 ,at length ten ,chiefs entered into an agreement not to allow any more beating of wives or strangling of widows1 and to forbid all common labor on the ,lord's day2 but alas1 except for purposes of war or other wickedness1 the influence of the ,chiefs on ,tanna was comparatively small4 ,one ,chief boldly declared1 ,if we did not beat our women1 they would never work2 they would not fear and obey us2 but when we have beaten1 and killed1 and feasted on two or three1 the rest are all very quiet and good for a long time to come6 ,i tried to show him how cruel it was1 besides that it made them unable for work1 and that kindness would have a much better effect2 but he promptly assured me that ,tannese women could not understand kindness4 ,for the sake of teaching by example1 my ,aneityumese ,teachers and ,i used to go a mile or two inland on the principal pathway1 along with the ,teachers' wives1 and there cutting and carrying home a heavy load of firewood for myself and each of the men1 while we gave only a small burden to each of the women4 ,meeting many ,tanna-men by the way1 ,i used to explain to them that this was how ,christians helped and treated their wives and sisters1 and then they loved their husbands and were strong to work at home2 and that as men were made stronger1 they were intended to bear the heavier burdens1 and especially in all labors out of doors4 ,our habits and practises had thus as much to do as1 perhaps more than1 all our appeals1 in leading them to glimpses of the life to which the ,lord ,jesus was calling them4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,streaks ,,of ,,dawn ,,amidst ,,deeds ,,of ,,darkness4 ,,another war-burst1 that caused immense consternation1 passed over with only two or three deaths2 and ,i succeeded in obtaining the consent of twenty ,chiefs to fight no more except on the defensive1--a covenant to which1 for a considerable time1 they strictly adhered1 in the midst of fierce provocations4 ,but to gain any such end1 the masses of the people must be educated to the point of desiring it4 ,the few cannot1 in such circumstances1 act up to it1 without laying themselves open to be downtrodden and swept away by the savages around4 ,about this time1 several men1 afraid or ashamed by day1 came to me regularly by night for conversation and instruction4 ,having seen the doors of the ,mission ,house made fast and the windows blinded so that they could not be observed1 they continued with me for many hours1 asking all strange questions about the new ,religion and its laws4 ,i remember one ,chief particularly1 who came often1 saying to me1 ,i would be an ,awfuaki man 7i4 e4 a ,christian7 were it not that all the rest would laugh at me2 that ,i could not stand6 ,almost persuaded--before you blame him1 remember how many in ,christian lands and amid greater privileges live and die without ever passing beyond that stage4 ,the wife of one of those ,chiefs died1 and he resolved to imitate a ,christian burial4 ,having purchased white calico from a ,trader1 he came to me for some tape which the ,trader could not supply1 and told me that he was going to dress the body as he had seen my dear wife's dressed1 and lay her also in a similar grave4 ,he declined my offer to attend the funeral and to pray with them1 as in that case many of the villagers would not attend4 ,he wanted all the people to be present1 to see and to hear1 as it was the first funeral of the kind ever celebrated among the ,tannese2 and my friend ,nowar the ,chief had promised to conduct a ,service and offer prayer to ,jehovah before all the ,heathen4 ,it moved me to many strange emotions1 this ,christian burial1 conducted by a ,heathen and in the presence of ,heathens1 with an appeal to the true and living ,god by a man as yet darkly groping among idols and superstitions4 ,many were the wondering questions from time to time addressed to me4 ,the idea of a resurrection from the dead was that which most keenly interested these ,natives1 and called forth all their powers of inquiry and argument4 ,thus the waves of hope and fear swept alternately across our lives2 but we embraced every possible opportunity of telling them the story of the life and death of ,jesus1 in the strong hope that ,god would spare us yet to bring the benighted ,heathen to the knowledge of the true salvation1 and to love and serve the only ,saviour4 ,confessedly1 however1 it was uphill1 weary1 and trying work4 ,for one thing1 these ,tannese were terribly dishonest2 and when there was any special sickness1 or excitement from any cause1 their bad feeling towards the ,worship was displayed by the more insolent way in which they carried off whatever they could seize4 ,when ,i opposed them1 the club or tomahawk1 the musket or kawas 7i4 e4 killing-stone71 being instantly raised1 intimated that my life would be taken1 if ,i resisted4 ,their skill in stealing on the sly was phenomenal6 ,if an article fell1 or was seen on the floor1 a ,tanna-man would neatly cover it with his foot1 while looking you frankly in the face1 and1 having fixed it by his toes or by bending in his great toe like a thumb to hold it1 would walk off with it1 assuming the most innocent look in the world4 ,in this way1 a knife1 a pair of scissors or any smaller article1 would at once disappear4 ,another fellow would deftly stick something out of sight amongst the whipcord plaits of his hair1 another would conceal it underneath his naked arm1 while yet another would shamelessly lift what he coveted and openly carry it away4 ,with most of them1 however1 the shame was not in the theft1 but in doing it so clumsily that they were discovered6 ,once1 after continuous rain and a hot damp atmosphere1 when the sun shone out ,i put my bedclothes on a rope to dry4 ,i stood at hand watching1 as also the wives of two ,teachers1 for things were mysteriously disappearing almost under our very eyes4 ,suddenly1 ,miaki1 who with his war-companions had been watching us unobserved1 came rushing to me breathless and alone1 crying1 ,missi1 come in1 quick1 quick6 ,i want to tell you something and to get your advice6 ,he ran into my house1 and ,i followed2 but before he had got into his story1 we heard the two women crying out1 ,missi1 ,missi1 come quick6 ,miaki's men are ,stealing your sheets and blankets6 ,i ran at once1 but all were gone into the bush1 and them my sheets and blankets4 ,miaki for a moment looked abashed1 as ,i charged him with deceiving me just to give his men their opportunity4 ,but he soon rose to the occasion4 ,he wrought himself into a towering rage at them1 flourished his huge club and smashed the bushes all around1 shouting to me1 ,thus will ,i smash these fellows1 and compel them to return your clothes4 ,one dark night1 ,i heard them amongst my fowls4 ,these ,i had purchased from them for knives and calico2 and they now stole them all away1 dead or alive4 ,had ,i interfered1 they would have gloried in the chance to club or shoot me in the dark1 when no one could exactly say who had done the deed4 ,several of the few goats1 which ,i had for milk1 were also killed or driven away2 indeed1 all the injury that was possible was done to me1 short of taking away my life1 and that was now frequently attempted4 ,having no fires or fireplaces in my ,mission ,house1 such being not required there1--though sometimes a fire would have been invaluable for drying our bedclothes in the rainy season1--we had a house near by in which all our food was cooked1 and there1 under lock and key1 we secured all our cooking utensils1 pots1 dishes1 etc4 ,one night that too was broken into1 and everything was stolen4 ,in consternation1 ,i appealed to the ,chief1 telling him what had been done4 ,he also flew into a great rage1 and vowed vengeance on the thieves1 saying that he would compel them to return everything4 ,but1 of course1 nothing was returned2 the thief could not be found6 ,i1 unable to live without something in which to boil water1 at length offered a blanket to any one that would bring back my kettle4 ,miaki himself1 after much professed difficulty1 returned it minus the lid1--that1 he said1 probably fishing for a higher bribe1 could not be got at any price1 being at the other side of the island in a tribe over which he had no control6 ,in the circumstances1 ,i was glad to get kettle minus lid--realizing how life itself may depend on so small a luxury6 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,the ,,visit ,,of ,h4 ,m4 ,s4 ,,cordelia4 ,,one morning1 the ,tannese1 rushing towards me in great excitement1 cried1 ,missi1 ,missi1 there is a ,god1 or a ship on fire1 or something of fear1 coming over the sea6 ,we see no flames1 but it smokes like a volcano4 ,is it a ,spirit1 a ,god1 or a ship on fire8 ,what is it8 what is it8 ,one party after another followed in quick succession1 shouting the same questions in great alarm1 to which ,i replied1 ,i cannot go at once2 ,i must dress first in my best clothes2 it will likely be one of ,queen ,victoria's ,men-of-war1 coming to ask of me if your conduct is good or bad1 if you are stealing my property1 or threatening my life1 or how you are using me8 ,they pled with me to go and see it2 but ,i made much fuss about dressing1 and getting ready to meet the great ,chief on the vessel1 and would not go with them4 ,the two principal ,chiefs now came running and asked1 ,missi1 will it be a ship of war8 ,i called to them1 ,i think it will2 but ,i have no time to speak to you now1 ,i must get on my best clothes6 ,they said1 ,missi1 only tell us1 will he ask you if we have been stealing your things8 ,i answered1 ,i expect he will4 ,they asked1 ,and will you tell him8 ,i said1 ,i must tell him the truth2 if he asks1 ,i will tell him4 ,they then cried out1 ,oh1 ,missi1 tell him not6 ,everything shall be brought back to you at once1 and no one will be allowed again to steal from you4 ,then said ,i1 ,be quick6 ,everything must be returned before he comes4 ,away1 away6 and let me get ready to meet the great ,chief on the ,man-of-war4 ,hitherto1 no thief could ever be found1 and no ,chief had power to cause anything to be restored to me2 but now1 in an incredibly brief space of time1 one came running to the ,mission ,house with a pot1 another with a pan1 another with a blanket1 others with knives1 forks1 plates1 and all sorts of stolen property4 ,the ,chiefs called me to receive these things1 but ,i replied1 ,lay them all down at the door1 bring everything together quickly2 ,i have no time to speak with you6 ,i delayed my toilet1 enjoying mischievously the magical effect of an approaching vessel that might bring penalty to thieves4 ,at last the ,chiefs1 running in breathless haste1 called out to me1 ,missi1 ,missi1 do tell us1 is the stolen property all here8 ,of course ,i could not tell1 but1 running out1 ,i looked on the promiscuous heap of my belongings1 and said1 ,i don't see the lid of the kettle there yet6 ,one ,chief said1 ,no1 ,missi1 for it is on the other side of the island2 but tell him not1 ,i have sent for it1 and it will be here to-morrow4 ,i answered1 ,i am glad you have brought back so much2 and now1 if you three ,chiefs1 ,nauka1 ,miaki1 and ,nowar1 do not run away when he comes1 he will not likely punish you2 but1 if you and your people run away1 he will ask me why you are afraid1 and ,i will be forced to tell him6 ,keep near me and you are all safe2 only there must be no more stealing from me4 ,they said1 ,we are in black fear1 but we will keep near you1 and our bad conduct to you is done4 ,the charm and joy of that morning are fresh to me still1 when ,h4 ,m4 ,s4 ,cordelia1 ,captain ,vernon1 steamed into our lovely ,harbor4 ,the ,commander1 having heard rumor of my dangers on ,tanna1 kindly came on shore as soon as the ship cast anchor1 with two boats1 and a number of his officers and men1 so far armed4 ,he was dressed in splendid uniform1 being a tall and handsome man1 and he and his attendants made a grand and imposing show4 ,on seeing ,captain ,vernon's boat nearing the shore1 and the men glittering in gold lace and arms1 ,miaki the ,chief left my side on the beach and rushed towards his village4 ,i concluded that he had run for it through terror1 but he had other and more civilized intentions in his ,heathen head6 ,having obtained1 from some trader or visitor in previous days1 a soldier's old red coat1 he had resolved to rise to the occasion and appear in his best before the ,captain and his men4 ,as ,i was shaking hands with them and welcoming them to ,tanna1 ,miaki returned with the short red coat on1 buttoned tightly round his otherwise naked body2 and1 surmounted by his ugly painted face and long whipcords of twisted hair1 it completely spoiled any appearance that he might otherwise have had of savage freedom1 and made him look a dirty and insignificant creature4 ,the ,captain was talking to me1 his men stood in order near by--to my eyes1 oh how charming a glimpse of ,home life6--when ,miaki marched up and took his place most consequentially at my side4 ,he felt himself the most important personage in the scene1 and with an attempt at haughty dignity he began to survey the visitors4 ,all eyes were fixed on the impudent little man1 and the ,captain asked1 ,what sort of a character is this8 ,i replied1 ,this is ,miaki1 our great war ,chief82 and whispered to the ,captain to be on his guard1 as this man knew a little ,english1 and might understand or misunderstand just enough to make it afterwards dangerous to me4 ,the ,captain only muttered1 ,the contemptible creature6 ,but such words were far enough beyond ,miaki's vocabulary1 so he looked on and grinned complacently4 ,at last he said1 ,missi1 this great ,chief whom ,queen ,victoria has sent to visit you in her ,man-of-war1 cannot go over the whole of this island so as to be seen by all our people2 and ,i wish you to ask him if he will stand by a tree1 and allow me to put a spear on the ground at his heel1 and we will make a nick in it at the top of his head1 and the spear will be sent round the island to let all the people see how tall this great man is6 ,they were delighted at the good ,captain agreeing to their simple request2 and that spear was exhibited to thousands1 as the vessel1 her ,commander1 officers1 and men1 were afterwards talked of round and round the island4 ,captain ,vernon was extremely kind1 and offered to do anything in his power for me1 thus left alone on the island amongst such savages2 but1 as my main difficulties were connected with my spiritual work amongst them1 rousing up their cruel prejudices1 ,i did not see his kindness could effectually interpose4 ,at his suggestion1 however1 ,i sent a general invitation to all the ,chiefs within reach1 to meet the ,captain next morning at my house4 ,true to their instincts of suspicion and fear1 they despatched all their women and and children to the beach on the opposite side of the island1 beyond reach of danger1 and next morning my house was crowded with armed men1 manifestly much afraid4 ,punctually at the hour appointed1 #aj ,a4,m41 the ,captain came on shore2 and soon thereafter twenty ,chiefs were seated with him in my house4 ,he very kindly spent about an hour1 giving them wise counsels and warning them against outrages on strangers1 all calculated to secure our safety and advance the interests of our ,mission work4 ,he then invited all the ,chiefs to go on board and see his vessel4 ,they were taken to see the ,armory1 and the sight of the big guns running so easily on rails vastly astonished them4 ,he then placed them round us on deck and showed them two shells discharged towards the ocean1 at which1 as they burst and fell far off1 splash--splashing into the water1 the terror of the ,natives visibly increased4 ,but1 when he sent a large ball crashing through a cocoanut grove1 breaking the trees like straws and cutting its way clear and swift1 they were quite dumfounded and pled to be again set safely on shore4 ,after receiving each some small gift1 however1 they were reconciled to the situation1 and returned immensely interested in all that they had seen4 ,doubtless many a wild romance was spun by these savage heads1 in trying to describe and hand down to others the wonders of the fire-god of the sea1 and the ,captain of the great white ,queen4 ,how easily it all lends itself to the service of poetry and myth6 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,noble ,,old ,,abraham4 ,,fever and ague had now attacked me fourteen times severely1 with slighter recurring attacks almost continuously after my first three months on the island1 and ,i now felt the necessity of taking the hint of the ,tannese ,chief before referred to--,sleep on the higher ground4 ,having also received medical counsel to the same effect1 though indeed experience was painfully sufficient testimony1 ,i resolved to remove my house1 and began to look about for a suitable site4 ,there rose behind my present site1 a hill about two hundred feet high1 surrounded on all sides by a valley1 and swept by the breezes of the trade-winds1 being only separated from the ocean by a narrow neck of land4 ,on this ,i had set my heart2 there was room for a ,mission ,house and a ,church1 for which indeed ,nature seemed to have adapted it4 ,i proceeded to buy up every claim by the ,natives to any portion of the hill1 paying each publicly and in turn1 so that there might be no trouble afterwards4 ,i then purchased from a ,trader the deck planks of a shipwrecked vessel1 with which to construct a house of two apartments1 a bedroom and a small store-room adjoining it1 to which ,i purposed to transfer and add the old house as soon as ,i was able4 ,just at this juncture1 the fever smote me again more severely than ever2 my weakness after this attack was so great1 that ,i felt as if ,i never could rally again4 ,with the help of my faithful ,aneityumese ,teacher1 ,abraham1 and his wife1 however1 ,i made what appeared my last effort to creep--,i could not climb--up the hill to get a breath of wholesome air4 ,when about two-thirds up the hill1 ,i became so faint that ,i concluded ,i was dying4 ,lying down on the ground1 sloped against the root of a tree to keep me from rolling to the bottom1 ,i took farewell of old ,abraham1 of my ,mission work1 and of everything around6 ,in this weak state ,i lay1 watched over by my faithful companion1 and fell into a quiet sleep4 ,when consciousness returned1 ,i felt a little stronger1 and a faint gleam of hope and life came back to my soul4 ,abraham and his devoted wife ,nafatu lifted me and carried me to the top of the hill4 ,there they laid me on cocoanut leaves on the ground1 and erected over me a shade or screen of the same2 and there the two faithful souls1 inspired surely by something diviner even than mere human pity1 gave me the cocoanut juice to drink and fed me with native food and kept me living--,i know not for how long4 ,consciousness did1 however1 fully return4 ,the trade-wind refreshed me day by day4 ,the ,tannese seemed to have given me up for dead2 and providentially none of them looked near us for many days4 ,amazingly my strength returned1 and ,i began planning about my new house on the hill4 ,afraid again to sleep at the old site1 ,i slept under the tree1 and sheltered by the cocoanut leaf screen1 while preparing my new bedroom4 ,here again1 but for these faithful souls1 the ,aneityumese ,teacher and his wife1 ,i must have been baffled1 and would have died in the effort4 ,the planks of the wreck1 and all other articles required1 they fetched and carried2 and it taxed my utmost strength to get them in some way planted together4 ,but life depended on it4 ,it was at length accomplished2 and after that time ,i suffered comparatively little from anything like continuous attacks of fever and ague4 ,that noble old soul1 ,abraham1 stood by me as an angel of ,god in sickness and in danger2 he went at my side wherever ,i had to go2 he helped me willingly to the last inch of strength in all that ,i had to do2 and it was perfectly manifest that he was doing all this not from mere human love1 but for the sake of ,jesus4 ,that man had been a ,cannibal in his ,heathen days1 but by the grace of ,god there he stood verily a new creature in ,christ ,jesus4 ,any trust1 however sacred or valuable1 could be absolutely reposed in him2 and in trial or danger ,i was often refreshed by that old ,teacher's prayers1 as ,i used to be by the prayers of my saintly father in my childhood's home4 ,no white man could have been more valuable helper to me in my perilous circumstances2 and no person1 white or black1 could have shown more fearless and chivalrous devotion4 ,when ,i have read or heard the shallow objections of irreligious scribblers and talkers1 hinting that there was no reality in conversions1 and that ,mission effort was but waste1 oh1 how my heart has yearned to plant them just one week on ,tanna1 with the natural man all around in the person of ,cannibal and ,heathen1 and only the one spiritual man in the person of the converted ,abraham1 nursing them1 feeding them1 saving them for the love of ,jesus--that ,i might just learn how many hours it took to convince them that ,christ in man was a reality after all6 ,all the skepticism of ,europe would hide its head in foolish shame2 and all its doubts would dissolve under one glance of the new light that ,jesus1 and ,jesus alone1 pours from the converted ,cannibal's eye4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,a ,,typical ,,south ,,sea ,,trader4 ,,the prejudices and persecutions of ,heathens were a sore enough trial1 but sorer and more hopeless was the wicked and contaminating influence of1 alas1 my fellow-countrymen4 ,one1 for instance1 a ,captain ,winchester1 living with a native woman at the head of the bay as a ,trader1 a dissipated wretch1 though a well-educated man1 was angry forsooth at this state of peace6 ,apparently there was not the usual demand for barter for the fowls1 pigs1 etc41 in which he traded4 ,he developed at once a wonderful interest in their affairs1 presented all the ,chiefs around with powder1 caps1 and balls1 and lent among them a number of flash-muskets4 ,he urged them not to be afraid of war1 as he would supply any amount of ammunition4 ,i remonstrated1 but he flatly told me that peace did not suit his purposes4 ,incited and encouraged thus1 these poor ,heathen people were goaded into a most unjust war on neighboring tribes4 ,the ,trader immediately demanded a high price for the weapons he had lent2 the price of powder1 caps1 and balls rose exorbitantly with every fresh demand2 his yards were crowded with poultry and pigs1 which he readily disposed of to passing vessels2 and he might have amassed great sums of money but for his vile dissipations4 ,captain ,winchester1 now glorying in the war1 charged a large hog for a wine-glass full of powder1 or three or four balls1 or ten gun-caps2 he was boastful of his good luck in getting rid of all his old muskets and filling his yards with pigs and fowls4 ,such is the infernal depth to which we can sink1 when the misery and the ruin of many are thought to be more than atoned for by the wealth and prosperity of a few who trade in their doom6 ,miaki the war ,chief had a young brother1 ,rarip by name1 about eighteen years of age4 ,when this war began he came to live with me at the ,mission ,house4 ,after it had raged some time1 ,miaki forced him to join the fighting men2 but he escaped through the bush1 and returned to me1 saying1 ,missi1 ,i hate this fighting2 it is not good to kill men2 ,i will live with you6 ,again the war ,chief came1 and forced my dear young ,rarip to join the hosts4 ,of course1 ,i could only plead2 ,i could not prevent him4 ,this time1 he placed him at his own side in the midst of his warriors4 ,on coming in sight of the enemy1 and hearing their first yells as they rushed from the bush1 a bullet pierced young ,rarip's breast1 and he fell dead into the arms of ,miaki4 ,the body was carried home to his brother's village1 with much wailing1 and a messenger ran to tell me that ,rarip was dead4 ,on hasting thither1 ,i found him quite dead1 and the center of a tragic ceremonial4 ,around him1 some sitting1 others lying on the ground1 were assembled all the women and girls1 tearing their hair1 wounding themselves with split bamboos and broken bottles1 dashing themselves headlong to the earth1 painting all black their faces1 breasts1 and arms1 and wailing with loud lamentations6 ,men were also there1 knocking their heads against the trees1 gashing their bodies with knives till they ran with streaks of blood1 and indulging in every kind of savage symbol of grief and anguish4 ,my heart broke to see them1 and to think that they knew not to look to our dear ,lord ,jesus for consolation4 ,i returned to the ,mission ,house1 and brought a white sheet and some tape1 in which the body of dear young ,rarip was wrapped and prepared for the grave4 ,the ,natives appeared to be gratified at this mark of respect2 and all agreed that ,rarip should have1 under my direction1 a ,christian burial4 ,the men prepared the grave in a spot selected near to his own house2 ,i read the ,word of ,god1 and offered prayer to ,jehovah1 with a psalm of praise1 amidst a scene of weeping and lamentation never to be forgotten2 and the thought burned through my very soul--oh1 when1 when will the ,tannese realize what ,i am now thinking and praying about1 the life and immortality brought to light through ,jesus8 ,as the war still raged on1 and many more were killed1 vengeance threatened the miserable ,trader4 ,miaki attacked him thus1 ,you led us into this war4 ,you deceived us1 and we began it4 ,rarip is dead1 and many others4 ,your life shall yet go for his4 ,captain ,winchester1 heartless as a dog so long as pigs and fowls came to the yard at whatever cost to others' lives1 now trembled like a coward for himself4 ,he implored me to let him and his ,mare wife sleep at my house for safety2 but ,i refused to allow my ,mission to be in any way identified with his crimes4 ,the ,natives from other islands1 whom he kept and wrought like slaves1 he now armed with muskets for his defence2 but1 having no faith in their protecting or even warning him1 he implored me to send one of my ,teachers1 to assist his wife in watching till he snatched a few hours of sleep every day1 and1 if awake1 he would sell his life as dearly as he could by aid of musket and revolver4 ,the ,teachers were both afraid and disinclined to go2 and ,i could not honestly ask them to do so4 ,his peril and terror became so real that by night he slept in his boat anchored out in the center of the bay1 with his arms beside him1 and a crew ready to start off at the approach of danger and lose everything2 while by day he kept watch on shore1 armed1 and also ready to fly4 ,thus his miserable existence dragged on1 keeping watch alternatively with his wife1 till a trading vessel called and carried him off with all that he had rescued--for which deliverance we were unfeignedly thankful6 ,the war1 which he had wickedly instigated1 lingered on for three months2 and then1 by a present given secretly to two leading ,chiefs1 ,i managed to bring it to a close4 ,but feelings of revenge for the slain burned fiercely in many breasts2 and young men had old feuds handed on to them by the recital of their fathers' deeds of blood4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,under ,,ax ,,and ,,musket4 ,,about this time1 our ,sabbath audiences at the ,mission numbered forty or so4 ,nowar and three or four more1 and only they1 seemed to love and serve ,jesus4 ,they were1 however1 changeable and doubtful1 though they exerted a good influence on their villages1 and were generally friendly to us and to the ,worship4 ,one morning at daybreak ,i found my house surrounded by armed men1 and a ,chief intimated that they had assembled to take my life4 ,seeing that ,i was entirely in their hands1 ,i knelt down and gave myself away body and soul to the ,lord ,jesus1 for what seemed the last time on earth4 ,rising1 ,i went out to them1 and began calmly talking about their unkind treatment of me and contrasting it with all my conduct towards them4 ,i also plainly showed them what would be the sad consequences1 if they carried out their cruel purpose4 ,at last some of the chiefs1 who had attended the ,worship1 rose and said1 ,our conduct has been bad2 but now we will fight for you1 and kill all those who hate you4 ,grasping hold of their leader1 ,i held him fast till he promised never to kill any one on my account1 for ,jesus taught us to love our enemies and always to return good for evil6 ,during this scene1 many of the armed slunk away into the bush1 and those who remained entered into a bond to be friendly and to protect us4 ,but again their ,public ,assembly resolved that we should be killed1 because1 as they said1 they hated ,jehovah and the ,worship2 for it made them afraid to do as they had always done4 ,if ,i would give up visiting the villages1 and praying and talking with them about ,jehovah1 they intimated that they would like me to stay and trade with them1 as they liked the ,traders but hated the ,missionaries6 ,i told them that the hope of being able to teach them the ,worship of ,jehovah alone kept me living amongst them2 that ,i was there1 not for gain or pleasure1 but because ,i loved them1 and pitied their estate1 and sought their good continually by leading them to know and serve the only true ,god4 ,but my enemies seldom slackened their hateful designs against my life1 however calmed or baffled for the moment4 ,within a few days of the above events1 when ,natives in large numbers were assembled at my house1 a man furiously rushed on me with his ax2 but a ,kaserumini ,chief snatched a spade with which ,i had been working1 and dexterously defended me from instant death4 ,life in such circumstances led me to cling very near to the ,lord ,jesus2 ,i knew not1 for one brief hour1 when or how attack might be made2 and yet1 with my trembling hand clasped in the ,hand once nailed on ,calvary1 and now swaying the scepter of the ,universe1 calmness and peace and resignation abode in my soul4 ,next day1 a wild ,chief followed me about for four hours with his loaded musket1 and1 though often directed towards me1 ,god restrained his hand4 ,i spoke kindly to him1 and attended to my work as if he had not been there1 fully persuaded that my ,god had placed me there1 and would protect me till my allotted task was finished4 ,looking up in unceasing prayer to our dear ,lord ,jesus1 ,i left all in ,his hands1 and felt immortal till my work was done4 ,trials and hairbreadth escapes strengthened my faith1 and seemed only to nerve me for more to follow2 and they did tread swiftly upon each other's heels4 ,without that abiding consciousness of the presence and power of my dear ,lord and ,saviour1 nothing else in all the world could have preserved me from losing my reason and perishing miserably4 ,his words1 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the world1 became to me so real that it would not have startled me to behold ,him1 as ,stephen did1 gazing down upon the scene4 ,i felt ,his supporting power1 as did ,st4 ,paul1 when he cried1 ,i can do all things through ,christ which strengthened me4 ,it is the sober truth1 and it comes back to me sweetly after twenty years1 that ,i had my nearest and dearest glimpses of the face and smile of my blessed ,lord in those dread moments when musket1 club1 or spear was being leveled at my life4 ,oh the bliss of living and enduring1 as seeing ,him who is invisible6 ,one evening1 ,i awoke three times to hear a ,chief and his men trying to force the door of my house4 ,though armed with muskets1 they had some sense of doing wrong1 and were wholesomely afraid of a little retriever dog which had often stood betwixt me and death4 ,god restrained them again2 and next morning the report went all round the ,harbor that those who tried to shoot me were smitten weak with fear1 and that shooting would not do4 ,a plan was therefore deliberately set on foot to fire the premises1 and club us if we attempted to escape4 ,but our ,aneityumese ,teacher heard of it1 and ,god helped us to frustrate their designs4 ,when they knew their plots were revealed to us1 they seemed to lose faith in themselves1 and cast about to circumvent us in some more secret way1 ,their evil was overruled for good4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,a ,,native ,,saint ,,and ,,martyr4 ,,namuei1 one of my ,aneityumese ,teachers1 was placed at our nearest village4 ,there he had built a house for himself and his wife1 and there he led amongst the ,heathen a pure and humble ,christian life4 ,almost every morning he came and reported on the state of affairs to me4 ,without books or a school1 he yet instructed the ,natives in ,divine things1 conducted the worship1 and taught them much by his good example4 ,his influence was increasing1 when one morning a ,sacred ,man threw at him the kawas or killing-stone1 a deadly weapon like a scythe stone in shape and thickness1 usually round but sometimes angular1 and from eighteen to twenty inches long4 ,they throw it from a great distance and with fatal precision4 ,the ,teacher1 with great agility1 warded his head and received the deep cut from it in his left hand1 reserving his right hand to guard against the club that was certain to follow swiftly4 ,the ,priest sprang upon him with his club and with savage yells4 ,he evaded1 yet also received1 many blows2 and1 rushing out of their hands1 actually reached the ,mission ,house1 bleeding1 fainting1 and pursued by howling murderers4 ,i had been anxiously expecting him1 and hearing the noise ,i ran out with all possible speed4 ,on seeing me1 he sank down by a tree1 and cried1 ,missi1 ,missi1 quick6 and escape for your life6 ,they are coming to kill you2 they say they must kill us all to-day1 and they have begun with me2 for they hate ,jehovah and the ,worship6 ,i hastened to the good ,teacher where he lay2 ,i bound up1 washed1 and dressed his wounds2 and ,god1 by the mystery of ,his own working1 kept the infuriated ,tannese watching at bay4 ,gradually they began to disappear into the bush1 and we conveyed the dear ,teacher to the ,mission ,house4 ,in three or four weeks1 he so far recovered by careful nursing that he was able to walk about again4 ,some petitioned for him to return to the village2 but ,i insisted1 as a preliminary1 that the ,harbor ,chiefs should unitedly punish him who had abused the ,teacher2 and this to test them1 for he had only carried out their own wishes1--,nowar excepted1 and perhaps one or two others4 ,they made a pretense of atoning by presenting the ,teacher with a pig and some yams as a peace-offering2 but ,i said1 ,no6 ,such bad conduct must be punished1 or we would leave their island by the first opportunity4 ,now that ,sacred ,man1 a ,chief too1 had gone on fighting with other tribes1 till his followers had all died or been slain2 and1 after three weeks' palaver1 the other ,chiefs seized him1 tied him with a rope1 and sent me word to come and see him punished1 as they did not want us after all to leave the island4 ,i had to go1 for fear of more bloody work1 and after talk with them1 followed by many fair promises1 he was loosed4 ,all appearing friendly for some time1 and willing to listen and learn1 the ,teacher earnestly desired to return to his post4 ,i pled with him to remain at the ,mission ,house till we felt more assured1 but he replied1 ,missi1 when ,i see them thirsting for my blood1 ,i just see myself when the ,missionary first came to my island4 ,i desired to murder him1 as they now desire to kill me4 ,had he stayed away for such danger1 ,i would have remained ,heathen2 but he came1 and continued coming to teach us1 till1 by the grace of ,god1 ,i was changed to what ,i am4 ,now the same ,god that changed me to this can change these poor ,tannese to love and serve ,him4 ,i cannot stay away from them2 but ,i will sleep at the ,mission ,house1 and do all ,i can by day to bring them to ,jesus4 ,it was not in me to keep such a man1 under such motives1 from what he felt to be his post of duty4 ,he returned to his village work1 and for several weeks things appeared most encouraging4 ,the inhabitants showed growing interest in us and our work1 and less fear of the pretensions of their ,heathen ,priest1 which1 alas6 fed his jealousy and anger4 ,one morning during worship1 when the good ,teacher knelt in prayer1 the same savage ,priest sprang upon him with his great club and left him for dead1 wounded and bleeding and unconscious4 ,the people fled and left him in his blood1 afraid of being mixed up with the murder4 ,the ,teacher1 recovering a little1 crawled to the ,mission ,house1 and reached it about midday in a dying condition4 ,on seeing him1 ,i ran to meet him1 but he fell near the ,teacher's house1 saying1 ,missi1 ,i am dying6 ,they will kill you also4 ,escape for your life4 ,trying to console him1 ,i sat down beside him1 dressing his wounds and nursing him4 ,he was quite resigned2 he was looking up to ,jesus1 and rejoicing that he would soon be with ,him in ,glory4 ,his pain and suffering were great but he bore all very quietly1 as he said and kept saying1 ,for the sake of ,jesus6 ,for ,jesu's sake6 ,he was constantly praying for his persecutors1 ,o ,lord ,jesus1 forgive them1 for they know not what they are doing4 ,oh1 take not away all ,thy servants from ,tanna6 ,take not away ,thy ,worship from this dark island6 ,o ,god1 bring all the ,tannese to love and follow ,jesus6 ,to him1 ,jesus was all and in all2 and there were no bands in his death4 ,he passed from us1 in the assured hope of entering into the ,glory of his ,lord4 ,humble though he may appear in the world's esteem1 ,i knew that a great man had fallen there in the service of ,christ1 and that he would take rank in the glorious ,army of the ,martyrs4 ,i made for him a coffin1 and dug his grave near the ,mission ,house4 ,with prayers1 and many tears1 we consigned his remains to the dust in the certainty of a happy resurrection4 ,even one such convert was surely a triumphant reward for the ,missionaries1 whom ,god had honored in bringing him to ,jesus4 ,may they have many like ,namuri for their crown of joy and rejoicing in the great day6 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,building ,,and ,,printing ,,for ,,god4 ,,for fully three months1 all our available time1 with all the native help which ,i could hire1 was spent in erecting a building to serve for ,church and ,school4 ,it was fifty feet long1 by twenty-one feet six inches broad4 ,the studs were three feet apart1 and all fixed by tenon and mortise into upper and lower wall plates4 ,the beautiful roof of iron-wood and sugar-cane leaf was supported by three massive pillars of wood1 sunk deeply into the ground4 ,the roof extended about three feet over the wall plates1 both to form a verandah and to carry the raindrops free beyond the walls4 ,it was made of sugar-cane leaf and cocoanut leaves all around4 ,the floor was laid with white coral1 broken small1 and covered with cocoanut leaf mats1 such as those on which the ,natives sat4 ,indeed1 it was as comfortable a ,house of ,prayer as any man need wish for in the tropics1 though having only open spaces for doors and windows6 ,i bought the heavy wood for it on ,aneityum--price1 fifty pairs of trousers for ,natives2 and these again were the gift of my ,bible ,class in ,glasgow1 all cut and sewed by their own hands4 ,i gave also one hundred and thirty yards of cloth1 along with other things1 for other needful wood4 ,as we were preparing a foundation for the ,church1 a huge and singular-looking round stone was dug up1 at sight of which the ,tannese stood aghast4 ,the eldest ,chief said1 ,missi1 that stone was either brought there by ,karapanamun 7the ,evil ,spirit71 or hid there by our great ,chief who is dead4 ,that is the ,stone ,god to which our forefathers offered human sacrifices2 these holes held the blood of the victim till drunk up by the ,spirit4 ,the ,spirit of that stone eats up men and women and drinks their blood1 as our fathers taught us4 ,we are in greatest fear6 ,a ,sacred ,man claimed possession1 and was exceedingly desirous to carry it off2 but ,i managed to keep it1 and did everything in my power to show them the absurdity of these foolish notions4 ,idolatry had not indeed yet fallen throughout ,tanna2 but one cruel idol1 at least1 had to give way for the erection of ,god's ,house on that benighted land4 ,an ever-memorable event was the printing of my first book in ,tannese4 ,thomas ,binnie1 ,jun41 ,glasgow1 gave me a printing-press and a font of type4 ,printing was one of the things ,i had never tried1 but having now prepared a booklet in ,tannese1 ,i got my printing press into order1 and began fingering the type4 ,but book-printing turned out to be for me a much more difficult affair than house-building had been4 ,yet by dogged perseverance ,i succeeded at last4 ,my biggest difficulty was how to arrange the pages properly6 ,after many failures1 ,i folded a piece of paper into the number of leaves wanted1 cut the corners1 folding them back1 and numbering as they would be when correctly placed in the book2 then folding all back without cutting up the sheet1 ,i found now by these numbers how to arrange the pages in the frame or case for printing1 as indicated on each side4 ,and do you think me foolish1 when ,i confess that ,i shouted in an ecstasy of joy when the first sheet came from the press all correct8 ,it was about one o'clock in the morning4 ,i was the only white man then on the island1 and all the ,natives had been fast asleep for hours6 ,yet ,i literally pitched my hat into the air1 and danced like a schoolboy round and round that printing-press2 till ,i began to think1 ,am ,i losing my reason8 ,would it not be like a ,missionary to be upon my knees1 adoring ,god for this first portion of ,his blessed ,word ever printed in this new language8 ,friend1 bear with me1 and believe me--that was as true worship as ever was ,david's dancing before the ,ark of his ,god6 ,nor think that ,i did not1 over that first sheet of ,god's ,word ever printed in the ,tannese tongue1 go upon my knees too1 and then1 and every day since1 plead with the mighty ,lord to carry the light and joy of ,his own ,holy ,bible into every dark heart and benighted home on ,tanna6 ,yet dangers darkened round me4 ,one day1 while toiling away at my house1 the war ,chief and his brother1 and a large party of armed men1 surrounded the plot where ,i was working4 ,they all had muskets1 besides their own native weapons4 ,they watched me for some time in silence1 and then every man leveled a musket straight at my head4 ,escape was impossible4 ,speech would only have increased my danger4 ,my eyesight came and went for a few moments4 ,i prayed to my ,lord ,jesus1 either ,himself to protect me or to take me home to ,his ,glory4 ,i tried to keep working on at my task1 as if no one was near me4 ,in that moment1 as never before1 the words came to me--,whatsoever ye shall ask in ,my name1 ,i will do it2 and ,i knew that ,i was safe4 ,retiring a little from their first position1 no word having been spoken1 they took up the same attitude somewhat farther off1 and seemed to be urging one another to fire the first shot4 ,but my dear ,lord restrained them once again1 and they withdrew1 leaving me with a new reason for trusting ,him with all that concerned me for ,time and ,eternity4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,heathen ,,dance ,,and ,,sham ,,fight4 ,,the ,chief1 ,nowar ,noukamara1 usually known as ,nowar1 was my best and most-to-be-trusted friend4 ,he influenced the ,harbor ,chiefs and their people for eight or ten miles around to get up a great feast in favor of the ,worship of ,jehovah4 ,all were personally and specially invited1 and it was the largest ,assembly of any kind that ,i ever witnessed on the ,islands4 ,when all was ready1 ,nowar sent a party of ,chiefs to escort me and my ,aneityumese ,teachers to the feast4 ,fourteen ,chiefs1 in turn1 made speeches to the assembled multitude2 the drift of all being1 that war and fighting be given up on ,tanna1--that no more people be killed by ,nahak1 for witchcraft and sorcery were lies1--that ,sacred ,men no longer profess to make wind and rain1 famine and plenty1 disease and death1--that the dark ,heathen talk of ,tanna should cease1--that all here present should adopt the ,worship of ,jehovah as taught to them by the ,missionary and the ,aneityumese1--and that all the banished ,tribes should be invited to their own lands to live in peace6 ,these strange speeches did not draw forth a single opposing voice4 ,the ,tannese are born talkers1 and can and will speechify on all occasions2 but most of it means nothing1 bears no fruit4 ,after these speeches1 a scene followed which gradually assumed shape as an idolatrous ceremonial and greatly horrified me4 ,it was in connection with the immense quantity of food that had been prepared for the feast1 especially pigs and fowls4 ,a great heap had been piled up for each ,tribe represented1 and a handsome portion also set apart for the ,missionary and his ,teachers4 ,the ceremony was this1 as nearly as ,i could follow it4 ,one hundred or so of the leading men marched into the large clear space in the center of the assembled multitudes1 and stood there facing each other in equal lines1 with a man at either end closing up the passage between4 ,at the middle they stood eight or ten feet apart1 gradually nearing till they almost met at either end4 ,amid tremendous silence for a few moments1 all stood hushed2 then every man kneeled on his right knee1 extended his right hand1 and bent forward till his face nearly touched the ground4 ,thereon the man at the one end began muttering something1 his voice rising ever louder as he rose to his feet1 when it ended in a fearful yell as he stood erect4 ,next the two long lines of men1 all in a body1 went through the same ceremonial1 rising gradually to their feet1 with mutterings deepening into a howl1 and heightening into a yell stood erect4 ,finally1 the man at the other end went through the same hideous forms4 ,all this was thrice deliberately repeated1 each time with growing frenzy4 ,and then1 all standing on their feet1 they united as with one voice in what sounded like music running mad up and down the scale--closing with a long1 deep-toned1 hollow howl as of souls in pain4 ,with smiles of joy1 the men then all shook hands with each other4 ,nowar and another ,chief briefly spoke2 and the food was then divided and exchanged1 a principal man of each ,tribe standing by to receive and watch his portion4 ,at this stage1 ,nowar and ,nerwangi1 as leaders1 addressed the ,teachers and the ,missionary to this effect2 ,this feast is held to move all the ,chiefs and ,people here to give up fighting1 to become friends1 and to worship your ,jehovah ,god4 ,we wish you to remain1 and to teach us all good conduct4 ,as an evidence of our sincerity1 and of our love1 we have prepared this pile of food for you4 ,in reply1 ,i addressed the whole multitude1 saying how pleased ,i was with their speeches and with the resolutions and promises which they all had made4 ,i further urged them to stick fast by these1 and that grand fruits would arise to their island1 to themselves1 and to their children4 ,having finished a brief address1 ,i then walked forward to the very middle of the circle1 and laid down before them a bundle of stripes of red calico and pieces of white calico1 a number of fish-hooks1 knives1 etc41 etc41 requesting the two ,chiefs to divide my offering of goodwill among the ,tribes assembled1 and also the pile of food presented to us1 as a token of my love and friendship to them all4 ,not without some doubt1 and under considerable trial1 did ,i take this apparently unfriendly attitude of refusing to take their food4 ,but ,i feared to seem even to approve of any act of devil-worship1 or to confirm them in it1 being there to discourage all such scenes1 and to lead them to acknowledge only the true ,god4 ,yet all the time ,i felt this qualm1--that it might have been better to eat food with men who acknowledged some ,god and asked his blessing1 than with those white ,heathens at home1 who asked the blessing of no ,god1 nor thanked ,him--in this worse than the dog which licks the hand that feeds it6 ,nowar and ,nerwangi explained in great orations what ,i meant1 and how ,i wished all to be divided amongst the assembled ,tribes to show my love4 ,with this1 all seemed highly satisfied4 ,heathen dances were now entered upon1 their paint and feathers and ornaments adding to the wildness of the scene4 ,the men seemed to dance in an inside ring1 and the women in an outside ring1 at a considerable distance from each other4 ,music was supplied by singing and clapping of hands4 ,the order was perfect1 and the figures highly intricate4 ,but ,i have never been able to associate dancing with things lovely and of good report6 ,after the dancing1 all retired to the bush2 and a kind of sham fight then followed on the public cleared ground4 ,a host of painted savages rushed in and took possession with songs and shoutings4 ,from the bush1 on the opposite side1 the chanting of women was heard in the distance1 louder and louder as they approached4 ,snatching from a burning fire flaming sticks1 they rushed on the men with these1 beating them and throwing burning pieces of wood among them1 till with deafening yells amongst themselves and amidst shouts of laughter from the crowd1 they drove them from the space1 and danced thereon and sang a song of victory4 ,the dancing and fighting1 the naked painted figures1 and the constant yells and shoutings gave one a weird sensation1 and suggested strange ideas of ,hell broken loose4 ,the final scene approached1 when the men assisted their women to fill all the allotted food into baskets to be carried home and eaten there2 for the different ,tribes do not sit down together and eat together as we would do2 their coming together is for the purpose of exchanging and dividing the food presented4 ,and now they broke into friendly confusion1 and freely walked about mingling with each other2 and a kind of savage rehearsal of ,jonathan and ,david took place4 ,they stripped themselves of their fantastic dresses1 their handsomely woven and twisted grass skirts1 leaf skirts1 grass and leaf aprons2 they gave away or exchanged all these1 and their ornaments and bows and arrows1 besides their less romantic calico and print dresses more recently acquired4 ,the effusion and ceremonial of the gifts and exchanges seem to betoken a loving people2 and so they were for the feast--but that laid not aside a single deadly feud1 and streams of blood and cries of hate would soon efface all traces of this day4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,cannibals ,,at ,,work4 ,,early one morning1 the savage yells of warring ,tribes woke me from sleep4 ,they had broken into a quarrel about a woman1 and were fiercely engaged with their clubs4 ,according to my custom1 ,i rushed in amongst them1 and1 not without much difficulty1 was blessed in separating them before deadly wounds had been given or received4 ,on this occasion1 the ,chiefs of both ,tribes1 being very friendly to me1 drove their people back from each other at my earnest appeals4 ,sitting down at length within earshot1 they had it out in a wild scolding match1 a contest of lung and tongue4 ,meanwhile ,i rested on a canoe midway betwixt them1 in the hope of averting a renewal of hostilities4 ,by and by an old ,sacred ,man1 a ,chief1 called ,sapa1 with some touch of savage comedy in his breast1 volunteered an episode which restored good humor to the scene4 ,leaping up1 he came dancing and singing towards me1 and there1 to the amusement of all1 reenacted the quarrel1 and mimicked rather cleverly my attempt at separating the combatants4 ,smashing at the canoe with his club1 he yelled and knocked down imaginary enemies2 then1 rushing first at one party and then at the other1 he represented me as appealing and gesticulating and pushing them afar from each other1 till he became quite exhausted4 ,thereon he came and planted himself in great glee beside me1 and looked around as if to say1 ,you must laugh1 for ,i have played4 ,at this very juncture1 a loud cry of ,sail ,o broke upon our ears1 and all parties leapt to their feet1 and prepared for a new sensation2 for in those climes1 everything--war itself--is a smaller interest than a vessel from the ,great ,unknown ,beyond sailing into your ,harbor4 ,not many days thereafter1 a very horrible transaction occurred4 ,before daybreak1 ,i heard shot after shot quickly discharged in the ,harbor4 ,one of my ,teachers came running1 and cried1 ,missi1 six or seven men have been shot dead this morning for a great feast4 ,it is to reconcile ,tribes that have been at war1 and to allow a banished ,tribe to return in peace4 ,i learned that the leading men had in council agreed upon this sacrifice1 but the name of each victim was kept a secret till the last moment4 ,the torture of suspense and uncertainty seemed to be borne by all as part of their appointed lot2 nor did they prepare as if suspecting any dread assault4 ,before daylight1 the ,sacred ,men allocated a murderer to the door of each house where a victim slept4 ,a signal shot was fired2 all rushed to their doors1 and the doomed ones were shot and clubbed to death1 as they attempted to escape4 ,their bodies were then borne to a sacred tree1 and hung up there by the hands for a time as an offering to the gods4 ,being taken down1 they were carried ceremoniously and laid out on the shore near my house1 placed under a special guard4 ,information had reached me that my ,teachers and ,i were also destined victims for this same feast2 and sure enough we espied a band of armed men1 the killers1 despatched towards our premises4 ,instantaneously ,i had the ,teachers and their wives and myself securely locked into the ,mission ,house2 and1 cut off from all human hope1 we set ourselves to pray to our dear ,lord ,jesus1 either ,himself to protect us or to take us to ,his glory4 ,all through that morning and forenoon we heard them tramp-tramping round our house1 whispering to each other1 and hovering near window and door4 ,they knew that there were a double-barreled fowling-piece and a revolver on the premises1 though they never had seen me use them1 and that may1 under ,god1 have held them back in dread4 ,but the thought of using them did not enter our souls even in that awful time4 ,i had gone to save1 and not to destroy4 ,it would be easier for me at any time to die1 than to kill one of them4 ,our safety lay in our appeal to that blessed ,lord who had placed us there1 and to whom all power had been given in ,heaven and on ,earth4 ,he that was with us was more than all that could be against us4 ,this is strength2--this is peace3--to feel1 in entering on every day1 that all its duties and trials have been committed to the ,lord ,jesus1--that1 come what may1 ,he will use us for ,his glory and our own real good6 ,all through that dreadful morning1 and far into the afternoon1 we thus abode together1 feeling conscious that we were united to this dear ,lord ,jesus2 and we had sweet communion with ,him1 meditating on the wonders of ,his person and the hopes and glories of ,his kingdom4 ,oh1 that all my readers may learn something of this in their own experience of the ,lord6 ,i can wish them nothing more precious4 ,towards sundown1 constrained by the ,invisible ,one1 they withdrew from our ,mission ,house1 and left us once more in peace4 ,they bore away the slain to be cooked1 and distributed amongst the ,tribes1 and eaten in their feast of reconciliation2 a covenant sealed in blood1 and soon1 alas1 to be buried in blood again6 ,for many days thereafter we had to take unusual care1 and not unduly expose ourselves to danger2 for dark characters were seen prowling about in the bush near at hand1 and we knew that our life was the prize4 ,we took what care we could1 and ,god the ,lord did the rest2 or rather ,he did all--for ,his wisdom guided us1 and ,his power baffled them4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,defying ,,of ,,nahak4 ,,shortly thereafter war was again declared1 by the ,inland people attacking our ,harbor people4 ,it was an old quarrel2 and the war was renewed and continued1 long after the cause thereof had passed away4 ,going amongst them every day1 ,i did my utmost to stop hostilities1 setting the evils of war before them1 and pleading with the leading men to renounce it4 ,thereon arose a characteristic incident of ,island and ,heathen life4 ,one day ,i held a ,service in the village where morning after morning their ,tribes assembled1 and declared that if they would believe in and follow the ,jehovah ,god1 ,he would deliver them from all their enemies and lead them into a happy life4 ,there were present three ,sacred ,men1 ,chiefs1 of whom the whole population lived in terror--brothers or cousins1 heroes of traditional feats1 professors of sorcery1 and claiming the power of life and death1 health and sickness1 rain and drought1 according to their will4 ,on hearing me1 these three stood up and declared they did not believe in ,jehovah1 nor did they need ,his help2 for they had the power to kill my life by ,nahak 7i4e4 sorcery or witchcraft71 if only they could get possession of any piece of the fruit or food that ,i had eaten4 ,this was an essential condition of their black art2 hence the peel of a banana or an orange1 and every broken scrap of food1 is gathered up by the ,natives1 lest it should fall into the hands of the ,sacred ,men1 and be used for ,nahak4 ,this superstition was the cause of most of the bloodshed and terror upon ,tanna2 and being thus challenged1 ,i asked ,god's help1 and determined to strike a blow against it4 ,a woman was standing near with a bunch of native fruit in her hand1 like our plums1 called quonquore4 ,i asked her to be pleased to give me some2 and she1 holding out a bunch1 said1 ,take freely what you will6 ,calling the attention of all the ,assembly to what ,i was doing1 ,i took three fruits from the bunch1 and taking a bite out of each1 ,i gave them one after another to the three ,sacred ,men1 and deliberately said in the hearing of all1 ,you have seen me eat of this fruit1 you have seen me give the remainder to your ,sacred ,men2 they have said they can kill me by ,nahak1 but ,i challenge them to do it if they can1 without arrow or spear1 club or musket2 for ,i deny that they have any power against me1 or against any one1 by their ,sorcery4 ,the challenge was accepted2 the ,natives looked terror-struck at the position in which ,i was placed6 ,the ceremony of ,nahak was usually performed in secret1--the ,tannese fleeing in dread1 as ,europeans would from the touch of the plague2 but ,i lingered and eagerly watched their ritual4 ,as the three ,chiefs arose1 and drew near to one of the ,sacred ,trees1 to begin their ceremonial1 the ,natives fled in terror1 crying1 ,missi1 ,iaw8 ,alas1 ,missi6 ,but ,i held on at my post of observation4 ,amidst wavings and incantations1 they rolled up the pieces of the fruit from which ,i had eaten1 in certain leaves of this ,sacred ,tree1 into a shape like a waxen candle2 then they kindled a sacred fire near the root1 and continued their mutterings1 gradually burning a little more and a little more of the candle-shaped things1 wheeling them round their heads1 blowing upon them with their breaths1 waving them in the air1 and glancing wildly at me as if expecting my sudden destruction4 ,wondering whether after all they did not believe their own lie1 for they seemed to be in dead earnest1 ,i1 more eager than ever to break the chains of such vile superstition1 urged them again and again1 crying1 ,be quick6 ,stir up your gods to help you6 ,i am not killed yet2 ,i am perfectly well6 ,at last they stood up and said1 ,we must delay till we have called all our ,sacred ,men4 ,we will kill ,missi before his next ,sabbath comes round4 ,let all watch1 for he will soon die and that without fail4 ,i replied1 ,very good6 ,i challenge all your ,priests to unite and kill me by ,sorcery or ,nahak4 ,if on ,sabbath next ,i come again to your village in health1 you will all admit that your gods have no power over me1 and that ,i am protected by the true and living ,jehovah ,god6 ,every day throughout the remainder of that week the ,conchs were sounded2 and over that side of the island all their ,sacred ,men were at work trying to kill me by their arts4 ,now and again messengers arrived from every quarter of the island1 inquiring anxiously after my health1 and wondering if ,i was not feeling sick1 and great excitement prevailed amongst the poor deluded idolaters4 ,sabbath dawned upon me peacefully1 and ,i went to that village in more than my usual health and strength4 ,large numbers assembled1 and when ,i appeared they looked at each other in terror1 as if it could not really be ,i myself still spared and well4 ,entering into the public ground1 ,i saluted them to this effect1 ,my love to you all1 my friends6 ,i have come again to talk to you about the ,jehovah ,god and ,his ,worship4 ,the three ,sacred ,men1 on being asked1 admitted that they had tried to kill me by ,nahak1 but had failed2 and on being questioned1 why they had failed2 they gave the acute and subtle reply1 that ,i also was myself a ,sacred ,man1 and that my ,god being the stronger had protected me from their gods4 ,addressing the multitude1 ,i answered thus1 ,yea1 truly2 my ,jehovah ,god is stronger than your gods4 ,he protected me1 and helped me2 for ,he is the only living and true ,god1 the only ,god that can hear or answer any prayer from the children of men4 ,your gods cannot hear prayer1 but my ,god can and will hear and answer you1 if you will give heart and life to ,him1 and love and serve ,him only4 ,this is my ,god1 and ,he is also your friend if you will hear and follow ,his voice4 ,having said this1 ,i sat down on the trunk of a fallen tree1 and addressed them1 ,come and sit down all around me1 and ,i will talk to you about the love and mercy of my ,god1 and teach you how to worship and please ,him4 ,two of the ,sacred ,men then sat down1 and all the people gathered round and seated themselves very quietly4 ,i tried to present to them ideas of sin1 and of salvation through ,jesus ,christ1 as revealed to us in the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,the third ,sacred ,man1 the highest in rank1 a man of great stature and uncommon strength1 had meantime gone off for his warrior's spear1 and returned brandishing it in the air and poising it at me4 ,i said to the people1 ,of course he can kill me with his spear1 but he undertook to kill me by ,nahak or ,sorcery1 and promised not to use against me any weapons of war2 and if you let him kill me now1 you will kill your friend1 one who lives among you and only tries to do you good1 as you all know so well4 ,i know that if you kill me thus1 my ,god will be angry and will punish you4 ,thereon ,i seated myself calmly in the midst of the crowd1 while he leaped about in rage1 scolding his brothers and all who were present for listening to me4 ,the other ,sacred ,men1 however1 took my side1 and1 as many of the people also were friendly to me and stood closely packed around me1 he did not throw his spear4 ,to allay the tumult and obviate further bloodshed1 ,i offered to leave with my ,teachers at once1 and1 in doing so1 ,i ardently pled with them to live at peace4 ,though we got safely home1 that old ,sacred ,man seemed still to hunger after my blood4 ,for weeks thereafter1 go where ,i would1 he would suddenly appear on the path behind me1 poising in his right hand that same ,goliath spear4 ,god only kept it from being thrown1 and ,i1 using every lawful precaution1 had all the same to attend to my work1 as if no enemy were there1 leaving all other results in the hands of ,jesus4 ,this whole incident did1 doubtless1 shake the prejudices of many as to ,sorcery2 but few even of converted ,natives ever get entirely clear of the dread of ,nahak4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,a ,,perilous ,,pilgrimage4 ,,the other ,mission ,station1 on the southwest side of ,tanna1 had to be visited by me from time to time4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson1 there1 were both in a weak state of health1 having a tendency to consumption4 ,on this account they visited ,aneityum several times4 ,they were earnestly devoted to their work1 and were successful as far as health and the time allowed to them permitted4 ,at this juncture1 a message reached me that they were without ,european food1 and a request to send them a little flour if possible4 ,the war made the journey overland impossible4 ,a strong wind and a high sea round the coast rendered it impracticable for my boat to go4 ,the danger to life from the enemy was so great that ,i could not hire a crew4 ,i pled therefore with ,nowar and ,manuman1 and a few leading men1 to take one of their best canoes1 and themselves to accompany me4 ,i had a large flat-bottomed pot with a close fitting lid1 and that ,i pressed full of flour2 and1 tying the lid firmly down1 ,i fastened it right in the center of the canoe1 and as far above water-mark as possible4 ,all else that was required we tied around our own persons4 ,sea and land being as they were1 it was a perilous undertaking1 which only dire necessity could have justified4 ,they were all swimmers1 but as ,i could not swim1 the strongest man was placed behind me1 to seize me and swim ashore1 if a crash came4 ,creeping round near the shore all the way1 we had to keep just outside the great breakers on the coral reef1 and were all drenched through and through with the foam of an angry surf4 ,we arrived1 however1 in safety within two miles of our destination1 where lived the friends of my canoe's company1 but where a very dangerous sea was breaking on the reef4 ,here they all gave in1 and protested that no further could they go2 and truly their toil all the way with the paddles had been severe4 ,i appealed to them1 that the canoe would for certain be smashed if they tried to get on shore1 that the provisions would be lost1 and some of us probably drowned4 ,but they turned to the shore1 and remained for some time thus1 watching the sea4 ,at last their ,captain cried1 ,missi1 hold on6 ,there's a smaller wave coming2 we'll ride in now4 ,my heart rose to the ,lord in trembling prayer6 ,the wave came rolling on2 every paddle with all their united strength struck into the sea2 and next moment our canoe was flying like a sea-gull on the crest of the wave towards the shore4 ,another instant1 and the wave had broken on the reef with a mighty roar1 and rushed passed us hissing in clouds of foam4 ,my company were next seen swimming wildly about in the sea1 ,manuman the one-eyed ,sacred ,man alone holding on by the canoe1 nearly full of water1 with me still clinging to the seat of it1 and the very next wave likely to devour us4 ,in desperation1 ,i sprang for the reef1 and ran for a man half-wading1 half-swimming to reach us2 and ,god so ordered it1 that just as the next wave broke against the silvery rock of coral1 the man caught me and partly swam with me through its surf1 partly carried me till ,i was set safely ashore4 ,praising ,god1 ,i looked up and saw all the others as safe as myself1 except ,manuman1 my friend1 who was still holding on by the canoe in the face of wind and sea1 and bringing it with him4 ,others ran and swam to his help4 ,the paddles were picked up amid the surf4 ,a powerful fellow came towards me with the pot of flour on his head1 uninjured by water6 ,the ,chief who held on by the canoe got severely cut about the feet1 and had been badly bruised and knocked about2 but all the rest escaped without further harm1 and everything that we had was saved4 ,amongst friends at last1 they resolved to await a favorable wind and tide to return to their own homes4 ,singing in my heart unto ,god1 ,i hired a man to carry the pot of flour1 and soon arrived at the ,mission ,station4 ,supplying the wants of our dear friends1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson1 whom we found as well as could be expected1 we had to prepare1 after a few hours of rest1 to return to our own ,station by walking overland through the night4 ,i durst not remain longer away1 lest my own house should be plundered and broken into4 ,though weak in health1 my fellow-,missionaries were both full of hope1 and zealous in their work1 and this somewhat strange visit was a pleasant blink amidst our darkness4 ,before ,i had gone far on my return journey1 the sun went down1 and no ,native could be hired to accompany me4 ,they all told me that ,i would for certain be killed by the way4 ,but ,i knew that it would be quite dark before ,i reached the hostile districts1 and that the ,heathen are great cowards in the dark and never leave their villages at night in the darkness1 except in companies for fishing and suchlike tasks4 ,i skirted along the sea-shore as fast as ,i could1 walking and running alternately2 and1 when ,i got within hearing of voices1 ,i slunk back into the bush till they had safely passed1 and then groped my way back near the shore1 that being my only guide to find a path4 ,having made half the journey1 ,i came to a dangerous path1 almost perpendicular1 up a great rock round the base of which the sea roared deep4 ,with my heart lifted up to ,jesus1 ,i succeeded in climbing it1 cautiously grasping roots1 and resting by bushes1 till ,i safely reached the top4 ,there1 to avoid a village1 ,i had to keep crawling slowly along the brush near the sea1 on the top of that great ledge of rock--a feat ,i could never have accomplished even in daylight without the excitement2 but ,i felt that ,i was supported and guided in all that life-or-death journey by my dear ,lord ,jesus4 ,i had to leave the shore1 and follow up the bank of a very deep ravine to a place shallow enough for one to cross1 and then through the bush away for the shore again4 ,by holding too much to the right1 ,i missed the point where ,i had intended to reach it4 ,small fires were now visible through the bush2 ,i heard the voices of the people talking in one of our most ,heathen villages4 ,quietly drawing back1 ,i now knew where ,i was1 and easily found my way towards the shore2 but on reaching the ,great ,rock1 ,i could not in the darkness find the path down again4 ,i groped about till ,i was tired4 ,i feared that ,i might stumble over and be killed2 or1 if ,i delayed till daylight1 that the savages would kill me4 ,i knew that one part of the rock was steep-sloping1 with little growth or none thereon1 and ,i searched about to find it1 resolved to commend myself to ,jesus and slide down thereby1 that ,i might again reach the shore and escape for my life4 ,thinking ,i had found this spot1 ,i hurled down several stones and listened for their splash that ,i might judge whether it would be safe4 ,but the distance was too far for me to hear or judge4 ,at high tide the sea there was deep2 but at low tide ,i could wade out of it and be safe4 ,the darkness made it impossible for me to see anything4 ,i let go my umbrella1 shoving it down with considerable force1 but neither did it send me back any news4 ,feeling sure1 however1 that this was the place ,i sought1 and knowing that to await the daylight would be certain death1 ,i prayed to my ,lord ,jesus for help and protection1 and resolved to let myself go4 ,first1 ,i fastened all my clothes as tightly as ,i could1 so as not to catch on anything2 then ,i lay down at the top on my back1 feet foremost1 holding my head downwards on my breast to keep it from striking on the rock2 then1 after one cry to my ,saviour1 having let myself down as far as possible by a branch1 ,i at last let go1 throwing my arms forward and trying to keep my feet well up4 ,a giddy swirl1 as if flying through the air1 took possession of me2 a few moments seemed an age2 ,i rushed quickly down1 and felt no obstruction till my feet struck into the sea below4 ,adoring and praising my dear ,lord ,jesus1 who had ordered it so1 ,i regained my feet2 it was low tide1 ,i had received no injury1 ,i recovered my umbrella1 and1 wading through1 ,i found the shore path easier and lighter than the bush had been4 ,the vary darkness was my safety1 preventing the ,natives from rambling about4 ,i saw no person to speak to1 till ,i reached a village quite near to my own house1 fifteen or twenty miles from where ,i had started2 ,i here left the sea path and promised some young men a gift of fish-hooks to guide me the nearest way through the bush to my ,mission ,station1 which they gladly and heartily did4 ,i ran a narrow risk in approaching them2 they thought me an enemy1 and ,i arrested their muskets only by a loud cry-- ,i am ,missi6 ,don't shoot2 my love to you1 my friends6 ,praising ,god for ,his preserving care1 ,i reached home1 and had a long refreshing sleep4 ,the natives1 on hearing next day how ,i had come all the way in the dark exclaimed-- ,surely any of us would have been killed6 ,your ,jehovah ,god alone thus protects you and brings you safely home4 ,with all my heart1 ,i said1 ,yes6 and ,he will be your protector and helper too1 if only you will obey and trust in ,him4 ,certainly that night put my faith to the test4 ,had it not been the assurance that ,i was engaged in ,his service1 and that in every path of duty ,he would carry me through or dispose of me therein for ,his glory ,i could never have undertaken either journey4 ,st4 ,paul's words are true to-day and forever--,i can do all things through ,christ which strengthened me4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,plague ,,of ,,measles4 ,,about this time ,i had a never-to-be-forgotten illustration of the infernal spirit that possessed some of the ,traders towards these poor ,natives4 ,one morning1 three or four vessels entered our ,harbor and cast anchor in ,port ,resolution4 ,the captains called on me1 and one of them1 with manifest delight1 exclaimed1 ,we know how to bring down your proud ,tannese now6 ,we'll humble them before you6 ,i answered1 ,surely you don't mean to attack and destroy these poor people8 ,he replied1 not abashed but rejoicing1 ,we have sent the measles to humble them6 ,that kills them by the score6 ,four young men have been landed at different ports1 ill with measles1 and these will soon thin their ranks4 ,shocked above measure1 ,i protested solemnly and denounced their conduct and spirit2 but my remonstrances only called forth the shameless declaration1 ,our watchword is1--,sweep these creatures away and let white men occupy the soil6 ,their malice was further illustrated thus3 they induced ,kapuku1 a young ,chief1 to go off to one of their vessels1 promising him a present4 ,he was the friend and chief supporter of ,mr4 ,mathieson and of his work4 ,having got him on board1 they confined him in the hold amongst natives lying ill with measles4 ,they gave him no food for about four-and-twenty hours2 and then1 without the promised present1 they put him ashore far from his own home4 ,though weak and excited1 he scrambled back to his tribe in great exhaustion and terror4 ,he informed the ,missionary that they had put him down amongst sick people1 red and hot with fever1 and that he feared their sickness was upon him4 ,i am ashamed to say that these ,sandal-wood and other ,traders were our own degraded countrymen2 and that they deliberately gloried in thus destroying the poor ,heathen4 ,a more fiendish spirit could scarcely be imagined2 but most of them were horrible drunkards1 and their traffic of every kind amongst these islands was1 generally speaking1 steeped in human blood4 ,the measles1 thus introduced1 became amongst our islanders the most deadly plague4 ,it spread fearfully1 and was accompanied by sore throat and diarrhea4 ,in some villages1 man1 woman1 and child were stricken1 and none could give food or water to the rest4 ,the misery1 suffering1 and terror were unexampled1 the living being afraid sometimes even to bury the dead4 ,thirteen of my own ,mission party died of this disease2 and1 so terror-stricken were the few who survived1 that when the little ,mission schooner ,john ,knox returned to ,tanna1 they all packed up and left for their own ,aneityum1 except my own dear old ,abraham4 ,at first1 thinking that all were on the wing1 he also had packed his chattels1 and was standing beside the others ready to leave with them4 ,i drew near to him1 and said1 ,abraham1 they are all going2 are you also going to leave me here alone on ,tanna1 to fight the battles of the ,lord8 ,he asked1 ,missi1 will you remain8 ,i replied1 ,yes2 but ,abraham1 the danger to life is now so great that ,i dare not plead with you to remain1 for we may both be slain4 ,still1 ,i cannot leave the ,lord's work now4 ,the noble old ,chief looked at the box and his bundles1 and1 musingly1 said1 ,missi1 our danger is very great now4 ,i answered1 ,yes2 ,i once thought you would not leave me alone to it2 but1 as the vessel is going to your own land1 ,i cannot ask you to remain and face it with me6 ,he again said1 ,missi1 would you like me to remain alone with you1 seeing my wife is dead and in her grave here8 ,i replied1 ,yes1 ,i would like you to remain2 but1 considering the circumstances in which we will be left alone1 ,i cannot plead with you to do so4 ,he answered1 ,then1 ,missi1 ,i remain with you of my own free choice1 and with all my heart4 ,we will live and die together in the work of the ,lord4 ,i will never leave you while you are spared on ,tanna4 ,so saying1 and with a light that gave the fore-gleam of a ,martyr's glory to his dark face1 he shouldered his box and bundles back to his own house2 and thereafter1 ,abraham was my dear companion and constant friend1 and my fellow-sufferer in all that remains still to be related of our ,mission life on ,tanna4 ,before this plague of measles was brought amongst us ,i had sailed round in the ,john ,knox to ,black ,beach on the opposite side of ,tanna1 and prepared the way for settling ,teachers4 ,and they were placed soon after by ,mr4 ,copeland and myself with encouraging hopes of success1 and with the prospect of erecting there a ,station for ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,johnson1 the newly arrived ,missionaries from ,nova ,scotia4 ,but this dreadful imported epidemic blasted all our dreams4 ,they devoted themselves from the very first1 and assisted me in every way to alleviate the dread sufferings of the ,natives4 ,we carried medicine1 food1 and even water1 to the surrounding villages every day1 few of themselves being able to render us much assistance4 ,nearly all who took our medicine and followed instructions as to food1 etc41 recovered2 but vast numbers of them would listen to no counsels1 and rushed into experiments which made the attack fatal all around4 ,when the trouble was at its height1 for instance1 they would plunge into the sea1 and seek relief2 they found it an almost instant death4 ,others would dig a hole into the earth1 the length of the body and about two feet deep2 therein they laid themselves down1 the cold earth feeling agreeable to their fevered skins2 and when the earth around them grew heated1 they got friends to dig a few inches deeper1 again and again1 seeking a cooler and cooler couch4 ,in this ghastly effort many of them died1 literally in their own graves1 and were buried where they lay6 ,it need not be surprising1 though we did everything in our power to relieve and save them1 that the natives associated us with the white men who had so dreadfully afflicted them1 and that their blind thirst for revenge did not draw fine distinctions between the ,traders and the ,missionaries4 ,both were whites--that was enough4 ,before leaving this terrible plague of measles1 ,i may record my belief that it swept away1 with accompanying sore throat and diarrhea1 a third of the entire population of ,tanna2 nay8 in certain localities more than a third perished4 ,the living declared themselves unable to bury the dead1 and great want and suffering ensued4 ,the ,teacher and his wife and child1 placed by us at ,black ,beach1 were also taken away2 and his companion1 the other ,teacher there1 embraced the first opportunity to leave along with his wife for his own island1 else his life would have been taken in revenge4 ,yet1 from all accounts afterwards received1 ,i do not think the measles were more fatal on ,tanna than on the other ,islands of the group4 ,they appear to have carried off even a larger proportion on ,aniwa--the future scene of many sorrows but of greater triumphs4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,attacked ,,with ,,clubs4 ,,the #ast ,january #ahfa was a ,new ,year's ,day ever to be remembered4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,johnston1 ,abraham1 and ,i1 had spent nearly the whole time in a kind of solemn yet happy festival4 ,anew in a holy covenant before ,god1 we unitedly consecrated our lives and our all to the ,lord ,jesus1 giving ourselves away to ,his blessed service for the conversion of the ,heathen on the ,new ,hebrides4 ,after evening ,family ,worship1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,johnston left my room to go to their own house1 only some ten feet distant2 but he returned to inform me that there were two men at the window1 armed with huge clubs1 and having black painted faces4 ,going out to them and asking them1 what they wanted1 they replied1 ,medicine for a sick boy4 ,with difficulty ,i persuaded them to come in and get it4 ,at once1 it flashed upon me1 from their agitation and their disguise of paint1 that they had come to murder us4 ,mr4 ,johnston had also accompanied us into the house4 ,keeping my eye constantly fixed on them1 ,i prepared the medicine and offered it4 ,they refused to receive it1 and each man grasped his killing-stone4 ,i faced them firmly and said1 ,you see that ,mr4 ,johnston is now leaving1 and you too must leave this room for to-night4 ,to-morrow1 you can bring the boy or come for the medicine4 ,seizing their clubs1 as if for action1 they showed unwillingness to withdraw1 but ,i walked deliberately forward and made as if to push them out1 when both turned and began to leave4 ,mr4 ,johnston had gone in front of them and was safely out4 ,but he bent down to lift a little kitten that had escaped at the open door2 and at that moment one of the savages1 jerking in behind1 aimed a blow with his huge club1 in avoiding which ,mr4 ,johnston fell with a scream to the ground4 ,both men sprang towards him1 but our two faithful dogs ferociously leapt in their faces and saved his life4 ,rushing out1 but not fully aware of what had occurred1 ,i saw ,mr4 ,johnston trying to raise himself1 and heard him cry1 ,take care these men have tried to kill me1 and they will kill you6 ,facing them sternly ,i demanded1 ,what is it that you want8 ,he does not understand your language4 ,what do you want8 ,speak with me4 ,both men1 thereon1 raised their great clubs and made to strike me2 but quick as lightning these two dogs sprang at their faces and baffled their blows4 ,one dog was badly bruised1 and the ground received the other blow that would have launched me into ,eternity4 ,the best dog was a little cross-bred retriever with terrier blood in him1 splendid for warning us of approaching dangers1 and which had already been the means of saving my life several times4 ,seeing how matters stood1 ,i now hounded both dogs furiously upon them1 and the two savages fled4 ,i shouted after them1 ,remember1 ,jehovah ,god sees you and will punish you for trying to murder ,his servants6 ,in their flight1 a large body of men1 who had come eight or ten miles to assist in the murder and plunder1 came slipping here and there from the bush and joined them1 fleeing too4 ,verily1 the wicked flee1 when no man pursueth4 ,david's experience and assurance came home to us1 that evening1 as very real3--,god is our refuge and our strength444therefore we will not fear4 ,i1 now accustomed to such scenes on ,tanna1 retired to rest and slept soundly2 but my dear fellow-laborer1 as ,i afterwards learned1 could not sleep for one moment4 ,his pallor and excitement continued next day1 indeed for several days2 and after that1 though he was naturally lively and cheerful1 ,i never saw him smile again4 ,for that morning1 #ast ,january #ahfa1 the following entry was found in his ,journal3 ,to-day1 with a heavy heart and a feeling of dread1 ,i know not why1 ,i set out on my accustomed wanderings amongst the sick4 ,i hastened back to get the ,teacher and carry ,mr4 ,paton to the scene of distress4 ,i carried a bucket of water in one hand and medicine in the other2 and so we spent a portion of this day endeavoring to alleviate their sufferings1 and our work had a happy effect also on the minds of others4 ,in another entry1 on #bb;d ,december1 he wrote3 ,measles are making fearful havoc amongst the poor ,tannese4 ,as we pass through the villages1 mournful scenes meet the eye2 young and old prostrated on the ground1 showing all these painful symptoms which accompany loathsome and malignant diseases4 ,in some villages few are left able to prepare food1 or to carry drink to the suffering and dying4 ,how pitiful to see the sufferers destitute of every comfort1 attention1 and remedy that would ameliorate their suffering or remove their disease6 ,as ,i think of the tender manner in which we are nursed in sickness1 the many remedies employed to give relief1 with the comforts and attention bestowed upon us1 my heart sickens1 and ,i say1 ,oh my ingratitude and the ingratitude of ,christian people6 ,having1 as above recorded1 consecrated our lives anew to ,god on the first day of ,january1 ,i was1 up till the #afth of the month1 accompanied by ,mr4 ,johnston and sometimes also by ,mrs4 ,johnston on my rounds in the villages amongst the sick1 and they greatly helped me4 ,but by an unhappy accident ,i was laid aside when most sorely needed4 ,when adzing a tree for housebuilding ,i observed that ,mahanan1 the war ,chief's brother1 had been keeping too near me1 and that he carried a tomahawk in his hand2 and1 in trying both to do my work and to keep an eye on him1 ,i struck my ankle severely with the adze4 ,he moved off quickly1 saying1 ,i did not do that1 but doubtless rejoicing at what had happened4 ,the bone was badly hurt1 and several of the blood-vessels cut4 ,dressing it as well as ,i could1 and keeping it constantly soaked in cold water1 ,i had to exercise the greatest care4 ,in this condition1 amidst great sufferings1 ,i was sometimes carried to the villages to administer medicine to the sick1 and to plead and pray with the dying4 ,on such occasions1 in this mode of transit even1 the conversations that ,i had with dear ,mr4 ,johnston were most solemn and greatly refreshing4 ,he had1 however1 scarcely ever slept since the #ast of ,january1 and during the night of the #afth he sent for my bottle of laudanum4 ,being severely attacked with ague and fever1 ,i could not go to him1 but sent the bottle1 specifying the proper quantity for a dose1 but that he quite understood already4 ,he took a dose for himself1 and gave one also to his wife1 as she too suffered from sleeplessness4 ,this he repeated three nights in succession1 and both of them obtained a long1 sound and refreshing sleep4 ,he came to my bedside1 where ,i lay in the ague-fever1 and said with great animation1 amongst other things1 ,i have had such a blessed sleep1 and feel so refreshed6 ,what kindness in ,god to provide such remedies for suffering man6 ,at midday his dear wife came to me crying1 ,mr4 ,johnston has fallen asleep1 so deep that ,i cannot awake him4 ,my fever had reached the worst stage1 but ,i struggled to my feet got to his bedside1 and found him in a state of coma1 with his teeth fixed in tetanus4 ,with great difficulty we succeeded in slightly rousing him2 with a knife1 spoon1 and pieces of wood1 we forced his teeth open1 so as to administer an emetic with good effects1 and also other needful medicines4 ,for twelve hours1 we had to keep him awake by repeated cold dashes in the face1 by ammonia1 and by vigorously moving him about4 ,he then began to speak freely2 and next day he rose and walked about a little4 ,for the two following days1 he was sometimes better and sometimes worse2 but we managed to keep him up till the morning of the #bast1 when he again fell into a state of coma1 from which we failed to rouse him4 ,at two o'clock in the afternoon he fell asleep--another ,martyr for the testimony of ,jesus in those dark and trying ,isles1 leaving his young wife in indescribable sorrow1 which she strove to bear with ,christian resignation4 ,having made his coffin and dug his grave1 we two alone at sunset laid him to rest beside my own dear wife and child1 close by the ,mission ,house4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,kowia4 ,,another tragedy followed1 with1 however1 much of the light of ,heaven amid its blackness1 in the story of ,kowia1 a ,tannese ,chief of the highest rank4 ,going to ,aneityum in youth1 he had there become a true ,christian4 ,he married an ,aneityumese ,christian woman1 with whom he lived very happily and had two beautiful children4 ,some time before the measles reached our island he returned to live with me as a ,teacher and to help forward our work on ,tanna4 ,he proved himself to be a decided ,christian2 he was a real ,chief amongst them1 dignified in his whole conduct1 and every way a valuable helper to me4 ,everything was tried by his own people to induce him to leave me and to renounce the ,worship1 offering him every honor and bribe in their power4 ,failing these1 they threatened to take away all his lands1 and to deprive him of ,chieftainship1 but he answered ,take all6 ,i shall still stand by ,missi and the ,worship of ,jehovah4 ,from threats they passed to galling insults1 all which he bore patiently for ,jesu's sake4 ,but one day a party of his people came and sold some fowls1 and an impudent fellow lifted them after they had been bought and offered to sell them again to me4 ,kowia shouted1 ,don't purchase these1 ,missi2 ,i have just bought them for you1 and paid for them6 ,thereon the fellow began to mock at him4 ,kowia1 gazing round on all present1 and then on me1 rose like a lion awaking out of sleep1 and with flashing eyes exclaimed1 ,missi1 they think that because ,i am now a ,christian ,i have become a coward6 a woman6 to bear every abuse and insult they can heap upon me4 ,but ,i will show them for once that ,i am no coward1 that ,i am still their ,chief1 and that ,christianity does not take away but gives us courage and nerve4 ,springing at one man1 he wrenched in a moment the mighty club from his hands1 and swinging it in air above his head like a toy1 he cried1 ,come any of you1 come all against your ,chief6 ,my ,jehovah ,god makes my heart and arms strong4 ,he will help me in this battle as ,he helps me in other things1 for ,he inspires me to show you that ,christians are no cowards1 though they are men of peace4 ,come on1 and you will yet know that ,i am ,kowia your ,chief4 ,all fled as he approached them2 and he cried1 ,where are the cowards now8 and handed back to the warrior his club4 ,after this they left him at peace4 ,he lived at the ,mission ,house1 with his wife and children1 and was a great help and comfort to ,abraham and myself4 ,he was allowed to go more freely and fearlessly amongst the people than any of the rest of our ,mission staff4 ,the ague and fever on me at ,mr4 ,johnston's death so increased and reduced me to such weakness that ,i had become insensible1 while ,abraham and ,kowia alone attended to me4 ,on returning to consciousness ,i heard as in a dream ,kowia lamenting over me1 and pleading that ,i might recover1 so as to hear and speak with him before he died4 ,opening my eyes and looking at him1 ,i heard him say1 ,missi1 all our ,aneityumese are sick4 ,missi ,johnson is dead4 ,you are very sick1 and ,i am weak and dying4 ,alas1 when ,i too am dead1 who will climb the trees and get you a cocoanut to drink8 ,and who will bathe your lips and brow8 ,here he broke down into deep and long weeping1 and then resumed1 ,missi1 the ,tanna-men hate us all on account of the ,worship of ,jehovah2 and ,i now fear ,he is going to take away all ,his servants from this land1 and leave my people to the ,evil ,one and his service6 ,i was too weak to speak1 so he went on1 bursting into a soliloquy of prayer3 ,o ,lord ,jesus1 ,missi ,johnston is dead2 ,thou hast taken him away from this land4 ,missi ,johnston the woman and ,missi ,paton are very ill2 ,i am sick1 and ,thy servants the ,aneityumese are all sick and dying4 ,o ,lord1 our ,father in ,heaven1 art ,thou going to take away all ,thy servants1 and ,thy ,worship from this dark land8 ,what meanest ,thou to do1 ,o ,lord8 ,the ,tannese hate ,thee and ,thy ,worship and ,thy servants2 but surely1 ,o ,lord1 ,thou canst not forsake ,tanna and leave our people to die in the darkness6 ,oh1 make the hearts of this people soft to ,thy ,word and sweet to ,thy ,worship2 teach them to fear and love ,jesus2 and oh1 restore and spare ,missi1 dear ,missi ,paton1 that ,tanna may be saved6 ,touched to the very fountains of my life by such prayers1 from a man once a ,cannibal1 ,i began under the breath of ,god's blessing to revive4 ,a few days thereafter1 ,kowia came again to me1 and rousing me out of sleep1 cried1 ,missi1 ,i am very weak2 ,i am dying4 ,i come to bid you farewell1 and go away to die4 ,i am nearing death now1 and ,i will soon see ,jesus4 ,i spoke what words of consolation and cheer ,i could muster1 but he answered1 ,missi1 since you became ill my dear wife and children are dead and buried4 ,most of our ,aneityumese are dead1 and ,i am dying4 ,if ,i remain on the hill1 and die here at the ,mission ,house1 there are none left to help ,abraham to carry me down to the grave where my wife and children are laid4 ,i wish to lie beside them1 that we may rise together in the ,great ,day when ,jesus comes4 ,i am happy1 looking unto ,jesus6 ,one thing only deeply grieves me now2 ,i fear ,god is taking us all away from ,tanna1 and will leave my poor people dark and benighted as before1 for they hate ,jesus and the ,worship of ,jehovah4 ,o ,missi1 pray for them1 and pray for me once more before ,i go6 ,he knelt down at my side1 and we prayed for each other and for ,tanna4 ,i then urged him to remain at the ,mission ,house1 but he replied1 ,o ,missi1 you do not know how near to death ,i am6 ,i am just going1 and will soon be with ,jesus1 and see my wife and children now4 ,while a little strength is left1 ,i will lean on ,abraham's arm1 and go down to the graves of my dear ones and fall asleep there1 and ,abraham will dig a quiet bed and lay me beside them4 ,farewell1 ,missi1 ,i am very near death now2 we will meet again in ,jesus and with ,jesus6 ,with many tears he dragged himself away2 and my heart-strings seemed all tied round that noble simple soul1 and felt like breaking one by one as he left me there on my bed of fever all alone4 ,abraham sustained him1 tottering to the place of graves2 there he lay down1 and immediately gave up the ghost and slept in ,jesus2 and there the faithful ,abraham buried him beside his wife and children4 ,thus died a man who had been a cannibal ,chief1 but by the grace of ,god and the love of ,jesus1 changed1 transfigured into a character of light and beauty4 ,i lost1 in losing him1 one of my best friends and most courageous helpers2 but ,i knew that day1 and ,i know now1 that there is one soul at least from ,tanna to sing the glories of ,jesus in ,heaven--and1 oh1 the rapture when ,i meet him there6 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,martyrdom ,,of ,,the ,,gordons4 ,,may #ahfa brought with it a sorrowful and tragic event1 which fell as the very shadow of doom across our path2 ,i mean the martyrdom of the ,gordons on ,erromanga4 ,rev4 ,g4 ,n4 ,gordon was a native of ,prince ,edward ,island1 ,nova ,scotia1 and was born in #ahbb4 ,he was educated at the ,free ,church ,college1 ,halifax1 and placed as ,missionary on ,erromanga in ,june #aheg4 ,much troubled and opposed by the ,sandal-wooders1 he had yet acquired the language and was making progress by inroads on ,heathenism4 ,a considerable number of young men and women embraced the ,christian ,faith1 lived at the ,mission ,house1 and devotedly helped him and his excellent wife in all their work4 ,but the hurricanes and the measles1 already referred to1 caused great mortality in ,erromanga also2 and the degraded ,traders1 who had introduced the plague1 in order to save themselves from revenge1 stimulated the superstitions of the ,heathen1 and charged the ,missionaries there too with causing sickness and all other calamities4 ,the ,sandal-wooders hated him for fearlessly denouncing and exposing their hideous atrocities4 ,when ,mr4 ,copeland and ,i placed the ,native ,teachers at ,black ,beach1 ,tanna1 we ran across to ,erromanga in the ,john ,knox1 taking a harmonium to ,mrs4 ,gordon1 just come by their order from ,sydney4 ,when it was opened out at the ,mission ,house1 and ,mrs4 ,gordon began playing on it and singing sweet hymns1 the native women were in ecstasies4 ,they at once proposed to go off to the bush and cut each a burden of long grass1 to thatch the printing-office which ,mr4 ,gordon was building in order to print the ,scriptures in their own tongue1 if only ,mrs4 ,gordon would play to them at night and teach them to sing ,god's praises4 ,they joyfully did so1 and then spent a happy evening singing those hymns4 ,next day being ,sabbath1 we had a delightful season there1 about thirty attending ,church and listening eagerly4 ,the young men and women living at the ,mission ,house were being trained to become ,teachers2 they were reading a small book in their own language1 telling them the story of ,joseph2 and the work every way seemed most hopeful4 ,the ,mission ,house had been removed a mile or so up a hill1 partly for ,mrs4 ,gordon's health1 and partly to escape the annoying and contaminating influence of the ,sandal-wooders on the ,christian ,natives4 ,on the #bjth ,may #ahfa he was still working at the roofing of the printing-office1 and had sent his lads to bring each a load of the long grass to finish the thatching4 ,meantime a party of ,erromangans from a district called ,bunk-,hill1 under a ,chief named ,lovu1 had been watching him4 ,they had been to the ,mission ,house inquiring and they had seen him send away his ,christian lads4 ,they then hid in the bush and sent two of their men to the ,missionary to ask for calico4 ,on a piece of wood he wrote a note to ,mrs4 ,gordon to give them two yards each4 ,they asked him to go with them to the ,mission ,house1 as they needed medicine for a sick boy1 and ,lovu their ,chief wanted to see him4 ,he tied up in a napkin a meal of food1 which had been brought to him but not eaten1 and started to go with them4 ,he requested the native ,narubulet to go on before with his companion1 but they insisted upon his going in front4 ,in crossing a streamlet1 which ,i visited shortly afterwards1 his foot slipped4 ,a blow was aimed at him with a tomahawk1 which he caught2 the other man struck1 but his weapon was also caught4 ,one of the tomahawks was then wrenched out of his grasp4 ,next moment a blow on the spine laid the dear ,missionary low1 and a second on the neck almost severed the head from the body4 ,the other ,natives then rushed from their ambush1 and began dancing round him with frantic shoutings4 ,mrs4 ,gordon hearing the noise1 came out and stood in front of the ,mission ,house1 looking in the direction of her husband's working place1 and wondering what had happened4 ,ouben1 one of the party1 who had run towards the ,station the moment that ,mr4 ,gordon fell1 now approached her4 ,a merciful clump of trees had hid from her eyes all that had occurred1 and she said to ,ouben1 ,what's the cause of that noise8 ,he replied1 ,oh1 nothing6 only the boys amusing themselves6 ,saying1 ,where are the boys8 she turned round4 ,ouben slipped stealthily behind her1 sank his tomahawk into her back1 and with another blow almost severed her head6 ,such was the fate of those two devoted servants of the ,lord2 loving in their lives1 and in their deaths not divided--their spirits1 wearing the crown of martyrdom1 entered ,glory together to be welcomed by ,williams and ,harris1 whose blood was shed near the same now hallowed spot for the name and cause of ,jesus4 ,they had labored four years on ,erromanga1 amidst trials and dangers manifold1 and had not been without tokens of blessing in the ,lord's work4 ,never more earnest or devoted ,missionaries lived and died in the ,heathen field4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,shadows ,,deepening ,,on ,,tanna4 ,,immediately thereafter1 a ,sandal-wood ,trader brought in his boat a party of ,erromangans by night to ,tanna4 ,they assembled our ,harbor ,chiefs and people1 and urged them to kill us and ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson and the ,teachers1 or allow them to do so1 as they had killed ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,gordon4 ,then they proposed to go to ,aneityum and kill the ,missionaries there1 as the ,aneityumese ,natives had burned their ,church1 and thus they would sweep away the ,worship and the servants of ,jehovah from all the ,new ,hebrides4 ,our ,chiefs1 however1 refused1 restrained by the ,merciful ,one1 and the ,erromangans returned to their own island in a sulky mood4 ,notwithstanding this refusal1 as if they wished to reserve the murder and plunder for themselves1 our ,mission ,house was next day thronged with armed men1 some from ,inland1 others from ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station4 ,they loudly praised the ,erromangans6 ,the leader said again and again in my hearing1 ,the men of ,erromanga killed ,missi ,williams long ago4 ,we killed the ,rarotongan and ,samoan ,teachers4 ,we fought ,missi ,turner and ,missi ,nisbet1 and drove them from our island4 ,we killed the ,aneityumese ,teachers on ,aniwa1 and one of ,missi ,paton's ,teachers too4 ,we killed several white men1 and no ,man-of-war punished us4 ,let us talk over this1 about killing ,missi ,paton and the ,aneityumese1 till we see if any ,man-of-war comes to punish the ,erromangans4 ,if not1 let us unite1 let us kill these ,missionaries1 let us drive the ,worship of ,jehovah from our land6 ,an ,inland ,chief said or rather shouted in my hearing1 ,my love to the ,erromangans6 ,they are strong and brave men1 the ,erromangans4 ,they have killed their ,missi and his wife1 while we only talk about it4 ,they have destroyed the ,worship and driven away ,jehovah6 ,i stood amongst them and protested1 ,god will yet punish the ,erromangans for such wicked deeds4 ,god has heard all your bad talk1 and will punish it in ,his own time and way4 ,but they shouted me down1 amidst great excitement1 with the cry1 ,our love to the ,erromangans6 ,our love to the ,erromangans6 ,after ,i left them1 ,abraham heard them say1 ,miaki is lazy4 ,let us meet in every village1 and talk with each other4 ,let us all agree to kill ,missi and the ,aneityumese for the first of our ,chiefs that dies4 ,the night after the visit of the ,erromangan boat1 and the sad news of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,gordon's death1 the ,tannese met on their village dancing-grounds and held high festival in praise of the ,erromangans4 ,our best friend1 old ,nowar the ,chief1 who had worn shirt and kilt for some time and had come regularly to the ,worship1 relapsed once more2 he painted his face1 threw off his clothing1 resumed his bow and arrows and his tomahawk1 of which he boasted that it had killed very many men and at least one woman6 ,on my shaming him for professing to worship ,jehovah and yet uniting with the ,heathen in rejoicing over the murder of ,his servants on ,erromanga1 he replied to this effect1 ,truly1 ,missi1 they have done well4 ,if the people of ,erromanga are severely punished for this by the ,man-of-war1 we will all hear of it2 and our people will then fear to kill you and the other ,missionaries1 so as to destroy the ,worship of ,jehovah4 ,now1 they say1 the ,erromangans killed ,missi ,williams and the ,samoan1 ,rarotongan1 and ,aneityumese ,teachers1 besides other white men1 and no ,man-of-war has punished either them or us4 ,if they are not punished for what has been done on ,erromanga1 nothing else can keep them here from killing you and me and all who worship at the ,mission ,house6 ,i answered1 ,nowar1 let us all be strong to love and serve ,jehovah ,jesus4 ,if it be for our good and ,his glory1 ,he will protect us2 if not1 ,he will take us to be with ,himself4 ,we will not be killed by their bad talk4 ,besides1 what avails it to us1 when dead and gone1 if even a ,man-of-war should come and punish our murderers8 ,he shrugged his shoulders1 answering1 ,missi1 by and by you will see4 ,mind1 ,i tell you the truth4 ,i know our ,tannese people4 ,how is it that ,jehovah did not protect the ,gordons and the ,erromangan worshipers8 ,if the ,erromangans are not punished1 neither will our ,tannese be punished1 though they murder all ,jehovah's people6 ,i felt for ,nowar's struggling faith1 just trembling on the verge of ,cannibalism yet1 and knowing so little of the true ,jehovah4 ,groups of ,natives assembled suspiciously near us and sat whispering together4 ,they urged old ,abraham to return to ,aneityum by the very first opportunity1 as our lives were certain to be taken1 but he replied1 ,i will not leave ,missi4 ,abraham and ,i were thrown much into each other's company1 and he stood by me in every danger4 ,we conducted ,family ,prayers alternately2 and that evening he said during the prayer in ,tannese1 in which language alone we understood each other3-- ,o ,lord1 our ,heavenly ,father1 they have murdered ,thy servants on ,erromanga4 ,they have banished the ,aneityumese from dark ,tanna4 ,and now they want to kill ,missi ,paton and me6 ,our great ,king1 protect us1 and make their hearts soft and sweet to ,thy ,worship4 ,or1 if they are permitted to kill us1 do not ,thou hate us1 but wash us in the blood of ,thy dear ,son ,jesus ,christ4 ,he came down to ,earth and shed ,his blood for sinners2 through ,him forgive us our sins and take us to ,heaven--that good place where ,missi ,gordon the man and ,missi ,gordon the woman and all thy dear servants now are singing ,thy praise and seeing ,thy face4 ,our ,lord1 our hearts are pained just now1 and we weep over the death of ,thy dear servants2 but make our hearts good and strong for ,thy cause1 and take thou away all our fears4 ,make us two and all ,thy servants strong for ,thee and for ,thy ,worship2 and if they kill us two1 let us die together in ,thy good work1 like ,thy servants ,missi ,gordon the man and ,missi ,gordon the woman4 ,in this manner his great simple soul poured itself out to ,god2 and my heart melted within me as it had never done under any prayer poured from the lips of cultured ,christian men6 ,under the strain of these events1 ,miaki came to our house1 and attacked me in hearing of his men to this effect1 ,you and the ,worship are the cause of all the sickness and death now taking place on ,tanna6 ,the ,erromanga men killed ,missi ,gordon the man and also the woman1 and they are all well long ago4 ,the ,worship is killing us all2 and the ,inland people will kill us for keeping you and the ,worship here2 for we love the conduct of ,tanna1 but we hate the ,worship4 ,we must kill you and it1 and we shall all be well again4 ,i tried to reason firmly and kindly with them1 showing them that their own conduct was destroying them1 and that our presence and the ,worship could only be a blessing to them in every way1 if only they would accept of it and give up their evil ways4 ,i referred to a poor girl1 whom ,miaka and his men had stolen and abused--that they knew such conduct to be bad1 and that ,god would certainly punish them for it4 ,he replied1 ,such is the conduct of ,tanna4 ,our fathers loved and followed it1 we love and follow it1 and if the ,worship condemns it1 we will kill you and destroy the ,worship4 ,i said1 ,the ,word of the ,holy ,god condemns all bad conduct1 and ,i must obey my ,god in trying to lead you to give it up1 and to love and serve ,his ,son ,jesus our ,saviour4 ,if ,i refuse to obey my ,god1 ,he will punish me4 ,he declared that his heart was good1 that his conduct was good1 but that he hated the teaching of the ,worship4 ,he had a party of men staying with him from the other side of the island1 and he sent back a present of four large fat hogs to their ,chiefs1 with a message as to the killing of the ,mathiesons4 ,if that were done1 his hands would be strengthened in dealing with us4 ,to know what was best to be done1 in such trying circumstances1 was an abiding perplexity4 ,to have left altogether1 when so surrounded by perils and enemies1 at first seemed the wisest course1 and was the repeated advice of many friends4 ,but again1 ,i had acquired the language1 and had gained a considerable ,influence amongst the ,natives1 and there were a number warmly attached both to himself and to the ,worship4 ,to have left would have been to lose all1 which to me was heartrending2 therefore1 risking all with ,jesus1 ,i held on while the hope of being spared longer had not absolutely and entirely vanished4 ,the following quotation from a letter of the late ,a4 ,clark1 ,esq41 ,j4 ,p41 ,auckland1 ,new ,zealand1 will show what ,bishop ,selwyn thought of my standing fast on ,tanna at the post of duty1 and he knew what he was writing about4 ,these are the words3--',talk of bravery6 talk of heroism6 ,the man who leads a forlorn hope is a coward in comparison with him1 who1 on ,tanna1 thus alone1 without a sustaining look or cheering word from one of his own race1 regards it as his duty to hold on in the face of such dangers4 ,we read of the soldier1 found after the lapse of ages among the ruins of ,herculaneum1 who stood firm at his post amid the fiery rain destroying all around him1 thus manifesting the rigidity of the discipline among those armies of ,ancient ,rome which conquered the ,world4 ,mr4 ,paton was subjected to no such iron law4 ,he might with honor1 when offered to him1 have sought a temporary asylum in ,auckland1 where he would have been heartily received4 ,but he was moved by higher considerations4 ,he chose to remain1 and ,god knows whether at this moment he is in the land of the living6' ,when the ,bishop told us that he declined leaving ,tanna by ,h4 ,m4 ,s4 ,pelorus1 he added1 ',and ,i like him all the better for so doing6' ,for my part ,i feel quite confident that1 in like circumstances1 that noble ,bishop of ,god would have done the same4 ,i1 born in the bosom of the ,scottish ,covenant descended from those who suffered persecution for ,christ's honor1 would have been unworthy of them and of my ,lord had ,i deserted my post for danger only4 ,yet not to me1 but to the ,lord who sustained me1 be all the praise and the glory4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,visit ,,of ,,the ,,commodore4 ,,at that time1 though my life was daily attempted1 a dear lad1 named ,katasian1 was coming six miles regularly to the ,worship and to receive frequent instruction4 ,one day1 when engaged in teaching him1 ,i caught a man stealing the blind from my window4 ,on trying to prevent him1 he aimed his great club at me1 but ,i seized the heavy end of it with both my hands as it swung past my head1 and held on with all my might4 ,what a prayer went up from me to ,god at that dread moment6 ,the man1 astonished and abashed at my kind words and appeal1 slunk away and left me in peace4 ,god never took away from me the consciousness that it was still right for me to be kind and forgiving1 and to hope that ,i might lead them to love and imitate ,jesus4 ,for some time1 ,nouka and his wife and daughter--a handsome girl1 his only child--and ,miaki's principal wife and her two sons1 and nine ,chiefs attended ,worship regularly at the ,mission ,house1 on ,sabbaths and on the afternoon of every ,wednesday4 ,in ail1 about sixty persons somewhat regularly waited on our ministrations at this time2 and amidst all perils ,i was encouraged1 and my heart was full of hope4 ,yet one evening when feeling more consoled and hopeful than ever before1 a musket was discharged at my very door1 and ,i was constrained to realize that we were in the midst of death4 ,father1 our times are in ,thy hand6 ,in my ,mission ,school1 ,i offered as a prize a red shirt for the first ,chief who knew the whole ,alphabet without a mistake4 ,it was won by an ,inikahi ,chief1 who was once a terror to the whole community4 ,afterwards1 when trying to teach the ,a ,b ,c to others1 he proceeded in something like this graphic style3 ,a is a man's legs with the body cut off2 ,b is like two eyes2 ,c is a three-quarters moon2 ,d is like one eye2 ,e is a man with one club under his feet and another over his head2 ,f is a man with a large club and a smaller one1 etc41 etc42 ,l was like a man's foot2 ,q was the talk of the dove1 etc4 ,then he would say1 ,remember these things2 you will soon get hold of the letters and be able to read4 ,i have taught my little child1 who can scarcely walk1 the names of them all4 ,they are not hard to hold1 but soft and easy4 ,you will soon learn to read the book1 if you try it with all your heart6 ,but ,miaki was still our evil genius1 and every incident seemed to be used by him for one settled purpose of hate4 ,a ,kaserumini ,chief1 for instance1 and seven men took away a young girl in a canoe to ,aniwa1 to be sold to friends there for tobacco leaf1 which the ,aniwans cultivated extensively4 ,they also prepared to take revenge there for a child's death1 killed in their belief by the sorcery of an ,aniwan4 ,when within sight of the shore1 the canoes were upset and all were said to have been devoured by sharks1 excepting only one canoe out of six4 ,this one returned to ,tanna and reported that there were two white ,traders living on ,aniwa1 that they had plenty of ammunition and tobacco1 but that they would not come to ,tanna as long as a ,missionary lived there4 ,under this fresh incitement1 a party of ,miaki's men came to my house1 praising the ,erromangans for the murder of their ,missionaries and threatening me4 ,even the friendly ,nowar said1 ,miaki will make a great wind and sink any ,man-of-war that comes here4 ,we will take the ,man-of-war and kill all that are on board4 ,if you and ,abraham do not leave us we will kill you both1 for we must have the ,traders and the powder4 ,just as they were assuming a threatening attitude1 other ,natives came running with the cry1 ,missi1 the ,john ,knox is coming into the ,harbor1 and two great ships of fire1 ,men-of war1 behind her1 coming very fast6 ,i retorted upon ,nowar and the hostile company1 ,now is your time6 ,make all possible haste6 ,let ,miaki raise his great wind now2 get all your men ready2 ,i will tell them that you mean to fight1 and you will find them always ready6 ,miaki's men fled away in unconcealed terror2 but ,nowar came to me and said ,missi1 ,i know that my talk is all lies1 but if ,i speak the truth1 they will kill me6 ,i answered1 ,trust in ,jehovah1 the same ,god who sent these vessels now1 to protect us from being murdered4 ,but ,nowar always wavered4 ,and now from all parts of the island those who were most friendly flocked to us4 ,they were clamorous to have ,miaki and some others of our enemies punished by the ,man-of-war in presence of the ,natives2 and then they would be strong to speak in our defense and to lead the ,tannese to worship ,jehovah4 ,commodore ,seymour1 ,captain ,hume1 and ,dr4 ,geddie came on shore4 ,after inquiring into everything1 the ,commodore urged me to leave at once1 and very kindly offered to remove me to ,aneityum1 or ,auckland1 or any place of safety that ,i preferred4 ,again1 however1 ,i hesitated to leave my dear benighted ,tannese1 knowing that both ,stations would be instantly broken up1 that all the influence gained would be thrown away1 that the ,church would lose all that had been expended1 and above all1 that those friendly to us would be left to persecution and destruction4 ,for a long time ,i had seldom taken off my clothes at night1 needing to be constantly on the alert to start at a moment's notice2 yet1 while hope burned within my soul ,i could not withdraw1 so ,i resolved to risk all with my dear ,lord ,jesus1 and remained at my post4 ,at my request1 however1 they met and talked with all the leaders who could be assembled at the ,mission ,house4 ,the ,natives declared frankly that they liked me1 but did not like the ,worship4 ,the ,commodore reminded them that they had invited me to land among them1 and had pledged their word more than once to protect me2 he argued with them that as they had no fault to find with me1 but only with the ,worship1 which could do them only good1 they must bind themselves to protect my life4 ,miaki and others promised1 and gave him their hand to do so4 ,lathella1 an ,aneityumese ,chief1 who was with ,dr4 ,geddie1 interpreted for him and them1 ,dr4 ,geddie explaining fully to ,lathella in ,aneityumese what the ,commodore said in ,english1 and ,lathella explaining all to the ,tannese in their own tongue4 ,at last old ,mouka spoke out for all and said1 ,captain ,paddan and all the ,traders tell us that the ,worship causes all our sickness and death4 ,they will not trade with us1 nor sell us tobacco1 pipes1 powder1 balls1 caps1 and muskets1 till we kill our ,missi like the ,erromangans1 but after that they will send a ,trader to live among us and give us plenty of all these things4 ,we love ,missi4 ,but when the ,traders tell us that the ,worship makes us sick1 and when they bribe us with tobacco and powder to kill him or drive him away1 some believe them and our hearts do bad conduct to ,missi4 ,let ,missi remain here1 and we will try to do good conduct to ,missi2 but you must tell ,queen ',toria of her people's bad treatment of us1 and that she must prevent her ,traders from killing us with their measles1 and from telling us lies to make us do bad conduct to ,missi6 ,if they come to us and talk as before1 our hearts are very dark and may again lead us to bad conduct to ,missi4 ,after this little parley1 the ,commodore invited us all on board1 along with the ,chiefs4 ,they saw about three hundred brave marines ranked up on deck1 and heard a great cannon discharged4 ,for all such efforts to impress them and open their eyes1 ,i felt profoundly grateful2 but too clearly ,i knew and saw that only the grace of ,god could lastingly change them6 ,they were soon back to their old arguments1 and were heard saying to one another1 ,if no punishment is inflicted on the ,erromangans for murdering the ,missi there1 we fear the bad conduct of the ,tannese will continue4 ,no punishment was inflicted at ,erromanga1 and the ,tannese were soon as bold and wicked as ever4 ,for instance1 while the ,man-of-war lay in the ,harbor1 ,nowar kept himself closely concealed2 but no sooner had she sailed than the cowardly fellow came out1 laughing at the others1 and protesting that he was under no promise and was free to act as he pleased6 ,yet in the hour of danger he generally proved to be our friend2 such was his vacillating character4 ,nor was ,miaki very seriously impressed4 ,mr4 ,mathieson shortly thereafter sent his boat round to me1 being again short of ,european food4 ,on his crew leaving her to deliver their message to me1 some of ,miaki's men at once jumped into the boat and started off round the island in search of kava4 ,i went to ,miaki1 to ask that the boat might be brought back soon1 but on seeing me he ran for his club and aimed to strike me4 ,i managed to seize it1 and to hold on1 pleading with ,god and talking with ,miaki1 till by interference of some friendly ,natives his wrath was assuaged a little4 ,returning home1 ,i sent food overland to keep the ,mathiesons going till the boat returned1 which she did in about eight days4 ,thus light and shadow pursued each other1 the light brightening for a moment1 but upon the whole the shadows deepening4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,the ,,war ,,chiefs ,,in ,,council4 ,a ,,time of great excitement amongst the ,natives now prevailed4 ,war1 war1 nothing but war was spoken of6 ,preparations for war were being made in all the villages far and near4 ,fear sat on every face1 and armed bands kept watching each other1 as if uncertain where the war was to begin or by whom4 ,all work was suspended1 and that war spirit was let loose which rouses the worst passions of human nature4 ,again we found ourselves the center of conflict1 one party set for killing us or driving us away2 the other wishing to retain us1 while all old bitter grievances were also dragged into their speeches4 ,miaki and ,nouka said1 ,if you will keep ,missi and his ,worship1 take him with you to your own land1 for we will not have him to live at the ,harbor4 ,ian1 the great ,inland ,chief1 rose in wrath and said1 ,on whose lands does the ,missi live1 yours or ours8 ,who fight against the ,worship and all good1 who are the thieves and murderers1 who tell the lies1 you or we8 ,we wish peace1 but you will have war4 ,we like ,missi and the ,worship1 but you hate them and say1 ',take him to your own land6' ,it is our land on which he now lives2 it is his own land which he bought from you1 but which our fathers sold ,missi ,turner long ago4 ,the land was not yours to sell2 it was really ours4 ,your fathers stole it from us long ago by war2 but we would not have asked it back1 had you not asked us to take ,missi away4 ,now we will defend him on it1 and he will teach us and our people in our own land6 ,so meeting after meeting broke into fiery speech1 and separated with many threats4 ,to the next great meeting ,i was invited1 but did not go1 contenting myself with a message pleading that they should live at peace and on no account go to war with each other4 ,but ,ian himself came for me4 ,i said1 ,ian1 ,i have told you my whole heart4 ,go not to that meeting4 ,i will rather leave the island or die1 than see you going to war about me6 ,he answered1 ,missi1 come with me1 come now6 ,i replied1 ,ian1 you are surely not taking me away to kill me8 ,if you are1 my ,god will punish it4 ,his only reply was1 ,follow me1 follow me quickly4 ,i felt constrained to go4 ,he strode on before me till we reached the great village of his ancestors4 ,his followers1 armed largely with muskets as well as native weapons1 filled one half the ,village ,square or dancing-ground4 ,miaki1 ,nouka1 and their whole party sat in manifest terror upon the other half4 ,marching into the center1 he stood with me by his side1 and proudly looking round1 exclaimed1 ,missi1 these are my men and your friends6 ,we are met to defend you and the ,worship4 ,then pointing across to the other side1 he cried aloud1 ,these are your enemies and ours6 ,the enemies of the ,worship1 the disturbers of the peace on ,tanna6 ,missi1 say the word1 and the muskets of my men will sweep all opposition away1 and the ,worship will spread and we will all be strong for it on ,tanna4 ,we will not shoot without your leave2 but if you refuse they will kill you and persecute us and our children1 and banish ,jehovah's ,worship from our land4 ,i said1 ,i love all of you alike4 ,i am here to teach you how to turn away from all wickedness1 to worship and serve ,jehovah1 and to live in peace4 ,how can ,i approve of any person being killed for me or for the ,worship8 ,my ,god would be angry at me and punish me1 if ,i did6 ,he replied1 ,then1 ,missi1 you will be murdered and the ,worship destroyed4 ,i then stood forth in the middle before them all and cried1 ,you may shoot or murder me1 but ,i am your best friend4 ,i am not afraid to die4 ,you will only send me the sooner to my ,jehovah ,god1 whom ,i love and serve1 and to my dear ,saviour ,jesus ,christ1 who died for me and for you1 and who sent me here to tell you all ,his love4 ,if you will only love and serve ,him and give up your bad conduct1 you will be happy4 ,but if you kill me1 ,his messenger1 rest assured that ,he will in ,his own time and way punish you4 ,this is my word to you all2 my love to you all6 ,so saying1 ,i turned to leave2 and ,ian strode suddenly away and stood at the head of his men1 crying1 ,missi1 they will kill you6 they will kill us1 and you will be to blame6 ,miaki and ,nouka1 full of deceit1 now cried out1 ,missi's word is good6 ,let us all obey it4 ,let us all worship4 ,an old man1 ,sirawia1 one of ,ian's under-chiefs1 then said1 ,miaki and ,nouka say that the land on which ,missi lives was theirs2 though they sold it to him and he has paid them for it1 they all know that it was ours1 and is yet ours by right2 but if they let ,missi live on it in peace1 we will all live at peace1 and worship ,jehovah4 ,and if not1 we will surely claim it again4 ,miaki and his party hereon went off to their plantations1 and brought a large present of food to ,ian and his men as a peace-offering4 ,this they accepted2 and the next day ,ian and his men brought ,miaki a return present and said1 ,you know that ,missi lives on our land8 ,take our present1 be friends1 and let him live quietly and teach us all4 ,yesterday you said his word was good2 obey it now1 else we will punish you and defend the ,missi4 ,miaki accepted the token1 and gave good promises for the future4 ,ian then came to the hill-top near our house1 by which passed the public path1 and cried aloud in the hearing of all1 ,abraham1 tell ,missi that you and he now live on our land4 ,this path is the march betwixt ,miaki and us4 ,we have this day bought back the land of our fathers by a great price to prevent war4 ,take of our breadfruits and also of our cocoanuts what you require1 for you are our friends and living on our land1 and we will protect you and the ,worship6 ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,under ,,knife ,,and ,,tomahawk4 ,,chafed at the upsetting of all their plans and full of revenge1 ,nouka and ,miaki and their allies declared publicly that they were now going to kill ,ian by sorcery1 i4 e4 by ,nahak1 more feared by the poor ,tannese than the field of battle4 ,strange to say4 ,ian became sick shortly after the ,sacred ,men had made the declaration about their ,nahak-sorcery4 ,i attended him1 and for a time he recovered1 and appeared very grateful4 ,but he soon fell sick again4 ,i sent him and the ,chief next under him a blanket each2 ,i also gave shirts and calico to a number of his leading men4 ,they wore them and seemed grateful and pleased4 ,ian1 however1 gradually sank and got worse4 ,he had every symptom of being poisoned1 a thing easily accomplished1 as they know and use many deadly poisons4 ,his sufferings were very great1 which prevented me from ascribing his collapse to mere superstitious terror4 ,i did all that could be done2 but all thought him dying1 and of course by sorcery4 ,his people were angry at me for not consenting before to their shooting of ,miaki2 and ,miaki's people were now rejoicing that ,ian was being killed by ,nahak4 ,one night1 his brother and a party came for me to go and see ,ian1 but ,i declined to go till the morning for fear of the fever and ague4 ,on reaching his village1 ,i saw many people about1 and feared that ,i had been led into a snare2 but ,i at once entered into his house to talk and pray with him1 as he appeared to be dying4 ,after prayer1 ,i discovered that ,i was left alone with him1 and that all the people had retired from the village2 and ,i knew that1 according to their custom1 this meant mischief4 ,ian said1 ,come near me1 and sit by my bedside to talk with me1 ,missi4 ,i did so1 and while speaking to him he lay as if lost in a swoon of silent meditation4 ,suddenly he drew from the sugar-cane leaf thatch close to his bed a large butcher-like knife1 and instantly feeling the edge of it with his other hand1 he pointed it to within a few inches of my heart and held it quivering there1 all atremble with excitement4 ,i durst neither move nor speak1 except that my heart kept praying to the ,lord to spare me1 or if my time was come to take me home to ,glory with ,himself4 ,there passed a few moments of awful suspense4 ,my sight went and came4 ,not a word had been spoken1 except to ,jesus2 and then ,ian wheeled the knife around1 thrust it into the sugar-cane leaf1 and cried to me1 ,go1 go quickly6 ,next moment ,i was on the road4 ,not a living soul was to be seen about the village4 ,i understood then that it had been agreed that ,ian was to kill me1 and that they had all withdrawn so as not to witness it1 that when the ,man-of-war came to inquire about me1 ,ian would be dead1 and no punishment could overtake the murderer4 ,i walked quietly till quite free of the village1 lest some hid in their houses might observe me4 ,thereafter1 fearing that they1 finding ,i had escaped1 might overtake and murder me1 ,i ran for my life a weary four miles till ,i reached the ,mission ,house1 faint yet praising ,god for such a deliverance4 ,poor ,ian died soon after1 and his people strangled one of his wives and hanged another1 and took out the three bodies together in a canoe and sank them in the sea4 ,miaki was jubilant over having killed his enemy by ,nahak2 but the ,inland people now assembled in thousands to help ,sirawia and his brother to avenge that death on ,miaki1 ,nouka1 and ,karewick4 ,these1 on the other hand1 boasted that they would kill all their enemies by ,nahak-sorcery1 and would call up a hurricane to destroy their houses1 fruit-trees1 and plantations4 ,immediately after ,miaki's threat about bringing a storm1 one of their great hurricanes actually smote that side of the island and laid everything waste4 ,his enemies were greatly enraged1 and many of the injured people united with them in demanding revenge on ,miaki4 ,hitherto ,i had done everything in my power to prevent war1 but now it seemed inevitable1 and both parties sent word that if ,abraham and ,i kept to the ,mission ,house no one would harm us4 ,we had little faith in any of their promises1 but there was no alternative for us4 ,on the following ,saturday1 #ahth ,january #ahfb1 the war began4 ,musket after musket was discharged quite near us1 and the bush all around rang with the yell of their war-cry1 which if once heard will never be forgotten4 ,it came nearer and nearer1 for ,miaki fled1 and his people took shelter behind and around our house4 ,we were placed in the heart of danger1 and the balls flew thick all around us4 ,in the afternoon ,ian's brother and his party retired1 and ,miaki quickly sent messengers and presents to the ,inikahimini and ,kaserumini districts1 to assemble all their people and help him to fight ,missi and the ,tannese who were friends of the ,worship4 ,he said1 ,let us cook his body and ,abraham's1 and distribute them to every village on this side of the island6 ,yet all the while ,miaki assured me that he had sent a friendly message4 ,the war went on1 and poor ,nowar the ,chief protected us1 till he had a spear broken into his right knee4 ,the enemy would have carried him off to feast on his body2 but his young men1 shouting wildly his name and battle-cry1 rushed in with great impetuosity and carried their wounded ,chief home in triumph4 ,the ,inland people now discharged muskets at my house and beat against the walls with their clubs4 ,they smashed in the door and window of our storeroom1 broke open boxes and casks1 tore my books to pieces and scattered them about1 and carried off everything for which they cared1 including my boat1 mast1 oars1 and sails4 ,they broke into ,abraham's house and plundered it2 after which they made a rush at the bedroom1 into which we were locked1 firing muskets1 yelling1 and trying to break it in4 ,a ,chief1 professing to be sorry for us1 called me to the window1 but on seeing me he sent a tomahawk through it crying1 ,come on1 let us kill him now6 ,i replied1 ,my ,jehovah ,god will punish you2 a ,man-of-war will come and punish you1 if you kill ,abraham1 his wife1 or me4 ,he retorted1 ,it's all lies about a ,man-of-war6 ,they did not punish the ,erromangans4 ,they are afraid of us4 ,come on1 let us kill them6 ,he raised his tomahawk and aimed to strike my forehead1 many muskets were uplifted as if to shoot1 so ,i raised a revolver in my right hand and pointed it at them4 ,the ,rev4 ,joseph ,copeland had left it with me on a former visit4 ,i did not wish it1 but he insisted upon leaving it1 saying that the very knowledge that ,i had such a weapon might save my life4 ,truly1 on this occasion it did so4 ,though it was harmless they fell back quickly4 ,my immediate assailant dropped to the ground1 crying1 ,missi has got a short musket6 ,he will shoot you all6 ,after lying flat on the ground for a little1 they all got up and ran to the nearest bush1 where they continued yelling about and showing their muskets4 ,towards nightfall they left1 loaded with the plunder of the store and of ,abraham's house4 ,so ,god once more graciously protected us from falling into their cruel hands4 ,in the evening1 after they left1 ,i went to ,miaki and ,nouka4 ,miaki1 with a sneer1 said1 ,missi1 where was ,jehovah to-day8 ,there was no ,jehovah to-day to protect you4 ,it's all lies about ,jehovah4 ,they will come and kill you1 and ,abraham1 and his wife1 and cut your bodies into pieces to be cooked and eaten in every village upon ,tanna4 ,i said1 ,surely1 when you had planned all this1 and brought them to kill us and steal all our property1 ,jehovah did protect us1 or we would not have been here6 ,he replied1 ,there was no ,jehovah to-day6 ,we have no fear of any ,man-of-war4 ,they dare not punish us4 ,they durst not punish the ,erromangans for murdering the ,gordons4 ,they will talk to us and say we must not do so again1 and give us a present4 ,that is all4 ,we fear nothing4 ,the talk of all ,tanna is that we will kill you and seize all your property tomorrow4 ,i warned him that the punishment of a ,man-of-war can only reach the body and the land1 but that ,jehovah's punishment reached both body and soul in ,time and in ,eternity4 ,he replied1 ,who fears ,jehovah8 ,he was not here to protect you to-day6 ,yes1 ,i said1 my ,jehovah ,god is here now4 ,he hears all we say1 sees all we do1 and will punish the wicked and protect ,his own people4 ,after this1 a number of the people sat down around me1 and ,i prayed with them4 ,but ,i left with a very heavy heart1 feeling that ,miaki was evidently bent on our destruction4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,the ,,end4 ,i ,,sent ,abraham to consult ,nowar1 who had defended us till disabled by a spear in the right knee4 ,he sent a canoe by ,abraham1 advising me to take some of my goods in it to his house by night1 and he would try to protect them and us4 ,the risk was so great we could only take a very little4 ,enemies were on every hand to cut off our flight1 and ,miaki1 the worst of all1 whose village had to be passed in going to ,nowar's4 ,in the darkness of the ,mission ,house1 we durst not light a candle for fear of some one seeing and shooting us4 ,not one of ,nowar's men durst come to help us4 ,but in the end it made no difference1 for ,nowar and his men kept what was taken there1 as their portion of the plunder4 ,abraham1 his wife1 and ,i waited anxiously for the morning light4 ,miaki1 the false and cruel1 came to assure us that the ,heathen would not return that day4 ,yet1 as daylight came in1 ,miaki himself stood and blew a great conch not far from our house4 ,i ran out to see why this trumpet-shell had been blown1 and found it was the signal for a great company of howling armed savages to rush down the hill on the other side of the bay and make straight for the ,mission ,house4 ,we had not a moment to lose4 ,to have remained would have been certain death to us all1 and also to ,matthew1 a ,teacher just arrived from ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station4 ,though ,i am by conviction a strong ,calvinist1 ,i am no ,fatalist4 ,i held on while one gleam of hope remained4 ,escape for life was now the only path of duty4 ,i called the ,teachers1 locked the door1 and made quickly for ,nowar's village4 ,there was not a moment left to carry anything with us4 ,in the issue1 ,abraham and his wife and ,i lost all our earthly goods1 and all our clothing except what we had on4 ,my ,bible1 the few translations which ,i had made into ,tannese1 and a light pair of blankets ,i carried with me4 ,we durst not choose the usual path along the beach1 for there our enemies would have quickly overtaken us4 ,we entered the bush in the hope of getting away unobserved4 ,but a cousin of ,miaki1 evidently secreted to watch us1 sprang from behind a breadfruit tree1 and swinging his tomahawk1 aimed it at my brow with a fiendish look4 ,avoiding it ,i turned upon him and said in a firm bold voice1 ,if you dare to strike me1 my ,jehovah ,god will punish you4 ,he is here to defend me now6 ,the man1 trembling1 looked all round as if to see the ,god who was my defender1 and the tomahawk gradually lowered at his side4 ,with my eye fixed upon him1 ,i gradually moved backwards in the track of the ,teachers1 and ,god mercifully restrained him from following me4 ,on reaching ,nowar's village unobserved1 we found the people terror-stricken1 crying1 rushing about in despair at such a host of armed savages approaching4 ,i urged them to ply their axes1 cut down trees1 and blockade the path4 ,for a little they wrought vigorously at this2 but when1 so far as eye could reach1 they saw the shore covered with armed men rushing on towards their village1 they were overwhelmed with fear1 they threw away their axes and weapons of war1 they cast themselves headlong on the ground1 and they knocked themselves against the trees as if to court death before it came4 ,they cried1 ,missi1 it's of no use6 ,we will all be killed and eaten to-day6 ,see what a host are coming against us4 ,mothers snatched up little children and ran to hide in the bush4 ,others waded as far as they could into the sea with them1 holding their heads above the water4 ,the whole village collapsed in a condition of indescribable terror4 ,nowar1 lame with his wounded knee1 got a canoe turned upside-down and sat upon it where he could see the whole approaching multitude4 ,he said1 ,missi1 sit down beside me1 and pray to our ,jehovah ,god1 for if ,he does not send deliverance now1 we are all dead men4 ,they will kill us all on your account1 and that quickly4 ,pray1 and ,i will watch6 ,they had gone to the ,mission ,house and broken in the door1 and finding that we had escaped1 they rushed on to ,nowar's village4 ,for1 as they began to plunder the bedroom1 ,nouka said1 ,leave everything4 ,missi will come back for his valuable things at night1 and then we will get them and him also6 ,so he nailed up the door1 and they all marched for ,nowar's4 ,we prayed as one can only pray when in the jaws of death and on the brink of ,eternity4 ,we felt that ,god was near1 and omnipotent to do what seemed best in ,his sight4 ,when the savages were about three hundred yards off1 at the foot of a hill leading up to the village1 ,nowar touched my knee1 saying4 ,missi1 ,jehovah is hearing6 ,they are all standing still4 ,had they come on they would have met with no opposition1 for the people were scattered in terror4 ,on gazing shorewards1 and round the ,harbor1 as far as we could see1 was a dense host of warriors1 but all were standing still1 and apparently absolute silence prevailed4 ,we saw a messenger or herald running along the approaching multitude1 delivering some tidings as he passed1 and then disappearing in the bush4 ,to our amazement1 the host began to turn1 and slowly marched back in great silence1 and entered the remote bush at the head of the ,harbor4 ,nowar and his people were in ecstasies1 crying out1 ,jehovah has heard ,missi's prayer6 ,jehovah has protected us and turned them away back4 ,about midday1 ,nouka and ,miaki sent their cousin ,jonas1 who had always been friendly to me1 to say that ,i might return to my house in safety1 as they were now carrying the war inland4 ,jonas had spent some years on ,samoa1 and been much with ,traders in ,sydney1 and spoke ,english well2 but we felt they were deceiving us4 ,next night1 ,abraham ventured to creep near the ,mission ,house1 to test whether we might return1 and save some valuable things1 and get a change of clothing4 ,the house appeared to stand as when they nailed up the door4 ,but a large party of ,miaki's allies at once enclosed ,abraham1 and1 after asking many questions about me1 they let him go since ,i was not there4 ,had ,i gone there they would certainly that night have killed me4 ,again1 at midnight ,abraham and his wife and ,matthew went to the ,mission ,house1 and found ,nouka1 ,miaki1 and ,karewick near by1 concealed in the bush among the reeds4 ,once more they enclosed them1 thinking ,i was there too1 but ,nouka1 finding that ,i was not1 cried out1 ,don't kill them just now6 ,wait till ,missi comes4 ,hearing this1 ,matthew slipped into the bush and escaped4 ,abraham's wife waded into the sea1 and they allowed her to get away4 ,abraham was allowed to go to the ,mission ,house1 but he too crept into the bush1 and after an anxious waiting they all came back to me in safety4 ,we now gave up all hope of recovering anything from the house4 ,towards morning1 when ,miaki and his men saw that ,i was not coming back to deliver myself into their hands1 they broke up my house and stole all they could carry away4 ,they tore my books1 and scattered them about4 ,they took away the type of my printing-press1 to be made into bullets for their muskets4 ,for similar uses they melted down the zinc lining of my boxes1 and everything else that could be melted4 ,what they could not take away1 they destroyed4 ,as the night advanced1 ,nowar declared that ,i must leave his village before morning1 else he and his people would be killed for protecting me4 ,he advised me1 as the sea was good1 to try for ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station2 but he objected to my taking away any of my property--he would soon follow with it himself6 ,but how to sail8 ,miaki had stolen my boat1 mast1 sails1 and oars1 as also an excellent canoe made for me and paid for by me on ,aneityum2 and he had threatened to shoot any person that assisted me to launch either the one or the other4 ,the danger still increasing1 ,nowar said1 ,you cannot remain longer in my house6 ,my son will guide you to the large chestnut tree in my plantation in the bush4 ,climb up into it1 and remain there till the moon rises4 ,being entirely at the mercy of such doubtful and vacillating friends1 ,i1 though perplexed1 felt it best to obey4 ,i climbed into the tree1 and was left there alone in the bush4 ,the hours ,i spent there live all before me as if it were but of yesterday4 ,i heard the frequent discharging of muskets1 and the yells of the savages4 ,yet ,i sat there among the branches1 as safe in the arms of ,jesus4 ,never1 in all my sorrows1 did my ,lord draw nearer to me1 and speak more soothingly in my soul1 than when the moonlight flickered among these chestnut leaves1 and the night air played on my throbbing brow1 as ,i told all my heart to ,jesus4 ,alone1 yet not alone6 ,if it be to glorify my ,god1 ,i will not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree1 to feel again my ,saviour's spiritual presence1 to enjoy ,his consoling fellowship4 ,if thus thrown back upon your own soul1 alone1 all1 all alone1 in the midnight1 in the bush1 in the very embrace of death itself1 have you a ,friend that will not fail you then8 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,,five ,,hours ,,in ,a ,,canoe4 ,,gladly would ,i have lingered there for one night of comparative peace6 ,but ,nowar sent his son to call me down from the tree1 and to guide me to the shore where he himself was1 as it was now time to take to sea in the canoe4 ,pleading for my ,lord's continuing presence1 ,i had to obey4 ,my life and the lives of my ,aneityumese now hung upon a very slender thread2 the risk was almost equally great from our friends so-called1 or from our enemies4 ,had ,i been a stranger to ,jesus and to prayer1 my reason would verily have given way1 but my comfort and joy sprang out of these words1 ,i will never leave thee1 nor forsake thee2 lo1 ,i am with you alway6 ,pleading these promises1 ,i followed my guide4 ,we reached the beach1 just inside the ,harbor1 at a beautiful white sandy bay on ,nowar's ground1 from which our canoe was to start4 ,a good number of the ,natives had assembled there to see us off4 ,arkurat1 having got a large roll of calico for the loan of his canoe1 hid it away1 and then refused the canoe1 saying that if he had to escape with his family he would require it4 ,he demanded an ax1 a sail for his canoe1 and a pair of blankets4 ,as ,koris had the ax and another had the quilt1 ,i gave the quilt to him for a sail1 and the ax and blankets for the canoe1 in fact1 these few relics of our earthly all at ,nowar's were coveted by the savages and endangered our lives1 and it was as well to get rid of them altogether4 ,he cruelly proposed a small canoe for two2 but ,i had hired the canoe for five1 and insisted upon getting it1 as he had been well paid for it4 ,as he only laughed and mocked us1 ,i prepared to start and travel overland to ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station4 ,he then said1 ,my wrath is over6 ,you may take it and go4 ,we launched it1 but now he refused to let us go till daylight4 ,he had always been one of my best friends1 but now appeared bent on a quarrel1 so ,i had to exercise much patience with him and them4 ,having launched it1 he said ,i had hired the canoe but not the paddles4 ,i protested1 ,surely you know we hired the paddles too4 ,what could we do without paddles8 ,but ,arkurat lay down and pretended to have fallen asleep1 snoring on the sand1 and could not be awaked4 ,i appealed to ,nowar1 who only said1 ,that is his conduct1 ,missi1 our conduct6 ,i replied1 ,as he has got the blankets which ,i saved to keep me from ague and fever1 and ,i have nothing left now but the clothes ,i have on1 surely you will give me paddles4 ,nowar gave me one4 ,returning to the village1 friends gave me one each till ,i got other three4 ,now ,arkurat started up1 and refused to let us go4 ,a ,chief and one of his men1 who lived on the other side of the island near to where we were going1 and who was hired by me to go with us and help in paddling the canoe1 drew back also and refused to go4 ,again ,i offered to leave the canoe1 and walk overland if possible1 when ,faimungo1 the ,chief who had refused to go with us1 came forward and said1 ,missi1 they are all deceiving you6 ,the sea is so rough1 you cannot go by it2 and if you should get round the weather point1 ,miaki has men appointed to shoot you as you pass the ,black ,rocks1 while by land all the paths are guarded by armed men4 ,i tell you the truth1 having heard all their talk4 ,miaki and ,karewick say they hate the ,worship1 and will kill you4 ,they killed your goats1 and stole all your property yesterday4 ,farewell6 ,the ,teachers1 the boy1 and ,i now resolved to enter the canoe and attempt it1 as the only gleam of hope left to us4 ,my party of five embarked in our frail canoe2 ,abraham first1 ,i next1 ,matthew after me1 the boy at the steering paddle1 and ,abraham's wife sitting in the bottom1 where she might hold on while it continued to float4 ,for a mile or more we got away nicely under the lee of the island1 but when we turned to go south for ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station1 we met the full force of wind and sea1 every wave breaking over and almost swamping our canoe4 ,the ,native lad at the helm paddle stood up crying1 ,missi1 this is the conduct of the sea6 ,it swallows up all who seek its help4 ,i answered1 ,we do not seek help from it1 but from ,jehovah ,jesus4 ,our danger became very great1 as the sea broke over and lashed around us4 ,my faithful ,aneityumese1 overcome with terror1 threw down their paddles1 and ,abraham said1 ,missi1 we are all drowned now6 ,we are food for the sharks4 ,we might as well be eaten by the ,tannese as by fishes2 but ,god will give us life with ,jesus in heaven6 ,i seized the paddle nearest me2 ,i ordered ,abraham to seize another within his reach2 ,i enjoined ,matthew to bail the canoe for life1 and the lad to keep firm in his seat1 and ,i cried1 ,stand to your post1 and let us return6 ,abraham1 where is now your faith in ,jesus8 ,remember1 ,he is ,ruler on sea as on land4 ,abraham1 pray and ply your paddle6 ,keep up stroke for stroke with me1 as our lives depend on it4 ,our ,god can protect us4 ,matthew1 bail with all your might4 ,don't look round on the sea and fear4 ,let us pray to ,god and ply our paddles1 and ,he will save us yet6 ,dear old ,abraham said1 ,thank you for that1 ,missi4 ,i will be strong4 ,i pray to ,god and ply my paddle4 ,god will save us6 ,with much labor1 and amid deadly perils1 we got the canoe turned2 and after four hours of a terrible struggle1 we succeeded1 towards daylight as the tide turned1 in again reaching smooth water4 ,with ,god's blessing we at last reached the shore1 exactly where we had left it five hours ago6 ,now drenched and weary1 with the skin of our hands sticking to the paddles1 we left the canoe on the reef and waded ashore4 ,many ,natives were there1 and looked sullen and disappointed at our return4 ,katasian1 the lad who had been with us1 instantly fled for his own land2 and the ,natives reported that he was murdered soon after4 ,utterly exhausted1 ,i lay down on the sand and immediately fell into a deep sleep4 ,by and by ,i felt someone pulling from under my head the native bag in which ,i carried my ,bible and the ,tannese translations--the all that had been saved by me from the wreck6 ,grasping the bag1 ,i sprang to my feet1 and the man ran away4 ,my ,teachers had also a hedging knife1 a useless revolver1 and a fowling-piece1 the sight of which1 though they had been under the salt water for hours1 ,god used to restrain the savages4 ,calling my ,aneityumese near1 we now1 in united prayer and kneeling on the sands1 committed each other unto the ,lord ,god1 being prepared for the last and worst4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,a ,,race ,,for ,,life4 ,as ,i sat meditating on the issues1 ,faimungo1 the friendly ,inland ,chief1 again appeared to warn us of our danger1 now very greatly increased by our being driven back from the sea4 ,all ,nowar's men had fled1 and were hid in the bush and in rocks along the shore2 while ,miaki was holding a meeting not half a mile away1 and preparing to fall upon us4 ,faimungo said1 ,farewell1 ,missi1 ,i am going home4 ,i don't wish to see the work and the murders of this morning4 ,he was ,nowar's son-in-law4 ,he had always been truthful and kindly with me4 ,his home was about half-way across the island1 on the road that we wanted to go1 and under sudden impulse ,i said1 ,faimungo1 will you let us follow you8 ,will you show us the path8 ,when the ,mission ,ship arrives1 ,i will give you three good axes1 blankets1 knives1 fish-hooks1 and many things you prize4 ,the late hurricanes had so destroyed and altered the paths1 that only ,natives who knew them well could follow them4 ,he trembled much and said1 ,missi1 you will be killed4 ,miaki and ,karewick will shoot you4 ,i dare not let you follow4 ,i have only about twenty men1 and your following might endanger us all4 ,i urged him to leave at once1 and we would follow of our own accord4 ,i would not ask him to protect us2 but if he betrayed us and helped the enemy to kill us1 ,i assured him that our ,god would punish him4 ,if he spared us1 he would be rewarded well2 and if we were killed against his wishes1 ,god would not be angry at him4 ,he said1 ,seven men are with me now1 and thirteen are to follow4 ,i will not now send for them4 ,they are with ,miaki and ,nouka4 ,i will go2 but if you follow1 you will be killed on the way4 ,you may follow me as far as you can4 ,off he started to ,nowar's1 and got a large load of my stolen property1 blankets1 sheets1 etc41 which had fallen to his lot4 ,he called his seven men1 who had also shared in the plunder1 and1 to avoid ,miaki's men1 they ran away under a large cocoanut grove skirting the shore1 calling1 ,be quick6 ,follow and keep as near to us as you can4 ,though ,nowar had got a box of my rice and appropriated many things from the plunder of the ,mission ,house besides the goods entrusted to his care1 and got two of my goats killed and cooked for himself and his people1 yet now he would not give a particle of food to my starving ,aneityumese or myself1 but hurried us off1 saying1 ,i will eat all your rice and keep all that has been left with me1 in payment for my lame knee and for my people fighting for you6 ,my three ,aneityumese and ,i started after ,faimungo and his men4 ,we could place no confidence in any of them2 but1 feeling that we were in the ,lord's hands1 it appeared to be our only hope of escaping instant death4 ,we got away unobserved by the enemies4 ,we met several small parties of friends in the ,harbor1 apparently glad to see us trying to get away4 ,but about four miles on our way1 we met a large party of ,miaki's men1 all armed1 and watching as outposts4 ,some were for shooting us1 but others hesitated4 ,every musket was1 however1 raised and leveled at me4 ,faimungo poised his great spear and said1 ,no1 you shall not kill ,missi to-day4 ,he is with me4 ,having made this flourish1 he strode off after his own men1 and my ,aneityumese followed1 leaving me face to face with a ring of leveled muskets4 ,sirawia1 who was in command of this party1 and who once1 like ,nowar1 had been my friend1 said to me1 ,judas like1 ,my love to you1 ,missi4 ,but he also shouted after ,faimungo1 ,your conduct is bad in taking the ,missi away2 leave him to us to be killed6 ,i then turned upon him1 saying1 ,sirawia1 ,i love you all4 ,you must know that ,i sought only your good4 ,i gave you medicine and food when you and your people were sick and dying under measles2 ,i gave you the very clothing you wear4 ,am ,i not your friend8 ,have we not often drunk tea and eaten together in my house8 ,can you stand there and see your friend shot8 ,if you do1 my ,god will punish you severely4 ,he then whispered something to his company which ,i did not hear2 and1 though their muskets were still raised1 ,i saw in their eyes that he had restrained them4 ,i therefore began gradually to move backwards1 still keeping my eyes fixed on them1 till the bush hid them from my view1 whereon ,i turned and ran after my party1 and ,god kept the enemy from following4 ,we trusted in ,jehovah ,jesus1 and pressed on in flight4 ,a second hostile party encountered us1 and with great difficulty we also got away from them4 ,soon thereafter a friendly company crossed our path4 ,we learned from them that the enemies had slaughtered other two of ,manuman's men1 and burned several villages with fire4 ,another party of the enemy encountered us1 and were eager for our lives4 ,but this time ,faimungo withstood them firmly1 his men encircled us1 and he said1 ,i am not afraid now1 ,missi2 ,i am feeling stronger near my own land6 ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,,faint ,,yet ,,pursuing4 ,,hurrying still onwards1 we came to that village on their high ground called ,aneai1 i4 e4 ,heaven4 ,the sun was oppressively hot1 the path almost unshaded1 and our whole party very exhausted1 especially ,faimungo1 carrying his load of stolen goods4 ,so here he sat down on the village dancing-ground for a smoke1 saying1 ,missi1 ,i am near my own land now4 ,we can rest with safety4 ,in a few minutes1 however1 he started up1 he and his men1 in wild excitement4 ,over a mountain1 behind the village and above it1 there came the shoutings1 and anon the tramp1 tramp of a multitude making rapidly towards us4 ,faimungo got up and planted his back against a tree4 ,i stood beside him1 and the ,aneityumese woman and the two men stood near me1 while his men seemed prepared to flee4 ,at full speed a large body of the tallest and most powerful men that ,i had seen on ,tanna came rushing on and filled the dancing-ground4 ,they were all armed1 and flushed with their success in war4 ,a messenger had informed them of our escape1 probably from ,miaki1 and they had crossed the country to intercept us4 ,faimungo was much afraid1 and said1 ,missi1 go on in that path1 you and your ,aneityumese2 and ,i will follow when ,i have had a smoke and a talk with these men4 ,i replied1 ,no1 ,i will stand by your side till you go2 and if ,i am killed1 it will be by your side1 ,i will not leave you4 ,he implored us to go on1 but that ,i knew would be certain death4 ,they began urging one another to kill us1 but ,i looked round them as calmly as possible1 saying1 ,my ,jehovah ,god will punish you here and hereafter1 if you kill me or any of ,his servants4 ,a killing-stone1 thrown by one of the savages1 grazed poor old ,abraham's cheek1 and the dear soul gave such a look at me1 and then upwards1 as if to say1 ,missi1 ,i was nearly away to ,jesus4 ,a club was also raised to follow the blow of the killing-stone1 but ,god baffled the aim4 ,they encircled us in a deadly ring1 and one kept urging another to strike the first blow1 or fire the first shot4 ,my heart rose up to the ,lord ,jesus2 ,i saw ,him watching all the scene4 ,in that awful hour ,i beheld ,his own words1 as if carved in letters of fire upon the clouds of ,heaven3 ,seek1 and ye shall find4 ,whatsoever ye shall ask in ,my name1 that will ,i do1 that the ,father may be glorified in the ,son4 ,i could understand how ,stephen and ,john saw the glorified ,saviour as they gazed up through suffering and persecution to the ,heavenly ,throne6 ,yet ,i never could say that on such occasions ,i was entirely without fear4 ,nay1 ,i have felt my reason reeling1 my sight coming and going1 and my knees smiting together when thus brought close to a violent death1 but mostly under the solemn thought of being ushered into ,eternity and appearing before ,god4 ,still1 ,i was never left without hearing that promise in all its consoling and supporting power coming up through the darkness and the anguish1 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway2 ,and with ,paul ,i could say1 even in this dread moment and crisis of being1 ,i am persuaded that neither death nor life144 nor any other creature1 shall be able to separate us from the love of ,god which is in ,christ ,jesus our ,lord4 ,faimungo and others now urged us to go on in the path4 ,i said1 ,faimungo1 why are we to leave you8 ,my ,god heard your promise not to betray me4 ,he knows now what is in your heart and in mine4 ,i will not leave you2 and if ,i am to die1 ,i will die by your side4 ,he replied1 ,now1 ,i go on before2 ,missi1 keep close to me4 ,his men had gone1 and ,i persuaded my ,aneityumese to follow them4 ,at last1 with a bound1 ,faimungo started after them4 ,i followed1 keeping as near him as ,i could1 pleading with ,jesus to protect me or to take me home to ,glory4 ,the host of armed men also ran along on each side with their weapons ready2 but leaving everything to ,jesus1 ,i ran on as if they were my escort1 or as if ,i saw them not4 ,if any reader wonders how they were restrained1 much more would ,i1 unless ,i believed that the same ,hand that restrained the lions from touching ,daniel held back these ,savages from hurting me6 ,we came to a stream crossing our path4 ,with a bound all my party cleared it1 ran up the bank opposite1 and disappeared in the bush4 ,faint yet pursuing1 ,i also tried the leap1 but ,i struck the bank and slid back on my hands and knees towards the stream4 ,at this moment ,i heard a crash above my head amongst the branches of an overhanging tree1 and ,i knew that a ,kawas had been thrown1 and that that branch had saved me4 ,praising my ,god1 ,i scrambled up on the other side1 and followed the track of my party into the bush4 ,the savages gazed after me for a little in silence1 but no one crossed the stream2 and ,i saw them separate into two1 one portion returning to the village and another pressing inland4 ,with what gratitude did ,i recognize the ,invisible ,one who brought their counsels to confusion4 ,i found my party resting in the bush1 and amazed to see me escaped alive from men who were thirsting for my blood4 ,faimungo and his men received me with demonstrations of joy1 perhaps feeling a little ashamed of their own cowardice4 ,he now ascended the mountain and kept away from the common path to avoid other ,native bands4 ,at every village enemies to the ,worship were ready to shoot us4 ,but ,i kept close to our guide1 knowing that the fear of shooting him would prevent their shooting at me1 as he was the most influential ,chief in all that section of the island4 ,one party said1 ,miaki and ,karewick said that ,missi made the sickness and the hurricanes1 and we ought to kill him4 ,faimungo replied1 ,they lie about ,missi6 ,it is our own bad conduct that makes us sick4 ,they answered1 ,we don't know who makes the sickness1 but our fathers have taught us to kill all ,foreign men4 ,faimungo1 clutching club and spear1 exclaimed1 standing betwixt them and us1 ,you won't kill ,missi to-day6 ,faimungo now sent his own men home by a near path1 and guided us himself till we were close upon the shore4 ,there sitting down1 he said1 ,missi1 ,i have now fulfilled my promise4 ,i am so tired1 ,i am so afraid1 ,i dare not go farther4 ,my love to you all4 ,now go on quickly6 ,three of my men will go with you to the next rocks4 ,go quickly6 ,farewell4 ,these men went on a little1 and then said1 ,missi1 we dare not go6 ,faimungo is at war with the people of the next land4 ,you must keep straight along this path4 ,so they turned and ran back to their own village4 ,to us this district was especially perilous4 ,many years ago the ,aneityumese had joined in a war against the ,tannese of this tribe1 and the thirst for revenge yet existed in their hearts1 handed down from sire to son4 ,most providentially the men were absent on a war expedition1 and we saw only three lads and a great number of women and children1 who ran off to the bush in terror4 ,in the evening the enraged savages of another district assaulted the people of the shore villages for allowing us to pass1 and1 though sparing their lives1 broke in pieces their weapons of war--a very grievous penalty4 ,in the next district1 as we hasted along the shore1 two young men came running after us1 poising their quivering spears4 ,i took the useless revolver out of my little native basket1 and raising it cried1 ,beware6 ,lay down your spears at once on the sand1 and carry my basket to the next landing at the ,black ,rocks4 ,they threw their spears on the sand1 lifted the bag1 and ran on before us to the rocks which formed the march betwixt them and their enemies4 ,laying it down1 they said appealingly1 ,missi1 let us return to our home6 ,and how they did run1 fearing the pursuit of their foes4 ,in the next land we saw none4 ,after that we saw crowds all along1 some friendly1 others unfriendly1 but they let us pass on1 and with the blessing of ,almighty ,god we drew dear to ,mr4 ,mathieson's ,station in safety4 ,here a man gave me a cocoanut for each of our party1 which we greatly required1 having tasted nothing all that day1 and very little for several days before4 ,we were so weak that only the struggle for life enabled us to keep our feet2 yet my poor ,aneityumese never complained and never halted1 not even the woman4 ,the danger and excitement kept us up in the race for life2 and by the blessing of ,god we were now approaching the ,mission ,house1 praising ,god for ,his wonderful deliverances4 ,hearing of our coming1 ,mr4 ,mathieson came running to meet me4 ,they had heard of our leaving my own ,station1 and they thought ,i was dead6 ,they were themselves both very weak2 their only child had just been laid in the grave1 and they were in great grief and in greater peril4 ,we praised the ,lord for permitting us to meet2 we prayed for support1 guidance1 and protection2 and resolved now1 in all events1 to stand by each other till the last4 ,,chapter ,,xl4 ,,waiting ,,at ,,kwamera4 ,,before ,i left the ,harbor ,i wrote and left with ,nowar letters to be given to the ,captains of any vessels which called1 for the first1 and the next1 and the next1 telling them of our great danger1 that ,mr4 ,mathieson was almost without food1 and that ,i would reward them handsomely if they would call at the ,station and remove any of us who might be spared thence to ,aneityum4 ,two or three vessels called1 and1 as ,i afterwards learned1 got my letters2 but1 while buying my stolen property from the ,natives for tobacco1 powder1 and balls1 they took no further notice of my appeals1 and sailed past ,mr4 ,mathieson's1 straight on to ,aneityum4 ,the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel6 ,let me now cull the leading events from my ,journal1 that intervened betwixt this date and the break-up of the ,mission on ,tanna--at least for a season--though1 blessed be ,god6 ,i have lived to see the light rekindled by my dear friends ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,watt1 and shining more brightly and hopefully than ever4 ,the candle was quenched1 but the candlestick was not removed6 ,on the #bc;d ,january1 #ahfb1 ,mr4 ,mathieson sent for ,taura1 ,kati1 and ,kapuku1 his three principal ,chiefs1 to induce them to promise protection till a vessel called to take us away4 ,they appeared friendly1 and promised to do their best4 ,alas6 the promises of the ,tannese ,chiefs had too often proved to be vain4 ,on ,friday1 #bdth ,january1 report reached our ,station that ,miaki and his party1 hearing that a friendly ,chief had concealed two of ,manuman's young men1 compelled him to produce them and club them to death before their eyes4 ,also1 that they surrounded ,manuman's party on a mountain1 and hemmed them in there1 dying of starvation1 and trying to survive on the carcasses of the dead and on bark and roots4 ,also1 that ,miaki had united all the ,chiefs1 friends and foes alike1 in a bond of blood1 to kill every one pertaining to the whole ,mission on ,tanna4 ,jesus reigns6 ,on ,sunday1 the #bfth ,january1 thirty persons came to worship at the ,mission ,house4 ,thereafter1 at great risk1 we had ,worship at three of the nearest and most friendly villages4 ,amidst all our perils and trials we preached the ,gospel to about one hundred and sixteen persons4 ,it was verily a sowing time of tears2 but1 despite all that followed1 who shall say that it was vain6 ,twenty years have passed1 and now when ,i am writing this1 there is a ,church of ,god singing the praises of ,jesus in that very district of ,tanna4 ,on leaving the second village1 a young lad affectionately took my hand to lead me to the next village2 but a sulky1 down-browed savage1 carrying a ponderous club1 also insisted upon accompanying us4 ,i led the way1 guided by the lad4 ,mr4 ,mathieson got the man to go before him1 while he himself followed1 constantly watching4 ,coming to a place where another path branched off from ours1 ,i asked which path we took1 and1 on turning to the left as instructed by the lad1 the savage1 getting close behind me1 swung his huge club over his shoulder to strike me on the head4 ,mr4 ,mathieson1 springing forward1 caught the club from behind with a great cry to me2 and ,i1 wheeling instantly1 had hold of the club also1 and betwixt us we wrested it out of his hands4 ,the poor creature1 craven at heart however bloodthirsty1 implored us not to kill him4 ,i raised the club threateningly1 and caused him to march in front of us till we reached the next village fence4 ,in terror lest these villagers should kill him1 he gladly received back his club1 as well as the boy his bow and arrows1 and they were lost in the bush in a moment4 ,at the village from which this man and boy had come1 one savage brought his musket while we were conducting ,worship1 and sat sullen and scowling at us all the time4 ,mocking questions were also shouted at us1 such as1 ,who made the rains1 winds1 and hurricanes8 ,who caused all the disease8 ,who killed ,missi ,mathieson's child8 ,they sneered and scoffed at our answers1 and in this ,taura the ,chief joined the rest4 ,on the #bgth1 at daylight1 a vessel was seen in the offing1 as if to tantalize us4 ,the ,captain had been at the ,harbor1 and had received my letter from ,nowar4 ,i hoisted a flag to induce him to send or come on shore1 but he sailed off for ,aneityum1 bearing the plunder of my poor ,mission ,house1 purchased for ammunition and tobacco for the ,natives4 ,he left the news at ,aneityum that ,i had been driven from my ,station some time ago1 and was believed to have been murdered4 ,on the #bith of ,january1 the young ,chief ,kapuku came and handed to ,mr4 ,mathieson his own and his father's war-gods and household idols4 ,they consisted chiefly of a basket of small and peculiar stones1 much worn and shining with use4 ,he said1 ,while many are trying to kill you and drive the ,worship of ,jehovah from this island1 ,i give up my gods1 and will send away all ,heathen idols from my land4 ,on the #cast1 we learned that a party of ,miaki's men were going about ,mr4 ,mathieson's district inciting the people to kill us4 ,faimungo also came to inform us that ,maiki was exerting all his artifice to get us and the ,worship destroyed4 ,manuman even sent1 from inland1 ,raki1 his adopted son1 to tell me of the fearful sufferings that he and his people were now passing through1 and that some were killed almost every day4 ,raki's wife was a ,chief's daughter1 who1 when the war began1 returned to her father's care4 ,the savages of ,miaki went to her own father's house and compelled him to give her up as an enemy4 ,she was clubbed and feasted on4 ,on ,sabbath1 #b;d ,february1 thirty-two people attended the ,morning ,service4 ,i addressed them on the ,deluge1 its causes and lessons4 ,i showed them a doll1 explaining that such carved and painted images could not hear our prayers or help us in our need1 that the living ,jehovah ,god only could hear and help4 ,they were much interested1 and after ,worship carefully examined the doll4 ,mr4 ,mathieson and ,i1 committing ourselves to ,jesus1 went inland and conducted ,worship at seven villages1 listened to by about one hundred people in all4 ,nearly all appeared friendly4 ,the people of one village had been incited to kill us on our return2 but ,god guided us to return by another way1 and so we escaped4 ,during the day1 on #c;d ,february1 a company of ,miaki's men came to the ,mission ,house1 and forced ,mrs4 ,mathieson to show them through the premises4 ,providentially1 ,i had bolted myself that morning into a closet room1 and was engrossed with writing4 ,they went through every room in the house and did not see me1 concluding ,i had gone inland4 ,they discharged a musket into our ,teacher's house1 but afterwards left quietly1 greatly disappointed at not finding me4 ,my heart still rose in praise to ,god for another such deliverance1 neither by man nor of man's planning6 ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,,the ,,last ,,awful ,,night4 ,,worn out with long watching and many fatigues1 ,i lay down that night early1 and fell into a deep sleep4 ,about ten o'clock the savages again surrounded the ,mission ,house4 ,my faithful dog ,clutha1 clinging still to me amid the wreck of all else on earth1 sprang quietly upon me1 pulled at my clothes1 and awoke me1 showing danger in her eye glancing at me through the shadows4 ,i silently awoke ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson1 who had also fallen asleep4 ,we committed ourselves in hushed prayer to ,god and watched them1 knowing that they could not see us4 ,immediately a glare of light fell into the room6 ,men passed with flaming torches2 and first they set fire to the ,church all round1 and then to a reed fence connecting the ,church and the dwelling-house4 ,in a few minutes the house1 too1 would be in flames1 and armed savages waiting to kill us on attempting an escape6 ,taking my harmless revolver in the left hand and a little ,american tomahawk in the right1 ,i pleaded with ,mr4 ,mathieson to let me out and instantly to again lock the door on himself and wife4 ,he very reluctantly did so1 holding me back and saying1 ,stop here and let us die together6 ,you will never return6 ,i said1 ,be quick6 ,leave that to ,god4 ,in a few minutes our house will be in flames1 and then nothing can save us4 ,he did let me out1 and locked the door again quickly from the inside2 and1 while his wife and he prayed and watched for me from within1 ,i ran to the burning reed fence1 cut it from top to bottom1 and tore it up and threw it back into the flames1 so that the fire could not by it be carried to our dwelling-house4 ,i saw on the ground shadows1 as if something were falling around me1 and started back4 ,seven or eight savages had surrounded me1 and raised their great clubs in air4 ,i heard a shout--,kill him6 ,kill him6 ,one savage tried to seize hold of me1 but1 leaping from his clutch1 ,i drew the revolver from my pocket and leveled it as for use1 my heart going up in prayer to my ,god4 ,i said1 ,dare to strike me1 and my ,jehovah ,god will punish you4 ,he protects us1 and will punish you for burning ,his ,church1 for hatred to ,his ,worship and people1 and for all your bad conduct4 ,we love you all2 and for doing you good only1 you want to kill us4 ,but our ,god is here now to protect us and to punish you4 ,they yelled in rage1 and urged each other to strike the first blow1 but the ,invisible ,one restrained them4 ,i stood invulnerable beneath ,his invisible shield1 and succeeded in rolling back the tide of flame from our dwelling-house4 ,at this dread moment occurred an incident1 which my readers may explain as they like1 but which ,i trace directly to the interposition of my ,god4 ,a rushing and roaring sound came from the ,south1 like the noise of a mighty engine or of muttering thunder4 ,every head was instinctively turned in that direction1 and they knew1 from previous hard experience1 that it was one of their awful tornadoes of wind and rain4 ,now1 mark1 the wind bore the flames away from our dwelling-house2 had it come in the opposite direction1 no power on earth could have saved us from being all consumed6 ,it made the work of destroying the ,church only that of a few minutes2 but it brought with it a heavy and murky cloud1 which poured out a perfect torrent of tropical rain4 ,now1 mark again1 the flames of the burning ,church were thereby cut off from extending to and seizing upon the reeds and the bush2 and1 besides1 it had become almost impossible now to set fire to our dwelling-house4 ,the stars in their courses were fighting against ,sisera6 ,the mighty roaring of the wind1 the black cloud pouring down unceasing torrents1 and the whole surroundings1 awed those savages into silence4 ,some began to withdraw from the scene1 all lowered their weapons of war1 and several1 terror-struck1 exclaimed1 ,that is ,jehovah's rain6 ,truly their ,jehovah ,god is fighting for them and helping them4 ,let us away6 ,a panic seized upon them2 they threw away their remaining torches2 in a few moments they had all disappeared in the bush2 and ,i was left alone1 praising ,god for ,his marvelous works4 ,o taste and see that ,god is good6 ,blessed is the man that trusteth in ,him6 ,returning to the door of the ,mission ,house1 ,i cried1 ,open and let me in4 ,i am now all alone4 ,mr4 ,mathieson let me in1 and exclaimed1 ,if ever1 in time of need1 ,god sent help and protection to ,his servants in answer to prayer1 ,he has done so to-night6 ,blessed be ,his holy ,name6 ,in fear and in joy we united our praises4 ,truly our ,jesus has all power1 not less in the elements of ,nature than in the savage hearts of the ,tannese4 ,precious ,jesus6 ,often since have ,i wept over ,his love and mercy in that deliverance1 and prayed that every moment of my remaining life may be consecrated to the service of my precious ,friend and ,saviour6 ,,chapter ,,xlii4 ,,sail ,o6 ,,sail ,o6 ,,all through the remainder of that night ,i lay wide awake keeping watch1 my noble little dog lying near me with ears alert4 ,early in the morning friends came weeping around us4 ,our enemies were loudly rejoicing4 ,it had been finally resolved to kill us at once1 to plunder our house and then to burn it4 ,the noise of the shouting was distinctly heard as they neared the ,mission premises1 and our weeping1 friendly ,natives looked terror-struck1 and seemed anxious to flee for the bush4 ,but just when the excitement rose to the highest pitch1 we heard1 or dreamed that we heard1 a cry higher still1 ,sail ,o6 ,we were by this time beginning to distrust almost our very senses2 but again and again that cry came rolling up from the shore1 and was repeated from crowd to crowd all along the beach1 ,sail ,o6 ,sail ,o6 ,the shouts of those approaching us gradually ceased1 and the whole multitude seemed to have melted away from our view4 ,i feared some cruel deception1 and at first peered out very cautiously to spy the land4 ,but yonder in very truth a vessel came sailing into view4 ,it was the ,blue ,bell ,captain ,hastings4 ,i set fire to the reeds on the side of the hill to attract his attention4 ,i put a black shawl as a flag on one end of the ,mission ,house and a white sheet on the other4 ,this was one of the vessels that had been to ,port ,resolution1 and had sailed past to ,aneityum some time ago4 ,i afterwards saw the mate and some of the men wearing my shirts1 which they had bought from the ,tannese on their former visit4 ,at the earnest request of ,messrs4 ,geddie and ,copeland1 ,mr4 ,underwood1 the owner1 had sent ,captain ,hastings to ,tanna to rescue us if yet alive4 ,for this purpose he had brought twenty armed men from ,aneityum1 who came on shore in two boats in charge of the mate1 the notorious ,ross ,lewin4 ,he returned to the ship with a boat-load of ,mr4 ,mathieson's things1 leaving ten of the ,natives to help us to pack more and carry them down to the beach1 especially what the ,missionary thought most valuable4 ,the two boats were now loaded and ready to start4 ,it was about two o'clock in the afternoon1 when a strange and painful trial befell us4 ,poor dear ,mr4 ,mathieson1 apparently unhinged1 locked himself all alone into what had been his study1 telling ,mrs4 ,mathieson and me to go1 for he had resolved to remain and die on ,tanna4 ,we tried to show him the inconsistency of praying to ,god to protect us or grant us means of escape1 and then refuse to accept a rescue sent to us in our last extremity4 ,we argued that it was surely better to live and work for ,jesus than to die as a self-made martyr1 who1 in ,god's sight1 was guilty of self-murder4 ,his wife wept aloud and pleaded with him1 but all in vain6 ,he refused to leave or to unlock his door4 ,i then said1 ,it is now getting dark4 ,your wife must go with the vessel1 but ,i will not leave you alone4 ,i shall send a note explaining why ,i am forced to remain2 and as it is certain that we shall be murdered whenever the vessel leaves1 ,i tell you ,god will charge you with the guilt of our murder4 ,at this he relented1 unlocked the door1 and accompanied us to the boats1 in which we all immediately left4 ,meantime1 having lost several hours1 the vessel had drifted leeward2 darkness suddenly settled upon us1 and when we were out at sea we lost sight of her and she of us4 ,after tumbling about for some hours in a heavy sea1 and unable to find her1 those in charge of the boats came near for consultation1 and1 if possible1 to save the lives of all4 ,we advised that they should steer for ,port ,resolution by the flame of the volcano--a never failing lighthouse1 seen fifty miles away--and there await the vessel4 ,the boats were to keep within hearing of each other by constant calling2 but this was soon lost to the ear1 though on arriving in the bay we found they had got to anchor before us4 ,there we sat in the boats and waited for the coming day4 ,as the light appeared1 we anchored as far out as possible1 beyond the reach of musket shots2 and there without water or food we sat under a tropical sun till midday came1 and still there was no sign of the vessel4 ,the mate at last put all the passengers and the poorest seamen into one boat and left her to swing at anchor1 while1 with a strong crew in the other1 he started off in search of the vessel4 ,in the afternoon1 ,nowar and ,miaki came off in a canoe to visit us4 ,nowar had on a shirt1 but ,miaki was naked and frowning4 ,he urged me to go and see the ,mission ,house1 but as we had seen a body of men near it ,i refused to go4 ,miaki declared that everything remained as ,i had left it1 but we knew that he lied4 ,old ,abraham and a party had slipped on shore in a canoe1 and had found the windows smashed and everything gone except my books1 which were scattered about and torn in pieces4 ,they learned that ,miaki had sold everything that he could sell to the ,traders4 ,the mate and men of the ,blue ,bell had on my very clothes4 ,they boasted that they had bought them for a few figs of tobacco and for powder1 caps1 and balls4 ,but they would not return a single shirt to me1 though ,i was without a change4 ,we had all been without food since the morning before1 so ,nowar brought us off a cocoanut each1 and two very small roasted yams for the ladies4 ,those1 however1 only seemed to make our thirst the more severe1 and we spent a trying day in that boat under a burning sun4 ,nowar informed me that only a few nights before this1 ,miaki and his followers went inland to a village where last year they had killed ten men4 ,having secretly placed a savage at the door of every house1 at a given signal they yelled1 and when the terrified inmates tried to escape1 they killed almost every man1 woman1 and child4 ,some fled into the bush1 others rushed to the shore4 ,a number of men got into a canoe to escape1 but hearing women and children crying after them they returned1 and taking those they could with them1 they killed the rest1 lest they should fall alive into ,miaki's hands4 ,these are surely they who through fear of death are all their lifetime subject to bondage4 ,the ,chief and nearly his whole village were cut off in one night6 ,the dark places of the ,earth are full of the habitations of horrid cruelty4 ,to have actually lived amongst the ,heathen and seen their life gives a man a new appreciation of the power and blessings of the ,gospel1 even where its influence is only very imperfectly allowed to guide and restrain the passions of men4 ,oh1 what it will be when all men in all nations love and serve the glorious ,redeemer6 ,,chapter ,,xliii4 ,,farewell ,,to ,,tanna4 ,,about five o'clock in the evening the vessel hove in sight4 ,before dark we were all on board1 and were sailing for ,aneityum4 ,though both ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mathieson had become very weak1 they stood the voyage wonderfully4 ,next day we were safely landed4 ,we had offered ,captain ,hastings #bj to take us to ,aneityum1 but he declined any fare4 ,however1 we divided it amongst the mate and crew1 for they had every one shown great kindness to us on the voyage4 ,after arriving on ,aneityum1 ,mrs4 ,mathieson gradually sank under consumption1 and fell asleep in ,jesus on #aath ,march1 #ahfb1 and was interred there in the full assurance of a glorious resurrection4 ,mr4 ,mathieson1 becoming more and more depressed after her death1 went over to ,mr4 ,creagh's ,station1 on ,mare1 and there died on #adth ,june1 #ahfb1 still trusting in ,jesus1 and assured that he would soon be with ,him in ,glory4 ,after their death ,i was the only one left alive1 in all the ,new ,hebrides ,mission north of ,aneityum1 to tell the story of those pioneer years1 during which were sown the seeds of what is now fast becoming a glorious harvest4 ,twenty-five years ago1 all these dear brethren and sisters who were associated with me in the work of the ,mission were called home to ,glory1 to cast their crowns at the feet of ,jesus and enjoy the bliss of the redeemed2 while ,i am privileged still to toil and pray for the salvation of the poor ,islanders1 and plead the cause of the ,mission both in the ,colonies and at home1 in which work the ,lord has graciously given me undreamt-of success4 ,my constant desire and prayer are that ,i may be spared to see at least one ,missionary on every island of the group1 or trained ,native ,teachers under the superintendence of a ,missionary1 to unfold the riches of redeeming love and to lead the poor ,islanders to ,jesus for salvation4 ,what could be taken in three boats was saved out of the wreck of ,mr4 ,mathieson's property2 but my earthly all perished1 except the ,bible and the translations into ,tannese4 ,along with the goods pertaining to the ,mission1 the property which ,i had to leave behind would be under-estimated at #fjj1 besides the value of the ,mission ,house1 etc4 ,often since have ,i thought that the ,lord stripped me thus bare of all these interests that ,i might with undistracted mind devote my entire energy to the special work soon to be carved out for me1 and of which at this moment neither ,i nor any one had ever dreamed4 ,at any rate1 the loss of my little ,earthly ,all1 though doubtless costing me several pangs1 was not an abiding sorrow like that which sprang from the thought that the ,lord's work was now broken up at both ,stations1 and that the ,gospel was for the time driven from ,tanna4 ,in the darkest moment ,i never doubted that ultimately the victory there1 as elsewhere1 would be on the side of ,jesus1 believing that the whole ,earth would yet be filled with the glory of the ,lord4 ,but ,i sometimes sorely feared that ,i might never live to see or hear of that happy day6 ,by the goodness of the ,ever-merciful ,one ,i have lived to see and hear of a ,gospel ,church on ,tanna1 and to read about my dear fellow-,missionaries1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,watt1 celebrating the ,holy ,supper to a ,native ,congregation of ,tannese1 amid the very scenes and people where the seeds of faith and hope were planted not only in tears1 but tears of blood1--in deaths oft4 ,my own intention was to remain on ,aneityum1 go on with my work of translating the ,gospels1 and watch the earliest opportunity1 as ,god opened up my way1 to return to ,tanna1 ,i had1 however1 got very weak and thin2 my health was undoubtedly much shaken by the continued trials and dangers through which we had passed2 and therefore1 as ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,inglis were at home carrying the ,new ,testament through the press in the language of ,aneityum1 and as ,tanna was closed for a season--,dr4 ,geddie1 the ,rev4 ,joseph ,copeland1 and ,mr4 ,mathieson all urged me to go to ,australia by a vessel then in the ,harbor and leaving in a few days4 ,my commission was to awaken an interest among the ,presbyterian ,churches of our ,colonies in this ,new ,hebrides ,mission which lay at their doors1 up till this time sustained by ,scotland and ,nova ,scotia alone4 ,and further1 and very specially1 to raise money there1 if possible1 to purchase a new ,mission ,ship for the work of ,god in the ,new ,hebrides1--a clamant necessity which would save all future ,missionaries some of the more terrible of the privations and risks of which a few examples have in these pages already been recorded4 ,with regrets1 and yet with unquenchable hope for these ,islands1 ,i embarked for ,australia4 ,but ,i had only spoken to one man in ,sydney2 all the doors to influence had therefore to be unlocked2 and ,i had no helper1 no leader1 but the ,spirit of my ,lord4 ,oftentimes1 while passing through the perils and defeats of my first four years in the ,mission field on ,tanna1 ,i wondered1 and perhaps the reader hereof has wondered1 why ,god permitted such things4 ,but on looking back now1 ,i already clearly perceive1 and the reader of my future pages will1 ,i think1 perceive1 that the ,lord was thereby preparing me for doing1 and providing me materials wherewith to accomplish1 the best work of all my life1 namely1 the kindling of the heart of ,australian ,presbyterianism with a living affection for these ,islanders of their own ,southern ,seas--the binding of all their children into a happy league of shareholders1 first in one ,mission ,ship1 and finally in a larger and more commodious ,steam-,auxiliary2 and1 last of all1 in being the instrument under ,god of sending out ,missionary after ,missionary to the ,new ,hebrides1 to claim another island and still another for ,jesus4 ,that work1 and all that may spring from it in ,time and ,eternity1 never could have been accomplished by me1 but for first the sufferings and then the story of my ,tanna days6 ,never for one moment have ,i had occasion to regret the step then taken4 ,the ,lord has so used me1 during the five-and-twenty years that have passed over me since my farewell to ,tanna1 as to stamp the event with ,his own most gracious approval4 ,oh1 to see a ,missionary1 and ,christian ,teachers1 planted on every island of the ,new ,hebrides6 ,for this ,i labor1 and wait1 and pray4 ,to help on the fulfillment thereof is the sacred work of my life1 under ,god4 ,when ,i see that accomplished1 or in a fair way of being so1 through the organization that will provide the money and call forth the men1 ,i can lay down my head as peacefully and gratefully as ever warrior did1 with the shout of victory in his ears--,lord1 now lettest ,thou ,thy servant depart in peace6 7,for ,good ,news from ,tanna1 see ,supplementary ,chapter by the ,editor1 p4#cic47 ,,chapter ,,xliv4 ,,the ,,floating ,,of ,,the ,,dayspring4 ,,rescued from ,tanna by the ,blue ,bell in the ,spring of #ahfi1 ,i was landed on ,aneityum1 leaving behind me all that ,i owned on ,earth1 save the clothes upon my back1 my precious ,bible1 and a few translations that ,i had made from it into the ,tannese language4 ,the ,missionaries on ,aneitymn united in urging me to go to ,australia in the interests of our ,mission4 ,a ,mission ,ship was sorely needed--was absolutely required--to prevent the needless sacrifice of devoted lives4 ,more ,missionaries were called for1 and must somehow be brought into the field1 unless the hope of claiming these fair ,islands for ,jesus was to be forever abandoned4 ,with unaffected reluctance1 ,i at last felt constrained to undertake this unwelcome but apparently inevitable task4 ,it meant the leaving of my dear ,islanders for a season2 but it embraced within it the hope of returning to them again1 with perhaps every power of blessing amongst them tenfold increased4 ,a ,sandal-wooder1 then lying at ,aneityum1 was to sail in a few days direct for ,sydney4 ,my passage was secured for #aj4 ,and1 as if to make me realize how bare the ,lord had stripped me in my late trials1 the first thing that occupied me on board was the making with my own hands1 from a piece of cloth obtained on ,aneityum1 another shirt for the voyage1 to change with that which ,i wore--the only one that had been left to me4 ,the ,captain proved to be a profane and brutal fellow4 ,and how my heart bled for some poor ,islanders whom he had on board6 ,they knew not a word of ,english1 and no one in the vessel knew a sound of their language4 ,they were made to work1 and to understand what was expected of them1 only by hard knocks and blows1 being pushed and pulled hither and thither4 ,they were kept quite naked on the voyage up2 but1 when nearing ,sydney1 each received two yards of calico to be twisted as a kilt around his loins4 ,a most pathetic spectacle it was to watch these poor ,natives1--when they had leisure to sit on deck1--gazing1 gazing1 intently and imploringly1 upon the face of the ,sun6 ,this they did every day1 and at all hours1 and ,i wept much to look on them1 and not be able to tell them of the ,son of ,god1 the ,light of the world1 for ,i knew no word of their language4 ,perhaps they were worshipers of the ,sun2 and perhaps1 amid all their misery1 oh1 perhaps1 some ray of truth from the great ,father of ,lights may have streamed into those darkened souls6 ,when we arrived at ,sydney the ,inspecting ,officer of the ,government1 coming on board1 asked how these ,islanders came to be there4 ,the ,captain impudently replied that they were passengers4 ,no further question was put4 ,no other evidence was sought4 ,yet all who knew anything of our ,south-,sea ,island ,traders were perfectly aware that the moral certainty was that these ,natives were there practically as ,slaves4 ,they would be privately disposed of by the ,captain to the-highest bidder2 and that1 forsooth1 is to be called the ,labor ,traffic1--,free ,labor6 ,i will1 to my dying breath1 denounce and curse this ,kanaka traffic as the worst of ,slavery4 ,as we came to anchorage1 about midnight1 in ,sydney ,harbor1 ,i anxiously paced the deck1 gazing towards the gas-lighted city1 and pleading with ,god to open up my way1 and give success in the work before me1 on which the salvation of thousands of the ,heathen might depend4 ,still ,i saw them perishing1 still heard their wailing cry on the ,islands behind me4 ,at the same time1 ,i knew not a soul in that great city2 though ,i had a note of introduction to one person1 which1 as experience proved1 ,i would have been better without4 ,that friend1 however1 did his best4 ,he kindly called with me on a number of ,ministers and others4 ,they heard my story1 sympathized with me1 shook hands1 and wished me success2 but1 strangely enough1 something very special prevented every one of them from giving me access to his pulpit or ,sabbath ,school4 ,at length ,i felt so disappointed1 so miserable1 that ,i wished ,i had been in my grave with my dear departed1 and my brethren on the ,islands1 who had fallen around me1 in order that the work on which so much now appeared to depend might have been entrusted to some one better fitted to accomplish it4 ,the heart seemed to keep repeating1 ,all these things are against thee4 ,finding out at last the ,rev4 ,a4 ,buzacott1 then retired1 but formerly the successful and honored representative of the ,london ,missionary ,society on ,rarotonga1 considerable light was let in upon the mystery of my last week's experiences4 ,he informed me that the highly-esteemed friend1 who had kindly been introducing me all round1 was at that moment immersed in a keen ,newspaper war with ,presbyterians and ,independents4 ,this made it painfully manifest that1 in order to succeed1 ,i must strike out a new course for myself1 and one clear from all local entanglement4 ,paying a fortnight in advance1 ,i withdrew even from the lodging ,i had taken1 and turned to the ,lord more absolutely for guidance4 ,he brought me into contact with good and generous-souled servants of ,his1 the open-hearted ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,foss4 ,though entire strangers1 they kindly invited me to be their guest while in ,sydney1 assuring me that ,i would meet with many ,ministers and other ,christians at their house who could help me in my work4 ,god had opened the door2 ,i entered with a grateful heart2 they will not miss their recompense4 ,a letter and appeal had been already printed on behalf of our ,mission4 ,i now re-cast and reprinted it1 adding a postscript1 and appending my own name and address4 ,this was widely circulated among ,ministers and others engaged in ,christian work2 and by this means1 and by letters in the newspapers1 ,i did everything in my power to make our ,mission known4 ,but one week had passed1 and no response came4 ,one ,lord's ,day had gone by1 and no pulpit had been opened to me4 ,i was perplexed beyond measure how to get access to ,congregations and ,sabbath ,schools2 though a something deep in my soul assured me1 that if once my lips were opened1 the ,word of the ,lord would not return void4 ,on my second ,sabbath in ,sydney ,i wandered out with a great yearning at heart to get telling my message to any soul that would listen4 ,it was the afternoon2 and children were flocking into a ,church that ,i passed4 ,i followed them--that yearning growing stronger every moment4 ,my ,god so ordered it that ,i was guided thus to the ,chalmers ,presbyterian ,church4 ,the ,minister1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,m',skimming1 addressed the children4 ,at the close ,i went up and pleaded with him to allow me ten minutes to speak to them4 ,after a little hesitation1 and having consulted together1 they gave me fifteen minutes4 ,becoming deeply interested1 the good man invited me to preach to his ,congregation in the evening4 ,this was duly intimated in the ,sabbath ,school2 and thus my little boat was at last launched--surely by the hand of the dear ,lord1 with the help of ,his little children4 ,,chapter ,,xlv4 ,a ,,shipping ,,company ,,for ,,jesus4 ,,the kindly minister of ,chalmers church1 now very deeply interested1 offered to spend the next day in introducing me to his clerical brethren4 ,for his sake1 ,i was most cordially received by them all1 but especially by ,dr4 ,dunmore ,lang1 who greatly helped me2 and now access was granted me to almost every church and ,sabbath ,school1 both ,presbyterian and ,independent4 ,in ,sabbath ,schools1 ,i got a collection in connection with my address1 and distributed1 with the sanction of superintendents1 collecting cards amongst the children1 to be returned through the ,teachers within a specified date4 ,in congregations1 ,i received for the ,mission the surplus over and above the ordinary collection when ,i preached on ,sabbaths1 and the full collection at all week-night meetings for which ,i could arrange4 ,i now appealed to a few of the most friendly ministers to form themselves into an honorary committee of advice2 and1 at my earnest request1 they got ,j4 ,goodlet1 ,esq41 an excellent elder1 to become honorary treasurer1 and to take charge of all funds raised for the ,mission ship4 ,for the public knew nothing of me2 but all knew my good treasurer and these faithful ministers1 and had confidence in the work4 ,they knew that every penny went direct to the ,mission2 and they saw that my one object was to promote ,god's glory in the conversion of the heathen4 ,our dear ,lord ,jesus thus opened up my way2 and now ,i had invitations from more schools and congregations than ,i knew how to overtake--the response in money being also gratifying beyond almost all expectation4 ,it was now that ,i began a little plan of interesting the children1 that attracted them from the first1 and has since had an amazing development4 ,i made them shareholders in the new ,mission ,ship--each child receiving a printed form1 in acknowledgment of the number of shares1 at sixpence each1 of which he was the owner4 ,thousands of these shares were taken out1 were shown about amongst families1 and were greatly prized4 ,the ,ship was to be their very own6 ,they were to be a great ,shipping ,company for ,jesus4 ,in hundreds of homes these receipt-forms have been preserved2 and their owners1 now in middle years1 are training their children of to-day to give their pennies to support the white-winged ,angel of the ,seas1 that bears the ,gospel and the ,missionary to the ,heathen ,isles4 ,let no one think me ungrateful to my good ,treasurer and his wife1 to ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,moon1 and to other dear friends who generously helped me1 when ,i trace step by step how the ,lord ,himself opened up my way4 ,the ,angel of ,his ,presence went before me1 and wonderfully moved ,his people to contribute in answer to my poor appeals4 ,i had indeed to make all my own arrangements and correspond regarding all engagements and details1--to me1 always a slow and laborious writer1 a very burdensome task4 ,but it was all necessary in order to the fulfillment of the ,lord's purposes2 and1 to one who realizes that he is a fellow-laborer with ,jesus1 every yoke that ,he lays on becomes easy and every burden light4 ,having done all that could at that time be accomplished in ,new ,south ,wales1 and as rapidly as possible--my ,committee gave me a ,letter of ,commendation to ,victoria4 ,but there ,i had no difficulty4 ,the ,ministers had heard of our work in ,sydney4 ,they received me most cordially1 and at my request formed themselves into a ,committee of ,advice4 ,our dear friend1 ,james ,m',bain1 ,esq41 now ,sir ,james1 became ,honorary ,treasurer4 ,all moneys from this ,colony1 raised by my pleading for the ,ship1 were entrusted to him2 and1 ultimately1 the acknowledging of every individual sum cost much time and labor4 ,dr4 ,cairns1 and many others now gone to their rest1 along with two or three honored ,ministers yet living1 formed my ,committee4 ,the ,lord richly reward them all in that ,day6 ,as in ,new ,south ,wales1 ,i made1 chiefly by correspondence1 all my own engagements1 and arranged for ,churches and ,sabbath ,schools as best ,i could4 ,few in the other ,denominations of ,victoria gave any help1 but the ,presbyterians rose to our appeal as with one heart4 ,god moved them by one impulse2 and ,ministers1 ,superintendents1 ,teachers1 and ,children1 heartily embraced the scheme as their own4 ,i addressed three or four meetings every ,sabbath1 and one or more every week-day2 and thus traveled over the length and breadth of ,victoria1 ,tasmania1 and ,south ,australia4 ,wheresoever a few of the ,lord's people could be gathered together1 thither ,i gladly went1 and told the story of our ,mission1 setting forth its needs and claims4 ,the contributions and collections were nearly all in very small sums1 ,i recall only one exception1--a gift of #bej from the late ,hon4 ,g4 ,f4 ,angus1 ,south ,australia1 whose heart the ,lord had touched4 ,yet gently and steadily the required money began to come pouring in2 and my personal outlays were reduced to a minimum by the hospitality of ,christian friends and their kindly conveying of me from place to place4 ,for all this ,i felt deeply grateful2 it saved money for the ,lord's work4 ,the work was unceasingly prosecuted4 ,meetings were urged upon me now from every quarter4 ,money flowed in so freely that1 at the close of my tour1 the fund had risen to #ejjj1 including special ,donations of #cjj for the support of ,native ,teachers4 ,many ,sabbath ,schools1 and many ladies and gentlemen1 had individually promised the sum of #e yearly to keep a ,native ,teacher on one or other of the ,new ,hebrides ,islands4 ,this happy custom prevails still1 and is largely developed2 the sum required being now #f per annum at least--for which you may have your own personal representative toiling among the ,heathen and telling them of ,jesus4 ,returning to ,melbourne1 the whole matter was laid before my ,committee4 ,i reported how ,god had blessed the undertaking1 and what sums were now in the hands of the several ,treasurers1 indicating also larger hopes and plans which had been put into my soul4 ,dear ,dr4 ,cairns rose and said1 ,sir1 it is of the ,lord4 ,this whole enterprise is of ,god1 and not of us4 ,go home1 and ,he will give you more ,missionaries for the ,islands4 ,of the money which ,i had raised1 #cjjj were sent to ,nova ,scotia1 to pay for the building of our new ,mission ,ship1 the ,dayspring4 ,the ,church which began the ,mission on the ,new ,hebrides was granted the honor of building our new ,mission ,ship4 ,the remainder was set apart to pay for the outfit and passage of additional ,missionaries for the field1 and ,i was commissioned to return home to ,scotland in quest of them4 ,dr4 ,inglis wrote1 in vindication of this enterprise1 to the friends whom he had just left1 ,from first to last1 ,mr4 ,paton's mission here has been a great success2 and it has been followed up with such energy and promptitude in ,nova ,scotia1 both in regard to the ,ship and the ,missionaries1 that ,mr4 ,paton's pledge to the ,australian ,churches has been fully redeemed4 ,the hand of the ,lord has been very visible in the whole movement from beginning to end1 and we trust ,he has yet great blessing in store for the long and deeply-degraded ,islanders4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi4 ,,australian ,,incidents4 ,,here let me turn aside from the current of ,missionary toils1 and record a few wayside incidents that marked some of my wanderings to and fro in connection with the ,floating of the ,dayspring4 ,traveling in the ,colonies in #ahfb-fh was vastly less developed than it is to-day2 and a few of my experiences then will1 for many reasons1 be not unwelcome to most readers of this book4 ,besides1 these incidents1 one and all1 will be felt to have a vital connection with the main purpose of writing this ,autobiography1 namely1 to show that the ,finger of ,god is as visible still1 to those who have eyes to see1 as when the fire-cloud ,pillar led ,his ,people through the wilderness4 ,twenty-six years ago1 the roads of ,australia1 except those in and around the principal towns1 were mere tracks over unfenced plains and hills1 and on many of them packhorses only could be used in slushy weather4 ,during long journeys through the bush the traveler could find his road only by following the deep notches1 gashed by friendly precursors into the larger trees1 and all pointing in one direction4 ,if he lost his way1 he had to struggle back to the last indented tree1 and try to interpret more correctly its pilgrim notch4 ,experienced bush-travelers seldom miss the path2 yet many others1 losing the track1 have wandered round and round till they sank and died4 ,for then it was easy to walk thirty to forty miles1 and see neither a person nor a house4 ,the more intelligent do sometimes guide their steps by sun1 moon1 and stars1 or by glimpses of mountain peaks or natural features on the far and high horizon1 or by the needle of the compass2 but the perils are not illusory1 and occasionally the most experienced have miscalculated and perished4 ,an intelligent gentleman1 a sheep farmer1 who knew the country well1 once kindly volunteered to lift me in an out-of-the-way place1 and drive me to a meeting at his ,station4 ,having a long spell before us1 we started at midday in a buggy drawn by a pair of splendid horses1 in the hope of reaching our destination before dusk4 ,he turned into the usual bush-track through the forests1 saying1 ,i know this road well2 and we must drive steadily1 as we have not a moment to lose4 ,our conversation became absorbingly interesting4 ,after we had driven about three hours1 he remarked1 ,we must soon emerge into the open plain4 ,i doubtfully replied1 ,surely we cannot have turned back6 ,these trees and bushes are wonderfully like those we passed at starting4 ,he laughed1 and made me feel rather vexed that ,i had spoken1 when he said1 ,i am too old a hand in the bush for that4 ,i have gone this road many a time before4 ,but my courage immediately revived1 for ,i got what appeared to me a glint of the roof of the ,inn beyond the bush1 from which we had started at noon1 and ,i repeated1 ,i am certain we have wheeled1 and are back at the beginning of our journey2 but there comes a ,chinaman--let us wait and inquire4 ,my dear friend learned1 to his utter amazement1 that he had erred4 ,the bush-track was entered upon once more1 and followed with painful care1 as he murmured1 half to himself1 ,well1 this beats all reckoning6 ,i could have staked my life that this was impossible4 ,turning to me1 he said1 with manifest grief1 ,our meeting is done for6 ,it will be midnight before we can arrive4 ,the sun was beginning to set as we reached the thinly-timbered ground4 ,ere dusk fell1 he took his bearing with the greatest possible care4 ,beyond the wood1 a vast plain stretched before us1 where neither fence nor house was visible1 far as the eye could reach4 ,he drove steadily towards a far-distant point1 which was in the direction of his home4 ,at last we struck upon the wire fence that bounded his property4 ,the horses were now getting badly fagged2 and1 in order to save them a long round-about drive1 he lifted and laid low a portion of the fence1 led his horses cautiously over it1 and1 leaving it to be re-erected by a servant next day1 he started direct for the ,station4 ,that seemed a long journey too2 but it was for him familiar ground2 and though amongst great patriarchal trees here and there1 and safely past dangerous water-holes1 we swung steadily on1 reached his home in safety1 and had a joyous welcome4 ,the household had by this time got into great excitement over our non-appearance4 ,the expected meeting had1 of course1 been abandoned hours ago3 and the people were all gone1 wondering in their hearts whereto this would grow6 ,at that time1 in the depth of winter1 the roads were often wrought into rivers of mire1 and at many points almost impassable even for well-appointed conveyances4 ,in connection therewith1 ,i had one very perilous experience4 ,i had to go from ,clunes to a farm in the ,learmouth district4 ,the dear old ,minister there1 ,mr4 ,downes1 went with me to every place where a horse could be hired2 but the owners positively refused--they would sell1 but they would not hire1 for the conveyance would be broken1 and the horse would never return alive6 ,now1 ,i was advertised to preach at ,learmouth1 and must somehow get over the nine miles that lay between4 ,this would have been comparatively practicable1 were it not that ,i carried with me an indispensable bag of curios1 and a heavy bundle of clubs1 arrows1 dresses1 etc41 from the ,islands1 wherewith to illustrate my lectures and enforce my appeals4 ,no one could be hired to carry my luggage1 nor could ,i get it sent after me by coach on that particular way4 ,therefore1 seeing no alternative opening up my path1 ,i committed myself once more to the ,lord1 as in harder trials before1 shouldered my bundle of clubs1 lifted my heavy bag1 and started off on foot4 ,they urged me fervently to desist2 but ,i heard a voice repeating1 ,as thy days1 so shall thy strength be4 ,there came back to me also the old adage that had in youthful difficulties1 spurred me on1 ,where there's a will1 there's a way4 ,and ,i thought that with these two in his heart1 a ,scotchman and a ,christian would not be easily beaten4 ,when ,i found the road wrought into mire1 and dangerous1 or impassable1 ,i climbed the fence1 and waded along in the plowed fields--though they were nearly as bad4 ,my bundle was changed from shoulder to shoulder1 and my bag from hand to hand1 till ,i became thoroughly tired of both4 ,pressing on1 however1 ,i arrived at a wayside ,public-house1 where several roads met1 and there ,i inquired the way to ,learmouth1 and how far it was4 ,the innkeeper1 pointing1 answered-- ,this is the road4 ,if you are on horseback1 it might be three to four miles just now1 as your horse is able to take it4 ,if you are in a conveyance1 with a good horse1 it might be six miles4 ,and if you are walking1 it might be eight or ten miles1 or even more4 ,i said1 ,i am walking4 ,how many ,english miles is it to ,mr4 ,baird's farm8 ,he laughingly replied1 ,you will find it a long way indeed this dark night1 considering the state of the road1 fenced in on both sides so that you cannot get off4 ,i passed on1 leaving my ,job's comforter2 but a surly watchdog got upon my track1 and ,i had much difficulty in keeping it from biting me4 ,its attacks1 renewed upon me again and again1 had one good effect1--they stirred up my spirits and made me hasten on4 ,having persevered along the ,learmouth road1 ,i next met a company of men hastening on with a bundle of ropes4 ,they were on their way to relieve a poor bullock1 which by this time had almost disappeared1 sinking in the mire on the public highway6 ,they kindly pointed me to a light1 visible through the dusk4 ,that was the farm at which ,i was to stay1 and they advised me to clear the fence1 and make straight for that light1 as the way was good4 ,with thankful heart1 ,i did so4 ,the light was soon lost to me1 but ,i walked steadily on in the direction thereof1 to the best of my judgment4 ,immediately ,i began to feel the ground all floating under me4 ,then at every step ,i took1 or tried to take1 ,i sank deeper and deeper1 till at last ,i durst not move either backward or forward4 ,i was floundering in a deadly swamp4 ,i called out again and again1 and coo-ee-d with all my strength1 but there came no reply4 ,it grew extremely dark1 while ,i kept praying to ,god for deliverance4 ,about midnight1 ,i heard two men conversing1 apparently at no very great distance4 ,i began coo-ee-ing again1 but my strength was failing4 ,fortunately1 the night was perfectly calm4 ,the conversation ceased for a while1 but ,i kept on crying for help4 ,at length ,i heard one voice remark to the other1 ,some one is in the swamp4 ,and then the question came1 ,who's there8 ,i answered1 ,a stranger4 ,oh1 do help me6 ,again a voice came through the darkness1 ,how did you get in there8 ,and ,i feebly replied1 ,i have lost my way4 ,i heard the one say to the other1 ,i will go and get him out1 whoever he may be4 ,we must not leave him there2 he'll be dead before the morning4 ,as you pass by our door1 tell my wife that ,i'm helping some poor creature out of the swamp1 and will be home immediately4 ,he kept calling to me1 and ,i answering his call through the darkness1 till1 not without peril1 he managed to reach and aid me4 ,once ,i was safely dragged out1 he got my bag in his hand and slung my clubs on his shoulder1 and in a very short time landed me at the farm1 dripping and dirty and cold4 ,had ,god not sent that man to save me1 ,i must have perished there1 as many others have similarly perished before4 ,the farmer's wife heartily welcomed me and kindly ministered to all my needs4 ,though not yet gone to rest1 they had given up all hope of seeing me4 ,i heard the kind servant say to his mistress1 ,i don't know where he came from1 or how far he has carried his bundles2 but ,i got him stuck fast in the swamp1 and my shoulder is already sore from carrying his clubs6 ,a cup of warm tea restored me4 ,the ,lord gave me a sound and blessed sleep4 ,i rose next morning wonderfully refreshed1 though arms and shoulders were rather sore with the burdens of yesterday4 ,i conducted three ,services1 and told the story of my ,mission1 not without comfort and blessing2 and with gratifying results in money4 ,the people gave liberally to the work4 ,thereafter1 a ,schoolmaster drove me a long distance across the country to ,violet ,town1 where for the night we had to stay at an ,inn4 ,we had a taste of what ,australian life really was1 when the land was being broken in4 ,a company of wild and reckless men were carousing there at the time1 and our arrival was the signal for an outbreak of malicious mischief4 ,a powerful fellow1 who turned out to be a young ,medical1 rushed upon me as ,i left the conveyance1 seized me by the throat1 and shook me roughly1 shouting1 ,a parson6 a parson6 ,i will do for the parson6 ,others with great difficulty relieved me from his grip1 and dragged him away1 cursing as if at his mortal enemy4 ,after tea1 we got into the only bedroom in the house1 available for two4 ,the ,teacher and ,i locked ourselves in and barricaded the door1 hearing in the next room a large party of drunken men gambling and roaring over their cards4 ,by and by they quarreled and fought2 they smashed in and out of their room1 and seemed to be murdering each other2 every moment we expected our door to come crashing in1 as they were thrown or lurched against it4 ,their very language made us tremble4 ,one man in particular seemed to be badly abused2 he shouted that they were robbing him of his money2 and he groaned and cried for protection1 all in vain4 ,we spent a sleepless and most miserable night4 ,at four in the morning ,i arose1 and was glad to get away by the early coach4 ,my friend also left in his own conveyance1 and reached his home in safety4 ,at that period1 it was not only painful but dangerous for any decent traveler to stay at many of these wayside ,inns in the new and rough country4 ,every man lived and acted just as he pleased1 doing that which was right to his own eyes2 and ,might was ,right4 ,,chapter ,,xlvii4 ,,amongst ,,squatters ,,and ,,diggers4 ,,after this1 ,i made a ,mission tour1 in a somewhat mixed and original fashion1 right across the ,colony of ,victoria1 from ,albury in ,new ,south ,wales to ,mount ,gambier in ,south ,australia4 ,i conducted ,mission ,services almost every day1 and three or more every ,sabbath1 besides visiting all ,sunday ,schools that could be touched on the way4 ,when ,i reached a gold-digging or township1 where ,i had been unable to get any one to announce a meeting1 the first thing ,i did on arriving was to secure some ,church or ,hall1 and1 failing that1 to fix on some suitable spot in the open air4 ,then1 ,i was always able to hire some one to go round with the bell1 and announce the meeting4 ,few will believe how large were the audiences in this way gathered together1 and how very substantial was the help that thereby came to the ,mission fund4 ,wheresover railway1 steamboat1 and coach were available1 ,i always used them2 but failing these1 ,i hired1 or was obliged to friends of ,missions for driving me from place to place4 ,on this tour1 having reached a certain place1 from which my way lay for many miles across the country1 where there was no public conveyance1 ,i walked to the nearest squatter's ,station and frankly informed the owner how ,i was situated2 that ,i could not hire1 and that ,i would like to stay at his house all night1 if he would kindly send me on in the morning by any sort of trap to the next ,station on my list4 ,he happened to be a good ,christian and a ,presbyterian1 and gave me a right cordial welcome4 ,a meeting of his servants was called1 which ,i had the pleasure of addressing4 ,next morning1 he gave me #bj1 and sent me forward with his own conveyance1 telling me to retain it all day1 if necessary4 ,on reaching the next squatter's ,station1 ,i found the master also at home1 and said1 ,i am a ,missionary from the ,south ,sea ,islands4 ,i am crossing ,victoria to plead the cause of the ,mission4 ,i would like to rest here for an hour or two4 ,could you kindly send me on to the next ,station by your conveyance8 ,if not1 ,i am to keep the last squatter's buggy1 until ,i reach it4 ,looking with a queer smile at me1 he replied1 ,you propose a rather novel condition on which to rest at my house6 ,my horses are so employed to-day1 ,i fear that ,i may have difficulty in sending you on4 ,but come in2 both you and your horses need rest2 and my wife will be glad to see you4 ,i immediately discovered that the good lady came from ,glasgow1 from a street in which ,i had lodged when a student at the ,free ,normal ,college4 ,i even knew some of her friends4 ,all the places of her youthful associations were equally familiar to me4 ,we launched out into deeply-interesting conversation1 which finally led up1 of course1 to the story of our ,mission4 ,the gentleman1 by this time1 had so far been won that he slipped out and sent my conveyance and horses back to their owner1 and ordered his own to be ready to take me to the next ,station1 or1 if need be1 to the next again4 ,at parting1 the lady said to her husband1 ,the ,missionary has asked no money1 though he sees we have been deeply interested2 yet clearly that is the object of his tour4 ,he is the first ,missionary from the ,heathen that ever visited us here2 and you must contribute something to his ,mission fund4 ,i thanked her1 explaining1 ,i never ask money directly from any person for the ,lord's work4 ,my part is done when ,i have told my story and shown the needs of the ,heathen and the claims of ,christ2 but ,i gratefully receive all that the ,lord moves ,his people to give for the ,mission4 ,her husband replied1 rather sharply1 ,you know ,i don't keep money here4 ,to which she retorted with ready tact and with a resistless smile1 ,but you keep a check-book2 and your check is as good as gold6 ,this is the first donation we ever gave to such a cause1 and let it be a good one4 ,he made it indeed handsome1 and ,i went on my way1 thanking them very sincerely1 and thanking ,god4 ,at the next ,station1 the owner turned out to be a gruff ,irishman1 forbidding and insolent4 ,stating my case to him as to the others1 he shouted at me1 ,go on6 ,i don't want to be troubled with the loikes o' you here4 ,i answered1 ,i am sorry if my coming troubles you2 but ,i wish you every blessing in ,christ ,jesus4 ,good-by6 ,as we drove off1 he kept growling after us4 ,on leaving his door1 ,i heard a lady calling to him from the window1 ,don't let that ,missionary go away6 ,make haste and call him back4 ,i want the children to see the idols and the ,south ,sea curios4 ,at first he drowned her appeal in his own shoutings4 ,but she must have persisted effectually2 for shortly we heard him coo-ee-ing1 and stopped4 ,when he came up to us1 he explained1 ,that lady in my house heard you speaking in ,melbourne4 ,the ladies and children are very anxious to see your idols1 dresses1 and weapons4 ,will you please come back8 ,we did so4 ,i spent fifteen minutes or so1 giving them information about the ,natives and our ,mission4 ,as ,i left1 our boisterous friend handed me a check for #e1 and wished me great success4 ,the next ,station at which we arrived was one of the largest of all4 ,it happened to be a sort of payday1 and men were assembled from all parts of the run1 and were to remain there over night4 ,the squatter and his family were from home2 but ,mr4 ,todd1 the overseer1 being a good ,christian and a ,scotchman1 was glad to receive us1 arranged to hold a meeting that evening in the men's hut1 and promised to set me forward on my journey next day4 ,the meeting was very enthusiastic2 and they subscribed #bj to the ,mission--every man being determined to have so many shares in the new ,mission ,ship4 ,with earnest personal dealing1 ,i urged the claims of the ,lord ,jesus upon all who were present1 seeking the salvation of every hearer4 ,i ever found even the rough digger1 and the lowest of the hands about far-away ,stations1 most attentive and perfectly respectful4 ,a lively and memorable extemporized meeting on this tour is associated in memory with one of my dearest friends4 ,the district was very remote4 ,he1 the squatter1 and his beloved wife were sterling ,christians1 and have been ever since warmly devoted to me4 ,on my arrival1 he invited the people from all the surrounding ,stations1 as well as his own numerous servants1 to hear the story of our ,mission4 ,next day he volunteered to drive me a long distance over the plains of ,st4 ,arnaud1 his dear wife accompanying us4 ,at that time there were few fences in such districts in ,australia4 ,the drive was long1 but the day had been lovely1 and the fellowship was so sweet that it still shines a sunny spot in the fields of memory4 ,having reached our destination about seven o'clock1 he ordered tea at the ,inn for the whole party2 and we sallied out meantime and took the only ,hall in the place1 for an extemporized meeting to be held that evening at eight o'clock4 ,i then hired a man to go through the township with a bell1 announcing the same2 while ,i myself went up one side of the main street1 and my friend up the other1 inviting all who would listen to us to attend the ,mission meeting where ,south ,sea ,islands idols1 weapons1 and dresses would be exhibited1 and stories of the ,natives told4 ,running back for a hurried cup of tea1 ,i then hasted to the ,hall1 and found it crowded to excess with rough and boisterous diggers4 ,the hour struck as ,i was getting my articles arranged and spread out upon the table1 and they began shouting1 ,where's the ,missionary8--,another hoax6--indicating that they were not unwilling for a row4 ,i learned that1 only a few nights ago1 a so-called ,professor had advertised a lecture1 lifted entrance money till the ,hall was crowded1 and then quietly slipped off the scene4 ,in our case1 though there was no charge1 they seemed disposed to gratify themselves by some sort of promiscuous revenge4 ,amidst the noisy chaff and rising uproar1 ,i stepped up on the table1 and said1 ,gentlemen1 ,i am the ,missionary4 ,if you will now be silent1 the lecture will proceed4 ,according to my usual custom1 let us open the meeting with prayer4 ,the hush that fell was such a contrast to the preceding hubbub1 that ,i heard my heart throbbing aloud6 ,then they listened to me for an hour1 in perfect silence and with ever-increasing interest4 ,at the close ,i intimated that ,i asked no collection2 but if1 after what they had heard1 they would take a ,collecting ,card for the new ,mission ,ship1 and send any contributions to the ,treasurer at ,melbourne1 ,i would praise ,god for sending me amongst them4 ,many were heartily taken1 and doubtless some souls felt the constraining love1 who had till then been living without ,god4 ,,chapter ,,xlviii4 ,,john ,,gilpin ,,in ,,the ,,bush4 ,,the crowning adventure of my tour in ,australia came about in the following manner4 ,i was advertised to conduct ,services at ,narracoort on ,sabbath1 and at a ,station on the way on ,saturday evening4 ,but how to get from ,penola was a terrible perplexity4 ,on ,saturday morning1 however1 a young lady offered me1 out of gratitude for blessings received1 the use of her riding horse for the journey4 ,garibaldi was his name2 and1 though bred for a race-horse1 ,i was assured that if ,i kept him firmly in hand1 he would easily carry me over the two-and-twenty miles4 ,he was to be left at the journey's end1 and the lady herself would fetch him back4 ,i shrank from the undertaking1 knowing little of horses1 and having vague recollections of being dreadfully punished for more than a week after my last and almost only ride4 ,but every one in that country is quite at ease on the back of a horse4 ,they saw no risk2 and1 as there appeared no other way of getting there to fulfil my engagements1 ,i1 for my part1 began to think that ,god had unexpectedly provided the means1 and that ,he would carry me safely through4 ,i accepted the lady's kind offer1 and started on my pilgrimage4 ,a friend showed me the road1 and gave me ample directions4 ,in the bush1 ,i was to keep my eye on the notches in the trees1 and follow them4 ,he agreed kindly to bring my luggage to the ,station1 and leave it there for me by and by4 ,after ,i had walked very quietly for some distance1 three gentlemen on horseback overtook me4 ,we entered into conversation4 ,they inquired how far ,i was going1 and advised me to sit a little freer in the saddle1 as it would be so much easier for me4 ,they seemed greatly amused at my awkward riding6 ,dark clouds were now gathering ahead1 and the atmosphere prophesied a severe storm2 therefore they urged that ,i should ride a little faster1 as they1 for a considerable distance1 could guide me on the right way4 ,i explained to them my plight through inexperience1 said that ,i could only creep on slowly with safety1 and bade them ,good-by4 ,as the sky was getting darker every minute1 they consented1 wishing me a safe journey1 and started off at a smart pace4 ,i struggled to hold in my horse2 but seizing the bit with his teeth1 laying back his ears1 and stretching out his eager neck1 he manifestly felt that his honor was at stake2 and in less time than ,i take to write it1 the three friends cleared a way for us1 and he tore past them all at an appalling speed4 ,they tried for a time to keep within reach of us1 but that sound only put fire into his blood2 and in an incredibly short time ,i heard them not2 nor1 from the moment that he bore me swinging past them1 durst ,i turn my head by one inch to look for them again4 ,in vain ,i tried to hold him in2 he tore on1 with what appeared to me the speed of the wind4 ,then the thunderstorm broke around us1 with flash of lightning and flood of rain1 and at every fresh peal my ,garibaldi dashed more wildly onward4 ,to me1 it was a vast surprise to discover that ,i could sit more easily on this wild flying thing than when at a canter or a trot4 ,at every turn ,i expected that he would dash himself and me against the great forest trees2 but instinct rather than my hand guided him miraculously4 ,sometimes ,i had a glimpse of the road1 but as for the notches1 ,i never saw one of them2 we passed them with lightning speed4 ,indeed1 ,i durst not lift my eyes for one moment from watching the horse's head and the trees on our track4 ,my high-crowned hat was now drenched1 and battered out of shape2 for whenever we came to a rather clear space1 ,i seized the chance and gave it another knock down over my head4 ,i was spattered and covered with mud and mire4 ,crash1 crash1 went the thunder1 and on1 on1 went ,garibaldi through the gloom of the forest1 emerging at length upon a clearer ground with a more visible pathway4 ,reaching the top of the slope1 a large house stood out far in front of us to the left2 and the horse had apparently determined to make straight for that1 as if it were his home4 ,he skirted along the hill1 and took the track as his own familiar ground1 all my effort to hold him in or guide him having no more effect than that of a child4 ,by this time1 ,i suspect1 ,i really had lost all power4 ,garibaldi had been at that house1 probably frequently before2 he knew those stables2 and my fate seemed to be instant death against door or wall4 ,some members of the family1 on the outlook for the ,missionary1 saw us come tearing along as if mad or drunk2 and now all rushed to the veranda1 expecting some dread catastrophe4 ,a tall and stout young groom1 amazed at our wild career1 throwing wide open the gate1 seized the bridle at great risk to himself1 and ran full speed1 yet holding back with all his might1 and shouting to me to do the same4 ,we succeeded--,garibaldi having probably attained his purpose--in bringing him to a halt within a few paces of the door4 ,staring at me with open mouth1 the man exclaimed1 ,i have saved your life4 ,what madness to ride like that6 ,thanking him1 though ,i could scarcely by this time articulate a word1 ,i told him that the horse had run away1 and that ,i had lost all control4 ,truly ,i was in a sorry plight1 drenched1 covered with mud1 and my hat battered down over my eyes2 little wonder they thought me drunk or mad6 ,finally1 as if to confirm every suspicion1 and amuse them all1--for master1 mistress1 governess1 and children now looked on from the veranda1--when ,i was helped off the horse1 ,i could not stand on my feet6 ,my head still went rushing on in the race2 ,i staggered1 and down ,i tumbled into the mud1 feeling chagrin and mortification2 yet there ,i had to sit for some time1 before ,i recovered myself1 so as either to rise or to speak a word4 ,when ,i did get to my feet1 ,i had to stand holding by the veranda for some time1 my head still rushing on in the race4 ,at length the master said1 ,will you not come in8 ,i knew that he was treating me for a drunken man2 and the giddiness was so dreadful still1 that my attempts at speech seemed more drunken than even my gait4 ,as soon as ,i could stand1 ,i went into the house1 and drew near to an excellent fire in my dripping clothes4 ,the squatter sat opposite me in silence1 reading the newspapers1 and taking a look at me now and again over his spectacles4 ,by and by he remarked1 ,wouldn't it be worth while to change your clothes8 ,speech was now returning to me4 ,i replied1 ,yes1 but my bag is coming on in the cart1 and may not be here to-night4 ,he began to relent4 ,he took me into a room1 and laid out for me a suit of his own4 ,i being then very slender1 and he a big-framed farmer1 my new dress1 though greatly adding to my comfort1 enhanced the singularity of my appearance6 ,returning to him1 washed and dressed1 ,i inquired if he had arranged for a meeting8 ,my tongue1 ,i fear1 was still unsteady1 for the squatter looked at me rather reproachfully1 and said1 ,do you really consider yourself fit to appear before a meeting to-night8 ,i assured him he was quite wrong in his suspicions1 that ,i was a life-long ,abstainer1 and that my nerves had been so unhinged by the terrible ride and runaway horse4 ,he smiled rather suggestively1 and said we would see how ,i felt after tea4 ,we went to the table4 ,all that had occurred was now consummated by my appearing in the lusty farmer's clothes2 and the lady and other friends had infinite difficulty in keeping their amusement within decent bounds4 ,i again took speech in hand1 but ,i suspect my words had still the thickness of the tippler's utterance1 for they seemed not to carry much conviction1 ,dear friends1 ,i quite understand your feelings2 appearances are so strangely against me4 ,but ,i am not drunken1 as ye suppose4 ,i have tasted no intoxicating drink1 ,i am a life-long ,total ,abstainer6 ,this fairly broke down their reserve4 ,they laughed aloud1 looking at each other and at me1 as if to say1 ,man1 you're drunk at this very moment4 ,before tea was over they appeared1 however1 to begin to entertain the idea that ,i might address the meeting2 and so ,i was informed of the arrangements that had been made4 ,at the meeting1 my incredulous friends became very deeply interested4 ,manifestly their better thoughts were gaining the ascendency4 ,and they heaped thereafter every kindness upon me1 as if to make amends for harder suspicions4 ,next morning the master drove me about ten miles farther on to the ,church4 ,a groom rode the racehorse1 who took no scathe from his thundering gallop of the day before4 ,it left deeper traces upon me4 ,i got through the ,services1 however1 and with good returns for the ,mission4 ,twice since1 on my ,mission tours1 ,i have found myself at that same memorable house2 and on each occasion1 a large company of friends were regaled by the good lady there with very comical descriptions of my first arrival at her door4 ,,chapter ,,xlix4 ,,the ,,aborigines ,,of ,,australia4 ,,detained for nearly a week at ,balmoral by the breakdown of the coach on these dreadful roads1 ,i telegraphed to ,hamilton for a conveyance2 and the ,superintendent of the ,sunday ,school1 dear ,mr4 ,laidlaw1 volunteered1 in order to reduce expenses1 to spend one day of his precious time coming for me1 and another driving me down4 ,while awaiting him1 ,i came into painful and memorable contact with the ,aborigines of ,australia4 ,the ,publicans had organized a day of sports1 horse-racing1 and circus exhibitions4 ,immense crowds assembled1 and1 amongst the rest1 tribe after tribe of the ,aborigines from all the surrounding country4 ,despite the law prohibiting the giving of strong drinks to these poor creatures1 foolish and unprincipled dealers supplied them with the same1 and the very blankets which the ,government had given them were freely exchanged for the fire-water which kindled them to madness4 ,next day was the ,sabbath4 ,the morning was hideous with the yells of the fighting savages4 ,they tore about on the ,common in front of the ,church1 leading gentlemen having tried in vain to quiet them1 and their wild voices without jarred upon the ,morning ,service4 ,about two o'clock1 ,i tried to get into conversation with them4 ,i appealed to them whether they were not all tired and hungry8 ,they replied that they had had no food all that day2 they had fought since the morning6 ,i said1 ,i love you1 black fellows4 ,i go ,missionary black fellows far away4 ,i love you1 want you rest1 get food4 ,come all of you1 rest1 sit round me1 and we will talk1 till the ,jins 7women7 get ready tea4 ,they boil water1 and ,i take tea with you1 and then you will be strong6 ,by broken ,english and by many symbols1 ,i won their ear4 ,they produced tea and damper1 i4 e4 a rather forbidding-looking bread1 without yeast1 baked on the coals4 ,their wives hasted to boil water4 ,i kept incessantly talking1 to interest them1 and told them how ,jesus1 ,god's dear ,son1 came and died to make them happy1 and how ,he grieved to see them beating and fighting and killing each other4 ,when the tea was ready we squatted on the green grass1 their tins were filled1 the damper was broken into lumps1 and ,i asked the blessing of ,god on the meal4 ,to me it was unpleasant eating6 ,many of them looked strong and healthy2 but not a few were weak and dying creatures4 ,the strong1 devouring all they could get1 urged me to be done1 and let them finish their fighting1 eager for the fray4 ,but having gained their confidence1 ,i prayed with them1 and thereafter said1 ,now1 before ,i leave1 ,i will ask of you to do one thing for my sake1 which you can all easily do4 ,with one voice they replied1 ,yes1 we all do whatever you say4 ,i got their leaders to promise to me one by one4 ,i then said1 ,now you have got your tea2 and ,i ask every man and boy among you to lie down in the bush and take a sleep1 and your wives will sit by and watch over your safety6 ,in glum silence1 their war weapons still grasped in their hands1 they stood looking intently at me1 doubting whether ,i could be in earnest4 ,i urged then1 ,you all promised to do what ,i asked4 ,if you break your promise1 these white men will laugh at me1 and say that black fellows only lie and deceive4 ,let them see that you can be trusted4 ,i wait here till ,i see you all asleep4 ,one said that his head was cut1 and he must have revenge before he could lie down4 ,others filed past showing their wounds1 and declaring that it was too bad to request them to go to sleep4 ,i praised them as far as ,i could1 but urged them for once to be men and to keep their word4 ,finally1 they all agreed to lie down1 ,i waiting till the last man had disappeared2 and being doubly exhausted with the debauch and the fighting1 they were soon all fast asleep4 ,i prayed that the blessed ,sleep might lull their savage passions4 ,before daylight next morning1 the ,minister and ,i were hastening to the scene to prevent further fighting2 but as the sun was rising we saw the last tribe of the distant ,natives disappearing over the brow of a hill4 ,a small party belonging to the district alone remained4 ,they shouted to us1 ,black fellows all gone6 ,no more fight4 ,you too much like black fellow6 ,for three days afterwards ,i had still to linger there2 and if their dogs ran or barked at me1 the women chased them with sticks and stones1 and protected me4 ,one little touch of kindness and sympathy had unlocked their darkened hearts4 ,who wonders that the dark races melt away before the whites8 ,the pioneers of ,civilization will carry with them this demon of strong drink1 the fruitful parent of every other vice4 ,the black people drink1 and become unmanageable2 and through the white man's own poison-gift1 an excuse is found for sweeping the poor creatures off the face of the earth4 ,marsden's writings show how our ,australian blacks are destroyed4 ,but ,i have myself been on the track of such butcheries again and again4 ,a ,victorian lady told me the following incident4 ,she heard a child's pitiful cry in the bush4 ,on tracing it1 she found a little girl weeping over her younger brother4 ,she said1 ,the white men poisoned our father and mother4 ,they threaten to shoot me1 so that ,i dare not go near them1 ,i am here1 weeping over my brother till we die6 ,the compassionate lady promised to be a mother to the little sufferers1 and to protect them4 ,they instantly clung to her1 and have proved themselves to be loving and dutiful ever since4 ,,chapter ,l4 ,,nora4 ,,while ,i was pondering over ,kingsley's words1--about the blacks of ,australia being poor brutes in human shape1 and too low to take in the ,gospel1--the story of ,nora1 an ,aboriginal ,christian woman1 whom ,i myself actually visited and corresponded with1 was brought under my notice1 as if to shatter to pieces everything that the famous preacher had proclaimed4 ,a dear friend told me how he had seen ,nora encamped with the blacks near ,hexham in ,victoria4 ,her husband had lost1 through drink1 their once comfortable home at a ,station where he was employed4 ,the change back to life in camp had broken her health1 and she lay sick on the ground within a miserable hut4 ,the visitors found her reading a ,bible1 and explaining to a number of her own poor people the wonders of redeeming love4 ,my friend1 ,roderick ,urquhart1 ,esq41 overcome by the sight1 said1 ,nora1 ,i am grieved to see you here1 and deprived of every comfort in your sickness4 ,she answered1 not without tears1 ,the change has indeed made me unwell2 but ,i am beginning to think that this too is far the best2 it has at last brought my poor husband to his senses1 and ,i will grudge nothing if ,god thereby brings him to the ,saviour's feet6 ,she further explained that she had found wonderful joy in telling her own people about the true ,god and ,his ,son ,jesus1 and was quite assured that the ,lord in ,his own way would send her relief4 ,the visitors who accompanied ,mr4 ,urquhart showed themselves to be greatly affected by the true and pure ,christian spirit of this poor ,aboriginal1 and on parting she said1 ,do not think that ,i like this miserable hut1 or the food1 or the company3 but ,i am and have been happy in trying to do good amongst my people4 ,for my part1 let that dear ,christlike soul look out on me from her ,aboriginal hut1 and ,i will trample under foot all teachings or theorizings that dare to say that she or her kind are but poor brutes1 as mere blasphemies against ,human ,nature6 ,i thank thee1 ,o ,father1 ,lord of ,heaven and ,earth1 that ,thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent1 and hast revealed them unto babes4 ,it is easy to understand how even experienced travelers may be deluded to believe that the ,aborigines have no idols and no religion4 ,one must have lived amongst them or their kindred ere he can authoritatively decide these questions4 ,before ,i left ,melbourne1 for instance1 ,i had met ,nathaniel ,pepper1 a converted ,aboriginal from ,wimmera4 ,i asked him if his people had any ,doctors1 i4 e4 ,sacred ,men or priests4 ,he said they had4 ,i inquired if they had any objects of ,worship1 or any belief in ,god8 ,he said1 ,no6 ,none whatever4 ,but on taking from my pocket some four small stone idols1 his expression showed at once that he recognized them as objects of ,worship4 ,he had seen the ,sacred ,men use them2 but he refused to answer any more questions4 ,i resolved now1 if possible1 to secure some of their idols1 and set this whole problem once for all at rest4 ,at ,newstead1 on another occasion1 ,i persuaded a whole camp of the ,aborigines to come to my meeting4 ,after the address1 they waited to examine the idols and stone gods which ,i had shown4 ,some of the young men admitted that their doctors had things like these1 which they and the old people prayed to2 but they added jauntily1 ,we young fellows don't worship2 we know too much for that6 ,no doctors were1 however1 in that camp2 so ,i could not meet with them2 but ,i already felt that the testimony of nearly all white people that the blacks had no idols and no worship was quickly crumbling away4 ,on returning to ,horsham1 from a visit to a great camp of the blacks at ,wonwondah1 and having purchased1 in the presence of witnesses1 specimens of their idols from the ,doctor or ,sacred ,man of these tribes1 ,i informed my dear friends1 ,rev4 ,p4 ,simpson and his excellent lady1 of my exploits and possessions4 ,he replied1 ,there is a black 'doctor' gone round our house just now to see one of his people who is washing here to-day4 ,let us go and test them1 whether they know these objects4 ,carrying them in his hand1 we went to them4 ,the woman instantly on perceiving them dropped what she was washing1 and turned away in instinctive terror4 ,mr4 ,simpson asked1 ,have you ever before seen stones like these8 ,the wily doctor replied1 ,plenty on the plains1 where ,i kick them out of my way4 ,taking others out of my pocket1 ,i said1 ,these make people sick and well1 don't they8 ,his rage overcame his duplicity1 and he exclaimed1 ,what black fellow give you these8 ,if ,i know him ,i do for him6 ,the woman1 looking the picture of terror1 and pointing to one of the objects1 cried1 ,that fellow no good6 he kill men4 ,no good1 no good6 ,me too much afraid4 ,then1 looking at me1 she said1 pointing with her finger1 ,that fellow savvy 7knows7 too much6 ,no white man see them4 ,he no good4 ,there was more in this scene and in all its surroundings1 than in many arguments2 and ,mr4 ,simpson thoroughly believed that these were objects of idolatrous worship4 ,and now let me relate the story of my visit to ,nora1 the converted ,aboriginal referred to above4 ,accompanied by ,robert ,hood1 ,esq41 ,j4 ,p41 ,victoria1 ,i found my way to the encampment near ,hexham4 ,she did not know of our coming1 nor see us till we stood at the door of her hut4 ,she was clean and tidily dressed1 as were also her dear little children1 and appeared glad to see us4 ,she had just been reading the ,presbyterian ,messenger1 and the ,bible was lying at her elbow4 ,i said1 ,do you read the ,messenger8 ,she replied1 ,yes2 ,i like to know what is going on in the ,church4 ,we found her to be a sensible and humble ,christian woman1 conversing intelligently about religion and serving ,god devotedly4 ,next ,sabbath she brought her husband1 her children1 and six blacks to church1 all decently dressed1 and they all listened most attentively4 ,at our first meeting ,i said1 ,nora1 they tell me you are a ,christian4 ,i want to ask you a few questions about the blacks2 and ,i hope that as a ,christian you will speak the truth4 ,rather hurt at my language1 she raised her right hand1 and replied1 ,i am a ,christian4 ,i fear and serve the true ,god4 ,i always speak the truth4 ,taking from my pocket the stone idols from the ,islands1 ,i inquired if her people had or worshipped things like these4 ,she replied1 ,the 'doctors' have them4 ,have you a 'doctor' in your camp8 ,i asked4 ,she said1 ,yes1 my uncle is the ,sacred ,man2 but he is now far away from this4 ,has he the idols with him now8 ,i inquired4 ,she answered1 ,no2 they are left in my care4 ,i then said1 ,could you let us see them8 ,she consulted certain representatives of the tribe who were at hand4 ,they rose1 and removed to a distance4 ,they had consented4 ,mr4 ,hood assured me that no fault would be found with her1 as she was the real1 or at least virtual head of the tribe4 ,out of a larger bag she then drew two smaller bags1 and opened them4 ,they were filled with the very objects which ,i had brought from the ,islands4 ,i asked her to consult the men of her tribe whether they would agree to sell four or five of them to me1 that ,i might by them convince the white people that they had gods of their own1 and are1 therefore1 above the brutes of the field2 the money to be given to their ,sacred ,man on his return4 ,this1 also1 after a time was agreed to4 ,i selected three of the objects1 and paid the stipulated price4 ,and ,i have the recorded testimony of ,robert ,hood1 ,j4 ,p41 ,hexham1 ,victoria1 #bhth ,february1 #ahfc1 certifying on his honor all that ,i am here affirming4 ,mr4 ,hood asked ,nora how he had never heard of or seen these things before1 living so long amongst them1 and blacks constantly coming and going about his house4 ,she replied1 ,long ago white men laughed at black fellows praying to their idols4 ,black fellows said1 white men never see them again6 ,suppose this white man not know all about them1 he would not now see them4 ,no white men live now have seen what you have seen4 ,thus it has been demonstrated on the spot1 and in presence of the most reliable witnesses1 that the ,aborigines1 before they saw the white invaders1 were not brutes incapable of knowing ,god1 but human beings1 yearning after a ,god of some kind4 ,nor do ,i believe that any tribe of men will ever be found1 who1 when their language and customs are rightly interpreted1 will not display their consciousness of the need of a ,god1 and that ,divine capacity of holding fellowship with the ,unseen ,powers1 of which the brutes are without one faintest trace4 ,poor1 dear1 ,christian-hearted ,nora6 ,the ,christ-spirit shines forth unmistakably through thee1--praying for and seeking to save husband and children1 enduring trials and miseries by the aid of communion with thy ,lord1 weeping over the degradation of thy people1 and seeking to lift them up by telling them of the true ,god and of ,his love to ,mankind through ,jesus ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,li4 ,,back ,,to ,,scotland4 ,,each of my ,australian ,committees strongly urged my return to ,scotland1 chiefly to secure1 if possible1 more ,missionaries for the ,new ,hebrides4 ,dr4 ,inglis1 just arrived from ,britain1 where he had the ,aneityumese ,new ,testament carried through the press1 also zealously enforced this appeal4 ,constrained by what appeared to me the ,voice of ,god1 ,i sailed for ,london in the ,kosciusko1 an ,aberdeen clipper1 on the #agth ,may1 #ahfc4 ,captain ,stuart made the voyage most enjoyable to all4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,stafford1 friend of the good ,bishop ,selwyn and tutor to his son1 conducted along with myself1 alternately1 an ,anglican and a ,presbyterian ,service4 ,we passed through a memorable thunder-burst in rounding the ,cape4 ,our good ship was perilously struck by lightning4 ,the men on deck were thrown violently down4 ,the copper in the bulwarks was twisted and melted--a specimen of which the ,captain gave me and ,i still retain4 ,when the ball of fire struck the ship1 those of us sitting on chairs1 screwed to the floor around the cabin table1 felt as if she were plunging to the bottom4 ,when she sprang aloft again1 a military man and a medical officer were thrown heavily into the back passage between the cabins1 the screws that held their seats having snapped asunder4 ,i1 in grasping the table1 got my leg severely bruised1 being jammed betwixt the seat and the table1 and had to be carried to my berth4 ,all the men were attended to1 and quickly recovered consciousness2 and immediately the good ,captain1 an elder of the ,church1 came to me1 and said1 ,lead us in prayer1 and let us thank the ,lord for this most merciful deliverance2 the ship is not on fire1 and no one is seriously injured6 ,poor fellow6 whether hastened on by this event ,i know not1 but he struggled for three weeks thereafter in a fever1 and it took our united care and love to pull him through4 ,the ,lord1 however1 restored him2 and we cast anchor safely in the ,east ,india ,docks1 at ,london1 on #bfth ,august1 #ahfc1 having been three months and ten days at sea from port to port4 ,it was #e4cj ,p4 ,m4 when we cast anchor1 and the gates closed at #f o'clock4 ,my little box was ready on deck4 ,the ,custom ,house officers kindly passed me1 and ,i was immediately on my way to ,euston ,square4 ,never before had ,i been within the ,great ,city1 and doubtless ,i could have enjoyed its palaces and memorials4 ,but the ,king's business entrusted to me1 required haste1 and ,i felt constrained to press forward1 looking neither to the right hand nor to the left4 ,at nine o'clock that evening1 ,i left for ,scotland by train4 ,next morning1 about the same hour1 ,i reported myself at the manse of the ,rev4 ,john ,kay1 ,castle ,douglas1 the ,convener of the ,foreign ,mission ,committee of the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church1 to which ,i then belonged4 ,we arranged for a meeting of said ,committee1 at earliest practicable date1 that my scheme and plans might at once be laid before them4 ,by the next train ,i was on my way to ,dumfries1 and thence by conveyance to my dear old home at ,torthorwald4 ,there ,i had a ,heavenly ,welcome from my saintly parents1 yet not unmixed with many fast-falling tears4 ,five brief years only had elapsed1 since ,i went forth from their ,sanctuary1 with my young bride2 and now1 alas6 alas6 that grave on ,tanna held mother and son locked in each other's embrace till the ,resurrection ,day4 ,not less glowing1 but more terribly agonizing1 was my reception1 a few days thereafter1 at ,coldstream1 when ,i first gazed on the bereaved father and mother of my beloved2 who1 though godly people1 were conscious of a heart-break under that stroke1 from which through their remaining years they never fully rallied4 ,they murmured not against the ,lord2 but all the same1 heart and flesh began to faint and fail1 even as our ,divine ,exemplar ,himself fainted under the ,cross1 which yet ,he so uncomplainingly bore4 ,the ,foreign ,mission ,committee of the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church met in ,edinburgh1 and welcomed me kindly1 nay1 warmly4 ,a full report of all my doings for the past1 and of all my plans and hopes1 was laid before them4 ,they at once agreed to my visiting and addressing every ,congregation and ,sabbath ,school in the ,church4 ,they opened to me their ,divinity ,hall1 that ,i might appeal to the ,students4 ,my ,address there was published and largely circulated1 under the motto--,come over and help us4 ,it was used of ,god to deepen vastly the interest in our ,mission4 ,the ,committee generously and enthusiastically did everything in their power to help me4 ,by their influence1 the ,church in #ahfd conferred on me the undesired and undeserved honor1 the highest which they could confer--the honor of being the ,moderator of their ,supreme ,court4 ,no one can understand how much ,i shrank from all this2 but1 in hope of the ,lord's using it and me to promote ,his work amongst the ,heathen1 ,i accepted the ,chair1 though1 ,i fear1 only to occupy it most unworthily1 for ,tanna gave me little training for work like that6 ,i have ever regarded it as a privilege and honor that ,i was born and trained within the old covenanting ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church of ,scotland4 ,as a separate ,communion1 that ,church was small amongst the thousands of ,israel2 but the principles of ,civil and ,religious ,liberty for which her founders suffered and died are1 at this moment1 the heart and soul of all that is best and divinest in the ,constitution of our ,british ,empire4 ,i am more proud that the blood of ,martyrs is in my veins1 and their truths in my heart1 than other men can be of noble pedigree or royal names4 ,,chapter ,,lii4 ,,tour ,,through ,,the ,,old ,,country4 ,my tour through ,scotland brought me into contact with every ,minister1 ,congregation1 and ,sabbath ,school in the ,church of my fathers4 ,they were never at any time a rich people1 but they were always liberal4 ,at this time they contributed beyond all previous experience1 both in money and in boxes of useful articles for the ,islanders4 ,unfortunately1 my visit to the far ,north1 to our ,congregations at ,wick and ,stromness1 had been arranged for the month of ,january2 and thereby a sore trial befell me in my pilgrimages4 ,the roads were covered with snow and ice4 ,i reached ,aberdeen and ,wick by steamer from ,edinburgh1 and had to find my way thence to ,thurso4 ,the inside seats on the mail coach being all occupied1 ,i had to take my place outside4 ,the cold was intense1 and one of my feet got bitten by the frost4 ,the storm detained me nearly a week at ,thurso1 but feeling did not return to the foot4 ,we started1 in a lull1 by steamer for ,stromness2 but the storm burst again1 all were ordered below1 and hatches and doors made fast4 ,the passengers were mostly very rough1 the place was foul with whisky and tobacco4 ,i appealed to the ,captain to let me crouch somewhere on deck and hold on as best ,i could4 ,he shouted1 ,i dare not6 ,you'll be washed overboard4 ,on seeing my appealing look1 he relented1 directed his men to fasten a tarpaulin over me1 and lash it and me to the mast1 and there ,i lay till we reached ,stromness4 ,the sea broke heavily and dangerously over the vessel4 ,but the ,captain1 finding shelter for several hours under the lee of a headland1 saved both the ship and the passengers4 ,when at last we landed1 my foot was so benumbed and painful that ,i could move a step only with greatest agony4 ,two meetings1 however1 were in some kind of way conducted2 but the projected visit to ,dingwall and other places had to be renounced1 the snow lying too deep for any conveyance to carry me1 and my foot crying aloud for treatment and skill4 ,on returning ,southwards ,i was confined for about two months1 and placed under the best medical advice4 ,all feeling seemed gradually to have departed from my foot2 and amputation was seriously proposed both in ,edinburgh and in ,glasgow4 ,having somehow managed to reach ,liverpool1 my dear friend1 the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,graham1 took me there to a ,doctor who had wrought many wonderful recoveries by galvanism4 ,time after time he applied the battery1 but ,i felt nothing4 ,he declared that the power used would have killed six ordinary men1 and that he had never seen any part of the human body so dead to feeling on a live and healthy person4 ,finally1 he covered it all over with a dark plaster1 and told me to return in three days4 ,but next day1 the throbbing feeling of insufferable coldness in the foot compelled me to return at once4 ,after my persistent appeals1 he removed the plaster2 and1 to his great astonishment1 the whole of the frosted part adhered to it6 ,again1 dressing the remaining parts1 he covered it with plaster as before1 and assured me that with care and rest it would now completely recover4 ,by the blessing of the ,lord it did1 though it was a bitter trial to me amidst all these growing plans to be thus crippled by the way2 and to this day ,i am sometimes warned in over-walking that the part is capable of many a painful twinge4 ,and humbly ,i feel myself crooning over the graphic words of the ,greatest ,missionary1 ,i bear about in my body the marks of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,on that tour1 the ,sabbath ,schools joyfully adopted my scheme1 and became ,shareholders in the ,mission ,ship4 ,it was thereafter ably developed by an elder of the ,church4 ,a ,dayspring collecting box found its way into almost every family2 and the returns from ,scotland have yielded ever since about #bej per annum1 as their proportion for the expenses of the ,children's ,mission ,ship to the ,new ,hebrides4 ,the ,church in ,nova ,scotia heartily accepted the same idea1 and their ,sabbath ,school children have regularly contributed their #bej per annum too4 ,the ,colonial children have contributed the rest1 throughout all these years1 with unfailing interest4 ,and whensoever the true and full history of the ,south ,sea ,islands ,mission is written for the edification of the ,universal ,church1 let it not be forgotten that the children of ,australasia1 and ,nova ,scotia1 and ,scotland1 did by their united pennies keep the ,dayspring floating in the ,new ,hebrides2 that the ,missionaries and their families were thereby supplied with the necessaries of life1 and that the ,islanders were thus taught to clothe themselves and to sit at the feet of ,jesus4 ,this was the ,children's ,holy ,league1 erewhile referred to2 and one knows that on such a ,union the ,divine ,master smiles well pleased4 ,the ,lord also crowned this tour with another precious fruit of blessing1 though not all by any means due to my influence4 ,four new ,missionaries volunteered from ,scotland1 and three from ,nova ,scotia4 ,by their aid we not only re-claimed for ,jesus the posts that had been abandoned1 but we took possession of other ,islands in ,his most blessed ,name4 ,but ,i did not wait and take them out with me4 ,they had matters to look into and to learn about1 that would be infinitely helpful to them in the ,mission field4 ,especially1 and far above everything else in addition to their regular ,clerical course1 some ,medical instruction was an absolute prerequisite4 ,every ,missionary was urged to obtain all insight that was practicable at the ,medical ,mission ,dispensary1 and otherwise1 especially on lines known to be most requisite for these ,islands4 ,for this1 and similar objects1 all that ,i raised over and above what was required for the ,dayspring was entrusted to the ,foreign ,mission ,committee1 that the new ,missionaries might be fully equipped1 and their outfit and traveling expenses be provided for without burdening the ,church at home4 ,her responsibilities were already large enough for her resources4 ,but she could give men1 ,god's own greatest gift1 and ,his people elsewhere gave the money1--the ,colonies and the ,home ,country thus binding themselves to each other in this ,holy ,mission of the ,cross4 ,,chapter ,,liii4 ,,marriage ,,and ,,farewell4 ,,but ,i did not return alone4 ,the dear ,lord had brought to me one prepared1 all unknown to either of us1 by special culture1 by godly training1 by many gifts and accomplishments1 and even by family associations1 to share my lot on the ,new ,hebrides4 ,her brother had been an honored ,missionary in the ,foreign field1 and had fallen asleep while the dew of youth was yet upon him2 her sister was the wife of a devoted ,minister of our ,church in ,adelaide1 both she and her husband being zealous promoters of our work2 and her father had left behind him a fragrant memory through his many ,christian works at ,edinburgh1 ,kenneth1 and ,alloa1 besides being not unknown to fame as the author of those still popular books1 ,whitecross's ,anecdotes1 illustrative of the ,shorter ,catechism and of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,ere ,i left ,scotland in #ahfd1 ,i was married to ,margaret ,whitecross1 and ,god spares us to each other still 7#ahib72 and the family which ,he has been pleased in ,his love to grant unto us we have dedicated to ,his service1 with the prayer and hope that ,he may use every one of them in spreading the ,gospel throughout the ,heathen ,world4 ,our marriage was celebrated at her sister's house in ,edinburgh2 and ,i may be pardoned for recalling a little event which characterized the occasion4 ,my youngest brother1 then tutor to a gentleman studying at the ,university1 stepped forth at the close of the ceremony and recited an ,epithalamium composed for the day4 ,for many a month and year the refrain1 a play upon the ,bride's name1 kept singing itself through my memory3-- ,long may the ,whitecross banner wave1 ,by the battle blasts unriven2 ,long may our ,brother and ,sister brave ,rejoice in the light of ,heaven4 ,he describes the ,bride as hearing a ,voice from the far ,pacific ,seas2 and turning to us both1 he sang of an ,angel beckoning us to the ,tanna-land1 to gather a harvest of souls3-- ,the warfare is brief1 the crown is bright1 ,the pledge is the souls of men2 ,go1 may the ,lord defend the ,right1 ,and restore you safe again6 ,but the verse which my dear wife thought most beautiful for a bridal day1 and which her memory cherishes still1 was this3-- ,may the ruddy ,joys1 and the ,graces fair1 ,wait fondly around you now2 ,sweet angel ,hopes and young ,loves repair ,to your home and bless your vow6 ,my last scene in ,scotland was kneeling at the family altar in the old ,sanctuary ,cottage at ,torthorwald1 while my venerable father1 with his high-priestly locks of snow-white hair streaming over his shoulders1 commenced us once again to the care and keeping of the ,lord ,god of the families of ,israel4 ,it was the last time that ever on this ,earth those accents of intercession1 loaded with a pathos of deathless love1 would fall upon my ears4 ,i knew to a certainty that when we rose from our knees and said farewell1 our eyes would never meet again till they were flooded with the lights of the ,resurrection ,day4 ,but he and my darling mother gave us away once again with a free heart1 not unpierced with the sword of human anguish1 to the service of our common ,lord and to the ,salvation of the ,heathen4 ,and we went forth1 praying that a double portion of their spirit1 along with their precious blessing1 might rest upon us in all the way that we had to go4 ,our beloved mother1 always more self-restrained1 and less demonstrative in the presence of others1 held back her heart till we were fairly gone from the door2 and then1 as my dear brother afterward informed me1 she fell back into his arms with a great cry1 as if all the heart-strings had broken1 and lay for long in a deathlike swoon4 ,oh1 all ye that read this page1 think most tenderly of the cries of ,nature1 even where ,grace and ,faith are in perfect triumph4 ,read1 through scenes like these1 a fuller meaning into the words addressed to that blessed ,mother1 whose ,son was given for us all1 ,yea1 a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also4 ,,chapter ,,liv4 ,,first ,,peep ,,at ,,the ,,dayspring4 ,,we embarked at ,liverpool for ,australia in ,the ,crest o' the ,wave1 ,captain ,ellis2 and1 after what was then considered a fast passage of ninety-five days1 we landed at ,sydney on #agth ,january1 #ahfe4 ,within an hour we had to grapple with a new and amazing perplexity4 ,the ,captain of our ,dayspring came to inform me that his ship had arrived three days ago and now lay in the stream1--that she had been to the ,islands1 and had settled the ,gordons1 ,m',cullaghs1 and ,morrisons on their several stations1--that she had left ,halifax in ,nova ,scotia fourteen months ago1 and that now1 on arriving at ,sydney1 he could not get one penny of money1 and that the crew were clamoring for their pay1 etc4 etc4 ,he continued1 ,where shall ,i get money for current expenses8 ,no one will lend unless we mortgage the ,dayspring4 ,i fear there is nothing before us but to sell her6 ,i gave him #ej of my own to meet clamant demands1 and besought him to secure me a day or two of delay that something might be done4 ,having landed1 and been heartily welcomed by dear ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,moon and other friends1 ,i went with a kind of trembling joy to have my first look at the ,dayspring1 like a sailor getting a first peep at the child born to him whilst far away on the sea4 ,some of the irritated ship's company stopped us by the way1 and threatened prosecution and all sorts of annoyance4 ,i could only urge again for a few days' patience4 ,i found her to be a beautiful two-masted ,brigantine1 with a deck-house 7added when she first arrived at ,melbourne71 and every way suitable for our necessities1--a thing of beauty1 a white-winged ,angel set a-floating by the pennies of the children to bear the ,gospel to these sin-darkened but sun-lit ,southern ,isles4 ,to me she became a sort of living thing1 the impersonation of a living and throbbing love in the heart of thousands of shareholders2 and ,i said1 with a deep1 indestructible faith1--,the ,lord has provided--the ,lord will provide4 ,since she sailed1 #adjj had been expended2 for present liabilities at least #gjj more were instantly required3 and1 at any rate1 as large a sum to pay her way and meet expenses of next trip to the ,islands4 ,having laid our perplexing circumstances before our dear ,lord ,jesus1 having spread out all the details in ,his sympathetic presence1 pleading that the ,ship itself and the new ,missionaries were all ,his own1 not mine1 ,i told ,him that this money was needed to do ,his own blessed work4 ,on ,friday morning1 ,i consulted friends of the ,mission1 but no help was visible4 ,i tried to borrow1 but found that the lender demanded #bj per cent for interest1 besides the title-deeds of the ship for security4 ,i applied for a loan from the agent of the ,london ,missionary ,society 7then agent for us too7 on the credit of the ,reformed ,presbyterian ,church's ,foreign ,committee1 but he could not give it without a written order from ,scotland4 ,there were some who seemed rather to enjoy our perplexity6 ,driven thus to the wall1 ,i advertised for a meeting of ,ministers and other friends1 next morning at eleven o'clock1 to receive my report and to consult re the ,dayspring4 ,i related my journeyings since leaving them and the results1 and then asked for advice about the ship4 ,sell her1 said some1 and have done with it4--,what1 said others1 have the ,sabbath ,schools given you the ,dayspring and can you not support her yourselves8 ,i pointed out to them that the salary of each ,missionary was then only #abj per annum1 that they gave their lives for the ,heathen1 and that surely the ,colonial ,christians would undertake the up-keep of the ship1 which was necessary to the very existence of the ,mission4 ,i appealed to them that1 as my own ,church in ,scotland had now one ,missionary abroad for every six ,ministers at home1 and the small ,presbyterian ,church of ,nova ,scotia had actually three ,missionaries now on our ,islands1 it would be a blessed privilege for the ,australian ,churches and ,sabbath ,schools to keep the ,dayspring afloat1 without whose services the ,missionaries could not live nor the ,islanders be evangelized4 ,being ,saturday1 the morning ,services for ,sabbath were all arranged for1 or advertised2 but ,dr4 ,m',gibbon offered me a meeting for the evening1 and ,dr4 ,steel an afternoon ,service at three o'clock1 combined with his ,sabbath ,school4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,patterson of ,piermont1 offered me a ,morning ,service2 but1 as his was only a ,mission ,church1 he could not give me a collection4 ,these openings ,i accepted1 as from the ,lord1 however much they fell short of what ,i desired4 ,at the ,morning ,service ,i informed the congregation how we were situated1 and expressed the hope that under ,god and their devoted pastor they would greatly prosper1 and would yet be able to help in supporting our ,mission to their ,south ,sea neighbors4 ,returning to the vestry1 a lady and gentleman waited to be introduced to me4 ,they were from ,launceston1 ,tasmania4 ,i am1 said he1 ,captain and owner of that vessel lying at anchor opposite the ,dayspring4 ,my wife and ,i1 being too late to get on shore to attend any ,church in the city1 heard this little ,chapel bell ringing1 and followed1 when we saw you going up the hill4 ,we have so enjoyed the ,service4 ,we do heartily sympathize with you4 ,this check for #ej will be a beginning to help you out of your difficulties4 ,the reader knows how warmly ,i would thank them2 and how in my own heart ,i knew ,who it was that made them arrive too late for their plans1 but not for ,his1 and led them up that hill1 and opened their hearts4 ,jehovah-,jireh8 ,at three o'clock1 ,dr4 ,steel's ,church was filled with children and others4 ,i told them in my appeal what had happened in the ,mission ,chapel1 and how ,god had led ,captain ,frith and his wife1 entire strangers1 to sound the first note of our deliverance4 ,one man stood up and said1 ,i will give #aj4 ,another1 ,i will give #e4 ,a third1 ,i shall send you #bj to-morrow morning4 ,several others followed their example1 and the general collection was greatly encouraging4 ,in the evening ,i had a very large as well as sympathetic congregation4 ,i fully explained the difficulty about the ,dayspring1 and told them what ,god had already done for us1 announcing an address to which contributions might be sent4 ,almost every mail brought me the free-will offerings of ,god's people2 and on ,wednesday1 when the adjourned meeting was held1 the sum had reached in all #def4 ,believing that the ,lord thus intervened at a vital crisis in our ,mission1 ,i dwell on it to the praise of ,his blessed ,name4 ,trust in ,him1 obey ,him1 and ,he will not suffer you to be put to shame4 ,clearing out from her sister ships1 then in harbor1 the ,john ,williams and the ,john ,wesley1 our little ,dayspring sailed for ,tasmania4 ,at ,hobart we were visited by thousands of children and parents1 and afterwards at ,launceston1 who were proud to see their own ,ship1 in which they were shareholders for ,jesus4 ,daily1 all over the ,colony1 ,i preached in churches1 and addressed public meetings1 and got collections1 and gave out ,collection ,cards to be returned within two weeks4 ,we received many tokens of interest and sympathy4 ,the steam tug was granted to us free1 and the harbor dues were remitted4 ,many presents were also sent on board the ,dayspring4 ,still1 after meeting all necessary outlays1 the trip to ,tasmania gave us only #bbg3 #h3 #aa clear for the ,mission fund4 ,sailing now for ,south ,australia1 we arrived at ,adelaide4 ,many friends there showed the deepest interest in our plans4 ,thousands of children and parents came to visit their own ,mission ,ship by several special trips4 ,daily and nightly ,i addressed meetings1 and ,god's people were moved greatly in the cause4 ,after meeting ail expenses while in port1 there remained a sum of #fcd3 #i3 #b for the up-keep of the vessel4 ,the ,honorable ,george ,fife ,angus gave me #bda--;a dear friend belonging to the ,baptist ,church4 ,but there was still a deficit of #djj before the ,dayspring could sail free of debt1 and my heart was sore as ,i cried for it to the ,lord4 ,leaving the ship to sail direct for ,sydney1 ,i took steamer to ,melbourne2 but1 on arriving there1 sickness and anxiety laid me aside for three days4 ,under great weakness1 ,i crept along to my dear friends at the ,scotch ,college1 ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,morrison1 and ,miss ,fraser1 and threw myself on their advice4 ,come along1 said the ,doctor cheerily1 and ,i'll introduce you to ,mr4 ,butchart and one or two friends in ,east ,melbourne1 and we'll see what what can be done6 ,i gave all information1 being led on in conversation by the ,doctor1 and tried to interest them in our work1 but no subscriptions were asked or received4 ,ere ,i sailed for ,sydney however1 the whole deficiency was sent to me4 ,i received in all1 on this tour1 the sum of #agbf3 #i3 #aj4 ,our ,dayspring once more sailed free1 and our hearts overflowed with gratitude to the ,lord and to ,his stewards6 ,,chapter ,,lv4 ,,the ,,french ,,in ,,the ,,pacific4 ,we went down to the ,islands with the ,dayspring in #ahfe4 ,the full story of the years that had passed was laid before my ,missionary brethren at their ,annual ,synod4 ,they resolved that permanent arrangements must now be made for the vessel's support1 and that ,i must return to the ,colonies and see these matured1 to prevent any such crisis as that through which we had recently passed4 ,this1 meantime1 appeared to all of them1 the most clamant of all ,missionary duties1--their very lives1 and the existence of the ,mission itself1 depending thereon4 ,the ,lord seemed to leave me no alternative3 and1 with great reluctance1 my back was again turned away from the ,islands4 ,the ,dayspring1 doing duty among the ,loyalty ,islands1 left me1 along with my dear wife1 on ,mare1 there to await an opportunity of getting to ,new ,caledonia1 and thence to ,sydney4 ,detained there for some time1 we saw the noble work done by ,messrs4 ,jones and ,creagh1 of the ,london ,missionary ,society1 all being cruelly undone by the tyranny and ,popery of the ,french4 ,one day1 in an inland walk1 ,mrs4 ,paton and ,i came on a large ,conventicle in the bush4 ,they were teaching each other1 and reading the ,scriptures which the ,missionaries had translated into their own language1 and which the ,french had forbidden them to use4 ,they cried to ,god for deliverance from their oppressors6 ,missionaries were prohibited from teaching the ,gospel to the ,natives without the permission of ,france2 their books were suppressed1 and they themselves placed under military guard on the ,island of ,lifu4 ,even when1 by ,britain's protest1 the ,missionaries were allowed to resume their work1 the ,french language was alone to be used by them2 and some1 like ,rev4 ,j4 ,jones 7as far down as #ahhh71 were marched on board a ,man-of-war1 at half an hour's notice1 and1 without crime laid to their charge1 forbidden ever to return to the ,islands4 ,while1 on the other hand1 the ,french ,popish ,missionaries were everywhere fostered and protected1 presenting to the ,natives as many objects of idolatry as their own1 and following1 as is the custom of the ,romish ,church in those ,seas1 in the wake of every ,protestant ,mission1 to pollute and to destroy4 ,being delayed also for two weeks on ,noumea1 we saw the state of affairs under military rule4 ,english ,protestant residents1 few in number1 appealed to me to conduct worship1 but liberty could not be obtained from the authorities1 who hated everything ,english4 ,again a number of ,protestant parents1 some ,french1 others ,english and ,german1 applied to me to baptize their children at their own houses4 ,to have asked permission would have been to court refusal1 and to falsify my position4 ,i laid the matter before the ,lord1 and baptized them all4 ,within two days the ,private ,secretary of the ,governor arrived with an interpreter1 and began to inquire of me1 ,is it true that you have been baptizing here8 ,i replied quite frankly1 ,it is4 ,we are sent to demand on whose authority8 ,on the authority of my ,great ,master4 ,when did you get that authority8 ,when ,i was licensed and ordained to preach the ,gospel1 ,i got that authority from my ,great ,master4 ,here a spirited conversation followed betwixt the two in ,french1 and they politely bowed1 and left me4 ,very shortly they returned1 saying1 ,the ,governor sends his compliments1 and he wishes the honor of a visit from you at ,government ,house at three o'clock1 if convenient for you4 ,i returned my greeting1 and said that ,i would have pleasure in waiting upon his ,excellency at the appointed hour4 ,i thought to myself that ,i was in for it now1 and ,i earnestly cried for ,divine guidance4 ,he saluted me graciously as de great ,missionary of de ,new ,hebrides4 ,he conversed in a very friendly manner about the work there1 and seemed anxious to find any indication as to the ,english designs4 ,i had to deal very cautiously4 ,he spoke chiefly through the interpreter2 but1 sometimes dismissing him1 he talked to me as good1 if not better ,english himself4 ,he was eager to get my opinions as to how ,britain got and retained her power over the ,natives4 ,after a very prolonged interview1 we parted without a single reference to the baptisms or to religious services6 ,that evening the ,secretary and interpreter waited upon us at our ,inn1 saying1 ,the ,governor will have pleasure in placing his yacht and crew at your disposal to-morrow4 ,mrs4 ,paton and you can sail all around1 and visit the ,convict ,island1 and the ,government ,gardens1 where lunch will be prepared for you4 ,it was a great treat to us indeed4 ,the crew were in prison garments1 but all so kind to us4 ,by ,convict labor all the public works seemed to be carried on1 and the ,gardens were most beautiful4 ,the carved work in bone1 ivory1 cocoanuts1 shells1 etc41 was indeed very wonderful4 ,we bought a few specimens1 but the prices were beyond our purse4 ,it was a strange spectacle--these things of beauty and joy1 and beside them the chained gangs of fierce and savage ,convicts1 kept down only by bullet and sword6 ,thanking the ,governor for his exceeding kindness1 ,i referred to their ,man-of-war about to go to ,sydney1 and offered to pay full passage money if they would take me1 instead of leaving me to wait for a trader4 ,he at once granted my request1 and arranged that we should be charged only at the daily cost for the sailors4 ,at his suggestion1 however1 ,i took a number of things on board with me1 and presented them to be used at the cabin table4 ,we were most generously treated--the ,captain giving up his own room to my wife and myself1 as they had no special accommodation for passengers4 ,noumea appeared to me at that time to be wholly given over to drunkenness and vice1 supported as a great ,convict ,settlement by the ,government of ,france1 and showing every extreme of reckless1 worldly pleasure1 and of cruel1 slavish toil4 ,when ,i saw it again1 three-and-twenty years thereafter1 it showed no signs of progress for the better4 ,it there be a ,god of justice and of love1 ,his blight cannot but rest on a nation whose pathway is stained with corruption and steeped in blood1 as is undeniably the case with ,france in the ,pacific ,isles4 ,,chapter ,,lvi4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,and ,,gunpowder4 ,arriving at ,sydney1 ,i was at once plunged into a whirlpool of horrors4 ,h4 ,m4 ,s4 ,curaoa had just returned from her official trip to the ,islands1 in which the ,commodore1 ,sir ,william ,wisenian1 had thought it his duty to inflict punishment on the ,natives for murder and robbery of ,traders and others4 ,on these ,islands1 as in all similar cases1 the ,missionaries had acted as interpreters1 and of course always used their influence on the side of mercy1 and in the interests of peace4 ,but ,sydney1 and indeed ,australia and the ,christian ,world1 were thrown into a ferment just a few days before our arrival1 by certain articles in a leading publication there1 and by the pictorial illustrations of the same4 ,they were professedly from an officer on board ,her ,majesty's ship1 and the sensation was increased by their apparent truthfulness and reality4 ,tanna was the scene of the first event1 and a series was to follow in succeeding numbers4 ,the ,curaoa was pictured lying at anchor off the shore having the ,dayspring astern4 ,the ,tannese warriors were being blown to pieces by shot and shell1 and lay in heaps on the bloody coast4 ,and the ,missionaries were represented as safe in the lee of the ,man-of-war1 directing the onslaught1 and gloating over the carnage4 ,without a question being asked or a doubt suggested1 without a voice being raised in fierce denial that such men as these ,missionaries were known to be could be guilty of such conduct1--men who had jeoparded their lives for years on end rather than hurt one hair on a ,native's head1--a cry of execration1 loud and deep1 and even savage1 arose from the ,press1 and was apparently joined in by the ,church itself4 ,the common witticism about the ,gospel and ,gunpowder headed hundreds of bitter and scoffing articles in the journals2 and1 as we afterwards learned1 the shocking news had been telegraphed to ,britain and ,america1 losing nothing in force by the way1 and1 while filling friends of ,missions with dismay1 was dished up day after day with every imaginable enhancement of horror for the readers of the secular and infidel ,press4 ,as ,i stepped ashore at ,sydney ,i found myself probably the best-abused man in all ,australia1 and the very name of the ,new ,hebrides ,mission stinking in the nostrils of the people4 ,the gage of battle had been thrown and fell at my feet4 ,without one moment's delay ,i lifted it in the name of my ,lord and of my maligned brethren4 ,that evening my reply was in the hands of the editor1 denying that such battles ever took place1 retailing the actual facts of which ,i had been myself an eyewitness1 and intimating legal prosecution unless the most ample and unequivocal withdrawal and apology were at once published4 ,the ,newspaper printed my rejoinder1 and made satisfactory amends for having been imposed upon and deceived4 ,i waited upon the ,commodore and appealed for his help in redressing this terrible injury to our ,mission4 ,he informed me that he had already called his officers to account1 but that all denied any connection with the articles or the picture4 ,he had little doubt1 all the same1 that some one on board was the prompter1 who gloried in the evil that was being done to the cause of ,christ4 ,he offered every possible assistance1 by testimony or otherwise1 to place all the facts before the ,christian public and to vindicate our ,missionaries4 ,the outstanding facts are best presented in the following extract from the official report of the ,mission ,synod3-- ,when the ,new ,hebrides ,missionaries were assembled at their annual meeting on ,aneityum1 ,h4 ,m4 ,s4 ,curaoa1 ,sir ,win4 ,wiseman1 ,bart41 ,c4 ,b41 arrived in the harbor to investigate many grievances of white men and trading vessels among the ,islands4 ,a petition having been previously presented to the ,governor in ,sydney1 as drawn out by the ,revs4 ,messrs4 ,geddie and ,copeland1 after the murder of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,gordon on ,erromanga1 requesting an investigation into the sad event1 and the removal of a ,sandal-wood ,trader1 a ,british subject1 who had incited the ,natives to it1--the ,missionaries gave the ,commodore a memorandum on the loss of life and property that had been sustained by the ,mission on ,tanna1 ,erromanga1 and ,efate4 ,he requested the ,missionaries to supply him with interpreters1 and requested the ,dayspring to accompany him with them4 ,the request was at once acceded to4 ,mr4 ,paton was appointed to act as interpreter for ,tanna1 ,mr4 ,gordon 7brother of the martyr7 for ,erromanga1 and ,mr4 ,morrison for ,efate4 ,at each of these ,islands1 the ,commodore summoned the principal ,chiefs near the harbors to appear before him1 and explained to them that his visit was to inquire into the complaints ,british subjects had made against them1 and to see if they had any against ,british subjects2 and when he had found out the truth he would punish those who had done the wrong and protect those who had suffered wrong4 ,the ,queen did not send him to compel them to become ,christians1 or to punish them for not becoming ,christians4 ,she left them to do as they liked in this matter2 but she was very angry at them because they had encouraged her subjects to live amongst them1 sold them land1 and promised to protect them1 and afterwards murdered some of them and attempted to murder others1 and stolen and destroyed their property2 that the inhabitants of these islands were talked of over the whole world for their treachery1 cruelty1 and murders2 and that the ,queen would no longer allow them to murder or injure her subjects1 who were living peaceably among them either as ,missionaries or ,traders4 ,she would send a ,ship of ,war every year to inquire into their conduct1 and if any white man injured any ,native they were to tell the ,captain of the ,man-of-war1 and the white man would be punished as fast as the black man4 ,after spending much time1 and using peaceably every means in his power in trying to get the guilty parties on ,tanna1 and not succeeding1 he shelled two villages1--having the day before informed the ,natives that he would do so1 and advising to have all women1 children1 and sick removed1 which in fact they did4 ,indeed nearly the whole of the inhabitants1 young and old1 went to ,nowar's land1 where they were instructed they would be safe1 while they witnessed what a ,man-of-war could do in punishing murderers4 ,but before the hour approached1 a foolish host of ,tannese warriors had assembled on the beach1 painted and armed and determined to fight the ,man-of-war6 ,and the ,chief of a village on the other side of the bay was at that moment assembled with his men on the high ground within our view1 and dancing to a war song in defiance4 ,the ,commodore caused a shell to strike the hill and explode with terrific fury just underneath the dancers4 ,the earth and the bush were torn and thrown into the air above and around them2 and next moment the whole host were seen disappearing over the brow of the hill4 ,two shots were sent over the heads of the warriors on the shore1 with terrific noise and uproar3 in an instant1 every man was making haste for ,nowar's land1 the place of refuge4 ,the ,commodore then shelled the villages1 and destroyed their property4 ,beyond what ,i have here recorded1 absolutely nothing was done4 ,we returned then for a moment to ,sydney4 ,the public excitement made it impossible for me to open my lips in the promotion of our ,mission4 ,the ,rev4 ,drs4 ,dunmore1 ,lang and ,steel1 along with ,professor ,smith of the ,university1 waited on the ,commodore1 and got an independent version of the facts4 ,they then called a meeting on the affair by public advertisement4 ,without being made acquainted with the results of their investigations1 ,i was called upon to give my own account of the ,curaoa's visit and of the connection of the ,missionaries therewith4 ,they then submitted the ,commodore's statement1 given by him in writing4 ,he exonerated the ,missionaries from every shadow of blame and from all responsibility4 ,in the interests of mercy as well as justice1 and to save life1 they had acted as his interpreters2 and there all that they had to do with the ,curaoa began and ended4 ,all this was published in the newspapers next day1 along with the speeches of the three deputies4 ,the excitement began to subside4 ,but the poison had been lodged in many hearts1 and the ejectment of it was a slow and difficult process4 ,feeling absolutely conscious that ,i had only done my ,christian duty1 ,i left all results in the hands of my ,lord ,jesus1 and pressed forward in ,his blessed work4 ,but more than one dear personal friend had to be sacrificed over this painful affair4 ,a presbyterian ,minister1 and a godly elder and his wife1 all most excellent and well-beloved1 at whose houses ,i had been received as a brother1 intimated to me that owing to this case of the ,curaoa their friendship and mine must entirely cease in this world4 ,and it did cease2 but my esteem never changed4 ,i had learned not to think unkindly of friends1 even when they manifestly misunderstood my actions4 ,nor would these things merit being recorded here1 were it not that they may be at once a beacon and a guide4 ,god's people are still belied4 ,and the mob is still as ready as ever to cry1 ,crucify6 ,crucify6 ,,chapter ,,lvii4 ,a ,,plea ,,for ,,tanna4 ,,everything having been at length arranged for in the ,colonies1 in connection with the ,mission and ,dayspring1 as far as could possibly be1--and ,i having been adopted by the ,victorian ,assembly of #ahff1 as the first ,missionary from the ,presbyterian ,church of ,australia to the ,new ,hebrides1--we sailed for the ,islands on the #hth ,august of that year4 ,besides my wife and child1 the following accompanied us to the field3 ,revs4 ,copeland1 ,cosh1 and ,m',nair1 along with their respective wives4 ,on #bjth ,august we reached ,aneityum2 and1 having landed some of our friends1 we sailed ,northwards1 as far as ,efate1 to let the new ,missionaries see all the ,islands open for occupation1 and to bring all our ,missionaries back to the annual meeting1 where the permanent settlements would be finally agreed upon4 ,while staying at ,aneityum1 ,i learned with as deep emotion as man ever felt for man1 that noble old ,abraham1 the sharer of my ,tannese trials1 had during the interval peacefully fallen asleep in ,jesus4 ,he left for me his silver watch--one which ,i had myself sent to the dear soul from ,sydney1 and which he greatly prized4 ,in his dying hour he said1 ,give it to ,missi1 my own ,missi ,paton2 and tell him that ,i go to ,jesus1 where ,time is dead4 ,i learned also1 and truly human-hearted readers will need no apology for introducing this news in so grave a story--that my faithful dog ,clutha1 entrusted to the care of a kindly ,native to be kept for my return1 had1 despite all coaxing1 grown weary of heart amongst all these dark faces1 and fallen asleep too1 truly not unworthy of a grateful tear6 ,at our annual ,synod1 after much prayerful deliberation and the careful weighing of every vital circumstance1 ,i was constrained by the united voice of my brethren not to return to ,tanna1 but to settle on the adjoining island of ,aniwa 7,a-ne-wa74 ,it was even hoped that thereby ,tanna might eventually be the more surely reached and evangelized4 ,by the new ,missionaries all the other old ,stations were reoccupied and some fresh ,islands were entered upon in the name of ,jesus4 ,as we moved about with our ,dayspring1 and planted the ,missionaries here and there1 nothing could repress the wonder of ,natives4 ,how is this8 they cried4 ,we slew or drove them all away6 ,we plundered their houses and robbed them4 ,had we been so treated1 nothing would have made us return4 ,but they come back with a beautiful new ship1 and with more and more ,missionaries4 ,and is it to trade and to get money1 like the other white men8 ,no6 no6 ,but to tell us of their ,jehovah ,god and of ,his ,son ,jesus4 ,if their ,god makes them do all that1 we may well worship ,him too4 ,in this way1 island after island was opened up to receive the ,missionary1 and their ,chiefs bound themselves to protect and cherish him1 before they knew anything whatever of the ,gospel1 beyond what they saw in the disposition and character of its ,preachers or heard rumored regarding its fruits on other ,islands4 ,imagine ,cannibals found thus prepared to welcome the ,missionary1 and to make not only his property but his life comparatively safe4 ,the ,isles wait for ,christ4 ,on our way to ,aniwa1 the ,dayspring had to call at ,tanna4 ,by stress of weather we lay several days in ,port ,resolution4 ,and there many memories were again revived--wounds that after five-and-twenty years1 when ,i now write1 still bleed afresh6 ,nowar1 the old ,chief1 unstable but friendly1 was determined to keep us there by force or by fraud4 ,the ,captain told him that the council of the ,missionaries had forbidden him to land our boxes at ,tanna4 ,don't land them1 said the wily ,chief1 just throw them over2 my men and ,i will catch everything before it reaches the water1 and carry them all safely ashore6 ,the ,captain said he durst not4 ,then1 persisted ,nowar1 just point them out to us2 you will have no further trouble2 we will manage everything for ,missi4 ,they were in distress when he refused2 and poor old ,nowar tried another tack4 ,suspecting that my clear wife was afraid of them1 he got us on shore to see his extensive plantations4 ,turning eagerly to her1 he said1 leaving me to interpret1 ,plenty of food6 ,while ,i have a yam or a banana1 you shall not want4 ,she answered1 ,i fear not any lack of food4 ,pointing to his warriors1 he cried1 ,we are many6 ,we are strong6 ,we can always protect you4 ,i am not afraid1 she calmly replied4 ,he then led us to that chestnut tree1 in the branches of which ,i had sat during a lonely and memorable night1 when all hope had perished of any earthly deliverance1 and said to her with a manifest touch of genuine emotion1 ,the ,god who protected ,missi there will always protect you4 ,she told him that she had no fear of that kind1 but explained to him that we must for the present go to ,aniwa1 but would return to ,tanna1 if the ,lord opened up our way4 ,nowar1 ,arkurat1 and the rest1 seemed to be genuinely grieved1 and it touched my soul to the quick4 ,a beautiful incident was the outcome1 as we learned only in long after years4 ,there was at that time an ,aniwan ,chief on ,tanna1 visiting friends4 ,he was one of their great ,sacred ,men4 ,he and his people had been promised a passage home in the ,dayspring1 with their canoes in tow4 ,when old ,nowar saw that he could not keep us with himself1 he went to this ,aniwan ,chief1 and took the white shells1 the insignia of ,chieftainship1 from his own arm1 and bound them on the ,sacred ,man1 saying1 ,by these you promise to protect my ,missi and his wife and child on ,aniwa4 ,let no evil befall them2 or1 by this pledge1 ,i and my people will revenge it4 ,in a future crisis1 this probably saved our lives1 as shall be afterwards related4 ,after all1 a bit of the ,christ-,spirit had found its way into that old cannibal's soul6 ,and the same ,christ-,spirit in me yearned more strongly still1 and made it a positive pain to pass on to another ,island1 and leave him in that dim-groping twilight of the soul4 ,,chapter ,,lviii4 ,,our ,,new ,,home ,,on ,,aniwa4 ,,aniwa became my ,mission ,home in ,november1 #ahff2 and for the next fifteen years it was the heart and center of my personal labors in the ,heathen ,world4 ,since #ahha1 alas6 my too frequent deputation pilgrimages among ,churches in ,great ,britain and in the ,colonies have rendered my visits to ,aniwa but few and far between4 ,god never guided me back to ,tanna2 but others1 my dear friends1 have seen ,his ,kingdom planted and beginning to grow amongst that slowly relenting race4 ,aniwa was to be the land wherein my past years of toil and patience and faith were to see their fruits ripening at length4 ,i claimed ,aniwa for ,jesus1 and by the grace of ,god ,aniwa now worships at the ,saviour's feet4 ,the ,island of ,aniwa is one of the smaller isles of the ,new ,hebrides4 ,it measures scarcely seven miles by two1 and is everywhere girt round with a belt of coral reef4 ,the sea breaks thereon heavily1 with thundering roar1 and the white surf rolls in furious and far4 ,but there are days of calm1 when all the sea is glass1 and the spray on the reef is only a fringe of silver4 ,aniwa1 having no hills to attract and condense the clouds1 suffers badly for lack of genial rains2 and the heavy rains of hurricane and tempest seem to disappear as if by magic through the light soil and porous rock4 ,the moist atmosphere and the heavy dews1 however keep the ,island covered with green1 while large and fruitful trees draw wondrous nourishment from their rocky beds4 ,aniwa has no harbor1 or safe anchorage of any kind for ships2 though1 in certain winds1 they have been seen at anchor on the outer edge of the reef1 always a perilous haven6 ,there is one rock in the coral belt1 through which a boat can safely run to shore2 but the little wharf1 built there of the largest coral blocks that could be rolled together1 has been once and again swept clean off by the hurricane1 leaving not a wrack behind4 ,when we landed1 the ,natives received us kindly4 ,they and the ,aneityumese ,teachers led us to a temporary home1 prepared for our abode4 ,it was a large ,native ,hut4 ,walls and roof consisted of sugar-cane leaf and reeds1 intertwisted on a strong wooden frame4 ,it had neither doors nor windows1 but open spaces instead of these4 ,the earthen floor alone looked beautiful1 covered thick with white coral broken small4 ,it had only one apartment2 and that1 meantime1 had to serve also for ,church and ,school and ,public ,hall4 ,we screened off a little portion1 and behind that screen planted our bed1 and stored our valuables4 ,all the natives within reach assembled to watch us taking our food6 ,a box at first served for a chair1 the lid of another box was our table1 our cooking was all done in the open air under a large tree1 and we got along with amazing comfort4 ,but the house was under the shelter of a coral rock1 and we saw at a glance that at certain seasons it would prove a very hotbed of fever and ague4 ,we were1 however1 only too thankful to enter it1 till a better could be built1 and on a breezier site4 ,the ,aniwans were not so violently dishonorable as the ,tannese4 ,but they had the knack of asking in a rather menacing manner whatever they coveted2 and the tomahawk was sometimes swung to enforce an appeal4 ,we strove to get along quietly and kindly1 in the hope that when we knew their language1 and could teach them the principles of ,jesus1 they would be saved1 and life and property would be secure4 ,but the rumor of the ,curaoa's visit and her punishment of murder and robbery did more1 by ,god's blessing1 to protect us during those ,heathen days than all other influences combined4 ,the savage cannibal was heard to whisper to his bloodthirsty mates1 not to murder or to steal1 for the ,man-of-war that punished ,tanna would blow up their little island6 ,sorrowful experience on ,tanna had taught us to seek the site of our ,aniwan house on the highest ground1 and away from the malarial influences near the shore4 ,there was one charming mound1 covered with trees1 whose roots ran down into the crevices of coral1 and from which ,tanna and ,erromanga are clearly seen4 ,but there the ,natives for some superstitious reason forbade us to build1 and we were constrained to take another rising ground somewhat nearer the shore4 ,in the end1 this turned out to be the very best site on the island for us1 central and suitable every way4 ,but we afterwards learned that perhaps superstition also led them to sell us this site1 in the malicious hope that it would prove our ruin4 ,the mounds on the top1 which had to be cleared away1 contained the bones and refuse of their ,cannibal feasts for ages4 ,none but their ,sacred ,men durst touch them2 and the ,natives watched us hewing and digging1 certain that their gods would strike us dead6 ,that failing1 their thoughts may probably have been turned to reflect that after all the ,jehovah ,god was stronger than they4 ,in leveling the site1 and gently sloping the sides of the ground for good drainage purposes1 ,i had gathered together two large baskets of human bones4 ,i said to a ,chief in ,tannese1 ,how do these bones come to be here8 ,and he replied1 with a shrug worthy of a cynical ,frenchman1 ,ah1 we are not ,tanna-men6 ,we don't eat the bones6 ,,chapter ,,lix4 ,,house-,,building ,,for ,,god4 ,,the site being now cleared1 we questioned whether to build only a temporary home1 hoping to return to dear old ,tanna as soon as possible1 or1 though the labor would be vastly greater1 a substantial house--for the comfort of our successors1 if not of ourselves4 ,we decided that1 as this was work for ,god1 we would make it the very best we could4 ,we planned two central rooms1 sixteen feet by sixteen1 with a five feet wide lobby between1 so that other rooms could be added when required4 ,about a quarter of a mile from the sea1 and thirty-five feet above its level1 ,i laid the foundations of the house4 ,coral blocks raised the wall about three feet high all round4 ,air passages carried sweeping currents underneath each room1 and greatly lessened the risk of fever and ague4 ,a wide trench was dug all round1 and filled up as a drain with broken coral4 ,at back and front1 the verandah stretched five feet wide2 and pantry1 bath-room1 and tool-house were partitioned off under the verandah behind4 ,the windows sent to me had hinges2 ,i added two feet to each1 with wood from ,mission-boxes1 and made them ,french door-windows1 opening from each room to the verandah4 ,and so we had1 by ,god's blessing1 a healthy spot to live in1 if not exactly a thing of beauty6 ,the ,mission ,house1 as ultimately finished1 had six rooms1 three on each side of the lobby1 and measured ninety feet in length1 surrounded by a verandah1 one hundred feet by five1 which kept everything shaded and cool4 ,underneath two rooms a cellar was dug eight feet deep1 and shelved all round for a store4 ,in more than one terrific hurricane that cellar saved our lives1--all crushing into it when trees and houses were being tossed like feathers on the wings of the wind4 ,altogether1 the house at ,aniwa has proved one of the healthiest and most commodious of any that have been planted by ,christian hands on the ,new ,hebrides4 ,in selecting site and in building the good hand of our ,god was upon us for good4 ,i built also two small ,orphanages1 almost as inevitably necessary as the ,missionary's own house4 ,they stood on a line with the front of my own dwelling1 one for girls1 the other for boys1 and we had them constantly under our own eyes4 ,the orphans were practically boarded at the ,mission premises1 and adopted by the ,missionaries4 ,their clothing was a heavy drain upon our resources2 and every odd and curious article that came in any of the boxes or parcels was utilized4 ,we trained these young people for ,jesus4 ,and at this day many of the best of our ,native ,teachers1 and most devoted ,christian helpers1 are amongst those who would probably have perished but for these ,orphanages4 ,every day after dinner we set the bell a-ringing--intimating1 from1 our first arrival on ,aniwa1 readiness to give advice or medicine to all who were sick4 ,we spoke to them1 so soon as we had learned1 a few words about ,jesus4 ,the weak received a cup of tea and a piece of bread4 ,the demand was sometimes great1 especially when epidemics befell them4 ,but some rather fled from us as the cause of their sickness1 and sought refuge from our presence in remotest corners1 or rushed off at our approach and concealed themselves in the bush4 ,they were but children1 and full of superstition2 and we had to win them by kindly patience1 never losing faith in them and hope for them1 any more than the ,lord did with us6 ,our learning the language on ,aniwa was marked by similar incidents to those of ,tanna related in a preceding chapter2 though a few of them could understand my ,tannese1 and that greatly helped me4 ,one day a man1 after carefully examining some article1 turned to his neighbor and said1 ,taha tinei8 ,i inferred that he was asking1 ,what is this8 ,pointing to another article1 ,i repeated their words2 they smiled at each other1 and gave me its name4 ,on another occasion1 a man said to his companion1 looking toward me1 ,taha neigo8 ,concluding that he was asking my name1 ,i pointed towards him1 and repeated the words1 and they at once gave me their names4 ,readers would be surprised to discover how much you can readily learn of any language1 with these two short questions constantly on your lips1 and with people ready at every turn to answer--,what's this8 ,what's your name8 ,every word was at once written down1 spelled phonetically and arranged in alphabetic order1 and a note appended as to the circumstances in which it was used4 ,by frequent comparison of these notes1 and by careful daily and even hourly imitation of all their sounds1 we were able in a measure to understand each other before we had gone far in the house-building operations1 during which some of them were constantly beside me4 ,one incident of that time was very memorable1 and ,god turned it to good account for higher ends4 ,i often tell it as the miracle of the speaking bit of wood2 and it has happened to other ,missionaries exactly as to myself4 ,while working at the house1 ,i required some nails and tools4 ,lifting a piece of planed wood1 ,i penciled a few words on it1 and requested our old ,chief to carry it to ,mrs4 ,paton1 and she would send what ,i wanted4 ,in blank wonder1 he innocently stared at me1 and said1 ,but what do you want8 ,i replied1 ,the wood will tell her4 ,he looked rather angry1 thinking that ,i befooled him1 and retorted1 ,who ever heard of wood speaking8 ,by hard pleading ,i succeeded in persuading him to go4 ,he was amazed to see her looking at the wood and then fetching the needed articles4 ,he brought back the bit of wood1 and eagerly made signs for an explanation4 ,chiefly in broken ,tannese ,i read to him the words1 and informed him that in the same way ,god spoke to us through ,his ,book4 ,the will of ,god was written there1 and by and by1 when he learned to read1 he would hear ,god speaking to him from its page1 as ,mrs4 ,paton heard me from the bit of wood4 ,a great desire was thus awakened in the poor man's soul to see the very ,word of ,god printed in his own language4 ,he helped me to learn words and master ideas with growing enthusiasm4 ,and when my work of translating portions of ,holy ,scripture began1 his delight was unbounded and his help invaluable4 ,the miracle of a speaking page was not less wonderful than that of speaking wood6 ,one day1 while building the house1 an old ,inland ,chief and his three sons came to see us4 ,everything was to them full of wonder4 ,after returning home one of the sons fell sick1 and the father at once blamed us and the ,worship1 declaring that if the lad died we all should be murdered in revenge4 ,by ,god's blessing1 and by our careful nursing and suitable medicine1 he recovered and was spared4 ,the old ,chief superstitiously wheeled round almost to another extreme4 ,he became not only friendly1 but devoted to us4 ,he attended the ,sabbath ,services1 and listened to the ,aneityumese ,teachers1 and to my first attempts1 partly in ,tannese1 translated by the orator ,taia or the ,chief ,namakei1 and explained in our hearing to the people in their mother tongue4 ,but on the heels of this1 another calamity overtook us4 ,so soon as two rooms of the ,mission ,house were roofed in1 ,i hired the stoutest of the young men to carry our boxes thither4 ,two of them started off with a heavy box suspended on a pole from shoulder to shoulder1 their usual custom4 ,they were shortly after attacked with vomiting of blood2 and one of them1 an ,erromangan1 actually died4 ,the father of the other swore that1 if his son did not get better1 every soul at the ,mission ,house should be slain in revenge4 ,but ,god mercifully restored him4 ,as the boat-landing was nearly three-quarters of a mile distant1 and such a calamity recurring would be not only sorrowful in itself but perilous in the extreme for us all1 ,i steeped my wits1 and with such crude materials as were at hand1 ,i manufactured not only a hand-barrow1 but a wheel-barrow1 for the pressing emergencies of the time4 ,in due course1 ,i procured a more orthodox hand-cart from the ,colonies1 and coaxed and bribed the ,natives to assist me in making a road for it4 ,perhaps the ghost of ,macadam would shudder at the appearance of that road1 but it has proved immensely useful ever since4 ,,chapter ,,lx4 ,a ,,city ,,of ,,god4 ,when1 in the course of years1 everything had been completed to our taste1 we lived practically in the midst of a beautiful village1--the ,church1 the ,school1 the ,orphanage1 the ,smithy and ,joiner's ,shop1 the ,printing ,office1 the ,banana and ,yam ,house1 the ,cook ,house1 etc42 all very humble indeed1 but all standing sturdily up there among the orange-trees1 and preaching the ,gospel of a higher civilization and of a better life for ,aniwa4 ,the little road leading to each door was laid with the white coral broken small4 ,the fence around all shone fresh and clean with new paint4 ,order and taste were seen to be laws in the white man's ,new ,life2 and several of the ,natives began diligently to follow our example4 ,many and strange were the arts which ,i had to try to practise1 such as handling the adze1 the mysteries of tenon and mortise1 and other feats of skill4 ,if a ,native wanted a fish-hook1 or a piece of red calico to bind his long whip-cord hair1 he would carry me a block of coral or fetch me a beam2 but continuous daily toil seemed to him a mean existence4 ,the women were tempted1 by calico and beads for pay1 to assist in preparing the sugar-cane leaf for thatch1 gathering it in the plantations1 and tying it over reeds four or six feet long with strips of bark of pandanus leaf1 leaving a long fringe hanging over on one side4 ,how differently they acted when the ,gospel began to touch their hearts6 ,they built their ,church and their ,schools then1 by their own free toil1 rejoicing to labor without money or price2 and they have ever since kept them in good repair1 for the service of the ,lord1 by their voluntary offerings of wood and sugar-cane leaf and coral-lime4 ,the roof was firmly tied on and nailed2 thereon were laid the reeds1 fringed with sugar-cane leaf1 row after row tied firmly to the wood2 the ridge was bound down by cocoanut leaves1 dexterously plaited from side to side and skewered to the ridge-pole with hard wooden pins2 and over all1 a fresh storm-roof was laid on yearly for the hurricane months1 composed of folded cocoanut leaves1 held down with planks of wood1 and bound to the frame-work below--which1 however1 had to be removed again in ,april to save the sugar-cane leaf from rotting beneath it4 ,there you were snugly covered in1 and your thatching good to last from eight years to ten2 that is1 provided you were not caught in the sweep of the hurricane1 before which trees went flying like straws1 huts disappeared like autumn leaves1 and your ,mission ,house1 if left standing at all1 was probably swept bare alike of roof and thatch at a single stroke6 ,well for you at such times if you have a good barometer indicating the approach of the storm2 and better still1 a large cellar like ours1 four-and-twenty feet by sixteen1 built round with solid coral blocks1--where goods may be stored1 and whereinto also all your household may creep for safety1 while the tornado tosses your dwelling about1 and sets huge trees dancing around you6 ,we had also to invent a lime-kiln1 and this proved one of the hardest nuts of all that had to be cracked4 ,the kind of coral required could be obtained only at one spot1 about three miles distant4 ,lying at anchor in my boat1 the ,natives dived into the sea1 broke off with hammer and crowbar piece after piece1 and brought it up to me1 till ,i had my load4 ,we then carried it ashore1 and spread it out in the sun to be blistered there for two weeks or so4 ,having thus secured twenty or thirty boat-loads1 and had it duly conveyed round to the ,mission ,station1 a huge pit was dug in the ground1 dry wood piled in below1 and green wood above to the height of several feet1 and on the top of all the coral blocks were orderly laid4 ,when this pile had burned for seven or ten days1 the coral had been reduced to excellent lime1 and the plasterwork made therefrom shone like marble4 ,on one of these trips the ,natives performed an extraordinary feat4 ,the boat with full load was struck heavily by a wave1 and the reef drove a hole in her side4 ,quick as thought the crew were all in the sea1 and1 to my amazement1 bearing up the boat with their shoulder and one hand1 while swimming and guiding us ashore with the other6 ,there on the land we were hauled up1 and four weary days were spent fetching and carrying from the ,mission ,station every plank1 tool1 and nail1 necessary for her repair4 ,every boat for these seas ought to be built of cedar wood and copper-fastened1 which is by far the most economical in the end4 ,and all houses should be built of wood which is as full as possible of gum or resin1 since the large white ants devour not only other soft woods1 but even ,colonial blue gum-trees1 the hard cocoanut1 and window sashes1 chairs1 and tables6 ,glancing back on all these toils1 ,i rejoice that such exhausting demands are no longer made on our newly-arrived ,missionaries4 ,houses1 all ready for being set up1 are now brought down from the ,colonies4 ,zinc roofs and other improvements have been introduced4 ,the ,synod appoints a deputation to accompany the young ,missionary1 and plant the house along with himself at the ,station committed to his care4 ,precious strength is thus saved for higher uses2 and not only property but life itself is oftentimes preserved4 ,i will close this chapter with an incident which1 though it came to our knowledge only years afterwards1 closely bears upon our ,settlement on ,aniwa4 ,at first we had no idea why they so determinedly refused us one site1 and fixed us to another of their own choice4 ,but after the old ,chief ,namakei became a ,christian1 he one day addressed the ,aniwan people in our hearing to this effect3-- ,when ,missi came we saw his boxes4 ,we knew he had blankets and calico1 axes and knives1 fish-hooks and all such things4 ,we said1 ',don't drive him off1 else we will lose all these things4 ,we will let him land4 ,but we will force him to live on the ,sacred ,plot4 ,our gods will kill him1 and we will divide all that he has amongst the men of ,aniwa4' ,but ,missi built his house on our most sacred spot4 ,he and his people lived there1 and the gods did not strike4 ,he planted bananas there1 and we said1 ',now when they eat of these they will all drop down dead1 as our fathers assured us1 if any one ate fruit from that ground1 except only our ,sacred ,men themselves4' ,these bananas ripened4 ,they did eat them4 ,we kept watching for days and days1 but no one died6 ,therefore what we say1 and what our fathers have said1 is not true4 ,our gods cannot kill them4 ,their ,jehovah ,god is stronger than the gods of ,aniwa4 ,i enforced old ,namakei's appeal1 telling them that1 though they knew it not1 it was the living and true and only ,god who had sent them every blessing which they possessed1 and had at last sent us to teach them how to serve and love and please ,him4 ,in wonder and silence they listened1 while ,i tried to explain to them that ,jesus1 the ,son of this ,god1 had lived and died and gone to the ,father to save them1 and that ,he was now willing to take them by the hand and lead them through this life to glory and immortality together with ,himself4 ,the old ,chief led them in prayer--a strange1 dark1 groping prayer1 with streaks of ,heathenism coloring every thought and sentence2 but still a heart-breaking prayer1 as the cry of a soul once ,cannibal1 but now being thrilled through and through with the first conscious pulsations of the ,christ-,spirit1 throbbing into the words--,father1 ,father2 our ,father4 ,when these poor creatures began to wear a bit of calico or a kilt1 it was an outward sign of a change1 though yet far from civilization4 ,and when they began to look up and pray to ,one whom they called ,father1 our ,father1 though they might be far1 very far1 from the type of ,christian that dubs itself respectable1 my heart broke over them in tears of joy2 and nothing will ever persuade me that there was not a ,divine ,heart in the ,heavens rejoicing too4 ,,chapter ,,lxi4 ,,the ,,religion ,,of ,,revenge4 ,,on landing in ,november1 #ahff1 we found the ,natives of ,aniwa1 some very shy and distrustful1 and others forward and imperious4 ,no clothing was worn2 but the wives and elder women had grass aprons or girdles like our first parents in ,eden4 ,the old ,chief interested himself in us and our work2 but the greater number showed a far deeper interest in the axes1 knives1 fishhooks1 strips of red calico1 and blankets1 received in payment for work or for bananas4 ,even for payment they would scarcely work at first1 and they were most unreasonable1 easily offended1 and started off in a moment at any imaginable slight4 ,for instance1 a ,chief once came for medicine4 ,i was so engaged that ,i could not attend to him for a few minutes4 ,so off he went1 in a great rage1 threatening revenge1 and muttering1 ,i must be attended to6 ,i won't wait on him4 ,such were the exactions of a naked savage6 ,shortly before our arrival1 an ,aneityumese ,teacher was sacrificed on ,aniwa4 ,the circumstances are illustrative of what may be almost called their worship of revenge4 ,many long years ago1 a party of ,aniwans had gone to ,aneityum on a friendly visit2 but the ,aneityumese1 then all savages1 murdered and ate every man of them save one1 who escaped into the bush4 ,living on cocoanuts1 he awaited a favorable wind1 and1 launching his canoe by night1 he arrived in safety4 ,the bereaved ,aniwans1 hearing his terrible story1 were furious for revenge2 but the forty-five miles of sea between proving too hard an obstacle1 they made a deep cut in the earth and vowed to renew that cut from year to year till the day of revenge came round4 ,thus the memory of the event was kept alive for nearly eighty years4 ,at length the people of ,aneityum came to the knowledge of ,jesus ,christ4 ,they strongly yearned to spread their saving ,gospel to the ,heathen ,islands all around4 ,amid prayers and strong cryings to ,god they1 like the ,church at ,antioch1 designated two of their leading men to go as ,native ,teachers and evangelize ,aniwa1 viz4 ,navalak and ,nemeyan2 whilst others went forth to ,fotuna1 ,tanna1 and ,erromanga1 as opportunity arose4 ,namakei1 the principal ,chief of ,aniwa1 had promised to protect and be kind to them4 ,but as time went on1 it was discovered that the ,teachers belonged to the ,tribe on ,aneityum1 and one of them to the very land1 where long ago the ,aniwans had been murdered4 ,the ,teachers had from the first known their danger1 but were eager to make known the ,gospel to ,aniwa4 ,it was resolved that they should die4 ,but the ,aniwans1 having promised to protect them1 shrank from doing it themselves2 so they hired two ,tanna-men and an ,aniwan ,chief1 one of whose parents had belonged to ,tanna1 to waylay and shoot the ,teachers as they returned from their tour of ,evangelism among the villages on ,sabbath afternoon4 ,their muskets did not go off1 but the murderers rushed upon them with clubs and left them for dead4 ,nemeyan was dead1 and entered that day amongst the noble army of the ,martyrs4 ,poor ,navalak was still breathing1 and the ,chief ,namakei carried him to his village and kindly nursed him4 ,he pleaded with the people that the claims of revenge had been satisfied1 and that ,navalak should be cherished and sent home1--the ,christ-,spirit beginning to work in that darkened soul6 ,navalak was restored to his people and is yet living 7#ahhh7--;a high class ,chief on ,aneityum1 and an honor to the ,church of ,god1 bearing on his body the marks of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,and often since has he visited ,aniwa1 in later years1 and praised the ,lord amongst the very people who once thirsted for his blood and left him by the wayside as good as dead6 ,for a time1 ,aniwa was left without any witness for ,jesus1--the ,london ,missionary ,society ,teachers1 having suffered dreadfully for lack of food and from fever and ague1 being also removed4 ,but on a visit of a ,mission vessel1 ,namakei sent his orator ,taia to ,aneityum1 to tell them that now revenge was satisfied1 the cut in the earth filled up1 and a cocoanut tree planted and flourishing where the blood of the ,teachers had been shed1 and that no person from ,aneityum would ever be injured by ,aniwans4 ,further1 he was to plead for more ,teachers1 and to pledge his ,chiefs word that they would be kindly received and protected4 ,they knew not the ,gospel1 and had no desire for it2 but they wanted friendly intercourse with ,aneityum1 where trading vessels called1 and whence they might obtain mats1 baskets1 blankets1 and iron tools4 ,at length two ,aneityumese again volunteered to go1 ,kangaru and ,nelmai1 one from each side of the ,island1 and were located by the ,missionaries1 along with their families1 on ,aniwa1 one with ,namakei1 and the other at the south end1 to lift up the ,standard of a ,christlike life among their ,heathen neighbors4 ,taia1 who went on the ,mission to ,aneityum1 was a great speaker and also a very cunning man4 ,he was the old ,chief's appointed ,orator on all state occasions1 being tall and stately in appearance1 of great bodily strength1 and possessed of a winning manner4 ,on the voyage to ,aneityum he was constantly smoking and making things disagreeable to all around him4 ,being advised not to smoke while on board1 he pleaded with the ,missionary just to let him take a whiff now and again till he finished the tobacco he had in his pipe1 and then he would lay it aside4 ,but1 like the widow's meal1 it lasted all the way to ,aneityum1 and never appeared to get less--at which the innocent ,taia expressed much astonishment6 ,,chapter ,,lxii4 ,,first ,,fruits ,,on ,,aniwa4 ,,the two ,teachers and their wives on ,aniwa were little better than slaves when we landed there1 toiling in the service of their masters and living in constant fear of being murdered4 ,doubtless1 however1 the mighty contrast presented by the life1 character1 and disposition of these godly ,teachers was the sowing of the seed that bore fruit in other days1--though as yet no single ,aniwan had begun to wear clothing out of respect to ,civilization1 much less been brought to know and love the ,saviour4 ,so soon as ,i could speak a little to them in their own language1 we began to visit regularly at their villages and to talk to them about ,jesus and ,his love4 ,we tried also to get them to come to our ,church under the shade of the banyan tree4 ,nasi and some of the worst characters would sit scowling not far off1 or follow us with loaded muskets4 ,using every precaution1 we still held on doing our work2 sometimes giving fish-hooks or beads to the boys and girls1 showing them that our objects were kind and not selfish4 ,and however our hearts sometimes trembled in the presence of imminent death and sank within us1 we stood fearless in their presence1 and left all results in the hands of ,jesus4 ,often have ,i had to run into the arms of some savage1 when his club was swung or his musket leveled at my head1 and1 praying to ,jesus1 so clung round him that he could neither strike nor shoot me till his wrath cooled down1 and ,i managed to slip away4 ,often have ,i seized the pointed barrel and directed it upwards1 or1 pleading with my assailant1 uncapped his musket in the struggle4 ,at other times1 nothing could be said1 nothing done1 but stand still in silent prayer1 asking ,god to protect us or to prepare us for going home to ,his ,glory4 ,he fulfilled ,his own promise--,i will not fail thee nor forsake thee4 ,the first ,aniwan that ever came to the knowledge and love of ,jesus was the old ,chief ,namakei4 ,we came to live on his land1 as it was near our diminutive harbor2 and1 upon the whole1 he and his people were the most friendly1 though his only brother1 the ,sacred ,man of the tribe1 on two occasions tried to shoot me4 ,namakei came a good deal about us at the ,mission ,house1 and helped us to acquire the language4 ,he discovered that we took tea evening and morning4 ,when we gave him a cup and a piece of bread1 he liked it well1 and gave a sip to all around him4 ,at first he came for the tea1 perhaps1 and disappeared suspiciously soon thereafter2 but his interest manifestly grew1 till he showed great delight in helping us in every possible way4 ,along with him and as his associates came also the ,chief ,naswai and his wife ,katua4 ,these three grew into the knowledge of the ,saviour together4 ,from being savage ,cannibals they rose before our eyes1 under the influence of the ,gospel1 into noble and beloved characters1 and they and we loved each other exceedingly4 ,namakei brought his little daughter1 his only child1 the ,queen of her race1 called ,litsi ,sor 7,litsi the ,great71 and said1 ,i want to leave my ,litsi with you1 ,i want you to train her for ,jesus4 ,she was a very intelligent child1 learned things like any white girl1 and soon became quite a help to ,mrs4 ,paton4 ,on seeing his niece dressed1 and so smart-looking1 the old ,chief's only brother1 the ,sacred ,man that had attempted to shoot me1 also brought his child1 ,litsi ,sisi 7the ,little7 to be trained like her cousin4 ,the mothers of both were dead4 ,the children reported all they saw1 and all we taught them1 and so their fathers became more deeply interested in our work1 and the news of the ,gospel spread far and wide4 ,soon we had all the ,orphans committed to us1 whose guardians were willing to part with them1 and our ,home become literally the ,school of ,christ--the boys growing up to help all my plans1 and the girls to help my wife and to be civilized and trained by her1 and many of them developing into devoted ,teachers and ,evangelists4 ,our earlier ,sabbath ,services were sad affairs4 ,every man came armed--indeed1 every man slept with his weapons of war at his side--and bow and arrow1 spear and tomahawk1 club and musket1 were always ready for action4 ,on fair days we assembled under the banyan tree1 on rainy days in a ,native hut partly built for the purpose4 ,one or two seemed to listen1 but the most lay about on their backs or sides1 smoking1 talking1 sleeping6 ,when we stopped the feast at the close1 which the ,aneityumese ,teacher had been forced to prepare before our coming1 and for which they were always ready1 the audiences at first went down to two or three2 but these actually came to learn1 and a better tone began immediately to pervade the ,service4 ,we informed them that it was for their good that we taught them1 and that they would get no pay for attending ,church or ,school1 and the greater number departed in high dudgeon as very ill-used persons6 ,others of a more commercial turn came offering to sell their idols1 and when we would not purchase them1 but urged them to give up and cast them away for love to ,jesus1 they carried them off1 saying they would have nothing to do with this new ,worship4 ,amidst our frequent trials and dangers in those earlier times on ,aniwa1 our little ,orphans often warned us privately and and saved our lives from cruel plots4 ,when1 in baffled rage1 our enemies demanded who had revealed things to us1 ,i always said1 ,it was a little bird from the bush4 ,so the dear children grew to have perfect confidence in us4 ,they knew we would not betray them2 and they considered themselves the guardians of our lives4 ,,chapter ,,lxiii4 ,,traditions ,,and ,,customs4 ,,what a suggestive tradition of the ,fall came to me in one of those early days on ,aniwa6 ,upon our leaving the hut and removing to our new house1 it was seized upon by ,tupa for his sleeping-place1 though still continuing to be used by the ,natives as club-house1 court of law1 etc4 ,one morning at daylight this ,tupa came running to us in great excitement1 wielding his club furiously1 and crying1 ,missi1 ,i have killed the ,tebil4 ,i have killed ,teapolo4 ,he came to catch me last night4 ,i raised all the people1 and we fought him round the house with our clubs4 ,at daybreak he came out and ,i killed him dead4 ,we will have no more bad conduct or trouble now4 ,teapolo is dead6 ,i said1 ,what nonsense2 ,teapolo is a spirit1 and cannot be seen4 ,but in mad excitement he persisted that he had killed him4 ,and at ,mrs4 ,paton's advice1 ,i went with the man1 and he led me to a great ,sacred ,rock of coral near our old hut1 over which hung the dead body of a huge and beautiful sea-serpent1 and exclaimed1 ,there he lies6 ,truly ,i killed him4 ,i protested1 ,that is not the ,devil2 it is only the body of a serpent4 ,the man quickly answered1 ,well8 but it is all the game6 ,he is ,teapolo4 ,he makes us bad1 and causes all our troubles4 ,following up this hint by many inquiries1 then and afterwards1 ,i found that they clearly associated man's troubles and sufferings somehow with the serpent4 ,they worshiped the ,serpent1 as a spirit of evil1 under the name of ,matshiktshiki2 that is to say1 they lived in abject terror of his influence1 and all their worship was directed towards propitiating his rage against man4 ,their story of ,creation1 at least of the origin of their own ,aniwa and the adjacent ,islands1 is much more an outcome of the unaided ,native mind4 ,they say that ,matshiktshiki fished up these lands out of the sea4 ,and they show the deep print of his foot on the coral rocks1 opposite each island1 whereon he stood as he strained and lifted them up above the waters4 ,he then threw his great fishing-line round ,fotuna1 thirty-six miles distant1 to draw it close to ,aniwa and make them one land2 but1 as he pulled1 the line broke and he fell1 where his mark may still be seen upon the rock--so the ,islands remain separated unto this day4 ,matshiktshiki placed men and women on ,aniwa4 ,on the southern end of the ,island there was a beautiful spring and a freshwater river1 with rich land all around1 for plantations4 ,but the people would not do what ,matshiktshiki wanted them2 so he got angry1 and split off the richer part of ,aniwa1 with the spring and river1 and sailed with them across to ,aneityum1 leaving them where ,dr4 ,inglis has since built his beautiful ,mission ,station4 ,to this day1 the river there is called the water of ,aniwa by the inhabitants of both islands2 and it is the ambition of all ,aniwans to visit ,aneityum and drink of that spring and river1 as they sigh to each other1 ,alas1 for the waters of ,aniwa6 ,their picture of the ,flood is equally grotesque4 ,far back1 when the volcano now on ,tanna was part of ,aniwa1 the rain fell and fell from day to day1 and the sea rose till it threatened to cover everything4 ,all were drowned except the few who climbed up on the volcano mountain4 ,the sea had already put out the volcano at the southern end of ,aniwa2 and ,matshiktshiki1 who dwelt in the greater volcano1 becoming afraid of the extinction of his big fire too1 split it off from ,aniwa with all the land on the southeastern side1 and sailed it across to ,tanna on the top of the flood4 ,there1 by his mighty strength1 he heaved the volcano to the top of a high mountain in ,tanna1 where it remains to this day4 ,for1 on the subsiding of the sea1 he was unable to transfer his big fire to ,aniwa2 and so it was reduced to a very small island1 without a volcano1 and without a river1 for the sins of the people long ago4 ,even where there are no snakes they apply the superstitions about the serpent to a large1 black1 poisonous lizard called ,kekvau4 ,they call it ,teapolo1 and women or children scream wildly at the sight of one4 ,one of the darkest and most hideous blots on ,heathenism is the practice of ,infanticide4 ,only three cases came to our knowledge on ,aniwa2 but we publicly denounced them at all hazards1 and awoke not only natural feeling1 but the selfish interests of the community for the protection of the children4 ,these three were the last that died there by parents' hands4 ,a young husband1 who had been jealous of his wife1 buried their male child alive as soon as born4 ,an old ,tanna woman1 who had no children living1 having at last a fine healthy boy born to her1 threw him into the sea before any one could interfere to save4 ,and a savage1 in anger with his wife1 snatched her baby from her arms1 hid himself in the bush till night1 and returned without the child1 refusing to give any explanation1 except that he was dead and buried4 ,praise be to ,god1 these three murderers of their own children were by and by touched with the story of ,jesus1 became members of the ,church1 and each adopted little orphan children1 towards whom they continued to show the most tender affection and care4 ,wife-murder was also considered quite legitimate4 ,in one of our inland villages dwelt a young couple1 happy in every respect except that they had no children4 ,the man1 being a ,heathen1 resolved to take home another wife1 a widow with two children4 ,this was naturally opposed by his young wife4 ,and1 without the slightest warning1 while she sat plaiting a basket1 he discharged a ball into her from his loaded musket4 ,it crashed through her arm and lodged in her side4 ,everything was done that was in my power to save her life2 but on the tenth day tetanus came on1 and she soon after passed away4 ,the man appeared very attentive to her all the time2 but1 being a ,heathen1 he insisted that she had no right to oppose his wishes6 ,he was not in any way punished or disrespected by the people of his village1 but went out and in amongst them as usual1 and took home the other woman as his wife a few weeks thereafter4 ,his second wife began to attend ,church and ,school regularly with her children2 and at last he also came along with them1 changing very manifestly from his sullen and savage former self4 ,they have a large family2 they are avowedly trying to train them all for the ,lord ,jesus1 and they take their places meekly at the ,lord's ,table4 ,it would give a wonderful shock1 ,i suppose1 to many namby-pamby ,christians to whom the title ,mighty to ,save conveys no ideas of reality1 to be told that nine or ten converted murderers were partaking with them the ,holy ,communion of ,jesus6 ,but the ,lord who reads the heart1 and weighs every motive and circumstance1 has perhaps much more reason to be shocked by the presence of some of themselves4 ,penitence opens all the heart of ,god--,to-day shalt thou be with ,me in ,paradise4 ,,chapter ,,lxiv4 ,,nelwang',s ,,elopement4 ,,some most absurd and preposterous experiences were forced upon us by the habits and notions of the people4 ,amongst these ,i recall very vividly the story of ,nelwang's elopement with his bride4 ,i had begun1 in spare hours1 to lay the foundation of two additional rooms for our house1 and felt rather uneasy to see a well-known savage hanging around every day with his tomahawk1 and eagerly watching me at work4 ,he had killed a man1 before our arrival on ,aniwa2 and had also startled my wife by suddenly appearing from amongst the boxes1 and causing her to run for life4 ,on seeing him hovering so alarmingly near1 tomahawk in hand1 ,i saluted him1 ,nelwang1 do you want to speak to me8 ,yes1 ,missi1 he replied2 if you will help me now1 ,i will be your friend forever4 ,i answered1 ,i am your friend4 ,that brought me here and keeps me here4 ,yes1 said he very earnestly1 but ,i want you to be strong as my friend1 and ,i will be strong for you6 ,i replied1 ,well1 how can ,i help you8 ,he quickly answered1 ,i want to get married1 and ,i need your help4 ,i protested1--,nelwang1 you know that marriages here are all made in infancy1 by children being bought and betrothed to their future husbands4 ,how can ,i interfere8 ,you don't want to bring evil on me and my wife and child8 ,it might cost us our lives4 ,no6 no6 ,missi1 earnestly retorted ,nelwang4 ,no one hears of this1 or can hear4 ,only help me now4 ,you tell me1 if you were my circumstances1 how would you act8 ,that's surely very simple1 ,i answered4 ,every man knows how to go about that business1 if he wants to be honest6 ,look out for your intended1 find out if she loves you and the rest will follow naturally1--you will marry her4 ,yes1 argued ,nelwang1 but just there my trouble comes in6 ,do you know the woman you would like to get8 ,i asked1 wishing to bring him to some closer issue4 ,yes1 replied he very frankly1 ,i want to marry ,yakin1 the ,chiefs' widow up at the inland village1 and that will break no infant betrothals4 ,but1 ,i persevered1 do you know if she loves you or would take you8 ,yes1 replied ,nelwang2 one day ,i met her on the path and told her ,i would like to have her for my wife4 ,she took out her ear-rings and gave them to me1 and ,i know thereby that she loves me4 ,i was one of her late husband's men2 and if she had loved any of them more than she loved me1 she would have given them to another4 ,with the ear-rings she gave me her heart4 ,then why1 ,i insisted1 don't you go and marry her8 ,there1 said ,nelwang gravely1 begins my difficulty4 ,in her village there are thirty young men for whom there are no wives4 ,each of them wants her1 but no one has the courage to take her1 for the other nine-and-twenty will shoot him6 ,and if you take her1 ,i suggested1 the disappointed thirty will shoot you6 ,that's exactly what ,i see1 ,missi1 continued ,nelwang2 but ,i want you just to think you are in my place1 and tell me how you would carry her off4 ,you white men can always succeed4 ,missi1 hear my plans1 and advise me4 ,with as serious a face as ,i could command1 ,i had to listen to ,nelwang1 to enter into his love affair1 and to make suggestions1 with a view to avoiding bloodshed and other miseries4 ,the result of the deliberations was that ,nelwang was to secure the confidence of two friends1 his brother and the orator ,taia1 to place one at each end of the coral rocks above the village as watchmen1 to cut down with his ,american tomahawk a passage through the fence at the back1 and to carry off his bride at dead of night into the seclusion and safety of the bush6 ,nelwang's eyes flashed as he flourished his tomahawk about and cried1 ,i see it now1 ,missi6 ,i shall win her from them all4 ,yakin and ,i will be strong for you all our days4 ,next morning ,yakin's house was found deserted4 ,they sent to all the villages around1 but no one had seen her4 ,the hole in the fence behind was then discovered1 and the thirty whispered to each other that ,yakin had been wooed and won by some daring lover4 ,messengers were despatched to all the villages1 and ,nelwang was found to have disappeared on the same night as the widow1 and neither could anywhere be found4 ,the usual revenge was taken4 ,the houses of the offenders burned1 their fences broken down1 and all their property either destroyed or distributed4 ,work was suspended1 and the disappointed thirty solaced themselves by feasting at ,yakin's expense4 ,three weeks passed4 ,the runaways were nowhere to be found4 ,it was generally believed that they had gone in a canoe to ,tanna or ,erromanga4 ,but one morning1 as ,i began my work at my house alone1 the brave ,nelwang appeared at my side6 ,hillo6 ,i said1 where have you come from8 and where is ,yakin8 ,i must not1 he replied1 tell you yet4 ,we are hid4 ,we have lived on cocoanuts gathered at night4 ,yakin is well and happy4 ,i come now to fulfil my promise3 ,i will help you1 and ,yakin will help ,missi ,paton the woman1 and we shall be your friends4 ,i have ground to be built upon and fenced1 whenever we dare2 but we will come and live with you1 till peace is secured4 ,will you let us come to-morrow morning8 ,all right6 ,i said4 ,come to-morrow6 ,and1 trembling with delight1 he disappeared into the bush4 ,thus strangely ,god provided us with wonderful assistance4 ,yakin soon learnt to wash and dress and clean everything1 and ,nelwang served me like a faithful disciple4 ,they clung by us like our very shadow1 partly through fear of attack1 partly from affection2 but as each of them could handle freely both musket and tomahawk1 which1 though laid aside1 were never far away1 it was not every enemy that cared to try issues with ,nelwang and his bride4 ,after a few weeks had thus passed by1 and as both of them were really showing an interest in things pertaining to ,jesus and ,his ,gospel1 ,i urged them strongly to appear publicly at the ,church on ,sabbath1 to show that they were determined to stand their ground together as true husband and wife1 and that the others must accept the position and become reconciled4 ,delay now could gain no purpose1 and ,i wished the strife and uncertainty to be put to an end4 ,nelwang knew our customs4 ,every worshiper has to be seated1 when our ,church bell ceases ringing4 ,aniwans would be ashamed to enter after the ,service had actually begun4 ,as the bell ceased1 ,nelwang1 knowing that he would have a clear course1 marched in1 dressed in shirt and kilt1 but grasping very determinedly his tomahawk6 ,he sat down as near to me as he could conveniently get1 trying hard to conceal his manifest agitation4 ,silently smiling towards me1 he then turned and looked eagerly at the other door through which the women entered and left the ,church1 as if to say1 ,yakin is coming6 ,but his tomahawk was poised ominously on his shoulder1 and his courage gave him a defiant and almost impudent air4 ,he was evidently quite ready to sell his life at a high price1 if any one was prepared to risk the consequences4 ,in a few seconds ,yakin entered2 and if ,nelwang's bearing and appearance were rather inconsistent with the feeling of worship1--what on earth was ,i to do when the figure and costume of ,yakin began to reveal itself marching in8 ,the first visible difference betwixt a ,heathen and a ,christian is1--that the ,christian wears some clothing1 the ,heathen wears none4 ,yakin had determined to show the extent of her ,christianity by the amount of clothing she could carry upon her person4 ,being a ,chief's widow before she became ,nelwang's bride1 she had some idea of state occasions1 and appeared dressed in every article of ,european apparel1 mostly portions of male attire1 that she could beg or borrow from about the premises6 ,her bridal gown was a man's drab-colored great-coat1 put on above her ,native grass skirts1 and sweeping down to her heels1 buttoned tight4 ,over this she had hung on a vest1 and above that again1 most amazing of all1 she had superinduced a pair of men's trousers1 planting the body of them on her neck and shoulders1 and leaving her head and face looking out from between the legs--a leg from either side streaming over her bosom arid dangling down absurdly in front6 ,fastened to the one shoulder also there was a red shirt1 and to the other a striped shirt1 waving about her like wings as she sailed along4 ,around her head a red shirt had been twisted like a turban1 and her notions of art demanded that a sleeve thereof should hang aloft over each of her ears6 ,she seemed to be a moving monster loaded with a mass of rags4 ,the day was excessively hot1 and the perspiration poured over her face in streams4 ,she1 too1 sat as near to me as she could get on the women's side of the ,church4 ,nelwang looked at me and then at her1 smiling quietly1 as if to say1 ,you never saw1 in all your white world1 a bride so grandly dressed6 ,i little thought what ,i was bringing on myself when ,i urged them to come to ,church4 ,the sight of that poor creature sweltering before me constrained me for once to make the service very short--perhaps the shortest ,i ever conducted in all my life6 ,the day ended in peace4 ,the two souls were extremely happy2 and ,i praised ,god that what might have been a scene of bloodshed had closed thus1 even though it were in a kind of wild grotesquerie6 ,,chapter ,,lxv4 ,,the ,,christ-,,spirit ,,at ,,work4 ,,the progress of ,god's work was most conspicuous in1 relation to wars and revenges among the ,natives4 ,the two high ,chiefs1 ,namakei and ,naswai1 frequently declared1 ,we are the men of ,christ now4 ,we must not fight4 ,we must put down murders and crimes among our people4 ,two young fools1 returning from ,tanna with muskets1 attempted twice to shoot a man in sheer wantonness and display of malice4 ,the ,islanders met1 and informed them that if man or woman was injured by them1 the other men would load their muskets and shoot them dead in general council4 ,this was a mighty step towards public order1 and ,i greatly rejoiced before the ,lord4 ,his ,spirit1 like leaven1 was at work6 ,my constant custom was1 in order to prevent war1 to run right in between the contending parties4 ,my faith enabled me to grasp and realize the promise1 ,lo1 ,i am with you always4 ,in ,jesus ,i felt invulnerable and immortal1 so long as ,i was doing ,his work4 ,and ,i can truly say that these were the moments when ,i felt my ,saviour to be most truly and sensibly present1 inspiring and empowering me4 ,another scheme had an excellent educative and religious influence4 ,i tried to interest all the villages1 and to treat all the ,chiefs equally4 ,in our early days1 after getting into my two-roomed house1 ,i engaged the ,chief1 or representative man of each district1 to put up one or other at the many outhouses required at the ,station4 ,one1 along with his people1 built the cookhouse2 another1 the store2 another1 the banana and yam-house2 another1 the washing-house2 another1 the boys and girls' house2 the houses for servants and teachers1 the ,schoolhouse1 and the large shed1 a kind of shelter where ,natives sat and talked when not at work about the premises4 ,of course these all were at first only ,native huts1 of larger or smaller dimensions4 ,but they were all built by contract for articles which they highly valued1 such as axes1 knives1 yards of prints and calico1 strings of beads1 blankets1 etc4 ,they served our purpose for the time1 and when another party1 by contract also1 had fenced around our premises1 the ,mission ,station was really a beautiful1 little1 lively1 and orderly village1 and in itself no bad emblem of ,christian and civilized life4 ,the payments1 made to all irrespectively1 but only for work duly done and according to reasonable bargain1 distributed property and gifts amongst them on wholesome principles1 and encouraged a well-conditioned rivalry which had many happy effects4 ,heathenism made many desperate and some strange efforts to stamp out our ,cause on ,aniwa1 but the ,lord held the helm4 ,one old ,chief1 formerly friendly1 turned against us4 ,he ostentatiously set himself to make a canoe1 working at it very openly and defiantly on ,sabbaths4 ,he1 becoming sick and dying1 his brother started1 on a ,sabbath morning and in contempt of the ,worship1 with an armed company to provoke our people to war4 ,they refused to fight2 and one man1 whom he struck with his club1 said1 ,i will leave my revenge to ,jehovah4 ,a few days thereafter1 this brother also fell sick and suddenly died4 ,the ,heathen party made much of these incidents1 and some clamored for our death in revenge1 but most feared to murder us2 so they withdrew and lived apart from our friends1 as far away as they could get4 ,by and by1 however1 they set fire to a large district belonging to our supporters burning cocoanut and breadfruit trees and plantations4 ,still our people refused to fight1 and kept near to protect us4 ,then all the leading men assembled to talk it over4 ,most were for peace1 but some insisted upon burning our house and driving us away or killing us1 that they might be left to live as they had hitherto done4 ,at last a ,sacred ,man1 a ,chief who had been on ,tanna when the ,curaoa punished the murderers and robbers1 but protected the villages of the friendly ,natives there1 stood up and spoke in our defense1 and warned them what might happen2 and other three1 who had been under my instruction on ,tanna1 declared themselves to be the friends of ,jehovah and of ,his ,missionary4 ,finally1 the ,sacred ,man rose again1 and showed them rows of beautiful white shells strung round his left arm1 saying-- ,nowar1 the great ,chief at ,port ,resolution on ,tanna1 when he saw that ,missi and his wife could not be kept there1 took me to his heart1 and pledged me by these1 the shells of his office as ,chief1 taken from his own arm and bound on mine1 to protect them from all harm4 ,he told me to declare to the men of ,aniwa that if the ,missi be injured or slain1 he and his warriors will come from ,tanna and take the full revenge in blood4 ,this turned the scale4 ,the meeting closed in our favor4 ,close on the heels of this1 another and a rather perplexing incident befell us4 ,a party of ,heathens assembled and made a great display of fishing on the ,lord's ,day1 in contempt of the practice of the men on ,jehovah's side1 threatening also to waylay the ,teachers and myself in our village circuits4 ,a meeting was held by the ,christian party1 at the close of the ,sabbath ,services4 ,all who wished to serve ,jehovah were to come to my house next morning1 unarmed1 and accompany me on a visit to our enemies1 that we might talk and reason together with them4 ,by daybreak1 the ,chiefs and nearly eighty men assembled at the ,mission ,house1 declaring that they were on ,jehovah's side1 and wished to go with me4 ,but1 alas6 they refused to lay down their arms1 or leave them behind2 nor would they either refrain from going or suffer me to go alone4 ,pledging them to peace1 ,i was reluctantly placed at their head1 and we marched off to the village of the unfriendly party4 ,the villagers were greatly alarmed4 ,the ,chief's two sons came forth with every available man to meet us4 ,that whole day was consumed in talking and speechifying1 sometimes chanting their replies--the ,natives are all inveterate talkers6 ,to me the day was utterly wearisome2 but it had one redeeming feature1--their rage found vent in hours of palaver1 instead of blows and blood4 ,it ended in peace4 ,the ,heathen were amazed at the number of ,jehovah's friends2 and they pledged themselves henceforth to leave the ,worship alone1 and that every one who pleased might come to it unmolested4 ,for this1 worn out and weary1 we returned1 praising the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,lxvi4 ,,the ,,sinking ,,of ,,the ,,well4 ,,but ,i must here record the story of the ,sinking of the ,well1 which broke the back of ,heathenism on ,aniwa4 ,being a flat coral island1 with no hills to attract the clouds1 rain is scarce there as compared with the adjoining mountainous islands2 and even when it does fall heavily1 with tropical profusion1 it disappears1 as said before1 through the light soil and porous rock1 and drains itself directly into the sea4 ,the rainy season is from ,december to ,april1 and then the disease most characteristic of all these regions is apt to prevail1 viz41 fever and ague4 ,at certain seasons1 the ,natives drink very unwholesome water2 and1 indeed1 the best water they had at any time for drinking purposes was from the precious cocoanut1 a kind of ,apple of ,paradise for all these ,southern ,isles6 ,they also cultivate the sugar-cane very extensively1 and in great variety2 and they chew it1 when we would fly to water for thirst2 so it is to them both food and drink4 ,the black fellow carries with him to the field1 when he goes off for a day's work1 four or five sticks of sugar-cane1 and puts in his time comfortably enough on these4 ,besides1 the sea being their universal bathing-place1 in which they swattle like fish1 and little water1 almost none1 being required for cooking purposes1 and none whatever for washing clothes1 the lack of fresh-springing water was not the dreadful trial to them that it would be to us4 ,yet they appreciate and rejoice in it immensely too2 though the water of the green cocoanut is refreshing1 and in appearance1 taste1 and color not unlike lemonade--one nut filling a tumbler2 and though when mothers die they feed the babies on it and on the soft white pith1 and they flourish on the same1 yet the ,natives themselves show their delight in preferring1 when they can get it1 the water from the well4 ,aniwa1 having therefore no permanent supply of fresh water1 in spring or stream or lake1 and my own household also suffering sadly for lack of the same1 ,i resolved by the help of ,god to sink a well near the ,mission ,premises1 hoping that a wisdom higher than my own would guide me to the source of some blessed spring4 ,of the scientific conditions of such an experiment ,i was comparatively ignorant2 but ,i counted on having to dig through earth and coral above thirty feet1 and my constant fear was1 that owing to our environment1 the water1 if water ,i found1 could only be salt water after all my toils6 ,still ,i resolved to sink that shaft in hope1 and in faith that the ,son of ,god would be glorified thereby4 ,one morning ,i said to the old ,chief and his fellow-,chief1 both now earnestly inquiring about the religion of ,jehovah and of ,jesus1 ,i am going to sink a deep well down into the earth1 to see if our ,god will send us fresh water up from below4 ,they looked at me with astonishment1 and said in a tone of sympathy approaching to pity1 ,o ,missi6 ,wait till the rain comes down1 and we will save all we possibly can for you4 ,i replied1 ,we may all die for lack of water4 ,if no fresh water can be got1 we may be forced to leave you4 ,the old ,chief looked imploringly1 and said ,o ,missi6 you must not leave us for that4 ,rain comes only from above4 ,how could you expect our ,island to send up showers of rain from below8 ,i told him1 ,fresh water does come up springing from the earth in my ,land at home1 and ,i hope to see it here also4 ,the old ,chief grew more tender in his tones1 and cried1 ,o ,missi1 your head is going wrong2 you are losing something1 or you would not talk wild like that6 ,don't let our people hear you talking about going down into the earth for rain1 or they will never listen to your word or believe you again4 ,but ,i started upon my hazardous job1 selecting a spot near the ,mission ,station and close to the public path1 that my prospective well might be useful to all4 ,i began to dig1 with pick and spade and bucket at hand1 an ,american axe for a hammer and crowbar1 and a ladder for service by and bye4 ,the good old ,chief now told off his men in relays to watch me1 lest ,i should attempt to take my own life1 or do anything outrageous1 saying1 ,poor ,missi6 ,that's the way with all who go mad4 ,there's no driving of a notion out of their heads4 ,we must just watch him now4 ,he will find it harder to work with pick and spade than with his pen1 and when he's tired we'll persuade him to give it up4 ,i did get exhausted sooner than ,i expected1 toiling under that tropical sun2 but we never own before the ,natives that we are beaten2 so ,i went into the house and filled my vest pocket with large1 beautiful ,english-made fish-hooks4 ,these are very tempting to the young men as compared with their own1--skilfully made though they be out of shell1 and serving their purposes wonderfully4 ,holding up a large hook1 ,i cried1 ,one of these to every man who fills and turns over three buckets out of this hole6 ,a rush was made to get the first turn1 and back again for another and another4 ,i kept those on one side who had got a turn1 till all the rest in order had a chance1 and bucket after bucket was filled and emptied rapidly4 ,still the shaft seemed to lower very slowly1 while my fish-hooks were disappearing very quickly4 ,i was constantly there1 and took the heavy share of everything1 and was thankful one evening to find that we had cleared more than twelve feet deep1--when lo6 next morning1 one side had rushed in1 and our work was all undone4 ,the old ,chief and his best men now came around me more earnestly than ever4 ,he remonstrated with me very gravely4 ,he assured me for the fiftieth time that rain would never be seen coming up through the earth on ,aniwa6 ,now1 said he1 had you been in that hole last night1 you would have been buried1 and a ,man-of-war would have come from ,queen ',toria to ask for the ,missi that lived here4 ,we would have to say1 ',he is down in that hole4' ,the ,captain would ask1 ',who killed him and put him down there8' ,we would have to say1 ',he went down there himself6' ,the ,captain would answer1 ',nonsense6 ,who ever heard of a white man going down into the earth to bury himself8 ,you killed him1 you put him there2 don't hide your bad conduct with lies6' ,then he would bring out his big guns and shoot us1 and destroy our ,island in revenge4 ,you are making your own grave1 ,missi1 and you will make ours too4 ,give up this mad freak1 for no rain will be found by going downwards on ,aniwa4 ,besides1 all your fish-hooks cannot tempt my men again to enter that hole2 they don't want to be buried with you4 ,will you not give it up now8 ,i said all that ,i could to quiet his fears1 explained to them that this falling in had happened by my neglect of precautions1 and finally made known that by the help of my ,god1 even without all other help1 ,i meant to persevere4 ,steeping my poor brains over the problem1 ,i became an extemporized engineer4 ,two trees were searched for1 with branches on opposite sides1 capable of sustaining a cross tree betwixt them4 ,i sank them on each side firmly into the ground1 passed the beam across them over the center of the shaft1 fastened thereon a rude home-made pulley and block1 passed a rope over the wheel1 and swung my largest bucket to the end of it4 ,thus equipped1 ,i began once more sinking away at the well1 but at so great an angle that the sides might not again fall in4 ,not a ,native1 however1 would enter that hole1 and ,i had to pick and dig away till ,i was utterly exhausted4 ,but a ,native ,teacher1 in whom ,i had confidence1 took charge above1 managing to hire them with axes1 knives1 etc41 to seize the end of the rope and walk along the ground1 pulling it till the bucket rose to the surface1 and then he himself swung it aside1 emptied it1 and lowered it down again4 ,i rang a little bell which ,i had with me1 when the bucket was loaded1 and that was the signal for my brave helpers to pull their rope4 ,and thus ,i toiled on from day to day1 my heart almost sinking sometimes with the sinking of the well1 till we reached a depth of about thirty feet4 ,and the phrase1 living water1 living water1 kept chiming through my soul like music from ,god1 as ,i dug and hammered away6 ,,chapter ,,lxvii4 ,,rain ,,from ,,below4 ,,at this depth the earth and coral began to be soaked with damp4 ,i felt that we were nearing water4 ,my soul had a faith that ,god would open a spring for us2 but side by side with this faith was a strange terror that the water would be salt4 ,so perplexing and mixed are even the highest experiences of the soul2 the rose-flower of a perfect faith1 set round and round with prickly thorns4 ,one evening ,i said to the old ,chief1 ,i think that ,jehovah ,god will give us water to-morrow from that hole6 ,the ,chief said1 ,no1 ,missi2 you will never see rain coming up from the earth on this ,island4 ,we wonder what is to be the end of this mad work of yours4 ,we expect daily1 if you reach water1 to see you drop through into the sea and the sharks will eat you6 ,that will be the end of it2 death to you1 and danger to us all4 ,i still answered1 ,come to-morrow4 ,i hope and believe that ,jehovah ,god will send you the rain water up through the earth4 ,at the moment ,i knew ,i was risking much1 and probably incurring sorrowful consequences1 had no water been given2 but ,i had faith that the ,lord was leading me on1 and ,i knew that ,i sought ,his glory1 not my own4 ,next morning1 ,i went down again at daybreak and sank a narrow hole in the center about two feet deep4 ,the perspiration broke over me with uncontrollable excitement1 and ,i trembled through every limb1 when the water rushed up and began to fill the hole4 ,muddy though it was1 ,i eagerly tasted it1 lapping it with my trembling hand1 and then ,i almost fell upon my knees in that muddy bottom as my heart burst up in praise to the ,lord4 ,it was water6 ,it was fresh water4 ,it was living water from ,jehovah's well6 ,true1 it was a little brackish1 but nothing to speak of2 and no spring in the desert1 cooling the parched lips of a fevered pilgrim1 ever appeared more worthy of being called a ,well of ,god than did that water to me6 ,the ,chiefs had assembled with their men near by4 ,they waited on in eager expectancy4 ,it was a rehearsal1 in a small way1 of the ,israelites coming round1 while ,moses struck the rock and called for water4 ,by and by1 when ,i had praised the ,lord1 and my excitement was a little calmed1 the mud being also greatly settled1 ,i filled a jug1 which ,i had taken down empty in the sight of them all1 and ascending to the top called for them to come and see the rain which ,jehovah ,god had given us through the well4 ,they closed around me in haste1 and gazed on it in superstitious fear4 ,the old ,chief shook it to see if it would spill1 and then touched it to see if it felt like water4 ,at last he tasted it1 and rolling it in his mouth with joy for a moment1 he swallowed it1 and shouted1 ,rain6 ,rain6 ,yes1 it is ,rain6 ,but how did you get it8 ,i repeated1 ,jehovah my ,god gave it out of ,his own ,earth in answer to our labors and prayers4 ,go and see it springing up for yourselves6 ,now1 though every man there could climb the highest tree as swiftly and as fearlessly as a squirrel or an opossum1 not one of them had courage to walk to the side and gaze down into that well4 ,to them this was miraculous6 ,but they were not without a resource that met the emergency4 ,they agreed to take firm hold of each other by the hand1 to place themselves in a long line1 the foremost man to lean cautiously forward1 gaze into the well1 and then pass to the rear1 and so on till all had seen ,jehovah's rain far below4 ,it was somewhat comical1 yet far more pathetic1 to stand by and watch their faces1 as man after man peered down into the mystery1 and then looked up at me in blank bewilderment6 ,when all had seen it with their own very eyes1 and were weak with wonder1 the old ,chief exclaimed-- ,missi1 wonderful1 wonderful is the work of your ,jehovah ,god6 ,no god of ,aniwa ever helped us in this way4 ,the world is turned upside down since ,jehovah came to ,aniwa6 ,but1 ,missi1 continued he1 after a pause that looked liked silent worship1 will it always rain up through the earth8 or will it come and go like the rain from the clouds8 ,i told them that ,i believed it would always continue there for our use1 as a good gift from ,jehovah4 ,well1 but1 ,missi1 replied the ,chief some glimmering of self-interest beginning to strike his brain1 will you or your family drink it all1 or shall we also have some8 ,you and all your people1 ,i answered1 and all the people of the ,island1 may come and drink and carry away as much of it as you wish4 ,i believe there will always be plenty for us all1 and the more of it we can use the fresher it will be4 ,that is the way with many of our ,jehovah's best gifts to men1 and for it and for all we praise ,his ,name6 ,then1 ,missi1 said the ,chief1 it will be our water1 and we may all use it as our very own4 ,yes1 ,i answered1 whenever you wish it1 and as much as you need1 both here and at your own houses1 as far as it can possibly be made to go4 ,the ,chief looked at me eagerly1 fully convinced at length that the well contained a treasure1 and exclaimed1 ,missi1 what can we do to help you now8 ,i was thankful1 indeed1 to accept of the ,chief's assistance1 now sorely needed1 and ,i said1 ,you have seen it fall in once already4 ,if it falls again1 it will conceal the rain from below which our ,god has given us4 ,in order to preserve it for us and for our children in all time1 we must build it round and round with great coral blocks from the bottom to the very top4 ,i will now clear it out1 and prepare the foundation for this wall of coral4 ,let every man and woman carry from the shore the largest block they can bring4 ,it is well worth all the toil thus to preserve our great ,jehovah's gift6 ,scarcely were my words uttered1 when they rushed to the shore1 with shoutings and songs of gladness2 and soon every one was seen struggling under the biggest block of coral with which he dared to tackle4 ,they lay like limestone rocks1 broken up by the hurricanes1 and rolled ashore in the arms of mighty billows2 and in an incredibly short time scores of them were tumbled down for my use at the mouth of the well4 ,having prepared a foundation1 ,i made ready a sort of bag-basket1 into which every block was firmly tied and then let down to me by the pulley--a ,native ,teacher1 a faithful fellow1 cautiously guiding it4 ,i received and placed each stone in its position1 doing my poor best to wedge them one against the other1 building circularly1 and cutting them to the needed shape with my ,american ax4 ,the wall is about three feet thick1 and the masonry may be guaranteed to stand till the coral itself decays4 ,i wrought incessantly1 for fear of any further collapse1 till ,i had it raised about twenty feet2 and now1 feeling secure1 and my hands being dreadfully cut up1 ,i intimated that ,i would rest a week or two1 and finish the building then4 ,but the ,chief advanced and said-- ,missi1 you have been strong to work4 ,your strength has fled4 ,but rest here beside us2 and just point out where each block is to be laid4 ,we will lay them there1 we will build them solidly behind like you4 ,and no man will sleep till it is done4 ,with all their will and heart they started on the job2 some carrying1 some cutting and squaring the blocks1 till the wall rose like magic1 and a row of the hugest rocks laid round the top1 bound all together1 and formed the mouth of the well4 ,women1 boys1 and all wished to have a hand in building it1 and it remains to this day1 a solid wall of masonry1 the circle being thirty-four feet deep1 eight feet wide at the top1 and six at the bottom4 ,i floored it over with wood above all1 and fixed the windlass and bucket1 and there it stands as one of the greatest material blessings which the ,lord has given to ,aniwa4 ,it rises and falls with the tide1 though a third of a mile distant from the sea2 and when1 after using it1 we tasted the pure fresh water on board the ,dayspring1 the latter seemed so insipid that ,i had to slip a little salt into my tea along with the sugar before ,i could enjoy it6 ,all visitors are taken to see the well1 as one of the wonders of ,aniwa2 and an ,elder of the ,native ,church said to me1 on a recent visit1 ,but for that water1 during the last two years of drought1 we would have all been dead6 ,very strangely1 though the ,natives themselves have since tried to sink six or seven wells in the most likely places near their different villages1 they have either come to coral rock which they could not pierce1 or found only water that was salt4 ,and they say amongst themselves1 ,missi not only used pick and spade1 but he prayed and cried to his ,god4 ,we have learned to dig1 but not how to pray1 and therefore ,jehovah will not give us the rain1 from below6 ,,chapter ,,lxviii4 ,,the ,,old ,,chief',s ,,sermon4 ,,the well was now finished4 ,the place was neatly fenced in4 ,and the old ,chief said1 ,missi1 ,i think ,i could help you next ,sabbath4 ,will you let me preach a sermon on the well8 ,yes1 ,i at once replied1 if you will try to bring all the people to hear you4 ,missi1 ,i will try1 he eagerly promised4 ,the news spread like wildfire that the ,chief ,namakei was to be ,missionary on the next day for the ,worship1 and the people1 under great expectancy1 urged each other to come and hear what he had to say4 ,sabbath came round4 ,aniwa assembled in what was for that island a great crowd4 ,namakei appeared dressed in shirt and kilt4 ,he was so excited1 and flourished his tomahawk about at such a rate1 that it was rather lively work to be near him4 ,i conducted short opening devotions1 and then called upon ,namakei4 ,he rose at once1 with eye flashing wildly1 and his limbs twitching with emotion4 ,he spoke to the following effect1 swinging his tomahawk to enforce every eloquent gesticulation3-- ,friends of ,namakei1 men and women and children of ,aniwa1 listen to my words6 ,since ,missi came here he has talked many strange things we could not understand--things things all too wonderful2 and we said regarding many of them that they must be lies4 ,white people might believe such nonsense1 but we said that the black fellow knew better than to receive it4 ,but of all his wonderful stories1 we thought the strangest was about sinking down through the earth to get rain6 ,then we said to each other1 ,the man's head is turned2 he's gone mad4 ,but the ,missi prayed on and wrought on1 telling us that ,jehovah ,god heard and saw1 and that his ,god would give him rain4 ,was he mad8 ,has he not got the rain deep down in the earth8 ,we mocked at him2 but the water was there all the same4 ,we have laughed at other things which the ,missi told us1 because we could not see them4 ,but from this day ,i believe that all he tells us about his ,jehovah ,god is true4 ,some day our eyes will see it4 ,for to-day we have seen the rain from the earth4 ,then rising to a climax1 first the one foot and then the other making the broken coral on the floor fly behind like a war-horse pawing the ground1 he cried with great eloquence3-- ,my people1 the people of ,aniwa1 the world is turned upside down since the word of ,jehovah came to this land6 ,who ever expected to see rain coming up through the earth8 ,it has always come from the clouds6 ,wonderful is the work of this ,jehovah ,god4 ,no god of ,aniwa ever answered prayers as the ,missi's ,god has done4 ,friends of ,namakei1 all the powers of the world could not have forced us to believe that rain could be given from the depths of the earth1 if we had not seen it with our eyes1 felt it and tasted it as we here do4 ,now1 by the help of ,jehovah ,god the ,missi brought that invisible rain to view1 which we never before heard of or saw1 and--7beating his hand on his breast1 he exclaimed73-- ,something here in my heart tells me that the ,jehovah ,god does exist1 the ,invisible ,one1 whom we never heard of nor saw till the ,missi brought ,him to our knowledge4 ,the coral has been removed1 the land has been cleared away1 and lo6 the water rises4 ,invisible till this day1 yet all the same it was there1 though our eyes were too weak4 ,so ,i1 your ,chief1 do now firmly believe that when ,i die1 when the bits of coral and the heaps of dust are removed which now blind my old eyes1 ,i shall then see the ,invisible ,jehovah ,god with my soul1 as ,missi tells me1 not less surely than ,i have seen the rain from the earth below4 ,from this day1 my people1 ,i must worship the ,god who has opened for us the well1 and who fills us with rain from below4 ,the gods of ,aniwa cannot hear1 cannot help us1 like the ,god of ,missi4 ,henceforth ,i am a follower of ,jehovah ,god4 ,let every man that thinks with me go now and fetch the idols of ,aniwa1 the gods which our fathers feared1 and cast them down at ,missi's feet4 ,let us burn and bury and destroy these things of wood and stone1 and let us be taught by the ,missi how to serve ,god who can hear1 the ,jehovah who gave us the well1 and who will give us every other blessing1 for ,he sent ,his ,son ,jesus to die for us and bring us to ,heaven4 ,this is what the ,missi has been telling us every day since he landed on ,aniwa4 ,we laughed at him1 but now we believe him4 ,the ,jehovah ,god has sent us rain from the earth4 ,why should ,he not also send us ,his ,son from ,heaven8 ,namakei stands up for ,jehovah6 ,this address1 and the ,sinking of the ,well1 broke the back of ,heathenism on ,aniwa4 ,that very afternoon1 the old ,chief and several of his people brought their idols and cast them down at my feet beside the door of our house4 ,oh1 the intense excitement of the weeks that followed6 ,company after company came to the spot1 loaded with their gods of wood and stone1 and piled them up in heaps1 amid the tears and sobs of some1 and the shoutings of others1 in which was heard the oft-repeated word1 ,jehovah6 ,jehovah6 ,what could be burned1 we cast into the flames2 others we buried in pits twelve or fifteen feet deep2 and some few1 more likely than the rest to feed or awaken superstition1 we sank far out into the deep sea4 ,let no ,heathen eyes ever gaze on them again6 ,one of the very first steps in ,christian discipline to which they readily and almost unanimously took was the asking of ,god's blessing on every meal and praising the great ,jehovah for their daily bread4 ,whosoever did not do so was regarded as a ,heathen4 7,query3 how many white ,heathens are there87 ,the next step1 and it was taken in a manner as if by some common consent that was not less surprising than joyful1 was a form of ,family ,worship every morning and evening4 ,doubtless the prayers were often very queer1 and mixed up with many remaining superstitions2 but they were prayers to the great ,jehovah1 the compassionate ,father1 the ,invisible ,one--no longer to gods of stone6 ,necessarily these were the conspicuous features of our life as ,christians in their midst--morning and evening ,family ,prayer1 and ,grace at ,meat2 and hence1 most naturally1 their instinctive adoption and imitation of the same as the first outward tokens of ,christian discipline4 ,every house in which there was not ,prayer to ,god in the family was known thereby to be ,heathen4 ,this was a direct and practical evidence of the ,new ,religion2 and1 so far as it goes 7and that is very far indeed1 where there is any sincerity beneath it71 the test was one about which there could be no mistake on either side4 ,a third conspicuous feature stood out distinctly and at once1--the change as to the ,lord's ,day4 ,village after village followed in this also the example of the ,mission ,house4 ,all ordinary occupation ceased4 ,sabbath was spoken of as the ,day for ,jehovah4 ,saturday came to be called ,cooking ,day1 referring to the extra preparations for the coming day of rest and worship4 ,they believed that it was ,jehovah's will to keep the first day holy4 ,the reverse was a distinctive mark of ,heathenism4 ,the first traces of a new ,social ,order began to rise visibly on the delighted eye4 ,the whole inhabitants1 young and old1 now attended ,school1--three generations sometimes at the one copy or ,a ,b ,c book6 ,thefts1 quarrels1 crimes1 etc41 were settled now1 not by club law1 but by fine or bonds or lash1 as agreed upon by the ,chiefs and their people4 ,everything was rapidly and surely becoming ,new under the influence of the leaven of ,jesus4 ,industry increased4 ,huts and plantations were safe4 ,formerly every man1 in traveling1 carried with him all his valuables2 now they were secure1 left at home4 ,even a brood of fowls or a litter of pigs would be carried in bags on their person in ,heathen days4 ,hence at ,church we had sometimes lively episodes1 the chirruping of chicks1 the squealing of piggies1 and the barking of puppies1 one gaily responding to the other1 as we sang1 or prayed1 or preached the ,gospel6 ,being glad to see the ,natives there1 even with all their belongings1 we carefully refrained from finding fault2 but the thread of devotion was sometimes apt to slip through one's fingers1 especially when the conflict of the owner to silence a baby pig inspired the little wretch to drown everything in a long-sustained and high-pitched scream4 ,the natives1 finding this state of matters troublesome to themselves and disagreeable all round1 called a ,general ,assembly1 unanimously condemned dishonesty1 agreed upon severe fines and punishments for every act of theft1 and covenanted to stand by each other in putting it down4 ,the chiefs1 however found this a long and difficult task1 but they held at it under the inspiration of the gospel and prevailed4 ,even the trials and difficulties with which they met were overruled by ,god1 in assisting them to form by the light of their own experience a simple code of ,social ,laws1 fitted to repress the crimes there prevailing1 and to encourage the virtues specially needing to be cultivated there4 ,heathen ,worship was gradually extinguished2 and1 though no one was compelled to come to ,church1 every person on ,aniwa1 without exception1 became ere many years an avowed worshipper of ,jehovah ,god4 ,again1 ,o ,galilean1 ,thou hast conquered6 ,,chapter ,,lxix4 ,,the ,,first ,,book ,,and ,,the ,,new ,,eyes4 ,,the printing of my first ,aniwan book was a great event1 not so much for the toil and worry which it cost me1 though that was enough to have broken the heart of many a compositor1 as rather for the joy it gave to the old ,chief ,namakei4 ,the break-up at ,tanna had robbed me of my own neat little printing-press4 ,i had since obtained at ,aneityum the remains of one from ,erromanga1 that had belonged to the murdered ,gordon4 ,but the supply of letters1 in some cases1 was so deficient that ,i could print only four pages at a time2 and1 besides1 bits of the press were wanting1 and ,i had first to manufacture substitutes from scraps of iron and wood4 ,i managed1 however1 to make it go1 and by and by it did good service4 ,by it ,i printed our ,aniwan ,hymn-,book1 a portion of ,genesis in ,aniwan1 a small book in ,erromangan for the second ,gordon1 and some other little things4 ,the old ,chief had eagerly helped me in translating and preparing this first book4 ,he had a great desire to hear it speak1 as he graphically expressed it4 ,it was made up chiefly of short passages from the ,scriptures that might help me to introduce them to the treasures of ,divine truth and love4 ,namakei came to me1 morning after morning1 saying1 ,missi1 is it done8 ,can it speak8 ,at last ,i was able to answer1 ,yes6 ,the old ,chief eagerly responded1 ,does it speak my words8 ,i said1 ,it does4 ,with rising interest1 ,namakei exclaimed1 ,make it speak to me1 ,missi6 ,let me hear it speak4 ,i read to him a part of the book1 and the old man fairly shouted in an ecstasy of joy1 ,it does speak6 ,it speaks my own language1 too6 ,oh1 give it to me6 ,he grasped it hurriedly1 turned it all round every way1 pressed it to his bosom1 and then1 closing it with a look of great disappointment1 handed it back to me1 saying1 ,missi1 ,i cannot make it speak6 ,it will never speak to me4 ,no1 said ,i2 you don't know how to read it yet1 how to make it speak to you2 but ,i will teach you to read1 and then it will speak to you as it does to me4 ,o ,missi1 dear ,missi1 show me how to make it speak6 persisted the bewildered ,chief4 ,he was straining his eyes so1 that ,i suspected they were dim with age1 and could not see the letters4 ,i looked out for him a pair of spectacles1 and managed to fit him well4 ,he was much afraid of putting them on at first1 manifestly in dread of some sort of sorcery4 ,at last1 when they were properly placed1 he saw the letters and everything so clearly that he exclaimed in great excitement and joy-- ,i see it all now6 ,this is what you told us about ,jesus4 ,he opened the eyes of a blind man4 ,the word of ,jesus has just come to ,aniwa4 ,he has sent me these glass eyes4 ,i have gotten back again the sight that ,i had when a boy4 ,o ,missi1 make the book speak to me now6 ,i walked out with him to the public ,village ,ground4 ,there ,i drew ,a ,b ,c in large characters upon the dust1 showed him the same letters in the book1 and left him to compare them1 and find out how many occurred on the first page4 ,fixing these in his mind1 he came running to me1 and said1 ,i have lifted up ,a ,b ,c4 ,they are here in my head and ,i will hold them fast4 ,give me other three4 ,this was repeated time after time4 ,he mastered the whole ,alphabet1 and soon began to spell out the smaller words4 ,indeed1 he came so often1 getting me to read it over and over1 that before he himself could read it freely1 he had it word for word committed to memory4 ,when strangers passed him1 or young people came around1 he would get out the little book1 and say1 ,come1 and ,i will let you hear how the book speaks our own ,aniwan words4 ,you say1 it is hard to learn to read and make it speak4 ,but be strong to try6 ,if an old man like me has done it1 it ought to be much easier for you4 ,one day ,i heard him read to a company with wonderful fluency4 ,taking the book1 ,i asked him to show me how he had learned to read so quickly4 ,immediately ,i perceived that he could recite the whole from memory6 ,he became our right-hand helper in the ,conversion of ,aniwa4 ,next after ,god's own ,word1 perhaps the power of ,music was most amazingly blessed in opening up our way4 ,amongst many other illustrations1 ,i may mention how ,namakei's wife was won4 ,the old lady positively shuddered at coming near the ,mission ,house1 and dreaded being taught anything4 ,one day she was induced to draw near the door1 and fixing a hand on either post1 and gazing inwards1 she exclaimed1 ,awi1 ,missi6 ,ki1 ,missi6--the ,native cry for unspeakable wonder4 ,mrs4 ,paton began to play on the harmonium1 and sang a simple hymn in the old woman's language4 ,manifestly charmed1 she drew nearer and nearer1 and drank in the music1 as it were1 at every pore of her being4 ,at last she ran off1 and we thought it was with fright1 but it was to call together all the women and girls from her village to hear the bokis sing6 7,having no x1 the word box is pronounced thus47 ,she returned with them all at her heels4 ,they listened with dancing eyes4 ,and ever after the sound of a hymn1 and the song of the bokis1 made them flock freely to class or meeting4 ,being myself as nearly as possible destitute of the power of singing1 all my work would have been impaired and sadly hindered1 and the joyous side of the ,worship and ,service of ,jehovah could not have been presented to the ,natives1 but for the gift bestowed by the ,lord on my dear wife4 ,she led our songs of praise1 both in the ,family and in the ,church1 and that was the first avenue by which the ,new ,religion winged its way into the heart of ,cannibal and ,savage4 ,the old ,chief was particularly eager that this same aged lady1 his wife ,yauwaki1 should be taught to read4 ,but her sight was far gone4 ,so1 one day1 he brought her to me1 saying1 ,missi1 can you give my wife also a pair of new glass eyes like mine8 ,she tries to learn1 but she cannot see the letters4 ,she tries to sew1 but she pricks her finger1 and throws away the needle1 saying1 ',the ways of the white people are not good6' ,if she could get a pair of glass eyes1 she would be in a new world like ,namakei4 ,in my bundle ,i found a pair that suited her4 ,she was in positive terror about putting them on her face1 but at last she cried with delight1 ,oh1 my new eyes6 my new eyes6 ,i have the sight of a little girl4 ,oh1 my new eyes6 ,,chapter ,,lxx4 ,a ,,roof-,,tree ,,for ,,jesus4 ,,at first we moved about amongst the ,natives from village to village1 acquired their language1 and taught them everywhere1--by the roadside1 under the shade of a tree1 or on the public ,tillage ,ground4 ,our old ,native ,hut1 when we removed to the ,mission ,house formerly referred to1 was also used for all sorts of public meetings4 ,feeling by and by1 however1 that the time had come to interest them in building a new ,church1 and that it would be every way helpful1 ,i laid the proposal before them1 carefully explaining that for this work no one would be paid1 that the ,church was for all the ,islanders and for the ,worship alone1 and that every one must build purely for the love of ,jesus4 ,i told them that ,god would be pleased with such materials as they had to give1 that they must not begin till they had divided the work and counted the cost1 and that for my part ,i would do all that ,i could to direct and help1 and would supply the sinnet 7 cocoanut fiber rope7 which ,i had brought from ,aneityum1 and the nails from ,sydney4 ,they held meeting after meeting throughout the ,island4 ,chiefs made long speeches2 orators chanted their palavers2 and warriors acted their part by waving of club and tomahawk4 ,an unprecedented friendliness sprang up amongst them4 ,they agreed to sink every quarrel1 and unite in building the first ,church on ,aniwa1--one ,chief only holding back4 ,women and children began to gather and prepare the sugar-cane leaf for thatch4 ,men searched for and cut down suitable trees4 ,the ,church measured sixty-two feet by twenty-four4 ,the wall was twelve feet high4 ,the studs were of hard ironwood1 and were each by tenon and mortise fastened into six ironwood trees forming the upper wall plates4 ,all were not only nailed1 but strongly tied together by sinnet-rope1 so as to resist the hurricanes4 ,the roof was supported by four huge ironwood trees1 and a fifth of equally hard wood1 sunk about eight feet into the ground1 surrounded by building at the base1 and forming massive pillars4 ,there were two doorways and eight window spaces2 the floor was laid with white coral1 broken small1 and covered with cocoanut tree leaf-mats1 on which the people sat4 ,i had a small platform1 floored and surrounded with reeds2 and ,mrs4 ,paton had a seat enclosing the harmonium1 also made of reeds and in keeping4 ,great harmony prevailed all the time1 and no mishap marred the work4 ,one hearty fellow fell from the roof-tree to the ground1 and was badly stunned4 ,but1 jumping up1 he shook himself1 and saying--,i was working for ,jehovah6 ,he has saved me from being hurt6--he mounted the roof again and went on cheerily with his work4 ,but our pride in this ,new ,church soon met with a dreadful blow4 ,that very season a terrific hurricane leveled it with the ground4 ,after much wailing1 the principal ,chief1 in a public ,assembly1 said1 ,let us not weep1 like boys over their broken bows and arrows6 ,let us be strong1 and build a yet stronger ,church for ,jehovah4 ,by our counsel1 ten days were spent first in repairing houses and fences1 and saving food from the plantations1 many of which had been swept into utter ruin4 ,then they assembled on the appointed day4 ,a hymn was sung4 ,god's blessing was invoked1 and all the work was dedicated afresh to ,him4 ,days were spent in taking the iron wood roof to pieces1 and saving everything that could be saved4 ,the work was allocated equally amongst the villages1 and a wholesome emulation was created4 ,one ,chief still held back4 ,after a while1 ,i visited him and personally invited his help1--telling him that it was ,god's ,house1 and for all the people of ,aniwa2 and that if he and his people did not do their part1 the others would cast it in their teeth that they had no share in the ,house of ,god4 ,he yielded to my appeal1 and entered vigorously upon the work4 ,one large tree was still needed to complete the couples1 and could nowhere be found4 ,the work was at a standstill2 for1 though the size was now reduced to fifty feet by twenty-two1 the roof lowered by four feet1 and there was still plenty of smaller wood on ,aniwa1 the larger trees were apparently exhausted4 ,one morning1 however1 we were awakened at early daybreak by the shouting and singing of a company of men1 carrying a great black tree to the ,church1 with this same ,chief dancing before them1 leading the singing1 and beating time with the flourish of his tomahawk4 ,determined not to be beaten1 though late in the field1 he had lifted the roof-tree out of his own house1 as black as soot could make it1 and was carrying it to complete the couplings4 ,the rest of the builders shouted against this4 ,all the other wood of the ,church was white and clean1 and they would not have this black tree1 conspicuous in the very center of all4 ,but ,i praised the old ,chief for what he had done1 and hoped he and his people would come and worship ,jehovah under his own roof-tree4 ,at this all were delighted6 and the work went on apace1 with many songs and shoutings4 ,whenever the ,church was roofed in1 we met in it for ,public ,worship4 ,coral was being got and burned1 and preparations made for plastering the walls4 ,the ,natives were sharp enough to notice that ,i was not putting up the bell2 and suspicions arose that ,i kept it back in order to take it with me when ,i returned to ,tanna4 ,it was a beautiful ,church bell1 cast and sent out by our dear friend1 ,james ,taylor1 ,esq41 ,birkenhead4 ,the ,aniwans1 therefore1 gave me no rest till ,i agreed to have it hung on their new ,church4 ,they found a large ironwood tree near the shore1 cut a road for half a mile through the bush1 tied poles across it every few feet1 and with shouts lifted it bodily on their shoulders--six men or so at each pole--and never set it down again till they reached the ,church2 for as one party got exhausted1 others were ready to rush in and relieve them at every stage of the journey4 ,the two old ,chiefs1 flourishing their tomahawks1 went capering in front of all the rest1 and led the song to which they marched1 joyfully bearing their load4 ,they dug a deep hole1 into which to sink it2 ,i squared the top and screwed on the bell2 then we raised the tree by ropes1 letting it sink into the hole1 and built it round eight feet deep with coral blocks and lime2 and there from its top swings and rings ever since the ,church bell of ,aniwa4 ,,chapter ,,lxxi4 ,,knock ,,the ,,tevil ,,out6 ,,one of the last attempts ever made on my life resulted1 by ,god's blessing1 in great good to us all and to the work of the ,lord4 ,it was when ,nourai1 one of ,nasi's men1 struck at me again and again with the barrel of his musket2 but ,i evaded the blows1 till rescued by the women--the men looking on stupefied4 ,after he escaped into the bush ,i assembled our people1 and said1 ,if you do not now try to stop this bad conduct1 ,i shall leave ,aniwa1 and go to some island where my life will be protected4 ,next morning at daybreak1 about one hundred men arrived at my house1 and in answer to my query why they came armed they replied1 ,we are now going to that village where the men of wicked conduct are gathered together4 ,we will find out why they sought your life1 and we will rebuke their ,sacred ,man for pretending to cause hurricanes and diseases4 ,we cannot go unarmed4 ,we will not suffer you to go alone4 ,we are your friends and the friends of the ,worship4 ,and we are resolved to stand by you1 and you must go at our head to-day6 ,in great perplexity1 yet believing that my presence might prevent bloodshed1 ,i allowed myself to be placed at their head4 ,the old ,chief followed next1 then a number of fiery young men2 then all the rest1 single file1 along the narrow path4 ,at a sudden turn1 as we neared their village1 ,nourai1 who had attacked me the ,sabbath day before1 and his brother were seen lurking with their muskets2 but our young men made a rush in front1 and they disappeared into the bush4 ,we took possession of the ,village ,public ,ground2 and the ,chief1 the ,sacred ,man1 and others soon assembled4 ,a most characteristic ,native ,palaver followed4 ,speeches1 endless speeches1 were fired by them at each other4 ,my friends declared1 in every conceivable form of language and of graphic illustration1 that they were resolved at any cost to defend me and the ,worship of ,jehovah1 and that they would as one man punish every attempt to injure me or take my life4 ,the orator1 ,taia1 exclaimed1 ,you think that ,missi is here alone1 and that you can do with him as you please6 ,no6 ,we are now all ,missi's men4 ,we will fight for him and his rather than see him injured4 ,every one that attacks him attacks us4 ,that is finished to-day6 ,in the general scolding1 the ,sacred ,man had special attention for pretending to cause hurricanes4 ,one pointed out that he had himself a stiff knee1 and argued1 ,if he can make a hurricane1 why can't he restore the joint of his own knee8 ,it is surely easier to do the one than the other6 ,the ,natives laughed heartily1 and taunted him4 ,meantime he sat looking down to the earth in sullen silence2 and a ludicrous episode ensued4 ,his wife1 a big1 strong woman1 scolded him roundly for the trouble he had brought them all into2 and then1 getting indignant as well as angry1 she seized a huge cocoanut leaf out of the bush1 and with the butt end thereof began thrashing his shoulders vigorously as she poured out the vials of her wrath in torrents of words1 always winding up with the cry1 ,i'll knock the ,tevil out of him6 ,he'll not try hurricanes again6 ,the woman was a ,malay1 as all the ,aniwans were4 ,had a ,papuan woman on ,tanna or ,erromanga dared such a thing1 she would have been killed on the spot4 ,but even on ,aniwa1 the unwonted spectacle of a wife beating her husband created uproarious amusement4 ,at length ,i remonstrated1 saying1 ,you had better stop now6 ,you don't want to kill him1 do you8 ,you seem to have knocked 'the ,tevil' pretty well out of him now6 ,you see how he receives it all in silence1 and repents of all his bad talk and bad conduct4 ,they exacted from him a solemn promise as to the making of no more diseases or hurricanes1 and that he would live at peace with his neighbors4 ,the offending villagers at length presented a large quantity of sugar-cane and food to us as a peace-offering2 and we returned1 praising ,god that the whole day's scolding had ended in talk1 not blood4 ,the result was every way most helpful4 ,our friends knew their strength and took courage4 ,our enemies were disheartened and afraid4 ,we saw the balance growing heavier every day on the side of ,jesus2 and our souls blessed the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,lxxii4 ,,the ,,conversion ,,of ,,youwili4 ,,these events suggest to me another incident of those days1 full at once of trial and of joy4 ,it pertains to the story of our young ,chief ,youwili4 ,from the first1 and for long1 he was most audacious and troublesome4 ,observing that for several days no ,natives had come near the ,mission ,house1 ,i asked the old ,chief if he knew why1 and he answered1 ,youwili has tabooed the paths1 and threatens death to any one who breaks through it4 ,i at once replied1 ,then ,i conclude that you all agree with him1 and wish me to leave4 ,we are here only to teach you and your people4 ,if he has power to prevent that we shall leave with the ,dayspring4 ,the old ,chief called the people together1 and they came to me1 saying1 ,our anger is strong against ,youwili4 ,go with us and break down the taboo4 ,we will assist and protect you4 ,i went at their head and removed it4 ,it consisted simply of reeds stuck into the ground1 with twigs and leaves and fiber tied to each in a peculiar way1 in a circle round the ,mission ,house4 ,the ,natives had an extraordinary dread of violating the taboo1 and believed that it meant death to the offender or to some one of his family4 ,all present entered into a bond to punish on the spot any man who attempted to replace the taboo or to revenge its removal4 ,thus a mortal blow was publicly struck at this most miserable superstition1 which had caused bloodshed and misery untold4 ,one day1 thereafter1 ,i was engaged in clearing away the bush around the ,mission ,house1 having purchased and paid for the land for the very purpose of opening it up1 when suddenly ,youwili appeared and menacingly forbade me to proceed4 ,for the sake of peace ,i for the time desisted4 ,but he went straight to my fence1 and with his tomahawk cut down the portion in front of our house1 also some bananas planted there--the usual declaration of war1 intimating that he only awaited his opportunity similarly to cut down me and mine4 ,we saw the old ,chief and his men planting themselves here and there to guard us1 and the ,natives prowling about armed and excited4 ,on calling them1 they explained the meaning of what ,youwili had done1 and that they were determined to protect us4 ,i said4 ,this must not continue4 ,are you to permit one young fool to defy us all1 and break up the ,lord's work on ,aniwa8 ,if you cannot righteously punish him1 ,i will shut myself up in my house and withdraw from all attempts to teach or help you1 till the vessel comes1 and then ,i can leave the island4 ,now that they had begun really to love us1 and to be anxious to learn more1 this was always my most powerful argument4 ,we retired into the ,mission ,house4 ,the people surrounded our doors and windows and pleaded with us4 ,after long silence1 we replied1 ,you know our resolution4 ,it is for you now to decide4 ,either you must control that foolish young man1 or we must go6 ,much speech-making1 as usual1 followed4 ,the people resolved to seize and punish ,youwili2 but he fled1 and had hid himself in the bush4 ,coming to me1 the ,chief said1 ,it is left to you to say what shall be ,youwili's punishment4 ,shall we kill him8 ,i replied firmly1 ,certainly not6 ,only for murder can life be lawfully taken away4 ,what then8 they continued4 ,shall we burn his houses and destroy his plantations8 ,i answered1 ,no4 ,shall we bind him and beat him8 ,no4 ,shall we place him in a canoe1 thrust him out to sea1 and let him drown or escape as he may8 ,no6 by no means4 ,then1 ,missi1 said they1 these are our ways of punishing4 ,what other punishment remains that ,youwili cares for8 ,i replied1 ,make him with his own hands1 and alone1 put up a new fence1 and restore all that he has destroyed2 and make him promise publicly that he will cease all evil conduct towards us4 ,that will satisfy me4 ,this idea of punishment seemed to tickle them greatly4 ,the ,chiefs reported our words to the ,assembly2 and the ,natives laughed and cheered1 as if it were a capital joke6 ,they cried aloud1 ,it is good6 ,obey the word of the ,missi4 ,after considerable hunting1 the young ,chief was found4 ,they brought him to the ,assembly and scolded him severely and told him their sentence4 ,he was surprised by the nature of the punishment1 and cowed by the determination of the people4 ,to-morrow1 said he1 ,i will fully repair the fence4 ,never again will ,i oppose the ,missi4 ,his word is good4 ,by daybreak next morning ,youwili was diligently repairing what he had broken down1 and before evening he had everything made right better than it was before4 ,while he toiled away1 some fellows of his own rank twitted him1 saying1 ,youwili1 you found it easier to cut down ,missi's fence than to repair it again4 ,you will not repeat that in a hurry6 ,but he heard all in silence4 ,others passed with averted heads1 and he knew they were laughing at him4 ,he made everything tight and then left without uttering a single word4 ,my heart yearned after the poor fellow1 but ,i thought it better to let his own mind work away1 on its new ideas as to punishment and revenge1 for a little longer by itself alone4 ,i instinctively felt that ,youwili was beginning to turn1 that the ,christ-,spirit had touched his darkly-groping soul4 ,my doors were now thrown open1 and every good work went on as before4 ,we resolved to leave ,youwili entirely to ,jesus1 setting apart a portion of our prayer every day for the enlightenment and conversion of the young ,chief1 on whom all other means had been exhausted apparently in vain4 ,a considerable time elapsed4 ,no sign came1 and our prayers seemed to fail4 ,but one day1 ,i was toiling between the shafts of a hand-cart1 assisted by two boys1 drawing it along from the shore loaded with coral blocks4 ,youwili came rushing from his house1 three hundred yards or so off the path1 and said1 ,missi1 that is too hard for you4 ,let me be your helper6 ,without waiting for a reply1 he ordered the two boys to seize one rope1 while he grasped the other1 threw it over his shoulder and started off1 pulling with the strength of a horse4 ,my heart rose in gratitude1 and ,i wept with joy as ,i followed him4 ,i knew that that yoke was but a symbol of the yoke of ,christ1 which ,youwili with his change of heart was beginning to carry6 ,truly there is only one way of regeneration1 being born again by the power of the ,spirit of ,god1 the new heart2 but there are many ways of conversation1 of outwardly turning to the ,lord1 of taking the actual first step that shows on whose side we are4 ,like those of old praying for the deliverance of ,peter1 and who could not believe their ears and eyes when ,peter knocked and walked in amongst them1 so we could scarcely believe our eyes and ears when ,youwili became a disciple of ,jesus1 though we had been praying for his conversion every day4 ,his once sullen countenance became literally bright with inner light4 ,his wife came immediately for a book and a dress saying1 ,youwili sent me4 ,his opposition to the ,worship is over now4 ,i am to attend ,church and ,school4 ,he is coming too4 ,he wants to learn how to be strong1 like you1 for ,jehovah and for ,jesus4 ,oh1 ,jesus6 to ,thee alone be all the glory4 ,thou hast the key to unlock every heart that ,thou hast created4 ,,chapter ,,lxxiii4 ,,first ,,communion ,,on ,,aniwa4 ,,and this leads me to relate the story of our ,first ,communion on ,aniwa4 ,it was ,sabbath1 #bdth ,october #ahfi2 and surely the ,angels of ,god and the ,church of the ,redeemed in ,glory were amongst the great cloud of witnesses who eagerly peered down upon the scene1--when we sat around the ,lord's ,table and partook the memorials of ,his body and blood with those few souls rescued out of the ,heathen ,world4 ,my ,communicants' ,class had occupied me now a considerable time4 ,the conditions of attendance at this early stage were explicit1 and had to be made very severe1 and only twenty were admitted to the roll4 ,at the final examination only twelve gave evidence of understanding what they were doing1 and of having given their hearts to the service of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,at their own urgent desire1 and after every care in examining and instructing1 they were solemnly dedicated in prayer to be baptized and admitted to the ,holy ,table4 ,on that ,lord's ,day1 after the usual opening ,service1 ,i gave a short and careful exposition of the ,ten ,commandments and of the ,way of ,salvation according to the ,gospel4 ,the twelve ,candidates then stood up before all the inhabitants there assembled2 and1 after a brief exhortation to them as ,converts1 ,i put to them the two questions that follow1 and each gave an affirmative reply1 ,do you1 in accordance with your profession of the ,christian ,faith1 and your promises before ,god and the people1 wish me now to baptize you8 ,and--,will you live henceforth for ,jesus only1 hating all sin and trying to love and serve your ,saviour8 ,then1 beginning with the old ,chief1 the twelve came forward1 and ,i baptized them one by one according to the ,presbyterian usage4 ,two of them had also little children1 and they were at the same time baptized1 and received as the lambs of the flock4 ,solemn prayer was then offered1 and in the name of the ,holy ,trinity the ,church of ,christ on ,aniwa was formally constituted4 ,i addressed them on the words of the ,holy ,institution--#a ,corinthians xi4 #bc--;and then1 after the prayer of ,thanksgiving and ,consecration1 administered the ,lord's ,supper1 the first time since the ,island of ,aniwa was heaved out of its coral depths6 ,mrs4 ,m'nair1 my wife1 and myself1 along with six ,aneityumese ,teachers1 communicated with the newly baptized twelve4 ,and ,i think1 if ever in all my ,earthly experience1 on that day ,i might truly add the blessed words--,jesus in the midst4 ,the whole ,service occupied nearly three hours4 ,the ,islanders looked on with a wonder whose unwonted silence was almost painful to bear4 ,many were led to inquire carefully about everything they saw1 so new and strange4 ,for the first time the ,dorcas ,street ,sabbath ,school ,teachers' gift from ,south ,melbourne ,presbyterian ,church was put to use--a new ,communion ,service of silver4 ,they gave it in faith that we would require it1 and in such we received it4 ,and now the day had come and gone6 ,for three years we had toiled and prayed and taught for this4 ,at the moment when ,i put the bread and wine into those dark hands1 once stained with the blood of ,cannibalism1 but now stretched out to receive and partake the emblems and seals of the ,redeemer's love1 ,i had a foretaste of the joy of ,glory that well-nigh broke my heart to pieces4 ,i shall never taste a deeper bliss till ,i gaze on the glorified face of ,jesus ,himself4 ,on the afternoon of that ,communion ,day an open-air ,prayer ,meeting was held under the shade of the great banyan tree in front of our ,church4 ,seven of the new ,church members there led the people in prayer to ,jesus1 a hymn being sung after each4 ,my heart was so full of joy that ,i could do little else but weep4 ,oh1 ,i wonder1 ,i wonder1 when ,i see so many good ,ministers at home1 crowding each other and treading on each other's heels1 whether they would not part with all their home privileges1 and go out to the ,heathen ,world and reap a joy like this--the joy of the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,lxxiv4 ,,the ,,new ,,social ,,order4 ,,the new ,social ,order1 referred to already in its dim beginnings1 rose around us like a sweet-scented flower4 ,i never interfered directly1 unless expressly called upon or appealed to4 ,the two principal ,chiefs were impressed with the idea that there was but one law--the ,will of ,god2 and one rule for them and their people as ,christians--to please the ,lord ,jesus4 ,in every difficulty they consulted me4 ,i explained to them and read in their hearing the very words of ,holy ,scripture1 showing what appeared to me to be the will of ,god and what would please the ,saviour2 and then sent them away to talk it over with their people1 and to apply these principles of the ,word of ,god as wisely as they could according to their circumstances4 ,our own part of the work went on very joyfully1 notwithstanding occasional trying and painful incidents4 ,individual cases of greed and selfishness and vice brought us many a bitter pang4 ,but the ,lord never lost patience with us1 and we durst not therefore lose patience with them6 ,we trained the ,teachers1 we translated and printed and expounded the ,scriptures1 we ministered to the sick and dying2 we dispensed medicines every day1 we taught them the use of tools1 we advised them as to laws and penalties2 and the ,new ,society grew and developed1 and bore amidst all its imperfections some traces of the fair ,kingdom of ,god amongst men4 ,our life and work will reveal itself to the reader if ,i briefly outline a ,sabbath ,day on ,aniwa4 ,breakfast is partaken of immediately after daylight4 ,the ,church bell then rings1 and ere it stops every worshiper is seated4 ,the ,natives are guided in starting by the sunrise1 and are forward from farthest corners at this early hour4 ,the first ,service is over in about an hour2 there is an interval of twenty minutes2 the bell is again rung1 and the second ,service begins4 ,we follow the ordinary ,presbyterian ritual2 but in every ,service ,i call upon an ,elder or a ,church ,member to lead in one of the prayers1 which they do with great alacrity and with much benefit to all concerned4 ,as the last worshiper leaves1 at close of second ,service1 the bell is sounded twice very deliberately1 and that is the signal for the opening of my ,communicants' ,class4 ,i carefully expound the ,church's ,shorter ,catechism1 and show how its teachings are built upon ,holy ,scripture1 applying each truth to the conscience and the life4 ,this class is conducted all the year round2 and from it1 step by step1 our ,church ,members are drawn as the ,lord opens up their way1 the most of them attending two full years at least before being admitted to the ,lord's ,table4 ,this discipline accounts for the fact that so very few of our baptized converts have ever fallen away--as few in proportion1 ,i verily believe1 as in ,churches at home4 ,meantime1 many of the ,church members have been holding a prayer-meeting amongst themselves in the adjoining ,school1--a thing started of their own free accord1--in which they invoke ,god's blessing on all the work and worship of the day4 ,having snatched a brief meal of tea1 or a cold dinner cooked on ,saturday1 the bell rings within an hour1 and our ,sabbath ,school assembles1--in which the whole inhabitants1 young and old1 take part1 myself superintending and giving the address1 as well as questioning on the lesson1 ,mrs4 ,paton teaching a large class of adult women1 and the ,elders and best readers instructing the ordinary classes for about half-an-hour or so4 ,about one o'clock the ,school is closed1 and we then start off on our village tours4 ,an experienced ,elder1 with several ,teachers1 takes one side of the ,island this ,sabbath1 ,i with another company taking the other side1 and next ,sabbath we reverse the order4 ,a short ,service is conducted in the open air1 or in ,schoolrooms1 at every village that can be reached and on their return they report to me cases of sickness1 or any signs of progress in the work of the ,lord4 ,the whole ,island is thus steadily and methodically evangelized4 ,as the sun is setting ,i am creeping home from my village tour2 and when darkness begins to approach1 the canoe drum is beat at every village1 and the people assemble under the banyan tree for evening village prayers4 ,the ,elder or ,teacher presides4 ,five or six hymns are joyously sung1 and five or six short prayers offered between1 and thus the evening hour passes happily in the fellowship of ,god4 ,on a calm evening1 after ,christianity had fairly taken hold of the people1 and they loved to sing over and over again their favorite hymns1 these village prayer-meetings formed a most blessed close to every day1 and set the far-distant bush echoing with the praises of ,god4 ,nor is our week-day life less crowded or busy1 though in different ways4 ,at gray dawn on ,monday1 and every morning1 the ,tavaka 7 the canoe drum7 is struck in every village on ,aniwa4 ,the whole inhabitants turn in to the early ,school1 which lasts about an hour and a half1 and then the ,natives are off to their plantations4 ,having partaken of breakfast1 ,i then spend my forenoon in translating or printing1 or visiting the sick1 or whatever else is most urgent4 ,about two o'clock the ,natives return from their work1 bathe in the sea1 and dine off cocoanut1 breadfruit1 or anything else that comes handily in the way4 ,at three o'clock the bell rings1 and the afternoon ,school for the ,teachers and the more advanced learners then occupy my wife and myself for about an hour and a half4 ,after this1 the ,natives spend their time in fishing or lounging or preparing supper1--which is amongst them always the meal of the day4 ,towards sundown the ,tavaka sounds again1 and the day closes amid the echoes of village prayers from under their several banyan trees4 ,thus day after day and week after week passed over us on ,aniwa2 and much the same on all the ,islands where the ,missionary has found a home4 ,in many respects it is a simple and happy and beautiful life2 and the man whose heart is full of things that are dear to ,jesus1 feels no desire to exchange it for the poor frivolities of what calls itself ,society1 which seems to find its life in pleasures that ,christ cannot be asked to share1 and in which1 therefore1 ,christians should have neither lot nor part4 ,,chapter ,,lxxv4 ,,the ,,orphans ,,and ,,their ,,biscuits4 ,,the habits of morning and evening ,family ,prayer and of ,grace at ,meat took a very wonderful hold upon the people2 and became1 as ,i have shown elsewhere1 a distinctive badge of ,christian versus ,heathen4 ,this was strikingly manifested during a time of bitter scarcity that befell us4 ,i heard a father1 for instance1 at his hut door1 with his family around him1 reverently blessing ,god for the food provided for them1 and for all ,his mercies in ,christ ,jesus4 ,drawing near and conversing with them1 ,i found that their meals consisted of fig leaves which they had gathered and cooked--a poor enough dish1 but hunger makes a healthy appetite1 and contentment is a grateful relish4 ,during the same period of privation1 my ,orphans suffered badly also4 ,once they came to me1 saying1 ,missi1 we are very hungry4 ,i replied1 ,so am ,i1 dear children1 and we have no more white food till the ,dayspring comes4 ,they continued1 ,missi1 you have two beautiful fig-trees4 ,will you let us take one feast of the young and tender leaves8 ,we will not injure branch or fruit4 ,i answered1 ,gladly1 my children1 take your fill6 ,in a twinkling each child was perched upon a branch2 and they feasted there happy as squirrels4 ,every night we prayed for the vessel1 and in the morning our ,orphan boys rushed to the coral rocks and eagerly scanned the sea for an answer4 ,day after day they returned with sad faces1 saying1 ,missi1 ,tavaka jimra6 7 ,no vessel yet74 ,but at gray dawn of a certain day we were awoke by the boys shouting from the shore and running for the ,mission ,house with the cry1--,tavaka oa6 ,tavaka oa67 ,the vessel1 hurrah67 ,we arose at once1 and the boy exclaimed1 ,missi1 she is not our own vessel1 but we think she carries her flag4 ,she has three masts1 and our ,dayspring only two6 ,i looked through my glass1 and saw that they were discharging goods into the vessel's boats2 and the children1 when ,i told them that boxes and bags and casks were being sent on shore1 shouted and danced with delight4 ,as the first boat-load was discharged1 the ,orphans surrounded me1 saying1 ,missi1 here is a cask that rattles like biscuits8 ,will you let us take it to the ,mission ,house8 ,i told them to do so if they could2 and in a moment it was turned into the path1 and the boys had it flying before them1 some tumbling and hurting their knees1 but up and at it again1 and never pausing till it rolled up at the door of our ,storehouse4 ,on returning ,i found them all around it1 and they said1 ,missi1 have you forgotten what you promised us8 ,i said1 ,what did ,i promise you8 ,they looked very disappointed and whispered to each other1 ,missi has forgot6 ,forgot what8 inquired ,i4 ,missi1 they answered1 you promised that when the vessel came you would give each of us a biscuit4 ,oh1 ,i replied1 ,i did not forget2 ,i only wanted to see if you remembered it8 ,they laughed1 saying1 ,no fear of that1 ,missi6 ,will you soon open the cask8 ,we are dying for biscuits4 ,at once ,i got hammer and tools1 knocked off the hoops1 took out the end1 and then gave girls and boys a biscuit each4 ,to my surprise1 they all stood round1 biscuit in hand1 but not one beginning to eat4 ,what1 ,i exclaimed1 you are dying for biscuits6 ,why don't you eat8 ,are you expecting another8 ,one of the eldest said1 ,we will first thank ,god for sending us food1 and ask ,him to bless it to us all4 ,and this was done in their own simple and beautiful childlike way2 and then they did eat1 and enjoyed their food as a gift from the ,heavenly ,father's hand4 7,is there any child reading this1 or hearing it read1 who never thanks ,god or asks ,him to bless daily bread8 ,then is that child not a white ,heathen87 ,we ourselves at the ,mission ,house could very heartily rejoice with the dear ,orphans4 ,for some weeks past our ,european food had been all exhausted1 except a little tea1 and the cocoanut had been our chief support4 ,it was beginning to tell against us4 ,our souls rose in gratitude to the ,lord1 who had sent us these fresh provisions that we might love ,him better and serve ,him more4 ,the children's sharp eyes had read correctly4 ,it was not the ,dayspring4 ,our brave little ship1 as ,i afterwards learned1 had gone to wreck on #fth ,january #ahgc2 and this vessel was the ,paragon1 chartered to bring down our supplies4 ,alas6 the wreck had gone by auction sale to a ,french slaving company1 who cut a passage through the coral reef1 and had the vessel again floating in the ,bay1--elated at the prospect of employing our ,mission ,ship in the blood-stained ,tanaka-traffic 7 a mere euphemism for ,south ,sea slavery76 ,our souls sank in horror and concern4 ,many ,natives would unwittingly trust themselves to the ,dayspring and revenge would be taken on us1 as was done on noble ,bishop ,patteson1 when the deception was found out4 ,what could be done8 ,nothing but cry to ,god1 which all the friends of our ,mission did day and night1 not without tears1 as we thought of the possible degradation of our noble little ship4 ,listen6 ,the ,french ,slavers1 anchoring their prize in the ,bay1 and greatly rejoicing1 went ashore to celebrate the event4 ,they drank and feasted and reveled4 ,but that night a mighty storm arose1 the old ,dayspring dragged her anchor1 and at daybreak she was seen again on the reef1 but this time with her back broken in two and for ever unfit for service1 either fair or foul4 ,oh1 white winged ,virgin1 daughter of the waves1 better for thee1 as for thy human sisters1 to die and pass away than to suffer pollution and live on in disgrace6 ,,chapter ,,lxxvi4 ,,the ,,finger-,,posts ,,of ,,god4 ,i ,,had often said that ,i would not again leave my beloved work on the ,islands unless compelled to do so either by the breakdown of health1 or by the loss of our ,mission ,ship and my services being required to assist in providing another4 ,very strange1 that in this one season both of these events befell us6 ,during the hurricanes1 from ,january to ,april #ahgc1 when the ,dayspring was wrecked1 we lost a darling child by death1 my dear wife had a protracted illness1 and ,i was brought very low with severe rheumatic fever4 ,i was reduced so far that ,i could not speak1 and was reported as dying4 ,the ,captain of a vessel1 having seen me1 called at ,tanna1 and spoke of me as in all probability dead by that time4 ,our unfailing and ever-beloved friends and fellow-,missionaries1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,watt1 at once started from ,kwamera1 in their open boat1 and rowed and sailed thirty miles to visit us4 ,but a few days before they arrived ,i had fallen into a long and sound sleep1 out of which1 when ,i awoke1 consciousness had again returned to me4 ,i had got the turn2 there was no further relapse2 but when ,i did regain a little strength1 my weakness was so great that ,i had to travel about on crutches for many a day4 ,in the circumstances of our baby ,lena's death1 every form of heartrending tenderness seemed to meet4 ,on ,friday1 #bhth ,march1 at #c ,a4,m4 she came from ,god1 and seemed to both of us the ,angel-child of all our flock4 ,alas1 on ,saturday ,i was seized with sciatica1 so dreadful and agonizing1 that ,i had to be borne to my bed1 and could not stir a limb any more than if my back had been broken4 ,my dear wife struggled to attend to the baby1 with such help as ,native girls could give2 and ,i directed the ,teachers about the ,services in ,church next ,sunday1 the first time as yet that ,i had been unable to appear and lead them4 ,from the beds where we lay1 my wife and ,i could hear each other's voices1 and tried to console one another in our sorrowful and helpless state4 ,on ,tuesday1 #ast ,april1 the child was bright and vigorous2 but the mother's strength had been overtaxed1 and she fell back1 fainting in her bed1 when helping to dress the baby4 ,next morning1 to our dismay1 there were symptoms of wheezing and feverishness in the little darling4 ,all due measures were at once taken to check these2 and ,williag1 an experienced ,native1 now having charge1 kept everything warm and cozy4 ,before tea1 when receiving a little food1 ,lena opened her dark blue eyes1 and gazed up peacefully and gladly in her mother's face4 ,but1 immediately after tea1 within less than an hour1 when the nurse brought her and placed her in the mother's arms1 the ,angel-,soul fled away4 ,poor ,williag1 seeing the mother's pathetic look1 and as if she herself had been guilty1 fell on her knees and cried1--,i knew it1 ,missi1 ,i knew it6 ,she gave two big sighs1 and went6 ,awai1 ,missi1 ,awai6 ,when the mother called to me something about the child having fainted1 ,i was talking with ,koris1 but my heart guessed the worst4 ,alas1 all means were seen to be vain6 ,i could not rise1 could not move1 nor could the mother1 but we prayed1 in each other's hearing1 and in the hearing of our blessed ,lord1 and ,he did not leave us without consolation4 ,in such cases1 the ,heathen usually fly away in terror1 but our ,teachers were faithful and obedient2 and our little boys1 ,bob and ,fred1 six and four respectively1 followed all our tearful directions4 ,one of their small toy-boxes was readily given up to make the baby's coffin4 ,yawaci brought calico1 and dressed the precious body at the mother's instructions4 ,i then offered a prayer to the clear ,lord1 whilst the mother clasped the coffin in her arms4 ,the little grave1 dug by the ,teachers in the ,mission plot1 was within earshot of where we lay1 and there ,bob and ,fred1 kneeling in their snow-white dresses1 sang ,there is a ,happy ,land1 as their sister's dust was laid in the ,earth and in the arms of ,jesus who is the ,resurrection and the ,life4 ,god only can ever know how our hearts were torn by the pathos of that event1 as we lay helpless1 almost dying1 and listened to our children's trembling voices6 ,johna1 the ,teacher1 then prayed2 while the ,heathen1 in groups of wonder1 but holding far aloof1 had many strange ideas wakened in their puzzled brains4 ,the mother and ,i gave ourselves once more away to ,god1 and to the ,service of our dear ,lord ,jesus1 as we parted with our darling ,lena2 and when1 by and by1 we were raised up again1 and able to move about1 often1 often1 did we find ourselves meeting together at that precious grave4 ,being ordered to seek health by change and by higher medical aid1 and if possible in the cooler air of ,new ,zealand1 we took the first opportunity and arrived at ,sydney1 anxious to start the new movement to secure the ,paragon there1 and then to go on to the sister ,colony4 ,being scarcely able to walk without the crutches1 we called privately a preliminary meeting of friends for consultation and advice4 ,the conditions were laid before them and discussed4 ,the ,insurance ,company had paid #bjjj on the first ,dayspring4 ,of that sum #ajjj had been spent on chartering and maintaining the ,paragon2 so that we required an additional #bjjj to purchase her1 according to ,dr4 ,steel's bargain with the owners1 besides a large sum for alterations and equipment for the ,mission4 ,the late ,mr4 ,learmouth looked across to ,mr4 ,goodlet1 and said1 ,if you'll join me1 we will at once secure this vessel for the ,missionaries1 that ,god's work may not suffer from the wreck of the ,dayspring4 ,those two servants of ,god1 excellent ,elders of the ,presbyterian ,church1 consulted together1 and the vessel was purchased next day4 ,how ,i did praise ,god1 and pray ,him to bless them and theirs6 ,the late ,dr4 ,fullarton1 our dear friend1 said to them1 ,but what guarantee do you ask from the ,missionaries for your money8 ,mr4 ,learmouth's noble reply was1 and the other heartily re-echoed it--,god's work is our guarantee6 ,from them we will ask none4 ,what guarantee have they to give us1 except their faith in ,god8 ,that guarantee is ours already4 ,i answered1 ,you take ,god and ,his work for your guarantee4 ,rest assured that ,he will soon repay you1 and you will lose nothing by this noble service4 ,having secured ,st4 ,andrew's ,church for a public meeting1 ,i advertised it in all the papers4 ,ministers1 ,sabbath ,school ,teachers1 and other friends came in great numbers4 ,the scheme was fairly launched1 and ,collecting ,cards largely distributed4 ,committees carried everything out into detail1 and all worked for the fund with great goodwill4 ,i then sailed from ,sydney to ,victoria1 and addressed the ,general ,assembly of the ,presbyterian ,church in session at ,melbourne4 ,the work was easily set agoing there1 and willing workers fully and rapidly organized it through ,congregations and ,sabbath ,schools4 ,under medical advice1 ,i next sailed for ,new ,zealand in the ,s4 ,s4 ,hero1 ,captain ,logan4 ,reaching ,auckland1 ,i was in time to address the ,general ,assembly of the ,church there also4 ,they gave me cordial welcome1 and every ,congregation and ,sabbath ,school might be visited as far as ,i possibly could4 ,the ,ministers promoted the movement with hearty zeal4 ,the ,sabbath ,scholars took ,collecting ,cards for shares in the ,new ,mission ,ship4 ,a meeting was held every day1 and three every ,sabbath4 ,auckland1 ,nelson1 ,wellington1 ,dunedin1 and all towns and churches within reach of these were rapidly visited2 and ,i never had greater joy or heartiness in any of my tours than in this happy intercourse with the ,ministers and people of the ,presbyterian ,church in ,new ,zealand4 ,i arrived in ,sydney about the end of ,march4 ,my health was wonderfully restored1 and ,new ,zealand had given me about #agjj for the new ship4 ,with the #ajjj of insurance money1 and about #gjj from ,new ,south ,wales1 and #djj from ,victoria1 besides the #ejj for her support also from4 ,victoria1 we were able to pay back the #cjjj of purchase money1 and about #hjj for alterations and repairs1 as well as equip and provision her to sail for her next year's work amongst the ,islands free of debt4 ,i said to our two good friends at ,sydney3 ,you took ,god and ,his work for your guarantee4 ,he has soon relieved you from all responsibility4 ,you have suffered no loss1 and you have had the honor and privilege of serving your ,lord4 ,i envy you the joy you must feel in so using your wealth1 and ,i pray ,god's double blessing on all your store4 ,our agent4 ,dr4 ,steel1 had applied to the ,home authorities for power to change the vessel's name from ,paragon to ,dayspring1 so that the old associations might not be broken4 ,this was cordially granted4 ,and so our second ,dayspring1 owing no man anything1 sailed on her annual trip to the ,new ,hebrides1 and we returned with her1 praising the ,lord and reinvigorated alike in spirit and in body4 ,,chapter ,,lxxvii4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,in ,,living ,,capitals4 ,,in ,heathendom every true convert becomes at once a ,missionary4 ,the changed life1 shining out amid the surrounding darkness1 is a ,gospel in largest ,capitals which all can read4 ,our ,islanders1 especially1 having little to engage or otherwise distract attention1 become intense and devoted workers for the ,lord ,jesus1 if once the ,divine ,passion for souls stirs within them4 ,a ,heathen has been all his days groping after peace of soul in dark superstition and degrading rites4 ,you pour into his soul the light of ,revelation4 ,he learns that ,god is love1 that ,god sent ,his ,son to die for him1 and that he is the heir of ,life ,eternal in and through ,jesus ,christ4 ,by the blessed enlightenment of the ,spirit of the ,lord he believes all this4 ,he passes into a third heaven of joy1 and he burns to tell every one of this ,glad ,tidings4 ,others see the change in his disposition in his character in his whole life and actions2 and amid such surroundings1 every ,convert is a burning and a shining light4 ,even whole populations are thus brought into the ,outer ,court of the ,temple2 and ,islands1 still ,heathen and ,cannibal1 are positively eager for the ,missionary to live amongst them1 and would guard his life and property now in complete security1 where a very few years ago everything would have been instantly sacrificed on touching their shores6 ,they are not ,christianized1 neither are they ,civilized1 but the light has been kindled all round them1 and though still only shining afar1 they cannot but rejoice in its beams4 ,but even where the path is not so smooth1 nor any welcome awaiting them1 ,native ,converts show amazing zeal4 ,for instance1 one of our ,chiefs1 full of the ,christ-kindled desire to seek and to save1 sent a message to an inland ,chief1 that he and four attendants would come on ,sabbath and tell them the ,gospel of ,jehovah ,god4 ,the reply came back sternly forbidding their ,visit1 and threatening with death any ,christian that approached their village4 ,our ,chief sent in response a loving message1 telling them that ,jehovah had taught the ,christians to return good for evil1 and that they would come unarmed to tell them the story of how the ,son of ,god came into the world and died in order to bless and save ,his enemies4 ,the ,heathen ,chief sent back a stern and prompt reply once more1 ,if you come1 you will be killed4 ,on ,sabbath morning1 the ,christian ,chief and his four companions were met outside the village by the ,heathen ,chief1 who implored and threatened them once more4 ,but the former said1 ,we come to you without weapons of war6 ,we come only to tell you about ,jesus4 ,we believe that ,he will protect us to-day4 ,as they steadily pressed forward towards the village1 spears began to be thrown at them4 ,some they evaded1 being all except one most dexterous warriors2 and others they literally received with their bare hands1 striking them and turning them aside in an incredible manner4 ,the ,heathen1 apparently thunderstruck at these men thus approaching them without weapons of war1 and not even flinging back their own spears which they had turned aside1 desisted from mere surprise1 after having thrown what the old ,chief called a shower of spears4 ,our ,christian ,chief called out1 as he and his companions drew up in the midst of them on the village ,public ,ground3 ,jehovah thus protects us4 ,he has given us all your spears6 ,once we would have thrown them back at you and killed you4 ,but now we come not to fight1 but to tell you about ,jesus4 ,he has changed our dark hearts4 ,he asks you now to lay down all these your other weapons of war1 and to hear what we can tell you about the love of ,god1 our great ,father1 the only living ,god4 ,the ,heathen were perfectly overawed4 ,they manifestly looked upon these ,christians as protected by some ,invisible ,one6 ,they listened for the first time to the story of the ,gospel and of the ,cross4 ,we lived to see that ,chief and all his tribe sitting in the ,school of ,christ4 ,and there is perhaps not an ,island in these ,southern ,seas1 amongst all those won for ,christ1 where similar acts of heroism on the part of ,converts cannot be recited by every ,missionary to the honor of our poor ,natives and to the glory of their ,saviour4 ,larger and harder tests were sometimes laid upon their new faith4 ,once the war on ,tanna drove about one hundred of them to seek refuge on ,aniwa4 ,not so many years before1 their lives would never have been thus intrusted to the inhabitants of another ,cannibal ,island4 ,but the ,christ-,spirit was abroad upon ,aniwa4 ,the refugees were kindly cared for1 and in process of time were restored to their own lands1 by our ,missionary ship the ,dayspring4 ,the ,chiefs1 however1 and the ,elders of the ,church laid the new laws before them very clearly and decidedly4 ,they would be helped and sheltered1 but ,aniwa was now under law to ,christ1 and if any of the ,tannese broke the public rules as to moral conduct1 or in any way disturbed the ,worship of ,jehovah1 they would at once be expelled from the ,island and sent back to ,tanna4 ,in all this1 the ,chief of the ,tanna party1 my old friend ,nowar1 strongly supported our ,christian ,chiefs4 ,the ,tannese behaved well1 and many of them wore clothing and began to attend ,church2 and the heavy drain upon the poor resources of ,aniwa was borne with a noble and ,christian spirit1 which greatly impressed the ,tannese and commended the ,gospel of ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,lxxviii4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,namakei4 ,,in claiming ,aniwa for ,christ1 and winning it as a small jewel for ,his crown1 we had the experience which has ever marked ,god's path through history1--,he raised up around us and wonderfully endowed men to carry forward ,his own blessed work4 ,among these must be specially commemorated ,namakei1 the old ,chief of ,aniwa4 ,slowly1 but very steadily1 the light broke in upon his soul1 and he was ever very eager to communicate to his people all that he learned4 ,in ,heathen days he was a ,cannibal and a great warrior2 but from the first1 as shown in the preceding chapter he took a warm interest in us and our work1--a little selfish1 no doubt1 at the beginning1 but soon becoming purified1 as his eyes and heart were opened to the ,gospel of ,jesus4 ,on the birth of a son to us on the ,island1 the old ,chief was in ecstasies4 ,he claimed the child as his heir1 his own son being dead1 and brought nearly the whole inhabitants in relays to see the white ,chief of ,aniwa6 ,he would have him called ,namakei the ,younger1 an honor which ,i fear we did not too highly appreciate4 ,as the child grew1 he took his hand and walked about with him freely amongst the people1 learning to speak their language like a ,native1 and not only greatly interesting them in himself1 but even in us and in the work of the ,lord4 ,this1 too1 was one of the bonds1 however purely human1 that drew them all nearer and nearer to ,jesus4 ,it was this same child1 who1 in the moment of our greatest peril1 when the ,mission ,house was once surrounded by savages who had resolved to murder us1 managed in some incredible way to escape1 and appeared1 to our horror and amazement1 dancing with glee amongst the armed warriors4 ,he threw his arms around the neck of one after another1 and kissed them1 to their great surprise1--at last1 he settled down like a bird upon the ringleader's knee1 and therefrom prattled to them all1 while we from within gazed on in speechless and helpless terror6 ,he roundly scolded them for being ,naughty6 ,naughty6 ,the frowning faces began to relax into broad grins1 another spirit came over them1 and1 one after another1 they rapidly slipt away4 ,the ,council of ,death was broken up2 and we had a new illustration of the ,lord's precious work1--,a little ,child shall lead them4 ,the death of ,namakei had in it many streaks of ,christian romance4 ,he had heard about the ,missionaries annually meeting on one or other of the ,islands1 and consulting about the work of ,jehovah4 ,what ideas he had formed of a ,mission ,synod one cannot easily imagine2 but in his old age1 and when very frail1 he formed an impassioned desire to attend our next meeting on ,aneityum1 and see and hear all the ,missionaries of ,jesus gathered together from the ,new ,hebrides4 ,terrified that he would die away from home1 and that that might bring great reverses to the good work on ,aniwa1 where he was truly beloved1 ,i opposed his going with all my might4 ,but he and his relations and his people were all set upon it1 and ,i had at length to give way4 ,his few booklets were then gathered together1 his meager wardrobe was made up1 and a small ,native basket carried all his belongings4 ,he assembled his people and took an affectionate farewell1 pleading with them to be strong for ,jesus1 whether they ever saw him again or not1 and to be loyal and kind to ,missi4 ,the people wailed aloud1 and many wept bitterly4 ,those on board the ,dayspring were amazed to see how his people loved him4 ,the old ,chief stood the voyage well4 ,he went in and out to our meeting of ,synod1 and was vastly pleased with the respect paid to him on ,aneityum4 ,when he heard of the prosperity of the ,lord's work1 and how ,island after ,island was learning to sing the praises of ,jesus1 his heart glowed1 and he said1 ,missi1 ,i am lifting up my head like a tree4 ,i am growing tall with joy6 ,on the fourth or fifth day1 however1 he sent for me out of the ,synod1 and when ,i came to him1 he said1 eagerly1 ,missi1 ,i am near to die6 ,i have asked you to come and say farewell4 ,tell my daughter1 my brother1 and my people to go on pleasing ,jesus1 and ,i will meet them again in the fair ,world4 ,i tried to encourage him1 saying that ,god might raise him up again and restore him to his people2 but he faintly whispered1 ,o ,missi1 death is already touching me6 ,i feel my feet going away from under me4 ,help me to lie down under the shade of that banyan tree4 ,so saying1 he seized my arm1 we staggered near to the tree1 and he lay down under its cool shade4 ,he whispered again1 ,i am going6 ,o ,missi1 let me hear your words raising up in prayer1 and then my ,soul will be strong to go4 ,amidst many choking sobs1 ,i tried to pray4 ,at last he took my hand1 pressed it to his heart1 and said in a stronger and clearer tone1 ,o my ,missi1 my dear ,missi1 ,i go before you1 but ,i will meet you again in the ,home of ,jesus4 ,farewell6 ,that was the last effort of dissolving strength2 he immediately became unconscious1 and fell asleep4 ,my heart felt like to break over him4 ,he was my first ,aniwan ,convert--the first who ever on that ,island1 of love and tears opened his heart to ,jesus2 and as he lay there on the leaves and grass1 my soul soared upward after his1 and all the harps of ,god seemed to thrill with song as ,jesus presented to the ,father this trophy of redeeming love4 ,he had been our true and devoted friend and fellow-helper in the ,gospel2 and next morning all the members of our ,synod followed his remains to the grave4 ,there we stood1 the white ,missionaries of the ,cross from far distant lands1 mingling our tears with ,christian ,natives of ,aneityum1 and letting them fall over one who only a few years before was a blood-stained ,cannibal1 and whom now we mourned as a brother1 a saint1 an ,apostle amongst his people4 ,ye ask an explanation8 ,the ,christ entered into his heart1 and ,namakei became a new ,creature4 ,behold1 ,i make all things new4 ,,chapter ,,lxxix4 ,,christianity ,,and ,,cocoanuts4 ,,naswai1 the friend and companion of ,namakei1 was an inland ,chief4 ,he had1 as his followers1 by far the largest number of men in any village on ,aniwa4 ,he had certainly a dignified bearing1 and his wife ,katua was quite a lady in look and manner as compared with all around her4 ,she was the first woman on the ,island that adopted the clothes of civilization1 and she showed considerable instinctive taste in the way she dressed herself in these4 ,her example was a kind of ,gospel in its good influence on all the women2 she was a real companion to her husband1 and went with him almost everywhere4 ,naswai was younger and more intelligent than ,namakei1 and in everything1 except in translating the ,scriptures1 he was much more of a fellow-helper in the work of the ,lord4 ,for many years it was ,naswai's special delight to carry my pulpit ,bible from the ,mission ,house to the ,church every ,sabbath morning1 and to see that everything was in perfect order before the ,service began4 ,he was also the ,teacher in his own village ,school1 as well as an ,elder in the ,church4 ,his addresses were wonderfully happy in graphic illustrations1 and his prayers were fervid and uplifting4 ,yet his people were the worst to manage on all the ,island1 and the very last to embrace the ,gospel4 ,he died when we were in the ,colonies on furlough in #ahge2 and his wife ,katua very shortly pre-deceased him4 ,his last counsels to his people made a great impression on them4 ,they told us how he pleaded with them to love and serve the ,lord ,jesus1 and how he assured them with his dying breath that he had been a new creature since he gave his heart to ,christ1 and that he was perfectly happy in going to be with his ,saviour4 ,i must here recall one memorable example of ,naswai's power and skill as a preacher4 ,on one occasion the ,dayspring brought a large deputation from ,fotuna to see for themselves the change which the ,gospel had produced on ,aniwa4 ,on ,sabbath1 after the ,missionaries had conducted the usual ,public ,worship1 some of the leading ,aniwans addressed the ,fotunese2 and amongst others1 ,naswai spoke to the following effect3 ,men of ,fotuna1 you come to see what the ,gospel has done for ,aniwa4 ,it is ,jehovah the living ,god that has made all this change4 ,as ,heathens1 we quarreled1 killed1 and ate each other4 ,we had no peace and no joy in heart or house1 in villages or in lands2 but we now live as brethren and have happiness in all these things4 ,when you go back to ,fotuna1 they will ask you1 ',what is ,christianity8' ,and you will have to reply1 ',it is that which has changed the people of ,aniwa4' ,but they will still say1 ',what is it8' ,and you will answer1 ',it is that which has given them clothing and blankets1 knives and axes1 fish-hooks and many other useful things2 it is that which has led them to give up fighting1 and to live together as friends4' ,but they will ask you1 ',what is it like8' ,and you will have to tell them1 alas1 that you cannot explain it that you have only seen its workings1 not itself1 and that no one can tell what ,christianity is but the man that loves ,jesus1 the ,invisible ,master1 and walks with ,him and tries to please ,him4 ,now1 you people of ,fotuna1 you think that if you don't dance and sing and pray to your gods1 you will have no crops4 ,we once did so too1 sacrificing and doing much abomination to our gods for weeks before our planting season every year4 ,but we saw our ,missi only praying to the ,invisible ,jehovah1 and planting his yams1 and they grew fairer than ours4 ,you are weak every year before your hard work begins in the fields1 with your wild and bad conduct to please your gods4 ,but we are strong for our work1 for we pray to ,jehovah1 and ,he gives quiet rest instead of wild dancing1 and makes us happy in our toils4 ,since we followed ,missi's example1 ,jehovah has given us large and beautiful crops1 and we now know that ,he gives us all our blessings4 ,turning to me1 he exclaimed1 ,missi1 have you the large yam we presented to you8 ,would you not think it well to send it back with these men of ,fotuna1 to let their people see the yams which ,jehovah grows for us in answer to prayer8 ,jehovah is the only ,god who can grow yams like that6 ,then1 after a pause1 he proceeded1 ,when you go back to ,fotuna1 and they ask you1 ',what is ,christianity8' you will be like an inland ,chief of ,erromanga1 who once came down and saw a great feast on the shore4 ,when he saw so much food and so many different kinds of it1 he asked1 ',what is this made of8' and was answered1 ',cocoanuts and yams4' ',and this8' ',cocoanuts and bananas4' ',and this8' ',cocoanuts and taro4' ',and this8' ',cocoanuts and chestnuts1' etc4 etc4 ,the ,chief was immensely astonished at the host of dishes that could be prepared from the cocoanuts4 ,on returning1 he carried home a great load of them to his people1 that they might see and taste the excellent food of the shore-people4 ,one day1 all being assembled1 he told them the wonders of that feast2 and1 having roasted the cocoanuts1 he took out the kernels1 all charred and spoiled1 and distributed them1 amongst his people4 ,they tasted the cocoanut1 they began to chew it1 and then spat it out1 crying1 ',our own food is better than that6' ,the ,chief was confused1 and only got laughed at for all his trouble4 ,was the fault in the cocoanuts8 ,no2 but they were spoiled in the cooking6 ,so your attempts to explain ,christianity will only spoil it4 ,tell them that a man must live as a ,christian1 before he can show others what ,christianity is4 ,on their return to ,fotuna they exhibited ,jehovah's yam1 given in answer to prayer and labor2 they told what ,christianity had done for ,aniwa2 but did not fail to qualify all their accounts with the story of the ,erromangan ,chief and the cocoanuts4 ,,chapter ,,lxxx4 ,,nerwa',s ,,beautiful ,,farewell4 ,,the ,chief of next importance on ,aniwa was ,nerwa1 a keen debater1 all whose thoughts ran in the channels of logic4 ,when ,i could speak a little of their language ,i visited and preached at his village2 but the moment he discovered that the teaching about ,jehovah was opposed to their ,heathen customs1 he sternly forbade us4 ,one day1 during my address1 he blossomed out into a full-fledged and pronounced ,agnostic 7with as much reason at his back as the ,european type671 and angrily interrupted me3 ,it's all lies you come here to teach us1 and you call it worship6 ,you say your ,jehovah ,god dwells in ,heaven4 ,who ever went up there to hear ,him or see ,him8 ,you talk of ,jehovah as if you had visited ,his ,heaven4 ,why1 you cannot climb even to the top of one of our cocoanut trees1 though we can and that with ease6 ,in going up to the roof of your own ,mission ,house you require the help of a ladder to carry you4 ,and even if you could make your ladder higher than our highest cocoanut tree1 on what would you lean its top8 ,and when you get to its top1 you can only climb down the other side and end where you began6 ,the thing is impossible4 ,you never saw that ,god2 you never heard ,him speak2 don't come here with any of your white lies1 or ,i'll send my spear through you4 ,he drove us from his village1 and furiously threatened murder1 if we ever dared to return4 ,but very shortly thereafter the ,lord sent us a little orphan girl from ,nerwa's village4 ,she was very clever1 and could soon both read and write1 and told over all that we taught her4 ,her visits home1 or at least amongst the villagers where her home had been1 her changed appearance and her childish talk1 produced a very deep interest in us and in our work4 ,an orphan boy next was sent from that village to be kept and trained at the ,mission ,house1 and he too took back his little stories of how kind and good to him were ,missi the man and ,missi the woman4 ,by this time ,chief and people alike were taking a lively interest in all that was transpiring4 ,one day the ,chief's wife1 a quiet and gentle woman1 came to the ,worship and said1 ,nerwa's opposition dies fast4 ,the story of the ,orphans did it6 ,he has allowed me to attend the ,church1 and to get the ,christian's book4 ,we gave her a book and a bit of clothing4 ,she went home and told everything4 ,woman after woman followed her from that same village1 and some of the men began to accompany them4 ,the only thing in which they showed a real interest was the children singing the little hymns which ,i had translated into their own ,aniwan tongue1 and which my wife had taught them to sing very sweetly and joyfully4 ,nerwa at last got so interested that he came himself1 and sat within earshot1 and drank in the joyful sound4 ,in a short time he drew so near that he could hear the preaching1 and then began openly and regularly to attend the ,church4 ,his keen reasoning faculty was constantly at work4 ,he weighed and compared everything he heard1 and soon out-distanced nearly all of them in his grasp of the ideas of the ,gospel4 ,he put on clothing1 joined our ,school1 and professed himself a follower of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,he eagerly set himself1 with all his power1 to bring in a neighboring ,chief and his people1 and constituted himself at once an energetic and very pronounced helper to the ,missionary4 ,on the death of ,naswai1 ,nerwa at once took his place in carrying my ,bible to the ,church1 and seeing that all the people were seated before the stopping of the bell4 ,i have seen him clasping the ,bible like a living thing to his breast1 as if he would cry1 ,oh1 to have this treasure in my own words of ,aniwa6 ,when the ,gospels of ,matthew and ,mark were at last printed in ,aniwan1 he studied them incessantly1 and soon could read them freely4 ,he became the ,teacher in his own village ,school1 and delighted in instructing others4 ,he was assisted by ,ruwawa1 whom he himself had drawn into the circle of ,gospel influence2 and at our next election these two friends were appointed ,elders of the ,church1 and greatly sustained our hands in every good work on ,aniwa4 ,after years of happy useful service1 the time came for ,nerwa to die4 ,he was then so greatly beloved that most of the inhabitants visited him during his long illness4 ,he read a bit of the ,gospels in his own ,aniwan1 and prayed with and for every visitor4 ,he sang beautifully1 and scarcely allowed any one to leave his bedside without having a verse of one or other of his favorite hymns1 ,happy ,land1 and ,nearer1 my ,god1 to ,thee4 ,on my last visit to ,nerwa1 his strength had gone very low1 but he drew me near his face1 and whispered1 ,missi1 my ,missi1 ,i am glad to see you4 ,you see that group of young men8 ,they came to sympathize with me2 but they have never once spoken the name of ,jesus1 though they have spoken about everything else6 ,they could not have weakened me so1 if they had spoken about ,jesus6 ,read me the story of ,jesus2 pray for me to ,jesus4 ,no6 stop1 let us call them1 and let me speak with them before ,i go4 ,i called them all around him1 and he strained his dying strength1 and said1 ,after ,i am gone1 let there be no bad talk1 no ,heathen ways4 ,sing ,jehovah's songs1 and pray to ,jesus1 and bury me as a ,christian4 ,take good care of my ,missi1 and help him all you can4 ,i am dying happy and going to be with ,jesus1 and it was ,missi that showed me this way4 ,and who among you will take my place in the village ,school and in the ,church8 ,who amongst you all will stand up for ,jesus8 ,many were shedding tears1 but there was no reply2 after which the dying ,chief proceeded1 ,now let my last work on ,earth be this--,we will read a chapter of the ,book1 verse about1 and then ,i will pray for you all1 and the ,missi will pray for me1 and ,god will let me go while the song is still sounding in my heart6 ,at the close of this most touching exercise1 we gathered the ,christians who were near by close around1 and sang very softly in ,aniwan1 ,there is a ,happy ,land4 ,as they sang1 the old man grasped my hand1 and tried hard to speak1 but in vain4 ,his head fell to one side1 the silver cord was loosed1 and the golden bowl was broken4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxi4 ,,ruwawa4 ,his great friend1 ,ruwawa the ,chief1 had waited by ,nerwa like a brother till within a few days of the latter's death1 when he also was smitten down apparently by the same disease4 ,he was thought to be dying1 and he resigned himself calmly into the hands of ,christ1 ,one ,sabbath afternoon1 sorely distressed for lack of air1 he instructed his people to carry him from the village to a rising ground on one of his plantations4 ,it was fallow2 the fresh air would reach him2 and all his friends could sit around him4 ,they extemporized a rest--two posts stuck into the ground1 slanting1 sticks tied across them1 then dried banana leaves spread on these and also as a cushion on the ground--and there sat ,ruwawa1 leaning back and breathing heavily4 ,after the ,church ,services1 ,i visited him1 and found half the people of that side of the ,island sitting round him1 in silence1 in the open air4 ,ruwawa beckoned me1 and ,i sat down before him4 ,though suffering sorely1 his eye and face had the look of ecstasy4 ,missi1 he said1 ,i could not breathe in my village2 so ,i got them to carry me here1 where there is room for all4 ,they are silent and they weep1 because they think ,i am dying4 ,if it were ,god's will1 ,i would like to live and to help you in ,his work4 ,i am in the hands of our dear ,lord1 ,if he takes me1 it is good2 if ,he spares me1 it is good6 ,pray1 and tell our ,saviour all about it4 ,i explained to the people that we would tell our ,heavenly ,father how anxious we all were to see ,ruwawa given back to us strong and well to work for ,jesus1 and then leave all to ,his wise and holy disposal4 ,i prayed1 and the place became a very ,bochim4 ,when ,i left him1 ,ruwawa exclaimed1 ,farewell1 ,missi2 if ,i go first1 ,i will welcome you to ,glory2 if ,i am spared1 ,i will work with you for ,jesus2 so all is well6 ,one of the young ,christians followed me and said1 ,missi1 our hearts are very sore6 ,if ,ruwawa dies1 we have no ,chief to take his place in the ,church1 and it will be a heavy blow against ,jehovah's ,worship on ,aniwa4 ,i answered1 ,let us each tell our ,god and ,father all that we feel and all that we fear2 and leave ,ruwawa and our work in ,his holy hands4 ,we did so with earnest and unceasing cry4 ,and when all hope had died out of every heart1 the ,lord began to answer us2 the disease began to relax its hold1 and the beloved ,chief was restored to health4 ,as soon as he was able1 though still needing help1 he found his way back to the ,church1 and we all offered special thanksgiving to ,god4 ,he indicated a desire to say a few words2 and although still very weak1 spoke with great pathos thus3 ,dear ,friends1 ,god has given me back to you all4 ,i rejoice thus to come here and praise the great ,father1 who made us all1 and who knows how to make and keep us well4 ,i want you all to work hard for ,jesus1 and to lose no opportunity of trying to do good and so to please ,him4 ,in my deep journey away near to the grave1 it was the memory of what ,i had done in love to ,jesus that made my heart sing4 ,i am not afraid of pain1--my dear ,lord ,jesus suffered far more for me1 and teaches me how to bear it4 ,i am not afraid of war or famine or death1 or of the present or of the future2 my dear ,lord ,jesus died for me1 and in dying ,i shall live with him in ,glory4 ,i fear and love my dear ,lord ,jesus1 because ,he loved me and gave ,himself for me4 ,then he raised his right hand1 and cried in a soft1 full-hearted voice3 ,my own1 my dear ,lord ,jesus6 and stood for a moment looking joyfully upward1 as if gazing into his ,saviour's face4 ,when he sat down1 there was a long hush1 broken here and there by a smothered sob1 and ,ruwawa's words produced an impression that is remembered to this day4 ,in #ahhh1 when ,i visited the ,islands1 ,ruwawa was still devoting himself heart and soul to the work of the ,lord on ,aniwa4 ,assisted by ,koris1 a ,teacher from ,aneityum1 and visited annually by our ever dear and faithful friends1 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,watt1 from ,tanna1 the good ,ruwawa carried forward all the work of ,god on ,aniwa1 along with others1 in our absence as in our presence4 ,the meetings1 the ,communicants' ,class1 the ,schools1 and the ,church ,services are all regularly conducted and faithfully attended4 ,bless the ,lord1 ,o my soul6 ,,chapter ,,lxxxii4 ,,litsi ,,sor ,,and ,,mungaw4 ,,litsi1 the only daughter of ,namakei1 had both in her own career and in her connection with poor dear ,mungaw1 an almost unparalleled experience4 ,she was entrusted to us when very young1 and became a bright1 clever1 and attractive ,christian girl4 ,many sought her hand1 but she disdainfully replied1 ,i am ,queen of my own ,island1 and when ,i like ,i will ask a husband in marriage1 as your great ,queen ,victoria did6 ,her first husband1 however won1 was undoubtedly the tallest and most handsome man on ,aniwa2 but he was a giddy fool1 and1 on his early death1 she again returned to live with us at the ,mission ,house4 ,her second marriage had everything to commend it1 but it resulted in indescribable disaster4 ,mungaw1 heir to a ,chief1 had been trained with us1 and gave every evidence of decided ,christianity4 ,they were married in the ,church1 and lived in the greatest happiness4 ,he was able and eloquent1 and was first chosen as a deacon1 then as an ,elder of the ,church1 and finally as ,high ,chief of one half of the ,island4 ,he showed the finest ,christian spirit under many trying circumstances4 ,once1 when working at the lime for the building of our ,church1 two bad men1 armed with muskets1 sought his life for blowing the conch to assemble the workers4 ,hearing of the quarrel1 ,i rushed to the scene1 and heard him saying1 ,don't call me coward1 or think me afraid to die4 ,if ,i died now1 ,i would go to be with ,jesus4 ,but ,i am no longer a ,heathen2 ,i am a ,christian1 and wish to treat you as a ,christian should4 ,two loaded muskets were leveled at him4 ,i seized one in each of my hands1 and held their muzzles aloft in air1 so that1 if discharged1 the balls might pass over his head and mine2 and thus ,i stood for some minutes pleading with them4 ,others soon coming to the rescue1 the men were disarmed2 and1 after much talk1 they professed themselves ashamed1 and promised better conduct for the future4 ,next day they sent a large present as a peace-offering to me1 but ,i refused to receive it till they should first of all make peace with the young ,chief4 ,they sent a larger present to him1 praying him to receive it1 and to forgive them4 ,mungaw brought a still larger present in exchange1 laid it down at their feet in the ,public ,ground1 shook hands with them graciously1 and forgave them in presence of all the people4 ,his constant saying was1 ,i am a ,christian1 and ,i must do the conduct of a ,christian4 ,in one of my furloughs to ,australia ,i took the young ,chief with me1 in the hope of interesting the ,sabbath ,schools and ,congregations by his eloquent addresses and noble personality4 ,the late ,dr4 ,cameron of ,melbourne1 having heard him1 as translated by me1 publicly declared that ,mungaw's appearance and speech in his ,church did more to show him the grand results of the ,gospel amongst the ,heathen than all the ,missionary addresses he ever listened to or read4 ,our lodging was in ,st4 ,kilda4 ,my dear wife was suddenly seized with a dangerous illness on a visit to ,taradale1 and ,i was telegraphed for4 ,finding that ,i must remain with her1 ,i got ,mungaw booked for ,melbourne1 on the road for ,st4 ,kilda1 in charge of a railway guard4 ,some white wretches1 in the guise of gentlemen1 offered to see him to the ,st4 ,kilda ,station1 assuring the guard that they were friends of mine1 and interested in our ,mission4 ,they took him1 instead1 to some den of infamy in ,melbourne4 ,on refusing to drink with them1 he said they threw him down on a sofa1 and poured drink or drugs into him till he was nearly dead4 ,having taken all his money 7he had only two or three pounds1 made up of little presents from various friends71 they thrust him out to the street1 with only one penny in his pocket4 ,on becoming conscious1 he applied to a policeman1 who either did not understand or would not interfere4 ,hearing an engine whistle1 he followed the sound1 and found his way to ,spencer ,street ,station1 where he proffered his penny for a ticket1 all in vain4 ,at last a sailor took pity on him1 got him some food1 and led him to the ,st4 ,kilda ,station4 ,there he stood for a whole day1 offering his penny for a ticket by every train1 only to meet with refusal after refusal1 till he broke down1 and cried aloud in such ,english as desperation gave him3 ,if me savvy road1 me go4 ,me no savvy road1 and stop here me die4 ,my ,missi ,paton live at ,kilda4 ,me want go ,kilda4 ,me no money4 ,bad fellow took all6 ,send me ,kilda4 ,some gentle ,samaritan gave him a ticket1 and he reached our house at ,st4 ,kilda at last4 ,there for above three weeks the poor creature lay in a sort of stupid doze4 ,food he could scarcely be induced to taste1 and he only rose now and again for a drink of water4 ,when my wife was able to be removed thither also1 we found dear ,mungaw dreadfully changed in appearance and in conduct4 ,twice thereafter ,i took him with me on ,mission work2 but1 on medical advice1 preparations were made for his immediate return to the ,islands4 ,i intrusted him to the kind care of ,captain ,logan1 who undertook to see him safely on board the ,dayspring1 then lying at ,auckland4 ,mungaw was delighted1 and we hoped everything from his return to his own land and people4 ,after some little trouble1 he was landed safely home on ,aniwa4 ,but his malady developed dangerous and violent symptoms1 characterized by long periods of quiet and sleep1 and then sudden paroxysms1 in which he destroyed property1 burned houses1 and was a terror to all4 ,on our return he was greatly delighted2 but he complained bitterly that the white men had spoiled his head1 and that when it burned hot he did all these bad things for which he was extremely sorry4 ,he deliberately attempted my life1 and most cruelly abused his dear and gentle wife2 and then1 when the frenzy was over1 he wept and lamented over it4 ,many a time he marched round and round our house with loaded musket and spear and tomahawk1 while we had to keep doors and windows locked and barricaded2 then the paroxysm passed off1 and he slept1 long and deep1 like a child4 ,when he came to himself1 he wept and said1 ,the white men spoiled my head6 ,i know not what ,i do4 ,my head burns hot1 and ,i am driven4 ,one day1 in the ,church1 he leaped up during ,worship with a loud yelling war-cry1 rushed off through the ,imrai to his own house1 set fire to it1 and danced around till everything he possessed was burned to ashes4 ,nasi1 a bad ,tannese ,chief living on ,aniwa1 had a quarrel with ,mungaw about a cask found at the shore1 and threatened to shoot him4 ,others encouraged him to do so1 as ,mungaw was growing every day more and more destructive and violent4 ,when any person became outrageous or insane on ,aniwa1 as they had neither asylum nor prison1 they first of all held him fast and discharged a musket close to his ear2 and then1 if the shock did not bring him back to his senses1 they tied him up for two days or so2 and finally1 if that did not restore him1 they shot him dead4 ,thus the plan of ,nasi was favored by their own customs4 ,one night1 after ,family ,worship--for amidst all his madness1 when clear moments came1 he poured out his soul in faith and love to the ,lord--he said1 ,litsi1 ,i am melting6 ,my head burns4 ,let us go out and get cooled in the open air4 ,she warned him not to go1 as she heard voices whispering under the verandah4 ,he answered a little wildly1 ,i am not afraid to die4 ,life is a curse and burden4 ,the white men spoiled my head4 ,if there is a hope of dying1 let me go quickly and die6 ,as he crossed the door1 a ball crashed through him1 and he fell dead4 ,we got the mother and her children away to the ,mission ,house2 and next morning they buried the remains of poor ,mungaw under the floor of his own hut1 and enclosed the whole place with a fence4 ,it was a sorrowful close to so noble a career4 ,i shed many a tear that ,i ever took him to ,australia4 ,what will ,god have to say to those white fiends who poisoned and maddened poor dear ,mungaw8 ,after a while the good ,queen ,litsi was happily married again4 ,she became possessed with a great desire to go as a ,missionary to the people and tribe of ,nasi1 the very man who had murdered her husband4 ,she used to say1 ,is there no ,missionary to go and teach ,nasi's people8 ,i weep and pray for them1 that they too may come to know and love ,jesus4 ,i answered1 ,litsi1 if ,i had only wept and prayed for you1 but stayed at home in ,scotland1 would that have brought you to know and love ,jesus as you do8 ,certainly not1 she replied4 ,now then1 ,i proceeded1 would it not please ,jesus1 and be a grand and holy revenge1 if you1 the ,christians of ,aniwa1 could carry the ,gospel to the very people whose ,chief murdered ,mungaw8 ,the idea took possession of her soul4 ,she was never wearied talking and praying over it4 ,when at length a ,missionary was got for ,nasi's people1 ,litsi and her new husband offered themselves as the head of a band of six or eight ,aniwan ,christians and were engaged there to open up the way and assist1 as ,teachers and ,helpers1 the ,missionary and his wife4 ,there she and they have labored ever since4 ,they are strong for the ,worship4 ,her son is being trained up by his cousin1 an ,elder of the ,church1 to be the good ,chief of ,aniwa2 so she calls him in her prayers1 as she cries on ,god to bless and watch over him1 while she is serving the ,lord in at once serving the ,mission family and ministering to the ,natives in that foreign field4 ,many years have now passed2 and when lately ,i visited that part of ,tanna1 ,litsi ran to me1 clasped my hand1 kissed it with many sobs1 and cried1 ,o my father6 ,god has blessed me to see you again4 ,is my mother1 your dear wife1 well8 ,and your children1 my brothers and sisters8 ,my love to them all6 ,oh my heart clings to you6 ,we had sweet conversation1 and then she said more calmly1 ,my days here are hard4 ,i might be happy and independent as ,queen of my own ,aniwa4 ,but the ,heathen here are beginning to listen4 ,the ,missi sees them coming nearer to ,jesus4 ,and oh1 what a reward when we shall hear them sing and pray to our dear ,saviour6 ,the hope of that makes me strong for anything4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxiii4 ,,the ,,conversion ,,of ,,nasi4 ,,nasi1 the ,tanna-man1 was a bad and dangerous character1 though some readers may condone his putting an end to ,mungaw in the terrible circumstances of our case4 ,during a great illness that befell him1 ,i ministered to him regularly1 but no kindness seemed to move him4 ,when about to leave ,aniwa1 ,i went specially to visit him4 ,on parting ,i said1 ,nasi1 are you happy8 ,have you ever been happy8 ,he answered gloomily1 ,no6 ,never4 ,i said1 ,would you like this dear little boy of yours to grow up like yourself1 and lead the life you have lived8 ,no6 he replied warmly6 ,i certainly would not4 ,then1 ,i continued1 you must become a ,christian1 and give up all your ,heathen conduct1 or he will just grow up to quarrel and fight and murder as you have done2 and1 ,o ,nasi1 he will curse you through all ,eternity for leading him to such a life and to such a doom6 ,he was very much impressed1 but made no response4 ,after we had sailed1 a band of our young ,native ,christians held a consultation over the case of ,nasi4 ,they said1 ,we know the burden and terror that ,nasi has been to our dear ,missi4 ,we know that he has murdered several persons with his own hands1 and has taken part in the murder of others4 ,let us unite in daily prayer that the ,lord would open his heart and change his conduct1 and teach him to love and follow what is good1 and let us set ourselves to win ,nasi for ,christ1 just as ,missi tried to win us4 ,so they began to show him every possible kindness1 and one after another helped him in his daily tasks1 embracing every opportunity of pleading with him to yield to ,jesus and take the new path of life4 ,at first he repelled them1 and sullenly held aloof4 ,but their prayers never ceased1 and their patient affection continued to grow4 ,at last1 after long waiting1 ,nasi broke down1 and cried to one of the ,teachers1 ,i can oppose your ,jesus no longer4 ,if ,he can make you treat me like that1 ,i yield myself to ,him and to you4 ,i want ,him to change me too4 ,i want a heart like that of ,jesus4 ,he rubbed off the ugly thick-daubed paint from his face2 he cut off his long heathen hair2 he went to the sea and bathed1 washing himself clean2 and then he came to the ,christians and dressed himself in a shirt and a kilt4 ,the next step was to get a book1--his was the translation of the ,gospel according to ,st4 ,john4 ,he eagerly listened to every one that would read bits of it aloud to him1 and his soul seemed to drink in the new ideas at every pore4 ,he attended the ,church and the ,school most regularly1 and could in a very short time read the ,gospel for himself4 ,the ,elders of the ,church took special pains in instructing him1 and after due preparation he was admitted to the ,lord's ,table--my brother ,missionary from ,tanna baptizing and receiving him4 ,imagine my joy on learning all this regarding one who had sullenly resisted my appeals for many years1 and how my soul praised the ,lord who is ,mighty to save6 ,during a recent visit to ,aniwa1 in #ahhf1 ,god's almighty compassion was further revealed to me1 when ,i found that ,nasi the murderer was now a ,scripture ,reader1 and able to comment in a wonderful and interesting manner on what he read to the people6 ,on arriving at the ,island1 after my tour in ,great ,britain 7#ahhd-he71 all the inhabitants of ,aniwa seemed to be assembled at the boat-landing to welcome me1 except ,nasi4 ,he was away fishing at a distance1 and had been sent for1 but had not yet arrived4 ,on the way to the ,mission ,house1 he came rushing to meet me4 ,he grasped my hand1 and kissed it1 and burst into tears4 ,i said1 ,nasi1 do ,i now at last meet you as a ,christian8 ,he warmly answered1 ,yes1 ,missi2 ,i now worship and serve the only ,lord and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,bless ,god1 ,i am a ,christian at last6 ,my soul went out with a silent cry1 ,oh1 that the men at home who discuss and doubt about conversion1 and the new heart1 and the power of ,jesus to change and save1 could but look on ,nasi1 and spell out the simple lesson1--,he that created us at first by ,his power can create us anew by ,his love6 ,,chapter ,,lxxxiv4 ,,the ,,appeal ,,of ,,lamu4 ,,my first ,sabbath on ,aniwa1 after this tour in ,great ,britain and the ,colonies1 gave me a blessed surprise4 ,before daybreak ,i lay awake thinking of all my experiences on that ,island1 and wondering whether the ,church had fallen off in my four years' absence1 when suddenly the voice of song broke on my ears6 ,it was scarcely full dawn1 yet ,i jumped up and called to a man that was passing1 ,have ,i slept in8 ,is it already ,church-time8 ,or why are the people met so early8 ,he was one of their leaders1 and gravely replied1 ,missi1 since you left1 we have found it very hard to live near to ,god6 ,so the ,chief and the ,teachers and a few others meet when daylight comes in every ,sabbath morning1 and spend the first hour of every ,lord's ,day in prayer and praise4 ,they are met to pray for you now1 that ,god may help you in your preaching1 and that all hearts may bear fruit to the glory of ,jesus this day4 ,i returned to my room1 and felt wonderfully prepared myself4 ,it would be an easy and a blessed thing to lead such a ,congregation into the presence of the ,lord6 ,they were there already4 ,on that day every person on ,aniwa seemed to be at ,church1 except the bedridden and the sick4 ,at the close of the ,services1 the ,elders informed me that they had kept up all the ,meetings during my absence1 and had also conducted the ,communicants' ,class1 and they presented to me a considerable number of ,candidates for membership4 ,after careful examination1 ,i set apart nine boys and girls1 about twelve or thirteen years of age and advised them to wait for at least another year or so1 that their knowledge and habits might be matured4 ,they had answered every question1 indeed1 and were eager to be baptized and admitted2 but ,i feared for their youth1 lest they should fall away and bring disgrace on the ,church4 ,one of them with very1 earnest eyes1 looked at me and said1 ,we have been taught that whosoever believeth is to be baptized4 ,we do most heartily believe in ,jesus1 and try to please ,jesus4 ,i answered1 ,hold on for another year1 and then our way will be clear4 ,but he persisted1 ,some of us may not be living then2 and you may not be here4 ,we long to be baptized by you1 our own ,missi1 and to take our place among the servants of ,jesus4 ,after much conversation ,i agreed to baptize them1 and they agreed to refrain from going to the ,lord's ,table for a year1 that all the ,church might by that time have knowledge and proof of their consistent ,christian life1 though so young in years4 ,this discipline1 ,i thought1 would be good for them2 and the ,lord might use it as a precedent for guidance in future days4 ,of other ten adults at this time admitted1 one was specially noteworthy4 ,she was about twenty-five1 and the ,elders objected because her marriage had not been according to the ,christian usage on ,aniwa4 ,she left us weeping deeply4 ,i was writing late at night in the cool evening air1 as was my wont in that oppressive tropical clime1 and a knock was heard at my door4 ,i called out1 ,akai era8 7 ,who is there87 ,a voice softly answered1 ,missi1 it is ,lamu4 ,oh1 do speak with me6 ,this was the rejected candidate1 and ,i at once opened the door4 ,oh1 ,missi1 she began1 ,i cannot sleep1 ,i cannot eat2 my soul is in pain4 ,am ,i to be shut out from ,jesus8 ,some of those at the ,lord's ,table committed murder4 ,they repented1 and have been saved4 ,my heart is very bad2 yet ,i never did any of those crimes of ,heathenism2 and ,i know that it is my joy to try and please my ,saviour ,jesus4 ,how is it that ,i only am to be shut out from ,jesus8 ,i tried all ,i could to guide and console her1 and she listened to all very eagerly4 ,then she looked up at me and said1 ,missi1 you and the ,elders may think it right to keep me back from showing my love to ,jesus at the ,lord's ,table2 but ,i know here in my heart that ,jesus has received me2 and if ,i were dying now1 ,i know that ,jesus would take me to ,glory and present me to the ,father4 ,her look and manner thrilled me4 ,i promised to see the ,elders and submit her appeal4 ,but ,lamu appeared and pled her own cause before them with convincing effect4 ,she was baptized and admitted along with other nine4 ,and that ,communion ,day will be long remembered by many souls on ,aniwa4 ,it has often struck me1 when relating these events1 to press this question on the many young people1 the highly privileged white brothers and sisters of ,lamu1 ,did you ever lose one hour of sleep or a single meal in thinking of your ,soul1 your ,god1 the claims of ,jesus1 and your ,eternal ,destiny8 ,and when ,i saw the diligence and fidelity of these poor ,aniwan ,elders1 teaching and ministering during all those years1 my soul has cried aloud to ,god1 ,oh1 what could not the ,church accomplish if the educated and gifted ,elders and others in ,christian lands would set themselves thus to work for ,jesus1 to teach the ignorant1 to protect the tempted1 and to rescue the fallen6 ,,chapter ,,lxxxv4 ,,wanted6 ,a ,,steam ,,auxiliary4 ,,in ,december #ahhc ,i brought a pressing and vital matter before the ,general ,assembly of the ,presbyterian ,church of ,victoria4 ,it pertained to the ,new ,hebrides ,mission1 to the vastly increased requirements of the ,missionaries and their families there1 and to the fact that the ,dayspring was no longer capable of meeting the necessities of the case1--thereby incurring loss of time1 loss of property1 and risk and even loss of precious lives4 ,the ,missionaries on the spot had long felt this1 and had loudly and earnestly pled for a new and larger ,vessel1 or a ,vessel with ,steam ,auxiliary power1 or some arrangement whereby the work of ,god on these ,islands might be overtaken1 without unnecessary exposure of life1 and without the dreaded perils that accrue to a small sailing ,vessel such as the ,dayspring alike from deadly calms and from treacherous gales4 ,the ,victorian ,general ,assembly1 heartily at one with the ,missionaries1 commissioned me to go home to ,britain in #ahhd1 making me at the same time their ,missionary delegate to the ,pan-,presbyterian ,council at ,belfast1 and also their representative to the ,general ,assemblies of the several ,presbyterian ,churches in ,great ,britain and ,ireland4 ,and they empowered and authorized me to lay our proposals about a new ,steam ,auxiliary ,mission ,ship before all these ,churches1 and to ask and receive from ,god's people whatever contributions they felt disposed to give towards the sum of #fjjj1 without which this great undertaking could not be faced4 ,a few days after my arrival ,i was called upon to appear before the ,supreme ,court of the ,english ,presbyterian ,church1 then assembled at ,liverpool4 ,while a hymn was being sung1 ,i took my seat in the pulpit under great depression4 ,but light broke around1 when my dear friend and fellow-student1 ,dr4 ,oswald ,dykes1 came up from the body of the ,church1 shook me warmly by the hand1 whispered a few encouraging words in my ear1 and1 returned to his seat4 ,god helped me to tell my story1 and the audience were manifestly interested4 ,next1 by kind invitation1 ,i visited and addressed the ,united ,presbyterian ,synod of ,scotland1 assembled in ,edinburgh4 ,my reception there was not only cordial1--it was enthusiastic4 ,though as a ,church they had no denominational interest in our ,mission1 the ,moderator1 amidst the cheers of all the ,ministers and ,elders1 recommended that ,i should have free access to every ,congregation and ,sabbath ,school which ,i found it possible to visit1 and hoped that their generous-hearted people would contribute freely to so needful and noble a cause4 ,my soul rose in praise2 and ,i may here say1 in passing1 that every ,minister of that ,church whom ,i wrote to or visited treated me in the same spirit throughout all my tour4 ,having been invited by ,mr4 ,dickson1 an ,elder of the ,free ,church1 to address a midday meeting of children in the ,free ,assembly ,hall1 ,i was able by all appearances1 greatly to interest and impress them4 ,at the close1 my dear and noble friend1 ,principal ,cairns1 warmly welcomed and cheered me1 and that counted for much amid all anxieties2 for ,i had learned that very day1 at headquarters1 that the ,free ,church authorities were resolved1 in view of a difference of opinion betwixt the ,dayspring ,board at ,sydney and the ,victorian ,assembly as to the new ,steam ,auxiliary1 to hold themselves absolutely neutral4 ,having letters from ,andrew ,scott1 ,esq41 ,carrugal1 my very dear friend and helper in ,australia1 to ,dr4 ,j4 ,hood ,wilson1 ,barclay ,free ,church1 ,edinburgh1 ,i resolved to deliver them that evening2 and ,i prayed the ,lord to open up all my path1 as ,i was thus thrown solely on ,him for guidance and bereft of the aid of man4 ,dr4 ,wilson and his lady1 neither of whom ,i had ever seen before1 received me as kindly as if ,i had been an old friend4 ,he read my letters of introduction1 conversed with me as to plans and wishes 7chiefly through ,mrs4 ,wilson1 for he was suffering from sore throat7 and then he said with great warmth and kindliness3 ,god has surely sent you here to-night6 ,i feel myself unable to preach to-morrow4 ,occupy my pulpit in the forenoon and address my ,sabbath ,school1 and you shall have a collection for your ,ship4 ,thereafter1 ,i was with equal kindness received by ,mr4 ,balfour1 having a letter of introduction from his brother1 and he offered me his pulpit for the evening of that day4 ,i lay down blessing and praising ,him1 the ,angel of whose ,presence was thus going before me and opening up my way4 ,that ,lord's ,day ,i had great blessing and joy2 there was an extraordinary response financially to my appeals and my proposal was thus fairly launched in the ,metropolis of our ,scottish ,church life4 ,i remembered an old saying1 ,difficulties are made only to be vanquished4 ,and ,i thought in my deeper soul1--,thus our ,god throws us back upon ,himself2 and if these #fjjj ever come to me1 to the ,lord ,god alone1 and not to man1 shall be all the glory6 ,on the ,monday following1 after a long conversation and every possible explanation1 ,colonel ,young1 of the ,free ,church ,foreign ,missions ,committee1 said1 ,we must have you to address the ,assembly on the evening devoted to ,missions4 ,thus ,i had the pleasure and honor of addressing that great ,assembly2 and though no notice was taken of my proposals in any finding of the ,court1 yet many were thereby interested deeply in our work1 and requests now poured in upon me from every quarter to occupy pulpits and receive collections for the new ,ship4 ,at the meeting in the ,assembly ,hall of the ,church of ,scotland1 which along with others1 ,i was cordially invited to address1 the good and noble ,lord ,polwarth occupied the chair4 ,that was the beginning of a friendship in ,christ which will last and deepen as long as we live4 ,from that night he took the warmest personal interest1 not only by generously contributing to my fund1 but by organizing meetings at his own ,mansion ,house1 and introducing me to a wide circle of influential friends4 ,nor1 whilst the pen leads on my mind to recall these ,border memories1 must ,i fail to record how ,john ,scott ,dudgeon1 ,esq41 ,longnewton1 a greatly esteemed ,elder of the ,church went from town to town in all that region1 and from ,minister to ,minister1 arranging for me a series of happy meetings4 ,i shared also the hospitality of his beautiful home1 and added himself and his much-beloved wife to the precious roll of those who are dear for the ,gospel's sake and for their own4 ,her ,majesty's ,commissioner to the ,general ,assembly for the year was that distinguished ,christian as well as nobleman1 the ,earl of ,aberdeen4 ,he graciously invited me to meet the ,countess and himself at ancient ,holyrood4 ,after dinner he withdrew himself for a lengthened time from the general company1 and entered into a close and interested conversation about our ,mission1 and especially about the threatened annexation of the ,new ,hebrides by the ,french4 ,there also ,i had the memorable pleasure of meeting1 and for a long while conversing with that truly noble and large-hearted lady1 his mother1 the much-beloved ,dowager-,countess well known for her life-long devotion to so many schemes of ,christian philanthropy4 ,at her own home1 ,alva ,house1 she afterwards arranged meetings for me1 as well as in ,halls and ,churches in the immediately surrounding district2 and her letters of interest in the work1 of sympathy1 and of helpfulness1 from time to time received1 were amongst the sustaining forces of my spiritual life4 ,when one sees men and women of noble rank thus consecrating themselves in humble and faithful service to ,jesus1 there dawns upon the mind a glimpse of what the prophet means1 and of what the world will be like1 when it can be said regarding the ,church of ,god on ,earth1--,kings have become thy nursing fathers1 and their ,queens thy nursing mothers4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxvi4 ,,my ,,campaign ,,in ,,ireland4 ,,my steps were next directed towards ,ireland1 immediately after the ,church meetings at ,edinburgh2 first to ',derry1 where the ,presbyterian ,assembly was met in annual conclave1 and thereafter to ,belfast1 where the ,pan-,presbyterian ,council was shortly to sit4 ,the eloquent fervor of the ,brethren at ',derry was like a refreshing breeze to my spirit2 ,i never met ,ministers anywhere1 in all my travels1 who seemed more wholehearted in their devotion to the work which the ,lord had given them to do4 ,i addressed the ,assembly at ',derry and also the ,council at ,belfast4 ,the memory of seeing all those great and learned and famous men--for many of the leaders were eminently such--so deeply interested in the work of ,god1 and particularly in the ,evangelizing of the ,heathen ,world and bringing thereto the knowledge of ,jesus1 was to me1 so long exiled from all such influences1 one of the great inspirations of my life4 ,i listened with humble thankfulness1 and blessed the ,lord who had brought me to sit at their feet4 ,on the rising of the ,council1 ,i entered upon a tour of six weeks among the ,presbyterian ,congregations and ,sabbath ,schools of ,ireland4 ,it had often been said to me1 after my addresses in the ,assemblies and elsewhere1 ,how do you ever expect to raise #fjjj8 ,it can never be accomplished1 unless you call upon the rich individually1 and get their larger subscriptions4 ,our ordinary ,church people have more than enough to do with themselves4 ,trade is dull1 etc4 ,i explained to them1 and also announced publicly1 that in all similar efforts ,i had never called on or solicited any one privately1 and that ,i would not do so now4 ,i would make my appeal1 but leave everything else to be settled betwixt the individual conscience and the ,saviour--,i gladly receiving whatsoever was given or sent1 acknowledging it by letter1 and duly forwarding it to my own ,church in ,victoria4 ,again and again did generous souls offer to go with me1 introduce me1 and give me opportunity of soliciting subscriptions2 but ,i steadily refused--going1 indeed1 wherever an occasion was afforded me of telling my story and setting forth the claims of the ,missions1 but asking no one personally for anything1 having fixed my soul in the conviction that one part of the work was laid upon me1 but that the other lay betwixt the ,master and ,his servants exclusively4 ,on what then do you really rely1 looking at it from a business point of view8 they would somewhat appealingly ask me4 ,i answered1 ,i will tell my story2 ,i will set forth the claims of the ,lord ,jesus on the people2 ,i will expect the surplus collection1 or a retiring collection1 on ,sabbath2 ,i will ask the whole collection1 less expenses1 at week-night meetings2 ,i will issue ,collecting ,cards for ,sabbath ,scholars2 ,i will make known my ,home-,address1 to which everything may be forwarded1 either from ,congregations or from private donors2 and ,i will go on1 to my utmost strength1 in the faith that the ,lord will send me the #fjjj required4 ,if ,he does not so send it1 then ,i shall expect ,he will send me grace to be reconciled to the disappointment1 and ,i shall go back to my work without the ,ship4 ,this1 in substance1 ,i had to repeat hundreds of times2 and as often had ,i to witness the half-pitying or incredulous smile with which it was received1 or to hear the blunt and emphatic retort1 ,you'll never succeed6 ,money cannot be got in that unbusiness-like way4 ,i generally added nothing further to such conversation2 but a ,voice1 deep1 sweet1 and clear1 kept sounding through my soul--,the silver and the gold are ,mine4 ,during the year #ahhd1 as is well known1 ,ireland was the scene of many commotions and of great distress4 ,yet at the end of my little tour amongst the ,presbyterian people of the ,north principally1 though not exclusively1 a sum of more than #fjj had been contributed to our ,mission ,fund4 ,and there was not1 so far as my knowledge went1 one single large subscription2 there were1 of course1 many bits of gold from those well-to-do1 but the ordinary collection was made up of the shillings and pence of the masses of the people4 ,nor had ,i ever in all my travels a warmer response1 nor ever mingled with any ,ministers more earnestly devoted to their ,congregations or more generally and deservedly beloved4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxvii4 ,,scotland',s ,,free-,,will ,,offerings4 ,,returning to ,scotland1 ,i settled down at my headquarters1 the house of my brother ,james in ,glasgow2 and thence began to open up the main line of my operations1 as the ,lord day by day guided me4 ,having the aid of no ,committee1 ,i cast myself on ,minister after ,minister and ,church after ,church1 calling here1 writing there1 and arranging for three meetings every ,sabbath1 and one1 if possible1 every week-day1 and drawing-room meetings1 wherever practicable1 in the afternoons4 ,my correspondence grew to oppressive proportions1 and kept me toiling at it every spare moment from early morn till bedtime4 ,indeed1 ,i never could have overtaken it1 had not my brother devoted many days and hours of precious time1 answering letters regarding arrangements issuing the ,share receipts for all moneys the moment they arrived1 managing all my transactions through the bank1 and generally tackling and reducing the heap of communications1 and preventing me falling into hopeless arrears4 ,i printed1 and circulated by post and otherwise1 ten thousand copies of a booklet1 ,statement and ,appeal1--containing1 besides my ,victorian ,commission and my ,glasgow address1 a condensed epitome of the results of the ,new ,hebrides ,mission and of the reasons for asking a new ,steam ,auxiliary ,ship4 ,to this chiefly is due the fact1 as well as to my refusing to call for subscriptions1 that the far greater portion of all the money came to me by letter4 ,on one day1 though no doubt a little exceptional1 as many as seventy communications reached me by post2 and every one of these contained something for our fund-ranging from a few stamps1 and the widow's mite1 through every variety of figure up to the wealthy man's fifty or hundred pounds4 ,i was particularly struck with the number of times that ,i received #a1 with such a note as1 ,from a servant-girl that loves the ,lord ,jesus2 or ,from a servant-girl that prays for the conversion of the ,heathen4 ,again and again ,i received sums of five and ten shillings1 with notes such as--,from a working-man who loves his ,bible2 or ,from a working-man who prays for ,god's blessing on you and work like yours every day in ,family ,worship4 ,i sometimes regret that the graphic1 varied1 and intensely interesting notes and letters were not preserved2 for by the close of my tour they would have formed a wonderful volume of leaves from the human heart4 ,i also addressed every ,religious ,convention to which ,i was invited1 or to which ,i could secure access4 ,the ,perth ,conference was made memorable to me by my receiving the first large subscription for our ,ship1 and by my making the acquaintance of a beautiful type of ,christian merchant4 ,at the close of the meeting1 at which ,i had the privilege of speaking1 an ,american gentleman introduced himself to me4 ,we at once entered into each other's confidence1 as brothers in the ,lord's service4 ,i afterwards learned that he had made a competency for himself and his family1 though only in the prime of life2 and he still carried on a large and flourishing business--but why8 to devote the whole profits1 year after year1 to the direct service of ,god and ,his cause among men8 ,he gave me a cheque for the largest single contribution with which the ,lord had yet cheered me4 ,god1 who knows me1 sees that ,i have never coveted money for myself or my family2 but ,i did envy that ,christian merchant the joy that he had in having money1 and having the heart to use it as a steward of the ,lord ,jesus6 ,thereafter ,i was invited to the annual ,christian ,conference at ,dundee4 ,a most peculiar experience befell me there4 ,being asked to close the forenoon meeting with prayer and the benediction1 ,i offered prayer1 and then began1 ,may the love of ,god the ,father-- but not another word would come in ,english2 everything was blank except the words in ,aniwan1 for ,i had long begun to think in the ,native tongue1 and after a dead pause1 and a painful silence1 ,i had to wind up with a simple ,amen6 ,i sat down wet with perspiration4 ,it might have been wiser1 as the ,chairman afterwards suggested1 to have given them the blessing in ,aniwan1 but ,i feared to set them alaughing by so strange a manifestation of the tongues4 ,worst of all1 it had been announced that ,i was to address them in the afternoon2 but who would come to hear a ,missionary that stuck in the benediction8 ,the event had its semi-comical aspect1 but it sent me to my knees during the interval in a very fever of prayerful anxiety4 ,a vast audience assembled1 and if the ,lord ever manifestly used me in interesting ,his people in ,missions1 it was certainly then and there4 ,as ,i sat down1 a devoted ,free ,church ,elder from ,glasgow handed me his card1 with ,i4 ,o4 ,u4 #ajj4 ,this was my first donation of a hundred pounds1 and my heart was greatly cheered4 ,i praised the ,lord1 and warmly thanked ,his servant4 ,a ,something kept sounding these words in my ears1 ,my thoughts are not as your thoughts2 and also1 ,cast thy burden upon the ,lord1 and ,he will sustain thee4 ,during my address at that meeting three colored girls1 not unlike our ,island girls1 sat near the platform1 and eagerly listened to me4 ,at the close1 the youngest1 apparently about twelve years of age1 rose1 salaamed to me in ,indian fashion1 took four silver bangles from her arm1 and presented them to me1 saying1 ,padre1 ,i want to take shares in your ,mission ,ship by these bangles1 for ,i have no money1 and may the ,lord ever bless you6 ,i replied1 ,thank you1 my dear child2 ,i will not take your bangles1 but ,jesus will accept your offering1 and bless and reward you all the same4 ,as she still held them up to me1 saying1 ,padre1 do receive them from me1 and may ,god ever bless you6 a lady1 who had been seated beside her1 came up to me1 and said1 ,please1 do take them1 or the dear girl will break her heart4 ,she has offered them up to ,jesus for your ,mission ,ship4 ,i afterwards learned that the girls were orphans1 whose parents died in the famine2 that the lady and her sister1 daughters of a ,missionary1 had adopted them to be trained as ,zenana ,missionaries1 and that they intended to return with them1 and live and die to aid them in that blessed work amongst the daughters of ,india4 ,oh1 what a reward and joy might many a lady who reads this page easily reap for herself in ,time and ,eternity by a similar simple yet far-reaching service6 ,take action when and where ,god points the way2 wait for no one's guidance4 ,the most amazing variety characterize the gifts and the givers4 ,one donor sent me an anonymous note to this effect1 ,i have been curtailing my expenses4 ,the first #e saved ,i enclose that you may invest it for me in the ,bank of ,jesus4 ,i am sure ,he gives the best interest1 and the most certain returns4 ,in ,glasgow a lady called at my brother's house1 saying1 ,is the ,missionary at home8 ,can ,i see him alone8 ,if not1 ,i will call again4 ,being asked into my room1 she declined to be seated1 but said1 ,i heard you tell the story of your ,mission in the ,city ,hall1 and ,i have been praying for you ever since4 ,i have called to give you my mite1 but not my name4 ,god bless you4 ,we shall meet in ,heaven6 ,she handed me an envelope1 and was off almost before ,i could thank her4 ,it was #di in bank-notes4 ,another dear ,christian friend carne to see me1 and at the close of a delightful conversation1 said3 ,i have been thinking much about you since ,i heard you in the ,clark ,hall1 ,paisley4 ,i have come to give a little bit of dirty paper for your ,ship4 ,god sent it to me1 and ,i return it to ,god through you with great pleasure4 ,i thanked her warmly1 thinking it a pound1 or five at the most2 on opening it1 after she was gone1 it turned out to be #ajj4 ,i felt bowed down in humble thankfulness1 and pressed forward in the service of the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxviii4 ,,england',s ,,open ,,book4 ,,the time now arrived for my attempting something amongst the ,presbyterians of ,england4 ,but my heart sank within me2 ,i was a stranger to all except ,dr4 ,dykes1 and the ,new ,hebrides ,mission had no special claims on them4 ,casting myself upon the ,lord1 ,i wrote to all the ,presbyterian ,ministers in and around ,london1 enclosing my ,statement and ,appeal1 and asking a ,service1 with a retiring collection1 or the surplus above the usual collection1 on behalf of our ,mission ,ship4 ,all declined1 except two4 ,i learned afterwards that the ,london ,presbytery had resolved that no claim beyond their own ,church was to be admitted into any of its pulpits for a period of months1 under some special financial emergency4 ,my dear friend1 ,dr4 ,j4 ,hood ,wilson1 kindly wrote also to a number of them1 on my behalf1 but with a similar result2 though at last other two ,services were arranged for with a collection1 and one without4 ,being required at ,london1 in any case1 in connection with the threatened ,annexation of the ,new ,hebrides by the ,french1 ,i resolved to take these five ,services by the way1 and immediately return to ,scotland1 where engagements and opportunities were now pressed upon me1 far more than ,i could overtake4 ,but the ,lord ,himself opened before me a larger door1 and more effectual1 than any that ,i had tried in vain to open up for myself4 ,the ,churches to which ,i had access did nobly indeed1 and the ,ministers treated me as a very brother4 ,dr4 ,dykes most affectionately supported my ,appeal1 and made himself recipient of donations that might be sent for our ,mission ,ship4 ,dr4 ,donald ,fraser1 and ,messrs4 ,taylor and ,mathieson1 with their ,congregations1 generously contributed to the ,fund4 ,and so did the ,mission ,church in ,drury ,lane--the excellent and consecrated ,rev4 ,w4 ,b4 ,alexander1 the pastor thereof1 and his wife1 becoming my devoted personal friends and continuing to remember in their work-parties ever since the needs of the ,natives on the ,new ,hebrides4 ,others also1 whom ,i cannot wait to specify1 showed a warm interest in us and in our department of the ,lord's work4 ,but my heart had been foolishly set upon adding a large sum to the fund for the ,mission ,ship1 and when only about #aej came from all the ,churches in ,london to which ,i could get access1 no doubt ,i was sensible of cherishing a little guilty disappointment4 ,that was very unworthy in me1 considering all my previous experiences2 and ,god deserved to be trusted by me far differently1 as the sequel will immediately show4 ,that widely-known and deeply-beloved servant of ,god1 ,mr4 ,j4 ,e4 ,mathieson1 of the ,mildmay ,conference ,hall1 had invited me to address one of their annual meetings on behalf of ,foreign ,missions1 and also to be his guest while the ,conference lasted4 ,thereby ,i met and heard many godly and noble disciples of the ,lord1 whom ,i could not otherwise have reached though every ,church ,i had asked in ,london had been freely opened to me4 ,these devout and faithful and generous people1 belonging to every branch of the ,church of ,christ1 and drawn from every rank and class in society1 from the humblest to the highest1 were certainly amongst the most open-hearted and the most responsive of all whom ,i ever had the privilege to address4 ,one felt there1 in a higher degree than almost anywhere else1 that every soul was on fire with love to ,jesus and with genuine devotion to ,his ,cause in every corner of the ,earth4 ,there it was a privilege and a gladness to speak2 and though no collection was asked1 or could be expected1 my heart was uplifted and strengthened by these happy meetings1 and by all that ,heavenly intercourse4 ,but see how the ,lord leads us by a way we know not6 ,next morning after my address1 a gentleman who had heard me1 the ,hon4 ,ion ,keith-,falconer1 handed me a cheque from his father-in-law for #cjj1 by far the largest single donation at that time towards our ,mission ,ship2 and immediately thereafter ,i received from one of the ,mildmay lady ,missionaries #ej1 from a venerable friend of the founder #bj1 from ,friends at ,mildmay #cj2 and through my dear friend and brother1 ,mr4 ,mathieson1 many other donations were in due course forwarded to me4 ,my introduction1 however1 to the ,conference at ,mildmay did far more for me than even this2 it opened up a series of drawing-room meetings in and around ,london1 where ,i told the story of our ,mission and preached1 the ,gospel to many in the higher walks of life1 and received most liberal support for the ,mission ,ship4 ,it also brought me invitations from many quarters of ,england1 to ,churches1 to ,halls1 and to ,county ,houses and ,mansions4 ,lord ,radstock got up a special meeting1 inviting by private card a large number of his most influential friends2 and there ,i met for the first time one whom ,i have since learned to regard as a very precious personal friend4 ,rev4 ,sholto ,d4 ,c4 ,douglas1 clergyman1 of the ,church of ,england1 who then1 and afterwards at ,douglas-,support in ,scotland1 not only most liberally supported our fund1 but took me by the hand as a brother1 and promoted my work by every means in his power4 ,the ,earl and ,countess of ,tankerville also invited me to ,chillingham ,castle1 and gave me an opportunity of addressing a great assembly there1 then gathered together from all parts of the ,county4 ,the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society received me in a special meeting of the ,directors2 and ,i was able to tell them how all we1 the ,missionaries of these ,islands whose language had never before been reduced to writing1 looked to them1 and leant upon them1 and prayed for them and their work--without whom our ,native ,bibles never could have been published4 ,after the meeting the ,chairman gave me #e1 and one of the ,directors a check for #be for our ,mission ,ship4 ,i was also invited to ,leicester1 and made the acquaintanceship of a godly and gifted servant of the ,lord ,jesus1 the ,rev4 ,f4 ,b4 ,meyer1 ,b4 ,a4 7now of ,london71 whose books and booklets on the higher aspects of the ,christian ,life are read by tens of thousands1 and have been fruitful of blessing4 ,there ,i addressed great meetings of devoted workers in the ,lord's vineyard2 and the dear friend who was my host on that occasion1 a ,christian merchant1 has since contributed #aj per annum for the support of a ,native ,teacher on the ,new ,hebrides4 ,it was my privilege also to visit and address the ,mller ,orphanages at ,bristol1 and to see that saintly man of faith and prayer moving about as a wise and loving father amongst the hundreds1 even thousands1 that look to him for their daily bread and for the bread of ,life ,eternal4 ,at the close of my address1 the venerable founder thanked me warmly and said1 ,here are #ej1 which ,god has sent to me for your ,mission4 ,i replied saying1 ,dear friend1 how can ,i take it8 ,i would rather give you #ejj for your ,orphans if ,i could1 for ,i am sure you need it all6 ,he replied1 with sweetness and great dignity1 ,god provides for ,his own ,orphans4 ,this money cannot be used for them4 ,i must send it after you by letter4 ,it is the ,lord's gift4 ,often1 as ,i have looked at the doings of men and ,churches1 and tried to bring all to the test as if in ,christ's very presence1 it has appeared to me that such work as ,mller's and ,barnardo's1 and that of my own fellow-countryman1 ,william ,quarrier1 must be peculiarly dear to the heart of our blessed ,lord4 ,and were ,he to visit this world again1 and seek a place where ,his very ,spirit had most fully wrought itself out into deeds1 ,i fear that many of our so-called ,churches would deserve to be passed by1 and that ,his holy1 tender1 helpful1 divinely-human love would find its most perfect reflex in these ,orphan ,homes4 ,still and forever1 amidst all changes of creed and of climate1 this1 this is pure and undefiled ,religion before ,god and the ,father6 ,but in this connection ,i must not omit to mention that the noble and world-famous servant of ,god1 the ,minister of the ,tabernacle1 invited me to a garden-party at his home1 and asked me to address his students and other ,christian workers4 ,when ,i arrived ,i found a goodly company assembled under the shade of lovely trees1 and felt the touch of that genial humor1 so mighty a gift when sanctified1 which has so often given wings to ,c4 ,h4 ,spurgeon's words1 when he saluted me as ,the ,king of the ,cannibals6 ,on my leaving1 ,mrs4 ,spurgeon presented me with her husband's ,treasury of ,david1 and also #e from the ,lord's cows--which ,i afterwards learned was part of the profits from certain cows kept by the good lady1 and that everything produced thereby was dedicated to the work of the ,lord4 ,i praised ,god that ,he had privileged me to meet this extraordinarily endowed man1 to whom the whole ,christian ,world had been so specially indebted1 and who had consecrated all his gifts and opportunities to the proclamation of the pure and precious ,gospel4 ,of all my ,london associations1 however1 the deepest and the most imperishable is that which weaves itself around the ,honorable ,ion ,keith-,falconer1 who has already passed to what may truly be called a ,martyr's crown4 ,at that time ,i met him at his father-in-law's house at ,trent2 and on another occasion spent a whole day with him at the house of his noble mother1 the ,countess-,dowager of ,kintore4 ,his soul was then full of his projected ,mission to the ,arabs1 being himself one of the most distinguished ,orientalists of the day2 and as we talked together1 and exchanged experiences1 ,i felt that never before had ,i visibly marked the fire of ,god1 the holy passion to seek and to save the lost1 burning more steadily or brightly on the altar of any human heart4 ,the heroic founding of the ,mission at ,aden is already one of the precious annals of the ,church of ,christ4 ,his young and devoted wife survives1 to mourn indeed1 but also to cherish his noble memory2 and1 with the aid of others1 and the banner of the ,free ,church of ,scotland1 to see the ,keith-,falconer ,mission rising up amidst the darkness of blood-stained ,africa1 as at once a harbor of refuge for the slave1 and a beacon-light to those who are without ,god and without hope ,the servant does his day's work1 and passes on through the gates of sleep to the ,happy ,dawn2 but the ,divine ,master lives and works and reigns1 and by our death1 as surely as by our life1 ,his holy purposes shall be fulfilled4 ,,chapter ,,lxxxix4 ,,farewell ,,scenes4 ,,on returning to ,scotland1 every day was crowded with engagements for the weeks that remained1 and almost every mail brought me contributions from all conceivable corners of the land4 ,my heart was set upon taking out two or three ,missionaries with me to claim more and still more of the ,islands for ,christ2 and with that view ,i had addressed ,divinity ,students at ,edinburgh1 ,glasgow1 and ,aberdeen4 ,again and again1 by conversation and correspondence1 consecrated young men were just on the point of volunteering2 but again and again the larger and better known fields of labor turned the scale1 and they finally decided for ,china or ,africa or ,india4 ,deeply disappointed at this1 and thinking that ,god directed us to look to our own ,australia alone for ,missionaries for the ,new ,hebrides1 ,i resolved to return1 and took steps towards securing a passage by the ,orient ,line to ,melbourne4 ,but just then two able and devoted students1 ,messrs4 ,morton and ,leggatt1 offered themselves as ,missionaries for our ,islands2 and shortly thereafter a third1 ,mr4 ,landells1 also an excellent man2 and all1 being on the eve of their ,license as preachers1 were approved of1 accepted1 and set to special preparations for the ,mission field1 particularly in acquiring practical medical knowledge4 ,on this turn of affairs ,i managed to have my passage delayed for six weeks1 and resolved to cast myself on the ,lord that ,he might enable me in that time to raise at least #ejj1 in order to furnish the necessary outfit and equipment for three new ,mission ,stations1 and to pay the passage money of the ,missionaries and their wives1 that there might be no difficulty on this score amongst the ,foreign ,mission ,committees on the other side4 ,and then the idea came forcibly1 and for a little unmanned me1 that it was wrong in me to speak of these limits as to time and money in my prayers to ,god4 ,but ,i reflected1 again1 how it was for the ,lord's own glory alone in the salvation of the ,heathen1 and for no personal aims of mine2 and so ,i fell back on ,his promise1 ,whatsoever ye shall ask in ,my ,name1 and believingly asked it in ,his ,name1 and for ,his praise and service alone4 ,i think it due to my ,lord1 and for the encouragement of all ,his servants1 that ,i should briefly outline what occurred in answer to these prayers4 ,having gone to the center of one of the great shipbuilding districts of ,scotland1 and held a series of meetings1 and raised a sum of about #ee only after nine services and many ,sabbath ,school collecting cards1 my heart was beginning to sink1 as ,i did not think my health would stand another six weeks of incessant strain2 when1 at the close of my last meeting in a ,free ,church1 an ,elder and his wife entered the vestry and said1 ,we are deeply interested in you and in all your work and plans4 ,you say that you have asked #ejj more4 ,we gave you the first #ajj at the ,dundee ,conference2 and it is a joy to us to give you this #ajj too1 towards the making up of your final sum4 ,we pray that you may speedily realize your wish1 and that ,god's richest blessing may ever rest upon your head4 ,another week passed by1 and at the close of it a lady called upon me1 and1 after delightful conversation about the ,mission1 said1 ,how near are you to the sum required8 ,i explained to her what is recorded above1 and she continued1 ,i gave you one little piece of paper at the beginning of your efforts4 ,i have prayed for you every day since4 ,god has prospered me1 and this is one of the happiest moments of my life1 when ,i am now able to give you another little bit of paper4 ,so saying1 she put into my hand #ajj4 ,i protested1 ,you are surely too generous4 ,can you afford a second #ajj8 ,she replied to this effect1 and very joyfully1 as one who had genuine gladness in the deed1 ,my ,lord has been very kind to me1 in my business4 ,my wants are simple1 and are safe in ,his hands4 ,i wait not till death forces me1 but give back whatever ,i am able to the ,lord now1 and hope to live to see much blessing thereby through you in the conversion of the ,heathen4 ,my last week had come1 and ,i was in the midst of preparations for departure1 when amongst the letters delivered to me was one to this effect3 ,restitution money which never now can be returned to its owner4 ,since my ,conversion ,i have labored hard to save it4 ,i now make my only possible amends by returning it to ,god through you4 ,pray for me and mine1 and may ,god bless you in your work6 ,i rather startled my brother and his wife at our breakfast table by shouting out in unwontedly excited tones1--,hallelujah6 ,the ,lord has done it6 ,hallelujah6 ,but my tones softened down into intense reverence1 and my words broke at last into tears1 when ,i found that this1 the second largest subscription ever received by me 7#ajjj1 by one friend1 have since been given to the ,john ,g4 ,paton ,mission ,fund71 came from a converted tradesman who had consecrated his all to the ,lord ,jesus1 and whose whole leisure was now centered upon seeking to bless and save those of his own rank and class1 amongst whom he had spent his early and unconverted days4 ,jesus said unto him1 ,go home to thy friends1 and tell them how great things the ,lord hath done for thee1 and hath had compassion on thee4 ,bidding farewell to dear old ,glasgow1 so closely intertwined with all my earlier and later experiences1 ,i started for ,london1 accompanied by my brother ,james4 ,we were sitting at breakfast at ,mrs4 ,mathieson's table1 ,mildmay1 when a telegram was put into my hands announcing a thank-offering from ,lord and ,lady ,polwarth1 received since our departure from ,glasgow4 ,the ,lord had now literally exceeded my prayers4 ,with other gifts1 repeated again by friends at ,mildmay1 the special fund for outfit and traveling expenses for new ,missionaries had risen above the #ejj1 and now approached #fej4 ,in a ,farewell ,meeting at ,mildmay the ,lord's servants1 being assembled in great numbers from all quarters of ,london1 dedicated me and my work very solemnly to ,god1 amid songs of praise and many prayers and touching last words4 ,and when at length ,mr4 ,mathieson1 intimating that ,i must go1 as another company of ,christian workers were elsewhere waiting also to say ,good-by1 suggested that the whole audience should stand up1 and1 instead of hand-shaking1 quietly breathe their benedictory ,farewell as ,i passed from the platform down through their great ,hall1 a perfect flood of emotion overwhelmed me4 ,i never felt a humbler man1 nor more anxious to hide my head in the dust1 than when all these noble1 gifted1 and beloved followers of ,jesus ,christ1 and consecrated workers in ,his service1 stood up and with one heart said1 ,god speed and ,god bless you1 as ,i passed on through the ,hall4 ,to one who had striven and suffered less1 or who less appreciated how little we can do for others compared with what ,jesus had done for us1 this scene might have ministered to spiritual pride2 but long ere ,i reached the door of that ,hall1 my soul was already prostrated at the feet of my ,lord in sorrow and in shame that ,i had done so little for ,him1 and ,i bowed my head and could have gladly bowed my knees to cry1 ,not unto us2 ,lord1 not unto us6 ,,chapter ,,xc4 ,,welcome ,,to ,,victoria ,,and ,,aniwa4 ,,on the #bhth ,october1 #ahhe1 ,i sailed for ,melbourne1 and in due course safely arrived there by the goodness of ,god4 ,the ,church and people of my own beloved ,victoria gave me a right joyful welcome1 and in public assembly presented me with a testimonial1 which ,i shrank from receiving1 but which all the same was the highly-prized expression of their confidence and esteem4 ,during my absence at the ,islands1 to which ,i immediately proceeded1 they unanimously elected me ,moderator of their ,supreme ,court1 and called me back to fill that highest ,chair of honor in the ,presbyterian ,church4 ,god is my witness how very little any or all of these things in themselves ever have been coveted by me2 but how1 when they have come in my way1 ,i have embraced them with a single desire thereby to promote the ,church's interest in that ,cause to which my whole life and all my opportunities are consecrated--the ,conversion of the ,heathen ,world4 ,my ,mission to ,britain was to raise #fjjj1 in order to enable the ,australian ,churches to provide a ,steam ,auxiliary ,mission ,ship1 for the enlarged and constantly enlarging requirements of the ,new ,hebrides4 ,i spent exactly eighteen months at home2 and when ,i returned1 ,i was enabled to hand over to the ,church that had commissioned and authorized me no less a sum than #ijjj4 ,and all this had been forwarded to me1 as the freewill offerings of the ,lord's stewards1 in the manner illustrated by the preceding pages4 ,behold6 ,what ,god hath wrought6 ,of this sum #fjjj are set apart to build or acquire the new ,mission ,ship4 ,the remainder is added to what we call our ,number ,,ii4 ,fund1 for the maintenance and equipment of additional ,missionaries4 ,it has been the dream of my life to see one ,missionary at least1 with trained ,native ,teachers1 planted on every ,island of the ,new ,hebrides1 and then ,i could lie down and whisper gladly1 ,lord1 now lettest ,thou ,thy servant depart in peace6 ,as to the new ,mission ,ship1 unexpected delay has arisen4 ,there are differences of opinion about the best way of carrying out the proposal4 ,there must be an understanding betwixt ,new ,south ,wales and ,victoria and the other ,colonies1 as to the additional annual expenditure4 ,and the perplexity as to the wisest course has deepened1 since the ,colonial ,government began to run ,mail ,ships regularly from ,australia to ,fiji1 willing on certain terms of subsidy1 to call at one or other harbor in the ,new ,hebrides4 ,meantime1 let all friends who are interested in us and our work understand--that the money so generously intrusted to me has been safely handed over to my own ,victorian ,church1 and is deposited at good interest in the bank1 to be spent at their discretion in due time1 when all details are settled1 and1 as nearly as possible in the altered circumstances1 exclusively for the purposes for which it was asked and bestowed4 ,to me personally1 this delay is confessedly a keen and deep disappointment4 ,but the special work laid upon me has1 however1 been accomplished4 ,the ,colonial ,churches have now all the responsibility of the further steps4 ,in this1 as in many a harder trouble of my checkered life1 ,i calmly roll all my burden upon the ,lord4 ,i await with quietness and confidence ,his wise disposal of events4 ,his hand is on the helm2 and whither ,he steers us1 all shall be well4 ,but let me not close this chapter1 till ,i have struck another and a ,diviner note4 ,i have been to the ,islands again1 since my return from ,britain4 ,the whole inhabitants of ,aniwa were there to welcome me1 and my procession to the old ,mission ,house was more like the triumphal march of a ,conqueror than that of a humble ,missionary4 ,everything was kept in beautiful and perfect order4 ,every ,service of the ,church1 as previously described in this book1 was fully sustained by the ,native ,teachers1 the ,elders1 and the occasional visit1 once or twice a year1 of an ordained ,missionary from one of the other ,islands4 ,aniwa1 like ,aneityum1 is a ,christian land4 ,jesus has taken possession1 never again to quit those shores4 ,,glory1 ,,glory ,,to ,,his ,,blessed ,,name6 ,my ,home has since been at ,melbourne4 ,my life-work now 7#ahib71 and probably during the remainder of my active days1 will be to visit and address the ,congregations and ,sabbath ,schools of the ,presbyterian ,churches of ,australasia1 telling them1 as in this book1 the story of my experiences1 and inspiring the ,christian people of these ,colonies to support the ,new ,hebrides ,mission1 and to claim all these ,islands for the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,reader1 in your life1 as in mine1 one last ,chapter still awaits us4 ,by ,his grace1 who has sustained me from childhood till now1 ,i would work out that ,chapter1 and live through these closing scenes4 ,with this book still open before you1 ,i implore you to go alone before your blessed ,saviour1 and pledge yourself so to live1 and so to die1 in the service and fellowship of the ,lord ,jesus1 that you and ,i1 who have companied with each other through these pages1 may meet again and renew our happy intercourse in our ,,father',s ,,house4 ,,chapter ,,xci4 ,,good ,,news ,,from ,,tanna1 #ahia4 7,by the ,editor47 ,,whilst this page of manuscript passes through my hands1 there is laid before me a brilliant letter from ,mrs4 ,watt of ,tanna1 which1 ,i am sure1 she will pardon me for utilizing thus4 ,it is written from ,port ,resolution1 in the closing days of #ahia4 ,its main theme is the building of the ,,scotch ,,church1 in the very heart of the district where my brother's years of anguish and toil were endured4 ,friends in ,scotland gave ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,watt the money wherewith to purchase materials1 and ,st4 ,paul's ,parish ,church1 ,glasgow1 provided the ,bell4 ,but let us hear how she paints the scene1 and unveils to us the ,island life1--alike ,pagan and ,christian4 ,when they returned from ,scotland and found their way to ,kwamera1 after galling delays among the ,islands1 one of their first duties was the making of the annual contribution of arrow-root1 the proceeds to go to line the roof of the ,kwamera ,church1--the ,church itself having been built in the same way1 that is1 by the sacred arrow-root6 ,then they went round to ,port ,resolution for the erection of the ,,scotch ,,church1--,a ,memorial of ,workers and ,work on ,tanna4 ,she tells how they improvized a derrick by lashing together the masts of the two boats1 and1 with the aid of these and blocks and tackle1 got the principals into their proper position4 ,and though carpenters or builders may laugh at it1 she adds1 we heaved a sigh of relief when the last one was secured4 ,listen to this3 ,mr4 ,gray 7neighbor ,missionary7 and ,mr4 ,watt were the only skilled workmen4 ,the others were all inexperienced1 being ,natives4 ,we had them all divided into two relays1 and they came turn about1 each alternate day2 and ,i can assure you there are no ,natives in the ,group1 or indeed in any land1 who would have come more faithfully1 or worked more heartily1 than these much-abused ,tannese6 ,the work went on every day1 ,sabbaths excepted1 from #f ,a4,m4 till #f ,p4,m41 for forty days4 ,on ten of these days ,mr4 ,gray gave very valuable assistance2 in truth1 ,i do not see how we could have done without him4 ,day by day the women prepared food2 the boys pulled drinking cocoanuts2 and every one worked willingly1 while crowds came and gazed on in wonder as the edifice arose4 ,and if there be any shallow arm-chair critic of ,missions ready to sneer at such toils1 let him first digest what this devoted lady ,missionary says3 ,church ,building may not be considered by some as ,mission work2 yet we believe this ,church erection has been the means of much good to this people4 ,we have had better attendances1 both on week-days and on ,sabbaths1 than ever before4 ,and we managed to keep up the daily morning and evening meetings during all the building time1--as1 after the devotional part was over1 the builders went out1 but the rest remained for lessons4 ,what more blessed than thus to work and pray6 ,to teach their hands to work1 and their hearts to sing praises to the ,lord6 ,now let us pass on1 and look in upon them at the opening and dedication of this ,,scotch ,,church ,,on ,,tanka to the ,lord ,god4 ,on a fixed day1 ,wednesday #bhth ,october1 exactly twelvemonths to a day from our leaving ,liverpool1 ,natives from far and near assembled for the occasion4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,gray1 with their two children1 a ,mr4 ,voullaire1 a ,german who has come to ,tanna as a ,trader1 and our neighbor ,mr4 ,bramwell1 joined us4 ,so that1 when we all met for the ,opening ,services1 we were a somewhat mixed company1 speaking a medley of languages1--,english1 ,scotch1 ,german1 ,fijian1 ,aneityumese1 ,aniwan1 and at least two of the ,tannese languages6 ,the building was well filled2 but the bigger crowd was gathered outside2 for our ,heathen onlookers were afraid to enter the sacred edifice4 ,the ,service was beautiful4 ,all seemed very happy4 ,after it1 there was an exchange of gifts1 we giving fifty fathoms of prints and calicoes1 some handkerchiefs1 two pots full of cooked rice1 a pile of raw yams and taro1 and two pieces of salt beef4 ,our neighbor gave some print1 some tins of luncheon beef1 and some uncooked rice4 ,the ,natives gave two cooked pigs1 and native puddings ad libitum4 ,these things being divided to the satisfaction of all1 we had speeches1 when doubtless some good impressions were made4 ,on the ,sabbath following we had a good attendance1 ,mr4 ,gray addressing the people4 ,on the ,sabbath following that we made our first money collection on ,tanna4 ,i again ask to my readers to listen1 and to lay to heart what the lady ,missionary tells us of these once cruel and cannibal souls4 ,we asked the people to give it as a thank-offering for the remarkable exemption from accident during the building of the ,church though at times the work was rather dangerous4 ,the collection was #c3 #es4 ,we were much pleased with the hearty way the people responded to this1 the first call to give a free gift to the ,lord4 ,one man1 whose whole purse was #ags41 gave #as4 himself1 and gave #as4 to each of his three sons1 so that they too might have something to give4 ,knowing how meanly the ,tannese treated the ,spirits whom they worshiped in ,heathenism1--giving them the scraggiest fish1 the poorest bananas1 and the smallest yams1--we rejoiced in this ,christian liberality66 ,referring to exaggerated ,newspaper rumors she says3 ,tanna bulks largely in some minds1 though it is only a small ,island1 a little larger than ,arran6 ,we had noticed that our ,civil ,war was telegraphed not only to the ,australian papers1 but to ,san ,francisco1 and even to the ,london ,standard4 ,we have been receiving letters of condolence from friends1 who think our lives in danger6 ,now1 mark what the presence of the ,gospel and the ,missionary has brought about1 as compared with former days3 ,personally1 the said ,civil ,war has not affected us in the slightest4 ,the ,grays1 who were in the center of the scene of action1 and who more than once had the bullets whizzing over and around their house1 were so assured of their complete safety that ,mrs4 ,gray stayed there bravely alone with their children1 while ,mr4 ,gray came up here to assist at our ,church building6 ,but she does not pretend that all is ,christlike3 ,the list of killed and wounded has been unusually large for ,tanna1 while the atrocities committed have been worse than we ever heard of before4 ,indignities were offered to the dead of both sexes4 ,and1 in one case at least1 a mutilated woman was left unburied to be eaten by dogs1--and would have been completely devoured1 had not one of our ,teachers come on the scene next day1 and1 unaided1 dug a grave and buried her4 ,and then the writer lets in the lurid light of the ,nether ,pit in this closing picture3 ,one instance of the disgusting depravity of the people shocked me much4 ,a man1 who even attends ,service in the district where the above dreadful affair took place1 on seeing the poor mutilated form of the woman1 addressed it thus--',if only the ,gospel had not reached my ,village1 how ,i would have enjoyed a feast off you6' ,i cannot tell you how much this has preyed upon my mind2 or how glad ,i feel at realizing that ,jesus is an ,almighty ,saviour1 and can save to the uttermost1 else ,i would despair of these ,people6 ,this may be commended to the attention of those who still affect to believe that the ,cannibalism of my brother's book is overdrawn4 ,that half-civilized ,tanna man1 smacking his lips at the thought of what might have been his but for the ,gospel1 outweighs all cavils1 and is tenfold stronger than arguments4 ,also let us ask all readers to ponder the dear lady's parting shot at unsympathetic and disparaging critics3 ,some have said that the backwardness of the ,gospel on ,tanna is due to the want of faith on the part of her ,missionaries2 but ,i agree with our fellow-laborer1 ,mr4 ,gray1 who declares that it is only gigantic ,faith that could have toiled so many years amongst such a ,people6 ,dear sister in the ,lord1 courageous1 much-enduring1 free of all mock-modesty1 conscious of thy ,cross1 ,i thank thee for that word--it is the right one--,gigantic faith6