UC-NRLF $B S^b ODt. MMHM^^H rs William Rt:to. CO cvi en >- THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESENTED BY PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID Recent Wanderings in Fiji; GLIMPSES OF ITS VILLAGES, CHURCHES, AND SCHOOLS. BY WILLIAM REED, OF THE &OKi\) Qn&tvalia WttxUgftft jiUiljxrMst t&ontevmn. MATT. XIII. 38. — ' THE FIELD IS THE WORLD.' • Kings shall fall down before Him, And gold and incense bring : All nations shall adore Him, His praise all people sing : For Him shall prayer unceasing And daily vows ascend : His kingdom still increasing, A kingdom without end.' bonbon: T. WOOLMER, 2, CASTLE ST., CITY ROAD ; E.G. } AND 66 t PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C. 1838. BATMAN BROTHERS AND LI1XY, PRINTERS, HATTON HOOSE, FABRINaDOK R9A»j J.ONDON, B.C. Uiirattsn* TO THE FIJIAN MISSIONARIES OF THE WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH AND THEIR NOBLE WIVES I DEDICATE THIS LITTLE VOLUME, WITH GRATITUDE TO GOD FOR THE FIJIAN METHODISM OF TO-DAY. WILLIAM REED. Adelaide, South Australia, 1888. ^tttsnts- CHAPTER. PAGE. I. INTRODUCTORY .9 II. FROM MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, TO NORFOLK ISLAND 15 III. FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA, FIJI . 26 IV. AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS . . 38 V. AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS — Cout. 51 VI. REWA AND NAVULOA 61 VII. BAU 69 VIII. VIWA 80 M31 0300 Recent Wanderings in Fiji. ■ l~l m » — j | CHAPTER I. $ntxobxittox%. Saviouk, lo, the isles are waiting, Stretched the hand, and strained the sight, For Thy Spirit, new creating, Love's pure flame, and wisdom's light : Give the Word, and of the preacher Speed the foot and touch the tongue, Till on earth by every creature Glory to the Lamb be sung. JOSEPH COOK has said that there are now no fo- reign lands. The colonizing, the commercial, the adventurous, the scientific, the Christian spirit is im- pelling men to push their way into the ' regions beyond.* Through these influences in extraordinary activity — we believe, in the providence of God — the civilized nations of the world seem to be pressing forward, as never be- fore, to unite with the uncivilized. io RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. It was my privilege recently to visit Fiji, once known as ' Cannibal Fiji,' bat now having a clear title to the name, 4 Christian Fiji.' Having been favoured, in the visitation of several islands of the group, with special opportunities of observing and judging the work of Wesleyan Methodism amongst the native population, I am bound, as an honest and independent witness, to affirm that nothing I ever heard in the addresses of Fijian missionaries who have visited the Australian colonies, nor anything I ever read from their reports, is, in my judgment, any exaggeration of the facts of the case concerning the genuineness and vitality of Fijian Christianity. Not many years have gone since certain literary and fashionable people poured ridicule upon efforts put forth to make the Gospel known to the heathen, and to bring those who were dark, sinful, and perishing under its enlightening and saving influence. Such enterprises were looked upon and spoken of as well-meant but vis- ionary. Both men and money were wasted, if devoted to such a cause. Even now, notwithstanding genuine and accumulated witness in their favour, missions are sometimes maligned by miniature sceptics, and sneered at by a few secular journals. Have we not seen dimi- nutive wits, with wit about as execrable as their theo- logy, shoot their tiny arrows at missionaries and missions ? Men without spiritual perceptions or affin- ities are no more fitted to be judges of those things INTRODUCTORY. H which are ' spiritually discerned,' than a blind man is to be an art critic. ' The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him : neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.' The weight of testimony, solid, reliable, cumulative, is on the other side. ' Learning confesses its indebtedness to the missionary for his contributions to philological, geographical, and ethno- logical science. Commerce and industrial art follow him as their most skilful pioneer, and trust him as their most indefatigable auxiliary. And humanity places him in the front rank of the world's benefact- ors.' The late governor of Fiji, Sir Arthur Gordon, spoke in England of the Wesleyan Mission in Fiji in these terms : 'The subject of missionaries formed the most important part of the organisation of the col- ony. No tribute too high could possibly be paid to their labours. The influence which the missionaries had exercised had been one of wonderful good and wonderful results.' Miss C. F. Gordon Cumming, in her fascinating book, ' At Home in Fiji,' a record of two years' residence in the islands, bears similar witness. A second reformation is being wrought through foreign missions of modern times, and testimony con- cerning the success of the Gospel in heathen lands has come opportunely. Should it be affirmed, as it is by pen and voice, that this Gospel has not regenerative power — are men moved away, ' through philosophy 12 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,' from its simplicity ? — is some other word being preached ? — as an answer we point with faith and gratitude to such changes as have been wrought in the South Sea Islands, as well as to the scenes of other missionary labours and triumphs, and say, 1 Should all the forms that men devise \ Assault my faith with treacherous art, I'd call them vanity and lies, And bind Thy Gospel to my heart.' Let Christians of all denominations make themselves acquainted with the religious needs of the world to- day. Let it be seriously considered that only about one-third of the world's population is professedly Christian, and that, roundly speaking, one thousand millions are yet to be brought to the knowledge of the truth. But let it be remembered, also, for the Church's inspiration to duty and encouragement in its fulfilment, that almost all over the world the door of opportunity stands open, and that many at the open door are cry- ing, ' Come over and help us.' Peace prevails, the white sails of commerce dot every sea, the facilities for travel are ever increasing, and the Bible is translated into many languages. The Christian Church should surely press forward with constraining love. Not pre- judice on the part of Christians has now to be combated, but sloth. Is it not a most serious and grievous thing that missionary operations should receive such a limi- INTRODUCTORY. 13 ted amount of attention, and such a meagre portion of assistance ? Money is lavished on many foolish and mischievous objects, and denied or doled out in driblets to the greatest of all causes, to the help of humanity and the cause of Christ. Is the century worthy of be- ing called the ' Missionary Century,' as it has been by some, when all that united Protestant Christendom gives annually for missions would not pay the liquor bill of the United States for three days, nor that of the British Islands for two days ? (Joseph Cook's Lec- tures, ' Occident,' p. 119.) The opinion is expressed that ' a thoroughly aggressive and evangelical Church will expend for the support of missions at least one- fifth of what it expends on itself, and that there should be one white missionary for every fifty thousand of the accessible pagan population of the world. The longer the Churches delay, the more expensive and difficult will be the work.' It is very desirable to educate and interest our children and young people in this important subject of the world's evangelization. Professor Drummond says, * The child is the true cosmopolitan, has the universal mind. Anything that makes foreign countries real is a contribution to the missionary cause. Picture-books, missionary adventures and travels, descriptions of the manners and customs of savage races — these have a most important function in preparing the mind to real- ize missions. Between the wondering, adventurous 14 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. spirit of the boy, and the heroic career of the mission- ary, there is a natural sympathy. Often neither teacher nor child sees any further than the hole in the collect- ing box into which the small donation for foreign missions is reluctantly dropped.' For them, therefore, I write, in whose hands will soon be the solemn responsibilities of Christ's Church, and in whose hearts, I trust, will be the needful love. Had nature put into my hand either poet's pen or ar- tist's pencil, with what delight I would use such skill in the endeavour to do justice to the wonders I saw ! But, these gifts denied to me, I must content myself with relating a simple narrative of ' Wanderings in Fiji.* CHAPTER II. from #WUnmnw, Itrfnria, to $0rfrrlk Island Where they all Thy laws have spurned, Where they Thy name profane, Where the ruined world hath mourned With blood of millions slain, Open there the ethereal scene, Claim the heathen tribes for Thine, There the endless reign begin With majesty divine. MY ' plain, unvarnished tale ' of wanderings amongst the ' Islands of the Seas,' and the record of what it was my privilege to see of Wesleyan Methodism in Fiji, I write chiefly for the young people of our Churches, in the hope that the fire of missionary zeal will be kindled in their hearts, or, if already kindled, increased yet more and more. I have in special remembrance the juvenile missionary collectors, for they surely have a right to know how the work speeds in which they bear a part. 1 6 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. So, girls and boys of our Sabbath schools, and mis- sionary collectors in particular, I give you all a most cordial invitation to come with me amongst the ' Edens of the Southern wave.' If your mothers and fathers would like to come too, we can find room for them, and they will be very welcome. The tour, taken by means of this little book, will cost you very little indeed, either in money or personal discomfort or perils by sea or land. Neither Father Neptune nor cannibals need be feared. Indeed, you may sit in the ' old armchair at the fireside all the while, or if it be warm recline in your hammock, or lounge on the grass amongst the trees and flowers in your garden. My purpose is that you may be profited, and led, as I was, with a stronger faith in the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, to wonder and give thanks. I will try to let you see through my eyes — alas, they are not very good ones. But I kept them open, and put on spectacles too, so that I might see for myself what is the state of affairs in Fiji, more especially in connection with the mission work of our Church. On the voyage down we shall be favoured with the company of one of ^the Fijian mis- sionaries, who has been on a visit to Melbourne, the Rev. W. W. Lindsay, President of the Navuloa Insti- tution. Our esteem for him will grow with our grow- ing knowledge of him. This we shall learn, before we return to Australia, that, instead of the old cry, i Pity poor Fiji,' which British and Colonial Methodism heard FROM MELBOURNE TO NORFOLK ISLAND, i 7 not many years ago, we have now abundant reason to say, ' Thank God for Fiji,' and should certainly in its present condition, as contrasted with the terrible past, find an inspiration for further aggression on the king- dom of darkness. In anticipation of such an interesting and delightful tour, how poetical one feels ! If Old Neptune is on his good behaviour, — for though old he is not always steady, — what Victorian could go out of Hobson's Bay through the ' Rip ' at evening time, without saying with Byron, ' Adieu, adieu ! My native shore Fades o'er the waters blue ; The night winds sigh, the breakers roar, And shrieks the wild sea-mew. Yon sun that sets upon the sea We follow in his flight ; Farewell awhile to him and thee, My native land, ' Good-night ! ' But we are not journeying towards the setting sun. We are going ; To burst all links of habit, There to wander far away, On from island unto island, At the gateways of the day.' We bid farewell to friends at Queen's Wharf, Mel- bourne, the captain takes the bridge and issues his com- mand, ' Cast all clear ! ' then down the Yarra we go, shape a course for the ' Rip,' and pass out into Bass 1 8 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. Straits just as the sun is setting. Away over the stern of the steamer sun and sea seem to meet, and you almost expect to hear a great hissing as he goes down. But his level beams bring a kindly message over the waves, 4 1 now hand you over for a few hours to the care of Her Majesty the Moon, and will see you again in the morning.' Then the spirit of poesy, silver- winged, sings amid the mystic beauty of a moonlit night at sea : — 1 Night on the waves ! and the moon is on high, Hung like a gem on the brow of the sky, Treading its depths in the power of her might, And turning the clouds, as they pass her, to light.' The ' Mawhera ' of the Union Company's Line is a trim little boat, and we are sorry to learn that we shall have to change steamers at Newcastle, in New South Wales, our first port of call. On the way thither we are mildly excited by the blowing of a whale. For dis- order and dirt I have seen no town like Newcastle, and for irregularity and noise none like Sydney. But be it remembered that disorder and coal-dust and noise there mean commerce, and commerce means money. While waiting a few days at Newcastle for another steamer, the ' Taupo,' expected from New Zealand to replace the ' Mawhera ' in the Fijian trade, rain set in to add to our discomfort, and a fierce gale sprang up, raising our apprehensions of a rough time of it as soon as we should put to sea. But such experiences will FROM MELBOURNE TO NORFOLK ISLAND. 19 doubtless be profitable, though, according to general testimony all the oceans oyer, they are very far from being pleasant. ' No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyoas, but grievous : nevertheless after- ward it yieldeth peaceable fruit.' So if amid the wild waves and roaring winds and clouded sky the spirit of poesy vanishes, I look eagerly for another visitant — the spirit of an invigorated life. For the sake of meeting that spirit, one may well be content to endure the solemnity of sea-sickness for a short time. ' There Health, so wild and gay, with bosom bare, And rosy cheek, clear eye, and flowing hair, Trips with a smile the breezy sea along, And pours the spirit of content in song.' We have on board a company of surveyors for Nor- folk Island : so we shall have an opportunity of seeing that historic spot, one of the gems of the South Pacific. Having said ' Farewell ' to Australia one Thursday evening, we sighted Lord Howe Island, on which fifty or sixty people live what must be a very lonely life, on the Saturday ; and Norfolk Island, which is about eight hundred miles from Sydney, on Monday. This island is under the imperial government, having Lord Car- rington, of New South Wales, as its governor. Locally, it is governed by a chief magistrate, elected annually by ballot, who is assisted by a visiting magistrate from Sydney in all the most important matters. No intoxi- cating liquor is allowed on the island, except for medi- B 2 20 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. ciual purposes. We were glad to be told this, for one of the last Australian sights we looked upon was the ghastly face of another of drink's victims, whose names are legion ; the fireman of our steamer, who, drunk, had miserably perished in the river at Newcastle. While the coast of Norfolk Island looks forbidding with its bold and rugged cliffs, Nature shows here some of her gentlest and sweetest charms. The climate is delightful, the soil fertile, the vegetation varied and luxuriant, the people most hospitable, and I expect that as soon as there is regular communication by steamer, tourists from Australia will find their way in considerable numbers to this island, so near to our own shores, and so full of interest. This charming garden of the ocean was once a penal establishment — a gaol for the worst of criminals — in which crimes of fearful magnitude and atrocity were enacted, and sin ran riot. Those who have read ' For the Term of his Natural Life,' by the late Marcus Clarke, will know something of the terrible state of affairs that obtained. The agonized cries of bleeding victims suffering under the lash, the loud coarse laugh of the exulting murderer, and the deep and terrible curses of cruel gaolers, mingled and resounded amidst these groves of gigantic pines, that seem so serene and dignified. If a Howard was needed anywhere in the world amongst the sinful and suffer- ing, it was surely here. Tragedies more fearful than novelist ever conjured up out of his brain were com- FROM MELBOURNE TO NORFOLK ISLAND. 2 1 mon. The place was rightly called the ' Sodom ' of the empire. It was nigh unto the gates of hell, and its penal history is a sickening record. Many years ago Norfolk Island was abandoned as a penal settlement, and the most depraved of men gave place to some of the most gentle and virtuous — the Pitcairn Islanders — who are descendants of the mutineers of the ' Bounty.* Most boys, I judge, have read an account of the expe- dition of the ' Bounty/ commanded by Captain Bligh, to convey bread-fruit trees from Otaheite to the West Indies, and of the mutiny of the crew, headed by Christian. I need not detain you with the particulars. You know how the Bible and Prayer-book of the 1 Bounty,' under God's blessing, wrought a marvellous reformation. Some of the descendants of the muti- neers, removed from Pitcairn to Norfolk Island about thirty years ago, form perhaps one of the most reli- gious communities in the world. The forests that re- sounded with oaths and shrieks are now charmed with the voice of prayer and the song of praise. The float- ing hell has become a gate of heaven. Doubtless be- neath the surface the Pitcairners of Norfolk Island are men and women of like passions with ourselves, but they form distinctively a religious community, observ- ing a universal custom of church-going, and free from many of the vices and follies of civilized lands. When the See of New Zealand was first formed, the numerous islands of the South Pacific were placed 22 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. under the care of its bishop. His wise resolutions was not to encroach on fields already occcupied by other missionary societies, some of which had been at work for many years, but to deal only with totally heathen islands. ' Coley ' Patteson,'as he was familiarly called, went out to the bishop's assistance, and devoted him- self with all the zeal of love * to save that which was lost.' With a wonderful aptitude for languages, as well as those numerous qualifications which a missionary needs, he found a congenial sphere of labour amongst the South Sea natives, gathered together from various groups of islands to be instructed in the mission schools in New Zealand. His was the true spirit of a Christian bishop, to which office he was in due time consecrated, as the first missionary bishop of Melan- esia. Faithfully he toiled with apostolic fervour, ' in journeyings often, in perils of waters, ... in perils by the heathen/ nor did he ' count his life dear unto him, so that he might finish his course with joy, and the min- istry which he had received of the Lord Jesus.' In the mnltitude of his arduous labours, he testified, ' I feel that I am cheerful and bright and light-hearted, and that really I have everything to make a man thankful and contented. The work does require especially an unreserved surrender of a man to whatever he may find to do.' It would be well for some other Christian workers to emulate the large-hearted sympathy which expressed itself in this fashion : ' It is not High or Low or FROM MELBOURNE TO NORFOLK ISLAND. 23 Broad Church, or any other special name, but the long- ing desire to forget all distinctions, and to return to a simpler state of things, that seems naturally to result from the very sight of heathen people. Who thinks of anything hut this," They have not heard of the Saviour Who died for them," when he is standing with crowds of naked fellows round him ? ' Many missionary journeys were made amongst the islands, in the face of much danger ; with much self-denial, and with varying success. The climate of New Zealand being found to be too cold for the children of the tropics, it was sought to obtain permission to use Norfolk Island, suit- able in both position and climate, as a centre for this department of work. The island is six hundred miles nearer to Melanesia than is Auckland. Its position gives a further advantage in regard to prevailing and favourable winds. Its productions are tropical, includ- ing yam, taro, sweet potato, sugar-cane, banana, orauge, lemon, pineapple, coffee, and maize. Here there would be no necessity for any violent contrast, as there was in New Zealand, in respect of dress, food, or houses. But the request was not at first granted from the supposi- tion that the presence of Melanesians, just emerging from the darkness of heathenism and some still in gross darkness, would have a bad effect upon the Pitcairn Islanders resident there. That objection being over- come, this lovely and somewhat lonely island became the htad-quarters of the Melanesian Mission, with 24 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. Bishop Patteson in charge, to whom Bishop Selwyn, at present in charge, succeeded. I understand that about two hundred natives, gathered from the Solomon, Hebrides, and other groups of islands, are in the mis- sion schools. It is well known how the devoted Bishop Patteson sealed his testimony with his blood, and his loved name stands in the honoured list of the martyrs of the South Pacific. He was massacred at Nukapu, about thirty miles north of Santa Cruz, in 1871. His life is a noble example, and his biography a rich legacy to the Church. The only reason for the murder of the good bishop, who was greatly beloved, is the proba- bility that a labour vessel had visited the island, and outrages had been committed on the natives. This labour traffic caused Bishop Patteson much anxiety, and it was his intention to go to Fiji and look into the question of the islanders working on the plantations. He expressed the opinion that ' for the most part the islanders receive good treatment when on the planta- tions, but I know that many of them are taken away from these islands by unfair means.' There were three classes of labour vessels that cruised about : those fairly conducted, with government agents on board : some the natives called ' Snatch- snatch,' which only inveigled, but did not kill without necessity : and others which they called ' Kill-kill,' which freely worked the work of death. Some islands have been almost depop- ulated, either by this robbery or murder or both. FROM MELBOURNE TO NORFOLK ISLAND. 25 Knowing how the bishop and his associates were trusted, unscrupulous and lying villains engaged in this traffic have dressed themselves up as missionaries to lure the islanders on board their vessels, and so carry them forcibly away, not hesitating to shoot them if they attempted to escape. In scraps of the dialects and by signs they have said to the natives, ' The bishop is ill and cannot come : he has sent us to bring you to him.' i The bishop is in Sydney : he broke his leg getting into his boat, and has sent us to take you to him.' Men had thus been stolen from Nukapu, and they were probably believed to have been killed. It is well that this traffic is now more carefully regulated, but it has cost not a few valuable lives. John Coler- idge Patteson, the Martyr Bishop, murdered by those he loved and had come to bless ; Joseph Atkin, his ' son in the Gospel,' who had been trained and ordained at his hands ; and Stephen Taroniara, belong to a glorious company, who * shall not be hurt of the second death,' but shall receive the ' crown of life,' for they were 1 faithful unto death.' It is time now to say ' Good-bye ' to Norfolk Island, its kindly people and its interesting associations, and shape a northerly course for Fiji. CHAPTER III. from &oxfolk Mmb to Jfoirolos, fi|i. As lightning launched from east to west, The coming of Thy kingdom be ; To Thee, by angel-hosts confest, Bow every soul and every knee : Thy glory let all flesh behold, And then fill up Thy heavenly fold. FOUR days of sea and sky, and land once more appears in the grey morning light. We are at the southern gates of Fiji. Yonder is Kandavu, with Mo ant Washington lifting itself on high to catch the first light of day. The hope of my boyhood, fanned oftentimes into intensity by what I read and heard of these islands and their people, is about to be realized, and I shall be satisfied with sight. Not amid the gloom of night or storm are we drawing near to these lovely and interesting lands, bat in the growing light of a calm and beautiful morning. We have no opportunity of landing at Kandavu. Mail steamers, trading between Sydney and San Francisco, used to call here, but that is no longer the case. Communication with the other FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA. 27 islands of the group is irregular, being only by sailing vessels. Now, it is c daybreak in Fiji.' I thought of the night that had been; the gloom of superstition and all manner of sin that had enshrouded like a pall these lovely isles ; the darkness that could be felt. But the ' Sun of Righteousness has arisen with healing in His wings.' There is spread out before ns, in the condition of these islanders, a new chapter of the ' Acts of the Apostles,' written by the finger of God as surely as those chapters were which we have in our Bibles. God is adding to the wonderful record, and, be it said with all reverence and faith, that book is still an unfinished document. Other chapters shall be written, as in all the languages of the earth, for the age is apostolic, and it will be an evil thing for the Church if it cease to be so. How suggestive the fact that there is no formal closing at the end of the ' Acts of the Apostles,' as there is to the other booksjof the New Testament ! The evangelist might appropriately have added ' To be continued ' to chapter xxviii. Indeed, both in the Gospel according to Luke and here we are simply told of ' all that Jesus began both to do and teach.' When the ' Benediction ' is added to the marvellous and completed history, Christ will appear in glory to take His Bride unto Himself. 1 Out of the shadows of night, The world rolls into light — It is daybreak everywhere.' 28 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. Upon India and China and Japan that light shall arise and shine in full-orbed splendour. The Gospel, which has proved itself efficient in overthrowing the gross idolatries and cruel customs of Polynesian heathendom as far as it has been preached; which has purified fam- ily and social life and made all things new ; which has captured the Tongans, Fijians, and others, mad as the Gadarene, and placed them at the feet of Jesus, ' clothed and in their right minds,' is sufficient also for the com- plete overthrow of the more compact and philosophic systems of India and China. Before the Ark of the Lord Dagon will fall to the ground and be broken. Let Austra- lian C hristians be faithful, and we shall see greater things than we have seen, ay, even a nation born in a day. We are quite content in our journeyings to be with- out that spice of danger, which some travellers think adds a zest to enjoyment. We are assured that we shall find everything peaceful, except perhaps that un- tameable savage, the sea, for whose good behaviour no guarantee can ever be given. So on we voyage in the clear and fresh morning past Mbengha, till the green hills of Yiti Levu (Great Fiji) and the white houses of Suva appear in view. Twenty-five years ago our sen- sations on approaching any Fijian island would have been very different from the eagerness we now manifest to land. Life and property are in these days as safe in any part of the group as in our colonies, and perhaps a little safer. The only foes of whom you need beware FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA. 29 in the villages of the Fijians are bloodthirsty mosqui- toes, who seem to have a special liking for fresh victims, and perhaps an inquisitive pig or two in search of pro- vender. What shall be said of certain men in Fiji, as well as in Australia, and here and there throughout the world, who, while they sit securely under the shadow of that tree whose leaves are for the healing of the nations, and whose fruits are peace and prosperity, curse the tree that shelters them, and profess themselves eager to destroy it ! Getting the two shore beacons, one on the beach, the other a little distance up the hill, in a straight line, we find a safe opening in the coral reef, and are soon in Suva Harbour. The ship's gun is fired, and the doctor and government officials come on board. Each boat has a crew of half-a-dozen sturdy Fijians, the first company with bushy hair sticking out three or four inches from the head all round : the second with hair plastered close to the head with a preparation of lime, making them look like grey-headed men. Suva, the capital, is pleasantly situated on the southern coast of Viti Levu (Great Fiji). Its harbour, having an encir- cling background of charming hill scenery, is well pro- tected from the heavy swell of the ocean by the natural breakwater of the coral reefs. Here and there within the reefs and at a very little distance from the mainland, as Yiti Levu may be called, are lovely islets which seem to focus within their narrow boundaries 30 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. the beauties of scenery and wealth of tropical verdure, to which on a most generous scale one becomes so ac- customed in travelling through the group. Each island seems to be a kind of wild botanic garden, a conservatory full of palms and bananas and vinery and beautiful flowers. The white population of Suva is, I judge, from four to five hundred. Levuka, the former capital, is on the eastern coast of Ovalau. Its harbour is not so good as that of Suva, but I think it bears the palm for its glorious hills, rising steeply from the nar- row fringe of coast land on which the business portion of the town is built, and providing on their wooded heights and in their embowered recesses splendid sites for outlook and charming nooks for retirement. The Suva jetty, where we landed, had a most picturesque appearance by reason of the variety in the 1 children of the tropics' who stood there, and the trop- ical fashion of dress or undress affected by each. I am unable to specify scientifically their varied shades, or the numerous colours of the costumes they wore. Fijians of all sorts and sizes, nobles and peasants, nut- brown maids, and laughing, chattering children : lean Hindoos, lookingall the more attenuated in contrast with their brawny neighbours : the dark Solomon Islanders, capable, some of them, judging by their looks, of deeds as black as their faces, yet not unresponsive to the beauty of nature about them, for the scarlet hibiscus or some other beautiful flower decorates many a shaggy FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA. 31 head or hangs in wreaths about their shoulders : the fine-looking Tongans, handsomest of all the South Sea Islanders, clad for the most part in brightest colours, some it is true according to Australian notions rather scantily, the deficiency being made up with leaves, flowers, and cocoa-nut oil — these, with a goodly sprink- ling of happy, careless, curious, copper-coloured urch- ins, whose suits of clothes seemed about equal to good-sized pocket-handkerchiefs, which with frequent attention each managed to keep round about his slip- pery loins, made up a motley and brilliant group, such as I never saw before. Of course the ubiquitous Brit- isher was there, and I was glad to be introduced to an old Victorian, the Rev. F. Langham, now for many years chairman of the Fiji District, and to a young Englishman, the Rev. E. E. Crosby, B. A., connected with our mission in Tonga. After kindly greetings had been exchanged, and we had cleared oar goods through the Customs, Mr. Lindsay and I left in his boat for Navuloa, about twenty-five miles distant from Suva, by sea and river. We had a fine crew of seven men, a captain and six rowers, all of them local preach- ers in full standing and students in the Navuloa Insti- tution. It was pleasing to observe how each man sought opportunity to express to his ' guide, philosopher, and friend,' pleased, and respectful salutations on his return from far-off lands. I shall not soon forget that moonlight sail across 32 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. Lauthala Bay, and row up the Rewa River. Over the silvery waters we dance, listening without a fear to the mad roar of the breakers on the reefs hard by, and looking complacently and admiringly at the long line of white hissing foam, that is as a defence of phos- phorescent fire between the enemy and ns. Old Neptune seems enraged to find such obstructions in his way, and that he cannot get at us : he roars and hisses in his madness. But we are safely inside those mighty fabrics of coral, which countless myriads of tiny but skilful and diligent architects have raised as natural breakwaters, and in comparison with which the mightiest works of men, grand as they are, are frail indeed. ' Creator ! Thou dost teach the coral-worm To lay his mighty reefs. From age to age He builds beneath the waters, till at last His bulwarks overtop the brine, and check The long wave rolling from the southern pole.' Then we entered the broad and silent river that flows with many a winding from the far-off uplands of the interior. Often has war devastated the villages on its banks, and its waters, that now bear the fruits of peaceful industry by canoe and barge and steamer to ships that are anchored in the Roads, have been stained with blood, carrying other cargoes of human bodies for the cannibal feast. The river's banks are clothed to the water's edge with rankest vegetation of ever new FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA, 33 and ever surprising forms ; the branching roots of the mangrove, intertwined in most intricate network, fes- toons of vinery in rich profusion, ferns of marvellous growth and variety, the rustling sugar-cane, the broad- leaved bananas, and, towering above all, the graceful cocoa-nut trees, whose umbrella-like tops stood out in clear relief against the moonlit sky. Then there were the cheerful and strange cries of the boatmen, one inciting the rest to extra exertion. With laughter and song they, mile after mile, toiled at the oars like machinery. Occasionally we heard a voice from the shore as we passed a native town, or a native canoe with its queer outrigger and statue-like occupant shot out from the shadows by the shore into the centre of the silvery stream. Then a song from some unseen singer in the density of the forest came floating towards us. So we glided along the surpassingly beautiful Rewa River, with its tortuous and network-like wind- ings, past villages and plantations and islands, and arrived at Navuloa about the mystic hour of midnight, when on landing the boys gave us a hearty English ' Hip ! hip ! hurrah ! ' for the ' Talatala ' (missionary) was once more amongst them in health and safety. You know the usual routine after long journeys — sup- per, the news from far-off lands, many questions and answers — and then, thanking God for journeying mercies across the great wide sea, to bed. But not to sleep, alas, at any rate for a long time, for some blood- c 34 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. thirsty ruffians had obtained admittance to the room, and soon commenced their war- song in anticipation of tasting my blood. What chance have I in the dark- ness against them ? They are numerous, keen-sighted thongh it is night, and active, provided with sharpest weapons, all eager for the conflict. They have been deprived of the pleasure of tasting ' white missionary ' for some months ! So, like one that beateth the air, at last I am wearied out, and, submitting to the inevitable, my blood flows. With the miserable satisfaction of having slaughtered only a few of the enemy, amid the rejoicing of the surviving mosquitoes, I fall asleep. Methodism in Fiji gets up early in the morning, observing the good old custom of the early morning prayer-meeting. I felt a little ashamed of myself on Sabbath morning that when I reached the village church I met men, women, and children coming away, for the prayer- meeting was over. This was by no means the last reproof that Fijian Methodism gave me. I tried in this instance, however, to find excuse for myself in the exceptional circumstances of the pre- ceding night, the lateness of retiring, and the persistent and monotonous war- songs of the mosquitoes. At 9 30 a.m. we went to the first preaching service. The con- gregation was one of local preachers, pi us a few women and children, a most interesting assemblage indeed. A fine-looking young Fijian occupied the pulpit. Clad in a white sulu, and a spotlessly white and well- FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA. 35 starched shirt, with linen collar and black tie, he looked quite a picture of cleanliness and comfort, as did indeed all the students in the congregation. The sermon was a very vigorous one from the text, ' The Lord is at hand.' Both preacher and discourse were fine exhibitions of muscular Christianity. But there was more. I do not know to what school of thought Ambrose, the preacher, belongs — if Fijian preachers are advanced enough and unfortunate enough to be so divided — whether he is orthodox or heterodox — whether his sermon was theological, philosophical, poetical, or practical — whether it would suit pre-mil- lenarian or post-millenarian ; for I understood but one word in it — ' Jisu ' — the link- word between heaven and earth, the common centre for all races. That one word was the seed in my heart, dropped from a hand which, but for the power of the ' name that is above every name,' might have been wielding the murderous club or poising the deadly spear, and it yielded an abundant and speedy harvest of spiritual delight. It was good to be there. The baptism of two copper- coloured babies followed the sermon. Fathers as well as mothers stepped to the front, — a better custom than I have seen on many occasions in Australian churches — each father bearing his child, arrayed in beautiful robes of native cloth, on a little mat, and so, as the head of the family, presenting the child to God. Whilst the congregation is assembling and waiting in C 2 36 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. church for the minister, instead of spending the time in idle gossip as do many, all join in chanting the catechism. A beautiful custom was observed, too, both at the beginning and at the close of the service, of chanting a prayer for God's blessing on the preaching of the Gospel. Then class-meetings were held in the church and in different houses throughout the village, and as we walked through the square we could hear singing in all directions. Truly I am in a Christian and not a heathen land. Mr. Lindsay and I went to visit the sick, for the missionary must be doctor as well as preacher. Indeed, he ought to know a good deal of well-nigh every profession and trade under the sun, except of course ' The Trade? I mean, the brew- ers' and publicans'. A baby lay nigh unto death, for death is in this earthly paradise. And there, close by the gates of death, that mother-love which is as old as oar race and as widespread, that is born anew in every woman who becomes a mother, watched and wept and prayed that the child might live. Sabbath-school was held at one o'clock, and the second preaching ser- vice at half-past four, when I was called upon to offici- ate, Mr. Lindsay interpreting. A prayer-meeting was held at seven o'clock, when just as many attended as at the other services, excepting, perhaps, a few mothers and babies. Vigorous singing, earnest supplications, hearty responses, and general reverence marked the services of the day. So the Sabbath order at FROM NORFOLK ISLAND TO NAVULOA. 37 Navuloa is as follows : — Prayer-meeting at 7 a.m. : Service 9.30 a m., followed by class- meetings : Sabbath- School 1 p.m. : Service 4.30 p.m. : Prayer-meeting 7 p.m. Then about 9 p.m. the bell rings for family prayer in each house, and shortly after the drum beats — a kind of Fijian curfew — for lights to be put out, and all to go to bed. Such is Methodism at Navuloa on the Sabbath ' from morn till dewy eve.' I am glad that, as was fitting, my observation of our Church work in the South Pacific Islands began at this centre. Navuloa is the university of Fijian Methodism, from which many noble witnesses and martyrs for the things concerning Jesus have gone forth. So our Church has spread under the blessing of God by the multiplying power of a native agency. The scholastic training of the students is with special reference to the work before them, whilst of course no man is accepted for any department of work unless he can testify to that life which is of God. We shall have another opportunity of studying every-day life at Navuloa. CHAPTER IV. ^m0ttgst tlj* Minirtoartr lalanfcs. Blessed and holy Three, Glorious Trinity, Grace, Love, and Might, Boundless as ocean's tide, Rolling in fullest pride, Through the world far and wide, Let there be light ! RETURNING to Suva, with the intention of voy- aging amongst the islands farther east, I had the pleasure of meeting that old Fijian veteran, the Rev. J. Calvert, who had just arrived from England to re- visit the scenes of former toils, dangers, and triumphs.' Nearly fifty years ago James Calvert, with John Hunt and other devoted and heroic men, went forth weeping, bearing precious seed, and now the harvest waves to the glory of God. The s.s. * Suva ' left for Tonga, after we had had a day or two in Suva, having amongst her passengers Revs. J. Calvert, E. Crosby, B. A., and myself — Messrs. AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. 39 Calvert and Crosby for Tonga, myself for Lomaloma in Vanua Balavu, one of the Windward Islands. How great the privilege of spending a few days in such company ! What fire still in the old veteran, the hero of a hundred fights against the powers of darkness ! What tales of adventure — some very serious, some very comic — he entertained us with ! With what delight he looked into the faces of a few old friends ! With what joy he greeted young and new ones ! Arriving at Levuka the next day at breakfast time, we climbed that very steep hill on which the mission house stands. Nearly all the Fijian mission houses are built on high, but it was my invariable experience that at the top of the Jacob's Ladder leading to each I found good angels who ministered to my comfort. The Rev. H. Worrall, recently from Sydney, is in charge of the Levuka Station. After breakfast Mr. W. and I went through the native town, where we saw a company of six or eight women dyeing the native cloth. This , cloth is made out of the bark of the paper-mulberry tree. The strips of bark having been soaked in water are beaten out by the women and girls with small wooden mallets, and the whole is made adhesive for the required length and breadth by a mucilage obtained from arrowroot. After visiting one or two houses, we climbed the hills, the glorious Levuka Hills, amidst the loveliest scenery and the most luxuriant vegetation that can be imagined. I wish I could show 40 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. my readers a bouquet of the wild flowers, or adorn them with some of the leaves and vinery that we saw. Strength and beauty are here combined — the 1 strength of the hills ' and the variegated beauty of their living apparel, which, leaving no part bare, hangs in graceful folds of loveliness from summit to base. See yonder, far up, the sunlit heights, and here the shady nooks ; listen to the splash of tiny cataracts and the murmur of busy streamlets, spreading life and beauty as they flow. Nature here is always c dressed for company,' yet, save a few gorgeous butterflies, and here and there a lonely bird calling for its mate, there seem but few to hold converse with her. Still she is radiant, and frowns not at such neglect. 1 Nature cares not Although her loveliness should ne'er be seen By human eyes, nor praised by human tongues. The cataract exults among the hills, And wears its crown of rainbows all alone/ Mountains and hills, and trees and flowers, are prais- ing God, Who still ' walks in the garden in the cool of the day,' taking delight in the works of His hands. We left Levuka late at night, and in the morning were at Taviuni, now under the pastoral care of the Rev. W. Slade. A recent and terrific hurricane had damaged the settlement very much. A great tidal wave set in at Yuna Point, swept stone jetty, bridge,, and some houses away, injured the sugar mill very AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. 41 considerably, and did much injury further inland. Living amid the peace of these temperate climes, where nature's wildest storms are comparatively calm, one may greatly enjoy a description in book or picture or song of one of these tempests of the tropics : ' He is come ! He is come ! do ye not behold His ample robes on the wind unrolled ? Giant of air ! we bid thee hail ! How his gray skirts toss in the whirling gale ! How his huge and writhing arms are bent To clasp the zone of the firmament, And fold at length in their dark embrace From mountain to mountain the visible space 1 " Bat admiration of the description of such hurricanes becomes a trembling of spirit in the wild grandeur of the reality, and wonder at the skill of the artist is changed by the mighty gusts of wind, the blinding flashes of lightning, the pouring torrents of rain, the mingling of fire and water, into awe of Him Who ' flies upon the wings of the wind ; Who makes darkness His secret place, and His pavilion round about Him dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.' We found Brother Slade diligently repairing the parsonage, which bore a most dilapidated appearance, as indeed did the whole place. We had a short ser- vice in the church, when the Rev. J. Calvert gave an ad- dress to the Circuit students, who listened with loving regard to one of the band of faithful men who had 42 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. brought the word of life to their fathers. Then we called upon Mr. Moore, a planter, the son of an old Fijian missionary, the Rev. W. Moore, whose name also should be held in honour. After partaking of his hos- pitality, we walked through his cocoa-nut plantation, which before the hurricane must have been a magnifi- cent sight, the huge fan-like leaves almost hiding the sky. But now, beaten by the tempest and as if scorched by fire, the glory has departed. Much finan- cial loss results, of course, from these ' blows/ as the planters call them, and the gardens of the natives suffer considerably, so that sometimes food becomes scarce. From Yuna Point we went round to the other side of the island, and then struck a south-easterly course for Mango, an island which belongs to a sugar com- pany. We had generally six or eight islands in sight, as we steamed along, and they seemed like floating gardens on a sea of glass. Having said ' Good-bye ' to some gentlemen who had journeyed from Melbourne with us, and discharged stores for the estate, a few hours brought us to Yanua Balavu, at whose chief town, Lomaloma, the Rev. J. P. Chapman, recently of South Australia, lives. A few minutes after we anchored Mr. Chapman came off in his boat, rowed by ten sturdy fellows, and was considerably surprised to see one of his South Australian friends on the quarter- deck. Here the ' Suva ' remained all night, for the AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. 43 harbour can be entered and left only by daylight be- cause of the numerous coral reefs. Adjoining Loma- loma is a Tongan town of considerable size, having a very fine church, which happily had stood the force of the hurricane, though the Fijian church close by had been wrecked. Here we had a most interesting ser- vice, at which Mr. Crosby preached in Tongan, and Mr. Calvert gave a short address in Fijian, for many of the people in these eastern islands can understand both languages. Next morning we bade farewell to Father C. and Brother C, and prayed that healing ointment might be applied to the wounds of unhappy Tonga. My second Sabbath in Fiji was a most interesting day. Mr. Chapman and I started early in the morn- ing for a town eight miles distant, six by sea, and then two miles inland. What a magnificent forest that is through which we and our crew walked, most of the way in single file because of the dense growth ! How short those two miles seemed ! They were two miles of wonder and delight. Arrived at the town called Mualevu, we first of all had a look at the new church in course of erection. Its roof, almost completed, is a beautiful piece of work, the reeds being interlaced in a most artistic fashion, w r ith lovely shells fixed in at regular intervals. No fewer than forty churches in this Circuit alone were wrecked by the hurricane, and what with the destruction of food as well as pro- perty the people have had a hard time. Yet their gene- 44 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. losity abounds unto the work of the Lord. According to custom we sat in the native minister's house awhile before service. On one of the poles of the house I ob- served the following printed notice : — * Sa tabu na yaqona Rei na tovako e na vale ogo,' that is, ' It is for- bidden to drink yangona (native intoxicant) or to smoke tobacco in this house,' a pledge that would surely satisfy the most advanced member of the Total Abstinence Alliance. There is a penalty of £50 or three months' imprisonment for giving a Fijian intoxi- cating liquors. Not needing, therefore, to take the pledge against our wine, beer, brandy, &c, the Fijian Blue Eibbonite, of whom I saw many, is pledged against the native intoxicant. The peculiarity about this in- toxicant is that whilst it does not, like ours, befog the mind, it takes the power of locomotion from the legs. Many men are pledged, too, against tobacco. I heard of one man who, having signed this pledge, refused to give his stock of tobacco to the chief, but burned it, It was worth £1, a large sum for a native to sacrifice. It was to me matter of devout thankfulness that so far as I could learn the Fijian missionaries have not to mourn, as have many in other parts of the mission field, over wide-spread destruction amongst the natives, caused by the drink traffic. What is the testimony concerning other parts of the world ? Hear one of the foremost secular papers of the day : ' From Australia to Calcutta, from Hong-Kong to the Falkland Islands, AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. 45 from Mauritius to Ceylon, the nation, whose sovereign writes herself " Defender of the Faith," has carried and taught the use of the deadliest poison invented by hu- manity. Nor is there in the prosecution of this in- fernal traffic the faintest pretence of consideration for the destined victims. The drink vended among the heathen is the most abominable, the fiercest, the most deadly stuff distilled. When Mauritius became a sugar colony the rum made there was unfit for exportation to England. So it was sent to Madagascar ; and when the frightful results in crime and disease led the Mala- gasy king to prohibit the importation, the Mauri- tius merchants complained, the English government interfered, and free rum was forced upon the island. In the same manner opium was forced upon China at the point of the bayonet. With less effrontery but equal absence of principle, British liquor has been pushed through the valley of the Congo, and the missionaries have been driven to confess that against this foe they could make no headway. From time to time inquiries are made as to the rapid decay of the native races brought into contact with Europeans. Undoubtedly the chief cause of this decline is the European drink traffic. It has given the lie to the statements of the missionaries. It has reinforced every vicious and de- moralizing influence already in existence. It has caused the more intelligent heathen to reject the proffered re- ligion of a people who, while praising God with their 46 RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. mouths, worship the devil with their hands.' This is a terrible indictment against a professedly Christian nation, and judgment will surely come. May Fiji be spared from this blighting curse. Service past, we had dinner in the teacher's house, Mr. Chapman, myself, and our ten rowers. The hostess did not seem a bit distressed by the number of her guests. An abundant supply of food was brought in by different persons, and placed on the mats in front of us. Fijian houses are furnished very simply and inex- pensively. Tables and chairs there are none, and if you want such luxuries as cups and saucers, and knives and forks, as a rule you must take them with you when you travel. The first course in our dinner was Fijian soup, drunk out of a cocoa-nut shell ; then we had boiled fowl with yams and taro, followed by biscuits and tea. During dinner our host in his anxiety for our comfort sat in front of us fanning the flies and mosqui- toes away, and no man of the whole company, all sitting at a respectful distance, would eat a morsel of the abun- dant supply that had been brought till we gave the word. Such is Fijian etiquette. The lady of the house was so excessively and oppressively polite that she would not draw near to us, the chiefs, except bowed to the ground. After dinner, wooden pillows, one short, which I suppose was a bachelor's pillow, and one long, which I took to be a married man's pillow, were brought out, so that we might enjoy a short siesta. AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. 47 In the afternoon we attended the funeral of a woman who died in the early morning. In snch a climate as that of Fiji burial must quickly follow death. The head, face, and hands of the corpse were freely anointed with cocoa-nut oil. No wooden coffin, of course, was used, but the body was wrapped up in immense rolls of beautiful native cloth and valuable mats. Then a large opening was cut in the end of the house, through which the body was passed out. We asked why this was done, and an old man explained that they considered it unlawful to carry a dead body out by the door through which food, the emblem of life, was brought in. I do not know if the same custom is observed in the western parts of Fiji, this being the only funeral I attended. When King Thakombau died at Bau, the house in which he died was pulled down, and thrown into the sea, and his death was announced amongst the islands in this formula, ' The house has fallen.* A shallow grave had been prepared, in which more mats were laid, which were carefully folded round the body, the service proceeded in the usual way ? and the grave was filled in. It was an old heathen custom to cut off half a finger as a sign of mourning, especially on the death of a chief. I suppose the number of fingers suspended over the doorway would mark the in- tensity of sorrow. I saw several men and women whose hands had been thus mutilated. Of course we had nothing of the kind in connection with this death. 4* RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. Mourning apparel in the form of. dirty pieces of old matting was worn outside the ordinary clothing, calling to mind the sackcloth of the East. Returning to Lomaloma, we were a little late for the lovefeast, at which about one hundred and eighty were present, Tongans and Fijians uniting. Though I could not understand what they said, I knew they were testi- fying of that grace of God which bringeth salvation, and my heart ' burned within me by the way.' After tea we had about two hundred present at what is called a Bo-lotu, or night meeting. This particular kind of meeting is Tongan, and was conducted by the Tongan teacher. It was a novel and most interesting service. Commencing in the usual way by singing and prayer, after an address the peculiarities of the service began to show themselves. During the singing of the second hymn, about twenty men and women retired from the church, and we soon heard them chanting away in the distance. Drawing nearer and nearer, they stood at the door of the church, their wonderful music rising and falling in strong and sweet cadences. Then, at a sign from the leader, they marched up the aisle, a few steps at a time, still singing, till they reached the front of the pulpit, when they fell upon their knees, and prayer was offered amid the loud responses of the con- gregation. Prayer over, the company again chanted, this time upon their knees, during which a second choir of twenty or so retired from the church, and their AMONGST THE WINDWARD ISLANDS. 49 music was soon heard drawing near. When about half- a-dozen companies, representing different towns, had gone through this routine, we had a fellowship meet- ing, and in such a warm fellowship meeting I have never been before, except, perhaps, immediately after a revival, when all hearts are on fire. There was no need to say, * Now, brethren, do not wait for one another : ■ no need to hint gently, ' Perhaps some of our sisters would like to testify : ' no need to fill in an awkward gap of silence with singing. The difficulty was all in the other direction. While the company sang, men and women, sometimes half-a-dozen at a time, stood upon their feet, thus indicating their desire to tell what God had done for them and was doing in them. This continued till ten o'clock with no sign of flagging, with no chilly draught blowing through the place. Over thirty spoke, two of them being converts at the meet- ing. Fijian and Tongan alternated. Some would be- gin to speak in Fijian, and slide off into Tongan, and vice versa. The women wept, and the men shouted, and there was about as much noise as at one of the old type Cornish revivals. The Fijians cried, ' Yinaka ! Yinaka ! ' (Praise ; Praise !) and the Tongans shouted, 1 Fakafetai ! ' (Praise the Lord !) — for the Lord was in the place and in our hearts of a truth. At the close I was desired to give a short address, and said, ' I am glad to be in your wonderful land, and in this glorious meeting. J[ have been delighted to see these beautiful n ro RECENT WANDERINGS IN FIJI. islands, the beautiful trees and flowers, which are new to me. But I am more pleased to know of your love to Christ. The words of our lips differ, but we have all the same language of the heart, and that is love to Him Who first loved us. I could not sing with you just now, but by-and-bye, if we are faithful, we shall sing together the new song, " Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins, and made as kings and priests unto God, to Him be glory for ever and ever." ' ^<^